Utah
Banbury Cross Donuts
March 2017
Another great stop with family - and an excuse to celebrate! Northwestern had qualified for their first ever NCAA Basketball tournament and they were playing in Salt Lake City! Naturally, I booked a flight to Utah to get in on the March Madness. The location worked out perfectly too - because it was where my sister-in-law, Crosby, and her husband, Joe, were living - and was a state that was still on my donut bucket list! Donuts and cheering on the Cats - it was destined to be quite the weekend!
Banbury Cross Donuts, which is located just a short drive from the heart of downtown Salt Lake City, actually happened to be just down the street from where their house was - so it ended up being really convenient and the walk to the shop was nice!
The shop itself looks almost like it could be a single-family home - it’s a standalone shop with a handful of parking spots (fun fact - they also have a drive through window). As soon as I walked in I got a good vibe from this place and could tell that if I lived nearby I would absolutely be a regular. They had a good selection and were pulling freshly made donuts from the back to fill in all the different assortments.
The donuts are more of the classic style - nothing too fancy - with the straightforwardness that you would expect from a mom and pop donut place - yeast, old-fashioned, cake, fritters, etc. It almost feels like a Dunkin Donuts type set-up - a classic, comfy feel - but with a bit more local flare. You can get a dozen for only $10!
I had the inside scoop on recommendations by going with a local (Crosby) and got a variety to sample. The standout here is absolutely the cinnamon raised. You have to like cinnamon because it is a strong cinnamon flavor (though not overpowering) that is definitely one of the more unique donuts I have had. It works well and has great flavor and texture because of the soft yeast risen dough with the slight crunch of the cinnamon coating. The rest of the bunch were good too but none of them blew me away. They were all fresh though which is a huge plus.
Overall, this place keeps it straightforward, cheap, and easy - with nothing too over-the-top or flashy. It’s your classic neighborhood donut shop that would absolutely be my go-to spot on a Saturday morning stroll.
PS - Northwestern pulled off a victory in their first ever tournament appearance so I of course celebrated with some donuts : ) #GoCats
