Great donuts, huge assortment. Friendly owner who's been doing this for over 40 years. Coffee made in a pot and serve yourself. No place to sit inside but most people buy a box or more. Loved the old fashioned. Blueberry donuts was great. Coffee tasted like quality coffee should. And did I mention they are open super early! read more

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Carlson's is a mom & pop doughnut shop that happens to be a neighborhood staple. They serve an assortment of delicious selections and the staff is always friendly. My children are tough customers when it comes to their doughnuts & when I delivered these yesterday, they devoured them. That speaks volumes. Reminder: Cash only, and it's a relatively small parking lot, so parking may be scarce. read more

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When I tell you, Carlson's has some of the best donuts I have EVER HAD, this is not an overstatement! I grew up in this area and Carlson's was a staple of my childhood. Recently, I decided to go back and give them a try and have been back several times since! The donuts are still AMAZING, just as I remember them. The donut shop is small, just enough room for you to get in, order your donuts and leave. Nothing to write home about, the location definitely serves its purpose. They only accept cash, which makes sense. No room for customers to hang around waiting for the card machine to process. The service is fast and friendly. Just an all around great in and out experience. read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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I love how the donuts are baked fresh everyday. The shop is open only until all the yummy donuts are sold out, so get there early and bring cash. They accept cash only, so grab those coins and come try Carlson's Donuts. Enjoy! read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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Easily a contender for best donuts in Maryland. I was shocked not only at how much variety they had, but also the price. They charge about the same for a dozen fresh unique house made donuts as Krispy Kreme charges for their industrialized mass produced donuts. I was so impressed with the fairness of their pricing I left a tip. Something I've never done for a bakery before. read more

No need to say more than awesome mouthfeel, cash only, take out. Happy to support a local business and love the old-fashioned flavors here.

Best donuts and great people! Potato simply amazing. That said, so are all the others.

These are the best donuts in the area. My absolute fave is the apple fritter. But all of the donuts are great! Get there early for best selection and cash only. read more

FABULOUS Carlson's Donuts! Easy location and well worth my drive from Ellicott City to Severn.

Soft pillowy yeast donuts The glazed was a solid donut! Went around 930 on a weekday and some were sold out already of some flavors read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Came here on a Friday morning at 9:15AM... they were basically sold out of everything except 4 flavors. We got Apple fritters, a blueberry donut, old fashioned, and a chocolate one. Fresh and airy. I really enjoyed my Apple fritter. The staff are extremely friendly. read more

Carlson's Donuts - a variety of doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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I saw an Instagram reel about Carlson's donuts and went the very next morning. Luckily, my dog woke us up at 4:30 am, so we were able to go early. We pulled into the parking lot a little before 5:30 am, and there were 2 customers in front of us. I ended up getting a dozen donuts. 4 glazed, 3 chocolate frosted, 2 apple fritters, 1 pink frosted, and 1 blueberry. The man at the register was very very nice. Even at 5:30 am, he was super friendly! Once I got the donuts, we drove home where my husband proceeded to devour 2 donuts right away. The glazed donuts were still warm and AMAZING. I couldn't believe they were still warm - we were so happy. My in-laws came over later that day, and they normally don't bVe huge appetites, but they even kept coming back to the donut box to snag bites of different ones. The glazed was definitely my favorite. I enjoyed the pink frosted one as well. The blueberry donut was one of my top choices too! We will most definitely be back! Love the hole in the wall, cash only spots! read more

Carlson's Donuts - a box of doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Cheap and delicious donuts. Go early for the freshest selection. Support local and try them out!

My boyfriend suggested these donuts and they didn't disappoint I read some reviews and most encourage to get here early as the donuts sale out fast, so I arrived within a hour of opening, and there was a good selection. Donuts are super fresh ***cash only read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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Change your business hours. Small/family owned businesses should not be exempt from adhering to their business hours. I drove 50 minutes and arrived an hour and a half before closing only to see a "sold out" sign plastered on the door. That's ridiculous read more

Don't bother going anywhere else in the area for CLASSIC donuts. We drive from Edgewater to Carlsons (passing several donut places on the way) to get these soft, fresh, circles of perfection. They stock all the classics, and do them the old fashioned way. Nothing fancy and that's how we like it. Get there early if you want to try a variety bc they often run out of the favorites by 9 AM! read more

Visiting to put in a mass donut order for our daughter's upcoming birthday party- the friendly, welcoming staff made it super easy to create a combination variety order: a dozen various icing colored sprinkle, 6 blueberry glazed, 6 cinnamon sticks, & 2 dozen donut holes- the price..only $36 for that many donuts, with some customization (colors of icing request)-with how delicious their donuts are, it continues to make me happy to have such a treat in the neighborhood. We couldn't just leave empty handed, waiting a week for delicious donuts, so we grabbed an apple fritter & sour cream to-go- & the staff put an extra 3 donut holes in the bag for our daughter as a surprise Donuts were as expected amazing- crunch glazed outside with warm soft fluffy insides-perfect texture combination. read more

Carlson's Donuts - Sour cream, apple fritter, donut holes - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Had these donuts for the first time when a coworker brought some in to work. Well, I had to stop by to try them again. I got the marshmallow cream filled and raspberry filled when I tell you that they were the best tasting donuts that I have had. I had a couple of donuts left that I placed in an air-tight container, and two days later, they were still as fresh as they were when I purchased them. The only thing is I purchased half a dozen donuts, and I wish they would have placed them in a box instead of placing six donuts in a bag. I still give them five stars. The customer service was amazing as well. FYI, they only accept cash. Check them out when you are in the Odenton/Severn Area. read more

The donuts are consistently fire, I love this spot. I haven't been to a chain donut spot since discovering Carlson's

The BEST donut spot in the DMV area (or possibly one of the best I've had period). Went 9:30am on a rainy Saturday and they were already sold out of ALL of their glazed donuts. We got boston cream, apple fritter, apple filled, and blueberry cake. Boston cream chocolate topping was amazing, their cream filling was perfect (not too sweet, not too watery). Apple filled donut had fresh apple filling. Blueberry cake donut was SUPER soft - my husband usually hates cake donuts but he wished he got more of the blueberry cake donuts. It is very soft, moist, and flavorful. Apple fritter was good but it was our least favorite. We'll definitely be coming back for more soon, to try every single flavor!! Bring cash since they are a cash only joint. Oh and did I mention? Their donuts are a little over a dollar, SO CHEAP!!! read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Carlson's remains our fav local spot for morning indulgence. We have been lucky to enough to grab a few even after 10:30. If you are looking for a marshmallow donut, be sure to get there early. They do take special orders and phone orders, but truthfully every donut is delicious! My family is blessed to be only 1 mile away, and so special when we stop in. We even grabbed some donut holes last week, and enjoyed them as well! read more

Carlson's Donuts - Glazed and chocolate doughnuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Maybe the best classic donuts I've ever had! They don't need fancy toppings because they are GREAT as they are. We ordered a variety and the glazed and cinnamon were our favorites. The glazed were almost out already at 7:30am which clued me into how good they were. I don't usually get plain donuts, I prefer chocolate or something else, but these stole the show. read more

Carlson's Donuts - a variety of donuts on a plate - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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I've been buying Carlson's donuts for several years. I buy them by the dozens for work and church. There is no match for these donuts. This is indeed a GREAT donut shop! On top of the TLC that goes into the donuts made each morning on premises, every customer encounters a friendly person behind the counter to take their order. This is the best donut shop I have ever encountered. Dunkin donuts, for example, pale in comparison. read more

Nice people serving tasty donuts! My coworkers will sometimes bring in donuts to work from Carlson's and whichever flavor I pick, they are always fresh. Brightens up a morning at work. Be sure to come early because they will run out. I've only physically visited their location once and even though it was 9AM, they were already almost cleared out! They were apologetic and told us that a snow plow company had come in and bought a huge order of donuts for their drivers, so it could have just been bad luck. Like other reviewers mentioned, they are cash only so keep that in mind. read more

Amongst the wall of Dunkin Donuts in the Baltimore/DC area, Carleson's Donuts is a prime example of a local mom and pop that inspires myself to buy local. The goliath Dunkin Donuts could not hold a candle to the quality of Carleson's Donuts. Better mouth feel, better taste, and extemely fresh. This place is sold out by 10:30-11:30 daily. So if your looking for donuts and your in the Severn area, come to Carson's Donuts. You won't be dissappointed, unless you get there late! read more

Carlson's has the freshest donuts around. They are absolutely delicious and made fresh each morning. The company really only sells them in the morning because they don't want to sell donuts that are stale. The other thing about Carlson's is they have the best Thai food in town. It's a funny thing to say that you get delicious Thai food at Carlson's donuts but that's exactly what it is. Some of the best Pad Thai I've ever had in my life I have gotten at Carlsons! read more

Small mom and pop shop that serves some really good donuts. The gentleman behind the counter is one of the nicest people ever. He is always smiling and happy to help. Warning: they sell out fast so if you show up after 8AM you might be in trouble. They have an amazing assortment of donuts (6:30-7:30AM is the sweet spot). You literally cannot go wrong with anything that you order. read more

Carlson's is the place for the freshest, most delicious doughnuts in the area! But come early and bring cash .. they can run out early on weekends and don't take cards. Ambiance? Friendly and efficient .. but it's just a strip mall .. a bit run down. Oh, and McDonald's is just around the corner if you need to pick up other coffee or breakfast items. read more

My team and I enjoy these donut pastries when we can and they are amazing and I would recommend them over Krispy Kreme. No offense to KK. KK donuts I love and have since they opened but they are overly sweet and these Donuts here are just right. The glazed are my favorites but I love them all. I can see why the hours aren't opened longer....they are worth the price and my drive to get them whenever I can. read more

Friendly, courteous service and no nonsense ambiance at the selection counter. Carlson's serves fresh, tender donuts; cake and raised varieties, in traditional and novel flavors. Just do not expect to hang out. Grab 'em and go. read more

They were so fresh. They only do cash transactions. They have a big selection, would love to know what the long donuts are. The person at the counter is very nice. read more

Great doughnut shop! Just moved here from Hawaii and was missing our beloved Donut King. Saw good reviews here on Yelp so thought we'd give it a try. Arrived shortly after 6:00 am and there was a good assortment. Only negative was there were no maple frosted. I don't think they make those and they're a favorite of ours but that's ok. We ordered the marshmallow, glazed, raspberry filled, chocolate sprinkle with chocolate frosting, plain chocolate frosted, old fashioned, Bavarian cream, and apple fritters. Also ordered 2 dozen glazed doughnut holes. All were light and fluffy. Fresh and so good! The apple fritters were my favorite. Not too much glaze and nice crispy outside. So so good. Parking was not terrible. Small, but the shop is pretty small too. Easy to get to with GPS. The employee was very friendly and patient as we took a few minutes to decide what we wanted. Cash only. Thankfully I read the reviews and was informed before going as I don't normally carry cash. Fair prices for great doughnuts! Will be our go-to shop from here on out. Heard rumors they're closing w/in the year and I hope that's not true. Dunkin' doesn't even come close to the quality you get here. Better customer service than Dunkin' too. read more

This is a real donut shop! The owner is a great humble guy! This is a place you love to support! read more

I've had this spot on my radar for a while now because of the rave reviews, so I was on a mission to try some when in the area. Set my alarms to arrive early, as I've heard they sell out fast. I don't know the area too well so I missed the store at first and had to turn around. Maybe trust your intuition and don't follow the Google maps directions haha. I got there around 5:45 on a Tuesday and there were a lot of donuts still. However, apparently I came a little too early as the potato donuts wouldn't be ready until 6:30 :( It's a small store but it's brightly lit and the owner was really friendly. A dozen cost $16 and a half dozen $8.50 (in a bag). I got the blueberry cake, Boston cream, sour cream. Chop suey, apple cinnamon filled, and marshmallow. The blueberry cake had a classic sweet blueberry flavor, kind of addicting! Boston cream was rich and custardy. Sour cream had a slight crunch to it. Chop suey was my least favorite as it was dry imo and very sweet. (In case you're wondering, it seemed like a fritter made of donut scraps put together). I'll have to come back again to try their other flavors, especially the potato! read more

Best donuts ever had !!! Buttery. Fresh Best in Annapolis. Highly recommended. Very Fresh and tasty Mike read more

Delicious donuts...these donuts were very good: soft, fresh and flavorful. It's hard finding a good donut place, but after learning raving reviews about this place while in the area, I knew I had to try it and I am pleased. The owner was friendly and simple ordering. Cash only and parking out front. read more

Carlson's Donuts - Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

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In this age of Krispy Kreme, Dunkin', and fractured prune, it is so nice to find a locally owned, family run donut shop like this! We discovered this donut shop when we first moved to the area in the early 90s. We live a little further away now so don't get to visit very often but when we are in the area we always stop by. They are very old-school. It is a cash only business. No credit cards accepted! And, they are only open in the morning. If you do not get there by 8:30 AM or 9 AM, you will likely miss out! They sell out every day and very quickly. Their donuts come in many of the usual varieties, but the differences they are all made by hand every day so they are very fresh. In addition, they all tend to be very large! You definitely get your moneys worth. The apple fritter and Boston cream are my favorite. They are located in a small strip mall. You would probably miss them if you were not paying attention. But I assure you, they're worth finding and trying! read more

Carlson's Donuts - Located in a little strip mall on the corner of Route 170 and Route 174. - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

I woke up early to get them doooooonuts! Love supporting small businesses and a lovely mom n pops store. It's a quaint and easy to find store. Love the glazed twisted donut! I actually got a dozen ... I have to say not too much variety but good enough to get 12. They're airy, fluffy and delishhhhh! Excuse the picture of an eaten dozen.. couldn't resist! Go early and grab the donuts before they run out by 8.. also they sell coffee. AND cash only so don't forget to bring $$$ read more

Carlson's Donuts - chocolate glazed, strawberry, cinnamon crunch and regular glazed $14 a dozen, $8 for half dozen - Donuts Near Me - Severn, Maryland

Service - The (what I'm assuming) owners are extremely friendly and do true service with a smile. The female staff complimented me and was super respectful. They work quickly and efficiently as well! Lines seem long but they always work through them extremely fast. Food - When I say these are the best donuts I've ever had in my life, I mean it. I'm usually the type of person to think most donuts are the same, however their donuts are fluffy melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Not greasy at all. The flavor profile of each donut is so unique. 100000% would recommend! Please don't pass this place up! It looks extremely unsuspecting from the outside but is the best I've ever had. read more

Very good donuts, much better than the chain places and probably would say the best in the area