Despite a couple scathing reviews I've written over the years, I really try hard to only do good Yelp reviews simply because posting a bad review unfairly is playing with a person's livelihood. That being said, I feel like this review should be viewed more as a public service announcement. Call it what you want, it ain't good, but neither are these donuts, so there's that... Just this morning, my wife asked me what kind of donuts I wanted, and my exact response was, "I don't care. A bad donut is better than a good bagel any day, so get me whatever." About 30 minutes later, I was proven wrong AND introduced to the only bad donut I've ever eaten. [[HIGHLIGHT]]First of all, understand going into this place that chaos theory is their business model.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] By that I mean this: whatever your vision of a "donut" is, flip it upside down and inside out, and then make it all way more complex and intricate than it needs to be, and that's what you're going to get here. If the idiomatic phrase "too clever by half" were a donut place, it would be this donut place because they take a simple donut and turn it into a Rube Goldberg device that just isn't as good as it is complex. As far as texture goes, think of a donut in your head. Whatever your favorite is, think of that. You may think of sweet, dense, cakey donuts capable of holding tons of toppings (think Dunkin), or you may think of the uber-sweet, light-and-fluffy donuts glazed and hot off the conveyor belt (think Krispy). Now that you've pictured that, mash them both up together. Take a cake donut and treat it like a "hot off the belt" donut while frying it in oil that's too cold so it absorbs too much grease. Cakey donuts and Krispy donuts, they aren't the same, friends, and they shouldn't be treated the same because what you're going to get if you do is nothing like the donut in your head. Next, flavor-wise, understand that these donuts are basically made from slightly more dense pancake batter. That's it, and not much sweeter I might add, and definitely nothing special. Here's where the whole thing goes off the rails though. They take all of these steaming round rings of run-of-the-mill and douse them with thin coats of whatever you want on them, and none of whatever they're putting on these convoluted collars of cake ends up as a solid covering; it all turns to a puddle of liquid disaster surrounding this so-called donut. You want a Boston cream? Well, they douse the whole thing in a watery chocolate glaze and slap a dollop of vanilla pudding into the hole of said disappointment. There! Done! You want a maple bacon donut? Well, kiss the maple goodbye, glaze it with something watery and too sweet, sprinkle it with sugar, and throw some bacon on top. There! Done! All in all, these were just really bad donuts that tasted like pancakes (I love pancakes, but these wouldn't even qualify as decent pancakes!). I'm sure it's a local novelty, and I'm sure they have cultivated a cult following of good ole southern Karens, Kens, and their kids, but I'm also sure their product doesn't live up to the definition of what a donut is in its most basic form. I have to assume they have survived because they are the only donut shop in the area, and they have the market cornered. I won't be a repeat customer, but good luck to you if you choose to try these, and I hope they're better than the two boxes I have that are going down for the dog to eat the second my wife turns her back. read more

Daybreak Donuts - The selections ordered weren't really close to what I received in my opinion. - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Airy, deep-fried donuts that felt like a hybrid between a traditional cake donut and a Krispy Kreme. The toppings were just ok though. Peanut Butter Cup (4/5) Bacon Bomb (4/5) Caramel Chocolate Crunch (3/5) RATING SYSTEM 5 - Great (Need to get this again) 4 - Good (Would get this again) 3 - Ok (Might give this another shot) 2 - Not Good (Won't get this again) 1 - Bad (Telling people to avoid this) read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Donuts were great! I like that they make them right in front of you and they're prepared right then. Despite the long line they were efficient. Donuts were good! I'd be back for sure. read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

This is a fantastic donut shop in Surf City that deserves its high ratings. They make yeast donuts that you can choose your toppings. There is an overwhelming selection of toppings, which are added to freshly made donuts. The donuts are reasonably priced. The clerk was friendly and patient as I made a selection. I settled in on a Key Lime topping. The donut was hot and shiny from the Key Lime glaze. And it was sinfully delicious. [[HIGHLIGHT]]I ate outside at one of several benches.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They sell logo shirts and hats. In fact, if you wear their shirt into the store, you get a free donut. They are located in a little strip mall with plenty of parking. I recommend and I'll be back. read more

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Similar to Duck Doughnuts where they are really warm coming out. So just be mindful when ordering that toppings may melt.

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Cute and delicious donut shop a couple rows back from the beach.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They have super fun flavors and make and top them fresh! Love this kind of donut. You usually wait in a small line but they move quickly. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There are not tables inside so it is more of a take out kind of vibe.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We go every time we are in Surf City. It is a trip staple for us!! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Little donut shop on the south edge of the roundabout. We got K two donuts. Made to order, pick your toppings. She loved them. One glazed, one with powdered sugar and coconut. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Pretty busy on a Monday afternoon.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Bagel place next door and we did what a lot of people were doing: order at one, go to the other while you wait, go back and forth when things are ready. read more

Best donuts around! Kids loved them, they were a nice treat for the beginning of a great beach day! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

This place is fantastic! Each donut is fried fresh in front of you and then topped with whatever you want on them. Our favorites were French Toast, Strawberry Shortcake, and chocolate with vanilla wafers. Every donut is made to order and absolutely delicious! We had these 4 times in one week!! read more

These donuts are amazing. They're warm and melt in your mouth. All the flavors are delicious and not overwhelming or heavy. read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts: PB&J, Shandy Shack, French Toast, PB Chocolate Chip, Maple Coffee Cake, Chicken & Waffles - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

They fry the donuts right in front of you so you know they are going to be fresh, hot, and delicious! The service was quick and easy. I would highly recommend the Bacon Bomb and Banana Pudding flavors! Definitely a must try when you are in Surf City / Topsail! read more

Daybreak Donuts - (Top left, going down)Bacon Bomb, Apple Pie, French Toast, Banana Pudding, Strawberry Birthday Cake, S'mores - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

I am considering moving to Surf City, NC because of these donuts! You choose what kind of donuts you want and they make them in front of you. If you are in Surf City, stop in. The staff is super friendly and the donuts are the BEST! read more

Daybreak Donuts - 1/2 dozen freshly made donuts from Daybreak. - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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[[HIGHLIGHT]]The place was packed and smelled HEAVENLY as soon as you entered.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] They make the donuts fresh for you so be prepared to taste the most melt in your mouth magnificent donuts you have ever had! Literally so many flavors that I don't think you could go wrong with any choice! They have a beverage cooler with bottles of juice, water and milks. I got a large coffee which was PIPING hot, perfect for this rainy Debbie storm. Tons of people inside but the service was quick, the staff was super nice and patient and we got a dozen made to order donuts fried and prepared right there in front of us! EXCELLENT donut place that we will definitely come to again! My two year old little girl ate two entire donuts herself haha just completely demolished them! My husbands favorite were the specials they had on a board: the Dutch apple and Orange Dream. I really enjoyed the Death by Chocolate and Birthday Cake one but honestly they're all very good. read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Great selection of donuts, and extremely fresh! The key lime, blueberry, and even plain, unglazed donuts were great!

Delicious donuts that were very pretty. My fiancé and I also got coffees which were really yummy, but there was a hole in the bottom of both of our cups so we had to get a bunch of napkins to keep it from leaking, which was annoying, but that is my only complaint. read more

Daybreak Donuts - (Left to right) marg, banana cream, sprinkles, strawberry, bacon, maple syrup - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

The line is always out the door at Daybreak Donuts, and honestly, I don't know why. We've tried this place multiple times hoping to be wowed, but it just doesn't deliver. The donuts are underwhelming--the flavors alone aren't enough to make up for it, and they definitely didn't live up to the hype. The staff seem friendly enough, but honestly, there's little personality, which isn't really their fault since most of them are teenagers. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The setup could really use some improvement too--having separate doors for in and out would help avoid the chaos that always seems to happen.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I wanted to love this place based on the flavors, but it just didn't hit the mark for us. read more

Wow! Came here after lunch for something sweets. I don't normally even like donuts but I really enjoyed this donut. Was able to park outside in the lot. We went inside and the worker was very kind. He gave us a run down on the menu and what was popular. The donuts are made right on the spot so it was so warm and just a great consistency. They are cake donuts that you can add glaze and toppings to so you can make it your own. My one donut was ~$2.50. I ordered the mint donut and loved it. It kinda looked like shrek. So warm and tasty! I would definitely come back! Was able to sit outside on the bench and enjoy my donut! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Visiting North Carolina and found this place close to the Airbnb I was staying at. They had so many flavors! I completely forgot to take pictures of the actual donuts. :( But! I got the Dutch Apple, bacon one, fruity pebbles one, and a strawberry one. I forgot the names of each flavor but they had some clever names for each flavor. The Dutch apple was soooo good! Each donut was warm, soft and fresh tasting. I loved them! By far the best donuts I've ever had! It looks like you order your flavor and the dipped and decorate them fresh! Which was amazing. I wish I had this place back home in Nevada!!! I'll be craving these for a long time. Until next time! read more

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Every time I come here the employees are so nice, they make THE best donuts i'll literally never buy donuts from anywhere else. Thank you for the extra donuts!! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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So everyone likes donuts right? But usually they're okaaaaay. Like I don't typically eat a donut and think OMG that was good. However !!! These donuts are OMG level. I scoffed at my boyfriend when he said we were getting six - like why would anyone want to eat 6?? Nope. Once again I was wrong. We demolished these 6 donuts. We tried sprinkle, maple, apple pie, blueberry, French toast, and strawberry. I loveddddd the blueberry and apple pie. My bf loved the strawberry and French toast. They really were all phenomenal. My only criticism would be the maple. Usually I'm a maple donut girl. It's my go to. But the maple here tastes more like syrup than a traditional maple glaze. Personally would recommend passing on this one! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Half dozen - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

I have heard nothing but great things about this place. I wanted to surprise my staff in Sneads Ferry with a dozen and so I drove to the beach to pick them up. It was my first visit and it was a great one. The parking lot is job enough to house the small businesses in the complex. The same people own the bagel place next door. I was greeted warmly and she explained how it worked. They make all of the doughnuts fresh so it does take some time. I let her pick the 12 for me. She gave me a mixture. I thought $22/dozen was a steal for the quality. The staff loved them! They do have tshirts and ice cream. These are cake doughnuts. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The store was clean and has a beach nice and some Baltimore Oriole memorabilia.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

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This donut shop is seriously the best one I've ever been to. There's a large variety of flavors and each donut is crafted with care. If I'm ever back in Surf City, NC this will be my first stop.c read more

The service here was excellent they provided me with 7 dozen hand picked donuts for a work function and each flavor was delicious. Definitely one of the best donut shops in NC! read more

Stayed near fractured prune for a week or so and consistently saw a line out the door in the mornings. Finally made it over on the last day of my trip to see what it was all about. Got four donuts--apple, blueberry, glaze, and cinnamon. Apply was by far my favorite with the candied apple bits, but the blueberry was quite good too! Donuts are all cake donuts and made fresh. I definitely understand the hype now! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

If you like classic cake donuts, you'll love this place. I like that they dip them in real time rather than having the donuts out all day. They're fresh and they've got such unique and delicious flavors. We always make this a stop for our family vacation-- there's donuts just for about everyone in our family of 11 (just no GF options, which isn't surprising). read more

Daybreak Donuts - Box of donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

Oh my doughnuts! This place and their doughnuts are just so, so good and extremely addictive! Hands down, these are the BEST doughnuts that I have ever had in my entire life! The other "Hot Now" doughnut shops have nothing on these yummy, "hot, hand-dipped" treats! Trust me, when in Surf City, N.C., Fractured Prune doughnuts are a MUST! NO question! Okay, so you got a "hot-hand-dipped" doughnut, now what?!? Well, you can look on the menu for recommended gourmet combinations or you can go all out and design your own gourmet doughnut! We played it safe and frugal (they can be a little pricey when you go off the script, lol) and ordered two each of the Bacon Bomb, Churro, and Dutch Apple doughnuts on our first (See? I told you they're addictive) visit then on our second trip, we ordered two each of the Bacon Bomb and Orange Roll doughnuts. Also, on the 2nd trip, my SO got creative and ordered two doughnuts with chocolate syrup and chocolate cookie crumbles. Yes, he is a chocoholic! My favorite and one of the Surf City favorites is the Bacon Bomb! This is a doughnut with maple glaze and cinnamon sugar (the French Toast) topped with bacon crumbles. Yummy! Everything's better with bacon! My second favorite is probably the Orange Roll! In my opinion, it tastes like fresh squeeze orange juice and it pairs very well with the French Toast! Sounds like a balanced breakfast, right? Yes, we ate them for breakfast! With the variety of toppings offered at Fractured Prune, the amount of possible creations is almost limitless! I'm sure there is a topping (or go Plain Jane) to please everyone in this doughnut shop! FYI-Location can get busy and you may have to wait outside for your order! The doughnuts will definitely be worth the wait though! Great staff and service on each of our visits! They work hard to get orders out quickly! I cannot wait until our next vacation in the area! Now, we have another "must visit" eatery in the area! We will definitely go back and try out some of the other flavor combinations and some off the list of Surf City favorites! Treat yourself to a hot, hand-dipped doughnuts the next time you're in Surf City, you"ll be glad you did! read more

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This used to be called the Fractured Prune, but thankfully they kept the same great concept and donuts! They're all made fresh to order and you choose each flavor! There are so many available options, it's difficult to choose just 6 or even 12! The service was decent and there is no seating inside, just a counter to order and a bench outside! Cute shop with super cute vibes and logo merch too! read more

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We always love daybreak donuts! The donuts are always delicious, the staff consisted of 1 person tonight and she was very nice and worked without seeming flustered, even with 3 families in there at once. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside is inviting and there is merchandise for sale as well.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Every time we come down for vacation, we have to make a stop! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Went here for an early Sunday morning coffee. Also got some fresh donuts. The coffee was okay... nothing special. The donuts were freshly made and iced on a conveyr belt like Dock Donuts.... That means you need to wait while they make them. As for the donuts, yes they were fresh but not yeast raised, more cake-ey and the different toppings is what distinguished them. Personally, I would prefer two supermarket donuts with a cup of coffee and not have to wait. But hey, thats just me. Circle K and Sheetz have great donut, fresh and ready to go. And theur coffee.... Way better and hotter. read more

Loved this place has had the best donuts I have ever had would recommend to anyone who likes a hot gooey and delicious donut.

We are all in agreement; My three kids, my wife and I are all in agreement that this was the best donut we ever tasted!! Strange & unforgettable name for a small donut shop in a vacation destination. I will long for the taste of the chocolate peanut butter crunch doughnut and I will compare every donut I eat between now and the next time I am at the Fractured Prune to this outstanding donut. My wife got the banana pudding, my daughter got the s'more, my youngest daughter got the key lime and my son got the death by chocolate. The six donut which is still up for grabs is chocolate chip cookie- honey glaze, mini chocolate chips and graham cracker crumbs. Yep!! Best donut shop I have found in all the land!! Tell your friends. The end read more

Daybreak Donuts - Outstanding!! - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

By far the best doughnuts I have ever had the pleasure of consuming. My favorite is the chocolate. A little sweet, a little crunch. Fresh and yummy. Will definitely get again. read more

Great donuts. Good variety. Usually go 3 times a week when we're in town ....................

Awesome, warm, fresh donuts. Picked these up for a crowd and they went over so well. Great for a group because you can get a good variety. They service was fast but the line can be long depending on when you go! read more

Daybreak Donuts - Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina

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Me and my daughter enjoyed this place very much! the Donuts were amazing! the wait was a little long but it busy and understandable!

Came here for our annual donut visit. Fifth year in a row. Since it's time as the fractured prune and now daybreak, the donuts have always been great! [[HIGHLIGHT]]Nice colorful atmosphere and great service.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Totally recommend this donut spot! read more

They are right when they advertise "Hot Hand-Dipped Doughnuts"! It was freshly dipped and the doughnut texture wasn't thick like you're slicing it with your teeth, but taking a nice moist bite. I enjoyed both the OC Sand and Strawberry Shortcake. I was worried that the doughnuts appeared really sweet since it was drenching with the freshly dipped syrup. But, the sweetness was so perfect. I didn't need to gulp a bitter cup of coffee or anything to wash it down. There are so many flavors that I can't recommend one. Go with what you like in general. There is a gravel parking lot where people sat in their air conditioned cars to eat the doughnuts in summer heat. There's no seating area indoors, but there is an outdoor area behind the store. My friend and I were the only ones in the store at the time so we stood at a bar area to take the four bites into our doughnuts and left since there is a new store occupancy maximum due to COVID-19. Also, pay in cash to save 4% off the total. read more

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What an amazing and creative selection. Be warned, your toppings WILL slide off the warm donuts. Grab a fork or spoon and reapply and enjoy. read more

Didn't not come out the way I expected I got the sandy shore donut and it really only had cinemen barely had anything on it would not recommend really only met for one time read more

Excellent donuts; they literally melt in your mouth. Lots of flavor options; some very unique ones. We bought 6 and cut them in half, so we try various ones. They were all good...loved the French Toast one and the Key Lime Pie one. read more

Daybreak Donuts - My faves were the French Toast and the Key Lime Pie! - Donuts Near Me - Surf City, North Carolina