My family and I were very excited to try these donuts. With that being said...Milk curdled in my coffee and it was bitter. Staff was rude...The donuts had an under cooked taste & not worth the wait. 2 stars in generous for this place. read more

These donuts were... not good. The chocolate frosting was bitter. The consistency of the donuts was weird. Very disappointing.

Who isn't happy when they are eating a doughnut! These doughnuts aren't just your average joe doughnuts... They are craft doughnuts. They are made with special love and local ingredients for you to enjoy with your morning (or afternoon or evening) beverage. I have had multiple of their doughnuts but they are famous for a maple bacon doughnut which is, for lack of a better term, baller. Their doughnuts change seasonally and almost daily so, don't expect to go in their and get the same exact doughnut that you got 2 months ago. Oh! They also have gluten free doughnuts!! Never fear gluten intolerant friends, Vortex is here for you! read more

Treats staff very poorly. They prioritize money over the safety of staff/the community in a pandemic . So they are a big no from me.

I love a good doughnut. But maybe I should stop going to the more "artisanal" (some may say hipster, but that's not a bad thing) places such as this. It's probably solely my own tastes: I just like a well-executed donut and don't require too many frills. My weakness is apple fritters. I'm crazy about a good apple fritter. The one I had here was okay, but it was still rather raw in the middle, and apples were very sour, not in a way that provide a good contrast to the dough, but so much as to be unpleasant. The taste of the dough didn't much redeem it; it was okay, but nothing special. My husband ordered a cake donut with chocolate icing. I tried it as well. We both felt that it just fell flat. My latte was pretty good, though it did take a while. Good coffee does, so I didn't mind. All in all, we were just rather disappointed, especially after reading so many great reviews. I think since what I like best are the basics anyway, I'll stick to more basic venues in the future as well. read more

As a fervent follower of any doughnut place, I immediately asked a frequent Asheville visitor where I could find some. We traipsed into Vortex on a beautiful Friday morning, despite some confusing construction going on down the street of it. The space is industrial modern, with exposed beams and fun, tornado-like metal pendant lights. It was a little busy, but the staff moves quickly and cheerily took our order. The pickings were a touch slim by the time we arrived at 10am, with maybe four or five styles displayed. The good: these aren't your average yeast doughnut, my friends. I had a maple iced doughnut with thick-cut bacon on top, which was an absolutely dreamy combo of sweet and salty. The real star of my breakfast was the salted caramel, which was still fresh from the line, a yeast doughnut with glaze. Topped off with the Ethiopian house coffee, and I was pleased as punch. There were plenty of places to sit and gaze outside the floor-to-ceiling windows. The meh: our bill was $18 for four doughnuts, one cold brew, and one iced coffee. I understand these doughnuts are a smidge fancier than the average bakery, but these were still too expensive in my opinion. If you're looking for a little special treat yo self, stop in! read more

The ambiance of this place reminds me of Kara's cupcakes in California, but bigger. If you see my photo of Vortex, you will notice the slices on the donuts-- bf and I agreed to just "sample" each of them, as we needed to avoid sugar... but nooope! They were not overly sweet which is good, but found that some of them had underwhelming flavor like the salted caramel one and espresso... but meh-- we still ate them all. They have two types of donuts: yeast and cake. I prefer the yeast ones as the cake ones were too dense for my liking, but bf liked the cake ones. We got them on a day when they're having a buy one get one special so ended up with 6 donuts when we only planned to get 2-3. So much for avoiding sugar. I highly suggest....... to forego the Original one. But yea, give Vortex a try! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Left to right, top to bottom: espresso, salted caramel, *something with alcohol in it*, lemon *something*, original, turtle - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

A great stop for donuts in Asheville. Very close to lots of breweries and things to do. We stopped by towards their closing time and their donuts were but one get one free! Great selection of flavors. We tried the Special Beer on Tap donut and the chocolate cake donut. Fantastic!! I am a huge fan of donuts and I love trying them at different local spots. Good chai teas as well! read more

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Really upset with the selection of donuts at opening time. The donuts that were available were not even fresh. Wont be back

The donuts were amazing as sort of expected, especially the yeast one. But the highlight here is the coffee- so far the best I've had in Asheville all around. Nicely decorated and set shop as well with lots of space - which is needed since they are so busy. Keep it going ! read more

Every year I stop by and I grab a doughnut and a latte. Kinda wish they had more flavors for lattes but it's a nice place

Gosh. These gourmet doughnut places sure are popping up everywhere! I do love doughnuts, so I guess I can't complain about that. But I have to admit that I didn't feel like this place offered me any particularly special flavors that I couldn't find anywhere else. That's not necessarily a bad thing. I was certainly happy to go with one of my favorites - an apple fritter. Quite a classic, right? And they did a ok job. Nothing life changing and not worth the $5 price point. It had goos flavor and actual chunks of apple. But there was also a layer of undercooked goo. Meh. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Vortex Doughnuts is like my parents' marriage. Sometimes everybody tries, but it just doesn't work. Salted caramel was straight-up gross: no caramel in sight, but grease all up in the crease. Some filled thing with chai spice?: this was okay. Squishy and full of whipped butter, like a prom date. Coconut chocolate yeast: this was also just okay, but it could have been great. Like Game of Thrones? (OH GOD HE DIDN'T) Well, there is a difference between my parents' marriage and the doughnuts at Vortex. The doughnuts had quality ingredients. And good coffee. Won't likely be back because death comes for us all sooner than later. read more

The doughnuts were on point! I loved the vegan donuts which tasted exactly like it's normal animal fat filled brother. I got the cinnamon sugar and the vortex (cinnamon sugar with a chocolate swirl) and I was highly impressed. Husband got the chocolate and coconut cake donuts and loved them. The only drawback to visiting is the lack of alternative milks. They only have soy milk for those who prefer not to drink dairy. How about a little carton of almond milk or coconut milk? If you are going to go to the trouble of making all those vegan donuts, continue to offer another option on your drink menu. I drank my coffee black which was fine but it would have been a little bit better! read more

-doughnuts are OK. Not disgusting but nothing that makes you go, "mmmmmm" -totally overpriced -pretentious baristas -seems there's an unnecessary hype about this place... read more

Donuts are delicious and it's a super cool atmosphere, however it was ruined by the smug, rude, and douchey cashier. My sister, who was visiting, ordered the "decaf monk" coffee and when she told him that he looked at us like we were in the wrong. Then rudely said "no one ever calls it that". That's the name of the coffee so why would we not say that? Honestly because of his attitude I wouldn't come back nor recommend any guests to visit vortex. read more

I was really excited about trying this place. I was traveling to Asheville with a group of friends and we made a pit stop in between breweries here. I tried two doughnuts while I was in town.The first was the Vortex because when at the Vortex, try the Vortex. It was pretty good. The second doughnut I tried was their rotating beer doughnut with pretzels and peanuts. I preferred this one over the other, but both were good. They offer a bunch of great options, but be sure to get their early because they will sell out. They even have vegan doughnuts. I didn't have a chance to try the coffee, but when I'm in town next, I'll probably check it out. Overall, good experience. read more

Loved!!!! The donuts. I will go back for sure. Coffee was good and strong. Very busy and seem to sell out fast.

Donuts were delicious and the space down there is AMAZING. I hope to see you guys incorporate some lunch/dinner menu items in the future because it is such a great space. Also, hands down best damn latte I've ever had! read more

Came here on labor day for a breakfast of sorts with a group. We ordered 5 donuts along with some coffee drinks, and the total was just under $40. Again, I feel like Vortex is incredibly overpriced. I've overlooked this in the past because I find the coffee to be of high quality, the donuts to be interesting, and the employees to be friendly. However, the woman who took our donut order this time around was very impatient and not friendly. Considering the amount of money we dropped on donuts/coffee here, I expect the employees to be able to at least pretend to have patience while waiting for us to pick out our donuts. Because there is generally a crowd of people towards the front of the shop, it is not always easy to view all of the donuts until you are actually directly in front of the case. To be clear, only the dark/curly-haired woman who took our donut order was unpleasant. The woman who was at the register was very friendly. On the upside, I enjoyed the donuts I tried more this visit. We tried a strawberry peanut butter, vanilla, peach, chocolate, and a fifth donut which I can't remember. I'm assuming the fifth must not be memorable for a reason. Anyway, of the donuts that I do recall trying, the strawberry peanut butter and peach were quite good. We got a mix of yeast based donuts and cake donuts, but I actually seem to prefer the cake donuts here. They're unlike the cake donuts I've had at any other shops-- they take on a slight crunch and are extremely easy to cut into. This was a much appreciated quality for our group as trying to split up a yeast-based donut can be pretty challenging. The mocha here is still one of my favorites in town. I love that it isn't overly sweetened and actually contains real pieces of quality chocolate. In the past, I've had really nice latte art here, but the cappuccino that we ordered was downright unattractive. It was sadly also made by the same unfriendly employee who collected our donuts. ...notice a trend? read more

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Visited Vortex Doughnuts today on a trip to see family in Asheville. Quickly got tired of the chaos of downtown and wanted somewhere to unwind so we headed to Vortex. The atmosphere is great. Its bright, open and the building itself is gorgeous! The doughnuts are amazing, fresh and flavorful. If your looking for drive through, preservative and junk filled doughnuts coated with processed sugar then keep looking. However, if you want to enjoy a fresh, delicious doughnut made from real ingredients with fresh, seasonal toppings then your at the right place. The coffee deserves its own section, as there are tons of variations for multiple blends of 1000 faces coffee available. We enjoyed the Misty Valley blend and were not disappointed! Their equipment is all new and the baristas are extremely helpful and skilled at serving delicious espressos! The prices are great, especially considering the time and quality ingredients put into each doughnut and cup of coffee. I would highly recommend them if your looking for somewhere with great coffee, doughnuts, atmosphere and plenty of parking! We will definitely be making it a regular stop when in the Asheville area. read more

I am NOT a doughnut person AT ALL! I will eat a Krispy Kream if its hot from the fryer about twice a year. Vortex "doughnuts" should be called something else. They don't have doughnuts... they have round things that are delicious that resemble doughnuts! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Place was cool. Really interesting and down to earth atmosphere. Doughnuts were good... but not great. Overall.. I really enjoyed the place. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

This place might just have the best donuts in Asheville. I came here on Monday for the first time to say goodbye to my friend who is leaving for Brazil for six months. There were plenty of parking spaces upon arrival but they were not free and the only way to pay for them was online which is inconvenient. Anyways, we went inside and the donuts were buy one get one free. There were SO many to choose from, the espresso one was my favorite. I got jasmine tea as well, which was good but it was scalding hot so I had to put some ice in it. Our barista was extremely friendly and seemed like she was happy to be there. The atmosphere was very laid back, there's WiFi and music playing too so it's a good spot for studying!! I definitely recommend coming to Vortex and I will definitely be coming back. read more

Be aware! New policy. The owner of this building also owns the lot marked for parking for this business. I've previously parked there with no issues. Signage is confusing, and if you misunderstand then you will have a large tow bill and an Uber ride out of town to get your car, and have to deal with the angry man at the shady tow company. Managment said this is a new policy, and will hopefully say something to the owner of the building and lot. Unfortunately, my experience felt like a scam that put me in a needlessly scary situation that I won't repeat. I threw away the donuts I bought. No donut is worth all that. read more

This was our second time visiting this establishment and we enjoyed it. We arrived around 10 am and there really wasn't a great selection as expected. Nonetheless we ordered a bakers dozen, a couple coffees and some hot chocolate. (diabetic shock) The doughnuts were awesome and the coffee was good. This is a great place to get some good doughnuts. read more

Hotdamn y'all. Best doughnuts in all of Asheville. Full coffee menu, kicking some Starbucks butt. read more

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I was a little disappointed. Rude server, only 10 cake and yeast types of doughnuts available. The bacon wasn't out. Nothing compared to their website. The ones we had were good. Coffee was good. That's all I can say. Very forgettable experience. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Vortex, Salted caramel, Apple fritter, salt caramel (yeast). - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

Gross, dude. I noticed a sprinkle of salt floating on the foam of my Cafe Cubano. I asked if that was the usual way they made them, thinking perhaps they'd meant to sugar it instead. They said that's "their take" on the drink. Fine. Sometimes Cubanos have a sprinkle of salt. I tried a sip, and it was extremely salty. Being stubborn, I tried to down it in a quick gulp, and there was at least an additional full tsp of undissolved, coarse salt waiting at the bottom of the glass. I would have surely vomited had I not spit it back into the glass. Doughnuts were nothing to write home about. We tried four. The - what I can only call - "froot" flavors reminded me of eating Pop Tarts, and the espresso glaze was underwhelming. read more

Best Doughnuts I have ever had. They all looked so good we had to order a dozen. Even the vegan was good. The texture was nice and not too heavy. Good donut with a flavorful glaze. Candied bacon topping was crispy. Berry filled donut was amazing, made with real fruit, not something from a can. The coffee and tea were amazing too. If I lived closer, I'd be there everyday. read more

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There seems to be a donut war raging in this town. I make a point not to talk about other places in my reviews, though, so I won't. I will say I was a bit disappointed when I finally got to go here, but that's probably as much my fault as anyone else's. I was so super excited to finally have a donut place opening in town, that I really didn't know what to do with myself. But I digress. You didn't come here to read about my expectations. There are two types of donut in this world. Cake donuts and yeast donuts. Vortex largely deals in the former. They have an outstanding flavor selection. If you're looking for creative flavors, a la Voodoo Doughnuts, then you've come to the right place. A nice atmosphere, lots to choose from, and some decent coffee. However, the donuts just didn't do it for me. We went in the morning, so I assume we were getting a fresh batch, but these just didn't seem all that fresh to me. They were pretty dry, and very crumbly. You could have told me they were yesterday's left-overs, and I'd believe you. I know a lot of people who claim this one as their favorite, and far be it from me to tell someone they're wrong, but it just didn't quite live up to what I was expecting. read more

Total disappointment. We have been to Fire Cakes in Chicago and their doughnuts and ice cream are fresh! This was just plain..yuck...they tasted old and frozen! read more

Vortex Doughnuts - A weak old doughnut and ice cream - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

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Good lord, this place is dangerous! I've passed it many times - on foot, on bike, in rig - and resisted the urge to stop in. Well that all ended this morning. The siren song somehow broke through my steely determination and I found myself pulling into their parking lot and making haste to the door. The space itself is gorgeous. The counterman, Charlie, mentioned that they'd just celebrated their one-year-anniversary yesterday, but it looks even newer, so they keep it immaculate. It's airy and almost minimalist in its design, with lots of light wood and concrete floors. There's a great bar where you can sit and watch them make your doughnut. Yes, they make your m.f. doughnut for you once you order it! Forget the "Fresh Donuts" sign at KK; this is literally made-to-order carby yeast bombs that you can scarf down hot. The offerings today were maple glaze (this week's special), vanilla glaze, cocoa rubbed, or almond-cinnamon. I was torn between the cocoa and the almond-cinnamon, but Charlie said the latter is his fave so I went for that. I also eschewed my standard Americano or latte and had some of their regular drip coffee and it was the bomb (as the kids no longer say). I sat at the bar and watched as two women lovingly prepared my little calorie-fest; it only took a couple of minutes before one of them slid it across the counter to me. It was actually warm-hot, not hot-hot, but that was perfect as I'm sure I would have burned my widdle tongue if I'd had to wait for it to cool. Each bite melted away faster than I wanted and, before I knew it, *wolf* it was gone. Temptation called again, but this time I was strong enough to not go back to Charlie and get the cocoa one, too. I figured I'd better save that for next time. read more

Clean, adorable little doughnut shop in downtown. The doughnuts are yummy, nothing that blew my socks off but I'll be back again. The staff is very friendly and helpful, and I believe they accept Apple Pay? Conveniently located near a favorite bar of ours, this is a nice place to grab something sweet. read more

Vortex Doughnuts - Yummmm - Coffee & Tea Near Me - Asheville, North Carolina

We ordered two donuts and some coffee during our trip. We both got the cake donuts. I wanted to try one of their yeast donuts but they were sold out of several of the flavors and I wasn't interested in any of the ones they still had in stock. The donuts were good. Very melt in your mouth. We got a lemon and a salted caramel donut. They are slightly expensive for donuts, because let's be real, they're just donuts. But they're all locally sourced ingredients so I don't mind paying a little more to support local farmers, etc. The coffee was good. I had a pour over and enjoyed it. It had a really smooth flavor to it. I took away a star because of the fact that so many flavors were sold out when we got there and that was a little disappointing. We were there in the morning too so it's not like we strolled in around closing. read more

I don't have much to say, we stopped in grabbed our donuts and coffee and took off. This is a really cool shop and they are very creative with the donuts. They are about as fresh as you can get. The coffee was good. My big gripe is that they are overly sweet. The subtle creative flavors that they put together get lost in the sugar. They also went from super fresh to stale very quickly; within a couple of hours. read more

My family tried the cinnamon roll, chocolate cake doughnut, apple fritter, plain glazed yeast, salted caramel, espresso, and vegan cinnamon doughnuts. The doughnuts (yeast and cake) don't have much flavor, but the salted caramel and espresso icing is to die for. I wouldn't buy any of the other flavors again. The coffee is good, not the best I've ever had, but a good cup of pour over coffee. The lids don't fit very well on the to-go cups so be careful. They are expensive, but that never deters me from buying yummy treats. The baristas were very sweet and helpful. I would go back on occasion. Update: My daughter and I enjoyed our doughnuts today! French Broad Chocolate sugar coated is the bomb! Check it out! read more

1st visit, Wow, the only time I reviewed a worse coffee place was a dunkin donuts. Get ready to be told no. No, we don't have coconut milk, no we don't have hazelnut, no we can't heat that danish, no we don't have nice comfortable chairs to relax in. I say-no don't come here. 2nd visit, what brought me back here was the gluten free apple fritter, plus the cold brew coffee is good. The place was busy, no sign of the "NO QUEEN" and my experience was much better. Feedback- get rid of the very uncomfortable neighborhood park metal furniture and in invest in soft comfortable seating, make the place more of an destination spot for more than the pastries. Although the pastries do blow out of the place and for good reason. So I added a star, I don't do that often. read more

I wish that I liked this place more than I did... the donuts were way too sugar topped.

These donuts are delicious. There are so many neat flavors and they make them with yeast so they are lighter and fluffier or with cake base so they are crispier and a little heavier. I love the cake base because I love the crispness. I got the strawberry and my husband got an apple fritter that was just out of the oven and filled with chunks of apple. Even those came in two flavors: vanilla or cinnamon and sugar. We got the classic vanilla and it was delicious! Finally, we got a few amazing flavors to go and a vanilla flavored coffee which was hot and fresh. This place is so much more than a donut shop and it never disappoints! read more

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