We have been trying to get to Britt’s Donut Shop for years. 5 years to be exact. In April when they were getting ready to open for the season, I excitedly told my hairdresser that this was the year we were finally going to go. She told me they had permanently closed down and then proceeded to cut my bangs too short.
I really appreciate how many people write in to share their donut news, but there’s a reason we fact check things. One of the owners of Britt’s did pass away in October of last year, but the shop still opened this season. My heart can take having too-short bangs, but missing out on Britt’s would have literally killed me.
I have heard how long the lines are at Britt’s and how long people spend waiting. As someone in their thirties or forties, it’s only a matter of time before some younger, hotter donut enthusiast replaces me. I simply can’t afford to wait. So the only remaining option was to go at open.
The drive from Raleigh to Wilmington is about 2 hours. We woke up at 5am to try to leave at 5:30, but left at 6am because even though I don’t have time to wait in a line, I do have time to complain about getting up at 5 in the morning to try to avoid waiting in line. Rainstorms moved through the state, which means our usual summer hellfires were temporarily replaced by slightly milder and damper summer hellfires.
Right around 8am on a rainy Saturday morning, there’s hardly anyone at the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. At the shop there were less than a handful of people in line and plenty of open seating. Britt’s only makes one type of donut: glazed. I love when I don’t have to think about my order. We got a half dozen and a small coffee, which came out at record speed. If they had a gumball machine, it probably would have taken longer for the gumball to drop. They do not have a gumball machine.
Sitting at the counter, you can see the donuts getting fried in what looks like a vessel from the 1930s: industrial, sturdy, and possibly haunted. It’s an impressive and seemingly long-lasting piece of tech that makes the outside of the donuts just a little bit crispy and keeps the inside nice and soft. I think so many people like this place because it feels so unchanged. They’re cash-only, so in a day and age where you can use your phone or retina scan to pay, it’s a nice change of pace. I assume the feeling is different when there’s a line out the door, the floor is wet with seawater, and someone’s sunburned uncle is yelling their order to the teenagers at the counter, but the whole thing felt like a slower, gentler experience. You pay with cash, sit at the counter, get your order and enjoy at your leisure.
Ultimately, this is a lovely donut experience if you’re able to avoid a line or can afford to hire someone to stand in line for you. And while I have no scientific backing for this, I think not having to wait makes a donut taste sweeter.
Happy donut hunting.