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Best of Tacoma 2016: Legendary Doughnuts

Best Doughnuts

The Doughnuts are Legendary and considered the best by Weekly Volcano readers. Photo Credit: Jackson Hogan

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Walking into Legendary Doughnuts' main store on 6th Avenue, you really don't notice anything too unique at first. It appears no different than any other millennial-baiting hipster donut store, with its "wacky" offerings and retro-cool design. Don't be fooled, Legendary is the real deal, and unlike the other trendy donut stores in the South Sound, it has one major difference in how it actually creates its unique pastries: consumer input.

Shari Watkins, the manager of Legendary Doughnuts, says that many of their creative concepts actually originate from the customers themselves, lending the store an almost democratic feel.

"A lot of the ideas for the donuts came from customers: a lot of the names, a lot of the flavors, and since the beginning, they've had a lot of input, so I feel like that helps create a lot of positive feelings about (Legendary)," Watkins said.

It certainly helps that the customers seem to have a blast coming up with both flavors and pop-culture referencing names for the pastries. Sure, you could call the most classic of donuts a "glazed" like everyone else, but why not name it the "Homer Simpson?" And why not make it so massive that it might be too big for the hand of Andre the Giant?

It's not like goofy donuts are unusual by any means; Voodoo Doughnuts in Portland built an empire off the idea. Still, in an era where seemly anything goes on frosted pastries, from rated-X shapes to headline-baiting toppings like pulled pork, Legendary definitely keeps their innovations actually edible. They're more quirky in terms of something that you'd always thought would taste good on a donut but haven't seen yet, not quirky in terms of something someone would dare you to eat.

Legendary has become so popular in recent years that they've actually began expansion: now the fringe suburbs of Covington and Lake Tapps-area Auburn have their own branches, and they're already planning to open two more shops in Fredrickson and Federal Way. Obviously, Tacoma isn't the only community that approves of the store.

Still, when you walk in, with all of the selections staring you right in the face, it might be hard to settle on an option. Obviously, the answer is to buy a whole box, but if you must limit yourself to one, Watkins certainly has a recommendation.

"I really love the Yogi Bear; it's the bear claw with raspberry and peanut butter inside," Watkins said. "It's like every kid's ultimate treat: a frosted peanut butter and jelly!"

Legendary Doughnuts, 2602 6th Ave., Tacoma, 253.327.1327; 27237 172nd Ave. SE, #109, Covington, 253.220.8007

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