suzyq

i am not a lover of sweets, so it is a rare occurrence when i talk about bakeries, pastry shops and doughnut shops. maybe as an addendum to a meal, but a sweetsplacein their own right? not often. but when i do.... you can bet theplacein question is epic.

suzyq is epic. these are doughnuts as they are supposed to be. as we, dulled and dumbed as we are by tim's and its ilk, forgot how doughnuts can and should be. these are doughnuts that live up to the reason people get excited about doughnuts.

a friend and frequent dining companion introduced me to this place. a tiny little building, set back a bit from the road on the north side of wellington street, you have to keep a a sharp eye out for the place. the building itself reads to me almost as a shack. this is not a criticism. successful food joints operating out of shacks have reliably great food because, in my opinion, they can't trick people into paying for where they're eating rather than what they're eating. at suzyq, floor space is tiny, there is a large glass case showcasing the doughnuts, and they serve coffee and a couple other non-alcoholic beverages. there is nothing to distract from the doughnuts. and really nothing to attract people other than the doughnuts. so the fact that theplaceis often lined up out the door is a promising tell.

the doughnuts themselves.... old fashioned yeast doughnuts. not too sweet. light. crispy exterior with a hint of saltiness. tender, pillowy interior. soft. yielding. with an impressive rise. these treasures are a good 2 inches tall. the base doughnut is the same. a doughnut is a doughnut is a doughnut. the variation is in the topping. there are several mainstays that are always there: maple bacon, salty caramel, sugar munkki, dirty chocolate, and a couple of others. and then there are others that make an occasional appearance. hands down (very sticky hands), my favourite is the salty caramel. a medium-dark, salted caramel, on the thinner side, poured over the beautiful doughnut base, so every bit of doughnut not resting on the tray is appropriately,but not cloyingly, coated with caramel. it is glossy and glistening, and just looking at it inspires gluttony. my favourite part: the salt crystals. they add a surprising and subtle texture and crunch, not to mention the gorgeous little bursts of salty flavour beyond the background mild saltiness of the caramel.

seriously, every doughnut i have tried at suzyq has been a delight, but perhaps the best endorsement comes from my out-of-town 8 year old nephew. on a visit last summer, i took him and his twin brother to suzyq early one sunday morning, leaving their parents to sleep in. the boys were impressed. sister and brother-in-law were impressed with what made it back to the house. on a visit in march, the first thing out of my nephew's mouth was a request to get more of those doughnuts. obviously, they had been on his mind. as they should have been.

so, if you have the chance, check out suzyq!

such poor service. i was so incredibly disappointed at the service i received. when i go into a local shop and spent my hard earned money ($50 isn't cheap for me) i expect a certain level of service.

when i ordered 2 dozen donuts i had first requested that they be assorted. after taking a look at the selection i had changed my mind and decided there were certain donuts i did want included, and i asked the woman behind the counter politely if i could actually select the donuts.

she was quite visibly bothered by my request, sighed loudly widened her eyes and said "ugh, could we do this for the next dozen?"

there was not a lineup in the store, so i am unsure why this request was so unsettling and bothersome to her.
i was taken aback and quickly regretted my choice of not opting for the cheaper alternative of heading into a tim hortons drive thru for more polite service, especially since these donuts were my collegues at work

i remained polite and selected the next dozen, while she became more impatient as i tried to quickly give my next selection.

i love these donuts, have liked this bakery on facebook and recommended them to my friends. but i have to say after this experience i will probably make the drive out to almonte to theplacei was told about there.

as i related this story to my collegues at work, i had a fellow tell me of the service his father had received at the shop in almonte (healthy food technologies incorperated)

his father went in, and was trying it out, and said " i see you have dutchies?" so they gave the dutchie, and then he said "i see you have jelly filled?" they said "yes" and they handed him a jelly filled....4 donuts later he went to pay, and the cashier said "don't worry about the cost...they are great, and we know you will be back.."

i would drive 30 minutes out of my way after hearing how they treat their customers....

perhaps suzy q has become so popular that they have forgotten how to treat their customers, but i was so terribly disappointed

amazing doughnuts! in my opinion, the best in ottawa. theplaceis always packed but it's worth the wait. the doughnuts are chewy, fresh and delicious. highly recommend for an afternoon coffee and dessert.

the new location is so much better than the old. i'm glad i didn't review thisplacethe first time i visited the old venue as the donuts were only as bad as the service, dreadful. but now the tables have turned completely!
friendly courteous service, amazing fluffy decadent donuts and the coffee is easily one of the best i have had in ottawa.
well done guys, keep it up!
enjoy!

since thisplaceis a 1 minute walk from where i work, i constantly go by it. don't have a sweet tooth, but i like to try new things so i took the plunge and bought half a dozen donuts. wasn't sure what to get, so i asked for suggestions. they staff was super friendly and quite cheery, they even let me sample some flavours before i picked them. overall, i thought it was very good. fresh and soft without being warm and gooey. most bakery shops like this are way overpriced, but i found their prices to be fair and reasonable for what i was getting. will go back there if i'm in the mood for donuts.

one step inside the tiny store front of suzy q doughnuts, intoxicated by the aroma of sugar and yeast, all effort at self-restraint is wiped away.  you’ll find yourself swooning like a five year-old over fresh doughnuts lining the glass case with colour and gooey delight. for those who love light, yeast risen doughnuts deep fried to perfection then topped with all manner of finger licking goodness, this is a shop to stop.  aplaceto let your inner child run rampant and renew one’s faith in humanity.   somewhere there’s someone brave enough to take on the corporate doughnut makers of the world with a good recipe and a scrappy sense of adventure.  and that’s what i love about the movement of food at the moment; the return of the artisan and the craftsman to the kitchen.  because of them we have a range of delights that smack of home. suzy q brought back colour faded memories of hot summer days spent standing

the staff are simple amazing & make thisplaceeven better bc the donuts are pure heaven!!!

i don't get it. i had heard so much about thisplaceand finally tried it. boring donuts that all tasted the same. a good raspberry cassis, but otherwise i couldn't taste any lime, maple, or hardly even bacon! yes, the dough is very nice, but that's not why i'm there. should have saved half the money and gone to tim's.

if you want to eat excellent fresh caloric donuts this is the place. they are excellent! maybe a little bit expensive but they worth your money. don't go if you want to lose weight or don't want to guilty ;-) it is aplaceto take out because it's not a niceplaceto eat. go early to buy your donuts and monday is closed.

they're bad news. thisplaceis bad news because these doughnuts are soooo gooood

strawberry lemonade?? yes

maple bacon?!?! every time i go to try this one they're out!! i must have one!!

dangerous. i will avoid thisplaceat all costs in the future because if i don't police myself, i will soon weigh 5000000 pounds.

well maybe i'll just go back once more. tomorrow. for a salted caramel doughnut.

so. good.

amazing donuts.. why bother going to timmy's and eating mediocre donuts that aren't fresh out of the oven when you can go to suzyq and get the real thing? this littleplaceis the word for donuts. biting into that fresh pastry and their unique toppings are a joy. with so many unique toppings and varieties, you're sure to find a few favorites.

it's best to get there early, around 7-10 a.m. as the nearby parking becomes very scarce afterwards. people will wait in line while they cook up fresh batches during peak hours so remember that. it's well worth it, though.

suzy's really knows how to balance their flavors and offer donuts you won't find elsewhere. c'mon...s'mores, grasshopper, cinnamon toast... tell me you don't want to try 'em. suzy's donuts are great, obviously made with love and skill and the people there are so kind. head on down to suzy's for some great donuts the next time you have a hankering. it is a great littleplacein this big ol' city.

didn't like doughnuts before suzyq. everyone knows thisplaceis amazing...if you have never been here, you need to go immediately. anything that is filled with anything in this shop (cream, caramel, etc.) is even better than the already amazing 'basic' selections. i take every out of town visitor here just to watch their tastebuds explode! yum, now i want a doughnut!

i wanted to try the maple and bacon donut but they were out so i had the wonderbar. it was really fresh and delicious. i know i came in near closing time, but the girl at the counter should improve on her customer service. tip: a smile goes a long way!
update - i've been back since and i have to say that the young guy who served me was genuinely excellent. theplacewas packed with a long line-up outside and he was joyful and pleasant. great job! oh... and donuts were great (but must be consumed on the same day otherwise they get hard has a rock).