That's right folks, "Virginia is for Lovers" through and through and I didn't know I'd find such naughty donut love on a summer Sunday but then I walked through the door into pin-up beauty/donut heaven and I don't remember much, I lost track of time and space, I think I may have lost basic motor skills, and I'm lucky I was able to walk out the door and drive myself away without hitting anything, and still I barely scratched the surface of possibilities at Naughty Girls Donut Shop in Front Royal, Virginia.
Walk through these doors into Naughty Girls heaven and you've got mannequins hanging out, a great red, black and white themed decor with booths and stools, classic pin-ups on the walls, music from the jukebox, and even employees getting in the act with classy-but-naughty uniforms.
At this point the brain-melting tour of tasty delights can begin with such savory treats as Fried Chicken in donut batter (#&@#!!) and Lunch Paninis which are accompanied by a hot donut made to order. Breakfast Paninis and meals are there to round things out and get you ready for your donut fun!
You can ogle over the Monroe Collection giving you Raised Donuts On the Edge including gems like the Dirty Snowball made of Caramel Icing, Coconut, and White Chocolate Drizzle.
Then indulge in the Page Collection of Over the Top Filled Donuts such as the Elvis Presley with Banana Filling, Peanut Butter Banana Bit Icing, and Mini Chocolate Chips.
And journey go to a place where even I have not ventured and eat a Drunkin Donut such as the Sunny Delight, which is filled with Barcardi Limon and vanilla bean custard infused with Lemoncello. It’s topped with homemade lemon thyme shortbread cookies and Barcardi Limon and white chocolate drizzle with a Lemoncello and white chocolate poppy seed glaze.
Gluten-free donuts are available too and the Donut Sundae, you just know the "Drunken" possibilities with that are endless...
Luckily I had a donut partner-in-crime so I was able to sample multiple entries in this food Hall of Fame. Both the Gracie's Pick - Grilled Ham, Peppered Bacon and Swiss & Mushrooms and Ursula's Chick - Crispy Chicken, Cheddar, Crispy Fried Onions, BBQ Sauce and Arugula Salad were fabulous. And I had paid no attention to the term Palm Panini for these sandwiches but as it turned out, what a small but genius detail! They're round just like a donut! Here I am expecting some boring rectangular thing I've had so many times before, and I get a little surprise with even the shape. Making it look like a donut, it's so simple, yet so effective.
The personalized hot donuts weren't hot enough to match my excitement but you do get to pick your icings and/or sugar toppings. You get the freshest donuts and the newest icings but I think this is where you really benefit from being a local and have the ability to show up bright and early in the morning or right around a fresh batch to get a nice hot side donut.
The real donut draw were the big guns such as the Waken Bacon - Caramel Espresso Glaze, Peppered Bacon, Toffee and Burnt Sugar. Dough was soft, light, and flavorful. It was a great base for the toppings and I could always use more bacon, everyone can.
An Oreo donut consisting of chocolate cake, vanilla icing, and Oreo cookie bits was a great cake donut comparison to the yeast of the Waken Bacon. Light crispy outside gave way to a cakey interior, but not too crumbly, and not too dense.
I am a "Dough and Fillings" man since I've decided either East Coast donuts are too sweet or my taste buds have undergone transformations so I appreciate a good dough. In a Naughty Girls twist donut creator Tiana Ramos utilizes Madagascar vanilla beans in the dough, breaking them open and adding them to the mix. I don't know if that specifically does the trick for me, but in any case, the doughs were flavorful and light.
For my fillings fix I got a sort of M&M Boston Cream with chocolate icing and M&Ms on top. This completed the trifecta of yeast, cake, and filled donuts. This donut was best with the coffee too which is definitely a step above the most generic coffee others serve. In addition to the Regular carafe available, Honey Caramel and Chocolate Hazelnut were available. And this bonus available for purchase to go, Maple Bacon coffee! It fills up my apartment with the smell of bacon in the morning! You can even taste a smoky flavor mixed with a maple syrup flavor but I can taste it a lot better when it's cold. When hot, there's just something about it that makes it hard to handle, but iced, very nice.
See video taken by the NG staff during my visit!
70 Riverton Commons Drive B-20
Front Royal, VA. 22630
Quick Score - 10 - This place is a shrine to donuts and pin-up girls and a love for all food.
Donut Selection - 10 - You cannot go in here and not find something to meet your donut need for the day. And the daily selections that change and rotate only add to the allure of seeing what donut concoction they are up to every day.
Donut Freshness - 8 - Superfresh and I'll just add in this category I was all excited about the "hot" donut with my sandwich. It is top rack donuts and fresh glazes but maybe a donut "holding cell" like they had at Holey Cream in NYC would do the trick.
Service - 10 - Service was so great and the inclusion of pin-up style "uniforms" only adds to the personnel experience. It's a little complex there, just so many choices, a visual and aural overload, I like how they ask "Is this your first time here?" and then you can admit you're a Naughty Girls virgin and get a quick rundown of how it works and what you can get.
Extras - 10 - There are just so many, from the donut battered fried chicken, to the sandwiches, to the other deserts such as cupcakes and cannolis, the donut sundae, the breakfast paninis. Then the coffee in-house and available to buy and take home.
Appeal - 10 - The decor, the style, the movie posters, the album covers on the walls, and the jukebox, it's all so good. And the entire restaurant being a chalkboard? It's fun for all ages and my niece would have a blast.
Emotion - 10 - Since my jaw hit the floor of this place, yeah, I'd have to give it a 10/10.
Other's Rating - 10 - This place is so new, it's too soon to judge and deviate from a perfect category score.
Price - 5 - It's not dirt cheap but it's way worth it. There are specials galore too, daily specials, pop-up specials, there are just so many options for any budget you walk in with.
Donut Dunkability - 5 - I didn't see any donut holes available but there were mini-donuts available. Some of the extravagant topping donuts are naturally difficult to dunk, but a little bacon floating in the coffee never hurt no one.
Total - 98
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