Houston has a plethora of donut options, ranging from the classic and simple to the fancy/trendy $3+ a piece varieties (e.g. goat cheese and pomegranate donuts are a real thing that exist). I don't understand why people get so defensive about who makes the best donuts...the great thing about donuts is that you can't REALLY mess them up. That being said, if you think Krispy Kreme is better than Shipley, you're (a) wrong, and (b) not a real Houstonian. Also, below is THE definitive ranking of the best donut shops in Houston, and if you disagree with me on any of these picks, I WILL fight you on it.

Just kidding. Here are five donut places that I like, in no particular order.

Christy's Donuts Kolaches

Montrose

This is a basic, no-frills kinda place, but the donuts are high quality (and I paid less for two donuts here than I would have paid for one at one of those "fancy" places). Get yourself a classic glazed donut, or sprinkles if you're feeling festive. I got an apple fritter (pictured), which was delicious and definitely healthy, because it has the word "apple" in the name. Christy's also makes kolaches, as the name implies, but determining who makes the best kolaches/what even constitutes a kolache is a highly contentious issue among Texans that I do not want to involve myself in at this time.

Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts

Heights

Lee's Fried Chicken & Donuts serves both fried chicken and donuts (I'm just full of insight today), but I am only commenting on the donuts (for this post). Here we have maple bacon (because for some reason we, as a society, share a fascination with putting bacon on things), Nutella-filled, fancy old-fashioned chocolate glazed, and a chocolate cake donut with giant sprinkles on it (pretty sure they're not actually called 'giant sprinkles,' but whatever). And from a different visit, vanilla glazed with regular sprinkles (which, to be honest, may have been my favorite out of all of them). There are tons of other creative options, including, I believe, some kind of fried chicken and donut combo, which I will definitely be trying one of these days. Also, Lee's stays open til 9PM, so if you need donuts and/or fried chicken at a late-ish hour, this is your place.

Hugs & Donuts

Heights

I'm so bad at making decisions; just looking at this picture on the left is stressing me out all over again. I eventually chose a s'mores donut, and I'm pretty sure that was a homemade marshmallow on top. Way in the back of that picture of the case are some traditional donut varieties, but I'll be going back soon because I'm pretty sure there was a Nutella donut that I desperately need in my life. Also, the tables are donuts! How cute is that!?

Shipley's on Ella

Oak Forest/Garden Oaks

Shipley (it is techically 'Shipley' - check the bag - except inexplicably on this sign at only this location) is obviously a chain, but it is a Houston institution. I don't trust people who don't like Shipley plain glazed donuts. And I don't care what anyone says...the donuts from the Shipley on Ella taste better than the donuts from any other location of Shipley. I had heard this from several sources and was skeptical. It is technically outside the loop (barely, but still, it's the whole principle), and not super convenient to get to. But one day my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to go for it...and I'm a believer. I will now go out of my way to go to this particular location of Shipley. It stays open until midnight, and somehow, whatever time I arrive, the glazed donuts are fresh out of the fryer. And as far as I'm concerned, a hot Shipley plain glazed donut is THE greatest donut in the world. If you don't believe me, go try it for yourself (and even if you disagree with me, you've only spent like 75 cents, and you still got to eat a donut).

Morningstar

Heights

If you ask me for a donut shop recommendation, I am going to tell you to go to Morningstar. Wait, I think they call them 'doughnuts' here, because they are extra fancy. (This is where the aforementioned goat cheese and pomegranate doughnut was acquired. Unsurprisingly, it was incredible.) There are a variety of unique doughnuts here in addition to the traditional options, - think cinnamon, matcha, lavender, etc. - and flavors are rotated often. Stick with something simple or try something unusal - you can't go wrong either way. And don't let the price scare you...it's worth it. Morningstar serves a variety of breakfast-y dishes in addition to doughnuts, and they all look wonderful, buttttt I've never actually ordered them. The other reason I love Morningstar is that it is a full-fledged coffee shop that can hold its own next to any of the top coffee places in Houston in terms of quality (Greenway coffee!). In addition to the main shop, Morningstar doughnuts are available at multiple locations around Houston (including Prelude, which is especially dangerous if you work downtown). I've also seen them at Blacksmith, Inversion, and Coral Sword.