Straight across SW 3rd Street from the famous “Keep Portland Weird” mural and situated between an adult anime theater and an oyster bar sits perhaps the most notable doughnut shop in the world: Voodoo Doughnut.
The original location of Voodoo Doughnut opened in 2003 serving creative creations of fried dough to ecstatic locals and tourists alike.
We rolled up to the spot on a warm, sunny Sunday morning to find a line looping around the shop down to the theater and back. Rather skeptical of the worth of the wait, my buddies convinced me that we should just take the bullet and stand in line. A homeless man banged on a mandolin in an attempt to conjure change from those stuck in place. I’m sure in his own world, he was jamming with Rolling Stones or something of that nature. People in Portland tend to accept everyone, embrace the alternative and the different, even the questionable street musicians.
Pulling into the cash register, I gazed down the nearly endless list of delectable treats and chose a maple-bacon bar paired with a cream-glazed Cap’n Crunch donut. As you could probably imagine, my taste buds were far from disappointed. My choices remained tame to the remainder of the available creations, ranging from the jelly filled “voodoo doll” to the cream filled “cock and balls”. A few years ago, the shop even sold a Nyquil glazed doughnut, eventually discontinued by order of health officials.
Aside from simply serving sugar for breakfast, the shop also holds a license to conduct marriage ceremonies. Services come complete with a wooden coffin of donuts and coffee.
So, the next time you’re passing through Northern Oregon, make sure to grab one of Portland’s “Official City Doughnuts” according to the city’s Mayor Tom Potter!
