BEST OF DAYTON: Bill’s Donuts remains reigning champion

There is definitely no shortage of delicious donuts around Dayton.

We asked the fine people of Dayton to tell us where to find the very best donut in the Gem City.

>> Must-try Dayton donuts (and flavors)

Whether you prefer yours cream-filled, jelly-filled, covered in sprinkles, drenched in chocolate or warm and gooey fresh from the oven, Dayton’s got you and your sweet tooth covered.

These donut shops were voted the top three in the 2019 Best of Dayton contest.

🥇WINNER: Bill’s Donuts

If Dayton has an all-time donut champion, it’s definitely Bill’s.

Many know of Bill’s Donuts as a donut and coffee shop in Centerville, but the original location was actually in downtown Dayton. Bill’s was founded in 1960 by Bill and Faye Elam and moved to several locations around the Miami Valley before settling, nearly 20 years later, at its current location at 268 N. Main Street in Centerville.

The shop has been run by the brother-sister team of Lisa Tucker and Jim Elam since 1995.

Not only is Bill’s beloved in Dayton, taking top honors repeatedly in Best of Dayton, but it has earned its share of national shout-outs.

In 2017, Business Insider ranked Bill’s Donut Shop No. 2 on its list of “The 15 Best Donut Shops in America.”

Bill’s was the only doughnut shop in Ohio to be included in Saveur magazine’s March 2013 story entitled “The World’s Best Donuts: The 50 Finest Donut Shops in America.” A month later, USA Today named Bill’s one of the “10 Great Places to Get Doughnuts” in the United States.

In April 2015, Bill’s Donut Shop was named one of the “33 Best Donut Shops in America” by the web site Thrillist.com. It was the only doughnut shop in Ohio to be included in the “best-in-the-U.S.” list.

🏆Dayton.com’s Best of Dayton Best Donuts winner in 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016 and 2015

WANT TO GO?

268 N. Main St., Centerville | 937-433-0002 | Facebook | Website

🥈SECOND PLACE: Jim's Donuts

Jim’s Donut Shop is a little off the beaten path up in Vandalia, but worth the drive. Open since the 1950s, Jim’s has some of the biggest apple fritters around and their blueberry cake donuts are always huge hits. Grab a large coffee, one of those bad boys and savor it while making new friends around Jim's wrapped counter top.

WANT TO GO?

122 E. National Road, Vandalia | 937-898-4222 | Facebook

🥉THIRD PLACE: Stan the Donut Man

For over 50 years, Stan the Donut Man has been serving up homemade donuts on Wilmington Ave. Their Reese’s Delight donut — with a Reese’s peanut butter cup in the center — and their maple-bacon doughnuts are particularly worth the time.

WANT TO GO?

1441 Wilmington Ave., Dayton | 937-293-1080 | Facebook

PAST WINNERS

🏆 BEST OF DAYTON 2018 WINNERS: BEST DONUTS

WINNER: Bill's Donuts

2nd Place: Jim's Donuts

3rd Place: Stan the Donut Man

🏆 BEST OF DAYTON 2017 WINNERS: BEST DONUTS

WINNER: Bill's Donuts

2nd Place: Jim's Donuts

3rd Place: Bear Creek Donuts

🏆 BEST OF DAYTON 2016 WINNERS: BEST DONUTS