Manley’s Donut Shop

Best donut in the Bay Area. Even when we buy extras for the next day, it’s still fresh tasting unlike the ones from most other donut shops.

A great donut place full of charm! The people who run it are super nice! Also, I love the egg breakfast croissant!

This is the closest doughnut shop near my work. And it’s also nearby other breakfast options like Starbucks, Peet’s, and Noah’s Bagels. But when I do have cash and a craving for fresh glazed doughnuts, and even a hard boiled egg… this is the go-​to spot. I’ve also dabbled with their maple bars, cinnamon twists, and doughnut holes… which were all pretty average. When I used to get their chocolate doughnut with nuts, the chopped nuts always had a stale taste to it. Glazed FTW! And like most doughnut places, the earlier the better for availability and freshness.

Took my daughter here last Sunday.
Donuts were meehh… just okay.
But I thought their turnover was the bomb!
They only take cash!

This review is solely based on their donut holes. I’ve never been to this donut shop, but my coworker brought a box of donut holes in yesterday from here.
To the point: man these are good! The flavor a he brought are cream-​filled and jelly-​filled. Both had a lot of filling. The donut texture is light and fluffy, the glaze on the outside is just perfect. The few leftovers are still good even on the next day. (These don’t last long in this office) I would love to try a few of the other donuts if I ever am in that area.

I usually stop by here for some doughnuts on my way to work. Its right along my route so its very convenient. I usually park across the street and walk over, but theres always a open spot right in front of the shop. This is a hole in the wall doughnut shop with what looks to be Husband and Wife ran, on occasion they have who seems to be their daughter hanging out in back doing school work.
Very nice couple! They are very quick with serving customers, even when there are 2 – 3 people in front of me I’m in and out of there within 2 minutes. Also never out of doughnuts! Their regular doughnuts run for less than $ 1.00. There is also a fridge with some bottled & can drinks, I also see 3+ Pots of hot coffee which I haven’t tried yet but it seems that I always see someone buying the fresh brewed coffee.
During school days I usually see the seating area filled with kids waiting for school. This place looks to be something that the Willow Glen locals hang out at. Hope they stick around for years to come.

After years of random stops here for breakfast sandwiches and donuts, this place gets a consistent 5 stars from me. I love the tomato egg breakfast sandwich! I have bought many boxes of mixed donuts to bring into the office and everyone loves them! We stop by occasionally on the weekends for custard bars… Mmmmmmmmm delicious! The owners are so kind and quick! All the other donut shops in the area cannot compare in my opinion… I have tried them all… This is my go to spot!

Someone brought these donuts into the office today, and being the glutton I am, I ate two: the chocolate cake donut and some maple fritter-​looking thing. They both were so achingly sweet that my throat actually hurt. I was puckering from the sweetness (funny how reactions work, right?). The donut was a good texture and it was tasty, but I couldn’t take it. Now I feel physically sick from the sweetness.
Now the question is why did I even try to eat both of them…

Picked up a dozen donuts from here yesterday for the kids. Didn’t get to try anything except a bagel that I ordered to go. It was alright and I had a small coffee. Can’t really say anything about the donuts but the owners are very friendly and personable :)

Good chocolate doughnuts — kids always order them. Apple fritters are good too. They have counter syle seating at their w8ndow. Awesome for watching the world go by.
Friendly owners are good service. Reasonable prices. A great piece of local flair.

I’ve been going to Manly since 1966. I guess the new owners of taking the old owners recipe because they haven’t changed in all those years. Gary

This place is a throwback to the donut shops I used to frequent after finishing my early morning paper route in the mid 80s. Fyi, cash only here. I think Manley’s used to be a local franchise but it looks like they were all sold to independent owners. Of the three in the Willow Glen area, this is one is noticeably better. They have the best apple fritter and the donuts are fluffy and fresh. The jelly filled donut holes are perfect if you need a little something sweet for your morning routine. If you have a moment, grab your favorite, have a seat in the old school eating area, watch the cars go by on Lincoln Ave and just enjoy.

Be careful with this donut place. I’ve lived in Cupertino for many years now, but never visited this shop. On a whim one day on the way back from the new Safeway, I decided to stop for a donut. I purchased a simple glazed donut. The first thing I noticed was that the oil was rancid and tasted odd. Against my usually better judgement, I finished eating the single donut. That was a mistake. Later that night I was sick, likely from the rancid oil, of which I am not very tolerant.
Any donut shop needs to regularly change their frying oil. Not only does old oil go rancid, it can pick up bad flavors. A lot of donut places cut on costs by thinking they can use and reuse their oil a lot longer than they can. Fresh oil is the only way to make fresh product and this is critical in the donut business.
While I see a lot of favorable reviews for this place on Unilocal,maybe my visit was an anomaly. Though, somehow I don’t think so. As I said, be careful with this place. If your donut doesn’t taste quite right or the oil tastes funny or rancid, dump it in the bin and drive up the street to the Donut Wheel. I’ve visited the Wheel many times and never gotten rancid oil.

The best fresh fluffy, not-​greasy donuts! Forget the stale, greasy stuff at the chain shops. This is the real deal and family owned.
Skip the Meridian location though; the Lincoln Ave location blows them away.
Our favorite «donut Sunday» place. Comparable to Chucks in Redwood City.
I only wish they were open on weekday afternoons. Probably it’s best for my waistline that they’re not!

This has been my Go-​To donut shop for over TEN yrs! I make a stop every time I’m back in San Jose!
They are THE Manleys donuts! Only place with the sweet cream filling. The other locations use custard.
I get the donut holes with filling
Melodious light gooey sweet creAm with a soft and sugary donut hole –you CAN NOT eat just one!
For a fantastic and epic sweet treat you can not go wrong! For years they were the only donuts my kids would eat –when I allowed donut days!
Apple fritters –amazing
Cash only was what it used to be so I always go with cash out of habit!
Adorable and hard working married couple own and run a great little shop!

I had gotten some donuts here, I gotta sat, not bad at all. I really like their crème and the jelly donut holes. So good. Their maple donut is not all thick and nasty, it’s was good.
Too bad it’s in Willow Glen so I’d only be around there when I visit my dentist office.

Coffee is available here and cheaper than a regular coffee shop so that would be good to have with your doughnuts. This business is small and occupies about half of an older cottage on the avenue – if you look inside you can see all the ovens and the kitchen. The seating area is really nice and cozy –not as cramped as you would expect. There is a great selection of doughnuts including chocolate covered buttermilk bars. I got a flaky fruit stick — very fresh tasting and not too sweet.

Been on the one at Bascom and now been here as well. Good selection of classics, glaze and cream filled. They are pretty good, people friendly and non commercial home made like taste works for me. MY once every 6 months craving for a decent donut. They have chocolate donuts I will surely try next time! I heard there is even another and it’s a chain? may have to check that out to try each one and compare.

Super fluffy donuts, I just tried the plain glazed because I was full from lunch. They didn’t have a plain sugar, which was disappointing because that’s my favorite :(but they did have the crumb ones that people like.
They weren’t the perfect donut to me — a little bit on the bready side. You could see the glutenous flour-​ness when ripping the donuts apart, but there wasn’t much chew to the dough. Contradictory? Dunno!
My review shouldn’t deter you from trying a donut if you’re in the area though! Donut reviews are based so much on personal preference that you just gotta find your favorite and stick to it.
90c for one donut.

It is funny that I never noticed Manley’s as a chain until I discovered this place one morning when I was headed to a friend’s house. I had a few moments to spare to grab a coffee and a donut and I was so happy to find it.
The donut was good and fresh. It had been a long time since I had had a donut and I’d forgotten how much I liked them. I got a chocolate frosted donut. Selection was decent, but not vast.
Service was friendly and it seemed that the clientele was composed of mainly regulars. I like local shops where people go regularly. Increases credibility when the main customers return and return often.