A town’s favorite spots for donuts is often debated among aficionados. The Cincinnati area has several contenders, but many would vote for Holtman’s as the best.
Holtman’s has been around since 1960 but has become more broadly known thanks to recent expansions. Its original and for decades only location is in Loveland, a town in greater Cincinnati. My father-in-law lives in Loveland but Holtman’s is not in town. It is actually closer to another town, Milford, though it has a Loveland address. I had never heard of Holtman’s until their expansion.
I had never been to the original location and it is not in a convenient spot for me to visit, but it is easily my favorite location. The building is relatively small, has no indoor seating, and is definitely old-school. They have a good selection there and make the best apple fritters I have ever had.
The first time I ever saw Holtman’s was when they opened up a small location in Cincinnati’s Over-the-Rhine (OTR). This is an area that is undergoing gentrification and is home to a good number of excellent restaurants. The Holtman’s OTR storefront has a limited selection of donuts and in essence no seating.
The original shop was started by Charles Holtman who passed away in 2007. It is now run by his daughter and her husband, In 2009, they also opened a location in Williamsburg, a town farther east of Cincinnati I have never visited.
The OTR location was opened in 2013 by one of the grandsons of the original owners. Last year, he opened up a much larger location near my home. And another location will be opening soon in another Cincinnati neighborhood, Oakley.
Holtman’s doesn’t make their donuts from purchased mixes. All of their donuts are made from scratch and it shows. They use the same recipes used by their founder. They are often named the best donuts in the city, most recently by Cincinnati’s CityBeat. They are also often referenced as one of the many reasons Cincinnati is a hipper city than most people realize.
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