Brandon and I had an eventful Saturday morning. After checking on one of his jobs in Carolina Beach, we made our way over to Britt’s Donuts. No sooner than we had placed our order, the bottom fell out. We waited on two dozen doughnuts for half an hour in the piss-pouring rain.

Once we got to the car, I stripped off my wet clothes and rode home in a robe. Brandon wasn’t so lucky – he had nothing to change into. His clothes were still soaked when we pulled up at the house two hours later.

Was it worth it? Britt’s Donuts is always worth it.

Have y’all ever heard of Britt’s Donut Shop before? It’s famous – and I’m not talking about just locally. These doughnuts are widely acknowledged as some of the best in the nation. They’ve appeared everywhere, from National Geographic to Food & Wine Magazine.

Kind of amazing, considering these are plain Jane glazed doughnuts. You’ll get no frills and thrills here. The menu consists of glazed doughnuts and drinks, nothing more. Honestly, that’s more than enough – and has been for 83 years.

Harvey L. Britt opened Britt’s Donut Shop in 1939 on the Carolina Beach Boardwalk. Originally located on the other side of the boardwalk near the arcade, Britt’s moved to its current location in 1969. Five years later, Mr. Britt sold the shop to a previous employee, Bobby Nivens, and his wife, Maxine. The Nivens still own and operate Britt’s Donuts today.

My family has been eating at Britt’s Donuts for four generations. I’m not even sure how the tradition got started. Mamaw and Papaw probably stumbled across Britt’s back in the 1950s when they vacationed at Carolina Beach. I know they took my daddy when he was growing up. He had fond memories of Britt’s and never missed an opportunity to pop in for a doughnut.

My mama’s family are New Hanover County locals. Her parents likely frequented the Princess Street location before it closed in 1956. I know mama loved Britt’s when I was growing up. She stopped for donuts before taking me to the arcade or four-wheeling at Fort Fisher.

Brandon and I have continued the tradition in our own family. We make a Britt’s pitstop every time we visit Carolina Beach. The girls wouldn’t have it any other way.

If you’ve never been to Britt’s Donut Shop before, you’ve got to stop by! They’re located at 11 Boardwalk on Carolina Beach. The shop operates seasonally from late March through late September. I promise you’ll love it – even if you get stuck waiting in the rain. 😉