Upon opening its first shop in 2011 , Federal donut chop-chop became a production line - out - the - door destination for Philadelphians clamoring for fried chicken & donuts . As seasons come and go , so do donut flavor at Federal : pumpkin - spice - latte donuts dominate the evenfall ; an extra lovey - dovey one ( read : heart sprinkles ) around Valentine ’s Day . Year after class , though , the nine flavors below remain as the permanent holdouts . While everyone has a favorite , the time has come up for a definitive stratification of donut form – since , y’know , some donuts are objectively right smart better than others . Since it ’s difficult to place your tike , we adopt up the scrupulous task of eating all of Federal ’s repair donuts and figuring out which is truly the best of the caboodle .

9. Old-Fashioned Glazed

We all have it away a Graeco-Roman glass doughnut will do when you ’re feeling indecisive . But chickening out and getting Federal ’s version just is n’t worth it when there are so many other tank , in force options . Plus , it ’s included on the “ fancy ” donut computer menu , which is a major misnomer . It ’s fundamentally the kid’s - menu choice at a fancy eating house . compare to the criterion of donut elsewhere on the menu , the sure-enough - fashioned just does n’t withstand up .

8. Vanilla Spice

The fine-grained vanilla spicery donut is still a definitive option , but it stands out one step ahead of the dewy-eyed glass , peculiarly if you grab one straight from the fryer . It ’s a solid tripping choice you could pair alongside ( or sandwiching ) your fry Gallus gallus .

7. Churro

discover a churro selection on the menu may give you some in high spirits expectations , specially at Federal Donuts . Churros are a spicy dessert point ! Sugar ! Cinnamon ! And while the hazelnut chocolate drizzle and sugar dusting were delicious , the flavor does n’t necessarily fend out as “ churro - y ” enough to feel unique to the trade name .

6. Cinnamon Brown Sugar

you could generally get a cinnamon brownish sugar donut any old lieu , so to really be memorable , the flavor has to grab your attention right away – which this one does , collar it a gamy topographic point than some specialism donuts . Turns out the seemingly basic AF option is anything but .

5. Lemon Meringue

If you ’re still starve a glazed donut , the dollop of gamboge ointment make for a more worthy choice . The pop of piquantness is a refreshful twist on the classic , and the donut ends up feeling light than it looks – which means you ’ll have elbow room for several .

4. Guava Poppy

You may not desire to order a half - dozen at a time or anything , but the true guava poppy donut is by far the most memorable , thanks to its strikingly tart flavor . This is arguably the least traditional colouration among the nine lasting nip , too , which makes for dependable Instagram fodder .

3. Chocolate Eclair

The chocolate eclair doughnut is like a mini bar just for you , heavy with what feels like all the earth ’s chocolate in your clawed hand . This cake / donut hybrid is one of Federal ’s quintessential creative options , made all the better because it ’s available year - rotund . extolment to you if you test to consume more than one or two in a single seance .

2. Strawberry Lavender

Strawberry lavender scores high because of its masterful counterpoise : it ’s refreshing , but the light sprinkling of added sugar does n’t count you down . Overall , it evokes enough of a classic donut grain with a surprising taste to be anyone ’s raw favorite .

1. Butter Pecan

Got ta be honest : when starting this endeavor , butter pecan was not favored to succeed the top slot . It ’s the colored horse of the donut collection , especially if your preference for sweets leans toward hot chocolate or caramel . Nonetheless , any dessert enthusiast can appreciate ( and drool over ) the sudden taste of maple , even if you ’re not typically a devotee of butter pecan . The collocation of the mild dinero with the pecans makes it perfect . We truly sympathise with any of our Friend with a nut allergy .

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Federal Donuts

Michael Persico

U

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Federal Donuts

Federal Donuts Philadelphia

Michael Persico