By Maddax Winston-Evans

Teammates in front of Peace, Love and Little Donuts in Pittsburgh.

Peace, Love and Little Donuts truly lives up to its name. Located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, this restaurant sits on the corner at one of the busiest pedestrian streets in the Strip District. I visited the donut shop recently while at a basketball tournament in the area, and it is quite the experience.

Peace, Love and Donuts was founded in Pittsburgh in 2009, but it has expanded since then. There are now numerous locations in Pennsylvania, and there are branches now located in Ohio, New Jersey, West Virginia, and South Carolina. Initially, the restaurant was meant to sell regular-sized donuts, but the wrong machine was ordered. Instead of getting a new machine, they went with it and have now created a successful chain of restaurants across the country.

There is a complete change of scenery as one steps from the loud and crowded streets into the quiet and calming store. The atmosphere is extremely friendly. I was greeted by very kind workers as I walked in for the first time. They could tell that I was new to this restaurant, resulting in them offering me four free cinnamon sugar donuts to entice me into buying more. I have never tasted anything so incredible in my life. These small donuts were immaculately delicious. There is nothing like a hot, fresh, and soft donut. Once I noticed how amazing these small pastries were, I decided that I had to get a dozen of them.

12 donuts that my teammate, Reuben, purchased.

After gazing across all the donut options available, I had to take a step back and ask for a moment to comprehend what I was seeing. There were donuts of all kinds. There were some with nuts, some with chocolate and vanilla icing, and some with powdered sugar. My teammate Reuben stated, “I don’t even know where to begin” after seeing all of the donut options. Not only that, but the toppings seemed to be endless. After reviewing my options one last time, I decided what I wanted.

My dozen donuts consisted of two cookies and cream, four cinnamon sugar, four powdered, and two Fruity Pebbles. The cookies and cream were covered in vanilla icing and Oreo cookie pieces. The cinnamon sugar donuts were completely covered in cinnamon sugar, creating a Cinnamon Toast Crunch taste. The powdered donuts had a classic donut taste, but they were especially tasty when fresh. Lastly, my favorite donuts, the Fruity Pebbles, were covered in vanilla icing and pieces of Fruity Pebbles cereal.

Four of the donuts that I purchased.

Not only were these donuts the most delicious that I have had, but they were also very light. Some donuts leave you feeling very full, but since these donuts were not as dense as others and smaller, I was able to eat four before my basketball game and still perform at a high level.

After purchasing donuts from Peace, Love and Little Donuts, I would recommend that anyone who is in proximity to these restaurants try them. Not only are the donuts delicious, but the experience is also spectacular. My mother, Monica Evans, added that “this donut shop is the best I have ever visited, not only for the delicious donuts, but also the amazing feeling I get from the workers and the classic feel of the store.” The customer service is unmatched, and the donuts are not as expensive as one might think. Reviewer Wolf_Moon_13 from Trip Advisor says, “I don’t know which was more fun – eating them, or customizing them! Definitely a cool little place worth checking out.”

Overall, this restaurant challenges every donut chain across the East Coast as the best donut shop. Visiting this restaurant should definitely be added to everyone’s bucket list.

All photos by Maddax Winston-Evans.