Adam & Eats: Irish Maid Donuts, Too

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for almost nine years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

When I think of donuts, I don’t think of Krispy Kreme, or Dunkin. I think of Irish Maid.

I remember going to the old white building in front of Spark’s Hospital as a kid. More recently, I have fond memories of sitting in a booth in the dimly lit back hallway of the Towson store, while smoking a cigarette, drinking a cup of 39¢ coffee (worth every cent), and eating a maple bar and a dozen holes at 10 o’clock at night. You know, the good old days before smokers got banished to the curb, going to bed at 2 a.m. was an early night, and coffee cost $1.25. Ah, to be young and invincible again.

These memories have recently caused me to crave these sweet treats, so I set out early one Saturday morning to find out if the east side branch of I.M.D. (Irish Maid Donuts) is worth its weight in donuts. To my surprise, I found that they were not.

Located snuggly between a gas station and the Blazin’ Burrito on the corner of Rogers Avenue and Massard is the proud second location of Irish Maid Donuts, or as they like to call it, Irish Maid Donuts, Too. In my humble opinion, this location is unworthy to bare the name Irish Maid. Irish Maid Donuts, in my mind, is a place that is welcoming and warm. Like a crazy Aunt.

“Come. Give me a hug. Eat some sweet pastries. Sit down and be quiet, my stories are on.”

Whatever it is, the new location is missing something. Luckily, the donuts taste the same. I found that the maple bars are just like I remembered them. Maybe a little skimpier on the maple than I would have cared for, but every small step to keep the dentist’s drill away from my molars helps. I found the donut holes to be kind of stale, but the coffee saved the day on this one. Sadly, the cost of coffee has gone up to 79¢ for a small, but it tastes much better than the water-dressed-in-brown that we used to get.

One thing that caught my eye and makes this location stand out from its predecessor is the fact that they now offer savory items for breakfast. You know, biscuits & gravy and the like. I wasn’t there expecting b&g, so I stuck to the donuts. Overall, the donuts at the I.M.D., Too are still great. So great in fact, that on a few occasions I have been turned away because they were sold out. I have yet to try I.M.D.’s competitor’s (Paradise Donuts) product, but I can say that, without a doubt, Irish Maid beats out the local grocery store donuts with one oven mitt tied behind its back.

Perhaps my nostalgia for the old stores is blinding me to the greatness of the new location. Maybe some kid will have the same fond memories of this Irish Maid, as I do of the other stores.

Maybe my love of donuts can overcome this small imperfection in décor. You know what they say, if you love something set it free. If it comes back, it had better be bringing a maple bar and a dozen donut holes.

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Adam also has this thing called Sandwich Control.