On a recent rainy Sunday afternoon, my boyfriend and I needed an afternoon pick-me-up, so decided to try Take 5 – a classic, old school coffee and donut shop. Remember those? (Tim Horton’s does not count). I vaguely do and honestly thought they only existed in small towns and on Gasoline Alley, don’t tell me you don’t get excited every time you see the Donut Mill when you pass through Red Deer.  Luckily I was wrong, they do exist, and they are just as wonderful as I remembered them to be.  Here are the five things you need to know about Take 5:

1.  It is located at 11801 48 Street, and are practically an institution in the Beverly neighborhood.
2. Like most things on 118 street, don’t judge a book by its cover.  While it may look a little rough around the edges, this place is really a hidden gem.  Staff are friendly, it is very reasonably priced, and there are lots of tables for you to sit and enjoy your donut and coffee.
3. If donuts are not your thing, they also have a variety of croissants, pies and other baked goods.
4. If donuts are your thing but you need a meal before your dessert, they also have sandwiches, subs and soups.  In fact, you can get a soup, sandwich, donut and coffee combo for around $9. Albeit, I was a little blindsided by the Cream Supreme donut to consider anything else that Sunday afternoon, but many other patrons around us did, and had nothing but great things to say.
5. If donuts are your thing, you will not be disappointed.  The donuts are amazing.  They are the kind of donuts that will make you want to throw your clean-living diet out the window and never look back.  These homemade donuts are flavorful, light, fluffy and super fresh. They have a decent selection to choose from including everything from your classic glazed and sprinkle donuts to Dulce de Leche (chocolate glazed with a Dulce de Leche flavored cream in the center) and coconut.  I also need to point out that they are the only place in the city (to my knowledge) that fill their Cream Supreme donut with whip cream and not custard.  The whip cream versus custard debate has sparked many heated arguments between my friends and I.  So just to be clear, I do not have anything against custard, I just don’t want it in my donut.

Sincerely,

Chrissy