A plain glazed donut can be a good reason to change your route. At Bloedow Bakery in Winona, visitors praise the light dough, maple long johns, and treats they remember from childhood.
This small, family-owned bakery has been around since 1924. For Minnesota donut fans, it offers a sweet reason to leave room in the day’s plans.
A Small Bakery on East Broadway
Your donut detour has a clear destination: 451 E Broadway St in Winona, Minnesota. Bloedow Bakery is a small, family-owned bakery known for donuts, with pastries and breads rounding out its offerings.
For food-focused day-trippers, that makes the appeal easy to understand. You are coming for baked goods that visitors repeatedly praise, rather than a long list of activities or a sprawling place to explore.
The supplied Google Maps listing gives the bakery 4.8 stars across 1,366 reviews. Donuts dominate the feedback, with maple long johns, glazed donuts, and filled varieties drawing particular attention.
That rating is useful context, but the individual comments explain the draw more clearly. Visitors describe fresh, tender donuts, a steady flow of customers, and a shop that stays on their list whenever they return to Winona.
Several reviewers also describe making special trips or stopping whenever they pass through. One reports driving about 40 minutes from Wisconsin for the donuts, which gives the idea of taking the long way home some real support.
Keep the scale of the place in mind as you plan. Its strength is a focused bakery stop, with the reward waiting in your order rather than in a large visitor space.
A Family-Owned Landmark Since 1924
Some bakery loyalties begin long before anyone thinks to leave an online review. At Bloedow, several visitors connect the donuts with childhood, family routines, and trips back to a familiar town.
The bakery’s supplied description identifies it as an old-fashioned, family-owned landmark operating since 1924. That long history provides a backdrop for the memories people share, without needing an invented story about recipes or past owners.
One longtime customer recalls a father getting up early to bring home donuts. Another says the bakery has been a favorite since childhood and remains a regular stop when passing through Winona.
Those accounts suggest something more personal than a passing food trend. For these customers, returning to Bloedow is a way to repeat a small pleasure they already know and want to share.
Bread appears in those memories, too. A reviewer recommends enjoying a glazed donut right away and bringing bread home for later, linking the immediate treat with something for another meal.
You do not need a childhood connection to appreciate that history. A first visit can simply be a chance to try a longstanding local bakery whose customers describe both affection for the place and enthusiasm for what comes out of it.
The Plain Glazed Donut’s Strong Following
A donut does not need a pile of toppings to win people over. The plain glazed variety gets some of the clearest praise in the supplied reviews, especially from visitors who value texture as much as sweetness.
Customers describe the donuts as light, fluffy, airy, and tender. Several single out the glazed donut as their favorite, including a visitor who says the wider selection is appealing but still returns to that simple choice.
For a first order, that makes glazed a sensible starting point. Without a filling or a bold topping taking the lead, it offers a straightforward way to judge the dough and decide what you enjoy about the bakery.
Pairing one with a different style could make your visit more useful, too. You can compare a simple glazed donut with a maple long john or a cream-filled option, depending on what is available.
The strongest practical advice from reviewers is to arrive early for better choice. Several mention that timing matters, so do not assume your preferred donut will still be waiting near closing.
One customer recommends eating a glazed donut right away. That is an appealing plan for a food trip: enjoy one during the stop, then save any extras to share when you get home.
Maple Long Johns in the Spotlight
Maple fans have a clear candidate for the top of their order. Long johns and maple long johns appear repeatedly in the supplied review topics, and customers give the maple option especially enthusiastic attention.
One reviewer calls the maple long john the most popular choice. That is a customer’s assessment rather than verified sales data, but it fits the number of mentions and the affection expressed by other visitors.
A longtime customer names maple long johns as a family favorite. Another praises a maple donut while also recommending sprinkled and apple-filled choices, showing that the maple appeal sits within a broader selection.
If glazed feels a little too familiar for your special bakery trip, a maple long john offers another well-supported starting point. There is no need to build a complicated order to try something regulars clearly enjoy.
A separate review praises a maple-and-bacon donut. Treat that as a reported past offering, not a promise that it will be available when you walk in.
The same sensible approach applies to any favorite mentioned online: check the current selection before setting your heart on it. Let maple lead your wish list, then leave room for whatever catches your eye at the bakery that morning.
Filled Donuts and a Broader Bakery Selection
Choosing only one treat may be the hardest part of the stop. Beyond glazed donuts and maple long johns, the supplied information includes filled donuts, pastries, breads, and several other baked goods mentioned by customers.
Bavarian cream earns a specific recommendation from one visitor, while another says they would order a cream-filled donut again. Apple-filled choices also receive praise, giving filling fans more than one direction to consider.
A reviewer reports that fillings differ by day. That makes flexibility useful, especially if your trip is built around a flavor you saw mentioned in an older review.
The croissant donut, also called a cronut by a customer, gets an enthusiastic recommendation. Since that comes from a past visit, ask about availability rather than treating it as a guaranteed daily offering.
Cookies, rolls, and bread also earn favorable comments. One reviewer especially recommends date-filled cookies and advises going early because they can run out, while the listing’s popular topics include scones and cinnamon rolls.
For a shared order, variety could be the best payoff. Choose a few different items that are available that day, and let everyone compare favorites without expecting every treat mentioned online to appear in the same visit.
A Busy Grab-and-Go Atmosphere
Expect a bakery errand, not a long sit-down breakfast. Reviewers describe a small interior, and an older review specifically reports no seating, making a takeaway plan the safer choice.
The shop’s modest size is part of the experience, but it can also make a busy visit feel crowded. Several customers mention lines reaching outside, while others describe a constant stream of people coming in.
There is encouraging feedback about the pace. Some visitors say the line moves quickly and describe service as fast and friendly, so a visible queue does not necessarily mean a long delay.
Still, the service comments are not all alike. A few customers report feeling rushed or encountering an irritated staff member, and one first-time visitor found the ordering process confusing in the small space.
That balance matters when deciding whether the stop suits you. Donut enthusiasts who are happy to order, collect their treats, and move along may find the format a good match; anyone wanting a relaxed place to linger should adjust expectations.
Have a couple of choices in mind, but stay open to what is available. If you need help identifying a filling, ask rather than guessing, since one reviewer wished the donuts had clearer signs.
Morning Hours and Practical Trip Details
Set your route around the bakery’s schedule before setting your appetite around a donut. The supplied hours list Tuesday through Friday from 6 AM to 3 PM, and Saturday from 7:30 AM to 2 PM.
Sunday and Monday are listed as closed. A weekend food outing therefore needs a Saturday plan, and an early weekday visit has a different opening time than a Saturday stop.
Use 451 E Broadway St, Winona, MN 55987 as your navigation destination. For current details before a special trip, the listed phone number is 507-452-3682, and the website is http://www.bloedows.com/.
Prices in the supplied reviews suggest customers have found good value, but they are not a current menu. One review from a year ago reports four donuts for $7, while a two-year-old review describes an order of sprinkled and glazed donuts plus sugar donut holes for about $6.50.
Those examples offer context, not a guaranteed total for your visit. Check current prices when ordering, particularly if you are buying a larger assortment to share.
Early arrival is the most consistent planning tip in the feedback. Customers repeatedly recommend it for better selection, so give the bakery an earlier place in your day rather than leaving it until the last stop.
A Sweet Detour for Donut Enthusiasts
The best reason to change your route is something you actually want to eat. Bloedow makes a strong case for Minnesota donut fans through repeated praise for its dough, a range of choices, and customers who keep returning.
Its appeal is not based only on a high rating. The reviews offer specific reasons to go: tender glazed donuts, much-loved maple long johns, filled options, and baked goods people take home to family and friends.
There are limits worth keeping in view. The space is small, busy periods can feel crowded, staff experiences vary, and a favorite flavor from a review may not be available that day.
For someone who enjoys a focused food stop, those details may be easy to work around. Arrive during the listed hours, aim for an earlier visit, and choose from the selection in front of you.
A modest first order can tell you plenty. Try the glazed donut that so many visitors praise, add a maple long john if available, and consider something filled for a different taste.
Whether that earns a longer drive next time is your call. Based on the supplied feedback, Bloedow is a well-supported candidate for a Winona bakery detour, especially when the trip’s main goal is a very good donut.