Lunch is served at Donut Bar & Bakery

Chef Santiago Campa is always reimagining what a donut shop can be. Now, his creamy corner of downtown has become more than a dessert haven. Lunch, anyone?

Campa’s magical spot at 1 Columbia Place in Little Italy is called Donut Bar & Bakery. The sorcery starts on the walls. Thanks to augmented reality and QR codes, guests can get an immersive experience while discovering “living art.”

Donut Bar is more than a culinary art gallery, though. It’s a place to step outside your diet and eat like you’re back in elementary school. Yes, there’s a pink sprinkled Homer Simpson donut. The strawberry split donut takes two people to devour. 

Don’t even think of taking on the Big Poppa Tart without a backup eater. There are three flavors (s’mores, strawberry and blueberry). Each is a mega pastry filled with an actual Pop Tart.

Since reopening in 2024 (after 11 years of lines around the block at a smaller downtown location), Donut Bar now has a liquor license and created a lunch offering that would make J. Wellington Wimpy drool: the Donut Smash Burger.

The burger comes with double Angus patties, grilled raspberry onion relish and American cheese, all enveloped by a yeast donut (browned on the inside, soft on the outside).

This decadent dish comes with a two-pound side of crinkle fries.

Donut Bar opens at 7 a.m. on weekdays (8 a.m. on weekends) and closes daily at 1:30 p.m. Make lunch plans if you want a Donut Smash Burger. Warning: Side effects may include afternoon food coma.