Bailey’s Drive Inn Donuts have been making special appearances at farmers markets this season. That is to say, you can’t get them at an actual “drive-in.” You’ll have to ditch the car at some point and walk to get the donuts.
But walking’s good for you, and you can pretend you’re driving in: all the typical drive-in joys of eating food from a bag are still available at the markets. In fact, the Drive Inn donuts are sold by the half-dozen in plain white paper bags. It’s like a bottomless bag, filled with a seemingly endless supply of sweet snacks. The donuts are round and puffy, somewhere between golf and tennis ball sized. The springy pastries are rolled in a dense coating of sugar that crunches at first bite, sticks to your fingers, and lines the sides of the bag. Certainly, that’s worth leaving the car for.
One bag is suitable for sharing, although there’s a certain level of decadence that can be appreciated only by the hoarding of lone ownership.
Cinnamon Sugar was the version tried and recommended, it has a wholesome, old-fashioned purity that makes the donuts stand out as unique in a flooded marketplace. That said, they also come in flavors such as chocolate cake, blueberry, and a seasonal pumpkin.
There is a reason for the Drive Inn name. There actually is (was) a place named Bailey’s Drive Inn, a diner from the 1950s in Bradbury, OH. If the Drive Inn itself is gone, at least its family legacy of donuts lives on. You can find them at the Worthington and Granville Farmers Markets. If you are up for an actual drive for the Drive Inn donuts, they’re also sold at coffee houses that include River Road Coffeehouses in Granville and Newark, and Depot Street Coffeehouse in Pataskala.
For more information, visit baileysdriveinn.com.