Picture this: It’s 2 am, you’re leaving the bar, or club, or wherever your crazy life has led you to be out this late, and all you want is some junk food…I’m sure you’ve been in my shoes once or twice before.
Usually, your choices are pretty slim at this hour. If you’re lucky, there may be a McDonald’s open a few blocks away. But as you make your way down the sidewalk, unsure if your stumbling is caused by the myriad of liquor coursing through your system or pure exhaustion, you see a beacon of warm, red light. By the grace of God, you’ve made it to Duffins Donuts on 41st and Knight. Your night has just gone from good to remarkable.
(duffinsdonuts.ca)
If you haven’t had the pleasure of visiting Vancouver’s beloved Duffins Donuts before, I’d check that off your bucket list ASAP. This 24-hour diner has everything you could want and more.
It all started in 1987 when Tony Chhuon and Paula Sim, immigrants from Cambodia, opened up a donut shop on 33rd and Main St. Though donuts were at the center of the Duffins brand, they knew they wanted to do more. The couple was largely inspired during a trip to Los Angeles, where they experienced not only California-style donuts but also a wide variety of Latin cuisines. With an expanded palette and a hunger for more, the two began selling made-to-order tortas, a Mexican sandwich, at Duffins.
Over the course of almost 40 years and two different locations, the menu has evolved into an eclectic assortment of nearly any late-night craving you could have. Fried chicken, boba tea, chili cheese dogs, bacon cheeseburgers, poutine, 24 different types of Tortas, and so much more are all available right now (and for a killer price too!)
(@jsun.photo / Instagram)
While the wildly expansive menu is a key selling point of Duffins, I don’t think that’s really where the magic lies. For me, the true magic of Duffins is that it’s a one-way ticket to community. Even in the coldest, darkest, loneliest times of night, it’s always there. It doesn’t matter who you are or what kind of day you’ve had; the second you walk through that big red door, it feels like you’re transported to another world. A world where writers sip coffee while typing away in the corner. Where a group of wasted 20-somethings reminisce about the night they’ve had while sobering up over a box of donuts. Where you can get a warm smile and a cold soda from the girl at the register, no matter how late it is, or how badly she wants to go to bed.
There’s a certain charm to Duffins that I haven’t been able to find anywhere else. So next time you find yourself in East Van, why not pop by? I promise you won’t regret it. One final tip: order the angel donut. It will change your life.
(duffinsdonuts.ca)