Ace Donuts
Powdered Sugar, Cinnamon Crunch, Glazed Donut Holes (complimentary)
Cinnamon Crunch Yeasted
Strawberry Cruller
Buttermilk Bar
Sour Cream Old Fashioned
Maple and Cream Cronut
Apple Fritter
Amenable to traveling hours for worthwhile cuisine but happy to save the gas and stay close to home it was with high, yet tempered, hopes that I entered West Tropicana’s newly-opened Ace Donuts and with a duo of smiling faces greeting me from the counter as several old-school gems and a few novelties glistened behind glass the only question was where to begin – a $10 tally scoring me six fried pastries from which not a single one was less than excellent.
Owned and operated by a Korean family with just enough fluency in English to describe products and facilitate sales Ace Donuts is tucked away in a small strip mall and with clean lines, polished surfaces, plus a few seating options the marble bar at the window proved a pleasant spot to watch the comings and goings outside – a few already-regulars stopping in en route to work while others discovered the doughnuttery for themselves, each person who opted to eat in universally praising whatever they ordered as hot donuts came fresh from the kitchen twice during the course of my stay.
Starting off with a yeasted masterpiece with a wispy crumb and sweet cinnamon topping before indulging in three complimentary holes of equal quality it was onward to an eggy cruller on par with the city’s best that I progressed and although some may prefer a slightly less thick frosting the strawberry flavor was surprisingly natural – a similar appearing blueberry a target for next time, though they do not yet offer a true blueberry cake option.
Admittedly impressed by the opening pair it was onward to three old-school favorites that the tasting rolled on and with a dense tooth tinged in tangy notes the buttermilk again showed Ace’s versatility while the sour cream old fashioned was just a tad too sugary sweet, a far greater show of restraint seen in a masterful fritter that was crunchy on the outside, chock-a-block full of apples, and easily the best in the city – a similar sentiment offered to a crunchy cronut with laminated layers shattering to the tooth as a custard center oozed forth proving an ample foil to a sweet lacquer of maple.
FOUR AND A HALF STARS: Without a doubt the best all-around doughnut shop on the west side of the Valley and already perhaps the best doughnut shop in all of Las Vegas anyone looking for fried breakfast treats would be doing themselves (and their co-workers) a favor by stopping into Ace, both the donuts and the smiling staff ready and waiting each day at 5am.
RECOMMENDED: Apple Fritter, Cronut, Cruller. Bonus points for offering Cronuts in sizes small and large.
AVOID: Arriving too late as the last Bear Claw was snagged by the man I allowed to place his order as I perused the options at 7:30am. Had I known better I’d have not been so kind. 
TIP: While the website is not yet up, the business card indicates it is due any time. Business hours, for now, are 5:00am-5:00pm Weekdays and 5:00am-2:00pm on Saturday and Sunday.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor