KASSA: Blackbird Donuts, located on Tremont Street in Boston’s South End, is notable for their donuts. But coffee? Not so much.

Walking in, you are greeted by a cashier as well as a glimmering case of donuts where the cafe’s seasonal flavors are displayed: coconut marshmallow, Boston cream, gingerbread, and citrus old fashioned. Kelsey and I—Maedot—ended up ordering the citrus old fashioned donut. The flavor tasted natural, almost like a sweet lemonade. The donut itself was soft but firm, a nice treat especially on a typical rainy day in Boston.

To your right, after you enter, there is a mirror, probably in an attempt to make the 6-by-6 foot shop feel a bit larger. Behind the scenes is where the action happens. There is a wall of windows on the other side of the shop, the area where the donuts and pastries are made. They start work around 4 or 5 a.m., making the donuts in house to be sold in the shop and to be delivered to their Fenway location.

HALE: As far as the donuts are concerned, we ordered the citrus glazed cake donut and it was, hands down, the best donut either of us has ever had. It was moist and contained the right amount of sweet-to-citrus sour flavor you look for in a pastry. It seemed to be covered with orange zest as well, which added a nice touch of flavor and authenticity. As far as the coffee goes, which was the original focus of this article, it was sub-par. I ordered a cold brew iced coffee with hopes that the long steeping process would deliver a smooth coffee flavor. Luckily, it was a decent cup. I added a dash of milk and was able to drink it without too many bitter notes. Unfortunately, Maedot had the opposite experience.

KASSA: If you consider yourself a coffee connoisseur, you will find that Blackbird’s hot coffee tastes like watered-down Folger’s. In other words, dirt-water coffee. Personally, I was not a fan. After ordering a medium hot coffee, I was disappointed to find that the coffee tasted, in fairness, sub-par. Nothing about it stood out—it was a regular cup of joe.

Blackbird uses Fazenda coffee, made locally in Dedham, MA. Although they use Arabica beans, the coffee does not taste comparable to a high-quality brand such as George Howell.

Coffee aside, what Blackbird Cafe is known for is their donuts, not their coffee in particular. According to Fucci, celebrities like John Mayer and Adele even appreciate Blackbird’s donuts. John Mayer has given credit to their delicious donuts on his Instagram.

All in all, it’s an independent donut shop with a personality that invests their efforts into creating unique flavors that change seasonally. Although we went on this expedition to find some of the best coffee shops in Boston for this column, we were pleasantly surprised to find a delicious gourmet bakery offering an array of donuts for every taste palate.