LAGuide
The Best Donuts In LA
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
LA has a ridiculously wide range of donut shops, from cash-only stalls that’ve been glazing maple bars since before the 405 was even dreamed of, to family-owned Cambodian American shops with iconic pink boxes, to famous chains serving caramelized crème brûlées in breakfast form. There are plenty of places to find a serviceable crueller in this town, but this guide is dedicated to the best of the best. Here’s our list of the top donut shops in the city.
THE SPOTS
Sidecar is a fancy donut mini-chain that started in Costa Mesa and has since grown to seven locations around LA. If you’re looking for the upscale donut trend's patient zero, you'll find it here: Sidebar started putting things like salted malt cookie dough and huckleberry jam on dough rings back in 2013, and they’re still the best at it. We’re not sure their signature claim of making fresh donuts every hour is true at all locations these days, but regardless, eating one of their Butter & Salt donuts while warm remains a religious experience. Go with the cake donuts over the yeast ones.
Originally from Seoul, Old Ferry Donuts brings clever riffs to LA’s gourmet donut scene. And now that there are four locations in LA from Torrance to Koreatown, the TikTok crowd has blown this up. Every shop has the retro look of a ‘70s-themed Pinterest board, but the donuts are anything but classic. There's a tiramisu donut filled with velvety mascarpone cream, a crème brûlée option with a crackly sugar crust, and a cute butterscotch round sprinkled with pistachio crumbles that you’ll want to cradle like a baby. Don’t stress out choosing the right one—they’re all fantastic.
Aspirationally speaking, we hope to one day wake up and be able to walk to Holey Grail’s original Kauai location whenever we want. Until then, we’ll happily drive to Santa Monica or Larchmont Village to get these fried-to-order taro donuts. The taro flour base Holy Grail uses, as well as the coconut they’re lightly fried in, gives the donuts a sweet, earthy flavor. Each location rotates flavor weekly, but you’re usually going to find tropical-esque toppings and glazes like passionfruit, cardamom and rose, and chocolate with chile pepper.
Great donuts alone are solid, but great donuts stuffed with fresh fruit are even better. That’s what Donut Man, a legendary shop that’s been around since the ’70s, has always understood. Their landmark location on Route 66 in Glendora is a clutch Vegas road trip stop, but they also have a convenient stall at Grand Central Market as well. Whichever one you visit, prioritize whatever fruit-filled donuts are available, most likely the strawberry-stuffed ones topped with big bright-red fruit and drizzled in a sticky glaze. They’re a complete mess, and an LA rite of passage.
photo credit: Jessie Clapp
Bob's is the ideal mashup of a classic coffee bar and an old-school donut shop. It's been open at The Original Farmers Market since 1947. Grey wood shingles frame the pick-up window and an old-school cash register sits on the long counter. And while its “local institution” status attracts a fair share of tourists, there’s an equally strong representation of regulars. If you want to feel the history, stop by between 8-9:30am and get the legendary “early bird special”— coffee and any donut for $3.50. We like the apple fritter and the gooey house cinnamon roll best.
Everything at this sleek Koreatown cafe is more aesthetically pleasing than it needs to be, including the donuts. Their torched creme brulee donut is so shiny you can see your reflection and thankfully, it tastes even better than it looks. The dough is light and spongy, the sugar crust shatters on first bite, and they’re each filled to the brim with not-too-sweet vanilla cream. There are four other flavors to choose from, like tiramisu, matcha, and a powder-dusted strawberry cream (our second favorite), but one cream bomb is usually enough for us in the morning.
Colorado Donuts has more options than Pete Davidson does famous exes. So while the ube cake donut is what usually gets us through the door at this colorful strip mall shop in Eagle Rock, we've never left without at least another half-dozen. Even options that sound pulled from an eight-year-old’s birthday wish list are light and airy, so don’t be afraid to ditch the classics for a decked-out behemoth made to look like Cookie Monster’s face.
In no world does Kettle Glazed Doughnuts in Hollywood compare to most of the shops in this guide when it comes to traditional donuts. But that hardly matters when you walk into this strip mall spot directly off the 101, because their specialty options are superb. The tart lemon-glazed ring is filled with just enough sweet raspberry jelly, and the s'mores option comes topped with tiny toasted marshmallows that melt in your mouth. We’re also partial to the blueberry lemon fritters, which pair well with an iced matcha latte at one of the counter stools lining the window.
Donut Hut is a Valley staple and one of the only spots in Burbank (donut or otherwise) open 24 hours. Standing in line at this tiny, retro walk-up counter late on a Saturday night is like attending a block party in the middle of suburbia. Expect families in matching pajamas sharing massive apple fritters and crews of truck drivers filling up on fluffy maple bars before hitting the road. Even if you show up in the middle of the afternoon, there will likely be a tray of Thai tea doughnuts hot and ready. You’ll probably eat one at an orange picnic table out front, so it wouldn’t hurt to grab a few extra for later.
There are a few reasons why California Donuts is a fixture in Koreatown. The obvious one is that this Cambodian American-owned shop is open 24 hours, which means anyone itching for a boston cream at 4am will likely end up here. But the main reason we keep coming back (at any hour of the day) is the sheer range of options, from fluffy lemonberry crumble to old fashioneds with matcha glaze to panda donuts that are almost too cute to eat. Parking is a nightmare with its tiny lot and limited street options, but we’ll gladly endure on a late-night donut mission.
Of course the place with the iconic giant donut on its roof made this guide, you might be thinking. But let us stop you there. Although it’s most known for endless movie and music video cameos, the original Randy’s in Inglewood makes excellent classic donuts with nicely browned exteriors and soft innards. The selection here is huge–just don’t get distracted by tourist bait stunt donuts topped with breakfast cereals and candies. Stick with staples like the cream-filled maple long john, crumb cake raised, or lemon-glazed old-fashioned.
Ask anyone from West LA where to get the best classic doughnuts, and they’ll tell you Primo’s. And they would be correct. This tiny spot on Sawtelle opened in the 1950s, and has been selling out their famous buttermilk bar by early afternoon ever since. They offer a few different varieties, but our favorite is the cinnamon-dusted one, which tastes like a fresh churro laced with tangy sour cream. Call ahead and they’ll usually set one aside for you. Otherwise, their cinnamon rolls and cake donuts are still worth the drive.
