SFGuide
The Best Donuts In SF
photo credit: Carly Hackbarth
Donuts are always a good idea. There’s nothing like a sugary, pillowy ring of fried dough to give us a burst of energy in the morning or power us through a questionable all-nighter. And lucky for us, there are tons of great donut spots in SF. Here are 11 of our favorites.
THE SPOTS
photo credit: Taisuke Yamamoto for Mochill Mochi Donut
Soaking in the sun at Dolores Park is one way to instantly feel good. Another is to just walk up to Mochill Mochidonut. At the Japantown mall kiosk, ring-shaped mochi donuts that come in an assortment of fun colors and glazes are the name of the game. Rich dark chocolate, matcha oreo, black sesame, even one with puffy Fruity Pebbles on top will beckon you from behind the small glass case. But aside from looking like something we want to dedicate an entire scrapbook to, these donuts are incredible. They’re super chewy and taste about as close to literal sunshine as you can get.
This family-run spot in the Sunset nails classic donuts, from maple bacon and old fashioneds to chocolate bars and pillowy cinnamon twists. But their creative weekend specials are what keep us coming back—think Bavarian crème brûlée, PB&J, and mochi donuts with colorful glazes. It’s also one of the few spots with vegan options (the one glazed with sweet guava is our go-to). Grab a white chocolate mocha or frappe to wash it all down.
What makes the city’s only German pastry shop special is the attention to detail chef and owner Ha Do puts into her beautiful cakes, pies, and other sweets. Case in point: the Berliner. These seasonal jam and custard-filled donuts are fluffy and light thanks to the sunflower seed oil they’re fried in, and topped with a super fine powdered sugar that gets all over the place (in a delightfully messy way) with every bite. Hahdough has two locations you can order a box of a dozen from—the original takeout window in Hayes Valley, and a larger spot in NoPa. Or just pop into either spot to pick up a few to go.
photo credit: Julia Chen
The promise of a tangy, sweet passion fruit milk chocolate donut from Dynamo Donut & Coffee is one foolproof way to get us out of bed in the morning. Another? Getting to choose from their rotating list of donuts with unique, seasonal flavors (before inevitably ordering one of each), like lemon szechuan, blackberry crumb, or zucchini oat. They have vegan and gluten-free options, plus espresso drinks and tea. You can pick up these fantastic donuts at their shop in the Mission or their small kiosk on the Bay Trail in the Marina.
photo credit: Carly Hackbarth
Bob’s Donuts on Polk Street in Nob Hill fries up incredible classic glazed donuts and apple fritters, all day, every day. Which is great news if you love donuts more than your pet (if so, please consider getting their “giant donut” and taking "The Challenge"). And, cool fact: This 24-hour spot has been churning out puffy, airy classics since the 1960s. Head to Bob’s newer location in NoPa if you’re in the area (though, it’s only open until 9pm).
Uncle Benny’s in the Sunset is a great spot for a quick breakfast—they have tons of bagel sandwiches, coffee, and fresh juices. But chances are very high that something from their neatly organized case of colorful, fresh-made donuts will call to you. They focus on classic flavors here, like apple fritters, sprinkle donuts, glazed old fashioneds, and maple bacon, all of which will immediately send sugar coursing through your veins, in the best way. Fill a big box with an assortment of flavors and take it across the street to Golden Gate Park.
If you’re looking for a classic donut spot to satisfy a 3am craving, this is the place. There are multiple locations in SF, but the Noe Valley outpost is the one open 24-hours. No matter what time of day it is, you’ll always find the coffee pots full, and the pastry case stocked and well-lit, like a beacon after a night of bar-hopping down Valencia. The apple fritters at this place are bigger than a newborn baby’s head, the old fashioneds are always perfectly cakey, and even better—nothing costs more than $2.50.
When you see the word “DONUTS” in big green letters running down a sign on a white corner building, you’ll know you’ve made it. All Stars Donuts in the Richmond is where we go to fill up on sprinkle-covered donut holes, maple donuts dotted with bacon, and cinnamon twists that are softer than our Tempurpedic mattress topper. The old-school spot has a few cafeteria-style tables to eat your donuts if you want to stay a while, but we like to take a few pounds of donuts to Golden Gate Park and sample each in the sun.
photo credit: Ricky Rodriguez
You’re at this old-school Mission institution for gooey, overstuffed, jam- and cream-filled desserts. While the donuts decidedly have a classic feel, fun combinations like chocolate raspberry jam, mango jam, and orange vanilla cream make this place stand out. Their old fashioned and classic donuts tend to be on the chewier side (and not in a good way), but the way the jelly and cream literally fill your mouth with joy more than makes up for it. Grab some extra napkins—you’re likely going to splat some jelly on your shirt. And bring cash.
photo credit: Ricky Rodriguez
Donut World is a small shop in the Inner Sunset with greasy-spoon-diner feels—just without the seats, or the diner food, for that matter. Instead, this place has a wide selection of donuts available until 11:30pm (or 12pm on the weekends)—and in the somewhat-sleepy Inner Sunset, that's worth a ton. The old fashioned donuts are the way to go—the thick cake-like batter melts in your mouth. Out of all of the donuts, the maple old fashioned is a nutty hit, but you’ll always leave happy with a plain glazed or anything covered in sprinkles.
