Five of the best doughnut shops in Los Angeles

Los Angeles is a culinary haven, but perhaps the worst thing about living in an area so replete with various foods is the task of weeding out the bad ones. Fortunately, the culinary delight that is the doughnut has no match (unless you count its kin, the “Cronut”), and is adored by all (there’s even a market for the health conscious: the vegan doughnut). The doughnut is like that friend that’s always there for you. Sometimes you get jealous of them because they are the envy and source of ogling of all your classmates, but eventually you come around. You recognize their wit and humor, and you recognize their charm. But you mostly try to ignore what they will do to your wallet and your figure.  

Here are our picks for the five best places to get a doughnut in Los Angeles.

1.     The Donut Man

915 E Rte 66, Glendora, CA 91740

The Donut Man is located in Glendora, California, and while a bit far for some Angelinos, it is worth the drive. The Donut Man has been applauded by locals, and it has been featured in various publications and media. The Donut Man’s claim to fame is his seasonal donuts, most notably, the strawberry donut. Other donuts include the seasonal peach donut, pumpkin donut, peanut butter donut, and the famous year-round Tiger Tail. The Donut Man is not for the faint of heart (or those who are faint of fried goods). Also a bonus, it’s open 24 hours.

2.     Café Dulce

Cafe Dulce, 134 Japanese Village Plaza Mall, Los Angeles, CA 90012

Café Dulce is tucked into Downtown L.A.’s historic Little Tokyo. Café Dulce has various pastries and donuts that can be accompanied by some of their eclectic and interesting drinks. It’s a small place and usually pretty crowded, with a few outside and inside seating arrangements where hipsters both near and far will gather. Some popular doughnut items at Café Dulce include their Fruity Pebbles doughnut, bacon doughnut, strawberry doughnut, and Oreo doughnut among others. The donuts are best accompanied by their blueberry matcha green tea latte or Hong Kong style milk tea.

3.     Donut Friend

5107 York Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90065

Donut Friend is a quaint little doughnut shop nestled in Los Angeles’ Highland Park. Donut Friend boasts some of the most creative and cheeky doughnut names like Nutellavision, The Promise Ring, and PoppyGandhi among others. Donut Friend also has a selection of vegan doughnuts as well as a DIY doughnut station for the adventurous doughnut connoisseur.

4.     Bob’s Coffee and Donuts

6333 West 3rd Street #450, Los Angeles, CA 90036

It’s easy to overlook Bob’s Coffee and Donuts when you are greeted by a myriad of culinary destinations at the Farmer’s Market at the Grove. But a word of advice: don’t. Bob’s Coffee and Donuts has an assortment of doughnuts to choose from including cake donuts like chocolate frosted devil’s food, as well as strawberry donuts, beignets, apple fritters, and cinnamon buns. But the doughnut cats and dinosaurs are really where delectability meets kitsch.

5.     California Donuts

3540 West 3rd Street, Los Angeles, CA 90020

California Donuts is that place you have probably seen on every Los Angeles area college student’s Instagram feed. You may feel tempted to scroll past, or perhaps you have written it off as nothing more than adolescent hype. While California Donuts may indeed be trendy and ubiquitous on Instagram posts, it is very much worth the hype. Plus, doughnuts that look like pandas are a universal invitation to enduring happiness.

• donuts
• food
• los angeles
• Pepperdine