The best doughnut shops in L.A.

Originally from Costa Mesa, this artisan chain dedicated to making “the world’s freshest doughnut” has become a key player within L.A.’s gourmet doughnut scene. Five outposts in Santa Monica, Fairfax, Manhattan Beach, Torrance and Culver City make it easy for much of the city to access these small-batch, freshly made treats in unique flavors like huckleberry, blueberry pancake and Meyer lemon. Sidecar commits to frying doughnuts throughout the day, which means you’re basically guaranteed a great product, no matter what time it is. Cake doughnut lovers will enjoy the Saigon cinnamon crumb and sprinkle-covered celebration cake, but if you’re more of a yeast-raised person, order the butter and salt, which combines luxurious brown butter with fleur de sel.

Made with a special brioche dough that uses creamy European-style butter, the artisan doughnuts at Blue Star’s Abbot Kinney location are a wonder to behold. Billed as “doughnuts for grown-ups,” the Portland-based brand’s creations come in sophisticated flavors like glazed horchata, blueberry bourbon basil and chocolate bergamot. The prices might be far higher than most pink box doughnut shops, but we consider Blue Star a worthwhile investment the next time you’re in the mood for a deep-fried treat by the beach. Throw in the plant-based options like matcha lime crumble and excellent coffee from Verve, and you’ve got yourself one of L.A.’s best gourmet doughnuts.

If you can excuse Donut Friend’s alleged union-busting a few years back, this homegrown doughnut shop in Highland Park, Downtown and Silver Lake serves the most delicious plant-based doughnuts in the city. Founded in 2013 by music industry vet Mark Trombino, the punnily named creations include the Polar Berry Club (lemon glaze with fresh berries), Green Teagan and Sara (matcha glaze with black sesame seeds) and the Yo La Mango (mango glaze with cayenne pepper and lime zest). Even for non-vegans, we’d still consider Donut Friend our favorite place in the city for zany, over-the-top flavors like the Youth Brulée, which seals in a Bavarian cream center with crispy, crackly burnt sugar. For the widest selection of doughnuts, arrive here early in the day—the most popular varieties sell out fast.

Sure, there are other flavors you could choose from—chocolate, powdered jelly, frosted—but fans of this multinational corporate behemoth know that the melt-in-your-mouth glazed variety is what keep Krispy Kreme top of mind among sugar-starved Angelenos, even in a doughnut-rich city like L.A. Simple, sweet and to the point, they’re the perfect antidote to all of the city’s fancy-schmancy doughnuts—and better yet, students can get up to six free for every A on their latest report card. You might be able to track these babies down at your nearest 7-Eleven, but for the freshest doughnuts you’ll need to head to South Pasadena, Gardena, Burbank, Long Beach or the L.A. outpost on Crenshaw Boulevard, where you can gape through the glass at the enormous conveyor belt of glistening, freshly glazed doughnuts (and, when the "HOT" sign is on, maybe even snag a freebie).

Dating back to the heyday of programmatic architecture, you’ll find many roadside shops topped with—or in the case of La Puente’s Donut Hole, inside—giant doughnuts scattered across Southern California, but none offer as consistent and delicious a product as Randy’s Donuts. It’s always fun to visit the 24/7 Inglewood flagship just off the 405, but you can also find Randy’s signature apple fritter and other budget-friendly doughnuts in Santa Monica, El Segundo, Torrance, Downey and Burbank. We’re also partial to the maple Long John and powdered sugar cake varieties, if you’re looking for the ultimate sugar rush.

This doughnut shop at Original Farmers Market has been churning out cake and yeast rounds that are fried freshly each morning since 1947. Taken over—and renamed—by namesake Bob Tusquellas in 1970, the family-run business serves a solid variety of mostly traditional flavors, including a delicious apple fritter and an outstanding old-fashioned that pairs well with the inexpensive, no-frills coffee. Stop by before 9am for the early bird special, which includes any doughnut of your choice and a cup of coffee for just $3.50, plus the added bonus of easy parking in the market’s usually deserted parking lot. The same deal is also offered from 6 to 8pm.

If you’re the type who keeps up with social media food trends, you’ve probably heard of the mochi doughnut. Made with rice flour, these chewy, slightly bouncy desserts can now be found across Southern California, but our favorite place for them is Mochi Dochi, which has locations in both L.A. and Long Beach. This tiny doughnut and corn dog shop, located on the second floor of a Sawtelle strip mall, serves mochi doughnuts that are the perfect combination of crispy, chewy and sweet. Made to order and available for takeout and delivery, the bubble-shaped rings come in flavors like mango sugar and blueberry yogurt, but you can also opt for add-ons like Frosted Flakes, bacon and even Flamin’ Hot Cheetos. 

Since 1956, this family-run shop along Sawtelle has served a mouthwatering mix of classics, from the signature buttermilk bars to a colorful selection of cake doughnuts. Primo’s unflagging consistency and wide variety has made it our favorite old-school spot on the Westside to pick up a big box of doughnuts. More recently, Primo’s took over the space once previously occupied by Stan’s Donuts in Westwood Village, and has even expanded to the Valley via Westfield’s Topanga Social, making it easier than ever to get a taste of these deep-fried buttermilk beauties. 

For adorable panda doughnuts and other Instagrammable treats, this Cambodian American doughnut shop in a Koreatown strip mall is ready to serve you at all hours of the day. You’ll find all the classics here, but the specialty rings topped with cereal, candy bars and even Girl Scout cookies are the best reason to visit. Start off your box with a couple of California Donuts’ now-iconic pandas and unicorns, then fill the rest up with other colorful for a delightful array of doughnuts that’s sure to put a smile on your face. Just note that parking here can be tough—we recommend trying street parking on New Hampshire Avenue if the tiny lot is visibly full.

This always-busy Glassell Park sandwich shop and bakery does many things well, including freshly fried doughnuts, which often sell out hours before Bub and Grandma’s closes at 3pm. The flavor selection is limited (anywhere between two and four), but these fluffy, lightly sweetened deep-fried treats are just as satisfying, if not more, compared to many other L.A. doughnut specialists. 

This artisan plant-based doughnut shop hails from Kauai, Hawaii, where siblings Hana and Nile Dreiling first started serving fried-to-order taro doughnuts made with locally sourced ingredients. Now, Holey Grail has made it to the mainland with two L.A. outposts: Santa Monica and Larchmont Village. While we wouldn’t recommend these pricey, smaller-than-average doughnuts over, say, Sidecar or Blue Star, the unique texture—somewhere between a mochi doughnut and a cake doughnut—and high-quality ingredients like single-estate dark chocolate make Holey Grail noteworthy enough to merit inclusion on this guide. Rotating flavors and collab doughnuts with high-profile chefs keep things interesting for those inclined to novelty, but manage your expectations: Holey Grail, while tasty enough, doesn’t really live up to the hype.