The Best Doughnuts In Los Angeles | Best Of The Best

Joe Avella: Los Angeles has over 1,500 donut shops so you can get your fix of spicy, sweet, melt-in-your-mouth donuts. Wow, friend! Los Angeles has a reputation that everyone always eats healthy all the time, right? Sydney Kramer: And they are. Joe: Right. But did you know that Los Angeles is also the donut capital of the United States? Sydney: I actually didn't know and I was very surprised to find out. Joe: Since the 1970s, donuts have been an important part of Los Angeles food culture, and this city has been responsible for the evolution of donuts in America. For this episode, I used several popular websites like Yelp, Eater, and Thrillist to narrow the list down to four of the

best

donut places in Los Angeles.

Sydney: We're definitely trying each shop's classic glazed donut, as well as one or two of their specialties to get a feel for what they have to offer. Awesome. I'm ready to eat some donuts. Joe: Let's do it. Our first stop is SK Donuts. Located in Mid-Wilshire, SK is known for having a wide variety of classic and premium donuts. Heng Te: Our donuts are always fresh, light and fluffy. No matter what time you come, it is always constant. Joe: For 30 years, SK has served fresh, delicious donuts to hungry Angelenos. Started by Heng Te's parents, it has been family owned and operated all along.

Customer: It's really good. Joe: So we definitely have to use Nutella. Sydney: classic glazing. Joe: Yeah. I want something with sprinkles. Sydney: Yes, pink sprinkles. Joe: I definitely want some with Fruity Pebbles. Sidney: Of course. Joe: Right there, yeah. I am a man child. I need my cereal. The variety in this place is so great, and that's why I brought you here. Sydney: I thought the reason Joe brought me here was because my initials are SK. Joe: No. Sydney: Let's start with the frosting. Joe: If you can't do the glazing right, close up shop. This is like the litmus test.

Is that the right thing to do? Sydney: This is the litmus test for finding the perfect donut. Joe: Lightness? Sydney: litmus. Joe: Trial by fire. Sydney: litmus. Oh, wow. Sydney: The flaky glaze does not melt on the donut; It looks great on top of the donut. So when you bite into it, you get a nice little crunchy texture. Joe: That guy has that thing. I'll go ahead and call it a frosting ladle. It's like a huge thing, like a gallon, and he's like, ba-bam, like a whole dozen, and they're drenching the donuts in this amazing glaze.

Sydney: This is the fluffiest glazed donut I've ever had, hands down. Joe: I have to dip it in the coffee. I have to dip it in coffee. Oh yeah, that's so good. (donut punch) Joe: Can you catch it on that microphone? Sydney: That's the thing. Joe: This one has fruit, so technically it's healthy. That does not sound good. Mm, I'll go get a strawberry. Sydney: Joe just called a raspberry a strawberry, that's how much fruit he eats on a regular basis. Joe: Wait, what did I say? Next, we'll head to the Original Farmers Market in Los Angeles to try a true classic: Bob's Coffee & Donuts.

Since 1970, it's been a must-visit for anyone in Los Angeles who's serious about donuts. Sydney: And it's cash only, so let me know. Joe: Oh yeah. Thank you for paying. Sydney: Yeah, okay. Joe: Bob's is known for classics and there are over 30 varieties to choose from. Sydney: I made sure we had the big one. Joe: They feel very classic. Just looking at the cake, it seems much thicker. It's more like a buttermilk donut or even an old-fashioned one, which I love. Sydney: Yes, very old school Los Angeles, with a lot of restaurant vibes. But we are outside.

The weather is always nice in Los Angeles, so you can always eat a donut out here. This looks fluffy. Joe: Yes, thicker, incredible consistency, the dough cooks perfectly. The frosting is really delicious. This is as classic as you can get when it comes to donuts. Sydney: This feels and tastes like they make their own blend here in the store. Joe: Yeah. I bet if I got in a time machine and went back to 1950 every time this place opened, that donut would taste exactly the same. If it worked well 50 years ago, it will work well today, and they are absolutely right.

Sydney: I'm so excited for this sprinkle donut. Well, first of all, look at that. Nothing falls off. Maybe one or two, you're fine. Joe: Look at this. Sydney: But yeah, that cake. Joe: Look at that. Sydney: Donut cake, honey. This is a very, very light donut cake. It's not heavy at all, but I appreciate that it maintains its structure as you take a bite. Bob's is impressive. I loved all the donuts here. Now we head to Primo's Donuts in Mar Vista. Since 1956, Primo's has thrived by always offering great classic donuts with a few specialties. Ralph Primo: We've been in business for 63 years.

My father, when he started the business, was of the highest quality. Everything had to be of the highest quality. Customer: I've been coming here for over 20 years. Joe: Well said. It's also been said, Sydney, that Primo's Buttermilk Bar is the

best

donut in Los Angeles. So I'd like to try one. Sydney: You read my mind. Joe: I feel like it doesn't get any cooler than this. We just saw them varnish them like 15 seconds ago. Sydney: They're still hot and shiny. Joe: Hmm. Oh man. I mean, the way it melts in your mouth, its pasty texture is so smooth, you know.

Sydney: Hmm. Joe: It's like a pillow. And the frosting is perfect on this. Sydney: It's less sweet than some of the other yeast-raised donuts I've tried, and I love how you can see all the layers. Joe: I feel like I'm biting into a donut-shaped pillow. This is so fantastic. Sydney: Yes, the donut pillow is the correct way to say that. I think the difference between this and the others I've had is that the polish stays on. The donut does not crumble or come off. Joe: Everyone says this is the right thing to do here. Sydney – They are known for these buttermilk bars.

Joe: Look at the size of this. Sydney: He's a tough guy. Joe: Yeah, no joke. Sydney: Alright, let's do it. Joe: Wow, buddy. This is not what I expected. This is much better. Sydney: It has a very familiar flavor, but I can't identify it. Almost like a bread pudding or like a tres leches or that kind of texture. Joe: Yeah. Sydney: They have to glaze them while they're super hot, and then they sit there and get a little wet on the outside and they're still nice and doughy on the inside, but still crispy. Joe: You know, it reminds me of those shortbread cookies.

You know what I'm talking about. Or do you know what I mean? Sydney: Uh-uh. Joe: Okay. The flavor of these is very different than a standard donut, because there is more emphasis on the ingredients, the dough, how everything works together, than just packing something with sugar. Sidney: Yes. Joe: Does that make sense? Sydney: Yes, the quality here is noticeable. You can see it. You can taste it. You can feel it. Joe: For our last stop, we'll go to the iconic Los Angeles donut landmark, Randy's Donuts in Inglewood. Thomas Bartsch: Our donuts, first of all, are made by hand every day, which is very different;

Many other companies use machines. We use proprietary ingredients that are exclusive property of us. They are of such high quality that they last longer. Client: I'm from New York. My cousin lives here. She just told me they are the best donuts in Los Angeles. They are good. Sydney: Located near the airport, Randy's iconic donut sign has been seen in numerous television shows and movies. Nick Fury: Sir, I'll have to ask you to come out of the donut. Sydney: But it's not a trick. Some Angelenos consider these donuts to be the best. Joe: It's also the only place we'll visit with a drive-thru.

Thanks for driving, Syd. Sydney: Yes, I always drive. So what kind of donuts are we going to get? What do you think? Joe: You definitely have to make it glazed and elevated chocolate. I think those are the two most popular here. Sidney: Yeah. Joe: I'm thinking of some with sprinkles. Sidney: Yeah. I saw some colorful ones, like some Froot Loops, I think, or some kind of cereal. Joe: Yeah, that sounds great. Sidney: Okay. Joe: Let's do that. Sydney: Great. Thomas: So, here are your donuts. Sydney: Incredible. Thomas: And your coffee will be here in a minute.

Sydney: Thank you. Sorry, my arms are short. Yes. Thomas: I'll bring you your coffee in a second. Sydney: Great, thank you. Joe: Sydney with T.rex arms. Sydney: There's no median, right? Joe: No, not at all. Sydney: Okay, great. Joe: I'll be honest, I didn't look. Sydney: Are you kidding me? (Joe laughs) Joe: So for 15 bucks, you get this big donut. This could easily take care of me at breakfast. Sydney: I mean, you say that, but when you eat a donut, you always want to go back for another one, you know? Joe: Let's find out right now.

Ready to bite? Sydney: Let's do it. Joe: Let's do it. Sydney: ready to bite. Joe: Mmm, yeah. Sydney: I'm savoring it. Let me taste it. Joe: That's fantastic. You know, you can judge a donut place by how good the glaze is, and this is a fantastic glazed donut. Sydney: It's excellent, yes. Joe: I'm going to go get the chocolate. Sidney: Yes. Joe: I'm not waiting for you. Do you want this? Sydney: No, I'm making the donut cake. Joe: Okay. Sydney: That's my problem. Joe: Man. Sydney: I would never choose raised chocolate. As if he had never done it.

Joe: You should. Because this is excellent. So, we got cake donuts and raised donuts. The raised ones are fluffy. The cake is thick. Its raised is a little more tart, which I like. This is like a thick donut. Sydney: It's a bit of a cake. The embossing is strangely a little doughy, but that's cool. Joe: Oh, that's great. Sidney: Yes. Joe: And this frosting is amazing. Sydney: Joe takes the biggest bites I've ever seen for a donut. It's like, "I'm going to have one more bite," and it's like half the donut. Joe: There are two. It's two bites.

Why is eating a donut and just looking at the Randy's Donuts sign hypnotic? Sydney, we went to four of the best donut places in Los Angeles and now we have the difficult task of choosing which one was our favorite. Are you ready? Sydney: I think we'll have the same one this time. Joe: I don't think so. On the count of three? Both: one, two, three. I told you, I told you. Joe: Yeah. Sydney: Okay, so why did you like it so much? Joe: Everything, starting with that glazed donut, was amazing and then of course the buttermilk bars were amazing.

I mean, I thought everything we ate there was probably the best thing we ate while eating donuts in Los Angeles. Sydney: I think even the simple glazing was absolute perfection. It wasn't too sweet. There was just the right amount of frosting on top. Joe: But I don't know, I think there are only four good donut places in Los Angeles. What do you think? Do you think there are others? Sydney: I think we probably missed a lot of donut shops. We picked some pretty good ones, but let us know what else we need to try and see you next time.