Unearth The Voyage
California has more than sunshine and beaches. It also has some of the most creative, delicious and downright legendary donut shops in the country. From giant rooftop donuts you have seen in movies to vegan punk-rock creations and fruit-stuffed rings on Route 66, these shops are worth planning an entire road trip around.
1. Randy’s Donuts (Inglewood): The Giant Rooftop Icon
If you have ever seen a massive concrete donut on a rooftop in a movie, that is Randy’s. The original shop in Inglewood has been frying dough since the 1950s and still runs 24 hours a day, making it one of LA’s most reliable sugar stops.
Expect classic raised glazed rings, maple bars, apple fritters and specialty donuts themed for local sports teams and holidays. With the original still going strong and new branches opening around California and even New York, Randy’s is a true SoCal icon that feels like a drive-through time capsule.
Whether you show up at midnight or noon, the fryers are hot and the glaze is fresh.
2. California Donuts (Los Angeles – Koreatown): Panda-Faced & 24/7
California Donuts is a family-owned Koreatown landmark that has been running since 1982 and is open 24/7, perfect for post-karaoke cravings or sunrise sugar hits. The shop is famous for ultra-Instagrammable creations like panda-faced donuts topped with Oreos, cereal-covered rings and colorful cronuts.
Behind the cute designs, you still get properly fresh dough, fried all day and night. If you want a box that makes everyone at the office gasp, this is your spot.
Late-night munchies or early morning adventures both end the same way here: with a smile and a sugar rush. The creativity never stops, and neither do the fryers.
3. Seaside Donuts Bakery (Newport Beach): 24/7 Donuts by the Ocean
Right on the Newport Beach oceanfront, Seaside Donuts Bakery is a Cambodian American owned, ultra-casual 24-hour bakery where surfers, night owls and early birds all line up together. The donuts are classic and plentiful, but regulars will nudge you toward the jalapeño ham-and-cheese croissant, Thai tea inspired donuts and an icy green Thai tea to go.
Grab a dozen and walk straight onto the boardwalk. The combo of warm glaze and sea breeze is peak California.
Whether you are wrapping up a beach bonfire or starting your morning jog, this spot delivers every single time with flavor and convenience rolled into one beachside stop.
4. JD Flannel Donuts & Coffee (San Juan Capistrano): Brown Butter Sea Salt Dreams
Tucked into historic San Juan Capistrano, JD Flannel has quietly earned a reputation for some of the best donuts in California, backed by stellar online ratings and a devoted local following. The standout is the Brown Butter Sea Salt donut, a vanilla cake base with brown-butter glaze and brittle-like flakes of Maldon salt that writers have called hauntingly good.
The rotating menu also brings flavors like boysenberry glazed or raspberry-and-cream filled raised squares, plus well-made espresso drinks to justify calling it breakfast instead of dessert.
Every bite feels intentional, crafted with care and serious pastry skill that you can taste immediately.
5. Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee (Costa Mesa, Santa Monica & Del Mar): World’s Freshest
Sidecar built its brand around one promise: donuts fried in small batches all day, not just at dawn. Its flagship shop in Costa Mesa still feels like a vintage donut bar, with an open kitchen so you can watch each batch come out of the fryer.
The cult favorite is the Huckleberry donut, loaded with real huckleberries in both the batter and the glaze, often singled out by travel writers as road-trip-worthy on its own. Other hits include Butter & Salt, vanilla bean cake with brown-butter glaze and fleur de sel, and seasonal specials, plus strong coffee and cold brew.
This feels like a modern café, not just a pastry stop.
6. Moonbridge Doughnut Studio (Long Beach): Pop-Culture Meets Pastry
Moonbridge Doughnut Studio in Long Beach is a newer arrival with a very 2020s vibe: brioche and cake donuts decorated around anime, movie releases and pop-culture moments. The shop describes itself as an ode to the classic donut shop with a whimsical, quirky twist, and the menu really leans into that.
Expect designs inspired by shows like Spirited Away and The Office, alongside more straightforward apple fritters and crullers. It is open daily in the morning and early afternoon, generally 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., so this is more of a brunch replacement than a 2 a.m. emergency stop.
Just check current hours before you go and prepare for serious Instagram potential.
7. Donut Wheel (Livermore): Retro 24-Hour Roadside Classic
In downtown Livermore, Donut Wheel looks like something out of a ’70s postcard: blue pillars, vintage signage and a steady stream of locals at all hours. It is a 24/7 classic where everything feels a little bit retro in the best way.
The lineup leans traditional: raised glazed rings, cinnamon rolls, crumb-topped old-fashioneds and excellent donut holes. Recent reviews highlight seasonal specials like gingerbread donut men and rave about how fresh everything tastes even in the middle of the night.
This is the kind of place where time slows down just a little, and every bite tastes like California nostalgia wrapped in sugar and glaze.
8. The Donut Man (Glendora & DTLA): Legendary Fruit-Stuffed Rings
The Donut Man on Route 66 in Glendora is one of Southern California’s most famous donut stops, known especially for its fresh strawberry and peach stuffed donuts that come into rotation when the fruit is in season. The original Route 66 location is open 24 hours, seven days a week, and a newer outpost at Grand Central Market in Downtown LA brings those same overstuffed rings to the city crowd.
When the strawberries are at their peak, you will see lines at all hours. Biting into a donut overflowing with glazed fresh fruit is one of those only-in-California experiences that justifies the wait.
Sweet, messy and absolutely unforgettable every single time.
9. Donut Friend (Los Angeles – Highland Park, DTLA & Silver Lake): Vegan Punk-Rock Donuts
Donut Friend started as a punk-rock passion project from producer Mark Trombino and turned into one of LA’s most recognizable all-vegan donut brands, with locations in Highland Park, Downtown and Silver Lake. The donuts are fully loaded: think coffee-infused cake donuts or creations like Green Teagan and Sara, matcha glaze, toasted black sesame, raspberry dust, piled high with toppings.
The shop has faced criticism over a high-profile labor dispute a few years back, but it is very much open and still shows up in guides to LA’s best plant-based sweets.
If you want bold flavors without any animal products, this is your destination for donut rebellion.
10. Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts (Los Angeles – Original Farmers Market): Old-School LA Institution
At LA’s Original Farmers Market at 3rd & Fairfax, Bob’s Coffee & Doughnuts has been dishing out donuts since the 1940s and under its current name since around 1970. The stall is cash-only, the coffee is straightforward, and the donuts are exactly what you want from an old-school counter.
Classic glazed rings, gooey cinnamon rolls and generously sized apple fritters that food writers and TV hosts keep singling out. There is even an early bird combo where you can snag any donut plus coffee for a few bucks if you make it there before the morning rush.
Simple, timeless and absolutely delicious every time you visit this LA landmark.
11. Bub & Grandma’s (Los Angeles – Glassell Park): Bread Nerds Doing Donuts
Bub & Grandma’s started as a beloved sourdough bakery supplying some of LA’s best restaurants and now runs a busy daytime café in Glassell Park. Alongside sandwiches and salads, the pastry case regularly features croissants, cookies and donuts that reflect the same obsession with fermentation and texture as their bread.
You might find sugar-dusted rings, filled brioche donuts or seasonal flavors that rotate depending on what the pastry team is experimenting with. It is not a donut shop in the traditional sense, but if you are donut-hopping around LA, this stop is absolutely worth weaving into your brunch route.
Expect serious baking skill in every single bite you take here.
12. Psycho Donuts (Campbell): The Bay Area’s Craziest Donut Lab
South of San Jose in Campbell, Psycho Donuts bills itself as the Bay Area’s craziest donut shop, and honestly, that is not an exaggeration. Themed around tongue-in-cheek craziness, the shop decor includes a faux padded room and group therapy seating, while the menu reads like a sugar-fueled fever dream.
You will find donuts topped with cereal, marshmallows and candy, plus creations named things like Cereal Killer, Kooky Monster and Boston Scream Pie. After some earlier satellite locations closed, the Campbell shop is still going strong, with recent site updates and local features confirming it is very much open for business.
Prepare for wild flavors and even wilder vibes.
13. George’s Donuts & Merriment (San Francisco – West Portal): Brioche Donuts & Champagne Vibes
George’s Donuts & Merriment is one of San Francisco’s newest donut obsessions, drawing hour-plus lines in the West Portal neighborhood and often selling out of donuts before closing. The café leans upscale: high ceilings, marble, a parklet, and a menu put together by pastry chef Janina O’Leary, who has past experience in Michelin-starred kitchens.
Expect brioche donuts filled and topped like plated desserts: think key lime pie, crème brûlée with gold leaf, strawberry Champagne brioche, plus salads, sandwiches and even wine once the donuts are gone for the day. It is open mornings into afternoon with slightly longer hours some days, so plan to show up early and be prepared to wait.
