There are, admittedly, places like LA Donuts all over the Los Angeles area and beyond. Greasy donut stores that serve variety after variety of donut, usually beyond glass and beckoning to the outside world like some ooey, gooey siren.
But that doesn’t mean they’re not worthy of coverage. Most of all will pop into one of these joints for an unhealthy treat from time to time, maybe purchasing a hot cup of Joe and a scratch-off at the same time. Sometimes, you have to live life on the edge. And LA Donuts is one of the better said joints in Gardena.
The delights that greet you upon entering are delightful boarding on overload. It feels like the colors are floating away from the glass on a wave of oil and sugar. Glazed and jelly-filled, chocolate and sprinkles, apple fritters and long johns – all sit there waiting to be eaten in an Augustus Gloop-esque stupor.
Of course, we have more self control than that. But it’s fun to fantasize. In fact, we dropped by for lunch on the way to work (full disclosure – LA Donuts is very close to the GVN office), and started off with something decidedly savory. We had a breakfast croissant with bacon, egg and cheese.
Again, this is an item that a lot of similar donut restaurants sell, but sometimes they can be too greasy. Here, the croissant is bouncy and buttery, while the cheese is bubbling into the soft inner bread.
The bacon is juicy and gloriously chewy, and the scrambled egg is fluffy and light. Yes, it has a junky “truck stop” feel to it, and you certainly wouldn’t want to eat one every day. But for a rare treat, it hits the spot.
For our donut of choice, we opted for a maple-glazed old fashioned. Not to be confused with the French cruller (although it often is), the old fashioned is essentially a cake donut that has been fried. So it’s crispier than a regular donut and has that trademark jagged exterior.
Add a sweet, rich maple glaze and it’s a perfect sweet treat. Not too dense, not too airy, it’s a donut that leaves you wanting more even though you should definitely stop at one.
There’s nothing fancy about LA Donuts, but we don’t always want fancy, do we? Sometimes, we want a donut, a coffee and a “good morning” from friendly staff. You can get all that and more here.
LA Donuts is located at 1012 Rosecrans Ave., Gardena 90247. Call 310-327-9176.
