The Donut Man, Glendora

The Donut Man is prized for its fresh fruit donuts. Dana and I prized the fact we wouldn't be at Ronnie's (see below). The 40 mile round trip to Glendora was made on a cold sunday morning yet we had been misinformed in regards to the warm donuts that were promised. Nonetheless, we stood in line and picked our plunder. Our selection had to be broad including the obviously popular fresh strawberry donut. So here's what we got- Dana: one original glazed, one chocolate covered raised. Me: one chocolate cake donut w/chocolate frosting and coconut, one chocolate bar, and one fresh strawberry donut. The verdict: given the hype, we were pretty disappointed with Donut Man's failure to take care of the basics. In the case of the chocolate bar, chocolate raised, and original glazed- all were decent in flavor, yet extremely hard-shelled, dense, and heavy in the stomach. They weren't horrible, yet they lacked the three F's: freshness, fluffiness, level of fryness. The chocolate cake donut was too spongy and tasted like a circular cupcake. All in all it was pretty lackluster. However, the saving grace of this establishment are its seasonal offerings. The giant donut-clam filled with fresh strawberries was a little intimidating, yet I proceeded. While I consider this a dessert as opposed to a breakfast item, it is delicious in every way. This dessert item resembles a strawberry shortcake minus the shortcake, add the donut clam, and tastes far superior. The large plump strawberries are a perfect compliment to a flaky raised donut. Somehow, the donut man focussed all his energy and talent on these treats and gets away with it.

Cup Holder Change or Bust out the Wallet: at $2.60 for the strawberry donut, bust out the wallet.
Destination Donut or keep it local: Destination Donut, unless you don't like strawberries
Being that Glendora is out of the way for many in LA, Donut Man probably won't be your local- however, it's worth it to try the fresh strawberry and fresh peach donut (summer) at least once. Also, there isn't anything to do in that particular neighborhood so the nice to-go boxes come in handy to take your dessert elsewhere.

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Ronnie's Donuts, Hollywood

The food inspection board gives this place a B. Dana and I give it an F. I don't know what Ronnie is selling here but it certainly isn't donuts. This shop has always caught our eye with it's prominent location and kitschy signage, and I assumed a donut shop adjoined to the Pantages theatre would certainly be somewhat decent or even exciting. However, this journey only ended in disgust and disappointment. Dana and I entered but were bombarded with a seedy vibe, and while I scanned the available assortment of crusty over-fried nuggets, Dana searched for a milk that wasn't already expired. It immediately became apparent that this was the end. We both left angry, annoyed, and longing for something to fill the void that only donuts on a sunday morning can fill. Rather than committing to the review of this establishment, we can only offer a stern warning to those considering a trip to Ronnie's.
It should be simple: Excellent location, easy menu, and high foot traffic should all add up to success- yet, something got lost along the way. Ronnie apparently decided to sell hotdogs, sandwiches, soup, and soda to offset his measly selection of donuts all the while getting a B health rating. I don't know about you, but I certainly don't like the aroma of hotdogs mingling with that of a donut.
After Dana and I left, we walked down to a cafe and got 2 muffins and 2 coffees totaling 10 bucks... the bitter sting of defeat. I'm glad we were able to weed this one out, and hopefully our next outing will produce better results.

Colorado Donuts, Eagle Rock

Colorado Donuts is a consistently delicious, unassuming, friendly haven of sweetness. Although humble in size, this donut shop is heaping with a wide and tasty selection. Aside from the quality of these donuts though is the amazing service which is what sets this establishment apart. A donut is often the beginning of one's day, and to be welcomed with sparkling clean furnishings and a neighborly smile is all one can ask for. Here's what we got-
Dana: 1 dozen donut holes
Me: 1 chocolate twist, 1 plain cruller, 1 chocolate raised w/sprinkles

The Verdict: First of all, a dozen donut holes for a buck is nothing short of a bargain. I think the donut hole is often underrated and overlooked. It's a donut for any time of the day- have a handful now, have a few later... The quality, taste, and 'lightness' are all worth mentioning. Dana recommends. The chocolate twist was excellent, but not extraordinary. The chocolate sprinkly donut was good. However, the big standout was the cruller (a dutch word meaning, "to curl"). The cruller was light, slightly firm on the outside, while moist and fluffy on the inside. Next time I will eat 3 of them. A cruller is a smaller donut variety, so eat generously...


Cup-holder change---or---Bust out the wallet: Cup-holder change
Destination Donut---or---Keep it local: Destination donut
All said, Dana and I love this place. No frills. Good eats. This is the standard for which all strip-mall, somewhat run-down donut establishments should aspire to. A good donut should be predictable, consistent, and delicious. Colorado Donuts always delivers.

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Randy's Donuts, Inglewood

I've heard about Randy's donuts being delicious, and I've seen the iconic landmark several times before while driving the 405:

Usually, Dana and I visit the donut shops together, but since I was working a block away I figured I'd take advantage of the drive-thru and pick some up on the way back home

Here is what we ended up eating-
Dana: 1 original glazed, 1 chocolate covered raised
Me: 1 honey wheat, 1 cake donut w/pink frosting
The Verdict: As far as I'm concerned, Randy's is over-rated. I did sample Dana's donuts as well and was dissapointed all around. While the original glazed has decent flavor, it is much too dense and doesn't fluff back into shape after being bitten. It's very greasy and has an ultra-fried flavor to it as well. I didn't agree with my wife about the chocolate coating- while she said it had good flavor and wasn't too sweet, I thought it was grainy and tasted like dirt. Again, this one was too dense as well. Randy's does a better job with their cake donuts. The frosted cake was the best of the four and had a light freshness to it. It didn't taste too greasy and didn't require a pint of milk to wash it down. The pink frosting was good, but non-descript. Lastly, the Honey Wheat is a Randy's original and has uniqueness going for it, but that's about all. It comes across like more of a bagel/donut hybrid and sits in your stomach like a bag of Fritos.
*Destination Donut--- or---Keep it Local: Keep it Local
*Cup-Holder Change---or---Bust out the Wallet: Cup-Holder Change
All in all, Randy's is ok if you happen to be on the corner of La Cienega and Manchester and are craving some fried treats, otherwise don't bother. I'm sure your local shop has as good if not better donuts. One last thing I'll say is that since Randy's is located near LAX, the consumer has the pleasure of watching planes landing which I always enjoy:


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