Top 5 doughnut shops near ECC

By Gary Kohatsu|June 10, 2022

White Cup offers a variety of fresh baked donuts, such as this strawberry cruller. The shop has competition from other doughnut shops across the street on Redondo Beach Boulevard, but keeps its prices lower than the competition. (Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life)

Doughnuts and coffee are the staple of many American’s breakfasts. People indulge to get a rush of sugar caffeine before hurrying to work or school. The beauty of satisfying your doughnut fix is that a person will never go hungry. There are reportedly 1,500 independent doughnut shops in Los Angeles and here are five close to El Camino College.

 

1. White Cup Donuts

Just because White Cup Donuts, a hole-in-the-wall doughnut shop, is located next to Memorial Hospital of Gardena is no cause for alarm. This independent shop features a wide variety of fresh baked doughnuts, breakfast meal offerings, sandwiches, and hot and cold drinks. White Cup also has a menu item called a “cronut” (a marriage between a croissant and a doughnut). The doughnuts in this shop are light, airy, not greasy and delicious. Two French crullers cost a modest $2.10.

 

Address: 1149 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena

Phone: 310-327-9277

Hours: Monday-Friday: 4:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Saturday-Sunday: 5 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Distance from ECC: 2.4 miles, 8 minutes.

Delivery services: Doordash and Grubhub.

Ratings: Yelp – 4; Google – 4.4

 

 

Rainbow Donuts offers a wide variety of doughnuts, from maple bars to cake doughnuts, and from Bavarian cream to cinnamon buns. Rainbow’s doughnuts are baked fresh all day. (Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life)

2. Rainbow Donuts

Rainbow Donuts is a tried-and-true Gardena favorite that has been around for decades and is a popular pick-up for the work office. There is a wide variety of doughnuts, from maple bars to cake doughnuts, and from Bavarian cream to cinnamon buns. Rainbow also serves breakfast sandwiches, lunch subs, burgers, smoothies, different coffees and cold, bottled drinks. As expected from a 24-hour shop, doughnuts are baked fresh all day. Rainbow’s doughnuts are soft, puffy, sweet and yummy. A chocolate bar and raspberry cost $2.50.

 

Addresss: 1242 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena

Phone: 310-719-1625

Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Distance from ECC: 2.0 miles; 8 minutes

Delivery services: DoorDash

Rating: Yelp – 4; Google – 4.6

 

 

Donut Master sits near a Ralphs market in a busy shopping center. The Gardena shop is small, but the variety of doughnuts is both colorful and plentiful. For the best selection, arrive early as the shop closes at 5 p.m. (Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life)

3. Donut Master

Donut Master is close to El Camino College and is tucked into a small storefront in a shopping center next to a Ralphs supermarket. Selection of doughnut types will depend on the time of day, as they close shop at 5 p.m. most days. The doughnuts are tasty and enjoyable overall. Cost for two doughnuts (sprinkled and a raspberry) is $3.10. Donut Master has a breakfast menu and offers many hot and cold drinks. There is an online Donut Master menu, but it’s currently being updated.

 

Address: 2207 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., No. 3626, Gardena

Phone: 310-365-0132

Hours: Monday-Saturday: 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 4 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Distance from ECC: 0.7 miles; 3 minutes

Delivery services: Take out, no delivery.

Rating: Yelp – 4.5; Google – 3.4

 

 

U.S. Best Donuts is tiny, but the variety of doughnuts rivals bigger outlets. One of the benefits of this coffee and doughnut shop is that it has a drive-thru option. The doughnuts are worth the drive. Photo by Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life
U.S. Best Donuts is tiny, but the variety of doughnuts rivals bigger outlets. One of the benefits of this coffee and doughnut shop is that it has a drive-thru option. The doughnuts are worth the drive. (Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life)

4. U.S. Best Donuts

A hole-in-the-wall shop that would have gone unnoticed, but for a recommendation. U.S. Best has a drive-thru option which is novel. The Bavarian cream and raspberry glazed are excellent — light, soft, ample fillings and reasonably priced at $3 for both doughnuts. The service is friendly and attentive. U.S. Best (unusual name?) is the kind of mom-and- pop business that is becoming extinct. Too bad this is not a 24-hour doughnut shop.

 

Address: 15040 Prairie Ave., Hawthorne

Phone: 310-675-1018

Hours: Monday-Friday, 4 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Saturday: 4 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Sunday: 5 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Distance from ECC: 1 mile; 2 minutes.

Delivery services: Walk-in or Drive-thru service. No delivery.

Ratings: Yelp – 4.0; Google – 4.3; Restaurantji – 4.0

 

 

Yum Yum Donuts has a lot of pluses: ample seating, a great display of its offerings, a fabulous location with decent parking and near the 405 Freeway. While the doughnuts are tasty, the prices tend to be higher than the competition. (Gary Kohatsu | Warrior Life)

5. Yum Yum Donuts

Yum Yum Donuts is a 24-hour shop that resides in a previous Winchell’s Donut House on Prairie Avenue near Redondo Beach Boulevard in Torrance. There is a wide variety of doughnut choices on the menu, as well as bagels, muffins and croissants. The coffee and drinks menu is beyond vast (more than a 100 options), plus they serve breakfast and deli sandwiches for those who prefer a meal on the go. A standard glazed doughnut and a glazed twist cost $3.88. The doughnuts were tasty and satisfying. Service was fine, but some note the poor customer treatment on Yelp reviews.

 

Address: 17210 Prairie Ave., Torrance

Phone: 310-371-8114

Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week

Distance from ECC: 1.4 miles; 4 minutes.

Delivery services: Includes Grubhub and DoorDash

Ratings: Yelp – 2.0; Google – 4.2; Restaurantji – 3.4

 

 

Editor’s Notes:

  • Captions were updated on June 10, 2022, at 11.47 a.m.
  • Alignment of photos was changed for better placement on Monday, June 26 2023.