Cinco cheers for the best churros near El Camino College

Warm, soft on the inside and crunchy on the outside, coated in cinnamon and sugar, churros is the Mexican Mexican dessert Southern Californians are raving about. Below, we share top five stand- alone churro shops around the South Bay all within a 20-minute drive of El Camino.

1) Churroholic

While this churro is on the pricier side, it is worth every penny. At times, the wait is long and parking can be difficult to find, but all that is forgotten as the warm, fried pastry is handed over. Served in the shape of a large loop with a heaping scoop of homemade ice cream, the dessert can serve as a full meal. The churro is warm and has the perfect amount of crunch and the vanilla ice cream melts to create a delectable mix of sweetness.

What to order: Original Churro with vanilla ice cream, $7.50

Address: 552 East Carson Street, Carson 90745 (7.6 mi.)

Hours: open Sunday – Monday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Saturday and Friday from 11 a.m. to midnight

Contact: (310) 500-2558

2) Redondough

While Redondough doesn’t o er the classic churro as a sweet treat, they do o er a delicious churro doughnut — something that can pass as both breakfast and a dessert. The bakery’s unique take on the churro offers the perfect mixture of crunchy and soft. It tastes good fresh out of the oven or at room temperature and adds an extra layer of flavor with a mix of cinnamon, sugar, cloves, nutmeg, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.

What to order: Churro doughnut, $2.75

Address: 1218 Beryl Street, Redondo Beach 90277 (4.7 mi)

Hours: open Monday – Saturday from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 6 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Contact: (424) 304-2773

3) Pier Bakery

The Pier Bakery’s sign boasts that they o er the “world’s best homemade churros” and that proclamation definitely rings true. Made fresh to order, each churro is guaranteed to be warm and with the perfect amount of crunch and chew. A large scoop of cinnamon sugar is dropped onto the churro as it leaves the deep fryer, and as soon as you hand over your payment, your churro is ready to be eaten.

What to order: Classic churro, $2.50

Address: 100 Fisherman’s Wharf, Redondo Beach 90277 (6.4 mi)

Hours: open Monday – Thursday from 11 a.m. to 7 or 8 p.m.; on Friday – Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Contact: (310) 376-9582

4) The Grail Churros & Ice Cream

The Grail Classic Churro may seem unassuming at first, but the warm and crunchy churro lives up to its namesake. Drizzled with a salted caramel sauce and sprinkled with a heaping helping of cinnamon sugar, the only thing that could make it better would be a scoop of ice cream or a side order of Spanish espresso (which are both offered, for an additional cost).

What to order: The Grail Classic Churro, $4.50

Address: 1808 South Paci c Coast Highway, Redondo Beach 90277 (7.5 mi.)

Hours: Monday – Thursday from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday: 2 p.m. to midnight; Saturday: noon to midnight; Sunday: noon to10 p.m.

Contact: (310) 908-8200

5) Costco Wholesale

While it may not be a “new” churro shop (and it is definitely not a stand-alone store), Costco churros are an understandable fan favorite. As the least expensive churro on the list, it is difficult not to enjoy a warm pastry while doing some shopping (or while chowing down on some frozen yogurt, because the two sweets mixed together are pretty great). Although the churros are pre-made and simply warmed in the Costco kitchen, it is difficult to tell the difference between this and a homemade churro. The presentation is nothing special (it is served wrapped in a piece of foil), but the churro is warm and soft, and it is close to impossible not to feel happy while exploring the super-store while chowing down on the pastry.

What to order: Twisted Churro with cinnamon and sugar, $1

Address: 14501 Hindry Avenue, Hawthorne 90250 (3.2 mi)

Hours: Monday – Friday from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday: 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Sunday: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Contact: (310) 727-0403