Donut Star

I love this donut shop! Always such a nice variety of items, including donuts, croissants and even Boba smoothies! I am there daily; Yesterday I got there right as soon as some croissants were taken out of the oven. Thank you Kim, for a great start to my mornings.

If you want a solid place to get good donuts, then you’ve found it. I’ve been here a couple of times, always early in the morning between 6−8am. Plenty of donuts to be had. So, I can’t attest to whether or not they run out of donuts because I’ve never seen that happen here yet. But then I haven’t been there at 11pm either. No, these aren’t «gourmet» donuts, but they are a solid option you can count on to quench that donut thirst. They’re priced right, and guess what — there’s parking.

I’m all about customer service and this place gets absolutely no stars for that. However the two stars is for the donuts, which are pretty good! Also it says mixed donuts 9.99 however I was charged an extra dollar for mixing and she didn’t give an explanation. I was also charged $.50 for using a debit card (REALLY?) it’s 2016! I will stick to my good olé shop in point loma (delicious (:).

My sweet tooth was craving sugary-​goodness. I Unilocaled this little gem near Hillcrest. Its an old-​school doughnut shop, as in old school flavors and smelled yummy as I walked in. The lady who took care of my order was really friendly and chatty — I love that — and offered her opinion on various flavors.
The doughnuts were okay, I had a lemon powdered and a strawberry-​sprinkled frosted. They were fresh and tasty, but not as good as another spot (old school bakery) that I like. I would go back and try another.

I am a midwesterner living in CA for the last 9 years and always on the search for good donut (can never find one as good as Lamar’s in the Midwest). I have tried many places and not found one that I truly thought was worthy of any donut I could get when back in the midwest.
I stopped in here on a Saturday after my hair appt around 1pm. There was still a good selection of donuts and while the staff person was not overly friendly she did answer my questions and was patient with me while I decided (there was no one in line behind me and only 2 other customers seated in store).
I got 6 donuts for $ 5.50. Two chocolate long johns-​which were the softest, pillow-​y est donuts ever with the perfect amount of the chocolate frosting, a chocolate cake donut with chocolate frosting-​I do not even like cake donuts and thought this was delish, a blueberry cake donut-​this was one I could not decide if I loved or not but it got rave reviews from my husband, and a buttermilk with chocolate frosting. This was by far the best buttermilk donut I have tried in San Diego, and and apple fritter-​these were smaller than most places but so sweet and perfect.
The best part about these donuts? We munched on them throughout Saturday and left some for breakfast Sunday morning. Most donuts I have had have been stale the next day but not these. They tasted just as good Sunday as they did when we bought them.
I will definitely be back to try more flavors. And it is nice to know if I get a donut craving at 3am they are open! :)

They were rated the top Donut place in City Beat for a reason. They don’t have the flashy stuff like the ‘artisan’ places — they don’t need it. They offer a basic, solid product with some wonderful flourishes in the form of things like the sourdough donut or the cream puff. The place frequently sells out of their merchandise due to its popularity, however, they restock pretty fast as they make everything on the site.

This morning on my way to work I utilized my Unilocal app to help me find a place for donuts. I quickly saw the four stars and it was very close so I turned my car around and made my way to donut star. Like most donut shops the space between the front door and the counter is limited which makes for a very crowded entryway. This was the case this morning very crowded lots of people wanting fresh delicious donuts. Right off the bat you could tell there was no system in place for who was in line 1^st and where the line started or if there was even a line to begin with. Each of us standing there just kept looking at one another finally I told one woman to my right that she should just keep track who came in after her and then she would know her place in line. The two women behind the counter just kept saying how can I help you how can I help you how can I help you never asking who was next or keeping track of the customers. Believe it or not the whole environment was very stressful the crowded small entryway the two women talking back-​and-​forth in their native language the gentleman in the back running back-​and-​forth to the front and then to the back again joining in on the conversation with the two women on top of everyone standing there not knowing who is next. The next thing I see two people who got there after me being helped paid for their donut and walked out and I stood there with my mouth wide-​open wondering what the heck just happened. So wouldn’t you know it the woman working behind the counter started to help another person who came in after me and that’s when I basically spoke up/​yelled that I was next and made my view on the whole situation known. She just basically stared at me which told me what I had to say about my experience wasn’t registering at all so I gave up. I ordered my donuts left and will never go back again. One star for all of the customers standing there who I basically got to know and a second star because my employees at work said they tasted really good not knowing the hell I went through to get them.

I would give this place 5 stars if they could get their flipping act together and not be out of donuts by 7 am. Or if they could provide any consistency to when they bake or put out fresh product. Their response? «Order in advance».
It’s just a bummer that whether I get there before 7 am or 11 am or 8 pm at night– there are no frickin donuts!!!
And I’m not complaining after one experience. I have LITERALLY bought donuts at LEAST a dozen times. Only once did they have any kind of selection.
So please — your donuts are Delish. So cook some up so your customers can enjoy them!

This place is alright, but I don’t understand all of these 5 star reviews… Are we even going to the same place? This shop has aggressively mediocre, no frills donuts and I almost never seem to get a fresh one… perhaps that’s the lord telling me that I don’t need any damn donuts. Haha
I usually get an old fashioned/​buttermilk donut and sometimes they are fresh & sometimes they leave me feeling ripped off because they taste so old/​rubbery/​straight up disgusting/​borderline inedible because of how unfresh they are.
Their jelly filled donuts, and donut holes are what my husband likes and they are usually fresher than what I normally get, but I’m not a fan of those types of donuts so I tend to not order them.
I finally got around to trying the custard topped old fashioned/​buttermilk donut and unfortunately it was on the verge of being inedible due to how old/​not fresh it was… plus, it looked nothing like the delicious looking ones (that had gotten my hopes up) that I saw on Unilocal.Mine was more like a dried croûton with an equally dried out, very hard, small, gelatinous cream dollop on top… it was underwhelming and pretty gross. Somehow, 4 of those donuts cost me $ 7 & I paid cash (so there wasn’t an additional $ 0.50 charge). Lame.
I adore the idea of a 24 hour donut shop but there have been two times recently that I attempted to come kind of late on a week night… once around 11pm & once around 1230am and both times the store was randomly closed with a sign on the door saying they would be back at like 3 or 4 am. I wasn’t mentally prepared for all that so fat girl over here was bummed.
If you absolutely must have a donut after 1am, or you’re drunk or something come on down! Otherwise, wait until some other shop is open. You’ll save some money and probably have a fresher donut.

We haven’t been here for awhile
and decided to go today because
we wanted a sweet snack.
Ha Ha!
They had every doughnut that
I liked. So I chose three that I
like and rave about all the time.
We were in doughnut heaven
and couldn’t decide because
it was a tough decision but we
got some good ones today.
First of all they need to come
up with a better way of
packaging their doughnuts.
When I opened the box they
were stacked on top of each
other. There was sheets of paper
on top of the buttermilk
doughnuts which took some of the
custard topping off when I took off
the sheets of paper.
The buttermilk
doughnuts custard didn’t
taste like it has in the past.
It wasn’t as rich and
decadent like it used to be.
It was too light
and airy and a little bland.
YES! We were hungry and
we ate ONLY one in the car
and took the rest of them
home for later. This is when
I noticed the mistake when
I decided to go and eat my
glazed doughnut.
I looked inside the box for it
and it wasn’t there. I was
really disappointed.
It would’ve been my first
time trying the glazed one
but my mom felt bad and
gave me her glazed twist
doughnut which did satisfy
my craving.
We got the $ 6 for $ 6 bucks
deal and I didn’t get my round
glazed doughnut that I wanted.
We were going to split the
doughnuts in half. I get three
and my mom gets three.
We really like this place and
the gal at the front counter
was nice to us even though
she forgot the one doughnut.
I’m not going to fault her for
that. I’ve never seen her in there
before but at least she was nice
to us and I do respect that.

My go-​to donut is the blueberry cake donut. It’s the donut I use to compare donut shops, and Donut Star’s rendition is pretty top notch. It’s light, sweet, fresh, and is basically the best blueberry cake donut I’ve tasted in SD thus far. In addition to that, I tried a new to me donut — the buttermilk donut with custard. It kinda looks like a star which is fitting. That thing is so delicious, I could eat a box of those alone. Sadly, the last time I was there, they were all out, but they were making another batch, so you know those babies are fresh!
The owner is really nice and patient — my boyfriend and I always take awhile to decide what to get in addition to blueberry, and he always waits patiently and even suggests things sometimes.
They also offer drinks — boba and smoothies — if you’re in the mood to wash your donuts down with that.

Got off work at 4 am and was craving something sweet! So I searched on Unilocal for a 24 hour donut shop, and voila! Donut Star:) what’s even more awesome, is that it’s a few blocks down from where I live! Winning!
Uncle (old Asian man) was super nice! He waited patiently while I took my time trying to pick out my top 6 (order a half dozen) fave donuts. Haha.

I love you Donut Star!!! Everything about it. The donuts and especially the family that runs the shop!
After going to several donut shops to taste test my favorite cake donuts, old fashioned, and apple fritters I’ve got to say that this shop has my favorite for all 3 of these.
I like my apple fritters crispy on the outside and soft inside and they make theirs to perfection! This thing tastes like a fritter. I die they’re so good! If you’re into more of that cinnamon roll like apple fritter they don’t make it like that here and that’s why I love it. I don’t get my apple fritters anywhere else because I always end up being disappointed and wishing I just went to Donut Star!
The blueberry old fashioned donuts are sooooo heavenly! You take a bite into those bad boys and you get everything sweetness and texture just that lightly glazed outside with a little crispy and that soft inside. Delicious!
I come here usually late night with the hubby and the man (I don’t even know his name) «the dad» that works at night is sweetest! He always greets you with a smile and is just so patient with his customers and soooo nice. It’s always so pleasant to come here and make a purchase. Must try their donuts!

This bakery rates an A+++ just because it’s the cleanest bakery operation I’ve seen. The oil is fresh and the donuts show it, b/​c they are always clean/​fresh-​tasting.
You’ll be eating something fattening (face it, any donut is), but it tastes so clean. There is no other bakery around like it.
I want to go here every day, but if I did, I’d weigh a ton lol

So yum! $ 10 for a dozen. I recommend getting there in early morning. We went at 9 at night to stock up for breakfast the following day. After looking at just about every picture posted I already knew the ones I wanted! Sadly… 9pm, they have already run out of those gems!
Already have a plan in mind to go again and man I hope they have that buttermilk cream one!

Super happy this donut shop lets you use a debit card! (50 cent charge but still awesome)
I tried the regular glazed, the chocolate sprinkle, the buttermilk donut, and the chocolate donut. The chocolate sprinkle was pretty good. It was very fluffy and the chocolate wasn’t too sweet. Perfect chocolate sprinkle! I was not a fan of the regular glazed, mostly because it was very flat and it tasted like I was just eating the topping. Not enough donut to it lol.
The buttermilk is like a thicker traditional (or cake) donut. I didn’t get it with the cream, which I’m now totally regretting! It’s still really good. Very moist! The guy who helped me was very very nice and helpful, and he didn’t mind answering my questions. For having gone close to 9pm, they had SO MANY options. Very surprising but glad my detour in the area led me to this parking lot Lol.
I will be going back since everyone is posting pictures of all these awesome donuts!

This donut shop looks like any other mom and pops donut shop. The donuts are your typical offerings from any other donut shop. They do have a special offering of bacon over a maple bar which is unique. The combination tastes unique but nothing earth shattering and definitely not good enough for me to go out of my way to come back and get it. They didn’t have any when i came but the owner was very nice and offered to cook up some on the spot. Great customer service right there. He said next time call ahead and he’ll cook it in advance.
I used an entertainment book coupon but the owner wouldn’t apply the coupon to the special donuts such as the apple fritters or the bacon maple bar. The coupon did not mention any exclusions so this was the owner’s rule he made up on the spot. –1 star for false advertising.

THE BEST DONUTS!!! If I had to pick a slogan for this shop I would chose, «Simple Done Right.» This is your donut stop for those traditional treats like a simple glazed, sprinkle, old fashioned, etc. My three favorites of all time? The chocolate glazed, apple fritter & bavarian cream. I’m serious when I say that they are out of this world. Not only are these donuts the Lannisters of the donut world (if you don’t watch Game of Thrones then we’re not friends), but the staff is also super friendly, always smiling and always happy to chat which makes stopping in a great experience. No matter what time of day you stop by there is a great variety, and everything tastes fresh!
I’m not exaggerating when I tell you that when I was younger I had donuts at least twice every single week, looking back now, I’m about 60% sure my parents were intentionally trying to give me diabetes. (Thanks guys.)
Anyways, as an experienced donut-​tuer I can honestly say these have to be some of the best I’ve ever had. I would sell my soul for the ability to eat apple fritters all day and not gain weight, and if I had to chose those devilish-fritter’s they would be the ones from Donut Star.
I’m officially fantasizing about this place as I write so I need to stop for my own health. All I can say is you’re welcome.

I’ve driven past this place so many times when i worked at the Hillcrest Hospital but never had the opportunity to walk inside/​check out the place. I don’t have much of a sweet tooth and i’m hoping to keep it that way… :fingers crossed:
That said, when I wanted to stop by and visit my old coworkers I wanted to bring some goodies so that they’ll miss me more… haha jk I Unilocaled the areas near by and was deciding btw this and a cupcake place. Decided on the Donut Star b/​c I figured it would probably be the cheaper option. (Student budgets #letsbehonest)
I came from the direction of the hospital and found this place rather quickly not only b/​c i’ve driven past the place so many times b4 but also b/​c has a very eye catching color. Mustard Yellow — ish. i parked in the Vons parking lot right across the street but they do have their own parking lot. (it was easier for me to go to vons b/​c i didnt have to make a U-​turn)
Upon arrival, i figured a dozen donuts would prob cost me $ 15 and i was prepared for that, but when i saw their pricing, they charge $ 9.99 for a dozen! winning. They had a nice variety of flavors and shapes, etc. The entire process was super easy. (they even have donuts with less sugar for more health conscious individuals).
Fast, easy transaction, highly recommend.

The best thing I can say about this place is that it’s open 24hrs. Now I’m not trying to say they’re donuts suck. No not at all, but I have had better. They do have a variety of donuts to chose from. The prices are great, and customer service wise… well it’s a donut shop for crying out loud, what are you expecting the red carpet treatment?
If I’m in the neighborhood and craving some donuts, this is the place I’ll be going to. Since it doesn’t matter what time of the day or night it is. You can never say no to a donut!