I was in the area for an event, and wanted to purchase Lotto tickets for a big upcoming jackpot. Circus Donuts fit the bill. It's an old school donut shop - stuffy, not glistening clean like Krispy Kreme, classic donuts and not the fancy artisan donuts all the craze these days. My overall opinion of Circus Donuts is that it is a solid choice for donuts & coffee. I was just interested in purchasing Lotto, and in that, satisfied my need. read more

Review #947 2026-011 Donuts Order: 12 Donuts (Bear Claw, Buttermilk, Cinnamon Roll, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Frosted, Chocolate Coconut, Glazed, Glazed Twist, Old Fashioned, Strawberry Cake, Sugar, Vanilla Frosted with Sprinkles) + 9 Donut Holes; TooGoodToGo Surprise Bag: $4.38 ($3.99 + sales tax) I was browsing the TooGoodToGo app & ordered a pick-up in Carson... I wanted to see what else is in the area with a similar pick-up window & found Circus Donuts. It didn't quite fit my intended schedule, but it was close enough to home with a slight detour of a mile, & cheap enough for the purchase. It had a decent, convenient pick-up window from 6:00 AM - 10:30 AM (some places only have a 15 - 30 min. window); I stopped by after dropping off my son at school. Circus Donuts sit west of McDonald's with a red & white striped circus awning. The donut shop has 3 entrances: main (faces Denker St.), side (faces Carson St.; door is locked), & back (entering from the parking lot). Considering the size of the donut shop, there's lots of parking real estate. At 9:00 AM, the lot was dirty with litter & discarded lotto scratchers. O_o Walking in from the main entrance, there's a large display case holding 2-1/2 rows of donuts (10 trays) & not all trays are full. They've been open since 5:00 AM... maybe the morning crowd bought a lot of donuts? There's no bell that signaled my entrance but the door cracked when pushed, & I heard a voice from the back shouted "welcome, I'll be right with you." A petite Asian woman popped out while I was browsing their goods; I informed her that I have a TGTG app pick-up & showed her my phone as I showed their business page & swiped for my redemption. She went back & gave me a medium pink box (typical of most mom & pop donut shops) with some heft to it (~4-lbs. worth). I snapped 1 more pic (lotto scratcher vending machine & ATM) on my way out through the back door. There seems be regulars at this donut shop, particularly for their love of the lotto; a middle aged male & a couple were at the tables trying their luck. I was pretty impressed with the variety of regular donuts... I got 12 different ones with a handful of donut holes. It included a Cinnamon Roll (my fav!) & Bear Claw that's bigger than my palm, & I have pretty large hands. The Cinnamon Roll tasted fresh enough, & it was still somewhat soft. The Bear Claw was the freshest of the bunch with a good dollop of cinnamony, sweet-tart apple filling in the yeast donut, along with Buttermilk, Glazed, Glazed Twist, Old Fashioned, Sugar. The frosted ones & donut holes were on the harder side, definitely day old (possibly more? particularly the donut holes). I paid $4.38 for this TGTG surprise bag valued at $12.00, & received 12 donuts with 9 donut holes that's worth $23.50, excluding the donut holes because the price (possibly 20¢ or 25¢) isn't on the menu. Even if it's based on their price of $17.50 for a regular dozen, you're getting 3x (337.50%) the cost; if you count it individually at $25.75 (donut holes at 25¢/ea.), it's an even better value at 5x (543.75%). Wow... definitely getting the bang for my buck here! Though we infrequently visit the McDonald's next door, I rarely head east of Eastern Ave. so I'm not sure if I'll be returning. But for all you donut lovers out there &/or TGTG patrons, Circus Donuts has a good selection of tasty donuts at comparable prices, & a definite value to TGTG app users! Recommended: Cinnamon Roll, Bear Claw, Buttermilk, Old Fashioned, Glazed, Glazed Twist, Strawberry Cake, Sugar, Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Frosted, Chocolate Coconut, Vanilla Frosted with Sprinkles. read more

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It is not a fancy former place, you will not have a foam hart on your coffee, you will find a piece of community history. Live near by good chance your parents took you here. While the outside retains it worn but recognizable appearance, the inside has Ben modernized with new cases signed and flooring . The menu has expanded to sandwiches and a variety of beverages. The price is reasonable, the service. Warm. The donuts are good not life changing but the taste might bring back childhood memories. read more

10/12/24 Picking up "Too Good to Go" donuts Passed by this donut shop mor than I could count & today I am taking advantage of the Too Good to go App. It definitely needs a little more love for upkeep, my first thought, "It's seen better days" as soon as I've seen the cracked and torn seats from the dining area and the worn paint and signage. The ladies at the counter have limited English & not as warm & fuzzy as I would like, not too welcoming or friendly. Hopefully the donuts will speak for themselves. There's plenty of free parking for a donut shop but looks a little sketchy, read more

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Freshness not guaranteed, I spent almost $7 and a ham & jalapeno croissant and I literally threw my breakfast away. The ham was as black and old it was dry and disgusting so sad. I'll never stop there again waist of money read more

Best Donuts in the Harbor Gate Way. Been going there since more than forty something years. I highly recommend going there reasonable prices. read more

The Circus Donuts has been in the South Bay for quite some time and I've passed by their location throughout the years. It was only recently though that I got to check this place out! I got a dozen donuts with a good mix of their donut offerings. Among the offerings I got to try out was their buttermilk, glazed, chocolate nut and strawberry glazed. Overall the donuts were good and went well with coffee. My fave donuts from here are their buttermilk. Crisp and sweet; they make for a great donut treat! Overall The Circus Donuts is pretty solid with good selection and decent prices. read more

Circus Donuts - a variety of donuts in a box - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

These are the worst donuts I've ever had. The taste was not as sweet and buttery like most other donut shops. They were stale, dense and appeared to be old. I wish I noticed the sweaty and dried up glaze before leaving the shop because I would've requested a refund. read more

Circus Donuts - Stale donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

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It's probably going to meet your expectations - these are definitely not the best donuts. It's pretty on par with what I expected. They aren't the best but I've definitely had worse donuts. read more

Circus Donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

I have a hard time passing up a donut place, especially an independent donut shop. I was there about 9:00 PM and the donuts looked like they'd seen the best part of the day already. The donuts are $1.25 by the way. The price is not listed on the wall menu. I opted instead for a strawberry banana smoothie ($4.75). It wasn't very flavorful, but it was OK. It's a really clean donut shop. There are places to sit near the entrance and they have a TV in there as well. There's ample parking right there in the lot. Super easy. I'll have to try their donuts sometime when I'm back in the area. read more

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Circus Donuts is ever so good. Their donuts are made there and they are always fresh. They have a great selection and they also have drinks. They also sell bagels and they are just wonderful, I buy them by the bag when I am in Torrance. The service is super friendly and there is never a long wait. You will love this place. Parking is easy and free. read more

Customer service was extremely great. The lady was so nice, she also threw me extra doughnuts because they had to get rid of it. I don't know if it's old, but it tasted great. Did not taste old at all. My favorite would be the classic and their apple fritter. I was very surprised. I love a good apple fritter and maple donuts are also great. I always leave a cash tip. The day I came there was a homeless woman indoors screaming a bunch of stuff and causing a commotion and the lady kindly asked her to leave. She obviously didn't leave and there were others waiting so I got my donuts and left. Didn't know what happened afterwards. I felt bad for her so I gave her extra cash. I support this business because they have fine donuts and a variety of others for a stellar price plus nice customer service. read more

Circus Donuts - Assortment of donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

I went late at night. The donuts were not incredible. To be fair no one should be eating donuts for dinner. read more

The food was good, the service was great and friendly people!! I'll come back anytime I want. read more

Circus Donuts - Inside - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

Come early for the best selection of donuts and get them while they're still warm :) The exterior and interior of the shop may be a bit shabby, but the donuts here are INCREDIBLE. Staff is kind and patiently waits nearby while customers decide their orders. Most of the treats individually range from $0.90 to $2. My selection of a huge glazed twist bar and chocolate yeast donut totaled to be ~$2. I was surprised by how fluffy, soft, and delicious the yeast donuts are. These are some of the best donuts I've had in all of California by far. The glaze isn't overly sweet. The pillowy texture of each bite is oh so satisfying. A lovely morning treat! I'd recommend getting donuts to-go rather than sitting-and-dining. There are only a handful of small tables inside. read more

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First time here and did not order a donut. I wanted a breakfast type sandwich so went with a BLT on a croissant. The sandwich was pretty good but my issue is that all the bacon was put in the center (see picture) so the first bite was lettuce/tomato so was second bite. The third bite was tough because I had to bite through all the bacon. I would suggest that they spread the bacon throughout the bread. read more

Circus Donuts - BLT on croissant w/part of my breast cancer awareness tie - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

At 6pm my wife And I went to buy a lottery ticket and donuts. The donuts were not fresh. When I called to notify them. A female Asian hanged up me. I called again and again. And no answer. Please don't buy here they sell old donuts and are not fresh at all. They refused to exchange them. Or give me my money back. The donuts are not fresh and they hang up you. They MEGA rude. Go somewhere else. read more

Driving down Carson St, I thought, "oh look at the pretty red and white stripe roof on that building." I realized the circus (the sign DOES say Circus) must be in town! Not really, but passing this cheery looking place so many times, I felt obligated to finally stop in. Now don't go in there expecting Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey. That's a show for another day. Not as cheery on the inside but rather drab and dated looking. This building has seen better times and could use a makeover to brighten it up. Walked in the back door from the parking lot and past the overhead TV and gents seated scratching lottery tickets. The business end of this establishment is up front where all the goodies are located. Looking for the buttermilk bars with the sugary coating. So bad for you but so good on a cheat day. In luck because they still had a few. Now let's see how they taste. Okay, not bad. Your average donut shop donut. Let's see, overall, they did have a nice selection and there was a decent line of locals picking out their favorites. They were quick to get to everyone and I was out the door in no time. A Circus Donuts way to start that Saturday. read more

Very underwhelming donut shop. The donuts That I tried were tasty, but the presentation of them lacked gusto. Fairly average place all the way around. The donuts were slightly undercooked and didn't have a very good finish. The best quality they have is the price because it is crazy cheap. I got a half dozen of whatever I wanted for five dollars. Ordered the French cruller donut in various icing flavors and was a bit let down at how artificial the flavoring was, especially the orange flavor. The old-fashioned donut was actually prepared and made very nicely. In my estimation, it was the only redeeming confection that I enjoyed for my breakfast. It has a rinky-dink feel to it and wasn't very comfortable to stay and eat in. The parking lot is disheveled and is kinda sketchy with on mowed grass, graffiti tags, and under painted parking lot lines. Donut selection: A Donut taste: B Donut presentation: C- read more

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The donuts are quite good. The parking lot could use some regular trash pick up - there's lots of trash on the ground from people who just dump and drive. read more

Great donuts great service. Not expensive. Highly recommend. Been going there for the past 40 years

One of The worker has really bad manner and acting very rude, she scares me, she been yelling at her consumer and doesn't give me all of my change. Please fix your personallity!!!!!! read more

Rating: 40/100 pts Late at night? Have a hankering for some donuts? Are you nearby Harbor Gateway? If you answered YES to all these questions...I STILL wouldn't recommend coming to Circus Donuts. This freaky looking spot, decorated by circus colors and filth, had caught not only my attention, but the attention of several friends who I've driven by with. The dessert scene in Torrance is decent during the day, but come night, things can turn bleak. Though it took a while, one particularly desperate evening, I finally decided to give Circus Donuts a try. Ambiance is miserable. The interior is just as filthy as the exterior. As a plus, they do have some tables to sit at--though I couldn't imagine doing so. Also, there is usually at least one homeless/crazy/circus person loitering around outside. They still had a good amount of donuts available when I came. Some were neatly arranged in rows, others were haphazardly piled atop each other in a ziggurat-like formation. Standard varieties are around $0.75, but I opted for one of the massive Apple Fritters; at only $1.50, it seemed like a good deal. But even after microwaving it, it just ended up tasting like a sloppy mishmash of dough, grease, and glazed sugar, with the occasional morsel of apple. While still warm, the first few bites tasted ok, but I felt no desire to finish it beyond that. They open at 5am and close at 10pm*, and all donuts are baked in the morning...meaning if you are here for a late night run--the only time I could possibly excuse getting these donuts--you must: (1) Still get there before 10pm; and (2) Endure donuts baked many, many hours ago. (*Store hours are shown as being till 8pm on Sundays, but they were still open near 10pm on the Sunday I went.) Two stars for being cheap. So what to do when craving something sweet late at night in Torrance? I'd say change your plans to ice cream and head to Kansha Creamery. read more

Circus Donuts - Exterior - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

Best coffee and donuts!! Vicky has a great personality with good customer service Coffee is better than Starbucks read more

Typical assortment of yummy donuts. Coffee is good sizes ranging from xs to xl, also have specialty coffees including cappuccinos. Various teas also available. also sell breakfast croissant sandwiches ham & egg. Lots of street parking as well as parking lot (beware of potholes in the lot. lol). About 8 tables, more than most donut shops in the area. Each table can easily accommodate groups of 4. One of the larger shops in the area. Minus a star for cleanliness in customer areas but most customers do not stay. Opportunity to play lotto games from scratchers, to the spot, super/mega lotto. This place must be lucky! Many winning tickets & photos of past winners posted on the wall. No bathroom like most other shops. A small coffee & regular donut $2.10. read more

Circus Donuts is almost across the road from where I live but surprisingly I had not paid a visit until a couple of days ago when I was craving donuts. I generally make the trek to Torrance Bakery as I like their donuts but I just felt lazy and decided to go across the road. Circus Donuts has a small unpaved parking lot on its backside so you get a good rattle while pulling in and out. I visited around 11 a.m. in the morning and they seemed to be well stocked with lots of varieties of donuts. I got a regular chocolate iced donut and a chocolate iced cake based donut (80c) and asked if they had a cream filled (or custard filled) donuts but it seems they were out. The good thing about the donuts was that they were fresh. The bad thing was that they were just borderline passable. The regular yeast based donut had a doughy and lumpy mouth feel with large chunks clinging to my teeth. The cake based donut was better as it did not crumble and fall apart but it tasted very average. Pricewise it was 25% less than Torrance bakery so it was not bad considering the price. I'm not sure if they take cards because I simply paid by cash considering the small amount. I guess I haven't missed much by not having visited earlier. Not a bad place to have where you can walk over and get a decent cheap donut. read more

Circus Donuts - Regular chocolate iced donut (80c) - Average. - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

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This is my girlfriend's favorite doughtnut shop. The cinnamon rolls are otherworldly. Tip: Upon walking in, loudly proclaim your arrival to all present. When anybody enters, vocally project across the room by musing to yourself, "Did those fellows arrive after me? I do believe that they may have." This routine is necessary because the display counter is long and bookended by two registers. There are also three doors sandwiching the area, funneling customers into multiple entry points. There's no rhyme or reason to it. Chaos, I tell ya! Unless you are loud and obnoxious, this is a battle you will not win. And you will get cut. And you will die a little bit on the inside. Because these cinnamon rolls are magical and to wait even a second longer than you have to is agony. Don't be the next victim. Consider yourself warned. read more

Circus Donuts - Bakeries Near Me - Torrance, California

Old donuts and poor service. Lady at the counter was a little rude and unhelpful. Only went here because they were still open but next time we rather drive to Yum Yum Donuts for better service and fresher donuts. read more

Bomb donuts and coffee in the morning! Ordered through Uber eats came fresh! Will order again

If you've ever driven down Carson then you have seen Circus Donut, it can't be missed. I snuck in here one morning before a four-year-old birthday party and was pleasantly surprised at a decent donut shop with one of the best signs that I've seen. Inside it was your standard donut shop owned by an Asian couple with everything from croissants to donuts to lottery tickets. The crowd was mostly Hispanic and they were sitting there scratching lottery tickets. I enjoyed an apple fritter. I like that they had smaller apple fritters. I usually house a massive one, so my future diabetes likes the smaller ones. My copilot enjoyed a sprinkle doughnut. Both were good. If I lived close by I would probably stop by there more often but I'm not about to drive to Circus Donuts from Orange County or put them on my hotlist of donut shops. I read more

I was craving a ham and cheese croissant one day. Actually it seems like it's everyday. Since I was too lazy to just go to Costco to pick up some croissants and make my own, I remembered someone told me to check out a donut shop. Lo and behold, here was this place. I ordered one and had to eat it on the spot. Bigger than both of my hands put together, this croissant was huge! For two bucks and some change, this was the perfect piece of melted white cheese and ham nestled in that buttery pastry. I'm not a fan of yellow cheese when it comes to this concoction. I've been there several times now and have yet to try their donuts. I don't think I ever will try their donuts... I'm stuck on the croissant. read more

I been going there for the past 2 years and i had no problem with the staff. Until the old lady started working there, she is so rude and she talks to her costumers with a bad attitude. I'm going to stop going there because of her. read more

I stopped by last Friday to pick up donuts for my coworkers and was pleasantly surrpised to see the wide selection: twisties, maple bars, glazed, and sprinkles. I ordered a dozen donuts and got a variety of donuts. The store is not commercialized and love the mom and pop feel. Service was great, the Asian woman helped me immediately and I was back in my car within a few minutes. There is ample parking. read more

This building is one of the most recognized in Torrance. I've been going here since the '80s when I lived near here in Torrance by the old tracks. The donuts here were always great just like the service and coming here recently is like Memory Lane. Thanks for the memories.. read more

Horrible, horrible, HORRIBLE attitude and taste. The lady gave me attitude when I asked for my money back on an order of something they were sold out of and I didn't want to get a replacement. They are always low on inventory, and coffee tastes horrible and sits for hours. Stay Awayyyyy! Go to CC donuts down the street. read more

I'm a big fan of their buttermilk bars, ever since I was a child my dad and I have enjoyed those. I don't get the reviews about the atmosphere--I mean it's a donut place, you go for the donuts, end of story. I guess it is a little gritty, but many good donut places and bakeries have this vibe. Last time I was there, I asked if a row of donuts were "cream filled." The woman said yes, affirmed that they were cream filled and sold my brother and I two. I took a bite and they were custard filled, incredibly disappointed. When I go into real bakeries (even krispy kreme) the cream filled donuts have the fresh whipped cream in the center. I can't stand custard and was incredibly bummed. The chocolate iced raised donuts were also lackluster, tasted stale despite it being early in the morning. From what I've read, as much as I LOVE those buttermilk bars, 1/3 isn't passing in my books and I will be giving Torrance Bakery a try next time I have a sweet tooth. read more

I have no idea what makes these buttermilk bars that Circus Donuts has so delicious, but OMG the best buttermilk bar I ever had came from this place. My stepdad passed by the area recently and brought home a box full of a dozen donuts. The donuts were delicious and tasted fresh...if my stepdad doesn't come here again recently I will definitely take a drive to Torrance to come here. read more

Very delicious basic donuts, perfect texture, not too dry, the only thing is that the frosted cake donuts seemed a little small. $5 for 6 is a good deal! We tried the vanilla frosted cake donut, chocolate glazed old fashioned, glazed yeast, and glazed buttermilk. We are saving the blueberry cake and chocolate glazed cake donut and leftovers for tomorrow! I'm sure those will be just as good. read more

This is by far the most disgusting, run-down, and garbage of a donut shop in town. First off, come in the mornings and you'll see an old Asian man in stained tanktops, who appears to have just gotten out of bed serving you their pre-bought donuts. Second, these idiots don't even know how to make iced coffee. The lady who made it for me dumps tap water ice into a styrofoam cup, pours hot coffee into it, dumps about a quarter of syrup, a large amount of sugar on top of it, and some spoiled milk. What you get is a warm run-down coffee that's so sweet you get sick just drinking it. Lastly, what really pissed me off was the fact that the lady who served me said she accepted visa cards, and then after completing my order, said the system was down and said I had to use the ATM inside. Hmmm..... I had asked her what the problem was and she simply said, "I dunno, it was down since yesterday." Didn't you just tell me you can take my card?! I ended up having to use the ATM, and get charged with fees just so I can buy nasty iced coffee that I couldn't even drink. Never again. read more

It's definitely not a fancy donut shop but the staff is very nice, they have a good variety of donuts and I have yet to find another donut shop with a chocolate chip bar as good as theirs. It's my favorite donut and very few shops around here have them. So I go just for that and will continue to do so. They also have the good chocolate milk (Rock View) which is our favorite. read more