Best overall donut shop I've found in San Diego proper (N County is its own thang). Spacious parking lot in bustling Hillcrest plus no frills decor. Their apple fritters have always been top tier, but today I found a new favorite - their Nutella filled triangle donut. So fresh and soft, with a delicious and crackly vanilla glaze enrobing the perfect proportion of sweet Nutella interior - a must order! Their cronut is also well made here, not too oily. I like how they have a good size selection too, so you can get a mini apple fritter or small crueller if you want or just live your best life and grab jumbo ones instead. Offspring always gets the melon smoothie, and while a few small sips are enough for me since it's also pretty sweet, it's solid. read more

Donut Star - Tempting selection - top right is the Nutella filled triangle, which I highly recommend - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Simple neighborhood donut shop with lots of fresh options and friendly people waiting to greet and help you. On the Sunday morning we popped in to get Hubs a ham & cheese croissant, many others walking in were greeted with familiarity and a couple people were even met with smiles and a pleasant query of 'The usual?' That's how you know a business has become a staple. His croissant sandwich was mighty filling (he could only eat half) and dubbed "YUMMY!", which is high praise from him, indeed. He also appreciated that they sold whole milk in their beverage case. There's enough parking for this location with a constant stream of business, but folks were also stopping at the curb or walking in from the nearby neighborhood. The shop is kept tidy and had a lot to offer. We would definitely pop in again when returning to the Old Town area of SD. Cheers! "CC" read more

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Three stars was a tad harsh, so I'm updating my ranking to a solid 4. These days when I head to Donut Star I'm always ordering my faves- the blueberry old fashioned and the chocolate chip. The blueberry is my favorite. I've spent many happy mornings this year sitting on a bench in the park admiring the trees as the sun rises while eating this donut. Just to spice it up (and add a little more money to the tab to justify the card fee since I rarely carry cash) I also order the chocolate chip. It looks like a nice fluffy kind of donut with a smear of chocolate icing and some mini chocolate chips on top. But the first time I bit into it? I discovered it was filled with chocolate and even more mini chocolate chips! Such a delightful surprise. Nowadays when I go I always order these two. Occasionally a pink with sprinkles or a maple log might be ordered as well, but you can't go wrong with these donuts. Donut Star is tried & true, open early, and even have a parking lot. They also have breakfast sandwiches and coffee, so if you don't lean sweet you've still got some options. The ambiance is lacking and tables are super limited. It's definitely a grab and go situation so I drive just a few minutes to Pioneer Park. Romanticize your life one sunrise and donut at a time. read more

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If it's expired throw it away. Breakfast sandwich reeks of a dead road killed animal. I didn't even consume it. Threw it away into the trash can. Something the owner should have done in the first place. I saved myself from a trip to the ER. Wasted money wasted time. Now I'm going to have a bad day. read more

Donut Star - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

We picked up some donuts here on our journey back to the SF Bay area and I personally love the chocolate glaze donuts. The Apple fritters like everyone RAVES are delicious and delightful! Stopping at Rest Areas on the way back was a good time to knock out a donut. I highly recommend Donut Star. read more

Donut Star - I'm stretching out a little after experiencing Donut Star. - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Came for the blueberry old fashioned and OMG I am forever changed. Also loved the apple fritter and the coffee lol. Good service, cute little shop, I'll be dreaming about these blueberry old fashioneds until I can come again! read more

Yum. Yum. Yum to everything here!!! Their donuts and croissants and EVERYTHING are always so fresh and so so delicious!! The owners/staff are so friendly and kind. The vibes are authentic, cozy, and welcoming. It is so clean inside and it always smells soooo wonderful. The selection they have available is truly amazing. FORGET 5 STARS. THEY DESERVE A MILLION STARS!! 10/10 would recommend to anyone and everyone!! It's mine, my friends, neighbors, and family's favorite donut shop! Thank you guys for being such a great place in the neighborhood and always showing up with a smile and providing amazing service!!!! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!! May your business continue to thrive and succeed! read more

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Delicious! Donuts are huge and really good. Easily could just split one. Tons of seating nearby too both inside and out. Staff were very friendly. Great place for donuts. Note- the Homer has strawberry icing not vanilla. Not a bad thing just not what I was expecting. read more

Donut Star - Homer (pink), strawberry cream - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Great value. Traditional old school donut shop. Family owned and operated. Great customer service. read more

Donut Star - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

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Donut Star is a small donut shop on Washington in Hillcrest area. With spaces for probably 3 cars in the lot for limited free parking. This shop is not new, not fancy and has no modernness to it but does offer classic donuts made daily. I've been here a few times and the staff were always nice and helpful. Limited indoor seating. The first time I came here was to try their taro glazed donut and the blueberry old fashion...I like the later best. In fact, even though I like looking at all the colorful, fancy decorative donuts, I prefer the simple, less sugary ones, like the blueberry old fashion which has a the hint of butter milk. This shop is NOT open 24 hours. Opens daily at 5am for us early birds who are on East Coast time zone. And if you come here super early you can special request a donut created just for your liking...no sugary glaze for me on any donuts of my choice, and in my book, that service is a star, Donut Star. Recommend read more

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Only decent donut spot open late and had a great selection of donuts still. Everything was really good and plenty of parking!

Delicious, delicious, delicious. Great service, great donuts. I like that parking is easy as well.

4/29/24. DS provided a fantastic first impression! The donuts I've had were incredible. 4/25/24. Taro Donut and Maple Bar: these were soft and melted in my mouth. Medium sweetness, but the buttermilk is the standout, 5/5 stars! I've noticed that they were already out of the s'mores donut at about 10 a.m.; therefore, I will have to try that next time. I'm looking forward to many future visits here and is a must for dessert after having Bronx Pizza. read more

Donut Star - 4/25/24. Taro Donut & Maple Bar: these were soft & melted in my mouth. Medium sweetness, but the buttermilk is the standout, 5/5 stars! - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

This Birthday weekend we were on a Quest for Apple Fritters. All weekend we couldn't find one in Downtown San Diego, but our waitress Mia @intercontinentalsd recommended Donut Star, 601 W Washington St, San Diego. Hot out of the oven, so darn delicious. We may be spoiled for life. For those in LA, check out @dkdonuts. Used to be owned by this same wonderful family. Love supporting hardworking small businesses. Special note, many people sent us to the @donutbar. While the service was great, the donuts were pretty, but not amazing. Thank you Mayly and family!!! read more

Donut Star - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

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We enjoy the donuts here! Love the variety of flavors. I think they're well priced. They're defiantly only good day of, the following day not so much. Which I feel is the case for most donuts. Best to pay with cash. Employees are always super sweet! read more

Rude and horrible even if they're "hole in the wall" Menu board said $1.50. Lady verbally told me $2. Charged me $2.75 and immediately took the tap to pay away so she didn't have to give me a receipt. If there's an extra charge to pay with card at least let me know! read more

Love the experience I had with my special order for my daughter's bridal shower! Beautifully decorated white pearl donuts, and was given extra! Hillcrest location rocks! read more

Donut Star - Donuts - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Great find while driving close to Hillcrest and craving a bit of sugar This place doesn't disappoint donuts are fresh and they have a great selection to choose from. Glazed and sugar were excellent. Friendly service and good prices.big parking area also great since everything around here is pay parking and not cheap. read more

Donut Star - Assortment of goodies - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Favorite Donut shop in Hillcrest / Mission Hills. Great prices. We love the breakfast croissant sandwiches just as much as the Donuts. The owners are so kind. Always have friends stop by when they are in town. read more

All that you could want in a local donut shop! Classic donuts, yummy flavors, great for a party, morning meeting, or gathering. I usually go for the classic maple bar or round strawberry glazed read more

Expensive.Very expensive.Donuts are ok only.Every other do ut shop beats this place.Apple fritters have no apple.

Good donuts, horrible drinks ! Stay away from the smoothies ! I even mentioned how horrible it tastes and had to purchase water to wash the taste without any offer from them .... Donut was good ! read more

Donut Star is a cherished gem that perfectly encapsulates the essence of a childhood favorite donut shop. Every bite of their classic doughnuts is like a delicious time machine, transporting me back to fond memories of simpler times. The flavors are timeless, and every doughnut has a distinct, nostalgic charm that brings back happy memories. They offer orange, Ube, Pumpkin (seasonal) and all the other classic flavors. They offer a wide selection of traditional favorites. From glazed to chocolate-covered, from jelly-filled to maple bars, every option is a testament to the classic donut shop experience. The variety ensures that there's something for everyone. The prices are reasonable, offering great value for high-quality doughnuts. The texture is crispy on the outside and a soft fluffy moist cake on the inside and the raised doughnuts are perfectly pillowy on the inside. The affordability makes it easy to indulge in these delicious treats regularly, which is a big part of their charm. It's a cornerstone of sweet, nostalgic joy. They have two locations and both are out of the way for me and both are worth the drive as this is my number one favorite spot for classic doughnuts in San Diego. Boutique donut shops are great to splurge at once in a while but Donut star is where my childhood memories are in each bite. For anyone seeking the timeless pleasure of classic doughnuts, Donut Star is the perfect destination. It's a place where every bite brings back the magic of childhood, making it a beloved favorite for generations. It's a classic hole in the wall donut shop that is 5 stars with every bite. They also offer seasonal donuts. One of my favorites is the pumpkin donut during the fall! I love love their glazed, orange, white chocolate with sprinkles, and the cinnamon crumb doughnuts! read more

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We were originally going to a generic Dunkin Donuts but spotted this place. So we decided to give it a try. The have maple bacon donut and it was the softest most pillowy donut I ever tried. My daughter had their s'mores donut and she said it was good but it was more like a sugar trap than a donut. The bacon apple fritter donut also was very sweet but the bacon off set some of the sugar. My husband had the old fashioned blueberry which he said was fantastic. The only downside is not really their fault. I think the water has a funny aftertaste so their tea although there were many nice flavors was ruined. The couple running the place are cute and nice. read more

Donut Star - Apple bacon fritter. Don't be fooled by the angle it's huge. - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm in San Diego for a week and I wanted to try some donuts here as I feel like donuts aren't represented well enough where I'm from (Oahu). So it's a Monday night at 8pm, what's open?? A few places I had bookmarked were closed but I noticed Donut Star was still open! And it had good reviews. So off I went. I was by myself since my wife was at the airbnb with my daughter who was still sleeping after a full day at the zoo. The area around donut star seemed like it could be sketchy at times, and there were some characters loitering around the parking lot. But donut star was there, looking like a beacon of industrial fluorescent light in an otherwise darkish area. As far as I was concerned, this is always a positive when a donut shop is in a sketchier neighborhood. Inside was a friendly lady and an array of donuts. I said I'd order a half dozen and picked five flavors (glazed, taro without coconut, old fashioned, blueberry old fashioned, and strawberry). I asked her what's popular, and she said "OH MY GOD, so many" and she rattled off a bunch of donuts and said that the cinnamon rolls are also good so I added a cinnamon roll as my sixth flavor. $11 for sugar bliss, what a deal! Off I went with my white box of happy donuts. Verdict of these donuts??? Man these donuts are freaking delicious!!! The blueberrry old fashioned was soooo good it's a perfect sugar bomb with great blueberry undertones. The glazed donut is so much better than Krispy Kreme. I haven't tried the other flavors yet but I already know Donut Star is the real deal. Oh almost forgot to mention, that nice lady slipped me an extra donut in the box! I love Donut Star!! read more

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Who doesn't love donuts? It's a guilty pleasure of mine. This shop is a little store with friendly service and delicious donuts. Many different options to choose from and all of them are great. read more

Craving something sweet? Donut Star has a great selection of donuts to satisfy your sweet tooth! They got your old fashioned, classics, seasonal donuts and unique flavors, so it can be a bit hard to choose which one you'd like. For myself, I ordered: -taro donut (7/10) -blueberry old fashioned (10/10) -chocolate twist (9/10) -pumpkin spice with cream cheese (10/10 =$8 It looks like your typical mom and pop shop but one great thing about this uptown bakery is that it has its own parking lot!! Super nice to just roll in without any fuss, order what you'd like and leave just as easily. read more

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The glazed sourdough was incredible, and so was the apple fritter. I will definitely be back, prob tomorrow.

Great donuts and great service. Definitely could tell this place was good by the looks of it. This will be my donut spot for sure! 10/10!

When asking my kiddo what do you want for your birthday breakfast? They answer, DONUT STAR!!! I can't disagree on that breakfast of champions! We go here often because the employees are so kind and the donuts are fresh and yummy. We often get a regular glazed twist, maple bar and croissant oh and a chocolate milk to enjoy before going fishing or just to enjoy on a Sunday morning. I am sure my kiddo will have great memories of this place as an adult like I did for my donut runs with my parents. Today they did a kind gesture for my kiddo's classroom which is very much appreciated. I hope you visit Donut Star soon so stop by and say HI and enjoy some delicious donuts! We are glad to have Donut Star in our neighborhood! Oh btw - we checked out Donut Bar downtown and the donuts were so expensive and dry, we were filled with regret and cursed ourselves for being unfaithful. read more

Donut Star - Who doesn't love croissants, donuts and chocolate milk? Stress ejected! - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Donuts, fruit juices, breakfast sandwiches, wide variety of drinks... all this and more is what Donut Star has to offer. We wanted to deliver some donuts to a fabulous medical team nearby, but once we arrived we realized that they also had breakfast sandwiches made to order, they were so good and tasted fresh. We had the croissant breakfast sandwich. As for the donuts, so many options. I enjoyed a raspberry filled one and it was perfectly balanced in sweetness. The ladies were so friendly and fast to make our breakfast sandwiches. read more

Donut Star - Menu - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

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Really yummy donuts. The raised maple bacon was incredibly fluffy and delish. I do think it would be better with less bacon though. My husband loved the blueberry old fashioned and was so excited that they offered it since he had never had one before and loooves old fashioned's. read more

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Fritters are good, banana, apple, or caramel apple. Old fashioned blue berry a-ok. Coffee no good. Credit card fee. Parking lot a bit worn. Not a good place to sit down. No drive thru. Service is fast. Selection is much better than Dunkin' Donuts down the street. Donuts are fresh. Value good. read more

donuts were so fluffy and soft. they have a great selection and staff was kind. would come back!!!

2 donuts for $3.50 -- what a steal! Great value & great classic tastes! Got the chocolate donut with chocolate topping and sprinkles & old fashion blueberry donut. Would get the donuts again! Service was respectful & pleasant. Ambiance reminds me of a donut star near my childhood home-- homey and known to the locals. read more

Donut Star - Chocolate donut & blueberry old fashion donut - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

Tried the vanilla sprinkle and chocolate coconut donuts. Good taste and soft cake. I love that they have everything from normal/basic donuts to fun ones, like s'mores. Staff wasn't friendly. They weren't rude, but seemed in a rush despite no line or other customers needing help. They didn't seem very happy to answer a question about their most popular donuts. Minimal eye contact surprisingly. Might come back. Depends on if I find a better spot. read more

What a hidden GEM! I'm not into Krispy Kreme or Dunkin Donuts. Donut Stars donuts are so fresh/soft/ the perfect amount of sweetness. They have something for everyone! They are always so friendly here as well! I love supporting mom and pop places and it's even better when the quality of food is so awesome! Awesome Apple Fritter, Jelly donuts, cream filled, specialty and more! Yeah their might be homeless people in the parking lot but, that is NOT the owners issue that is a SAN DIEGO issue that we have so many homeless displaced people. So if you're in the area and want a treat... HIT them UP! you will not be sorry! read more

Came here due to the high reviews. The donuts taste like old grease and are not that fluffy once you bite into it--instead it tasted greasy and stale in flavor. Will not be back. Wasted over $9 for 2 glazed donuts and two donut bars. Also, unrelated to the scoring of the review, they charge $0.75 for credit card/Apply Pay and $1.00 for AMEX, so bring cash! read more

I like a good doughnut, and I really like Old Fashion Doughnuts. This place makes some pretty good ones. I picked up a couple, a maple and a chocolate one, they were both good, but the icing on the maple was harder than it should of been, but other than that they old fashion doughnuts did not disappoint. The cake portion of both doughnuts were soft and tasty. Service was friendly enough. They also make breakfast and lunch sandwiches at this location. read more

Donut Star - Donuts Near Me - San Diego, California

This is a good spot. It's great for a quick breakfast. They have great donuts, but I like the breakfast sandwiches especially the Crossiant egg sandwiches read more