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    Primo's Donuts

    4.3 (753 reviews)
    ModerateDonuts, Bakeries
    Closed 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order Primo's Donuts Takeout or Delivery

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    Recommended Reviews - Primo's Donuts

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    Glazed Buttermilk Donut
    Austin B.

    tl;dr the selection of traditional, good-not-great donuts will satisfy, but the donuts do not live up to the sky-high hype Primo's Donuts has been a Los Angeles donut heavyweight for more than half a century. Ralph Primo bought his Sawtelle donut shop on an impulse in 1956, and, over time, he developed a loyal following for its Glazed Buttermilk and cinnamon-laced Butterfly. Nowadays, Primo's is routinely featured in best-of-LA lists, and it has even been ranked among America's best donuteries by Food & Wine magazine and Thrillist. Blink and you'll miss the slate-grey storefront on an industrial block of Sawtelle. The tiny shop feels well-worn. The fluorescent lighting fixtures cast an off-white glow on the posterboard walls and laminate floors. The diminutive donut counter to the right has an unlit glass donut display with stainless-steel trays of mismatched donut varieties. Extra-short stools are bolted in beside two tiny tables to the left. Public radio plays around the space. My partner and I visited on a late Sunday morning, and we were immediately surprised by the limited selection (absolutely no varieties of raised rings were left). The friendly staff member pointed us toward Primo's top 2 selling options: the Glazed Buttermilk and the Butterfly. The buttermilk bar was heavy and dense, sporting a spot-on buttermilk-y flavor; nonetheless, I found myself wanting a larger surface area (e.g., more grooves) to improve the glaze-to-cake ratio. Meanwhile, the bready, softball-sized Butterfly had a mouthwatering texture and uniquely cinnamon-y flavor, but the glaze proportion was lacking. Primo's promises donuts made fresh daily, but that comes at the expense of poor selection if you don't arrive early in the morning. Further, though the quality is higher than the standard neighborhood donut shop, so are the prices -- we spent nearly $7 for our two treats. At the end of the day, the donuts were good but not great (and not worth the premium). While I might opt for Primo's on a whim if I'm already in the area, I won't go out of my way to pay Primo's a repeat visit.

    Cinnamon Roll - so so - skip this one!
    Erik G.

    What I've Ordered: -Chocolate Devil's Food Pretzel -Cinnamon Roll $2.95 -Cherry Cake Sprinkles $2.95 -Butterflies -Glazed Buttermilk -Glazed Twist Primo's opened in 1956. Their family business has spanned three generations. They are most well-known for the Buttermilk Donut or the Butterflies Donut. Those are the most popular donuts according to the staff. I've also tried other donuts and I tend to agree with the staff. Out of all the donuts I've tried..Butterflies and Glazed Buttermilk are my favorites. The Chocolate Devil's Food Pretzel was quite good as well. They're known for their cake donuts. Don't deviate from that! I've tried other donuts from Primo's like the glazed tail or a cinnamon bun and they are so-so. I liked the cake donuts the best so far! I've been coming here about once a week for the past month. I will continue to try other donuts and update this review. FYI, they open at 6 AM Monday-Saturday and 7 AM on Sunday.

    Angela Z.

    The donuts were amazing! they had just ran out of the Buttermilk they are famous for but we got the original Buttermilk instead and it was amazing! Also got the old fashioned with vanilla glaze and double chocolate donut those were fantastic as well. There was a decent parking lot in the back with ample parking when we got there a around 9:45am. The inside of the shop is pretty small but they do have a small indoor seating area.

    Sprinkling of sprinkle donuts
    Sunshinethu ..

    If you like dense flavorful donuts this is the place for you. If you want something a bit more light and fluffy, steer clear. The service was pretty good, when we got here the line was out the door but it moved quickly. Inside is very plain, everything is practical, no flourishes. Just donuts and machinery. Overall it was ok, but not great. Parking was a breeze in the lot right behind Primos.

    Original Glazed Donut
    Ashley S.

    A little disappointed by my first visit to primos! I bought three donuts and the total was $9.55 which I think is a little crazy for old fashioned donuts. I tried the buttermilk bar, old fashioned maple and raised plain glazed. I was most disappointed in the raised donut because it was as dense as the other two! Definitely not the best donuts I've had. I did enjoy the flavor of the maple one however. there is a parking lot but some spots are reserved for other businesses in the plaza so a little confusing

    Chocolate bar
    Mimi R.

    Good donuts. Parking in the back. Shop is small. Service was fast and friendly. Came in later in the day on a weekend and there were still some good options left.

    Menu
    Breanna A.

    I've missed Stan's and was in the area so wanted to stop by and see what the new place was like. I saw on Yelp that they had a tribute donut to Stan so I knew I had to get some. I didn't see any in the display but asked and they mentioned they only make them a few days a week and call them "primo pockets". They are peanut butter and banana filled and dipped in chocolate. This donut was perfection and brought me right back to the days of Stan's donuts. I'm happy they have this tribute but wish they could make it an everyday option or at least set days so I know when to come. I think they should lean into honoring Stan as his donuts were a staple in the community. Apart from the primo pocket, the rest of their donuts are pretty standard options. Good donuts but not worth a 30-45 minute drive over the hill. If I had a guarantee the primo pockets would be available I would drive hours for that donut!

    Entrance on street side

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    2 months ago

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    4 months ago

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    4 months ago

    Honestly, the most delicious donuts I have ever had. Don't know how they do it, but the taste is amazing. Wish I could go more often!

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    4 months ago

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    8 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    3 months ago

    Close by, everything delicious always fresh! Our go-to place for holidays and special occasions!

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    3 months ago

    Hype. Just another donut shop. Limited selection. Pricey. Kinda grimey ambiance. Can't recommend............

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    3 years ago

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    8 months ago

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    7 months ago

    The young man was incredibly rude and they didn't have the prices displayed. The donuts are not great and expensive.

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    Yummy and wide selection of donuts at a great price! What more can ya ask for! Definitely would recommend to anyone

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    5 years ago

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    Page 1 of 19

    Ask the Community - Primo's Donuts

    Are the donuts peanut allergy friendly?

    I have no idea

    What type of oil is used in frying?

    Hi . Do you do custom color donuts, I need them for my baby shower?

    Hi there! Yes we should be able to accommodate. You can email the owner directly and he will help! Ralph Primo - ralphprm@aol.com

    Does anyone know why the price of their dozen plain donuts (not specialty) increased by $9? I used to get a dozen plain glazed for $19!

    I don't know exactly, but I bought 6 donuts last weekend and the price was reasonable ($8-10). Then today, the same donuts were $17. That kind of price increase is obscene and I would like to hear an explanation for it. I love primos, but I will not… Read more

    Are there gluten free options?

    They do not have gluten free donuts anymore

    Do you make letter donuts?

    Hi Amanda, Thanks for reaching out. We can definitely try. Best way to proceed is to go to the catering page on our website and fill out the submission form describing what… Read more

    What are the best donuts to get from here besides the glazed buttermilk?

    Hi John, Thanks for reaching out. It's all very subjective but our Butterflies are very popular as are the Vegan cake. For something decadent there is the Tatiana and the… Read more

    Is there usually a long wait in the morning around 7-8 AM?

    Hi Warren, It really depends on the day and time of year. Donuts shops are not as busy after the… Read more

    How can I rent the donut wall for an event?

    Hi Yvette! Yes, you can reserve on our website! https://www.primosdonuts.com/donut-wall-faq

    Are you making a strawberry and cream type donut right now? Maybe even a strawberry nutella?

    Hi Denise! We don't have a strawberry and cream donut on the menu at this time, but you can contact us via our website about potentially doing a special order.

    What flavors are the vegan donuts, and are they available every day?

    Thanks for your question! Our vegan donuts come in the following flavors: blueberry, vanilla, cherry, cinnamon and plain. We make our vegan donuts every day but to ensure we don't sell out before you come in the shop, we highly recommend you reserve… Read more

    Do you have Kosher donuts?

    Hi Girstin, We are so sorry, but we do not offer Kosher donuts at this time.… Read more

    Are they able to add edible glitter to their doughnuts? My coworker's bday is coming up soon and she likes sparkly things. lol

    Hi! Contact us through the form on our website for reserving donuts and we’ll see what is possible! Www.primosdonuts.com

    Do they sell French Crullers?

    Unfortunately we do not currently sell French Crullers. — The Primo’s

    Do they take credit cards? Like Amex? Thanks!

    Thanks Production G for asking. We are definitely and Old School shop but we accept all credit cards and soon Apple pay. Thanks again.… Read more

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    I lead food tours downtown, and this is our last stop for a reason: it caps off the tour with the…read moreBest Experience Ever! I came up in the entertainment industry, which runs on coffee and donuts. These donuts bear the same relationship to your ordinary donut as a rusty skateboard does a Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud. Also, I challenge you to distinguish their incredible vegan ice cream from standard ice cream. It doesn't hurt that their staff are wonderful as well.

    Coworker brought in some donuts from Donut Friends to work one day and it was truly a treat. Not…read moreonly is this usually out of my PvP zone radius in getting food from, but the donuts that we got to try were unique and delicious as well. We have someone vegan in our office, so this is perfect since their donuts are plant based, I believe. If I were a being of greed, I would have eaten more of their donuts, but since this was a special occasion and people genuinely wanted to eat the donuts (since sometimes I know that food is left in the breakroom for awhile if people aren't interested in consuming it), I only tried one donut. I got to try their Yo La Mango. Love the bright yellow, slightly tart mango glaze and the dash of Tajin on top. It's sweet, tart, and has a slight kick wherever the Tajin was sprinkled on. Never had a donut like this before. Would love to come in person to try out more of their donuts one day if I ever make the trek out.

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    Donut Friend - Ice cream options too!

    Ice cream options too!

    Donut Friend - Iced Stumptown Cold Brew (Original)

    Iced Stumptown Cold Brew (Original)

    Donut Friend

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    Flour Fresh Cream Donut - MENU - December 2025

    Flour Fresh Cream Donut

    4.6(64 reviews)
    5.3 miMid-Wilshire

    Ordered donuts for Mother's Day and they were beautiful and delicious. Thank you Flour Fresh! :)…read more PRE-ORDER You can text their phone number to place an order in advance in case of donuts running out and the owner was quick to respond. FREE DELIVERY They have a free delivery special on 9 donut box orders and within 3 miles which is perfect for special occasions and definitely much appreciated especially around LA. SERVICE Great service, caring, and communicative even leading up to the day of delivery. DONUTS Delicious! Perfectly sweetened and creamy. The black sesame with mochi was delicious. The tiramisu cream had a slight sourness which I was not too much a fan of. The sweet potato was not too sweet and had a good amount of filling. Creme brulee also had a nice custard inside but probably would've tasted better if eaten on the day of as I had to fridge them for a day before gifting. OVERALL Creamy delicious donuts and excellent service. Come give them a try!

    I never thought a donut could be elevated this way. This is probably the BEST donut I have ever…read morehad. The dough, the filling and the flavor is absolutely amazing. My mouth is watering just thinking about the black sesame donut. It was perfect! This spot is located in a small plaza with very limited parking. As soon as you walk in, you will be greeted by the most appealing, scrumptious donut display. They have a variety of flavor like black sesame, dubai chocolate, creme brulée, etc. The place is clean, visually organized and appealing. When we were there, it was a one man show. He was the one taking the orders and preparing the orders. Even when it got a little busy, he was super nice and patient with everyone, specially us who kept asking questions about their products. We ordered the following: * Black sesame - this was my fave. It has black sesame with mochi and red bean paste and they all complemented so well. * Creme Brulée - very tasty with a little crunch from the creme brulée. Not overly sweet and with a generous amount of filling as well. * Coffee Creme Brulée - this was like the creme brulée with a hint of coffee. Almost like a mocha flavor. It was also good! * Pistachio - this was also really good. It was not overly sweet either, perfect filling ratio and complemented well with the bread. Overall, their donuts are definitely one for the books. It was soft and delicious. Amazing customer + amazing food = highly recommend it!

    Photos
    Flour Fresh Cream Donut - In case you care for calories in their Cookies N Cream $5.75

    In case you care for calories in their Cookies N Cream $5.75

    Flour Fresh Cream Donut - Blueberry Milk Cream  $4.75 - the weight of it in case you care for calories purposes

    Blueberry Milk Cream $4.75 - the weight of it in case you care for calories purposes

    Flour Fresh Cream Donut - Cookies N Cream $5.75 tasty but their strawberry is the best

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    Cookies N Cream $5.75 tasty but their strawberry is the best

    Primo's Donuts - donuts - Updated May 2026

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