Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee

While it’s impossible to count all the donut vendors in Southern California, several stand out as unique due to their specialty flavors, their recipes, or their store designs – Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee mixes these three elements into something special. Founded in Costa Mesa in 2013, the currently seven-shop chain is now primarily spread across Los Angeles, but its Orange County location is a must-visit: It looks more like a charmingly classical European coffee shop than the average donut place, and serves some of region’s best donuts.

Always available choices range from great to fine. Huckleberry is always a big winner, while Maple Bacon and Saigon Cinnamon Crumb are easy crowd-pleasers, alongside good vanilla and chocolate options – we’re big fans of their icings, creams, custards, and other flavorings, less so the dough, which drags some flavors down a little.

Thanks to intense flavors (and commonly beautiful presentation), Sidecar’s seasonal specials are the bigger draws for us. During the holidays, flavors such as Gingerbread-Amaretto and Eggnog Brûlée wowed us; other flavors such as Blueberry and Rosemary Lemon are good. And when Girl Scout-inspired donuts arrive, they should not be missed: Thin Mints are just incredible, and Samoas are perfect replicas of the coconut-caramel cookie.