Austin B.
Yelp
tl;dr the ok-at-best donuts aren't routinely worth the price -- this spot would only be worth visiting for an early morning treat when other donut competitors are still shuttered
Los Angeles and the surrounding suburbs are saturated with mom-and-pop donut shops. In Alhambra, one of the most popular is the aptly named Alhambra Donuts, a friendly neighborhood store off the busy intersection of Atlantic and Mission. It shares a strip mall with a Domino's and a laundromat, sporting a sign reading only "Donuts". The shop opens at 4:30AM, clearly catering to the early bird crowd. Before dawn, the lotto jackpots shine through the window, lighting up the otherwise dark parking lot. Inside, cooly-lit fluorescent fixtures shine from the curvy recessed ceiling onto the rust-red tile floors. The wall space is all put to use, whether by cluttered shelves, mismatched menu boards, or cultural knickknacks. To the left, a long donut display is filled with the standard varieties. The light wooden counter loops to the back of the room, and an Alhambra Donuts mosaic hanging at the far end. Mismatched tables are scattered around the open room, and pink contour booths are pressed to the window on the right.
During my first visit mid-morning on a weekday, Alhambra Donuts had only a small trickle of customers as I sat and "enjoyed" my donuts. I use quotation marks because, even at 9AM, the donuts collectively tasted a bit old, as though they were crafted the night before. The maple bar had a surprisingly dynamic frosting, but my compliments end there. The donut itself was dull and dry, so I tossed most of it. Meanwhile, the apple fritter sported a thick glaze and a pleasantly dense texture. However, it was completely devoid of either apple or cinnamon flavor. Finally, the old-fashioned was moist, cakey, and evenly glazed -- leaning on the above-average side of standard. Only the latter option was worth the price (which, in total, summed up to an eyebrow-raising $7).
Quality wasn't much better during a return visit even earlier in the morning -- although I was impressed to see a much more robust stream of regulars shooting the breeze, buying lotto scratchers, and sipping black coffee. The owner was friendly and efficient, and she would occasionally chime into the ongoing conversation. I imagine that Alhambra Donuts has stayed afloat for years thanks to these devoted regulars -- a group that I don't ever see myself joining.
