DK's Donuts & Bakery
Donut shop · Santa Monica ·
Creative waffle-donut hybrids, donut sandwiches, and Asian flavors
Creative waffle-donut hybrids, donut sandwiches, and Asian flavors
"Anyone who’s ever existed west of the 405 knows that DK’s is the place to go for donuts, no matter what hour of the day. They’ve been serving Santa Monica for 40 years, but their legacy extends further into the history of Cambodian-owned donut shops that have shaped LA. Current owner Mayly Tao said Ted Ngoy, aka “The Donut King,” is her uncle, and when her parents came to the US as refugees from Cambodia, her dad’s entire family was in the donut business. DK’s was one of the last locations left when her parents took it over and throughout the years, they built it up from the classics, becoming a neighborhood favorite. After attending college, Tao came back to LA and was inspired to rebrand the store with a new logo and packaging, and by expanding the menu to 120 different items. They lost a lot of wholesale clients at the start of the pandemic, but with local support, DK’s was able to not only stay open but also give back to the community with initiatives like Lunchboxes For Love, which delivered to essential workers at local hospitals. They also turned the shop into a mini-market to provide 24-hour access to essential products and offered free delivery for customers over 65. Order this: #onuts (aka croissant donuts) that come in many flavors, or the original ube donut." - with warm welcome, leslie yeh
"It’s midnight, you’re in Santa Monica, and your body needs sugar like it’s oxygen. Unfortunately, your options are limited around this area, save for DK’s Donuts, a tiny donut shop on Santa Monica Blvd. that’s been serving fantastic donuts, pastries, breakfast croissants, and burritos since 1980. DK’s menu is massive and a bit overwhelming, but your first order of business needs to be their double-decker o-nuts, which is essentially their version of a cronut, but twice the size and topped with everything from Nutella to maple bacon. Bonus: They deliver." - brant cox
"The owners go a bit extra at DK’s Donuts & Bakery. Open in 1980 by Khmer refugees, DK’s doughnut game has been upped in recent years by younger family members who turn out uniquely flavored and stunning doughnuts, pastries, and breakfast croissants, along with flavored coffees." - Mona Holmes
"The owners go a bit extra at DK’s Donuts & Bakery. Open in 1980 by Khmer refugees, DK’s doughnut game has been upped in recent years by new owners dedicated to turning out uniquely flavored doughnuts, pastries, breakfast croissants, and flavored coffees." - Mona Holmes, Eater Staff
"An Instagrammable Santa Monica doughnut shop whose surprise bag contained six doughnuts that were stale from the night before and whose frosting had been smudged in transit; the author and household ate only one and a half and felt unable to offer the rest to others." - Meghan McCarron