Stardust Donut Shop

Doughnuts have to be the quintessential component of American indulgence. According to one study, over 10 billion doughnuts are consumed each year in this country. In dollar terms, we're looking at roughly two billion dollars a year! There is no doubt that people love these small round guilty pleasures. But whether you love to indulge yourself in the chocolate dipped ones, the glazed twisted, or even a good old cinnamon roll, there's only one place in our neck of the woods that’s worth the guilt. That place is Stardust Doughnuts. Located at 698 California 75, this doughnut shop is most definitely the pride and joy of Imperial Beach. Stardust is definitely a "hole in the wall joint" in every sense of the phrase. The tiny shack-like building sits on the corner of the street, and it has space enough only for the two owners and the baking equipment they use to make magic happen. Those who aren't deterred by the seemingly brash exterior are immediately rewarded with some of the best breakfast treats in the South Bay. One taste and you realize how these doughnuts truly are the diamonds in the rough. 

The two most wanted doughnuts at the shop are the classic Buttermilk twist and their famous cinnamon roll. Both are reasonably priced at eighty-five cents.

The Buttermilk twist is a thick moist doughnut with a light crunch. The icing on top makes this doughnut close to irresistible. The only thing I would say about it is that the dough may seem a bit too thick. Make sure your milk is handy.

No doubt though, the BEST doughnut from the best doughnut shop has to be the cinnamon roll. The cinnamon roll is more of a doughnut than a traditional cinnamon roll. When you think of a cinnamon roll, you think of a big, puffy, over glazed bread. Not this cinnamon roll. This roll is a moderate size compared to a cinnamon roll like at Cinnabon. When biting the roll, it has a soft melting effect. The icing can hardly be seen on the doughnut, but becomes noticeable when taking a bite of the roll each time.

The only bad part of this doughnut shop is that they are totally unreliable. They open whenever they want and close when they don’t have any more doughnuts. Also, they are not open on Sundays and Mondays. The customer service is also horrible. On their bad days, the two doughnut makers can become really grumpy to the customers.

In the end, it’s all about the doughnuts, and these are the best in San Diego with affordable prices. Each doughnut they have can melt in your mouth and leave you begging for more. At first glance, it may look like a terrible place to eat a doughnut, but in reality it’s one of the best in San Diego.


Taste: 5/5
Quality: 5/5
Service: 2/5
Overall: Very Good


Critic: Joshua Villalpando
Editor and Enhancer: Mikery Hatfield



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