Posted by Michael Stern on November 11, 2002
Even if you’ve never been to Randy’s Donuts, you’ve probably seen it before. A favorite location for movies and TV shows that want a background of extreme roadside kitsch, Randy’s is one of a couple of gigantic donuts that loom up in the L.A. area.
Southern California was once a hotbed of what roadside archeologists call vernacular architecture, a term that mostly refers to buildings that are shaped like the food they serve. Tail O’ The Pup, for instance, is another one that remains: a hot dog stand that looks like a hot dog in a bun. In the East, The Clam Box of Ipswich, Massachusetts, is shaped like the trapezoidal box in which clams are packed for take-out orders.
So, guess what the specialty of the house is underneath this huge round oval that in fact looks something like a single Cheerio from a planet where everything is 10,000 times bigger than on earth? Yes, donuts are the thing to eat, although Randy also offers exemplary cinnamon rolls, apple fritters, and bear claws. The varieties of donut include the basic (and best) honey glazed regular, chocolate-covered, jelly-filled, powdered, frosted, and filled with crème. Glazed twists and sugar twists are a bit lighter than the standard sinkers, and the maple bars are superb. Bagels are also on the menu, but somehow it’s just not right to eat a bagel under a giant donut.
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Reviewers "Must Eats" List
honey-glazed donut
($1.00)
"Chocolate-frosted donuts, hot from the fry kettle"
Michael Stern
"Sugar clings to these puffy lovelies."
Michael Stern
"While two or three donuts are suitable for breakfast, just one of these big buns is plenty."
Michael Stern
"I have never had a better tasting donut ever, period. The coconut raised donut is by far the best thing I’ve put into my mouth in a long time. I would drive across the country for another one of those."
EatingTheRoad
"Believe every last word you hear about Randy’s; it’s that good. There is no hyperbole here. As far as I know and as far as I’m concerned this is the best donut in the world and until I find otherwise I will stand by that."
EatingTheRoad
"The point of this kind of looming "vernacular architecture" is to provide early warning to the motorist that there's something good to eat up ahead. Unlike a billboard, which you have to read, Randy's gargantuan donut speaks for itself."
Michael Stern
