Sidecar Doughnuts opened in Costa Mesa a few months ago and has been getting a lot of positive buzz. It’s been on my to-do list for quite some time and I’m happy I finally got a chance to visit recently.
Donut flavors change weekly and are made from scratch every morning. The actual shop was a little hard to find. More tips on that at the end of this post.
Once inside, we were treated to a window display showing doughnuts being rolled and cut, and trays upon trays of fresh donuts. I had a hard time deciding and ended up with quite a few.
The donuts were still quite warm when we dug in, showing just how fresh they are. Because we had a lot of other stops planned on our OC trip, we limited our intake to two donuts, taking the rest home for later.
Huckleberry donut
This was the one I was most looking forward to. The inside tasted similar to a blueberry muffin that is deep fried. It was light and fluffy with a texture different from a standard cake donut.
Strawberry donut
The glaze kept sticking to everything, so it doesn’t look as pretty as it was while on the tray. The inside tasted similar to a strawberry cake.
Here’s a shot of the rest of our donuts:
In general, I preferred the donuts that had a more cake-like texture. I’ve had better regular yeast ones.
While this was my first visit to Sidecar, it was actually my second taste. A good friend of mine had actually brought me some when we met up a day after his trip to Sidecar. I think he had a better selection to choose from. Here are some pictures of those donuts he shared:
Overall, we enjoyed our visit to Sidecar. I did think the prices were a little high, especially since most of the donuts are on the small side. I do like the unique flavor offerings though and the freshness of the donuts. Since it is summer, they have extended their hours, so they are open until 4pm. You can check their website for the weekly flavor offerings.
As I mentioned above, it’s a little difficult to find. You can spot the sidecar parked somewhere in the parking lot. The actual shop is a little further and does not have obvious signage on top of the stoe. The easiest way to find it is to look for the “Pie-Not” shop next door.
Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee
270 E. 17th St., #18
Costa Mesa, CA 92627
https://www.sidecardoughnuts.com/
I really like their huckleberry donut but think that $3 is a bit steep for it. When I went last month, the Red Truck wasn’t out there, but it was earlier in June.
Can’t wait to read your other OC posts. Did you try anthing from Pie-Not next door?
No =( I need to go to Pie Not next time! I wanted to go but didnt think we had enough time or room. I do think $3 is a little steep esp since it’s on the small side. It is yummy though.