The Donut Travel Guide To The West Coast

This side of the US offers some of the most delicious and creative twists on the iconic treat.

Cake, frosting and sprinkles: Normally, these ingredients are reserved for birthday parties or after-dinner desserts — not breakfast foods. But all of these elements come together to create the perfect donut. It’s easy to imagine that the humble donut was invented purely to excuse oneself for eating cake for breakfast.

Recently, a TikTok Starbucks barista kicked off a debate that may have cost her her job. The caption of her video reads: “Watch me make a grown adult their 6am milkshake.” Enraged commenters were upset about the barista’s implication that there is an inappropriate time for a milkshake. It seems that millennials and Generation Z agree that anytime is fine for a milkshake, as long as the drink makes the drinker happy. Perhaps if previous generations had invented self-care before the donut, the latter would not have been made. While it appears that the donut we know today got its start on the East Coast of the United States, it’s the West Coast that has proven to be the “Best Coast” for donuts.

Pinkbox Donuts, the newest extreme donut shop in the west, was born in 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. These donuts push donut lovers to the wildest place they could go, and then a little further. Pinkbox calls their donuts “dessert,” but the donut shop is open 24-hours a day, so don’t let them put you in a … box. Not only does Pinkbox have licensing with the Care Bears and serve as an official partner of the Raiders, but they also roll out new flavors and themes for holidays, seasons and any other obscure excuse someone could find to eat a donut. Pinkbox’s most memorable treats are the Pooh donuts (which are shaped like the poo emoji and come in flavors for every taste) and most importantly, the mascot, Pinky — a vanilla donut covered in vanilla buttercream and a pink glaze.