Los Banos Donuts – Los Banos, CA

Overall Shop rating: 3 NadasLos Banos is Spanish for “The Bathrooms.” This town is adequately named. It is perfectly located at a distance between the Bay Area and the 5 and 99 freeways. It makes the perfect bathroom stop. If you’re going to stop to use the bathroom, you may as well stop for a donut!Vibe of Shop: 2 Nadas
I liked the checkered floors but I felt that it was a bit too grungy. There is a fine line between home-style and out right dirty. This erred on the dirty side. The one positive thing: Good use of “donut pink.” I think Crayola should make this a new color of crayon.

Outside Appearance: 4 Nadas
I love a donut shop with a drive thru... especially one that specifically asks you to not walk through it!



Hours: 24 Hours!

Service: 4 Nadas
The guy who helped us was friendly and Asian.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 3 Nadas
This glaze was perfectly in the middle. Not bad, and not epic. I’m looking for that donut that melts in your mouth with the perfect fluffiness, moistness, and light glaze that makes your taste buds scream with ecstasy.

Blueberry Donut: No ☹

Coffee: 3 1/2 Nadas
The coffee was decent. I would put it as comparable to a regular cup of coffee at Starbucks. Special: I loved the drive thru. I’m beginning to realize that most donut shops double as sandwich shops. This place follows suit. I didn’t try a sandwich so I can’t vouch that they are any good. I think they should make a donut sandwich.


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The Nada Rating System

I realized that some of you may be wondering what is this rating system that I use to critique donuts and the suppliers. Well, for about 10 years I have been frequenting a local donut shop in Santa Cruz, CA called Ferrel's Donuts on Ocean street.

It all started while I was working as a surf instructor for Mount Hermon Christian Camps. Every morning at 5am we would take about 12 students surfing. We all know that the best thing after surfing is a fresh donut and a cup of coffee (Let's be honest, the best thing at ANY TIME is a fresh donut and a cup of coffee). My co-surf instructor told me a little secret as he had been doing this for a couple of years. He made a deal with the guy who worked at the donut shop. Every morning we would bring the 12 students to get donuts after surfing, and in turn, every morning the 2 instructors would get free donuts! This is when I fell in love with donuts. Consumption averaging 5-10 a week, I really got to understand the intricacies of donuts.

The man who we made this deal with is: NADA.

So for the past 10 years I have been popping in saying hi to Nada and enjoying the donuts. I thought it only natural to rate everything against him and his shop, because I truly believe that he makes one of the best raised glazed donuts I have ever eaten! Go check it out sometime.

(I haven't done a complete blog on Ferrell's yet because I'm intimidated. It is the standard for everything else, so I'm waiting for the right moment to unveil the full critique.)


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