Sunshine Donuts – Waterford, CA

Overall Shop rating 3 ½ NadasOnce in a while I find myself playing music in a small town, where, for most people, the town is not usually the destination, but more of a pit stop for food or gas. Waterford is a quaint town on the 132 highway about 30 minutes east of Modesto on your way to Lake McClure or Yosemite. Through my many years of donut experience I knew there would be a donut shop in a town like this, I just wasn’t sure how well it would hold up to the standards of quality produced by competition in larger towns. I was pleasantly surprised at the taste of the glaze donut, but everything else was lacking.

Vibe of Shop: 2 ½ Nadas
This shop was a bit cramped and did not have much seating. Also, the only donut pink I saw were the boxes stacked behind the counter. If I lived in Waterford, CA I would most likely get my donuts to go.

Outside Appearance: 3 ½ Nadas
Located on the highway heading out to Yosemite, I think this location would be ideal for maximum donut sales. Also, this is the only shop in town. They have a monopoly on donut making. The small strip mall (if you can call it that)

Hours: 5am until the donuts are gone or something like that.Service: 2 ½ Nadas
I was not to happy with the service. The Asian lady behind the counter was not very friendly. I expected more hospitality from small town America.

Taste of Glaze Donut: 4 ½ Nadas
I tasted it first and I knew… So I handed a glaze donut to my buddy… all he could say was, “Oh wow!” This was a great donut. It was fluffy, moist, and the glaze was near perfect.

Blueberry Donut? Yes! And it tasted good… not as good as my hometown blueberry donut, but it was surprisingly good.

Coffee: 3 ½ Nadas
Again, I was pleasantly surprised. The taste of the coffee was nice… And the price was great!!! 75 Cents for a small cup!

Special: I’ve noticed that most Asian-owned donut shops have a shrine to Buddah and a little gold cat statue with it’s paw swinging back and forth. Honestly, I don’t know what it’s all about but I do know that this shop had the best one I have ever seen… There were donuts and coffee on the altar. I couldn’t help but chuckle. God bless them.


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