Goldstar Doughnuts

(Dined 12÷14÷15 M @ 11:00am): Just like it was in kindergarten, this shop deserved all the gold stars in the world!
Thanks to fellow Unilocal Elite, Geri S. (see…Yelp helps!), I had to make my way to Goldstar Donuts for what seemed like the mother of all apple fritters! I was working at a couple properties in the area so it was totally convenient that I «snuck away» in search of this fabled fried food. Would this be simply another wild goose chase for the best apple fritter!?:
Apple Fritter ($ 1.50) — Not that I was an apple fritter snob — fuck it… yes I was! — but there was a certain way I liked mine. First, the price was less than other comparable ones I’ve eaten. Second, it had girth and was the size of my face — IT COVERED MY FACE
! Third, there were a ton of apple bits in each bite. Fourth, the overall deep dark brown color was like a beautiful warm sunrise, the thick glaze was always a plus, and it had many crunchy odd crannies, corners, and nooks I liked to break off into small little morsels. Fifth, it was fresh enough as it may’ve been put out only an hour or so previously with a hint of tiny oil pockets that leaked into your mouth and dripped down your throat. Needless to say, this freakish fritter found a welcoming home in my belly!
[BOBA ALERT — 4.5 OF 5.0 STARS]
Mango Smoothie with Boba — One Size ($ 4.00 + $ 0.50) — I heard this being made as the blender bumped, grinded and pureed along for what seemed like eternity. The mango flavoring wasn’t overly sweet, I swore there were some mango pieces, and it was cold to the last boba. The boba themselves were good with a nice chewiness, not rubbery, but some were harder than others (I guess the drink was too cold). The price, taste, temperature, and boba consistency would definitely allure me back to try other flavors and drinks.
Service — A kind Asian couple worked — and probably owned — the shop as each of them happily greeted me. I made a direct beeline to the fritters (seriously, you couldn’t miss them!), chose the biggest one, waited about five minutes for my drink to be made, paid for my grub, and was cheerfully given a «thank you». Easy peasy!
Parking (Free) — They shared a small tight lot with several other businesses within an outdoor strip mall. Otherwise, there was plenty of non-​metered spots along the main drag of Vanowen St. and all surrounding streets (please read all posted signs carefully).
Atmosphere, décor, ambience — Your basic donut shop with large display cases that showed-​off many fried goodies
, chilled drinks, and an slight assortment of ice cream. Directly in front of you on the wall behind the order counter as well as along the side walls were colorful laminated price menu boards
. The still-​life bagel sandwich pictures almost enticed me to order one, but I a man on a mission
. There were a couple of communal tables of which a handful of homeless folks made themselves at home (yes, this was a homeless-​friendly hangout). During this time of day, natural lighting was king as it flooded through the surrounding glass windows. Otherwise, I noticed patches of soul-​sucking fluorescent lighting. There was one TV and no background music.
Attire — Totally casual, so I would normally be in a t-​shirt, boardshorts, and flip-​flops.
Overall, Goldstar Donuts was exactly that for me, and I owed it all to Unilocal but specifically Geri S. I cringed at the thought of an influx of traffic into this mom & pop joint (for selfish reasons of course). But the explorer in me always believed in sharing all of life’s experiences — bad and good — to allow for others to make their own decisions. Just please don’t jack-​up the apple fritter prices! I found total value based on the prices, service, and experience noted above (TOTAL paid experience was around $ 6.00 BEFORE tip). And, although there was an ATM inside, they accepted my credit card of choice ($ 0.50 service charge for all credit card transactions)…AMEX! 5.0 STARS

Stopped in for a quickie coffee and donut break. To start, the take Visa/​MC! Big plus! Moving forward, I was greeted by a kind gentleman behind the counter. The apple fritters were glaring at me, so I ordered the junior size vs the jumbo, two croissants (for my friend and I) and one glaze twist. Wheww. I also ordered two medium coffees that were very big cups.
The staff are very nice and cordial. They also serve milkshakes and sandwiches.
Good to know there’s a local donut shop in this area if I’m ever back here.

I went into this donut shop twice, the first time I had an average experience with no problems, I ordered a sandwich and a Thai tea and used a credit card. The second time I went in, ordered 2 donuts, a ham & cheese croissant, and a smoothie. The lady behind the counter smiled and gave me a total after preparing everything, she was very perky and happy to begin with. I handed her my credit card, and she then said «No work right now. Cash only.» When I explained that the only thing I brought with me on my lunch break was a credit card, the smile disappeared and she had a visible attitude change. I apologized, and explained that if she had mentioned it before I ordered or had a sign up, I would not have had her go through the trouble. She did not respond to me and threw everything in the trash with attitude. There are a lot of other donut shops around, and as far as food goes they are average. I won’t be back purely because I don’t feel welcome.

This is my FAVORITE place to get croissants. I only get the chocolate and regular butter croissants. They are mega big compared to regular grocery store or Starbucks croissants. Chocolate croissants are $ 2 and butter croissants are $ 1.50. Quite frankly they are underpriced considering they’re made fresh daily at the store and are quite sizely. They usually run out of their chocolate croissants quickly so I make my own chocolate and add it in a plain croissant to enjoy my favorite breakfast treat.
Great value for a super delicious product — oh, one more thing, the staff is super friendly & always SMILING and that’s a HUGE plus in my book!
Thanks Goldstar Donuts! Yummy Yum Yum!

For a dive DIVE doughnut shop this place gets 5 stars. Compared to Starbucks? It would be a 1 – 2 star. It is NOT clean and shiny, but it is where if I’m lucky enough to beat traffic and have time to kill before work I like to stop here with the rest of the neighborhood. (It gets busy some mornings esp with the cold setting in!)
Coffee is 1.10−1.75 depending on size. They serve Farmer Brothers and have half and half or non dairy creamer. No fancy Splenda but they have the pink sweet stuff.
This place is also good for doughnuts or a sandwich. I like #8 the croissant sandwich for $ 3.75 with freshly beaten egg and some bacon, mustard, and pickles on the side. They have mayo and yellow pickled chilies but I dislike those.
Again is is not fancy but its usually a fast way to get grub and coffee.

Good donuts and really nice people working here. If you live in the area support this business and your neighborhood. There’s great Mexican food next door at mexicana restaurant.

I’m not a huge fan of Doughnuts but my kids are. They have a Chocolate Chip Bar here that is heaven for any chocolate lover (hence like me). As previously stated I am not a huge fan but when my daughter grabbed this doughnut it looked so delicious that I had to take a bite. I should of never done that, this doughnut was warm (as in had came out the oven a couple of minutes before) it was the perfect warmth that a doughnut needs, it was soft, & it had the perfect sweetness.
Staff was good, prices are on par with most doughnut places & the Chocolate Chip Bar is break your diet delicious.

I make pit stops here when my will is weak and my tooth, sweet. They’re always busy whenever I drop in before work, which is a very good sign that they know how to keep their customers happy.
The donuts have just the right amount of sweetness, the prices are pretty reasonable for Valley standards, and the people behind the counter are super friendly. Plus, this place is located less than a block away from work, so I will most definitely come here again when I have 5 minutes or so to spare before work, which is almost every day. Oh crap.

One of the perks of going to work early is finding the gate still locked. Instead of napping in front like a bum, I decided to go find some food.
This local little donut (oh excuse me, doughnut) store was perfect for my early morning hunger pains. It was quite busy from all the construction workers and crazy early morning workers like me. I had a blueberry muffin and large mocha for $ 3.50! At Starbucks, that’s only a small (oh excuse me, tall) mocha and no blueberry muffin for you. It was hot and tasty. My belly was happy.
They offer a huge menu for breakfast and lunch items. The service was friendly and quick.
Support your local business and skip evil Starbucks!