We first tried this place because it was open 24 hours, and the donuts were so good that we spent…read moredays trying to remember where it was so we could come back. Once we finally found it again, we were so happy, and we've been regulars ever since. These are honestly some of the best donuts I've ever had. They are light and airy without feeling empty, but still have enough substance to be satisfying. The sweetness is perfectly balanced, and they always taste fresh. A lot of donuts can be too dense, overly sweet, stale, or so airy that there is barely anything to them, but these are the perfect balance. The women who work here are always incredibly sweet and welcoming, and the atmosphere is warm and pleasant. We've been meaning to leave a review for a while because we genuinely love supporting this place. We are definitely loyal customers now!

I was out driving around here in Long Beach early this morning and saw this donut shop. I know my…read morecrew would really love me more if I brought them some fresh donuts this morning. I'm glad to see this is more of least a normal donut shop with real normal donuts. I'm tired of these new fancy donut shops specializing in "creative" donuts with all kind of crazy toppings like every sweet cereal you grew up with priced like at $5.00 a donut or something. I go in and can tell this is one of those Asian donut shops that opened all over down here in SoCal. I think they might be Cambodian, nothing against Asians making donuts, they're the ones that started using the pink boxes we all know. Asians make the best fried chicken, so why not donuts? I look at all the donuts in the cases and they seem like all the familiar ones. I order a dozen and just point to the ones I want. The even have bear claws. I got one of those just for me. There's croissant stuff too. Service is friendly and efficient. The interior is a little dated but I'm here for donuts, not a fancy date or something. I get the donuts and eat that bear claw on my way back to the hotel to meet up with my crew. Yes, they were surprised to have nice donuts, so nothing like a happy crew to make them get the work done.

This place does not help my donut addiction, and that's just how delicious they are…read more It is okay to treat yourself in moderation, right? The service is great, it is so inexpensive and it is busy on the weekends for sure. The ambience gives nostalgic vibes, and I am into that. Parking does suck, so be mindful of that. The matcha and maple are my favorite. Also, they have a great selection of vegan baked donuts. MUCH BETTER THAN GOOD TIME donuts for sure.

Open 24 hours and they always have fresh donuts. This is located near CSULB so the perfect spot to…read morestop by after work. Cash discount! Usually donut shops will throw in a few extras but not this place. No problem, their donuts are delicious. Cake donuts $1.70, Jelly filled $2.60, Custard filled $2.70, Strawberry creamcheese croissant $3.00, Almond croissant $3.80. Now just need to figure out which one(s) to eat first!

I'm more of an old school donut gal, but I had walked by this shop so many times and was craving a…read moresweet so I stopped in. I got lucky- It was about a half hour before closing and there were no other customers. Cute little place! I was helped by Ilyas, the manager. What a stellar individual! I told him it was my first time, and my preferences (not big on frosting, but like interesting flavor combos) and he walked me through the different types. I was happily surprised to see that they carried some traditional donuts as well as the frosted themed ones! I found that this shop was related to Simones donuts which is a great business! They even do cookie tins and caramels. A couple of the special edition donuts looked so decadent and flavorful but more like a dessert that I commented. He then brought out for me one that was a brand new item and it sounded perfect- a sugar donut topped with strawberry mascarpone encircling a pandan center and I had to get it. He even let me have my themed matcha donut without the fancy little emblem for $1 less! So nice. Those, with a biscoff donut and a logo pin completed my purchase. The pandan topping was sweet but the mascarpone was reminiscent of a strawberry yogurt and the flavors blended perfectly. The other donuts were huge, fluffy and perfectly textured. I would have liked a stronger biscoff and matcha strawberry flavor in those crumbles but at least they were not sweet! Just delicious. The prices are fairly high but I will definitely stop by occasionally to see what delicious creations they are whipping up and get myself a treat!

I have heard a lot of things about this place and have been wanting to try this doughnut shop…read more Unfortunately this is a one and done. This place relies on their gimmicks to keep people coming in. While some were cute, it just isn't enough. Their attempts in doing unique flavors just wasn't for me. The doughnuts were also quite expensive. Being in an area with so many options, this will be at the bottom of the list. Service 7.5/10 Food 3.5/10 Overall 4/10

It definitely the shock and awe factor! Today I was working in the area and found a hidden gem! How…read moredid I not know! Will definitely be back! #Doughnut #BananaCream

The donuts and pastries here were good, but could've been better. I visited this Cambodian donut…read moreshop with a friend around 10am on a Saturday and our experience here was relatively good. Going down the list of donuts/pastries we shared: -Creme Brûlée Donut: Nice brûlée shell and the custard was sweet and creamy. -Guava Cream Cheese Cronut: Loved the guava cream cheese frosting which wasn't too thick nor rich, but I wish the pastry itself was flakier. -Croissant Bomb with Jalapeno: Meaty and buttery. It's nice that they can warm it up for you. I felt like there was only sausage in here and there was a lack of ham and bacon. Not really worth almost $11 in my opinion. While the donuts/pastries were generally good, I felt like the donuts would've been better if we came and tried them at opening at 5am. That fresh element was missing and the donut quality tasted and felt like they were sitting out for a while. There's a good amount of free parking in the lot in front of the shop. They also have some tables and seating to enjoy your pastries and drinks at. I'm unsure if I would go out of my way to come here again, but this is a solid donut spot for sure.

This review has actually been long overdue. I've been ordering from S&W even before they opened…read moretheir brick and mortar. Their bread and pastries are always good quality and very nostalgic. Even though I'm not a Filipino, the flavor of their goodies are very similar to where I'm from. I think I might have tried (almost) all stuff they have in store. Some of my favorites are bibingkas (never go wrong with this), any weekend special donuts (ube or cream "cheese" filled donuts), ube cheez pandesal and cakes. I also like their pop tarts but they usually get sold out pretty fast. Their staff are always nice and personable. Check their instagram for any special items or any other updates (such as if they're sold out fast, or if there's any discount or if there's a long line). I'd suggest to eat their bread items on the day of. The other non-bread stuff are still good even after a few days. Typically weekends are busier, especially due to their weekend specials that are hard to miss!

Small line outside on a Saturday morning, but it moved fast. Once inside, there's a small case of…read morebreads, and a small case of cakes. I opted for the pandan cinnamon roll and a ube malasada. The malasada felt like there's a creme brulee crust on the outside where it was a harder exterior and a soft interior. It was also chewier like it was made of rice flour. Can someone confirm if it's made of rice flour? The pandan cinnamon roll was delish and had a soft center. Tasty, but not sure if I can taste pandan. I would still return! $13 for both items.

When I'm in LA, this is officially my must go donut shop…read more It's that good. If you love donuts, you have to come here. The apple fritter was worth every second of the wait. It came out hot, fresh, and literally melted in my mouth. Honestly, if she told me it was going to take 30 minutes, I still would've waited.

tl;dr quality is high and prices are low; go early for the best possible selection, and don't miss…read moreout on the excellent apple fritter Across Los Angeles' ever-changing donut landscape, the countless standalone shops have had to evolve to stand out from the crowd. At Long Beach's Sweet Retreat Donuts, that meant limited-edition experimental donut varieties (mostly with tropical flavor profiles), as well as a reliable vegan donut lineup. Clearly, Sweet Retreat has been doing something right, as it's been a Pacific Coast Highway favorite for a decade. Over the years, it has garnered recognition from plenty of local news outlets, from Eater LA to LAist. The cramped strip mall is more eye-catching for its reptile supply store rather than its donut shop. Inside the shop, the expansive, donut-themed cartoon mural to the right immediately makes a statement. Houseplants are plentiful across the otherwise undecorated, whitewashed walls. Donuts are organized on trays by price, with the charge doodled directly onto the glass with a white marker. Ambient noise from the television is drowned out by chattering customers and the buzzing coffee machine. During the summer months, the AC-less shop feels tropically balmy. My partner and I arrived at Sweet Retreat late one Sunday morning, and the shop still boasted a steady stream of customers. By the time of our visit, the remaining selection was regrettably slim -- beyond the standard fare, the most unique donuts sported either candy coating or tropical frosting. We opted for a hibiscus-frosted raised donut and an apple fritter. The former had an excellent donut base, and the hibiscus frosting was floral and tropical (albiet I would have enjoyed a more punchy flavor). Meanwhile, the apple fritter fell on the cinnamon-y side, heavily doused in glaze so that each bite (even the edges) melted in your mouth; Sweet Retreat's rendition was one of my favorites in Greater LA. Our Vietnamese iced coffee was strong and sugary, but nothing more memorable than peer coffeeshops. The service was efficient, and our two donuts cost a reasonable $5 (even frill-free mom-and-pop shops charge in this range nowadays). The selection was sorely lacking, but Sweet Retreat more than made up for that with its high quality and reasonable prices. This bakery may not warrant a dedicated trip out of the way, but it is sure to deliver a satisfying treat if you're already in the neighborhood.

Staff The staff here is genuinely friendly and welcoming…read moreevery single time I visit. They make the experience warm and enjoyable. Food The donuts and pastries taste incredibly fresh because they're made every morning. Each bite is delicious and feels homemade. Beverages The coffee is amazing--rich, smooth, and the perfect complement to their baked goods. This place has officially become my new go-to for a cozy treat and great coffee. Rating:

Dressed up gas station coffee, and overpriced at that. Very limiting and old school, no lattes or…read moreiced coffee. The owners tend to be rude and unpleasant most of the time, you can find mold in most of their glazed donuts as they don't toss out the old donuts, they have a steaming method where they make days old donuts fresh again. No healthy creamer options, all rancid oil crap. You can also catch the owner eating the donuts and placing the half eaten donut back in the display with the donuts they sale to customers. Poor hand hygiene, they never wash their hands after dealing with cash. They also get their pastry's from Costcos lol

I left this place running for my car…read more The location is in a rough area of town, so while the donuts were edible, I felt compelled to issue a quick heads up warning for any unsuspecting newcomers. As I entered the parking lot I witnessed a lady hanging out of the window of a car missing a rear bumper, cursing at a minivan that looked like it had recently been involved in a series of hit-and-run crimes. I'm unclear what occurred before I got there, but kept my head down and quickly parked and scurried inside. The entrance had cardboard on the ground laid out like some sort of Oscar the Grouch red carpet. There were two people sitting at the middle two tables with portable shopping carts filled with assorted belongings. The interior matched the rest of neighborhood with random stuff laid out on counter tops, and a general dirty feeling that made me consider whether I wanted to buy food here, but I was already inside. There was a single woman working the counter. She was polite and matter of fact. I had promised my kids donuts, so I ordered my box to go. While she used appropriate tongs to put them in the box, she didn't bother to fully close or seal the box. Just looking to get out of there as quickly as possible, I headed immediately back to my car but was followed by an unknown man shouting at me asking if I could spare a dollar. I quickly fidgeted for my keys and pulled the door closed and locked it behind me. This was at 9am. I cannot imagine this place late at night. The donuts were basic and not overly sweet, more of a fried bread. My kids ate a few bites of each but it wasn't worth the stress of getting them.

I ordered a couple of 6.99 dozen donut boxes from Too Good to Go for an employee's return. Located…read morein not the best of areas, the establishment is also run down but the owner was very nice and she also told me to bypass the app and she would sell me a dozen donuts for 7 bucks directly. Donuts were good and didn't taste day old as she filled the boxes when I got there.