There are doughnuts and then there are Sidecar Doughnuts. While the name may make you think these ‘nuts are somehow secondary, scuttling astride something bigger or better, they’re just not. They’re the real deal, the main attraction, the big show. It’s a locally known fact Sidecar Doughnuts & Coffee offers some of the tastiest sweet bites in town.
Each month, Sidecar makes on-theme, seasonal creations. In January, Sidecar featured a vanilla bean and sprinkle-topped New Year’s Cake on the menu and in December, Sidecar offered its Gingerbread Doughnut, a sinful indulgence finished with house-made ginger glaze, a dusting of powdered sugar and doses of do-good. (A portion of all proceeds went to UNICEF USA as part of the SideCares program.)
This month, the menu is all spring. Here are the doughnuts on tap for March:
ROSEMARY LEMON DROP $3.75
Lemon cake topped with a house made rosemary and honey glaze, finished with a rosemary and pink peppercorn crumble.
BIRTHDAY CAKE $3.50
Vanilla bean cake, topped with pink vanilla bean glaze and rainbow sprinkles.
SAMOA $3.75
Sidecar’s take on the classic Girl Scout Cookie, coconut and pineapple cake, topped with house made coconut glaze, caramel and chocolate sauces, and toasted coconut.
Ten percent of the proceeds from the Samoas are donated to Sidecar’s monthly SideCares partners. (Find that list here.)
But doing something like donating profits to benefit others is just part and parcel of an altruistic spirit thrumming through the sweet brand. It’s also a reflection of an ever-building, locally supported movement to create not only a storefront but also a community.
Sidecar, at its sugar-and-flour-filled core, brings together like-minded individuals through the binding agents of thoughtfully crafted food and signature-brewed coffee.
If, when you’re handed one of their singular circles of doughy goodness, you think Sidecar Doughnuts are works of art alllllmost too pretty to eat, you’d be right. Established in 2012, Sidecar was founded by a team of visual designers determined to create doughnuts beautifully wrought inside a gathering space just as striking. Since inception, Sidecar founders pride themselves on doughnuts featuring seasonal, local ingredients culled from the earth.
This design experience is also evident in Sidecar’s brick-and-mortar spaces; interiors at both its flagship location in Costa Mesa and Santa Monica store are simple, clean and inviting. Colors are warm and woodsy, evocative of just-brewed coffee and cinnamon spice. In Costa Mesa, a chalkboard menu announces the day’s specials; a yellow-tiled, art-deco floor adds bright, artisan vibes.
Sidecar also understands the collective mindset of Newport Beach locals, who favor weekends over weekdays and waves over nine-to-five work. Ever Friday (and Friday only) at the Costa Mesa Sidecar location, the store celebrates “Fritter Friday” and serves Granny Smith Apple fritters topped with apple cider glaze. The special doughnuts are available while supplies last but honestly, if you arrive at Sidecar and the fritters are gone, we’re pretty sure you’ll be OK with whatever doughnut you get.
Sidecar Doughnuts // 70 E. 17th St., #18, Costa Mesa, California 92627 // VIEW MENU
