Frosty's Donut House — Restaurant in Barstow

Let me tell you a tale. It was February of 2013 and my girlfriend and I were driving across California on our USA trip. Being from Australia, we knew nothing about Barstow other than that it was mentioned in one of the Fast and the Furious movies at one point. We were feeling a bit peckish for a good cup of joe and a sweet treat. At first, we thought we’d check out the local Dunkin’ Donuts, putting aside the risk and playing it safe. We even pulled into the parking lot and got out of the car. But something wasn’t quite right. Maybe it was the Chinese tour group that was slowing herding towards the shop. Maybe it was the eerily still late-winter air. Something was pulling us away from the safety of the reliable Donut chain. We opened Yelp, which we had used throughout our trip, and found a place just a minute down the road called “Frosty’s Donuts.” The rating was good, so we thought we’d give it a try. This would prove to be the point where my assumptions and my beliefs in everything that make a good donut were smashed to a thousand pieces. As we approached the store, we both felt a sense of dread. There were no other cars in the parking lot. The building was old and a little bit bare. Had we made a huge mistake? “No, the reviews are good. Let’s keep going.” We exited the car and approached the door. The wind had picked up a little bit. Maybe it was a sign of things to come. As we opened the door, we were confronted with the smell of black percolated coffee and the sweetest aroma ever to bless my nostrils. A man casually sat on the counter, and jumped off as soon as our presence was known. “Hey, guys”. So simple, yet so eloquent. As I gazed upon the delicious looking treats sitting in their glass cabinet, I wondered what to do. These donuts didn’t look particularly special. There were a handful of glazed and some filled ones too. Staying on the safe side of things, we chose three chocolate and three strawberry glazed, and two black coffees. We paid, and we took our donuts to our car, not knowing what to expect. When we finally sat down, we opened the packet and began the our first bites. I had an epiphany. In that single moment I knew the meaning of life, the universe and everything, and then instantaneously forgot it all. I never believed in God until that day, but now I go to church every Sunday. I still dream of those donuts. I will tell my kids about them. Even three years later, as I sit in a Tokyo airport awaiting a flight, my memories of the taste will never leave me. So in summary, Frosty’s will change your life. You will be a stronger man, a more beautiful woman, and a more positive person from the experience. Also the coffee was...

1st time I came back here in couple yrs & owner was ok pretty short with me & I was just wanting to buy 2 donuts just for me & my 3yr old son & 2nd time I came in guy was more approachable i complimented his donuts on how delicious they were & how much bigger I thought they were & that me & my husband & kidzzzz enjoyed them very much. Alsoo mentioned my mother & I used to come there for yrs & mentioned her name he remembered her & he was very nice & we had a very good interaction I left pretty happy & my son :) I came home realized I had 2 extra donuts in my box I was soo appreciative that he did that it showed very good customer service & that he cares about customers that come back I alsoo remember he used to do that for us b4 when we would get donuts from him..Today I went in again with my son & he did not even greet us he finally turned around & I said hello nicely like every time I come in & he said hello like he was irritated I said ima get a dozen today no conversation or anything I felt rushed & he just said ok & told me the amount & I said ok thank you & he said hava good day like ok that’s it ur done I felt alil sad cuz if ima come there it’s always better & nice to see a owner is happy to see regulars come back to support his store but I didn’t feel that way & I came home & no extra donut’s I didn’t understand what I did wrong that only last time he gave me 2 extra donuts & Not this time. I thought he gave extras to regulars that come & as I said I had been going there for yrs b4 then after covid I stopped & now returning!! Just feel it’s always very necessary to give great customer service Everytime not sometimes is all… :( won’t...

Donuts: A+, Staff: Friendly, Cleanliness: A

Recommended!

My youngest son and I have a weekly tradition of getting donuts. We especially enjoy seeking out traditional donut shops when we are traveling. We’ve had great experiences and well, some people struggle. This is NOT the case with Frosty’s.

Wow. We arrived at 6:30 AM on a Saturday morning. No line, steady traffic and the location was convenient to get to and there was plenty of parking.

Now to what you really want to know the donuts. We got a dozen so we could try a variety. The old fashioned - on point, great frosting, crispy outside, fluffy inside. The fritter, looked a little overdone but it wasn’t. Great texture and yeah, it was still warm what a treat. The glazed were thicker than average and surprisingly light.

The star of the show however was the apple stuffed crumble crust. Good heavens - is it ok to have it a la mode for breakfast? A close second was the apple stuffed bear claw.

Well played Frosty’s. Oh and while I can’t comment on the coffee, it was popular with several of the...