Donut Wheel — Restaurant in Cupertino

Since 1976 I've been to Donut Wheel at least a hundred times, though it was in a different building a little ways down the street for many of those years. Under different ownership, which changed sometime after the move.

My dad moved us to Cupertino right at the peak of Western Civilization, in 1976. Cicero's Pizza was in a somewhat dilapidated building right on the southeast corner of Stevens Creek Blvd and Highway 9 (Saratoga Sunnyvale Road). They had the thin crust crust pizza. Now Cicero's is way over on the east side and the crust is not at all the same. it's still owned by the same family so I don't know what happened. My theory is that the original Cicero's used olive oil to make the thin crust really crispy. Nowadays people figure they can save 50¢ or whatever by using regular vegetable oil -- which is just plain ignorant.

Back to the Donut Wheel, yeah it was great. Open 24 Hours, so there was always a place to go. Across the street was a Bob's Big Boy, also open 24/7. Then we had Saratoga Lanes, which was always pretty much empty, but they still kept it open all night. Shoot the DeAnza College Library was open till 12,even on Sundays, with multiple Librarians. These old women who lived through the Great Depression had actual Library Science degrees, which are hard to get. It was similar to a doctorate in philosophy major back then. Anyhow, these women would help you find research articles at 11 pm on Sunday, with the microfiche. They'd find two or three peer reviewed papers and print them out from the microfiche. It was like fun for them. 3¢ per page but they put it on your tab.

Designer donuts are the thing now, so yeah, you can't do any better than Donut Wheel for the artisan donuts. Crullers with the whipped topping and strawberries, the chocolate frosted with cherry pie filling, the Oreo topped with white frosting, all different types. Continuous improvement too -- you might find something new every time. The maple frosted and white filled with bacon bits on top is a bit much though, I don't know about that one.

The modern day Donut Wheel is still the best place on the planet for Apple Fritters, don't forget the Apple Fritters. Blueberry fritters too, but they're not quite as good, I think it's the moisture content of blueberries is less than apples.

For lunch it's just right, they have croissants stuffed with ham and cheese (and jalapeños if you want). Plus a Monster...

Looking for a 24-hour donut shop? Donut Wheel is the place for you.

This isn’t just a donut shop—it’s a slice of Americana glazed in nostalgia and fried to golden perfection. If you haven’t watched The Donut King documentary on Hulu, do yourself a favor and hit play. Uncle Ted would be gleaming if he saw these classic glazes and maple bars still holding it down.

From the outside, Donut Wheel won’t wow you. It’s not trying to. It’s the anti-Instagram donut shop—zero neon signs, no flower wall, and definitely no overpriced matcha-lavender-brioche croissant hybrids. What you get instead is pure tradition: unapologetic, sugary, and proudly unfussy.

Shout out to the overworked, under-caffeinated uncle behind the counter—stoic, grumpy, and probably running on two hours of sleep and a lifetime of hustle. As a fellow Cambodian, I’ve had a few warm conversations with the owners, but don’t expect any special treatment. Respectfully, Uncle’s been through it. He’s got that “I’ve been up since 3 a.m.” energy, and honestly? The man earns it. The donuts speak for themselves.

That cakey old-fashioned? Perfectly crisp on the edges with a rich, dense bite. The maple bar? Classic. The blueberry twist? A sleeper hit—packed with actual fruit and not just artificial blue sugar. Donut Wheel is a rite of passage for De Anza alumni and a standing monument to the American immigrant dream: grind hard, feed the people, and keep the family business alive.

Sure, the interior could pass for a run-down public library—fluorescent lighting and all. But if you’re coming here for the vibes, you’ve already made a wrong turn. Come for the bear claws. Stay for the donuts served with just enough stank attitude to remind you they don’t need your approval.

Highlights: classic glaze, old-fashioned, bear claw, maple bar, blueberry twist.

A dozen might make you briefly question your grocery budget (thanks inflation), but if you’re trying to flex just a little at work, grab a half dozen. It’s the perfect “I like you—but not like like you” gesture. With a subtle side-eye.

Yes, some say the quality dipped a bit after new management stepped in around 2022/23 post-pandemic. Prices crept up too. Blame the economy—or blame Trump if you’re feeling bold. Either way, Donut Wheel is still as American as Uncle Ted...

Been going here over 15 years, today is the first time I ever received burnt doughnuts (I took pictures, if the owner wants to actually see them); two apple fritters (and actually I ordered an Apple Fritter and a Blueberry one, but got the two apples). So went back to exchange them within 10 minutes from buying them (trusted they weren't burnt and the order was correct).

The young lady that was there started insisting (more rude than anything) they weren't burnt, that that's how they should look. We went back and forth on this, and I definitely was agitated that she even said that. I finally just said give me my money back, which she did. Then I said I wasn't coming back after coming here for years.

She stated bluntly as I was walking out the door, "get out!". Shocked I went back in, and asked what she said. She repeated it and I was blown away. At some point during more back and forth she asked if I wanted her to call the owner (someone named Brian) and tell him what she said to me. Definitely! She started trying to argue about the fritters again, which kept making me defensive (which I am sure she was too). Asked why I was yelling; I wasn't, but I was definitely louder than her. Basically told her attitude was the problem, and finally asked if she was going to call him.

She finally did, but guess what?! She started by saying I was causing a problem, and wouldn't get out! Eventually I wound up saying give him my contact info and call me, because she was lying to him. It became clear she wouldn't and I just left. What's the point, after that.

Anyway, won't be...