VG Donut & Bakery — Restaurant in Encinitas

In the ultimate act of reckless abandon, I drove the extra miles to V.G. Donut & Bakery, which turned out to be a full fledged donut shoppe with a sizable real estate in the heart of the beach area. Magnificent location, which must have a lot to do with their level of popularity. As a norm, we shy away from donuts and such. Let's just say the we been there, done that, and perhaps it was time to hang up the sweet tooth, without even considering the implications of dental work that comes from plain sugar I purchased about $42+ of basically the donut selection available at about 1PM on Friday 28 of the beautiful year of 2015. Prices above average but not so that it would deter many from buying. Everyone knows here in the US, and probably the whole world through, sweet is the big enticer. To get into the details of the variety that I end up purchasing is not very relevant, for in the end they all had the same amount of sweetness render the selections distinctively unique by any stretch of the imagination. Donuts made in this place very sweet, but what prompted me to give them just 3 Stars, is their fillings. Let's just say that these fillings like apricot, strawberry, are so plain cheaply made, that all respect went out the window. To see 500+ reviewers giving this place close to 5 Stars, is like saying that this place is the mecca of the donut world, and sadly to say it is not so. When I brought 28 donuts selections to our van, and drove back home, it took 1 single bite to be able to tell that besides the level of sugar used in the making, they had not one aspect that separated them from other competitor, and much less elevated the place to a 5 Star rating, unless of course, we were all judging on a 10 Star rating system, but we are not. Perhaps the location causes ratings to jump up, after all a day at the beach makes anyone hungry and careless as to what they put in the body. Sugar is not nutritional at all, so when I fell for the hoopla of this place, and purchased a silly amount of these morsels, only to have to freeze the majority, for the five people in the house, including myself, found them dangerously sweet for such a lazy and indulging...

As soon as we got engaged, the decision to have cupcakes from VGs as our dessert was an unspoken, mutual decision made by both my fiance and myself (hopefully a good omen for a lifetime of mutual decisions to come). We reached out to Janette at VGs, and within about a week of signing the contract with our venue, we had our cutting cake and cupcakes decided upon too. Janette set up a tasting for us including a small version of our cutting cake and all of their cupcake flavors (except for Pumpkin which is only available seasonally). We loved everything we tasted, so the hardest part about the whole process was deciding on the breakdown of the different flavors that we wanted.

About a month before our wedding, Janette got back in touch with us to finalize our numbers, and set up a tasting of the Pumpkin cupcakes that were now available. Once we tasted our Pumpkin Cupcake, which was THE. BEST. CUPCAKE. either of us had ever tasted, we changed the majority of our cupcake breakdown to them! Janette also worked with me to get an idea of what we wanted on our cutting cake (simple, piped succulents) and helped include some of those designs on a few of our cupcakes, which made our cupcake display look wonderful.

The day of our wedding, everything was delivered on time and in one piece, and nearly all of the cupcakes were devoured by our guests (and we bought extras). VGs was the perfect addition to our wedding day! It is a known and celebrated staple in the Cardiff/Encinitas community, and will definitely be a place we frequent for a Pumpkin Cupcake as we celebrate our anniversaries and...

If you’ve ever driven past VG Donuts in Cardiff and wondered why there’s always a line out the door, just know—it’s absolutely worth the wait. This local gem has earned its status as a staple in the community, not just for its mouthwatering creations but for the full experience of indulgence, creativity, and comfort.

The chocolate glazed donut is unlike anything you’ve ever tried. Forget the standard chocolate-on-top approach. VG takes it up a notch by first dipping and glazing the donut before coating it again in rich, velvety chocolate. The result is a decadent bite that’s both nostalgic and totally new.

One of the standout favorites has to be the apple fritter. Generously portioned and perfectly spiced, it somehow justifies itself as a breakfast choice—because hey, it’s got fruit, right? It’s the kind of pastry that satisfies on every level: crispy on the outside, soft and gooey inside, with chunks of apple and a cinnamon glaze that hits all the right notes.

VG also keeps things fresh with an ever-evolving lineup of seasonal specials.

With endless options and a warm, inviting atmosphere, VG Donuts isn’t just a place to grab a treat—it’s become a tradition. If you haven’t been yet, go early, be patient, and prepare to leave with a box (or two). You’ll be planning your next visit before the first...