Doughboys Bakery

Let there be rejoicing throughout the land! Doughboys on 3^rd has re-​opened… reconfigured; sans the addition/​alcove that was off to the left… but MOST IMPORTANT OF ALL:
The world’s most exquisite Red Velvet Cupcake — the Platinum Standard — is once again available to all we undeserving mortals.
This means: I must Southwest myself down to El Lay… and catch up with my homie Dave A.
I’m seriously doing a celebratory dance right now… I need to get my hair and brows did… And I plan to gorge on the first and only RVC’s that captured my heart… *sigh*
Once a love story, always a love story.

Well, I didn’t mean to CLOSE the joint! Sheesh!

A couple weeks after I wrote my previous review, Doughboys closed permanently. I read owner Frank Waldman’s account of the saga on
. Frank, you left out a few key points.
First, the zoning and health regulations that apply to you also apply to all the other restaurants nearby. Somehow, they all manage to comply. Second, Doughboys on 3^rd was closed at least once for vermin infestation. That made a lot of your customers go «ick» and remains, to this day, insufficiently explained. Third, Doughboys on Highland was always a cut-​rate version of the original. That also used up a lot of customer goodwill.
If Doughboys reopens someday, I’m sure I will give it a try out of curiosity. But as a customer, it’s evident that Doughboys is at least partially the architect of its own misfortune.

They were really slow on Sunday night when we got here so they were closing. They allowed us to come in and told us the kitchen was closed but we were interested in the desserts since someone wanted and talked about the red velvet cake. So that’s what we got plus drinks.
I can’t really say I’ve had red velvet cake except red velvet cupcakes from Sprinkles. Those were good. However, I have no idea if it was this late or what happened but I don’t think you would see red food coloring on the plate after the cake is gone. It’s a cream cheese frosting which was good but I was expecting something more. That is after having this cake and after I went somewhere else for dessert before I wrote this review. All I can say is you haven’t had cake unless you’ve had cake at the place I went to and you aren’t going to know what or where this other place is. (maybe I’ll tell you if you ask nicely)
I did look at the pictures from other Unilocalers for this business and really didn’t need to put up my pic of the red velvet cake. I do want to taste the corn meal pancake with blueberries though. Everything else looks really good so I may have to update my review after my next visit.
So yeah, 3 stars is for the service and allowing us to come in before their actual closing time. Their hospitality is good though.

Mr. Kuya Wes brought up red velvet cupcakes during a Sunday evening conversation and of course I could not get them out of my head. I hadn’t had any red velvet in FOREVER so all of a sudden I had this huge craving. I called a few places and most were either out of them or were closed. *shakes fist!*
Doughboys came to the rescue. Yes, on a Sunday evening when I was just vegging in my bed, I got out of bed, got into the beamer and drove my happy butt (in traffic) to LA. When I want something I want it okay?
I got on Highland from Santa Monica Blvd and could not see it for the life of me. Thank you to Teem that called and said «Did you just drive past us in a beamer?» I was thinking «WTF? How the heck did you see me at night through my tint?» O wells. Thank goodness for his wonderful eyesight. I couldn’t see the sign!
Finally I parked, then I was told to park closer which I did, AND THEN I SCRATCHED MY RIM!!!
This cake better be good! Well we get inside and they’re giving us a hard time about ordering. We only came for cake and coffee dude. Jeebus. Hold the F up. They are supposed to be closing at 10 or so and because they were a bit slow they wanted to get outta there. If they’re supposed to be opened until a certain time they should stay open until that time. Anyways, we ordered 3 or 4 red velvets. They are friggin big and cold? I guess they keep them in the cold case or something. It was still pretty good. The frosting was like frosting and cream cheesey all in one. Kinda odd but it satisfied my craving. I wish it wasn’t so cold though. Did I order red velvet ice cream cake? No.
I got milk, coffee with milk, and shared the cupcake (actually looked like a mini cake not cupcake). Wasn’t bad at all but the service could’ve been better. The antsy server dude needs to chill the F out man.
One nice thing was that he forgot Kuya’s Arnold Palmer for a bit. He brought it and said that since he forgot it would be on the house.
:)

I’d been wanting to come to one of these for some time, and finally got the chance this past weekend. The food is delicious. The portions are large and aren’t really meant to be finished (which of course I did), but every bite is worth it, so every bite too many doesn’t feel as bad.
However, the service is pretty rotten. They seem pretty disorganized and are not very good at the small stuff (like bringing utensils and refilling cups). Since I drink water as if we’re in the dessert (which is what LA technically used to be) I need my water refilled regularly. If you can’t do that, no 5 stars.
Also, its nice that they have outside seating, but because of the noisy street, I would prefer to sit inside.

The last time I spent money at Doughboys Bakery was last year when my friend was sick and wanted French Onion Soup and a sandwich. I called the order in after work and went to pick it up.
Turns out the soup had a bunch of maggots in it. Disgusting.
Before that little incident it was one of my favorite places to eat since it’s so close by to my place. Oh well.
(This was when they were on 3^rd Street.)

I really wanted to like this place — I really did! The menu looked so amazing: different egg dishes, pancakes, french toast, breakfast burritos — you’d figure you can’t go wrong… well, sorry but they really did. Everything lacked flavor… what sounded good on the menu didn’t taste very good on my plate. I doubt that EVERYTHING on their menu is bad, but we had four items and NONE of them were good (avoid the breakfast burrito, pan french toast, frittata with salmon and the breakfast quesadilla). To top it all of, the service was very slow.
I WILL say that you should go there for the Red Velvet Cake — it is ridiculous!!! I’ve had red velvet cake many times and this is by far the best — it was rich, moist and plentiful… the cream cheese frosting was orgazmic… I wish I could give this place a star rating just for their cake, but that wouldn’t be fair…

Frank, sorry to hear about the rough times Doughboys has gone through. Before I moved to LA, everytime I visited, I would make my sister take me to your restaurant on 3^rd. Your soups are AMAZING and the red velvet is THE BEST!
The food here is really good, but it is hard to talk friends into trying it with the B rating.

I love this place. Huge portions, and interesting combinations. I went over ten times before I had the same thing twice. It’s great for every meal too. Rice Krispy Pancakes and Chickent Meatloaf. Definitely check it out.
Parking sucks there though, and it gets crowded for weekend breakfast so be prepared to wait then. Save room for Red Velvet.

Act One, in which two hungry girls contemplate lunch options.
Girl 1: Where should we eat? I’m starving!
Girl 2: Um… [thumbs twiddling] some coworkers and I discovered this great café down the street. Let’s walk there.
Act Two, in which the girls brave the Sunset/​Highland traffic and the unseasonably hot April day.
Girl 1: I’m sweaty.
Girl 2: Me too. Dude. I hate summertime.
Act Three, in which Girl 1 finds herself pleasantly surprised with the selected location.
Girl 1: [walking up to café] What’s this place called? There’s no signage outside. That’s strange.
Girl 2: Not sure. I’ve only been once.
Girl 1: [snags a menu inside the bustling shop — reads] Doughboy’s Bakery?! I’ve heard great things about this place!
Girl 2: Yeah? Cool.
Act Four, in which the girls decide on their fare.
Girl 1: I’ll have the red velvet cake, and the Chicken Sandwich, please. In that order.
Girl 2: I’ll have the Frittata. Only, is there anyway you can make it with TWO eggs instead of FOUR? That’s kind of a lot. And no bread? I’m allergic.
Act Five, in which the girls die of happiness at the taste of their food.
Girl 1: Dude. This sandwich is delish. Where’s my cake?
Girl 2: Look at all this egg?! Honestly. Who can consume 4 eggs in one sitting? It is pretty good though.
[waitress delivers extra large red velvet cupcake… girls begin to eat, wide-​eyed]
Girl 1: This is freakin’ good. Cream cheese frosting? Look at how moist this cake is! No wonder Oprah deemed it one of the best cakes in America.
Girl 2: Mmmmmmmmm. [eats mostly the frosting… though she’s allergic to this too]
Girl 1: Shall we come again next week?

Dreadful, one of the worst meals, never mind service I have ever had.
First of all, It took way to long to ever get a menu.
Next, when ordering the waiter didn’t know anything about anything on the menu when asked.
The food FINALLY arrived, we start with a salad, which has old food remains in the bowl, it was seriously disgusting. We tell the waiter and show him, he just says, sorry, it happens sometimes when it’s busy in the kitchen, they certainly were not busy. and still, no excuse. Even the cutlery were still dirty!
The pizza came out, it was watery, really horrible.
Anyway, the manager didn’t even come out to apologize or anything.
This place is a disgrace. It doesn’t deserve any stars, sadly they don’t let you rate without giving something on this.

Get in
Grab red velvet cake
Get out
My Doughboys haiku.

Doughboys? NO, boys.
Soooo bad! I was excited to try out the new location. And because it’s bigger than the old one on 3^rd, I’m giving it an extra star. But if this review were based solely on service and food, I would give it a lower rating.
I ordered a Cobb salad: (waiter with a SUPER dick-​y attitude) «We’re out of chicken. It’ll be another half an hour before we have more.» (WHAT?! Did they send someone out to the Ralph’s? What the fuck?)
Okay, I’ll have breakfast: «We’re out of sausage.»
What about a Caesar salad?: «We’re out of romaine.»
And it’s not even like our server was apologetic. He could have at least told us before we spent ten minutes looking over the menu.
I ended up getting the Cobb anyway and it was shredded iceberg with chicken scraps, some soggy bacon and a dressing that I swear was just plain mayo. Blech.
Can I talk to a manager?: No.
Apparently, they were out of that, too.

Went here for the first time today for brunch with my bf. I heard the red velvet cake is tops, and I HAD to try it, since red velvet is my absolute fav. It was a wee bit chilly, and I got seated by the door, which one waiter kept leaving open. I popped up a good 10 times to close the door, and another employee, said «Yeah, you’re gonna have to keep doing that.» OH HELL NO. So we moved.
The food was fine but not spectacular. Portions were monstrous! We took home the red velvet, which LOOKS amazing. Taste? Good, but I’ve had better.

So what is it about a grilled cheese sandwich and tomato soup that makes me feel so good?
It’s not a childhood staple of mine. I was neglected as a kid apparently. But man, what a combination. And really, the folks at doughboys are geniuses for making it a combination, aptly titled, «The After School Special» (Though, not apt for me, because, again. neglected…)
Though, no parent has ever made a grilled cheese like this one… and this was no campbell’s tomato soup out of a can…
Good combination of «gourmet» cheeses (all white cheeses… none of that yellow, processed, peel off the plastic cheese crap to be found…) Gooey, melty, goodness. The bread was lathered in butter, and toasted JUST the right amount… It was love at first bite.
But then! THEN! I did the dip… the dip into the tomato soup. First thing’s first… I don’t like tomato soup really… It’s usually ridulously salty. I don’t like too salty. But doughboys really did their tomato soup correctly — it was actually a little sweet… so with the combination of cheeses in the sandwich and the sweetness of the tomato soup — gaawwwdd… it was good.
By the time I finished the (very large) sandwich, I had a ton of soup left, but without the grilled cheese to dip, it just wasn’t the same…
So we ordered the famous red velvet cake (Because, apparently, it’s the only dessert Edgar C. will actually EAT… dammmit I had to share?! I was getting so spoiled!)
It was good — very good. Not like, oh my god I’m about to writhe on the floor good. but it was good!
Service was a bit spotty… but not BAD. Parking is also kind of a pain — but what do you expect? (we ended up getting lucky and finding a spot… but still… I can’t imagine what it would be like on a busy day…)
Definitely one of the spots I’ll be going back to when I need some comfort.

How to get the most out of your visit to Doughboys: Eat a yummy sandwich. Have some soup with it. Don’t forget to leave room for dessert. Avoid the crowds…
Red velvet cake and other goodies lured me here, but I stay for the vegetarian chili and yummy bread.
Sure, not all the menu items are fantastic, but if you’ve got a dog in tow, are hungry for some simple grub, and aren’t silly enough to try and hang with the hipsters at 11am on a Sunday morn– this place is a solid choice for good food.
The service can range from mediocre to not so great, but I never leave unhappy. That’s mainly because I get to sit outside and eat leftover mini red velvet cakes and hummingbird cakes… (like giant cupcakes!!) Tasty!
One thing that makes me sad is the lack of peanut butter cookies… The other locale had ‘em but I never seem to smell ‘em here at the new Highland spot.: (

I love Doughboys on 3^rd. What happened on Highland??? Out of pulled pork. The Cobb was flavorless with only a sliver of avocado. Bread was overdone. It made me sad. I’m hoping that they are just ironing out the kinks and that they will rise to the standard set by their smaller, better brother on 3^rd.
Oh, and our service was fine. Not spectacular but fine.

Doughboys is good, its supposed to be good, the other store on 3^rd street is good, I have eaten there enough to know its good, the bread, good, the food good, the service good.
This new store on Highland, NOT GOOD.
They really screwed the pooch.
Overcooking my omeletty type deal, bringing out food in fits and starts over the course of a solid 30 – 40 minutes so that some people were served at 15 minute intervals, having to ask for refills on coffee for everyone at the table, most of the food being sub-​par for a doughboys.
Asking for theings twice, food being cold, you name they got it.
Man, Sarah is right, I channeled my father for a minute and talked to the manager, who smoothed things over with a G-​DDAMNED piece of CAKE! Seriously, a piece of cake for two hours of food hell?
I’ll go back to the 3^rd street place, but this location needs to get its act together.
BTW the menu is identical to the 3^rd street location, and the bathrooms are not even finished yet!

I go here hungry. And after about an hour of being seated… yup, still hungry.
Talk about s-​l-​o-​w service. We were sitting outside in the cold… with no heat lamps to keep us warm, so that didn’t help either. There were 7 of us, and after about 20 minutes, the first 2 people were served their french toast. «Oh… did you want syrup with that?» No shit! Then a second wave of food comes out 20 minutes later. «Oh… did you want cream cheese with your bagel?» No shit!
Seemed everyone had their food… EXCEPT ME. The busboy comes out and pours another round of coffee for the table and is like, «Can I get you anything else?»
«Um, yeah… MY FOOD!» — I tell him!
The waiter comes by and asks, «what are you waiting on?»
Shouldn’t he know? The cute waiter was starting to bug me. In another 15 minutes or so, I finally get my food! Shit on a Shingle (SOS)… yup, that’s what it was called. A couple of pieces of asiago cheese toast, topped with breakfast potatoes, smothered in chipped beef gravy with 2 poached eggs on top. I hate to say it… it was good… but dang… it wasn’t worth that super long wait. It wasn’t right that people that came way after us were already eating and done before I even got served.
After a fellow diner nonchalantly mentioned to another that something should be said to the manager, with the waiter lingering and overhearing this, they gave us 2 mini red velvet cakes on the house… they were actually good… served like it came right out of the fridge, but nevertheless, it was still good… a little heavy on the frosting though.
I give it to them that they used the good tea in their pots and my meal was actually good. 2 stars. I’m reluctant to even try their other location on 3^rd Street. After this brunch disaster, I wonder how they managed to get so many good reviews!