Hook & Press Donuts

Brooke Binder

YUM! Recommended by a local - best donut of my life, mouth watering sausage/egg/cheese/biscuit and two delicious lattes! 10/10! Staff was so kind and friendly. Checkout the wild bathroom wallpaper if you like donuts, drinking, and kittens.

Living in Santa Barbara - Katinka Goertz

If you love donuts, you need to try these unique flavors at Hook & Press. Very seasonal flavors right now! Delightful! 🍩

Dianne & Brianna Johnson

Hook and Press is fantastic! They catered an event for us with about 100 people and they were such a hit! Everyone loved the donuts. The owner, John, is so friendly and generous. We enjoyed having them at our event and also enjoy visiting their restaurant. What a great Santa Barbara spot!

Robert Sankar

We came here because we were discussing locan spots to eat and a local stopped us and said Hook & Press has amazing donuts. Now thats advertising! Beautiful and spacious, but most importantly, delicious. I had the Cookie Monster and Lemon Berry Old Fashioned donuts! They were excellent.

Renee Lee

OVERALL EXPERIENCE: Back in LA and STILL thinking of that Everything Bagel donut!! A must stop when you are in SB! DOGS ALLOWED: Yes! Patio seating, but they also allowed dogs inside. AMBIANCE: Noise level is average. Cute aesthetics with the color scheme, decor, and plants! ORDERED: [5/5] Everything Bagel: cream cheese filled and sOoOoOo yummy!!! Who doesn't like a lil savory and sweet treat?!? [4/5] P.O.G.: Passionfruit Orange Guava with guava filling. This was good! Just a tad bit sweet for me. [3/5] Iced Horchata Latte: extremely sweet, and I opted for no vanilla cold foam. I had to add a shot of espresso to help balance the sweetness. But even then, it was too sweet to drink. [5/5] Drip Coffee: simple and good. SERVICE: Service was great! Staff were very friendly. PRICE: ~ $5/donut and $5/drinks PARKING: Located in the La Arcada Plaza (downtown SB). There is street parking and a paid parking structure next door. Food: 5/5 stars Service: 5/5 stars Venue: 5/5 stars

Gregory Armand

Best doughnuts not just in town but in world! Nobody does what hook & press does. Tremendous creativity and talent at work here. Imagination 101. They change custom flavors monthly and they are just absolutely ridiculously orgasmically delicious! The Friday apple fritters are unique. Different types of doughnuts too like cake, stuffed, brioche etc. The coffee is also delicious. Very nice and professional staff. A jewel of SB. Truly best doughnuts in world, you’ll never find better doughnuts anywhere! Grandpa would love these! Enjoy!

Jenna Cafiero

There is nothing I love more than a good donut and Hook & Press has it DOWN. Their donuts are extremely fresh, fluffy, and delicious. I tried multiple of the seasonal flavors: blueberry crisp, raspberry peach, lemon olive oil--there was not a single I didn't like! The donuts are also not super sweet so perfect for the adult palate. Their espresso is fantastic and we even ordered the dog donut! A bit too hard for our pup but very aesthetically pleasing ☺️The staff is very friendly. All around fantastic spot!

daren green

Hook and Press donuts are delicious. The unique flavors and freshness are amazing. That's even though more places are doing specialty donuts these are really good. The deliciousness even extends to their breakfast meals. The sandwiches are amazing light and fluffy and tasty. In the heart of downtown Santa Barbara you have to try this place.

Rachel Metz

Obsessed! Without a doubt, my favorite donuts in SB. Not only are they beautiful, but the flavors are incredible too! We ordered the honey cake donut, beet ricotta brioche donut, butterscotch brioche donut, and vegan houseplant sandwich. The location is beautiful and there’s plenty of seating. The merchandise is adorable. The line didn’t take terribly long. Everything around the interior was clean and styled well. Quite surprisingly, the butterscotch donut wasn’t overly sweet - they somehow managed to get a beautiful and distinct butterscotch flavor in the filling without making it so sweet that it overwhelms you after a few bites. Such a pleasant little surprise! Not a single criticism. I’d come back anytime

Michael Fiedler

This place is a really great breakfast spot. I ordered the Sunrise Salad with a pour over coffee and really enjoyed it. Very friendly staff and it was very pleasant to sit outside and enjoy.

Carolina T.

You can't go wrong with any donut you choose, but my favorite was the brown butter glazed donut.

Kiana P

10/10 recommended. Ordered the everything bagel & 2 vegan donuts (horchata & cookie). The vibe is amazing with clean/pink theme, great choices for donuts & even breakfast/sandwich. Definitely a place for simple quick bite to eat. Delicious!

Lyndsey Kenefick

Well, I thought this place closed down because I didn't see it in the shared space with Buena Onda. But after casually riding down Fig, I noticed this location. I can't remember what used to be in this space, but I'm happy that Hook & Press took over because they made it into a cute, big, airy space. The staff are super friendly and their donuts are delicious. I usually get their vegan options but this past week I tried their old fashioned and was very delighted in the nostalgia of the donut. I didn't know they also served up so many other things like a variety of drinks, and other food items. I'm looking forward to coming back again, when I have more of an appetite. UPDATE (6/2024): Still the best donut place in town, by far. I also got to come for burger week and WOW! How do they not serve this all the time?! It was one of my favorite burgers of burger week and I'm sad that I have to wait until next year to get it again.

Delicious donuts! The "Everything Bagel" was a delight. A savory donut, I'd never heard of such a thing but it made immediate sense. Full of a light cream cheese filling, traditional seasoning on top. Donut texture. fun and flavorful. The seasonal pumpkin donut was not a typical donut consistency, very tasty without being too Pumpkin-ey, if that's what you seek. For me, I don't love pumpkin, but the wife needs it in fall. So this is a great choice if you're like us. Great location, good service. Definitely will return.

Most of the food is probably amazing, but my salad was basically just nearly naked arugula. I'm not even sure if they just forgot to add the dressing, or it was just a hint of the maple vinaigrette? I tasted no maple at all.

I have consistently been going here for years and cannot believe I haven't written a review. The donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and coffee are all AMAZING! I love how the flavors change with the season and the bakers are always creative in bringing in new flavors and bringing back old favorites. The coffee is from a local roaster and is some of the best in town in my opinion. The employees are really nice and best of all, there is always something vegan for me to enjoy! I have dined here with non-vegans as well and they think everything is always delicious.

Coffee was so good! They had soy milk too which is rare. We had the English toffee donut and it melted in my mouth I’m still thinking about it days later! Nice and spacious and would be a good place to study or work

Kress F

Delicious donuts! The "Everything Bagel" was a delight. A savory donut, I'd never heard of such a thing but it made immediate sense. Full of a light cream cheese filling, traditional seasoning on top. Donut texture. fun and flavorful. The seasonal pumpkin donut was not a typical donut consistency, very tasty without being too Pumpkin-ey, if that's what you seek. For me, I don't love pumpkin, but the wife needs it in fall. So this is a great choice if you're like us. Great location, good service. Definitely will return.

We tried Hook & Press based on our hotel's recommendation. The bakery is very large with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We got the brown butter and Grinch donuts (pistachio glaze and cardamom pastry cream) and an egg nog latte and peanut butter cup latte. Between the donuts, the Grinch was my favorite. The flavor in the brown butter was too subtle for me. Pistachio and cardamom really came through on the Grinch donut. The donuts were not as soft and fluffy as I would have expected but I wonder if that is due to us coming later in the day - around 12:30 pm. However, we both really enjoyed our lattes. I would come back for the peanut butter cup latte and give the donuts another shot if it was closer to opening time.

The unique flavored fancy donuts are on the heavier side but they are delicious. The breakfast sandwiches are equally tasty and a little bit messy to eat. The service was good. It feels a bit cramped in the dining area when it’s full of people and the tables are a bit small when you have four people.

If you're into gourmet donuts, this spot is definitely worth a visit! I absolutely loved the Everything Bagel donut — the soft, creamy cream cheese filling was such a nice surprise. I also tried the Blood Orange Creamsicle and it was really good — sweet, tangy, and not too heavy. Just a heads up, these donuts aren't your typical $2-$3 donuts — they're more on the gourmet side, but the quality and unique flavors make them worth the treat. Plus, the shop's cute aesthetics make it a nice little stop!

Beautiful store and the doughnuts and drinks are even more beautiful! I got the Samoa and the passionfruit jasmine tea. The Samoa was a little too sweet for my taste, but the iced tea was perfect. The donut itself was a great texture, brioche desserts are the absolute best. There is ample space to sit and I had no problem studying here. This was an overall good experience.

It's a hip place for sure. Or is "hip" no longer cool? What to do the kids say? The place has got aura? LOL. Anyway, on a Sunday morning, my teen son and I, visiting from out of town, sat down for our favorite breakfast food - sugar dowsed donuts! Plus some tea ro chase it all xown. Had a nice chat about mysteries of why the red velvet donut, as decadent as it looks, isn't at all sweet like the rest of our donuts. And how the orange earl grey isn't his favorite tea selection. Cheers!

Vivian Anne

We tried Hook & Press based on our hotel's recommendation. The bakery is very large with plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. We got the brown butter and Grinch donuts (pistachio glaze and cardamom pastry cream) and an egg nog latte and peanut butter cup latte. Between the donuts, the Grinch was my favorite. The flavor in the brown butter was too subtle for me. Pistachio and cardamom really came through on the Grinch donut. The donuts were not as soft and fluffy as I would have expected but I wonder if that is due to us coming later in the day - around 12:30 pm. However, we both really enjoyed our lattes. I would come back for the peanut butter cup latte and give the donuts another shot if it was closer to opening time.

Grish240

The unique flavored fancy donuts are on the heavier side but they are delicious. The breakfast sandwiches are equally tasty and a little bit messy to eat. The service was good. It feels a bit cramped in the dining area when it’s full of people and the tables are a bit small when you have four people.

Travel Beyond Serendipity (Hope)

If you're into gourmet donuts, this spot is definitely worth a visit! I absolutely loved the Everything Bagel donut — the soft, creamy cream cheese filling was such a nice surprise. I also tried the Blood Orange Creamsicle and it was really good — sweet, tangy, and not too heavy. Just a heads up, these donuts aren't your typical $2-$3 donuts — they're more on the gourmet side, but the quality and unique flavors make them worth the treat. Plus, the shop's cute aesthetics make it a nice little stop!

Michelle Wang

Beautiful store and the doughnuts and drinks are even more beautiful! I got the Samoa and the passionfruit jasmine tea. The Samoa was a little too sweet for my taste, but the iced tea was perfect. The donut itself was a great texture, brioche desserts are the absolute best. There is ample space to sit and I had no problem studying here. This was an overall good experience.

Kien Lam

It's a hip place for sure. Or is "hip" no longer cool? What to do the kids say? The place has got aura? LOL. Anyway, on a Sunday morning, my teen son and I, visiting from out of town, sat down for our favorite breakfast food - sugar dowsed donuts! Plus some tea ro chase it all xown. Had a nice chat about mysteries of why the red velvet donut, as decadent as it looks, isn't at all sweet like the rest of our donuts. And how the orange earl grey isn't his favorite tea selection. Cheers!

I came here thinking the donuts were the star of the show. I couldn't have expected the glamorous look of the donut to be overshadowed by the fact they had the same quality / texture / flavor of a Safeway donut. What WAS in fact, worth the price, was the breakfast sandwich I had. It blew me away! The biscuit it was served on was the perfect texture. The egg wasn't dry as one would typically expect from a sandwich at that price. The goat cheese was melty, the bacon jam was flavorful, and the arugula was the neat little bow on top that tied it all together. If you're bringing kids, the donuts are probably the way to go for them. If you want to enjoy your breakfast, skip the tantalizing aesthetic of the donut and go straight for their sandwiches. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.

Maxwell Pickard

I came here thinking the donuts were the star of the show. I couldn't have expected the glamorous look of the donut to be overshadowed by the fact they had the same quality / texture / flavor of a Safeway donut. What WAS in fact, worth the price, was the breakfast sandwich I had. It blew me away! The biscuit it was served on was the perfect texture. The egg wasn't dry as one would typically expect from a sandwich at that price. The goat cheese was melty, the bacon jam was flavorful, and the arugula was the neat little bow on top that tied it all together. If you're bringing kids, the donuts are probably the way to go for them. If you want to enjoy your breakfast, skip the tantalizing aesthetic of the donut and go straight for their sandwiches. I'm already looking forward to my next visit.