Is there more to life than doughnuts and fried chicken? I mean…

Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken landed in downtown Los Angeles a few weeks back. I’ve been admiring the D.C.-based concept for years and was stoked for it to set up shop on the Best Coast. Elliot Spaisman and Jeff Halpern founded the original Astro’s in 2013.

The menu here is wonderfully simple: just doughnuts and fried chicken. I ordered a good amount of each while out to lunch with two girlfriends last week.

But first, coffee. Thien sipped and shared the “Nitro Cold Brew Coffee” ($5.50)—super smooth and good.

And then there were chicken fingers ($8.25) with all the dipping sauces (Blue Cheese, Sriracha Mayo, Sriracha Buffalo, Honey Mustard, Ranch, BBQ). The breading was perfectly crisp and beautifully seasoned, while the chicken was legitimately juicy. Fantastic fingers.

We also wanted to try some bone-in birds. The “2 Pieces Dark” ($7), a thigh and a drumstick, were just as good as the fingers. On the side was a cheddar biscuit ($2.40) and “Kimchi Cole Slaw” ($2.45). The former was dense yet flaky, while the latter provided a spicy-tart contrast to all that chicken.

We also dug into a “Fried Chicken Sandwich” ($8.25) with lettuce and tomato. Served on an Old Bay-dusted doughnut, the sandwich didn’t disappoint.

And last but certainly not least were a whole lot of doughnuts. Clockwise from top left: Meyer lemon, creme brulee, peanut butter and jelly, chocolate mudslide, smoked almond brittle, and strawberry rhubarb crisp. The creme brulee, caramelized on the outside and piped with cream inside, was our favorite of the shop’s standby flavors.  The cakey chocolate mudslide and the surprisingly salty almond brittle stood out among the seasonal specials.

Welcome to L.A., Astro. We’re so glad you’re in town.

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Astro Doughnuts & Fried Chicken
516 West 6th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90014
Phone: 213-622-7876

N.B.: In related news, I ate doughnuts and fried chicken in San Diego at StreetCar Merchants