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    Apple Fritter

    4.2 (1.8k reviews)
    Closed 7:30 am - 2:00 pm
    Updated a few days ago

    Order Apple Fritter Takeout or Delivery

    Apple Fritter Photos

    Business Info

    APPLE FRITTER ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Classy
    Casual
    Outdoor seating

    Recommended Reviews - Apple Fritter

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    Reviews With Photos

    VB L.

    I'm a little surprised that I never wrote a review for Apple Fritter. I've been eating here since they turned my favorite Taco Bell into this quaint and delicious local eatery. When they first opened for a few hours a day, the locals couldn't get enough of the homemade food and quirky atmosphere. Now, it's a San Mateo staple. Whether you're craving squishy doughnuts or a juicy burger, Apple Fritter delivers. Their wall of doughnuts as you enter from the parking lot is a tempting way to stir up your appetite. Counter service is always fast and friendly. Just pick up a menu while drooling over the doughnuts and whenever you're ready to order, someone is ready to take it. Seating is both inside and out, but sitting inside gives you the pleasure of looking at all of the fun oddities on the walls and ceiling. The food is amazing, the decor eclectic and the service cordial. Just check the hours before heading over. They cater to their hardworking employees as much as the customers, so hours are limited.

    Julie B.

    Apple Fritter is such a whimsical brunch vibe! Their donuts are fresh, and the apple fritter itself is well portioned and sweet. Some favorites included their ultimate pancakes, granola parfait and egg scramble, but the coffee is delightful. I preferred the cocoa puff cold brew over the carbonated coffee (vietnamese coffee with sparkling water). They have a private parking lot and offer both indoor or outdoor patio seating. The staff is friendly and will take care of clearing tables afterwards.

    Maple Cake Donut
    Jodi C.

    We visited Apple Fritter on Easter Sunday on a whim, and it was SO WELL WORTH IT! This stop was about halfway between SF and where we were staying in Cupertino, so it was perfect before our long SF exploration day! We stood in line to order for about 20 min, and everyone told us it was worth waiting on! It turned out to be VERY true! The food was out of this world, the donuts were SUPER yummy and we the service was wonderful! I can only speak for my plate, but I ordered the "Amazing Breakfast Sandwich" and it was DELICIOUS!!! Let me break it down for you: 1. The bread was sourdough - but it was SO MOIST and SQUISHY! Unlike your harder, toastier sourdough bread. 2. the turkey bacon and cheese were tasty and hearty on this sandwich 3. the arugula was fresh and added a clean taste to the bite 4. The garlic aioli was the PERFECT sauce to go on this sandwich. It gave it the aromatic flavor it needed! (I took off the fresh tomato due to allergy!) I still think about this sandwich!!! The hashbrowns were good, they were a solid choice. They make it on the crunchier side which I LOVE! Pictured there are the cinnamon bun and the maple cake donut, which both were SO GOOD - especially the cinnamon bun. The bun was a perfect balance of the cinnamon, glaze, brown sugar and dough. The maple donut was comparable to some of my favorites! The donut dough was not my favorite, but the maple glaze made up for it! I topped off my meal with an iced tea! :) I want to go back to San Francisco JUST for this breakfast again! Highly!!! Recommend!!!

    Order at the counter as you enter with seats inside as well as outside
    Michael F.

    Tried this charming breakfast, brunch place for the first. Never knew a restaurant like this was right off Fashion Island Blvd near 92 exit. The Awesome Breakfast sandwich with choice of protein, bread and a side for $16.25. I chose cheesesteak, multi grain and hash browns. The dish was very filling. Will likely come back to try a few other dishes in the future!

    Sue L.

    My husband found this place online, so we decided to stop by for breakfast on his birthday. He is a big fan of breakfast burritos so of course we ordered a Naughty Burrito to share. He picked the chicken apple sausage for the protein and also added bacon (+$3.00). The other ingredients including the hash brown and cheddar paired well with the chipotle mayo. They even grilled the tortilla and made it crispy just the way he liked it. Couldn't leave without also ordering the apple fritter and old fashion! Since it was on a Monday, there were only a few customers. I liked that they have both indoor and outdoor seating available. It's located in an industrial area so it was quiet and peaceful. Would definitely recommend stopping by if you're into breakfast burritos/sandwiches and donuts!!

    Naughty Burrito
    Alicia S.

    I was super impressed with this breakfast/ brunch spot. The food was delicious and I was especially blown away by the coffee. I got the iced cinnamon latte and the hazelnut vanilla latte. Both amazing! The service was quick and easy. The inside was well decorated and nice available seating. They also had donuts which were delicious!

    Where's the APLLE FRITER?!!!
    Dan S.

    So I go to an establishment called "APPLE FRITTER" .. and there are 0 APPLE FRITTERS. -2 stars especially since I walked there from San Mateo event center with fritters permeating my mind and activating my salivary glands. Seriously and kinda ridiculously disappointed by this. Other than that..great ambience, whimsical decor, friendly staff. I want to minus another star for the Line wait, it is so slowwwwww. Empty seats and 30 min line to order is ridiculous.

    Ryan Fitzpatrick playing tater tot pong
    Lynnelle E.

    I think like everyone else found this place while searching for a good brunch place to go to. Parking wasn't too bad, I think turnover was pretty good. As people were leaving, more people came to park. The line can get long at times but moves pretty fast. Drinks: Dragon fruit mimosa - I'm not a mimosa fan, but this was refreshing. I highly recommend if you want something nice and light. Horchata freeze - so creamy and very cinnamony. You can really taste the cinnamon throughout the drink. Iced salted caramel latte - it was good but nothing that really stood out. Probably will not be getting again. Food: 1. Chorizo breakfast tacos with tater tots - huge portion and so tasty. The chorizo and egg with chipotle sauce, salsa, and cheese was a perfect balance. The chipotle sauce had a nice kick, and I liked that the egg and chorizo were not greasy. Tater tots were crunchy on the outside and soft in the middle. 2. Churros and cream french toast - I could not get enough of this no matter how full I was. I liked that it had actual churros in it and not just like a cinnamon and sugar topping. The French toast was nice and crunchy, not super eggy and soggy. I liked that they had the syrup on the side. 3. Spicy hash - the spicy hash was really good, and jalapenos were a nice touch to make it more spicy. hash browns were well cooked, and cheese was perfectly melted. appreciated the chipotle sauce on the side. 4. Wild thang burger - The burger was juicy, and the onion ring in it was crunchy. There was a good amount of bbq sauce and jalapeños and the fries were crispy 5. Original breakfast plate with chicken pineapple sausage - classic and simple. The chicken and pineapple sausage had a nice snap to it and not salty. Donuts - we ordered a bunch to go. We got blueberry, raspberry, and banana fritters. It was super crunchy but to be honest, I sampled all of them but couldn't tell a difference. I was kind of disappointed, considering it's called apple fritter. Fruity pebbles donut was tasty but didn't care for the cookie crisp donut. I feel like it was a totally different cereal. Overall, all the food was amazing and I would love to come back to try the other items they have.

    Donuts
    Miguel C.

    If you're craving an apple fritter or breakfast, this is the spot. Came for a fritter and ended up getting breakfast food. It was pretty good, 8/10 for the spicy hash, if you like spice that's the one I would get. The hipsterito was a 7/10 for being a vegetarian option. I would rank the apple fritter best over the banana and cinnamon roll. Staff were friendly, and I enjoyed the theme inside, real nostalgic inside.

    Cheesesteak Sandwich
    Rini R.

    One of the best places for sandwiches if you are craving for one . They also sell a variety of donuts and I have never been disappointed. Very reasonably priced and the service is quick and the staff is friendly . They have indoor as well as outdoor seating area . They get a lot of office crowd if you go during lunch hours . Some parking is available but I always walk so I never needed one . My favorite is cheese steak sandwich with grilled pineapple and jalapeños. They close at 2 so if you go too close to their closing time you may need to get a to go .

    Westcoast Wrapper
    Martin H.

    Apple Fritter is such a fun and whimsical place for brunch. Interior decor is very child like and has toys, planets and hot air balloons hanging from the roof and walls. When you enter, you wait in line to order in a small kiosk and then find seating. Indoor seating is limited but there is ample outdoor seating. Both indoors and outdoor seating are equally cold because the doors stay open so it doesn't really matter. As their name states they're known for their apple fritters, but they serve various other doughnuts as well. We did get to try their apple fritter and pumpkin fritter. Out of the two, Id still recommend the apple fritters over the pumpkin, due to the pumpkin's lack of flavor. For the food, their breakfast burrito is pretty good and substantial. I got the Westcoast Wrapper and recommend it with the chipotle sauce. It hits more once you add the tapatio on the table. Overall great place to grab food, catch up with friends and enjoy a nice sweet treat. Highly recommend.

    Look at these yummy donuts!!!
    Lily D.

    The name alone suggests you exactly what you're here for: Apple Fritters. When I stepped in, it was more like a brunch café. But then you will see a wide variety of donuts, especially the fritters everyone talks about. If you're coming for their apple fritters, don't arrive later than 11 AM because they will be gone before you know it. I tried their Banana Fritter and it was surprisingly fresh. You can hear the crunch with each bite. No artificial banana flavor here... there are actual banana pieces baked right in. If you enjoy banana bread, you'll love this. I wanted to try the Pumpkin Fritter too, but it was already sold out and this was on a weekday at 9 AM. Their Ube Crumb Donut was just okay. It was not bad, but nothing memorable about it. The Pistachio Almond donut, on the other hand, looked divine! Maybe I will get that next time. Definitely plan to arrive early, and keep in mind that parking can be tight. Weekends will lead you a line out the door. If you're wondering what to do in San Mateo or the Peninsula, these apple fritters alone are worth your time!

    Line at 10:30am
    Celina G.

    I grew up here. My family didn't brunch. Foster City or San Mateo were not brunch places. IHOP and Denny's were probably the closest things we knew. Times change. The landscape has changed. Enter Apple Fritter. One thing to know is that it is popular. Publicity from Check, Please! and the great food have put Apple Fritter on the Peninsula map. The apple fritters themselves are big and delicious. These are some of the reasons for the lines out the door. Oh, and the counter to order is right next to the door, so the stream of people just pours out into the small parking lot. At least the wait will give you plenty of time to scan the large menu. Lots of cafe drinks, hash, burgers, french toast, tacos, and burritos. How does that tiny kitchen back there do it? I had the spicy hash with chorizo. It was easily two meals for me. Tasted spicy enough and visibly spicy with the numerous slices of jalapeños mixed throughout. The passion fruit shake was thick. I should dock a star because it was too thick to sip at first, but I won't. We took home some apple and raspberry fritters. Very good! Service was also great too considering the volume of customers they handle every day. Felt like a busy atmosphere when we were there, likely the height of the Saturday brunch period just before 11am.

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    Apple Fritter Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Apple Fritter

    Do we need tomake reservations?

    No you cannot

    What's the cost of a dozen donuts on average?

    Donuts run about $2-3 each. Fritter is $4.50. From the ordering website as of April 2022 Assorted… 

    Are you donuts dairy free?

    Do they take reservations for brunch or not on Weekend?

    Hi Shikha, Apple Fritter doesn't take reservations.

    Are they still open 8-2 pm? hard to know what to rely on, and nobody answers the phone, vm full and there's nothing on the voicemail greeting that says anything about their open hours.

    Yes they're open. They're pretty short staffed it seemed like the last time I visited. You're right they don't answer the phone. Both times that I went during covid I had to order there in person and wait around 20 mins or so.

    Are they selling donuts again? During the first few months of shelter in place order they weren't. Thanks!

    Yes I recently had the fruity pebbles

    How big are the burgers? 6oz? 4oz? 1/3lb?? Nothing on the menu lets me know what to expect.

    About 6 oz

    I'm looking to bring a vegan friend here who will be visiting from out of town so that she can try garlic fries! Are the fries here Vegan-friendly, as in, no animal products are fried in the same oil?

    No we are sorry we don’t serve vegan fries. Unfortunately we do cook some animal products in the same oil. Thank you for your inquiry.

    What time do they have the donuts until?

    Apple fritters run out early. Best to go before 11 to guarantee different flavors. Regular donuts are there usually all day.

    View All 11 Questions

    Taste & Glory

    Taste & Glory

    4.4
    (849 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    the food and service was great..... we went for breakfast…read moreback to back because it was that good if you're in the area, go. it's worth the wait!

    Reading the other reviews, I had some a little bit of mixed feelings going in, but I am happy to…read morereport that we had a wonderful brunch here on a busy Sunday morning. Our host was very attentive in managing the daunting looking long line in front of the restaurant, but no matter what, it only took about 15-18 minutes for us to get seated. She hands out menus for you to study before you get inside. Good call. Once seated, you'll enjoy a bright contemporary interior with the usual light wood accents and pretend ivy leaves along a wall or two. The seats are comfy with the wooden looking tables, but best of all, we enjoyed our selections to the fullest. Busy energetic vibe here! Even with a relatively full restaurant, it only took about 10 minutes after our orders for our entrees to appear before us. While I love fried chicken in all its forms and styles, my tummy wanted something somewhat healthy for me, so I chose the... The WHITEOUT - Egg White Omelette with spinach, basil, mushrooms, little bits of red peppers, melted mozzarella on the inside with a healthy amount of feta cheese sprinkled on top. I wasn't expecting too much, but this was surprisingly good down to the last bite. For sides, I went with the default "rainbow" potatoes, which were basically diced fried red and white potatoes and the default mixed greens salad with a vinaigrette dressing. Both sides were the perfect contrast to the eggs and melted mozzarella and spinach. YUM. Easy 5/5! YUZU LEMONADE - enjoyable with a bit of mint leaf, maybe I'll ask for a little less ice. I wanted something a bit more Yuzu, but this was decent. (3.6/5) My dining compatriots enjoyed the Vegan Lover great tofu!), Thai Tea French Toast, Ube Pancakes and Chicken Croffle. No complaints from the gallery! =) Nice presentation throughout and caring cheery service! I'm looking forward to coming back here again soon to try out the Yaki Udon, which was my runner-up to my meal selection today!

    Photos
    View upon entering
    View upon entering
    Banana French Toast
    Banana French Toast
    Tom Yum Scramble

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    Tom Yum Scramble
    Foreigner Cafe

    Foreigner Cafe

    4.1
    (1.1k reviews)
    2.0 mi
    $$
    Free WiFi
    Healthy dining

    It was my first time coming here, and definitely not my last. When I came in I just wanted an iced…read morecoffee, but I ended up getting hungry when I saw all the food options! My friend ordered the root beer float with cold brew ice cubes. It was not super heavy, it mixed well, and somehow, the root beer tasted great with the subtle but noticeable coffee flavor. For my drink, I got two shots of espresso. I just needed a quick pick me up! For food, my friend got the chicken tortilla soup. It was absolutely delicious. The shredded chicken and the broth were wonderful, I do wish it had less tortilla strips because they soaked up all the broth if left there for too long. I got the California bagel, which was also delicious. It was a little too much egg for my liking, but the bagel was only $12 which I think is decent for what I got. The Strawberry croissant was TO DIE FOR. I have never enjoyed a croissant as much as this one. Fresh strawberry cream inside, super fluffy and crispy croissant overall. LOVE! Not to mention the cafe is very chic, we sat at a table where we could maximize our sunlight exposure. The servers and cashiers were nice, welcoming, and helpful. So glad we came here!

    I stopped by with a friend after a yoga class and it was my first time coming here. We originally…read morejust wanted coffee but after seeing all of the display dishes we decided to try some of the food too. We ordered at the counter and the staff were all friendly and helpful. We walk into the dining room and there were several open tables. The space is pretty big with several people there working on their laptops I ordered a Vietnamese coffee and it was strong and delicious. For food I ordered a bacon cheddar quiche and a mushroom Gruyère toast. The quiche was flavored pretty well it was just a bit dry. And I wish it were served hotter. It came with a simple side salad that was tasty. The mushroom and Gruyère toast ended up being my favorite. The Gruyère got melty from the hot mushrooms and the balsamic drizzle on top was a perfect touch Overall we were very happy with our drinks and satisfied with the food we tried. Would come back to try some of their other menu offerings. The display case is really doing work in making you want to try everything

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    Foreigner Cafe
    Foreigner Cafe
    Sexy French Toast

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    Sexy French Toast
    Brothers Cafe

    Brothers Cafe

    4.3
    (278 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    My mother-in-law lives walking distance from the Brothers Cafe so it is extremely convenient for…read moreour family. I have been there a few times over the years and it is always quick, fresh food, that is great for breakfast or lunch. This visit we arrived around 12:30 pm and placed our order at the counter found seating for 3 of us. I was feeling particularly well with an update stomach so I only order their pancakes. They offer fruit including strawberries, powder sugar and whip cream. My wife ordered a tuna melt and fries with an Arnold Palmer. My mother-in-law ordered a latte, hauevos rancho with a scrambled egg. She raved about the latte! My 3 pancakes were huge! And it all look and tasted great. The Brothers Cafe cashier/ordered take was friendly and professional. I did note the chicken & waffles on the menu and saw several oders pass by me. I saw one C&W that looks delicious and authentic having spent a decade in Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Virginia and Maryland..yum! It a little off the beaten path on West Hillsdale at HWY 92 in San Mateo. But we'll worth the effort especially with their outdoor patio being renovated..Enjoy!

    Nice brunch option in a plaza with lots of parking. Feels casual, but not hole in the wall, so your…read morefancy friends will feel fine here even if it's not a trendy, line out the door Instagrammable place. It is a very bright and comfortable neighborhood space. Features all your diner standards. Order at the counter and then the food will be brought to your table. I ordered chicken and waffles - it featured four pieces of juicy chicken atop a golden waffle, and I had plenty of leftovers to enjoy later.

    Photos
    Menu board inside
    Menu board inside
    Waffle and Chicken & Waffle
    Waffle and Chicken & Waffle
    Santorini

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    Santorini
    Fiero Caffe

    Fiero Caffe

    4.5
    (520 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    Fiero Caffe is a unique place where you see regulars who have their daily coffee/espresso and chat…read morewith the owner- a little community. Then you see others who are sitting down for hearty meal (omelette, pasta, sandwich). All of the food is good there. We have had practically everything on the menu, whether it is one of their pastas, an entree like salmon or chicken, and even the pizzas, which as of this writing, they no longer offer. Oh, and of course, great espresso drinks. You walk up to the counter and order, they give you a number and you sit down. Food is delivered to you cooked to order. This is a place where you understand that you enjoy your meal and espresso, not that you are in a hurry to work and need to use a mobile app. Seating both inside and outside. Generally well maintained as they turn over tables. One of my favorite places in the peninsula. Only wished they open for dinner but then that could change everything. Owner is great!

    A small chill cafe with indoor and outdoor seating....feels like the menu is more of a Italian…read morerestaurant....but a great place for breakfast.... People go there talk, relax, bring their kids, dogs, etc..... Seating is first come first serve....but they weren't overly packed for a Saturday about 10AM. I got the Vegetarian Omelette with no cheese.... It was pretty tasty and the latte was really good as well....Nothing to complain about... I'd come back

    Photos
    Counter area
    Counter area
    Rigatoni
    Rigatoni
    He is the best I come for his hospitality been here for years

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    He is the best I come for his hospitality been here for years

    Apple Fritter - burgers - Updated August 2026

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