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    donut savant

    4.5 (366 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 1:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

    donut savant Photos

    DONUT SAVANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed

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    Iced coffee brown sugar & cinnamon
    Ferrari C.

    No cap this is one of the best iced coffees I've had in awhile . It's the perfect balance of brown sugar & cinnamon. The service is great and a vibe . The inside is pretty modern and clean , I will definitely come back .

    Apple Fritter, Cinnamon Roll, Lemon Cronut, Maple Cronut, Dark Chocolate Cronut
    Dylan B.

    My partner told me that a coworker of hers mentioned donut savant as the best donuts they've had in the town and over the past weekend we wanted to try it out for ourselves. The store is tucked away on the corner of 38th Ave under a different name (The King's Coffee Shop - not sure if this had any historical significance to donut savant) so it was a bit confusing. The inside is quite minimalist with little decor with a few seats and merch surrounding the very nicely arranged trays of pastries. It was remarkably clean which was something that stood out immediately. The prices are very reasonable, with the store opting for smaller mini-sized donuts at $1/$2 a pop with full-sized versions of each offering around $3/$4 a piece. We went with a few items: the apple fritter, maple glazed cron't, lemon curd, cinnamon roll, and chocolate cron't. Unfortunately we went closer to closing and therefore basically all of the filled donuts were gone for the day. All the donuts were generously glazed and well balanced in their sweetness. It was my first time getting my hands on an apple fritter and it was really good - not as apple-heavy as I had always imagined it to be. Cinnamon roll and chocolate cron't were both good as well - would recommend the chocolate for folks who tend towards more dark chocolate, as it had some good bitter notes to it and works well with a croissant consistency. My favorite had to be the maple glazed cron't - super classic flavor and slightly fluffier than the chocolate cron't that blended that crispiness of the croissant and the fluffiness of a true donut. Overall a super affordable place during a time of insane inflation that doesn't compromise on quality and flavor. Definitely needed this sweet treat and will be coming back for more soon!

    Eric D.

    Great service; quick and with a friendly smile! Delectable donuts! Love the Boston Crème and Crème Brûlée. Chill atmosphere.

    Amanda S.

    OMG I love this place! Shout out to my friend for taking me because this is a hidden gem. I like donuts but they are often too much for me because they are large and overly sweet. This place is perfect for me because they basically do gourmet donut holes and are unique and taste fresh (not artificial) their cronuts are also divine! I came in the afternoon so they running low but still lots of options and still lots of people coming in. It's a grab and go type spot. Simple, clean, delicious!

    Menu (July 2025)
    Anusha S.

    Looked up must try eats in Oakland and found donut savant! We came here on a Sunday around 11:30am and all the desserts were still in stock which was great. We decided to get the crème brûlée donut, Bernie, salted maple cronut, chocolate cronut, o.m.j., little lemon one, apple fritter, cinnamon roll, and w.t. fluff. My personal favorites were the Bernie, o.m.j, and the salted maple cronut! The chocolate cronut was pretty good as well. My friend liked the o.m.j., w.t. fluff, and the crème brûlée donut. We were not a fan of the apple fritter, cinnamon roll, and little lemon one. The apple fritter didn't have much apple flavor, the cinnamon roll could have more cinnamon in it and glaze was a little salty, and the little lemon one was a little too tart for our liking. Overall, donut savant is a solid spot with unique desserts. I would come back to get my favorites and to try more items!

    Sabrina Z.

    Cronuts were light and fluffy! I would rate the cronuts in this order: 1. Maple 2. Cinnamon sugar 3. Little lemon one (perfectly bite size!) 4. Chocolate cron't 5. Vanilla We also got: - crème brulee - filling inside wasn't too sweet or thick and the sugar coating was crunchy, but not too thick - the Bernie- same vanilla pastry filling with the maple frosting (my favorite!)

    creme brulee donut with brown sugar latte
    Connie N.

    this is must a stop for us at oakland. the creme brulee donut alone is worth it just look at the glossy crust omg. the sugar topping has a nice crunch followed by the smooth vanilla bean filling which makes this donut so satisfying. they also make really good lattes, it's even better than some cafes... they do tend to sell out most of their donuts especially near closing so plan ahead!

    MUST TRY: The Bernie, Little Lemon One (if you like tart), w.t. Fluff (peanut), chocolate cron't. Staff is nice/neutral and asks you if you'd like any drinks when you walk in. Clean interior. Everything tastes like it's actually made in-house. Every filling, frosting, and donut feels carefully crafted and tastes just as good as it looks. The maple glaze on the Bernie alone makes this place worth it. It's not that overly sweet, artificial maple you usually get. It's toned down, almost butterscotch-y, and way better. The vanilla cream is also insanely good, which the Bernie also has. The maple on the other ones don't hit the same though. My friend is big on the cron'ts (croissant donuts), and the dark chocolate glaze is thick, almost like a ganache. My personal favorites are the "W.T. Fluff" and the "little lemon one". The fluff is like a peanutty, s'mores, powdered sugar DELICACY, and the lemon one is nice and tart, kind of like a lemon bar. Only misses for us were the apple fritter and the cinnamon roll. Both were a bit firm and just didn't have much flavor. We also were neutral on the sugar coatings and the small cake donuts. The iced coffee can be on the milky side sometimes. They don't have every donut every day, so I'd call ahead if you're looking for something specific. I've gone three times and still haven't seen the crème brûlée in stock. Also, get there early, some do sell out. Easily the best donut shop I've been to in Oakland, just a little on the pricier side.

    Sarah L.

    This has been in my bookmark for years. more than 5 years and I finally had a chance to check them out. I would come back and try other flavors. I came here before noon and there are only a few pieces left. I wanted to get all the lemon flavor but there was another customer was behind me so I didn't get everything. He later thanked me for not taking all the donuts. I must say, I was disappointed of the size (see picture for reference, I put my hand next to them so you can see how tiny these are). The pictures were deceiving, I thought they were huge like regular sized donuts. Anyway I still left happy because they were good! The price , I wish was a few cents less, because a few more cents, you can already get an actual donut. Or add a dollar and you can get a gourmet donut. Casual. Servers were polite. Street parking, good luck!

    7/16/25 FYI. Todays donuts!
    Lee D.

    Quality/Quantity - My daughter is on a donut craze and I have been wanting to come here for a while. Plus, the two places we wanted to go to in Union City were both closed. Today, as usual, we went overboard and ordered 7 donuts.... And I just left the gym... We got the following, in the order of my favorite: Bernie Donut - My favorite. The maple was a little TOO sweet for me. My younger self would have really enjoyed it. But the filling was the perfect sweetness. And I really like the quality of the donut - the firmness, the proportions, etc. Salted Maple Cronut - Little Lemon One - My daughter's favorite. She loves lemon flavored things. OMJ - We got two. This was our first order. If I knew we were going to go crazy, we could have just ordered and shared the one. Vanilla Glazed Cronut - The employee said this one was their best seller. But it seemed too plain for us. Sufganiyot; Sugar Jam Filled Donut - Cool name. It was a normal/basic jelly filled donut. Donuts are 5 stars; all of good quality. I can see why and how you are a Savant. Atmosphere - Small local business, support local. Not easy to get to, well not easy for me. GPS had me drive through the city. Next time I will take 580! I took 580 to get home which was way easier!! Open 5 days a week from 7am to 1pm; closed Mondays and Tuesdays. Plenty of street parking. Service - Good, counter service. Greeted right away and offered drinks when we walked in. But we have a Breville so I wanted to make our own espresso at home. Price - $20; no cash business, card only. I thought it was reasonably priced, especially for the quality. I think next time we will do the baker's choice for $14.50. Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 2012 and at this location since 2020! If it was easier for us/me to get to, I could see myself as a regular customer. Or I will be back next time I am entertaining guests for breakfast or brunch.

    Jessica K.

    Probably about 8:15am, Friday morning. I walked in right before a rush because there was a line of maybe 10 after me. My first time in person, but people have brought donuts from here to the office. The line went super quick. The employee wasn't super friendly, but not unfriendly. He was there to do his job, and get people in and out. And I appreciate that. He knew what he was doing, and he did it well. I chose several donuts, and the prices were decent. Considering the line was out the door, and the donuts look really nice. I feel like they could be one of those places that charges more, but they don't. And I like them more for that. The donuts weren't for me, but I have eaten their donuts before and they were good. Would definitely recommend and can see why there's a line regularly.

    Glazed Cron't & the Bernie(?)
    Jessica H.

    Came here back in 2021 when cronut/croffles were trending. All the donuts in the display looked so good & it was so hard to decide what to order. I decided to keep it simple & ordered the vanilla cron't and the Bernie. I remember the cron't was dense but still flaky. Parking was a bit difficult cause it's either the main street or residential area.

    Christine L.

    Definitely some of the best donuts I've ever had in my life. I tried a variety of flavors and everything was perfectly balanced. I tend to be more sensitive to sweet flavors and nothing was too sweet for me which is always a pleasant surprise. Also, everything was so perfectly soft and fluffy on the inside. Donut Savant donuts set the bar for donuts for me!

    Evidence left over from a fourth box...

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    The glaze on these donuts are DIVINE. I don't say this lightly, but literally the best donuts I have ever eaten.

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    Ask the Community - donut savant

    Are they able to make a to-go traveler's sized coffee for a group?

    yes!!

    What is the fry oil? Canola?

    hi jonathan, we use organic palm shortening.

    What is parking like in that area?

    you should be able to find a spot less than a block away

    What's the best time to get fresh still-warm donuts?

    Early..

    What time do they open?

    At the moment: Wed-Sun 7am-1pm

    View All 13 Questions

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    Working remotely from home today, and ordered delivery from Grubhub from Oakland's Grind Coffehouse…read morefor breakfast and morning drinks, to take advantage of some of the discounts available from the Grubhub app. Got the matcha latte, chai latte, egg and cheese croissant ($5.45), and chorizo/egg/cheese english muffin ($5.99). You get a choice of cheese for the croissant sandwich and can add protein (bacon, ham, sausage, etc) to it too. Matcha, chai, and egg croissant were all fine. English muffin sandwich was ok.

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    donut savant - donuts - Updated August 2026

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