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Golden Donuts & Diner

4.2 (65 reviews)
Open 7:30 am - 9:00 pm

Order Golden Donuts & Diner Takeout or Delivery

Golden Donuts & Diner Photos

Business Info

GOLDEN DONUTS & DINER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Divey
Casual
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Golden Donuts & Diner

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Reviews With Photos

Very lovely waitress.
Rodney W.

I really liked the atmosphere here, but I think they need to do something to make the surroundings pop. Everything is so old and faded. Shame. I got the patty melt. You know that mystery meat they served you in school? That's what you get here. I could not stomach it so I got tomato grilled cheese instead and sent back the burger. I don't know how but they messed that up too. See the photos. And, finally, the waitress was really sweet and kind but I just could not understand her. I don't think she speaks much English, poor thing. I won't be back. I wish them a better chef and higher quality inventory.

Apple Fritter  (9/23/2022)
Gwen W.

Classic old diner vibes. I went on a Friday morning @ 8:30, and the donut selections where already somewhat picked over; note to self for future planned stops. Of the bat, Pete the owner and a women where running front of house. I love places where the owner is pulling their weight and not chillaxing on the side. I sat at the counter with old-school padded stool seating bolted to the floor, a feature that's definitely hard to find in central Ohio these days. I got the Veggie Omelette, added sausage. For $10.80, the meal was spot on. The hash browns were surprisingly good. I didn't have to add much salt at all, a big plus. Soft, a few random crisp edges, just the way I like 'em. I couldn't leave without getting a donut or two to try. The Apple fritter was okay; no apple taste or chunks which was a bummer. Donut holes were on the dry side. Next time, either I get there a few hours earlier, or pass on the donuts altogether. Super glad I finally made it to GDD. Definitely a no-frills classic stop to keep in my bookmarks!

Ordered French toast, home fries & bacon on the side. Upon arrival, I gave the woman at the front desk my order name. She gave me a hard time, telling me to show her identification for the order. I would've obliged, but I didn't have my ID! didn't expect to be carded while picking up food. She ended up giving me my order after some explanation. French toast, bacon & Eggs were great. Home fries were just smushed potatoes and they weren't seasoned. Cool vintage diner ambiance.

Menu Front Cover
 (July 2023)
Buddy Jack E.

This place is a gem. I decided to try it based on Yelp reviews and I wasn't disappointed. The staff is very friendly and accommodation. The regulars are a hoot if you're into getting the local flavor of places as part of the experience. The food was good and prepared quickly. No complaints at all. Also, I noticed a ton of Uber Eats and DoorDash drivers coming to pick up orders. Clearly, this place has a following and after one meal, I can see why it's a favorite.

Breakfast menu
Sandy W.

Perfect breakfast place which is tasty and very reasonably priced. I ordered the Denver omelette and hash browns. The omelette was huge and the homemade hash browns were tasty. It came with two slices of toast. Place used to be a Jolly Pirate Donut Shop so seating is limited but they do have counter service and booths!

Club Sandwich with chips
Aubrey D.

Second time coming in and I'll say I'm a fan of this little local spot close to home. First time I dined in and it was your run of the mill local breakfast spot where everyone who was in the know knew to order carry out. It's a small location with a few staff, do yourself a favor and order carry out. But if you don't mind the wait dine in and relax! Pro tip, park on the sides because the front gets congested with people in and out. While I'll be honest I don't quite remember what I had, I knew it was definitely somewhere I wanted to come back to. My second trip I called in my order like a boss, and had EXCELLENT customer service while ordering, super friendly and left nothing to be confused over. Ordered a Club that comes with chips. 15 mins later I opened the box and from the smell alone I knew that is was exactly what I was looking for! Even in the few moments of being inside I hammed it up with the woman ringing me out and another patron like I'm there all the time. Also do yourself a favor and grab a donut... because well... why not?!

The exterior.
Fred B.

QUITE POSSIBLY THE BEST GLAZED DONUTS IN COLUMBUS... ! OK, I admit it, I love old-school glazed donuts. Plain, traditional, glazed donuts like when we were kids. In my heart-of-hearts I believe icing and sprinkles and fillings are a cover-up for the lack of true artisanship in the donut. To me, the best donuts are nothing more than sugar, flour and oil - a hot, fresh, old-school glazed donut. Golden Donuts & Diner on Lockbourne Road, just north of Refugee Road, makes outstanding glazed donuts - quite possibly the best in Columbus. Certainly the best I know of. Come to think of it, I hate writing this review, because it's making me hungry... now I need to invent an excuse to drive to the south side... SO GOOD.

Excellent veggie omelet w crispy Home Fries!
Nick A.

Well, well, well! What a find on the outskirts of Columbus! Super friendly staff that welcomed us as new guests w a warm smile! The food was excellent and we only wished we had more room to try more items! You would drive by it 100 times and not stop, well STOP IN! The music is outstanding also!

Joseph S.

Really nice place to eat. Great breakfast and a great staff. My wife got the #2 breakfast and I got the #1 with steak. It was cooked to perfection. We picked up a few doughnuts before we left. The bathroom was disgusting because some smart genius felt like urinating all on the floor near the urinal. I will come back soon for their other menu items.

Bruce W.

Very good breakfast. Eggs were done just the way I like. The corned beef hash was some of the best I ever had. We will be back!

Corn beef hash (side)
Hannah B.

Saturday Breakfast with some friends. Ventured down to #goldendonutsanddiner on the south side of Columbus. I had the Denver omelet: sausage, onions and peppers. We tried the corn beef hash (recommendation from a friend), which was delicious!! They also have a large assortment of donuts, but get there early because they run out quick!

Club Sandwich
Tristan W.

Very personable business with lovely people. Met the very interesting owner and would recommend this place to anyone. Food and donuts are good too!

Rose A.

This place is a hidden gem. It's located in what used to be a Jolly Pirate and has a very vintage feel to it. The food is phenomenal. We had a grilled cinnamon roll and the golden buster. The grilled cinnamon roll isn't on the menu, but they were more than happy to put one of the cinnamon rolls on the grill for us when we asked. It was crisp on the edges, soft in the middle, and not overly sweet. It was hugely satisfying. The golden buster was a very nice size, with eggs, ham, home fries, sausage gravy, cheese and toast. The sausage gravy was obviously made in house and was so yummy! Ordered my eggs over easy and they were perfectly cooked, something that most breakfast places I try mess up. We took a baker's dozen of donuts to go for just $10.75 and the kids loved them. Apple fritters, bowties, sprinkled, and custard filled. They were fresh, had a nice texture, and weren't sickeningly sweet like some places make them. Overall, pretty perfect. We will definitely be coming here again.

#2 breakfast

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9 months ago

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4 years ago

Amazing food, excellent service, good pricing. Flavor of food is always consistent! Would give 6 stars if possible!!

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7 years ago

Great spot. Is what it is...cool atmosphere, good food, great doughnuts, and locally owned and operated.

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Ask the Community - Golden Donuts & Diner

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I'll start by saying I'm not a big donut fan but I'm HOOKED on these!…read more I first got to try Donna's at an event on campus and their strawberry cheesecake donut had been on my mind since. The donuts are made fresh and are soft and plush. They have an open concept kitchen so you can see the staff prepare your donut right in front of you! I came in for a celebratory sweet treat and of course had to order the strawberry cheesecake donut. The staff were very friendly and my donut came out quickly. My car filled up with the sweet aroma of a freshly fried donut and notes of strawberry. I was so excited to take a bite and the flavors did not disappoint. So good I forgot to take a picture! The only thing I did notice was it seemed like the donut was not completely cooked all the way through as I found a wet spot as I got closer to the center.

I had to try this donut shop since it was featured as on the top donut shops in the country based…read moreon Yelp reviews. It's in hidden in the plaza so you won't necessarily see it off the Main Street. Once you're inside it has a warm friendly vibe. You get to see the donut making first hand since it's an open kitchen. The menu has many created flavors for the chocolate , fruity, or seasonal lover. Not finding something you like, you can make your own. Think of Cold Stone but for donuts. I decided to go with a few of the created flavors, Honey Blue, Raspberry Beret, and the Mitch. They came piping hot out and were glazed and topped right in front of me. It was great but the icing didn't have a chance to set fully because the donut was so hot. I suggest to ask if you can have them wait a minute or two before putting on the glaze I love the story behind explaining who Donna is. I love learning the back story of any business. I will definitely be back to try other flavor combinations.

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Resch's Bakery

Resch's Bakery

4.4(377 reviews)
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We got here on a Saturday morning just after they opened so we thought. They had actually opened 30…read moreminutes earlier than we expected. When you walk in you pull a number and wait for it to be called. Almost felt like I had walked into the DMV. lol We peeked at the display counters while we waited and tried to have our orders ready when it was our turn to expedite the wait for those after us. There were a few shelves that displayed various cookies, breads and things you could grab and go. The place was clean and the process was orderly. They seemed to keep things in the front stocked. We probably waited about 15 minutes. I pulled number 90 and the were calling the last of the 60's. We ordered several items to try including the packzis with three different fillings since we went at the right time of year for these. We grabbed a cheese, strawberry and lemon. We also chose a cheese danish, maple cream stick, apple fritter, cherry turnover and a donut stick. Once we told them what we wanted the girl helping us went to the back and started filling our box. A few moments later she returned, we paid and headed out the door with our sweets. My husband didn't want to wait so we opened up the box once we got to the car and each took one bite from each of our selections. We didn't find anything wrong with our choices. The one thing I was thrown off by is how they make their apple fritters. I almost missed ordering one bc they look nothing like the apple fritters I'm used to eating. It was just ok in my book. Not something I would get again. The donut stick on the other hand is something I wouldn't miss next time. In fact I'd be getting more than one. It was probably my favorite item of all we selected. The cream stick dough was soft. The cream wasn't too sweet. The only thing I would have changed was to have the maple icing be a bit more maple flavored. The turnover was nice and crispy flakey but the filling was just ok. Maybe a different flavor next time if I would get one. How can you go wrong with a cheese danish? Warm this slightly and you're hitting a home run. This was a nice stop and we learned the difference between what we liked and loved. We know just what to get next time. I will say they have a great social media presence and do a phenomenal job interacting with their customers and community.

It was a pleasure to see Resch's Bakery open in Gahanna. As a family new to Ohio in 2013, we heard…read moregood things about Resch's and we have long been supporters in past communities of family owned bakeries. We enjoy their products and welcome Resch's to Gahanna. We are highly confident Resch's would be even more successful if they took two actions: 1. Open for business at least by 7:00 a.m. 2. Offer the option of traditional no-filling Chocolate and Vanilla frosted Long John donuts. -- market data supports this and shows .... Based on: * Sampling of 100+ independent bakery hours across U.S. cities * Regional bakery association listings * Yelp/Google Business hour patterns * Known bakery business models A realistic, data‑grounded estimate is: Only about 10-15% of neighborhood bakeries open at 8:00 a.m. or later. Further market data shows... Bakeries that offer only filled Long Johns are extremely uncommon. Why unfilled Long Johns almost always remain on the menu * They serve the "less sweet" customer segment. * They pair well with coffee (important for morning sales). * They are cheaper to produce and have fewer failure points. * They are the "default bar donut" in many regions. Even bakeries that push filled varieties keep unfilled bars because they sell steadily and require no additional labor. --- Bottom-line conclusion Bakeries that offer only filled Long Johns are very rare -- probably under 5% of all bakeries. The overwhelming majority offer both, with filled varieties outnumbering unfilled but not replacing them.

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Lil Donut Factory - The Fancy Favs Donut Pack

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4.5(161 reviews)
11.1 mi
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There no big flashy sign anywhere to tell you "Here we are!" So try not to miss this one. We walked…read morein around 10:15am and I was concerned we may be too late to get a good selection bc I've read plenty of reviews saying they sell out daily and to get there early. It's a small shop by a gas station. We were greeted as soon as we walked in the door and they were ready to take our order before we were ready to give it. I asked about a couple of the varieties in the display counter and those answers helped me make my selections. We ended up with 6 different varieties. A maple cream stick, donut stick, apple fritter, raspberry jelly filled, a buckeye donut (for my hubby) and a chocolate espresso donut (for me). The price was quite reasonable and the people working were very friendly. I also ended up getting a bag of coffee beans after talking with our server and getting her recommendations. She even gave me a sample of one of them they had brewed. We paid for our items and headed out. Several people came while we were there. In fact our friends missed getting to try the espresso donut because someone's that jumped in between us bought the last of them. After trying it when we got to our car I can see why! DELICIOUS!! Would go back for it alone. My husband didn't even wait until we got to the car to try his Buckeye donut and he loved it. Their apple fritter was better than one I bought earlier that morning from a bakery. I didn't think the raspberry jelly filled had nearly enough filling. It easily needed tripled. I say that as someone who worked for three years in a bakery and filled donuts. All in all this was a great stop and if we're in the area again we would definitely drop by to see what's being served.

Never ever disappointed by Lil Donut Factory! Donuts are always delicious and the staff is always…read morebeyond pleasant and helpful. Unassuming location attached to one side of a gas station but easy to get in and out. The Apple fritter is a personal favorite.

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Golden Donuts & Diner - donuts - Updated May 2026

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