King Pin Donuts is a neighborhood staple! Located on Durant Avenue, it is close to the UC Berkeley campus and is a popular spot for students. This well-established donut shop is small but has lots of options. There is also some outdoor seating right outside the store. The service is quick, and the person behind the counter is always willing to answer questions. My friend and I both tried an apple fritter, and my partner got a chocolate milk. The apple fritter was crispy with a nice glaze on top and delicious chunks of caramelized apple inside. This donut was extremely sweet, but honestly it's exactly what we needed! I normally go for apple cider donuts, so this was a great alternative. It's a good place to go when friends are visiting! read more

King Pin Donuts - Apple fritter - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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A GLAZED BACK TO WINCHELL'S Growing up as a kid in the 1980s my family and me would go to Winchell's on Sundays after Mass. The only donut I really like at Winchell's was the glazed as it had the lightly coated frosting yet the donut was not dense inside. Eventually Winchell's in the 1990s were later phased out by Krispy Kreme. I like Krispy Kreme because of the glazed also, but the sugar frosting can be too much. There are a lot of mom-and-pop donut shops that sell glazed raised donuts. However the glazed raised donuts at those shops tend to be dense inside. I like my glazed raised donuts with the balance between the ones I ate at Winchell's and Krispy Kreme. When I was a student at California I liked going to Kin Pin Donuts because of the butter milk bar. I came here to King Pin Donuts today as tomorrow is National Glazed Donut Day. The glazed I ordered had a lightly coated sugar frosting, yet the donut wasn't dense inside. If a glazed donut is dense I cannot order another one. I would equate this to a pizza if the crust is dense I can only eat one slice. At Kin Pin Donuts since I didn't feel bloated after eating the glazed raised donut I ordered another raised donut but this time with a chocolate frosting. What I really liked about the raised donuts at King Pin Donuts are the crispy outside. At King Pin Donuts for the raised donuts there are three textures: sweet frosting, fluffy inside, and crispy outside. How do you know if donuts at a donut shop are good? Just order a glazed or chocolate raised donuts to taste to find out if they're not dense. If a donut shop cannot bake a basic donut like raised donut, then most likely the rest of the donuts are not that good. If you are unsure what donuts to order at Kin Pin Donuts just order a raised donut. read more

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Own and operated by a family is super friendly and helpful and lots of pride in their food. Good quality very affordable must try the buttermilk's. They are delicious. 12 donut holes $6.75 each doughnut is about 275. read more

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I liked the maple custard bar, and the amount of custard was very generous. The size was really huge, and I felt extremely full after eating this (I ate a big burrito before). There were also 2 free donut holes included. The donuts were very sweet though, so I would've preferred them to be a bit less sweet. read more

King Pin Donuts - Custard maple bar - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Food: 3/5 Service: 3/5 Ambiance: 2/5 Overall: Pretty standard fare for taste. Good thing is it's open late. The extended review... Donuts: Buttermilk Donut - 3/5 - It's a solid donut but standard fare. Service: 3/5 - Standard service. Ambiance: 2/5 - Definitely a grab and go. read more

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On a recent visit to Berkeley, this place brought back some nostalgic memories of when I used to come as a college student. This place has a lot of varieties of donuts to choose from. The donuts are made fresh on site with a deep fryer visible at the storefront window. They also sell muffins and madeleines but it looks like they got those from Costco to resell. There are lots of different donut flavors but the ones I got tasted average. I was also surprised by how expensive they were. Glazed sprinkle ones I got were $2.75 each and the chocolate buttermilk was $3.75. The service was prompt and friendly. The guy working gave us a few free donuts holes. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The shop was in a tiny plaza/alley way where a multitude of stores are located. I loved that all these stores are open late so there's a variety of places to choose from around. I think there was a miscommunication in what we wanted since I wanted a chocolate donut but my bf pointed at a half sprinkled one which seems to be a different variety of donut that has the texture of an old fashioned. My bfs glazed donut was perfect and was not crunchy so I assume my donut was not a regular puffed donut (I personally like old fashioned so I actually did not mind this). read more

King Pin Donuts - Chocolate donut and Glazed donut - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm not one to often leave 2 stars, but I was a bit disappointed here. Came here for the first time a couple days ago, seemed like a cute shop, I was looking forward to trying. Now, I'm not one to expect much when it comes to customer service as I know its grueling, I get it. Been there. But theres no room to ask questions about anything here. I tried asking if they had a cheese danish available, barely got any response from the employee. Again, tried asking which donuts on display had filling, got a mumbled response as they walked away from me, didn't hear them at all nor did they help. I tried several times after to get the employee's attention and ask questions about products, only to be ignored. At some point i gave up and was just going to ask to order something specific with no info, still couldn't get their attention so i could simply place an order. I ended up just leaving. Seems like they have good pastries, but apparently you have to assert yourself and only ask to order exactly what you want. They will hardly answer questions about stock, ingredients, or anything else related. Wouldn't recommend if youre picky or need to inquire about ingredients for allergy issues. Unfortunate experience. read more

I saw donuts and my brain turned off. I got a half dozen. They have all the donuts you'd expect but they also had cheesecake which was cool. The service was good and quick. The ambiance is as you'd expect, a cute little shop with only enough room to choose your donuts and pay. There is seating outside with a little food court vibe however, which is nice. The donuts were mediocre but they scratched my itch for sure. The appalling thing was when I looked at the receipt and saw how expensive it was.... $20!!! For a half dozen donuts!!!! Definitely not worth it. read more

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Oh Lord, this place takes me back. When I was a baby-faced UC freshman feeling smug that I didn't have to take the remedial Subject A class for English, it only followed that my swelled head would make me invulnerable to the girth of unnecessary calories that came with the donuts served here. As far as I knew, I was the King Pin. Top of the world, Ma! But alas, the extra inches around my waist merely attest to the fact that I was just King Pinhead. All these years later, no one is gonna take that crown away from me. I happened to walk by with a nostalgic hankering and pointed to two lip-smacking $2.75 cake donuts with little redeeming value. It really didn't matter what they were as long as I keep the crown. DONUTS - 4 stars...still the same college-age calorific satisfaction with their chocolate coconut and glazed donuts (photo: https://yelp.to/o1vNgCyCkj) AMBIANCE - 3 stars...you expected white tablecloths? SERVICE - 4 stars...zippier than most donut servers TOTAL - 4 stars...I am the King of Pinheads RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

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Brief Summary: - Different doughnuts to choose from - Lightly sweet batter There are times in my life, when I gained a massive craving for doughnuts, and that was the time. In my memory, I recall walking past this doughnut shop and seeing display cases of different doughnut types. I chose this one because going to a doughnut specialized shop has lots to choose from than going to a coffee shop. We got the original glazed, the coconut, and the maple doughnut in the old-fashioned style. Generally, all the doughnuts were lightly sweet, the sweetest being the old-fashioned maple syrup doughnut. Regardless of flavors, the glazed is the best and then my next favorite was the coconut. I did like the maple syrup old-fashioned doughnut, but it is the heavier one and sweeter. In the next craving season, I'll try the regular old-fashioned styled doughnut to compare the differences read more

King Pin Donuts - Glazed, coconut, and old-fashioned style with maple syrup - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Convenient and iconic donut shop in Berkeley! I got an Apple Fritter which was very sweet and delicious. I wish it was served warm because it would have tasted so much better. read more

The perfect donut....you know when you're craving a fresh fluffy sweet donut, nothing too fancy or "fru fru", just a great no fuss donut. This is your place, period. They cook their donuts to perfection, the raised donuts are fluffy, their old fashioned are crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. They put the perfect amount of icing on their donuts, they do not skimp. I always find myself comparing other donut places to King Pin. A great Berkeley institution read more

Literally the best donut I've ever had. In my life. It changed my life. Not joking, please give this place your money. The donut man crafts each individual donut by hand, start to finish. If you are lucky enough to get one of these gems hot and fresh, you will not be disappointed. I can not recommend enough. I would have taken a better pic, but I was too busy inhaling this magical pastry. read more

King Pin Donuts - What's left of a Chocolate old fashioned. - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Trying these donuts for the first time, and I have to say I was a little disappointed with the packaging. I ordered six donuts, but they came in a to-go bag instead of a box. I heard about this spot on TikTok and have been on a hunt for the best donuts. Overall, they weren't bad, just a bit dry. Maybe I'll give them another shot and try them fresh in person. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

We were in the area and stop by. It's open late I loved that. They were fully stocked and we went at 10pm on a Saturday. Prices were reasonable and the doughnuts are really good. There's two small tables inside we sat there. We had a pretty good experience. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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King Pin Donuts is located in the Durant Square food court area. The parking is pretty bad in this area, especially on weeknights and weekends, as everyone is doubled parked along this street or trying to snag street parking nearby, and oncoming traffic usually gets pretty backed up here. Not much service - you just tell the employee what you want and they pack it up for you, then you pay and go. I have always pass by this donut shop when getting boba from one of the many spots in this vicinity over the past few years. I am not big on donuts, especially with all the different flavor glazes and fillings, but I finally tried a regular glazed donut from here recently and it was pretty good - it was warm and fluffy / soft. It was a decent sized donut for a little over $3. read more

Like an old friend, King Pin Donuts is always consistent, familiar, and dependable. From lifting my post-exam moods to celebrating the end of a semester, King Pin's donuts are perfect for any occasion. My go-to's are often cake donuts, and King Pin does them decently. The buttermilk cake donuts are pretty moist, perfectly dense, and super sweet (oftentimes, a bit excessively so). Their donuts aren't the best donuts I've had; I'll leave that achievement to Bob's in SF. But, they still get the job done. For what it's worth, what they lack in quality they make up for in quantity as each donut is colossal and comparable to the size of a softball. Each donut is a bit pricy -roughly $4- but most donuts can easily be split between two or even three. Operating since the 1930's, King Pin is no stranger to the Berkeley community. With friendly staff, late operating hours, and of course, good donuts, King Pin will remain an institution for the decades to come. read more

King Pin Donuts - Crumb Buttermilk Donut - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

A bit pricey for donuts, but it's the closest donut shop within walking proximity of campus. After being in the Berkeley area for almost 8 years, this place mostly serves as undergrad nostalgia for me. I got a dozen donut holes: half buttermilk and half raised. They might be the sweetest donuts I have ever consumed, but hey- it's donuts. I think I've hit my sugar limit for the day after eating just two. They also sell day-old donuts for a discount: 4 donuts per box for $5.50. read more

King Pin Donuts - Feb 2023 menu - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I like the donuts here but I ordered a donut, was given a bar and when I went back to exchange it for the right product, she would not do it until I asked to talk to the owner. I had to tell her I didn't care about the $1 difference, I just wanted the product I asked for. So I paid a $4.25 for one donut and left with a bad taste in my mouth from the way I was treated. What I expected, given we are talking about flour and sugar is, keep the bar, here is the donut you asked for. It really was shocking. read more

This review is strictly for the glazed raised donuts that are hot out of the hopper. I had to wait to about 1:30 am for them to be ready but it's always a pleasure. If you haven't had the hot you don't know what you're missing. I've been coming here for years but since it's so early in the morning not too often at all. It's surprising how busy the area is here as to the close proximity to Cal. I prepaid for this and the clerk delivered this to me when they were ready. It's a small donut shop but you can see donuts being made. Good times. read more

King Pin Donuts - Hot glazed raised donut - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

In 1984, I had the best donut of my entire life. It was late, and friends and I went to Kingpin. I ordered an apple fritter. It was warm! Right out of the oven. The taste exploded in my mouth. Warm, sugary oil ran through my teeth. The fritter itself was soft and chewy. The apple bits were both crunchy and soft. I.enjoyed every second of eating it. I know this may seem to have no bearing on a shop's quality 41 years later, but if they're even doing half as well as they were (and I bet it's "just as well", not half), then I highly recommend them. read more

Late night donuts? This is your spot! Place your late night dinner order across the street at Top Dog then saunter over for dessert. I suggest grabbing a maple bar, chocolate bar, glazed bar, and a dozen donut holes. They go great with at Top Dog bratwurst and potato salad. Drunken Cal Bear haute cuisine at it's finest! read more

I got the chocolate old fashioned donut and the chocolate cake donut with chocolate chips. Both were delicious & satisfied that donut craving. Service wise, King Pin is great! I ordered pickup and they threw in a couple free glazed donut holes in with my order. Will return! read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

the donuts are good, light fluffy and doughy. the coffee not so much. it's nice to see that they take a fresh always approach to their donuts read more

I've been searching for a good donut spit since I moved back to the bay. Coming from Kansas City MO I was a Lee's Donuts fanatic! This place is the best in the Bay. And trust I'm picky. My general go to is a glaze donut and I always get donut holes!! Service was good even late at night. First time going was like 11pm! I was shocked! Enjoy! read more

They have a deal where you can get a whole box filled with an assortment of day-old donuts for $5. And for just being a day old they were still good and it was a tad more dry but that's the texture we loveee. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

I got the Raised Glazed Donut, Cake Donuts Maple, Cinnamon Roll Donut, Cake Donuts Chocolate & Sprinkle. My favorites were the Glazed and Cinnamon Donut. The Glazed Donut was fresh out the fryer and it was a nice gooey soft pillowy texture. Heaven. The Cinnamon Donut reminds me of when I finish apple picking and reward myself with a farm's homemade apple cider donuts. They serve drinks like coffee and hot chocolate as well. The shop itself has a cute aesthetic as well. A great midnight snack after a long day of studying. The owner is also extremely friendly and funny. I really recommend checking King Pin Donuts out! read more

King Pin Donuts - Menu + Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I found a dead roach after biting into my donut hole just threw me all the way off, waste of $6! read more

King Pin Donuts - Roach - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

The person who I'm assuming is the owner is extremely nice! He's patient when you're just browsing and willing to answer any questions you have. I ordered a few dozen donut holes and didn't know that there were two options. I can't remember what he called it, but mentioned that he'll pack me the non traditional kind. I asked what the difference was and he said that it's crispier. I've never heard of these before, but I went with his suggestion and got those. Unfortunately, I wasn't a fan of these. I love traditional donut holes because they're soft and easy to snack on, but these were extremely dense (though they were crispier as promised). It reminds me of the dense old fashion donuts. If you like those then these would be a great option for you! I'll have to come back next time for the regular donut holes, but am happy with my experience just because the man was so nice. read more

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Wayyyyyy overpriced donuts for the quality. They charged me 4.25 for a small donut with chocolate frosting and custard filling. The frosting was crackled and falling off. The donut was also not fresh. It lacked quality and has absurd prices. Not going back!! read more

I love how fluffy the donuts are. The thing is why is it 2.50/per donut? This is true inflation- lol. But its good, so once in a while of enjoyment is worth it. Service was quick, seen they have a side spot where they sell day old donuts for cheap. Ambiance- tiny spot. Def. A grab and go situation. Still waiting on the day where I can try their donuts right off the donut maker! read more

I've come here several late nights for a sweet snack and it never disappoints! There's always a line, but it goes by quick. Once you're being served it's pretty much in and out. Donuts are amazing. I've gotten the old fashioned, sprinkles, donut holes, and chocolate donuts - all of them are perfect so I don't think you can go wrong here! read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Decent donut shop in Berkeley! My sister and I were craving donuts today for we made a stop here. We got the cinnamon twist, Apple fritter, half a dozen donut holes, and old fashion glazed donut all for $13.42. The donuts were huge and not overly sweet like other donut shops. Only issue is that the donut hole was a bit dry so it didn't taste fresh. To be fair, I did buy donuts really late in the day around 4pm PT. Apple Fritter: this one was the fluffiest one out of the donuts I bought today. I couldn't taste taste the apple and didn't see a lot of apple bits on the donut. A little disappointed, but my sister likes the fact that it was not as sweet and really fluffy! Cinnamon twist: this one was my favorite! It has the perfect balance of cinnamon and glazing. It ripped apart easily into bite size pieces. Donut holes: a bit dry but I'm a fan of glazed donut holes. Would've been perfect if it was fresh! Old fashion glazed: didn't try this one yet but it must be good since I got the last one. Parking: I was lucky to find a spot up from the donut shop, but not always this lucky! Usually there's limited parking, but I see a lot of people double parking right outside so that's what I suggest if you're in the area. read more

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Tasty donuts made with care and joy! They make a jelly custard donut! Both...in one donut. It is so good and rich! This place has the classics from donut holes to old fashioned donuts, and there is nothing quite like the classic glazed raised donut. So buttery and the right balance of savory and sweet. They e got a wide variety and their custard donuts are so Devine. Loved the variety and quality of their donuts. You've got to try them out! My favorite was the maple raised because of the perfect balance of airy donut and perfect maple glaze. read more

King Pin Donuts - Custard jelly donut and donut holes - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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These are the best donuts on the planet no joke. I've traveled all over the United States and the world, and nothing comes close to it to their moistness and softness and freshness. read more

Purchased a couple of donuts and a coffee. The coffee tasted stale and disgusting, and when I was eating donut, there was a long hair on donut. I will never come to this place again. Disgusting! Buyer beware! read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My friends and I had sweet tooth cravings one night and were looking for the closest donut shop still open. We were having dinner in Concord and saw that the nearest place to us was King Pin in Berkeley haha! The best kind of friends are the ones who will make foodie trips in the middle of the night! King Pin is located super close to the UC Berkeley campus so there's a lot of students who come here. I got a couple of donuts and a hot chocolate and it definitely hit the spot. My friends ended up getting boxes to bring to work the next day. Thank God for Donut shops that are open late at night haha If Yelp is accurate it says they're open until 3am! Go get your donut fix now! read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great donut! Light and airy, but not too sweet. The person helping me was very nice too :) read more

King Pin Donuts - Yummy raised chocolate glazed - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Not a huge fan of donuts, but the glazed donuts from here are the perfect snack for a late night craving!