Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    King Pin Donuts

    3.8 (710 reviews)
    InexpensiveDonuts, Desserts
    Open 7:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order King Pin Donuts Takeout or Delivery

    King Pin Donuts Photos

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - King Pin Donuts

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    David C.

    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.

    Spencer Q.

    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.

    Custard maple bar
    Emma N.

    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.

    David L.

    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.

    Outside the shop with my half dozen of donuts
    Shannon C.

    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.

    Chocolate donut and Glazed donut
    Megan T.

    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).

    Montage of images from King Pin Donuts
    Ed U.

    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

    Glazed, coconut, and old-fashioned style with maple syrup
    Mito I.

    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

    Isaiah G.

    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.

    What's left of a Chocolate old fashioned.

    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.

    Tania D.

    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.

    Crumb Buttermilk Donut
    Audrey I.

    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.

    Feb 2023 menu
    Maggie C.

    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.

    Hot glazed raised donut

    See all

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Paul B.
    174
    12
    8

    12 years ago

    When you want Donuts late at night, you can't do better than King Pin.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    21 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rob L.
    117
    227
    6251

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon L.
    26
    23
    1

    20 years ago

    The smell is wonderful and every time I've been the donuts have been hot!

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Neha T.
    156
    60
    10

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Tim C.
    271
    187
    31

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    13 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    20 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Leo S.
    17
    49
    18

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Rose G.
    20
    244
    134

    19 years ago

    Not just a donut. They are Great!! At least when I had them. Have they changed owners?? A reason to drive to Berekley at 10pm.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Soomin S.
    58
    48
    35

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joel G.
    203
    10
    2

    15 years ago

    Just the best and freshest, plus its open on munchie peak hours.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ardis G.
    126
    21
    9

    10 years ago

    My daughter said - after having a hot fresh maple old fashioned donut - "these are like AWESOME hot pancakes!!"

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    10 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Lina L.
    31
    23
    17

    8 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Seriously the BEST DONUTS EVER. Buttermilk bars are awesome and their maple glaze is great. Also, bacon donuts, need I say more?

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Greg H.
    85
    197
    5

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Ryan Y.
    16
    161
    0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    21 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jon N.
    198
    158
    261

    20 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of My C.
    87
    286
    416

    18 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Jake G.
    267
    71
    388

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    15 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 14 of 18

    King Pin Donuts Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - King Pin Donuts

    Do they make Apple Fritters?

    Yes and they're pretty sizable donuts.

    View All 8 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Donuts 13,903 times last month within 10 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Dessert Cafe

    Dessert Cafe

    3.7
    (66 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    $$

    Dessert Cafe is right around the corner from my friend's place and I ALWAYS pass by (regretting…read morethat I never get anything haha). The doors are always open and smells so good too. I finally decided to go inside and think I went a little crazy with ordering.. As you get inside, there are 2 kiosks that you can order on and the ordering process is pretty simple. I got all my food to-go and the wait was about 10 mins or less, so pretty quick! The service was awesome as well! The guy saw me struggling trying to carry all the food, drinks, and my IPad (I got stuff from the gas station prior) and he offered to help and put my drinks in this holder. I ordered the Tiger brown sugar milk tea w/ boba pearls, Hot Cheetos Half N Half corn dog (comes with choice of dipping, I got mustard), 8 piece fried dumplings (comes with soy sauce), fruity pebbles mochi donut, and the strawberry and banana nutella croffle. The milk tea was super good, could never go wrong with a brown sugar milk tea! The hot Cheetos corn dog was crispy and super good as well, however I wish I had eaten it when it was still hot to get that cheese pull... the fried dumplings were crispy and delicious. The fruity pebbles mochi donut was really soft and chewy (in a good way) and had the flavor of a glazed donut. Also the cereal tasted fresh! The strawberry/ banana Nutella croffle was so delicious and tasted like a strawberry/ banana waffle. I think this one had to be my fave. Overall, I paid a little under $40 with tip for all the food and I would definitely go again!

    Dessert Cafe opened 2 years ago where The Kebabery once was. Infrastructure maybe similar. Seating…read morein 2 sections different. Ordered by kiosk. Entrees ready in 5ish minutes. Mexican music in background? Street metered parking Offerings (desserts/drinks): bingsu, croffles, fries, Korean dog, elote, boba, lemonade, strawberry chocolate, cheesecake, housemade desserts, cake, matcha latte, toronado potato, churros, mochi donut. Bites: housemade creme brule (6) -saw associate flaming top with blow torch. Crust has a crunchy, crispy sugary topping -underneath was custard like, tasting more of a milk solid than eggy infused dessert. Refrigerator cold. -brownish liquid more sugar ish than caramel or any fancy sweeting. It seems at least a decade since I last had it. Memory not the same. 3.5 stars semi-worthy. service/Quantiy semi-ok. Qualtiy-lacking.

    Photos
    Dessert Cafe
    Strawberry & Banana Nutella Croffle (minus the Nutella)
    Strawberry & Banana Nutella Croffle (minus the Nutella)
    Exterior view

    See all

    Exterior view
    Starter Bakery

    Starter Bakery

    4.3
    (161 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    Cute bakery in Rockridge serving delicious pastries! Came here on a Friday at around 8am and the…read moreplace was decently busy, but we got to order right away. We decided to order 6 different pastries. We first tried their Seasonal Strawberry Almond Frangipane, Seasonal Strawberry Kouign Amann, Cardamon Pistachio Kouign Amann, Chocolate Pistachio Kouign Amann, Chocolate Babka, and Twice Baked Mocha Pecan Croissant. I liked all of their Kouign Amanns a lot, especially the strawberry one which added a nice fruit element! Their kouign amanns have very crispy layers and very flaky. I'd honestly recommend all 6 of the pastries we tried, especially since the prices for this place are lower (~$6) than some other high quality bakeries around the Oakland and SF area. The decor inside the bakery is really cute and there are quite a few small tables you can sit at to enjoy the baked goods. Service was nice and fast. Overall: solid pastry spot I'd recommend anyone to check out!

    ​I have been reading amazing things about Starter Bakery, so I was excited to try it out with my…read moregirlfriend. The ambiance is wonderful - I absolutely love the deep blue color scheme, the cute matching mugs, and gorgeous plants. They have a lot of different pastry choices, but unfortunately, there was only one vegan option: a tiny hazelnut sweet bread. ​I ordered the bread along with an Americano. When I tried to take the pastry out of the package to share it with my girlfriend, it completely crumbled into a big mess. I went up to the counter to let them know, and the employee told me it was actually meant to be eaten straight from the package. She mentioned it was on the drier side being vegan, she took the crumbled mess and gave me a new one but it ended up having the exact same issue. It wasnt dry, but it just wouldn't hold any moisture and was far too crumbly to eat. ​For $5, this tiny pastry was a major letdown. To make the interaction weirder, she took the original crumbled bread back from me and I'm only assuming threw it away, which felt entirely unnecessary. Having been vegan for nine years, I've had some truly amazing, moist vegan baked goods, so this was incredibly disappointing. While the vibe and aesthetic are great, the vegan options were major letdown. CC accepted Restroom available

    Photos
    Mille bisous for mille feuille with pear! Now available at College Ave.
    Mille bisous for mille feuille with pear! Now available at College Ave.
    Our Stollen holiday bread makes winter mornings festive. Shown here in our regular size--preorder by 12/19 at 12pm PT for pick-up on 12/24.
    Our Stollen holiday bread makes winter mornings festive. Shown here in our regular size--preorder by 12/19 at 12pm PT for pick-up on 12/24.
    Earl Grey, coming in hot -- in our Plum & Earl Grey Kouign Amann, available this week for Oakland Style.

    See all

    Earl Grey, coming in hot -- in our Plum & Earl Grey Kouign Amann, available this week for Oakland Style.
    Dream Fluff Donuts

    Dream Fluff Donuts

    4.4
    (339 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $

    You still doing great things Dream Fluff. Most recently, your breakfast sandwich slapped. Bacon,…read moreegg and cheese on an english muffin. Real egg, cooked fresh, came out real quick. Donuts are great too, especially when fresh. Overall, this is a great neighborhood joint for donuts, but honestly, for a quick breakfast sandwich.

    Listen, I'm no donut expert. Oh wait, I've got 64 donut shop reviews in my Yelp collection of donut…read morepurveyors, so by default, I guess I am. Believe me, that escalated level of carb consumption isn't a source of pride for me, but I can't turn my head from a good donut. Dream Fluff is part of my wayback machine because it's been around since the 1980's. So have I. Well, I was a fresh-faced Berkeley alumnus when I first came upon this shop. I probably bought my share of dozen donut boxes back then and not just for me. However, time passed, and I had not returned until quite recently. Not so fresh-faced but still with an appetite for a good donut. The display case looked identical to what I remembered. Consistency can be a good thing, not just the hobgoblin of small minds. I bought a $1.75 Blueberry Cake Donut and have not looked back (Photo 3). Dream Fluff would be my porn name. DONUT - 4 stars...one donut would've led to another AMBIANCE - 4 stars...still the same old-school spot SERVICE - 4 stars...friendly, busy serving a constant stream of drop-bys TOTAL - 4 stars...it's a survivor...it not gon' give up RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

    Photos
    Dream Fluff Donuts
    Ham, Egg and Cheese English Muffin
    Ham, Egg and Cheese English Muffin
    Delicious donut

    See all

    Delicious donut

    King Pin Donuts - donuts - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...