Nearly 2am. Just finished enjoying a damn hot dog and a night out in a club back in SF. I feel almost complete. I just need something freaking sweet. SWEET. Look across the street. There it is! King Pin Donuts. FAMED. I have heard so much about this place. OPEN SO LATE. bless this place truly. Like two tables inside. Plenty of seating outside. A man ready to help out. WONDERFUL What really pleased me was that there were a whole lot of donuts. Like it looked fully stocked. And so many donut holes! GRABBED FOUR DONUTS: two chocolate donuts, one sugar donut, and one bacon maple donut. $6 ish dollars total. My friend loved her chocolate donut. My other friend liked her bacon maple donut. I tried it too. It was so sweet and savory. My sugar donut hit the spot. It wasn't as fresh as I would want it to be, but that was the only flaw. It was generously covered in sugar, it was soft and dough-y. Ripped it into pieces and enjoyed each bite. MY GO TO SPOT THIS LATE AT NIGHT IN BERKELEY FOR SURE 4/5 read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Open late and convenient is always a plus. What's not a plus are the prices for a single fresh donut costing you $4. It's a little insane since if you can fight your craving, you can bus down a bit and get a massive discount at other locally-run donut businesses. When I'm planning for donuts, I definitely make my way to San Pablo and head over to Rainbow Donuts or Happy Donuts where I can get 12 just as good and fresh donuts for King Pin's price of 3. If you're in a rush, need some quick filling food, don't mind some age, then grab a box of their day-old donuts for a fraction of the price. They come in mixed varieties and are worth it when you don't need a dozen or are desperate. read more

Really only 3.5 stars...4 stars for the donuts and 3 stars for the value. Had a apple fritter which was huge like their buttermilk holes. Both were satisfying with crunch from their fried dough and glaze, simple goodness, plenty to share with my kids. Everyone was satisfied, to me its a close second to Golden Fluff near Alta Bates. I was only put off by the $7+ for the two items, really its just a bit of flour, fried and covered in sugar. I didn't say I wouldn't be back though. read more

$9 fucking dollars for four donuts.. that are not gourmet. Am I crazy or has inflation hit early on fried sugar and dough. Yet another reason to hate Berkeley. Is Berkeley on Yelp so I can then one star there too. read more

Ehhhh not the best donuts but they definitely hit the spot. They have a wide range (cake, old fashioned, sprinkles, bear claw, etc.) and are also baking new donuts throughout the day. Prices range from $1-$2.50 per donut and it's about $20 for a dozen. I've brought these into work for my boss a few times and their selections never fail to please! read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

**3.5 STARS** Upon walking to Steve's Korean for dinner... bro and bff and I saw them making new batches of donuts and since bro and I kept wanting to try the donuts... that night was the night. We came out of dinner and the new batches of donuts smelled wonderful! It was fresh made and so we all got one donut each. 3.5 stars only because they're not the donuts that I'm used to eating... but then again, I guess I have to go back and try some more to solve my problem/issue =) Cheap and friendly ... good spot for dinner or late night snack. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I ordered doughnuts from here to satisfy the sweet tooth during lockdown. I understand its tough for a doughnut place to stay open due to the short shelf-life and in-person eating associated with doughnuts. so this place didn't have the doughnuts i requested, but the owner personally called and I just said to take care of me. I got some extra doughnuts on the house, and his choices were quite good. the pricing here seems a little high, however Berkeley is definitely not a cheap place to rent either. read more

Ambiance: Small shop. LOTS OF YUIMMY LOOKING DONUTS under a glass display. And....it was all a façade. Service: Guy was pretty unwelcoming and looked annoyed when we came in. Maybe he worked a long long night... Food: Chocolate custard-filled donut: I personally was not in the mood to give it a try. (Disclaimer: I dislike custard anything and everything.) BUT my BF really really really enjoyed it. :) Mint chocolate chip donut: I love mint anything! But this was a super bummer to my taste buds. I would not recommend this to any chocolate or mint lover. The doughnut was dry too like it had been left out for awhile. :\ Glazed twist donut: Meh...nothing amazing. Price: ~$7 Conclusion: Overpriced donut that aren't amazing. I would not come back here. Let's stick with Krispy Kremes. They know what's up. read more

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Great place for a snack! Reasonable prices and nice staff! I always get their donut holes and they are amazing every time! Super soft and pillowy! read more

Nice that it is open late, but pricey donuts for sure. Nothing special about these donuts that I'd go out of my way for. Expect to pay at least $4 per donut. I got an Apple fritter and my partner got a glazed donut with cream and some type of red berry. Didn't have an extensive oil taste like most donut places, but the dough tasted the same as other donut places I've had before. They are about the size of a small plate. It had some great reviews so I thought I'd give it a try to see what it was about. If you are in the area and craving something sweet, you should give it a try. read more

The fritter is good. But less cinnamon and apple for my preference. The price was a bit on the higher side for the area. read more

King Pin Donuts - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Awesome place for donuts!! Definitely give the old fashioned donuts a try! The lines are somewhat long but worth it at the end.

Normally I don't like old fashioned donuts but these were fantastic. We went late at night during COVID, one of the few places open at night for a late night snack. The donuts are oilier than most but in a surprisingly good way, I'm looking forward to coming back. read more

I've never had such great donuts that melt in my mouth. King Pin is great for many reasons, but primarily the Incredible flavors and also the stellar customer service. I strongly recommend this place to anybody who wants to get a high-quality donut. read more

I ordered an assortment of donuts from here this morning and a chai latte. The latte was tasty and the donuts were huge and fresh. They tasted great -I'll be coming back here in the future! read more

I don't understand the obsession with this place. Yes its nice to have fresh made donuts throughout the day, even to order. Donut holes are very sharable and clearly handmade in their odd irregular shapes. But its super sweet and overly greasy. I bit into one of the donut holes and felt the oil gush out the other side. I'm ok with a heavy donut once in a while, but not when my aim was to just eat a small donut hole. Also the donut holes are kinda dense and crumbly, which I'm not adverse to, albeit an unusual texture for a donut hole. Had better donuts, but maybe just a bad day that my friends can reconvince me of trying again. read more

TL;DR Donut to pick up your day! Fail a midterm? Get a donut! Ace a midterm? Get a donut! They're not the best donuts in the world, but they're always fresh! You can watch them make new batches right then and there. In Asian ghetto, they're very reasonably priced to fit the college student budget and taste buds. If you need a carby dessert to follow your carby dinner, King Pin is the place to go! read more

I saw that this place had many great reviews, so decided to stop by while in Berkeley. These donuts are below average, for sure. They were not fresh or fluffy. The maple glazed donut w/bacon was sloppy and overly sweet... a complete '"hot mess" plus the bacon on the donut was not even cripsy, it was chewy. The chocolate donut was only slightly better. Not worth the hype and overpriced. read more

Best donuts i've ever tried!! They were very delicious and fluffy....kinda pricey but definitely worth it! They have many different types of donuts and a very full counter. 10/10 definitely will be coming back to try their apple fritters which looked delicious read more

Looking for a donut shop near Oakland/ Berkeley this is the place to go! Fresh , soft , chewy donuts especially their buttermilk donuts. And they are open til 3 am. read more

Definitely over priced. Donuts are $3.75. Any other donut bakery donuts are $1.25. We ordered three donuts and donut holes and we paid $17.00. Insane. read more

This is a tiny little shop for such a big-name "King Pin donuts". They have only one cash register. Maybe the size of the donuts are where the "King" comes into play. These are really big and bold donuts, behind the glass display. I didn't count, so I'm guessing, there might be a dozen choices of donuts to choose from. In each choice of doughnut there are different toppings; maple or chocolate frosting, glaze with sprinkles, coconut flakes, etc. They serve coffee, donuts, cheesecake, and a refrigerator full of cold sodas and juices. We bought a Boston cream doughnut and a glazed cake doughnut with raspberry filling. Both were big, fresh and really good. greatly. The taste hit the spot. If I lived in Berkeley, I certainly would know all the staffs names and they'd know mine!! read more

You can tell the donuts are fresh made and when you have a warm one it's so tasty Each one is super good no matter what you choose! Also the discounted day-old donuts are a good price for lots of donuts to share :) read more

Please don't miss this when you are in Berkeley. This cute place has amazing variety of donuts. And they prepare it fresh right inside their shop, everyday. And it is vegetarian! No eggs used!!! Wow, no egg donuts are a very rare find! read more

So hot. So fresh. So. Damn. Good. We didn't event want dessert, we had just left dinner and took one sniff of the freshly made doughnuts and just gravitated to King Pin. The inside is small for customers due to the kitchen being right there in the shop. You can watch them make the doughnuts you are about to eat! The front counter person was sweet and gave us all the names of the doughnuts we thought looked yummy. When we ended up getting was a sugar doughnut, glazed doughnut and a glazed pastry? We aren't sure what it is, it just looked good. We got 3 huge doughnuts, fresh out the frier for $5!! For how delicious they were what a steal! The glazed and sugar doughnuts were melt in your mouth good, still warm they almost evaporated. We couldn't even get to the car before tearing into them. Honestly new favorite doughnut shop, hands down! read more

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Their menu board says $3.95 per 1/2 dozen donuts. However it is incorrect. The donuts here are overpriced (they are $2.75 each or more) and taste mediocre. Nothing amazing. The oil they fry them in needs to be changed out. It's dark brown and you can taste the old oil in the donuts. Will never buy donuts here again. I'm not sure what the hype is. read more

i would argue that these are the best non-vegan donuts in the Bay. No, but seriously, there are a bunch of donut shops everywhere, but the quality is lacking. I first found this spot because it was open late, like, until 3.00 in the morning or something late. Then, I had their apple fritter. Donut get me wrong (see what I did there?), it definitely helped that it was still warm, but it's huge, has apple chunks in it (as it should), and is a light yeast donut. It's delicious. And I've had more than one opportunity to taste donuts I wouldn't normally try because of the day olds. I have to say, I'm a big fan of day olds - they are far less expensive and, really, just a day older. Even with the lack of freshness, they're much better than grabbing one from the grocery store. One night, a little tipsy, I wandered in to find maple bacon donuts. They may originate in Portland, but King Pin does them right! Again, still warm, I gobbled them up way too quick. I'm glad I was already gone before I started to eat them, otherwise would have bought more and, really, who needs that? When I have a hankering for a great donut, this is my spot. It's way better than any chain donut, hands down. read more

Uhm. No. I cannot for the life of me figure out why people rate this place so highly except for that it must be kids who are high and getting donuts at 2am. They are OK at best. I've DEFINITELY had better and I'm DEFINITELY not going back to spend SEVEN DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS on 3, super-basic donuts. The End. read more

Love love loved this place... and I am not even a big fan of donuts. I got the chocolate fudge and it was amazing. I liked how the donut was crispy.. unlike any I have had before. The fudge was super fresh. I think the donuts move quickly. It was 9pm and they were still making new batches. The best part was the brew coffee- one of the best I have had. Flavorful but not too strong, aromatic, and with an awesome lingering after taste. I am making this a regular for my Berkeley stops. price: $1.50 for donuts( almost double the size of krispy creme) Coffee:$1.50 for small. Good price for the great taste. they sell day old donuts for $3.50 ( a box contains about 4. A good deal considering that stuff moves quick here) read more

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I'm a huge fan of three things: donuts, late-night food options, and late-night food options in the form of donuts. Seeing as King Pin is the only walkable donut shop near the UC Berkeley campus and is open til 2-3am every night, this should be one of my favorite places in the world. That being said, the fourth thing that I'm a huge fan of is late-night food options in the form of donuts that actually taste good. I've tried their traditional glazed and chocolate donuts (my go-to's at any donut shop), and they just simply fall flat. The initial texture when you bite in is great - has that nice, slight crisp. Then you keep chewing and wonder why the inside is not only dense, but oily? Then you contemplate if you can finish the whole thing, and then you end off wondering why you paid $2.25 for this when other shops sell for way better and way cheaper. :( Guess I gotta stock up on Dream Fluff donuts and save them until I get cravings at 2am. Bummer. read more

$25 for a dozen donuts?!? Poor customer service from middle aged guy, seemed like he was new. The elder owner is a good guy but this new guy that was working the front is just bad news for business. I never had to spend $25 on a dozen donuts before. read more

Best place to get buttermilk donut holes in the area! TBH this place isn't the most modern. Since it's located in DFC it is a small shop. The service is meh here - not the most welcoming but at the same time not rude either. When you walk in you're literally greeted by the cash register, the cooling station to your right, and the glass donut case to your left. They also have a small table for two people inside, so it's definitely more of a to-go kinda place. They have a decent assortment of donuts, holes, cookies, and other pastries. I haven't really ventured out on their menu since I only find myself coming here when i'm craving their buttermilk donuts. THESE ARE MY FAVE. 1/2 dozen for $2.5 it's a decent price. I always feel guilty getting an entire donut so this is the best way to satisfy my craving without feeling really bad afterwards. If you can get these right after they fry them you will be in heaven. Perfectly crispy on the outside but nice and fluffy on the inside. I also find that they resemble more of biscuit than a donut. Try them out! It's a nice change from the usual glazed donuts. read more

I was in town and someone told me King Pin Donuts are good. I was craving breakfast food and since we walked by, I decided, "what the heck! I'll buy a donut." My friend told me the the doughnut holes are pretty good. I came in and it definitely smelled like fresh donuts. Mmmmmm! I bought half a dozen doughnut holes. They are pretty good though. Nothing too extraordinary. I probably would come back if I was in town and wanted more donut holes. They are decent size and glazed well. I can't remember if this is cash only or there's a minimum on card. I paid with cash though. read more

Insane. Like it's absolutely crazy how I didn't find this spot sooner in all the years I've lived in the bay area. It was around one am and nowhere was open and I noticed this spot was open til three am. Usually places open super late aren't the best so I never have my expectations high. First of all, the spread of donuts available that late at night was crazy. Sometimes I go to donut places at 11am and there's only three left, this place had everything there. Additionally, these flavors are so so so unique. I got strawberry cream cheese, ube, and red velvet. With gimicky donut flavors I'm wary of lower quality donuts, but this place did not disappoint! The texture is something I've never had replicated at any other donut spot. It's not heavy at all and bounces back. Not to mention the staff is super kind! I ordered two thai teas as well and I saw him accidentally spill over the top because he didn't want to underfill it. I felt so bad seeing him clean that because I wouldn't care at all if he wanted to underfill my drinks since these donuts are super good. Definitely a must-try donut spot. read more

Okay guys, help me out. We all like donuts. I've never met anyone who doesn't like donuts, and I hope I never do. But how much should we pay for a single glazed buttermilk donut? Got that? One decidedly ordinary glazed buttermilk donut. No coffee, no fancy add-ons, no claim of being organic or table-to-fork or local or sustainable or whatever. Just a single glazed buttermilk. If you already knew that ONE donut here costs $3.75 you are either a person of the modern age, a regular customer of King Pin, or maybe both. This can't be the going rate for a donut these days, can it? read more

super good donut, perfectly sweet ^-^ came here for my sweet tooth craving and this definitely satisfied it read more

King Pin Donuts - Raised Donuts Glazed - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Located in the, "asian ghetto" of Berkeley, this is the spot for you to go to. They are open suer late, so they're there to satisfy your munchies. I came here for the first time last week, on a...Thursday. I went on a Yelping spree to get some reviews in. They are not hard to miss. You can smell the donuts blocks away. They are priced just right and taste even better than you think. The dough of the one I got was a bit crispy because it was freshly made. HOLD ON MY MOUTH IS WATERING. The only regret I have is that I did not buy at least one more. They have a pack of day old donuts (I believe a pack of 4 or 5) for $3. Location is great, donuts are better. read more

I don't like writing bad reviews if I don't have esp during the time of this pandemic but today is Christmas and I feel like I just got ripped off with $15 worth of old stale donuts. Saw that kingpin donut was opened so came here to get some donuts. My bf ate the chocolate one and was like omg babe why did you pick this place? Their donut is stale and old this has to be one of the worst donuts I've ever had. I'm like ok I'll try one when I get home, I picked this place because they have really good reviews on Yelp! Ate the other chocolate one...He was right, you can taste the old oil, the donut itself was hard and stale. Come on it is Christmas! If you don't want to do business, stay closed for the day don't just open to open and sell your old donuts from the day before. What a way to ruin someone's Christmas morning. So disappointed...... read more

I had a donut craving after dinner and have been meaning to give this place a try seeing as all the people from Cal go here. I did not know what to order so I went with the one that looked most appealing to me. I got the sprinkle glazed buttermilk donut. It was BOMB!! The crust was crispy and the inside was not surprisingly good. It was not dry at all. If I had to try my best to describe the middle, I would say it tasted like a krispy kreme( I love krispy kreme donuts) blended with a cake donut. It is huggee. So big that it sits perfectly in a baseball glove. Next time I go back, I'm definitely trying their buttermilk donut holes. read more

King Pin Donuts - Sprinkle glazed buttermilk donut - Donuts Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yummy donuts and super convenient since it's close to campus! The donuts are tasty and HUGE. Will definitely satisfy your donut craving if you're in a pinch but personally think they're a bit overpriced. read more