Donderos' Kitchen

What a great surprise. We didn’t want the standard fast chain restaurant fare for lunch. We loved the unique menu, well prepared items and the relaxed setting. Staff was friendly and welcoming. You order at the counter towards the rear of the house and they bring it out to you. My wife had a chicken salad sandwich with an ice tea and I had the Bahn Mi , coffee and a raspberry jam bar. They have a great house coffee and nice complement of pastries. Parking could be challenging at busy times but you can park off the main road.

My husband and I want to express our appreciation to Donderos' Kitchen for serving as an excellent venue for our rehearsal dinner on 2/21/2025. We were in a bit of a bind trying to find a budget- friendly location for all of our guests, and Donderos' delivered superbly according to our needs. We were able to serve a lovely Mediterranean dinner and to have the whole house/space to ourself, which was ideal. I would recommend Donderos' to anyone searching for a nice and affordable location for a rehearsal dinner. It is a little more difficult to get to them for coffee during the week since they close at 3 and are not open on weekends, but they have very nice atmosphere for those who are able to make it over.

A cafe with a new frame of mind. Boasts twice the Georgia minimum wage for baristas and therefore they don't take tips. Local art is all over the walls and they emphasize reusable cups. You even get a discount if you walked, rode a bike, or took a bus here. My only set back was I went in late August and it was just a smidge warm inside. Nothing crazy uncomfortable but enough to be a constant reminder. Overall though it's worth it for the mindful way this cafe puts it's best foot forward.

We got the vegan pumpkin bread for $2.25, which was perfectly moist and delicious. We got the gluten-free grit bowl with fried tomatoes, goat cheese and red pepper sauce. We added a fried egg for $1. The ingredients definitely made the bowl, because the grits themselves were very bland—nothing to write home about. Good amount of food though. The french toast special was blueberry french toast. It was very sweet and was definitely not enough for a meal, which is why we we were glad we got the potatoes on the side. The DK scramble on flatbread was delicious. It was a good amount of food, though I would have preferred more eggs in it. I was going to get the quiche special (goat cheese, tomatoes and spinach) for my meal, but we decided to get it for the whole table, and I’m glad we did because it wasn’t a whole quiche! It was maybe 1/4 of a quiche, which was not advertised. For $5, that wasn’t worth it. It was nice that I got a free coffee because I’m a teacher. They offer deals for teachers, police officers, firefighters, and others, so make sure to check out their website. The place itself is cute—wooden tables and chairs, art for sale and cute little decorations. One plus was there was not wait for brunch on a Saturday morning! We were all satisfied with our meals, but because some portions were small, I’m giving it 4 stars.

I had the bahn mi sandwich. It was delicious and completely filling. The service is good but minimal. Your order is brought to you, but you will need to grab your own utensils, napkins, and condiments. You also need to bus your own table. All that is fine, of course! I will be back to try their buttered chicken sandwich and other unique menu items.

I've been wanting to go here for ages and I'm glad I finally did! The food is delicious, but it did take about 20min to get our order of chicken Bahn mi, house chips, and tomato soup with toast. The Bahn mi was fresh and flavorful and the independent bread co. baguette was great. The tomato soup was hearty and so good. Definitely worth the wait! My favorite thing though was the Mexican chocolate milkshake! Subtly spiced and rich chocolate, we will be back!!

My boyfriend and I went here because I love the calm atmosphere. But instead of calm morning we both got food poisoning. I know it was from Donderos because that was the only thing we had eaten together. It’s 2 days later and we are still recovering. My sandwich, the Italian Hot Sandwich, had meat in it but his burrito didn’t. I’m not sure what was improperly prepared, but I hope they figure it out so no one else gets sick. It’s a shame that a place who claims to pay their employees enough to not receive tips doesn’t have the right kitchen protocols in place. I hope they don’t make this mistake again for customers in the future. This place could be something special but instead the quality seems inconsistent at best.

Ordered just their butter chicken for lunch with a side of the soup of the day (tomato). While the chicken could have been a bit more tender, overall, I quite liked how the dish came together. Hope to go back to try some of their other dishes sometime.

Amazing coffee and breakfast with relaxed artistic atmosphere. A must visit. Home made soups quiches pastry and more

Starting off, the food was very good. I had a breakfast burrito with added sausage and it was killer. The portions were also pretty large which was good. We also had the pumpkin muffin which was also very good. The service was good as well, we had to wait a little bit because she was on the phone but other than that she was very nice and even help us change an order we needed. The overall interior was very cute, a converted house to the restaurant. Had a great experience, only downside was the price. For two people we spent about 40 dollars, which is honestly fine for what we got.

In Athens for a 2nd day this week and wanted to try another coffee spot so I decided to try Donderos' Kitchen. Donderos' is a lovely old house transformed into a laidback rustic coffee shop. This is a nice place to sit, relax, enjoying a cup of coffee, a meal, or one of their delicious baked goods. Omg their vegan banana bread was SO good. Now I'm sad as I drive home knowing there isn't a Donderos in Atlanta so I can purchase all the time . There coffee was pretty good I had the cafe miel which is espresso with honey, & cinnamon. If I'm ever in Athens again I will be back.

Went for the first time today and ordered the fried green tomato sandwich, DELICIOUS!!!!!!!

Food and service were amazing. We loved the dining experience. I had the breakfast sandwich and he had the burrito with bacon. Both were cooked to perfection.

Great little restaurant in Athens. I've gone for breakfast twice and it has been consistently good. I had the sausage egg cheese scramble the first time and sausage egg cheese burrito the second time. This is now my go to Athens breakfast spot.

Cool spot, but they have a sign offering free coffee to police officers. Kinda makes the place less welcoming for anyone living in the real world.

It was good! The iced latte portion was huge, and it was a super cute place to grab a quick breakfast. I want to go back and check it out for a study sesh!

Came in today to check out how they were operating during the closures. They are still open for takeout which I was thrilled about! They do have a limited menu, but so worth it. I grabbed their pumpkin bread (to die for) and a lavender iced latte. So delicious! There is a walk up window for easy ordering. The staff was really helpful and respectful. Love donderos! Can't wait until they are open per usual again. Miss the French toast casserole!

What you would expect from a quaint coffee shoppe ! They also offer food both premaid or kitchen - if you go at busy times like weekends be patient - the kids love goin here - I think it makes them feel grown up overall great food , great people

Quaint and friendly in a beautiful historic district area. Recommend for brunch or lunch, everything we ordered was delicious! Great laid back inviting atmosphere.

Great coffee and food spot in Athens! Stopped by here to get an iced latte and surprised they sold donuts, but only on Friday. I got two one regular and the other the strawberry glaze. The size of the donut is big and the taste is amazing! Also want to go back and try more of the menu.

Decent cute spot for brunch or coffee! The menu is not huge, but is sure to have something to everyone's liking. Unfortunately they were out of the grits. But I highly recommend the french toast casserole, and the vegan pumpkin bread really is as good as everyone says it is!

I have no idea why I've never come here for brunch yet. Any-who, decided to give this a shot, because the crab cakes were speaking to me! When ordering I decided to go with the Bacon, Cheddar & Candied Jalepenos Grit Bowl, sub the bacon for a crab cake, adding Spinach, as well as a fried medium egg on top. Also the French toast casserole, which was a blueberry one. I ordered this like a kid at the candy store..no lie. However, my smile was crushed when the cashier who took my order came back to break the news that the kitchen no longer had crab cakes. Heart, breaking, even as I type this. What I appreciate most is how the situation was handled, we were offered alternatives and a way to compensate give the crab cakes were a pretty penny compared to the meal itself. Even a fruit cup too! I opted for the strawberries. I will definitely be back to try my concoction next time! I will get there more on the earlier side, and call prior to make sure those crab cakes are mine for the consuming! As far as the food, stellar! The Casserole tasted like bread pudding, but not as sweet (bomb), and the Grit Bowl was what I never knew I was missing! Happy dance ensuing as eating and writing this.

The old building that this restaurant is in is very cool and unique but the food was sooo underwhelming. I got the grits bowl and coffee cake and I swear the cake was stale and grits bowl didn't have much flavor. I really wanted to like it but don't really plan on going back. 2.5/5 stars

Nice place, great food. Had breakfast with hubby there. Nice staff, excellent latte. We'll go again! They also have frozen meals to go which I hope to try next time.

An interesting, eclectic, unusual place to eat with a 60's lackadaisical style and decor. A mixture of restaurant, pastry shop, and carry-out grocery with frozen entrees in cases. You order at the counter. Location/Decor-2/5. Admire decision to re-use an old building, but don't admire the decision to leave the inside un-remodeled or worse.The walls with partially removed wallpaper show either a lack of interest in preserving the old home, or maybe trying too hard to look like a cantina or 60's dive? One coed restroom. Minimal parking on a busy street, but you can usually find a space. Three rooms (and a screened porch open sometimes) where you can sit down to eat. Noise level is noticeably loud when there is a crowd. Food : mainly lunch-type choices some creative sandwiches , quiches, and other foods, along with usual standards -not "fast food" fries etc. A little pricey ? Now expanding their breakfast choices on Saturday and Sunday. Will arrange an afternoon "Tea" if requested in advance, for groups at $10 per person-pastry w/unlimited tea. Once a month there is a special evening with several small plates/tapas typical of a chosen, pre-announced country, with charming discussions of the cuisine of the country -$25 per person/byob. Tapas are good and the evenings are fun for small groups or couples to learn while dining. Service: 4/5 consistently good in multiple visits We will return occasionally, but it will not be at the top of our list.

We used to love this place. We went back last week or so and got the breakfast burritos with sausage, something we used to love and have trouble finishing. What we got was half the size it used to be, and not nearly as good. It was cold, there were at most three bites of sausage, and all around it just was a huge letdown from what we had come to love from here. Now, all of this would be forgivable if we were talking about a 4-5 dollar burrito. But. It's 7 without the sausage, and 9+ with it. That's crazy. Maybe give this place a shot, and see if things have gotten better or we just came on an off day, because it really was great at one time.

My husband and I tried this place for brunch. We had come here years ago and weren't sure why we never checked it out again. Well we were reminded of why that was on the second try. First off, staff is incredibly rude and unkept. The girl taking our order seemed annoyed at our presence. The whole ordering process seemed inefficient. With 5 people in line, it tools forever. Beyond the rudeness, we found a hair baked into the stale and bland almond bar. My potatoes were served cold with no salt. The bacon had obviously been cooked earlier that day as the lard had congealed. On top of that the half and half was slightly curdled making our coffee unappetizing. Beyond just the lack of cleanliness and food safety. The croissant was purchased from a chain grocery store and cheese was sourced from a pre shredded bag. Nothing about the brunch was unique or done well. Along with the couldn't be bothered with staff, it was a terrible meal.

I heard so many good things about this place and decided to check it out. I ordered the curry dish and and a Thai tea. The waitress brought out the tea quickly but it took me almost an hour to get my food. There were other people who were seated after me and had gotten their food. She brought out food to others and saw me waiting. I went to the counter and asked her about the status on my food. She apologized and told me the order probably got lost. She was able to get the food to me in less than 5 minutes. Very disappointed that I had to wait that long. Only gave it 1 star because the food was okay. I also found a bug in my drink as well.

This is one of the most underrated places in Athens! They have the best tomato soup I've ever had and their breakfast options have all been incredible. I love their croissant sandwiches and their grit boats are also incredible. This is my favorite brunch spot in athens!

Great breakfast spot in Athens. The breakfast croissant sandwich is good but nothing special. However the fried green tomatoes are cooked to perfection. I will return because of the fried green tomatoes! Overall a 4/5

Went with high hopes after reading the reviews. It's quaint and a cute refurbished old historic home serves as the dining area. Food was just ok in presentation and taste. Doubtful I'd go back with so many good other options close by.

Was here on a Saturday morning. I want to say everything is slow, from ordering to getting your food. Four people in front of us to order took about 10 minutes. We then waited 35 minutes for our food. We noticed how each order came out in the order placed so the kitchen works one at a time also. When the food arrived there were some hit and misses. The grit bowls were really good. The grits were very creamy and tasty. My eggs were cold and the potatoes were way over cooked. Unique location in old house.

Cute spot to stop for lunch or breakfast - I thought it was a cute atmosphere - feels like a small town coffee shop. I ordered a breakfast sandwich that left me wanting more. I thought it was odd how the breakfast items did not include meat - however I added sausage to my sandwich. I did not think this place was anything special or unique as far as breakfast places in Athens go. Just your average, local breakfast joint. A great option if you're looking for something new, but just not my favorite.

Service is abysmal. Barely anyone in the restaurant and it still took them over an hour to get our 2 meals out. Seriously don't come if you're on a time crunch

Donderos is a pretty chill environment! There's a good amount of parking and service is great! This is my second time here and a fun place to come for brunch.

Finder is has won my heart from the first visit. I've post d photos with comments illustrating the delicious environment they've created. Now, I've finished my first breakfast here, their pulled pork hash sandwich of the day--delicious, if a little heavy on the vinegar, and chock full of large pieces of saluted peppers and onions, with large chunks of potato hash, creating an excellent balance of meat and veggies, on while wheat toast, with a separate plate of leftover hash, practically enough for a separate portion. My wife had the fried green tomatoes in grits, beautifully presented and just as tasty as it looks. (See photo of two meals on the table.) This place gets a "five" on all cylinders, food, service, ambiance, comfort...and good parking. Highly recommended!!

Sorry to break from the others, but this place is not good. We ordered the French Toast Casserole, DK Scramble x 2 one with added sausage (which is decently flavored, but overcooked), and the eggs. Everything was dry to the bone. Eggs so overcooked they literally crumbled. Toast was dry and again, overcooked. There was not enough butter on the plate to make anything swallowable (new word). No butter, no oil. Dry. Dry. I give the place a 2. The potatoes are a solid 4. The food took a long time to come out and they were not busy. If they'd not overcook everything it would come out faster.

Their food is amazing. The sausage is unlike any other. It is in a super cute house with lots of separate rooms to eat in, and a little screened in porch off the back. There are lots of cute desserts to choose from, and drinks as well. Highly recommend, their breakfast is amazing.

The exterior and sign don't really light up eatery, but it's a pretty stand up cafe and bakery inside. A warm atmosphere and quiet interior of a restored old home worn without the wallpaper and bare with interest. I'd happily return here to try more of the menu. A quick glance over proved to show at least several vegetarian, and maybe vegan, options though I include the contents of a display fridge as well.~ The baked goods looked very tantalizing. Noteworthy props for the French macarons, but without the foot I can't say I was as tempted as I may question the texture over the aesthetics, but we lost half the fun in that. I ended up being lured in with fruity apricot chutney served with the black bean burger and some chips with the raspberry limeade. :) This is a bus yourself kind of place. I'm finding I like these types of places a lot. (Maybe I have't ran into the bad ones yet?) The staff was welcoming and helpful so cheers to that. This place would make a great place to just sit and finish off some papers or work. Large windows with open sunlight and a quiet relaxing sitting area. My only sadness is Donderos' summer hours are til 3 P.M. but nothing to cry over or lose a star for.~ Just means I didn't get to whip out the laptop and finish off some comic pages. Five stars for the stellar eats.

Great brunch spot near UGA campus. Nice rustic grain toast and tasty potatoes. Hubby had the biscuit with his skillet. Biscuit had a good crumb and was nicely seasoned. It wasn't over crowded and the service was on point. Definitely stop by when you're in the area!

This local favorite is family owned and operated and they are dedicated to serving the community great food at fair pricing. It's so convenient to stop by on the way home from work or after an evening or after school activities and select from any number of freshly prepared, delicious, and easy to serve prepared meals. Donderos' is nothing less than an Athens treasure.

Cute lil place for brunch in an old house, creepy floors, doors and all. Very homey and inviting. I has a made to order veggie omelette w side salad. I love places that will substitute the potatoes and toast for side salad at no extra charge.

Donderos is definitely one of the best brunch places in town. They have a creative menu, and I'm amazed at how I'm always able to find a table and a reasonably priced meal. They also sell great frozen entrees for you to prepare at home! Try the grit boats on weekends!

Interesting and cute vibe given that it's located in an old house. Unfortunately, I found that the menu was somewhat limited and the options were a bit bland. I will say it's also on the higher side of the one dollar sign restaurants.... But high quality nonetheless. I ordered the croissant breakfast sandwich and added fried green tomatoes to it which was an excellent choice!! This had eggs, onions, cheese, and spinach but didn't come with a side although I was plenty full enough without one because it was sizable. I will definitely come back and hope that they continue to expand on their menu.

I was looking forward to trying this place for brunch. We went on a Sunday at 11. The place is cute but it took a while to get our food. I ordered a grit boat with fried green tomatoes, goat cheese, and red pepper sauce. When the food came out mine was completely cold and the grits were gummy and clumpy. Not good. The tomatoes were alright, but again not warm. Then I noticed their health score is an 80. I will not be coming back.

Great place for Sunday brunch. For $6.50 the skillet was filling and tasty. I loved the salsa!! It reminded me of salsa I used to get in California. Casual funky atmosphere. Recommended.

Places in town may have a bigger name for breakfast, but none will have better food than Donderos'. This place is cozy, friendly, and has delicious food!!!

Dondero's is a cozy little place, with delicious and healthy breakfast and lunch options, freshly made by Tim Dondero and his crew. Tim's amazing heart shows through his dishes, made with a lot of care. He's traveled the world, knows his stuff about many types of cuisine (and history, etc) and that adds to the intrigue. He also has a Tapas with Tim night every first Thursday, and that is always themed in a fun and educational way. I love his breakfast that comes in a small skillet and his soups too! He also offers some takeaway options in a fridge to help out on those nights when you just don't wanna cook or go out. Tim also does cooking classes once a month at Uncommon Gourmet on Baxter St - check out all of this - have some great meals, get some yummy recipes, learn about a food and its culture, and make some nice friends!

It's all that. very cool place, eclectic surroundings, really nice food with a healthy direction. Personable service and an interior you need to explore.

Came here after a tour of UGA. Very cute house and fresh tasty food. I really liked the fried tomato sandwich. Kids liked the crab cake sandwich and the special of the day which was a roast beef panini. The desserts were yummy too.

This was my favorite breakfast spot while we were visiting Athens! The food was filled with flavor & both my boyfriend & I were satisfied with our meals. I had the blueberry French toast casserole they were offering & I have no regrets whatsoever, it was probably my favorite food item I had throughout our vacation.

Cute breakfast spot in a little quaint house. Everything made to order. Coffeehouse vibe. Baked goods were good. Portions were large. Heavy on the cheese. Veggies were way to greasy.

Donderos' is a cool place and the food is pretty good, but be warned- the food takes a while to come out and the parking is terrible! This is especially true on weekends when they have brunch but it's worth the hassle if you're in the mood for a good breakfast!

The spot is cool. It's a house off milledge with lots of seating. Their breakfast and lunch is good. They also have great prepared meals to take home and cook. Friendly staff.

I ordered food for Thanksgiving, but 2 days before I needed to lower my food amounts on my order. The manager was less than helpful in accommodating my request. And I ended up having to cancel my order completely. I was able to pick up a few items from their refrigerators but the food turned out to be terrible. Never ordering from/dining with them again!

Excellent food and experimental iced teas served in a quaint and quiet setting.

My dad and I went for brunch this weekend. It was not busy, however it took us an hour to get our food. After about 30 minutes, we checked in on if our food was ready, the server seemed frustrated and proceeded to say "the kitchen is small, it takes time to fill orders." If the kitchen is small, don't have seating for 40-60 people if you can only feed 4-5 per hour. After a second time checking in, we saw our food in the window ready, the server said she'd bring it to us, it took 10 minutes for her to bring it to our table. By this time, our food was cold. Could have made the same food at home for cheaper price, better quality, and less time. Save your time and money.