KingPin Donuts

Great spot to stop by! Super nice and helpful staff. Fresh hot coffee and the donuts are amazing. I got the chocolate bar which has a crème custard filling. The chocolate and custard paired well. I was surprised with the crunch since the inside is so soft and pillowy.

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.

Tried this place for a midnight sugar craving and highly recommend coming here if you’re looking for something quick, fresh and delicious to eat for a sweet treat. These donuts don’t come close to any donuts I’ve eaten in the area before, they are sweet but not sickly sweet, decadent but not too heavy and freshly prepared. They have a bunch of different textures/types, old fashioned which was firm and dense, buttermilk which was rich and less dense, and the cake variant which was fluffy and light. We got 3 - buttermilk chocolate (my personal favorite) old fashioned cinnamon, and cake chocolate. I’d give them a higher rating if I could. Very affordable too, our order was 8$ It’s probably not a big deal for regulars, but since it was my first time here I was pretty confused about what was what. Id have loved if the donut displays were labeled/categorized so I didn’t have to bug the staff and ask what each one was. That being said they were helpful and answered my questions which helped me decide what to get. It’s a busy spot so labeling the display could help take some mental load off the staff. We will be back for sure!

If you’re on a quest for the best donuts in the Bay Area, look no further—this little gem is run by the legendary Charlie, a baker so dedicated that I’m convinced he never sleeps. No matter what hour you swing by, he’s usually there, working his magic. The old-fashioned donuts? Absolute perfection—crispy on the edges, soft in the middle, and hands down the best you’ll find anywhere. The fancy donuts? Equally amazing, with flavors that will make you rethink everything you thought you knew about fried dough. Pro tip: If you want a next-level experience, ask for whatever donut is straight out of the fryer, just glazed. You’ll be in for a bite of warm, buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bliss that’s so good it should be illegal. Seriously, your taste buds will thank you, though maybe not your blood sugar ;)

I love donuts and have been coming here for years when I'm close by. With that said, last time was my last time buying donuts from here. I ordered 2 old fashioned, glazed donuts. Total was $6-$7, and I paid cash! It's extra for using card. Never paid that much for an average donut, especially after looking at these other reviews. Go elsewhere! Parking around here is almost impossible too. Service wasn't all that either.

Kingpin donuts is more than a donut shop, it is a beacon of old school Berkeley delicious food. If you're old enough around here to remember when they were located on the corner of Channing and telegraph, then you understand what I'm talking about. Still to this day, Charlie, who is a personal hero to me for the billions of donuts he has churned out over the past 30 years, is still there, and was still there tonight doing what he always does, making great donuts. This guy should get a plaque or a national award. Anyone who doesn't like this place, or who doesn't like the service, or whoever blah blah yakety yak blah blah. Yeah that's great. Don't come here. Stay away from here. We don't need you. I don't want to wait in line to get my delicious donuts. It should be locals only, but we are welcoming of people from out of town who want to come experience this delicious donut. Yeah I'm hardcore, but I know what a great Donut is. And this is it! We love you, Charlie! Keep cranking out those donuts!

Worst donut I’ve had in my life. Got a jelly filled donut and it had maybe a teaspoon of jelly in it. Also was glazed rather than powdered!? Also the price was outrageous cost me FOUR DOLLARS AND SEVENTY FIVE CENTS for a basic donut. The lady was sweet but took a million years to come out after I’d been calling for her. Sub par donuts sub par service never coming back.

Located in a convenient spot close to the Berkeley athletic complex, these donuts were delicious and fresh. The coffee was pretty good as well. For people complaining about the price, what's not expensive nowadays?

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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.

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.

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

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.

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!

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.

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!!

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!

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!

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

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.

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!

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!

I'm all for supporting local businesses, which is why I decided to visit this place. However, I was shocked by the prices. I went in the afternoon and bought a dozen donut holes, only to be charged $7 plus an additional credit card fee. It's frustrating to pay double what I would at any other donut shop, local or not, especially for donuts that tasted old and stale.

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

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.

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.

I've been coming to this doughnut spot for years now.... so this was way over due! I recently came by during SIP as we were getting some dinner close by. I just want to say when they got that HOT doughnuts ready sign on... those lines are out the door! IF the sign is off, the coast is clear and you should be in and out of there in no time. But let me just add that those hot & fresh doughnuts are the ONES!! Taking a step away from the hot & fresh doughnuts... they also have a great selection of flavors and doughnuts to your heart & tummy's every desire! I love their different maple flavored ones! & the weird cluster looking ones are the ones I love best LOL sorry for not knowing what to call them ya'll You can DEF say I'm a fan and will continue to be a customer to this doughnut shop! They have a huge and great selection and friendly staff! be back again real soon!

Omg I loved this donut! I don't even know what kind it was but it had frosting and maybe creme! I can't believe I never tried this place before such a little charming hidden treasure. If you can find parking please try this place !

[Out of Towner Review] Holy heavenly fried dough deliciousness... We pre-ordered these for work and picked them up quickly and without any issue. I had NO IDEA what I was in for. As my coworker handed me the box, I almost dropped them with the weight of a dozen donuts. It was at that moment I knew these weren't your average donut. And to no surprise, when I opened the box, I had to swipe some drool that showed up out of nowhere. They even packaged them individually wrapped with within the box, very COVID friendly for the group. I ate the maple bar. I'd never imagined I'd find a maple bar I couldn't devour in a couple of minutes. But alas, I me my match with King Pin! These aren't the air fried doughy style donuts I'm used too. These are thick, cake-like donuts and larger than life. Their size in itself is crazy, but the quality is very superb as well. They come at a hefty price, which as an out of towner, I'm not sure if it the quality or the going price in this city, but they are pricey. Or from what I'm used too. I didn't go inside the establishment, but I did eat what they serve and I felt it was worth a review. Not like they need another review, it's obvious they are doing well and loved by many...me included. They live up to the 'King' in their name!

We love King Pin Donuts. They are a solid donut shop with really tasty donuts. Their cake donuts taste like cake donuts and their yeast donuts taste like yeast donuts. Their apple fritters are filled with apples, cake, and yummy glaze. You might think that sounds normal but you'd be surprised how often the basics are overlooked. You won't find a bunch of "trick" donuts here. Instead you'll find donuts the way they are supposed to be made. FOOD: Donuts done right. We've been here about four times and every time the donuts are consistently good. I keep meaning to branch out but they have such a solid chocolate buttermilk and old fashioned that it's hard to veer away from it. Although I did enjoy the apple fritter. My daughter has tried the twist, the glaze, and I think the Long John and liked them all but the simple glaze is her fav. I always appreciate they have a good selection available any time of day we go. That can't be said about many donut shops. And they never taste greasy or oily or anything except good. SERVICE: Solid like the donuts. The gentleman who runs the place is quiet but always willing to answer questions and does his work efficiently. COST: A little on the high side. But I'm willing to pay for good donuts. These are classic donuts done right and although I could pay less elsewhere, I wouldn't get the same quality. It is what prevents it from getting a five though. We will and have returned many times!

Came here with a friend got some donut holes. They are so so so good but highly recommend.

Great early morning or late night. Get down to Kingpin Donuts and you won't be sorry.... Until you get on the scale. Here is my review https://youtu.be/72nfzwcTSKg

I was with friends craving fresh cooked doughnuts, so off to Berkeley we go. The ride was 20 minutes. As you approach the street the business is on you will see a flashing yellow lights and illegally doubled parked cars. Yes, your at the right place on your left side. It's flooded with people in this store area. The guys behind the counter are not for friendly chatter, order your delights and quickly move on...lol The doughnuts are okay. I guess it's that they are open late.

I wanted to get myself a donut for breakfast before work. So I gave them a chance. I ordered a glazed and a chocolate donut. Both of which came to 8.50 in total. This place opens up at 7am daily, I came by around 7:15 as they had just opened. Why did all the donuts look cold, like they'd been sitting for hours? Anyways, without all the extras I then try each donut...and maaaan I'm so disappointed. These donuts are not good at all. The bread they use isn't that good. They taste kinda oily...their just not very good. First and last time coming here. Not worth the price gouging, each donut is $4.50 right now....insane I guess the college kids don't mind, since their parents are paying for it.

The lady working at the counter was extremely rude. When I got to the front of the line to order, she decided to service the customer who was behind me in line before me, which is extremely disrespectful. When I ordered my drink, she charged me for a more expensive drink because she said she made "a larger size," which I did not ask for, as there was only one size available. Even after the horrible service and overpriced drink, the drink tasted awful. The coffee was extremely acidic and the almond milk tasted spoiled. I wasted $7.25 on this disgusting drink and negligent service. Do not come here.

I think the donut holes have grown on me quite a bit as they're super unique, and prices aren't that bad if you order on snackpass. Late hours are a plus as well and the owner is very friendly :)

Nice folks, good coffee and fresh donuts. I came in early and they are one of the few places open. Tried some other places for coffee and they try too hard. This is your old fashion donut place with reliable coffee. And donuts are soft, taste good!

Back when I was in high school, we'd stop late at night at Top Dog and then, "The Pin." There was a young guy making Cinnamon Swirls using chopsticks. He didn't speak much English. Said his name was Quan. Them hot donuts we just dripping with icing and so good. Through college and many years to follow, I'd stop in and Quan was there. My son loved the special donut holes he would make and squirt a bit of custard in each one. Now over thirty-years later, Quan accomplished the American Dream. He found a wife, opened three donut shops, put two daughters through Cal, and recently opened a sushi store in the "Asian Ghetto." And now, Quan still makes donuts six days a week. Says he never will retire. I stopped in and had to have a freshly made donut with my dear friend. Still delicious.

I was directed to the nearest donut shop by the tiny human that I'm creating,so I made a beeline to King Pin. No line since school is out for summer, but the donuts don't seem to taste the same. Grabbed 2 glaze donuts. One was only glazed on one side, and the other was hard. This mommy to be just can't catch a break!

A local, family operated donut shop run by the most generous, warmest and friendliest of folk. There's a wide variety of donuts on offer and each one is as freshly made and as scrumptious as the next. A must-visit when in the neighborhood!

I love this place. The staff is so friendly and nothing defeats getting donuts here when they are FRESH. I love that they have donut holes and different types too. The old fashioned ones are my favorite though. There are so many donuts here to try and they've been a staple in the Berkeley community for quite some time. Can't say enough good things about them!