Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Colonial Donuts

    4.1 (683 reviews)
    InexpensiveDonuts, Coffee & Tea, Bagels
    Open Open 24 hours
    Updated a few days ago

    Colonial Donuts Photos

    COLONIAL DONUTS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Good for working

    You might also consider

    More like Colonial Donuts

    Recommended Reviews - Colonial 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

    This ube donut from Colonial Donuts is soft, creamy, and dangerously good. If you're near Lakeshore, treat yourself.
    Dorothy D.

    If you know, you know... and this ube donut from Colonial Donuts absolutely delivered. First of all, just look at it. The color alone stops you in your tracks. That vibrant purple ube filling peeking through the fluffy donut makes it almost too pretty to eat. Almost. But the real surprise is the flavor and texture. The donut itself is soft and airy, with just the right amount of sweetness. Inside, the ube filling is rich, creamy, and packed with that signature nutty vanilla-like flavor that makes ube so addictive. Then you get that light glaze and crumb on top that adds a little sweetness and texture to every bite. It's one of those treats where you take a bite and immediately pause because you weren't expecting it to be that good. If you're anywhere near Lakeshore and want something a little special for yourself, do yourself a favor and grab one of these ube donuts. Pro tip: If you see them in the case, grab one before they're gone.

    Donut Flavors
    Lloyd C.

    My wife used to go to Colonial Donuts as a kid. This was my first time trying them. They are an East Bay institution serving old-fashion no frills type of donut place that started back in 1969. They are open 24×7 and constantly churning out their delicious donuts. No sitting available anymore since the pandemic, I assume as there are only tables there. I only had room for one donut and I got the blueberry cake donut. It had a crispy crunch on the outside yet moist cake-y inside.

    Late night eats.
    Tiffany S.

    If you've never been to colonial donuts, are you even from the bay? I love it here. This is the perfect late night snack. I always go between 10pm and 12am when the donuts are fresh out and piping hot. The customer service here is really good and there's always a line when I go. It's a cute little glass box, with well lit lighting, and I love that they're back to letting people inside to order their donuts. -- especially since it's been freezing in the bay If you're looking for delicious donuts that won't cost your normal and a leg, check out colonial.

    Roach.

    Roach sitting right on top of the case. Worker didn't care at all. Ruined my night big time.

    Nina T.

    Good FRESH Donuts & yummy breakfast sandwiches. I've lived in Oakland my whole life. I have no clue why I never knew of this place. Came to yelp at 4am looking for breakfast sandwiches and bam- It suggested Colonial Donuts. Open 24 hours. Reviews from 10-14 years ago. And I'm just hearing of this place. Service was awesome, Food amazing. Ambiance - Fantastic!!! 10/10 definitely recommend

    Daw M.

    Open 24/7 Yummy donuts Fast and friendly service Will be back to try those mochi donuts :)

    2 Sprinkled Donuts, 1 Cake Vanilla, the other a Chocolate Glazed
    Ryan B.

    If you ever around Lakeshore after midnight and are craving something to satisfy your sweet tooth, this Colonial Donuts is here to the rescue. I have come here several times over the years and have never had a bad experience. The donuts are always fresh, the service is always decent, and at least when I've pulled through there has never been too long of a wait. One thing that stands out, years back you used to be able to go through the backside of the restaurant, which I'm not sure if you're still able to do. The place also had more seating available for anyone who wanted to sit down and take a bite of their pastry or enjoy their coffee. That isn't a knock, nor is it a demand that they make the place more welcoming for dine in customers, but it couldn't hurt so people could stay/potentially order more items. I think if they did that could definitely give a boost to the atmosphere. Overall, this location gets a solid 4/5.

    Ham and Cheese Croissant
    Donyae L.

    24/7 donuts in Oakland is already a bonus Stopped by extremely early 1 person ahead of me. Cashless payments and parking is easy. Donut wasn't too special I kept it simple because if you make a bad glaze it speaks volumes. Ham and cheese croissant was pleasant and he heats it up for you :)

    2/8/2025 cherry filled $1.75 yummy
    Yvette F.

    Walked in she was so friendly. Greeted right away! She explained which donut was in each bag! I felt so much comfort in there. I really appreciated being recognized right a way. Greeted right away. And being thanked right away. Excellent customer service. When my daughter went to Oakland High school. I purchased donuts quite a bit. She's been out of school 7 years wow! Time flies! I will try to visit more often. Donuts are so fresh and delicious. Customer Service A1!

    Apple Fritters
    Cynthia P.

    Love this place for some quick donuts! Came by during mid noon to pick up some apple fritters. I was craving them, and these did not disappoint. It was a lot more dough, but still yummy! Service was quick and you can make cashless payments! Would come by again.

    Mylinh V.

    Nice little mom and pop shop on Lakeshore. They are 24hr so you can get your donut fix anytime. Super quick and they keep a steady flow of donuts. I did want to try an Apple fritter but they were out of them. The donuts are ok here. There are many options from regular donuts mochi donuts. Since they are 24hr, the freshness is questionable. Most of the donuts we got were stale and not the best.

    Dozen hand picked donuts and a scratcher!

    See all

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 1
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 7
    Thanks 0
    Love this 9
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 1
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 4
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 1

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Joy S.
    100
    79
    74

    2 years ago

    The mochi donuts are my favorite. I buy them in every flavor! So good!!! The staff is always friendly and sweet

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Angela W.
    435
    41
    86

    3 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Breanna T.
    34
    249
    1278

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 5
    Oh no 0

    1 year ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 1
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Alan L.
    10
    41
    36

    3 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 3
    Oh no 0

    3 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    8 years ago

    Helpful 5
    Thanks 0
    Love this 4
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 3
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 2
    Thanks 0
    Love this 2
    Oh no 0

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    4 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Sean E.
    53
    28
    6

    4 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    2 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Liz B.
    227
    610
    1608

    7 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kristen I.
    17
    48
    111

    5 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    6 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 18

    Colonial Donuts Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Colonial Donuts

    Do you have gluten free options?

    They have some gluten friendly donuts now! They are labeled gluten friendly, made in a facility that processes wheat. As of June 2023.

    Is this place still open 24/7 during COVID?

    Hi there - yes we are open 24/7 during COVID for take out only at our Lakeshore Ave location.

    View All 4 Questions

    You might also consider

    Poppy Bagels - still my favorite

    Poppy Bagels

    4.1(185 reviews)
    2.1 miTemescal, North Oakland, Rockridge
    $$

    Poppy Bagels is a small, cozy bagel shop in Temescal. We came on a Sunday morning for a bagel run…read moreand shared the basic bagel sando ($9) and honey truffle bagel sando ($9.50). The basic bagel was SO GOOD. It genuinely might be one of the best bagels I've had. I loved the scallion cream cheese, and the tomato was super fresh and juicy without making the bagel soggy. The tomato and cream cheese also helped balance out the stronger flavor of the raw red onion. I'd definitely recommend this one if you're here! The honey truffle bagel had a really interesting sweet and salty combination. I loved the richness of the honey, while the earthy truffle flavor paired really nicely with it. The truffle cream cheese was a little too salty for my taste though. The shop itself is small and cozy, with limited indoor seating and an outdoor patio. They also have plain bagels, coffee, tea, and other options. Weekend lines can get a little long, but the wait is usually pretty reasonable. There's also plaza parking available across the street. Overall, I really enjoyed both bagels and would definitely come back for the basic bagel sando!

    Modern bagel shop with delicious bagels on offer…read more The bagels here have the familiar features of some east coast ancestors. We ordered a half dozen plain bagels and cream cheese. The crust makes a noticeable crunch when you bite through and the taste of pretzels comes through clearly. (The shop must add a liberal splash of lye to the water bath.) The dough inside has a salty flavor which can be too much on its own -- but as a result it complements the slightly muted cream cheese to make a tasty pair. The one issue for the bagels is their structure. The crumb loses its shape under any tearing or bending, which makes it hard to support a sandwich. We also noticed that the cream cheese had a slightly grainy texture. All told these are great bagels. Pair them with a cream cheese you like and rip in.

    Photos
    Poppy Bagels - Avocado bagel

    Avocado bagel

    Poppy Bagels
    Poppy Bagels - Lox bagel

    See all

    Lox bagel

    Mariposa Baking Company - Cupcakes

    Mariposa Baking Company

    4.3(758 reviews)
    2.3 miNorth Oakland, Rockridge
    $$

    Let me begin by saying that I think this place has the best key lime pie I've ever tasted, and I…read morecan eat gluten. I also like that this location has longer business hours than most GF bakeries and serves breakfast all day as well as lunch items. Another big plus is the allergens are clearly labeled online and in the shop. However, I've had negative experiences here on 3 consecutive visits. I go here for my gluten free partner. On one of the visits, I ordered a stuffed bagel and waited for 15 minutes before going back up to the counter to say that I still hadn't received my order. It was busy, but by this time, the person standing at the counter had nothing to do. They apologized and made my order then, but the experience left a bad impression on me since it was my first time eating inside the bakery. On my next visit, I ordered several items inside the bakery to take home with my pickup order and received a pain de chocolate instead of a cinnamon donut, which I didn't notice until I got home. The pain de chocolate costs more and my partner wasn't able to share it with me due to a soy allergy. I suppose I could've been paying more attention, but these items don't have similar names at all, so I was not expecting this error. That said, I made a mental note to pay more attention when ordering inside the bake shop for future orders. On my next visit, I ordered a mocha cupcake and berry muffin, but the cashier rang me up for a hand pie instead of a muffin. Again, the hand pie was more expensive. This time I caught it and asked for it to be corrected. I work in customer service and I act with kindness when mistakes are made because we're only human. However, I believe 3 negative experiences in a row shows a pattern and warrants some attention. I will continue to patronize this business due to the reasons I mentioned at the beginning of this review, but I will now have to be vigilant in ensuring that I receive the correct items and am charged the correct amount. This of course is not ideal. I hope service improves.

    10am on a Saturday before it opened and a line was probably over 10 people. Parking in front is…read morelimited, but if you go past the lot there are more in the back. Plenty of things to look at while in line and even sample! I've only ever got pastries there but they have food made to order! Looks cute and cozy. Cinnamon roll was AMAZING! And honestly everything is around $6 which is pretty avg for gluten free. Limited indoor seating but it seemed a bit busy!

    Photos
    Mariposa Baking Company - December 2024

    December 2024

    Mariposa Baking Company - Bagel

    Bagel

    Mariposa Baking Company - Matcha dragonfruit latte

    See all

    Matcha dragonfruit latte

    Levy's Bagels - Inside

    Levy's Bagels

    4.1(270 reviews)
    2.8 mi
    $

    Great food, especially the morning star bagel, not to mention the amazing hot link bagel wrap. What…read morecould I say I love this place, and it's the atmosphere is friendly and inviting. The service is better than an another place in Alameda.

    OG bagel shop in Alameda. Not part of the new wave of sandwich-oriented shops. Just a place that…read moreboils bagels in the back and dumps them in baskets in the front. And the bagels are tasty! The bagels are New York style, although they are a little outside the normal range of variation. We ordered a couple of poppy and sesame bagels, with a side of cream cheese. The crust on some of the bagels was soft and pale, while others had benefitted from a little more time in the oven and came out crisp. The dough inside, though, had a flat sweetness to it. There was a hint of malt flavor but it tasted more like a lightly sweet bread. The crumb was at the ideal midpoint between fluffy and chewy -- enough structure to hold up toppings but still light enough not to break your jaw. The cream cheese was on the firmer side but had a respectable tang. Perfectly matched to the bagel itself in both cases thickness and flavor. The trick here is to look closely at the bins: check which bagels came out golden brown and ask for those. This is a bakery after all! Get the breads that came out best and you won't be disappointed.

    Photos
    Levy's Bagels - Lox sandwich with egg

    Lox sandwich with egg

    Levy's Bagels - Start your day with the best homemade muffins! Baked ON THE PREMISES with love at #LevysBagel #yummy

    Start your day with the best homemade muffins! Baked ON THE PREMISES with love at #LevysBagel #yummy

    Levy's Bagels - Caught the sunrise today at Levy's Bagel in Alameda...start the day w/ homemade bagels, gluten-free options, organic coffee. #Delish #Levys

    See all

    Caught the sunrise today at Levy's Bagel in Alameda...start the day w/ homemade bagels, gluten-free options, organic coffee. #Delish #Levys

    Hella Bagels - Iced Sea Salt Matcha Latte. It just tasted like salted milk when mixed

    Hella Bagels

    4.3(136 reviews)
    6.0 mi
    $$

    drove 30 miles to pickup an online order for 18 bagels and 4 schmear's for family in from New York!…read more These were the BEST by far that I have ever had in the Bay Area. Just like NY. Had the 7:45 am pickup slot and goods were all ready and bagged up for me. Staff was awesome and super friendly! My car had the best smell on the ride back, I wanted to pull over and dig in. I ordered a mix of all flavors and the fam raved about all. I especially liked the Everything bagel with the Lemon Horseradish schmear!!! To die for! We also had Lox, Jalapeño Cilantro, Plain, and Scallion. All the flavors were SO GOOD! didn't get to stay but already full when I entered and noticed they had outdoor seating in the back so will be back soon and will bring the fam! WELL DONE Hella Bagels!!!

    The platonic ideal of a New York bagel. When your East Coast family comes to town and wants a…read morebagel, bring them here. These bagels check all the boxes and make it look easy. The crust is crisp and crackles as you break into a fresh one. The flavor is deep and malty. The crumb is very chewy and provides enough structure to support a sandwich. One tasting note: the crust in today's batch was had caramel notes that started to recall pizza crust. Less time in the oven would dial that back -- but it gives the bagel character so maybe you want to keep it! But that's the level we're on here. I'm giving subtle tasting notes in a Yelp review. Hella has unlocked the New York bagel for us on the West Coast.

    Photos
    Hella Bagels - Kitchen

    Kitchen

    Hella Bagels - The "hanging out" area has been nicely refreshed since the days of Christopher's Nothing Fancy

    The "hanging out" area has been nicely refreshed since the days of Christopher's Nothing Fancy

    Hella Bagels - Interior

    See all

    Interior

    Bageltopia - Super classic on everything bagel

    Bageltopia

    4.4(143 reviews)
    4.7 miWest Berkeley

    I am a bagel connoisseur, and everything about this place has hit the mark for a perfect bagel…read morejoint. I had strictly been planning my visit to California around the best places to eat around the city and this place is my greatest discovery. The sunshine bagel with the vegan cream cheese rocked my world beyond any description. The cucumbers were sliced so thinly and so crisp. It was a dream come true upon my taste buds. My friend who enjoys lox bagels from time to time said it was probably one of the top bagels she had ever eaten across the country. The atmosphere is very Californian and transplant friendly. The service was quick simple and the food was spectacular. Everybody in that place loved their bagels. It felt like a bagel dream come true! I mean the various cream cheese options to the delicious deliciously made fresh bagels daily. My only complaint is that there wasn't a public restroom.

    This is a different bagel from the one I reviewed two years ago, and time has not treated it well…read more Today, we ordered a half dozen and cream cheese. The interior crumb had a Goldilocks structure: it was open and light, yet it bounced back when pressed and twisted. The bagels will hold shape under a sandwich without becoming dense. Unfortunately, the bagels we received were very pale and had no crust to speak of. The bagels had a gentle tang of fermentation but it was so subtle you could miss it if you weren't looking out. Doubly unfortunate was that something must have burned in the oven because all of the bagels tasted distinctly of smoke. It was unpleasant enough that we could not finish the batch. I hope that quality control steps up soon!

    Photos
    Bageltopia - Interior of Bageltopia in Berkeley.

    Interior of Bageltopia in Berkeley.

    Bageltopia - Supernova. Perfectly toasted and super fresh lox and ingredients.

    Supernova. Perfectly toasted and super fresh lox and ingredients.

    Bageltopia - Counter

    See all

    Counter

    Colonial Donuts - donuts - Updated September 2026

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