Spent the day over at Dondero Orchards for a lunch date. My fiance and I got a BBQ chicken panini and chicken wrap here on Saturday. The storefront was so charming. Fresh native berries, cherries and snap peas, a sweet pup to greet us, and nostalgic honey sticks. This farm is a special place. We browsed the wonderful selection of homemade goods and purchased a few ready to go items on our way out. The Macaroni Salad, Potato Salad, and fresh salsa were all a perfect treat for lunch the next day. Oh yes and the strawberry fritters are a MUST. Pro tip* bring a cooler with ice so you can take some meal prep foods home! You'll be happy you did. read more

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I came across this orchard at the latest strawberry festival at Olde Mystic Village! They had such a nice booth and their strawberries and "Traffic Jam" were probably the best I have ever had! I will be sure to go back again next year! read more

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Loved this orchard!! Visited on a super hot day, so will have to return when it's not scorching. Food from the little market/kitchen is so tasty, cannot wait to go back this summer! read more

A lovely farm with so much to offer. You'll likely leave with more than you expected--in the best way possible. read more

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We came looking for peppers and we left with so much more. We ended up buying a cheddar bread, two jars of fresh preserve, couple pounds of peppers, a couple pounds of cucumbers, fresh plants, fresh radishes, and apple fritters. Not sure if they change the apple fritters recipe but I remember them last year used to taste so much better!! This time were a little bit overcooked so we were a little bit disappointed, however, the price for the peppers was very reasonable in comparison with the other prices from the other farms. Ambiance super casual and very busy for a Saturday morning. read more

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Does it get any better than this? Imagine starting your day with the most delicious hot donuts or fritters. Then you grab a little carton to pick some fresh, ripe strawberries straight from the vine. They're farm fresh and reasonably priced. Then you end your day by ordering a sandwich and enjoying it on one of their picnic tables overlooking the orchard and farm store. The grounds are peaceful and staff are attentive and kind. Dondero has achieved perfection at least in my book. read more

Dondero Orchards - Buffalo chicken wrap - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

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Got a sandwich there and it was okay, it was some sort of chicken bacon ranch panini that fell apart after the first bite, the star of the show was definitely the seasonal fritters will be back again for those for sure! read more

Great farmstand with a lovely picnic area. Two of us devoured a whole bag of made-to-order blueberry fritters. So good. read more

Dondero Orchards - Blueberry fritter - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

We frequently stop for lunch here their food is excellent and the farm offers fruit picking in season. read more

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Great location for those Autumn vibes. Sandwiches were excellent and you can eat at a table in arms length of the apple orchard. They come with a home made pickle which was excellent! read more

We have been loving Dondero Orchards ever since we "discovered" them at the Durham Farmers Market. They bring us back to the market week after week, as we love all of their pickled items - pickles, hot pickles, dilly green beans, pickled cauliflower, and most especially, Not Yo Momma's Cabbage! They also have the best baked goods, from pies to crumbles to cookies and breads. I started following them on Facebook and saw that they were doing an Easter to go dinner special. Since it was just the two of us at home, we decided to go for it. It was $44 for what was stated to be a dinner for 4, but it was easily enough food for 6-8 people. We didn't even make a dent on Easter Sunday, we had plenty of leftovers. Food quality was great, and the reheating was easy as instructions were provided and the food was all in oven ready containers. When we picked up the food, we had a little shopping spree in their shop, picking up baked goods, flowers, and some fresh pierogies - try the ones that have not yo mommas cabbage in them - yum! It was a fun change from the standard pierogies you find elsewhere. They offer lunch and their menu looked amazing! They said they offer breakfast as well in the warmer months. They just added on additional seating and it's in a very tranquil spot in South Glastonbury. Not far from Rose's Berry Farm or Crystal Ridge Winery. Definitely check it out when you're in the area, or make it your destination - it's worth it! read more

Dondero Orchards - Tulips for Easter - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

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Dondero's is a beautiful orchard with fruit bushes and trees for miles and miles! We picked blueberries, and it was one of the most peaceful and lovely berry picking experiences I have ever had! The people there are so friendly, helpful, and welcoming. The two doggies on the orchard are so cute and gentle!! Will definitely return again soon! read more

Dondero Orchards - Blueberries!! - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

Everyone was so kind and the food was AMAZING! There were three of us Me and my husband and my mother-in-law and we each got sandwiches and oh my goodness they were delicious I mean my goodness the amount of french fries was crazy lol everyone was just really nice everything was fresh and delicious read more

We went to pick apples than after we decided to eat there ordered their lunch sandwiches we'll worth the money if you're in the area a must try read more

We came on Sunday afternoon. We waited in a short line for the much anticipated apple fritters. They did not disappoint! So delicious. Not too sweet. Perfect crunch as you take a bite. Enjoyed at a picnic table outside and a kind hostess came over and wiped it down for us. Enjoyed the fall day. We also enjoyed the hot apple cider! Also perfect! This orchard is a little off the beaten path but a treasured find! read more

I come here for the best honey crisp apples I've ever eaten! And I keep coming back for all the other delicious items like many many apple varieties, winter squash galore, peaches, mums, apple fritters and the store! Bring some of your own cloth shopping bags and if you have the time to go out and enjoy the quiet of the orchards and the smell of the fruit trees, go pick your own, if you're in more of a hurry grab and go from the pre-picked bins of what ever is in season. read more

Finally...Cuban Cuisine in Glastonbury, CT Not Just a great place to get pies, vegetables, jams, breads and fresh fruits....not just a nice setting to enjoy lunch or dinner at... but most important The first place in Glastonbury to finally bring a real version of "the Cuban Sandwich" to this town and it was excellent (maybe a tad less on the mustard) but overall - I am coming back! read more

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Such a sweet farm and orchard experience. I think we picked the perfect weather day to visit l - sun shining, crisp breeze, golden trees. Gorgeous property! We did a bit of apple picking, bought some fresh squash and so many other baked goodies. Topped with the apple fritters. I think our first time having them and they were delicious. We even took home a Shepards pie for dinner the next day and it was amazing? About to go for a third helping! read more

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I've been to my fair share of pick your own apple orchards around Connecticut but dondero has got to be on the homiest, family-owned feeling orchard of them all. The orchard isn't huge but they have a large variety of apples. When I went in mid October there were at least 10 varieties and some varieties I had never heard of before which was pretty cool. I went on a Saturday around 1:30 and it wasn't too busy surprisingly but the weather wasn't great so that may have been part of the reason why. You can walk directly to the rows of apple trees from the parking lot. All varieties were within 100 ft of the parking lot. And if you didn't want to pick your own, they also sell them at the small shop in the middle of the orchard. The shop is super cute. Lots of homemade goodies like jams, breads, pickled vegetables, donuts, etc. I got an apple cider donut right as they had come out of the kitchen and it was delicious! Very well spiced and so, so moist. A friend of mine had hers after it had cooled and said she wishes she had heated it up so... Take note! I've heard their apple fritters are really good as well but I didn't try them this time around. Pro tips: They don't take card for transactions under $20 so bring cash accordingly. They don't provide free bags to carry apples you pick so either bring your own or you can buy a bag for 50¢ read more

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Last week I was forced to a craft fair at the Aqua Turf. So what is a husband to do but eat their way through the event. I came across Dondero Orchards booth and noticed all the offerings they had on display. They had jams, pickles and pies just to name a few. Just drooling typing this. Well I bought 4 jams and a jar of their dill pickles. Well the pickles did not last long and had the perfect amount of dill flavor to them. Now the jam I just opened one today and had for lunch. So now about the jam. I had the hot pepper jam with cream cheese and crackers. The taste of the jam was fabulous. They really can make great jams and pickles and can't wait to go to their location and buy out items of theirs. I strongly recommend that if you are in the area and want some really good home style items this is the place to go. read more

Beautiful settings and even more amazing products and apples! Dondero makes the most amazing Shepard Pies and I will definitely be going back soon for some chicken pot pie. The apple picking experience was lots of fun and the grounds are safe and clean. Come by and say hello to the friendly staff and friendly doggos read more

Dondero Orchards - Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

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My special needs autistic sons were not welcomed at all. My sons have been all around the world and I have never felt so many staring and glaring eyes. Also a black family was there visiting and they were followed by an employee, very obviously. I heard one employee say to another employee "watch the n_____s, look underneath the stroller". Lots of maga hats. If you wear one you probably would not be upset hete. Decent Americans will be. read more

Disappointed with this year's selection. The apples were pretty picked over this past weekend and the ones we picked must not have been ready yet because they didn't have a ton of flavor or were super sour. Last times I've come, the cashier hasn't been super friendly either. Also, really uncomfortable with all Trump signs everywhere this past weekend, including one that said "Welcome to Trump country." They had a few yard signs supporting Trump in the past, which was fine and their political support of whomever is not a dealbreaker, but this level of signs was a little creepy to be honest. Frankly, I don't think I will be back because of this. Apple fritters were still pretty yummy though. read more

Ordered the Father's Day package for 4 at $53. It was great food for great value! Ordered by phone, pick-up was easy - anytime between 9-5pm - and everything fit in a bag. The heating instructions needed to be lengthened for the ribs, but everything else was spot on. All the food was delicious, easy to prepare and there was so much food for the price. We have leftovers!!! Highly recommend the weekend package meals and we will be back for more! read more

Dondero Orchards - Father's Day Meal - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

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Someone recommended this place to me when I moved to town, saying that it was a great place to be able to sit and have a coffee while kids ran around and played. So obviously I was sold! And sure enough, they have a great property with lots of cute play houses for kids to play in. My son loved it and didn't want to leave. And I actually did get to SIT down at a table while he had fun! Delicious cider donuts. They also have gift cards, which I purchased for a friend. Can't wait to go back. read more

Very disappointed. My elderly mother and I went to the orchard 20 minutes to closing (that said closed at 4 pm.) and refused to let my mother in to the store telling her they were closed. That is not how you treat customers. They still served the other folks that were there. Never returning nor recommending this place read more

I visited Dondero to pick blueberries. They were delicious and it was fun and easy to pick your own. I also picked up some warm apple cider doughnuts that were great. Apples looked nice on the trees and I may try to stop by in the fall for those. read more

I love driving down to South Glastonbury for apple picking season, and this farm is one of my favorites. They have a great selection of apples to pick and fresh seasonal produce. The smell of the hot apple fritters and donuts will make you drool. The fritters are surprisingly crispy with big chunks of apple in the them, and the perfect amount of cinnamon/sugar. The shops has tons of homemade jams, spreads, & canned goods, plus food to go. It's a great place to visit with the holidays coming up if you want to have homemade pie, but don't want to do any baking. read more

Dondero Orchards - Farmers Market Near Me - Glastonbury, Connecticut

This orchard is a little bit more in the "outskirts" of Glastonbury, but you travel down another beautiful, rural road to get there. And it's worth the hike! Really nice people and low-key environment. Not many frills but high-quality vegetables and fruits. Their store stays mostly pure to the produce. Some of the best prices in town, as well. read more

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This is one of my favorite Glastonbury orchards. Loved coming here when I was younger.... big plus it's very close to my families property in Glastonbury....could walk here....but wouldn't since there a crazy drivers on Matson Hill either driving to fast or erratically. You can pick your own apples or purchase apples that were picked in the morning. They have several varitrs including my favorite Macoun's!!! They also have a cute little building with baked goods, pickled veggies and hot fresh Apple Fritters...yumo! Apple Fritters are $4 for a 1 lb. bag. If you bring your little ones they have a whole bunch of little playhouses for the kids to play in and climb all over. Is nice to come here on a fall day grab some Macoun's and get some Hot Apple Fritters and plop yourself down at one of their many picnic tables and enjoy those cinnamon sugary Hot Apple Fritters while waiting your little ones have fun in the playhouses....oh and don't forget to give them at least one Fritter before you eat the whole bag.... read more

Maybe Dondero Orchards is better during a season in full swing and not in between seasons like when I came, but I found that it was not worth the extremely long and winding trek out. The farm store was small and had very limited goods when I visited. Several loaves of fruit-implanted bread and plain bread, some packages of cookies, a dozen apple cider donuts laying out under a small case--and that's about it. Not too much else. I had to special order blueberry fritters, which is great because they're fresh. It's also not great at the same time because you don't have a choice on how many you get (four in one order for $4) and you can't pick your own. The fritters aren't anything special, and the apple cider donut I had was good but not worth the trip to Dondero. Apple cider donuts are a predominant commodity in Connecticut come the fall, so yours better stand out if you toot that you have them. I think the fritters are the main focus here, but nothing really stood out to me. The service was good and quick, too, when making the fritters. However, I felt a little pressured to get more than I had by the main cashier. I only wanted a few things, but felt it was as though I hadn't really gotten anything. My purchase was composed of a couple sweet things, with the donut and fritters and sugar cookies (a classic cookie that I wanted to try), and it was pointed out by said cashier that I liked sugar--which left me feeling embarrassed. So maybe I hit this farm stand at the wrong time with its low stock, but after my overall experience and with so many farm stands around the area, I doubt that I'll return to Dondero anytime soon. read more

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South Glastonbury is wonderfully packed to the brim with farms and fruit orchards but Dondero has to be my favorite. I've been here twice in the last week alone for blueberry picking, but always seem to leave with plenty more goodies than I originally anticipated. Fresh pesto, salsa, cookies, ice cream, pies, fragrant loaves of rustic bread - truly a lovely selection for a pretty small farm store. Dondero is much more low key than some of the other surrounding farms and I mean that in the best way possible. I try to go on a weekday to avoid the crowds and it's so exceptionally serene. Picnic tables are also plentiful for snacking on the bounty you get from the farm store! In addition to the mounds of blueberries, I picked some donut peaches (oh my god, SO WONDERFUL) and plums on my last visit. The fruit is exceptional. Can't wait for apples! read more

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We drove(2 cars) 2 1/2 hours for pick your own fruit. According to their website they have pears, apples, blueberries and peaches. I called to make sure the crops were ready but could never get anyone on the phone. Their message did not indicate what was ready to pick. We drove down to discover much to our disappointment that only blueberries were available. Their website gave absolutely no indication that anything was not as described on their site. The older woman behind the counter was rude and flippant. The blueberries we picked were great but the whole experience left us disappointed as we had planned our whole day around this trip. read more

This place is great for every season! I usually go for picking apples or pumpkins, but closer to Thanksgiving time they have a lot of great gift ideas. They have amazing pies, breads, cakes, baked goods and gift baskets. Plus, I went just in time as they brought out their freshly homemade chicken pot pies. I ended up freezing mine and brought it to a friends place a few weeks later, it was incredible. read more

What a bummer of an experience this was. All the low-hanging apples were picked and in baskets at the front, so while you could walk through the small orchard, you really couldn't pick your own unless you are over 6.5z The Apple fritters were freshly made but did not taste like apple- more like dough. They do not make the donuts from scratch. I'm not sure what's going on around the location-- there is a lot of political ads in the surrounding area-- and we were really just seeking a nice fall experience to escape from all of the news and drama that has been 2020. The prices on the pumpkins seemed fair, but really- if you are looking for an idyllic Fall in New England-- this is not the place for you. The apples tasted good, and it might be a fine place to swing by on the way home, but it's not a destination place, like others in the area. read more

Inexpensive pick your own. Fruit in incredible, so are the fritters! I love, love, love this orchard. Unlike other farms in glastonbury, it was much quieter, off the beaten path. The fruit was plentiful and just soooo good. When we went, they were offerin pick your own blueberries and peaches. There were so many perfect blueberries on every bush it was hard to stop yourself from picking them all! At only $2.50/lb, load up! Inside, they had tons of vegetables, pre-picked fruits, jams, spreads, soups, fritters, cookies, pies, you name it! everything was amazing and the woman running it that day (who may be the owner) was so friendly! we waited a few minutes for a fresh, hot batch of blueberry fritters (totally worth it), and checked out easily. they take cash or cards. At their secondary location, we picked black raspberries, raspberries, the most delicious little tomatoes, eggplant and peppers. They also had potatoes inside and fresh eggs. i recommend this as a fun date or family trip. these orchards are the best and i cant wait to go back! read more

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On a beautiful Sunday afternoon we stopped in to buy pumpkins. They have more varieties of pumpkins than I realized existed. Besides your typical carving type, the pie making types and the gourds, I also saw white ones, knobby ones, peach colored, some that were wider than tall. All sorts of decorative autumn pumpkins and gourds along with hay bales and corn stalks. Wagons are available to haul your booty back to the car. This is a pick your own apple spot at well, or you can grab a bunch already picked for you, and a some veg too. A few families were out picking and the orchard offers several apple varieties on both sides of the parking lot. Each row as a sign stating the variety. On the day we went cars were parked along the road, so use care when driving in. A small shop sells fresh apple fritters and donuts. They smell heavenly. There are also a variety of breads, desserts, pickles, jams, chutneys, and cider along with a few craft items and more apples and veg. You can also buy cider, hot or cold, by the cup. Several picnic tables are in a small field between the shop and the road for guests to enjoy. This is a fun family outing. read more

Still the greatest and their CSA can't be beat for quality and variety! Love, love, love Sandy and her crew! read more

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Love Dondero. They have a great selection, and there prices are better than some of the more touristy farms in town. They have great apple fritters too! read more

There are so many wonderful farms to visit in Glastonbury. Dondero Orchards is one of my favorites. This year their blueberries are so amazingly huge that it almost takes the fun out it. Part of the fun of picking blueberries is being the one who finds the fattest biggest blue orb, but at Dondero's all the berries are elephant sized. Don't you just love eating your way through the orchards? In the fall they have a variety of apple that is hard to find-- the Honey Crisp. Just like the name implies these apples taste like honey and are the sweetest and crispiest (uh, is that a word?) apples I have ever had. They also make great pies. These have definitely replace the McCoun as my favorite apple. There are neat things to eat in the farm store too. All of their home baked goodies are wonderful, especially those evil raspberry cookies. Great eggs are hard to find--okay you laugh but that's because you have no idea what a real egg is supposed to taste like. I tried their eggs (well, they get them from Colechester) the other day and they were pretty good and real inexpensive. In fact I think Dondero's has the best prices of all of the farms in Glastonbury. Oh ya, they have amazing homemade or is that orchard-made sherbet in the summer. Blueberry, raspberry, peach jeez what I am doing at this damn computer! See ya there. :-) read more