.George’s Donuts & Merriment serves joy and charm

A nostalgic cafe opens in San Francisco's West Portal neighborhood

George Cawog operated George’s Laundry & Dry Cleaners on Lakeshore Avenue for decades. The self-declared “Shirt King of Oakland” made stopping by the Colonial Donuts next door to his business a daily ritual. Later in his career, he brought his grandchildren along with him on those donut runs. One of them, Andrew Dudum, just opened George’s, a donut cafe inspired by his now 94-year-old grandfather.

Located in San Francisco’s West Portal neighborhood, Dudum’s wife Lea and Chef Janina O’Leary lead the cafe’s day-to-day operations. After I visited George’s during their first, busy week, I spoke with both women about the many charms of the cafe itself and about the many donuts that kept rapidly disappearing from the display case.  

“We’re really sourcing the best ingredients that we can find—organic eggs and French butter,” O’Leary said. The chef, formerly at Bacchus Management Group, has worked on her brioche donut recipe, which includes a three-day fermentation process, for 16 years. “I’ve played with taking out as much sugar as I can and still having the dough be light and airy,” she said. 

Two of her donuts exemplify a perfect marriage of tart and sweet flavors—key lime pie and strawberry champagne. O’Leary hopes diners eat them without feeling any remorse or regret. Before launching, the George’s team taste-tested donut recipes for 18 months together. “We broke it down from texture and flavor. And we really want everybody to love these treats,” she said.

Keeping Ghirardelli Square’s chocolate display in mind, George’s included a stool for kids at the back of the cafe where they can sit and watch donuts being glazed and sprinkled. “The other day I was able to hand two warm donuts to two little girls, and that was the best part of my day,” O’Leary said. “It’s a full-circle moment, which is so thrilling, that we don’t usually get as a chef in the kitchen.”

At George’s, the donuts can be ordered to go or when diners are seated for table service. From 11am onwards, the kitchen also opens up for savory lunch options, including sandwiches and salads. A donut hole flight (6pc for $9, up to 24pc), served in a tall silver bowl with a side of melted chocolate sauce, is reserved for table service. Dipping a donut hole in warm chocolate delivers an intensely nostalgic feeling. Even though the cafe is still in the midst of figuring out more efficient ways to operate—crowd management stands at the top of the list—George’s has already figured out how to deliver food that imparts a sense of joy.   

Social media has been filling up with exuberant praise for George’s. The line out the door reflects the online and IRL enthusiasm. No expense was spared on the interior design, which accounts for the number of lovely photographs posted of the cafe and its donuts. The central counter, the bistro tables, the enormous skylight, the open kitchen and the matching green-and-white striped employee outfits look appealing from any angle.   

The Dudums’ extended family live in Europe, in France and Italy. In addition to the Colonial Donuts’ point of inspiration, Lea wanted to replicate the experience of eating out at a Parisian cafe. “It’s really a community spot, where you can have a glass of wine, a pastry, a salad,” she said. “It’s just the thing to do for the afternoon. There’s a little bit of everything for whoever wants to come in.”

Because entire trays of donuts, fresh from the kitchen, disappeared before our eyes, we only managed to try one other flavor, a vanilla bean glazed cruller ($4.25). Even with a glaze, it was crunchy on the outside and, as promised, the inside was light and airy. We also ordered sandwiches, a chicken panini and a ham-and-brie (both for $19 each), with plenty of cornichons.    

Dudum said that their families live in the neighborhood. The grandparents have dropped by with some very specific and helpful feedback. “We have this tahini rose donut that’s really inspired by Andrew’s Palestinian roots,” she said. Their suggestion: Next batch, add one more tablespoon of rosewater. “So we’re actively changing things. We love food, and we want to keep getting everything better.”  

George’s Donuts & Merriment, soft opening hours Tue-Sun, 9am to 3pm. 163 West Portal Ave., San Francisco. IG:@georgessf. georgessf.com.

UPDATE: A day after this story posted, the SF Chronicle broke the news that Andrew Dudum’s company Hims & Hers donated $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund. Writer Jeffrey Edalatpour responded in our Express newsletter that week.

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