Do Nut Dinette

Loved this place a lot. wish it was open more. Sad to see it go. Its being currently turned into The Little Dog Diner. Hope to see what new food they will be serving there when it finally opens.

Biggest effing pancakes ever. Seriously, start with one (and I don’t mean one stack) because unless you are Takeru Kobayashi, you are not going to be able to wolf down much more without suffering a few issues.
As for the rest of the food, it was okay but nothing to write home about. I made the mistake of getting the waffles the first time I went and they were tiny, a bit rubbery, and priced higher than they should have been (which can also be said for their donuts).
Overall a decent if not mind blowing place to get your morning grub on.

Awesome late night food! Everything was super filling and the server was such a sweetheart. I also loved conserving with the cook and she was such a fast and efficient cook. I love the old 50s style they have going in this place. They will be starting 24 hours on the weekends so be sure to check them out. (Friday-​Sunday)

Great spot. Pretty small and def under-​staffed for as busy as they were but we still didn’t have to wait long. The one waitress still took the time to check on us and be friendly, didn’t seem flustered and overwhelmed like I would be in her situation. Food was amazing. You get very big portions and it’s fairly inexpensive. I got cheese eggs with a biscuit and hash browns. Next time I’m in Ghent for breakfast I’ll be back. Definitely left with a good impression.

I have to admit I am writing this review a few days after my stop here (try not to use technology on vacation if possible). I am still thinking about this place! I ordered the 1 pancake with 2 eggs and ham. I also ordered an item I had never had before: scrapple! First off the pancake was HUGE. Most of the time when there is a sort of «gimmick» with food places the quality is not matching the push. These pancakes are somehow light and fluffy with a good texture and wonderful flavor. When you add syrup and butter it doesn’t mask the flavor of the actual pancake and it does hold together well still. These pancakes don’t get soggy and hold well throughout the dining experience allowing you to eat other items and pace your breakfast. Eggs are cooked well and the yoke it the only runny part on the sunny-​side up. I like the ham but it wasn’t the most outstanding and was more standard but that/​s fine as I usually don’t eat ham with breakfast. I have to warn that the scrapple is an acquired taste and the wait staff tells you this up front. I say eat it! I was surprised it had so much flavor as it is literally the scraps of the pig. It was almost like a meat hash brown with the consistency and the flavor was well balanced and was not harsh. I acquired that taste.

Not great breakfast. Unsalted grits, oversalted leathery ham, overcooked eggs. And weirdly, we ate early in the morning but there were a lot of things they didn’t have.

So I went to Carolina Cupcakery to pick up some pupcakes and since I arrived before they opened I decided to get some food nearby. Do Nut Dinette was within 200 feet away so I walked on over after seeing a bunch of people sitting outside. I wasn’t that hungry but since I could see the cook making everything I got really hungry all of a sudden. I was going to go for a burger and fries and quickly changed my mind to a pancake, two eggs and bacon. I was thinking two pancakes at first but after seeing pics on Unilocal I knew better than to order more than what I can handle. I only made it through about half my pancake so be sure to be hungry as hell if you go for two of them.
Service was a bit off but these folks sure made things pleasing. At first, I didn’t have utensils and when I asked for some a lady smiled at me and cutely said that they’re double on Sundays. Well played. I needed some syrup for my big ass pancake and my waitress was quick to apologize, called me sweetie and made all things happy. Normally, small things like this irritate me but they were quick to fix it with a smile.
It’s definitely your diner feel and perfect for the neighboring Ghent residents.

I had the best breakfast here this morning with my dog beside me. The cook was kind enough to bring out a water dish for my pup and the two chocolate chip pancakes were delicious. Although I wish the waitress would have told me how big they were after I told her it was my first visit, I happily gave my leftovers to the handsome men who hangout in front of ⁷⁄₁₁.
So happy I discovered this gem!

Nothing special… Donuts were ok. Food was low diner quality. Very small, unable to accommodate a high chair. Service was average but food took a while. I would probably skip here, just go to IHOP or pick up the donuts Togo.

Really enjoyed my breakfast here, Mike was a fantastic chef. Definitely a place to go for some quality breakfast and good customer service. So glad it is right down the street from our house. The only thing I would say is that the last two times I’ve been by, they didn’t have doughnuts available at those times. One day maybe!

After driving around looking for a breakfast spot that we could actually get into we ran across the little diner. Im from NY so I know how looks can be deceiving for a mom and pop place. My boyfriend and I decided to give it a go. We are major foodies and will try anything once. This was an awesome decision! The food is cooked right in front of you old school style. Our food was ready quickly, cooked to perfection and the service was awesome. Keep in mind– it was closing time. The donuts are homemade as well so get there early or miss out.

I came to this little gem on Sunday after church. I had some friends from out of town with me and I really wanted to so them the best that Hampton roads had to offer. I tried to take my friends to a different location that was packed. So I jumped on Unilocal,I thought the name of this restaurant was pretty cool, I heard about the donuts and the reviews seemed favorable, so made our way over. In regards to ambience, it is definitely a hole in the wall mom and pop location, it was very simple basic but very inviting and it made me feel like I was in a diner from ‘50s (note: my only understanding of what diners looked like in the ‘50s is based purely on the movies and tv shows I watch ;). We sat at the counter right next to the line cook. My man was working that grill and talking to us the entire time. He and the server were super cool and helped me fall in love with this little place before I even had a bite to eat.
The food was amazing! I had a breakfast burrito that was nice and BIG (big boy size) with toast and hash browns (I would say they are more like breakfast potatoes or whatever southern phrase attributed to potatoes eaten at breakfast). I was able to try one of the donuts they sell and it was pretty good, not «smack yo mama» good but it hit the sweet and hearty donut spot I was craving at the time, it was almost like KK and DD had a donut baby. One of the items that I tried that was ultra impressive was the «Larger than yo Face» pancake. I have never seen a pancake that big before and it was nice and moist and tasty too!
This is a great place for almost anytime of day; early morning, late night (after bars close) or afternoon. Though an awesome place, it is on the small side, so any group larger than 4 people will start to find issue with eating together and the bathroom is located behind the restaurant so it may be a good idea to relieve yourself before your visit. But definitely try this place out, you will not regret it.

The food, the atmosphere… it was exactly what I was looking for. I was craving a greasy spoon, and that’s exactly what the place offers.
I ordered two eggs over easy with hash browns, toast and bacon. Everything was perfect– I especially enjoyed the hash browns as they were loaded with onions and soggy/​greasy. $ 5.95 for all that fattening goodness.
The place is tiny and I was lucky to find a seat in the corner of the bar. I was greeted by a server soon after I sat down, and I admit I felt a bit rushed to get my order in because they place was so packed.
Once I placed my order, my waitress didn’t come back to check on me much, but that’s because the restaurant was understaffed for the volume of customers they had on a Sunday at around 11:30. It was nice of another waitress to refill my coffee and get me a cup of water. They also had only one cook working on a fairly small skillet, so it took quite a while for my food to be prepared. I was OK with this, as I was in no rush and really enjoyed watching the cook work his multitasking magic.
There seemed to be quite a mix of people here. There were several other single diners and there were some fairly large parties; a few people who looked a little rough around the edges, and some girls who looked like they were in a sorority. If I lived in Ghent, I think I would be a regular here. Note that they’re also open all night on Friday and Saturday.

Severely disappointed. Waited about 45 minutes for our greasy, flavorless food. I was really wanting to like this place but do not know if I will even come back. The people cooking the food were talking crap as they cooked and the cook was on the phone talking about how sick he is. Gross. I don’t want someone who is sick cooking my food. This place needs to be on a food network show to get saved. I doubt it will stay in business if they continue to run things like this.

Loved this place from way back… went recently (first time since they reopened)…we will not be back.
Though we loved our server, service (cook) was WAY slow and the food was nothing to write home about.
This makes me sad. :-(

What’s this nonsense from Unilocal that Donut Dinette is closed? It WAS closed, but I’m glad to report: it is now in full swing! I enjoyed a hearty breakfast and donut with my wife & daughter just last week. My pooch even enjoyed some bacon, as the place remains «dog friendly» for sidewalk patrons.
It still offers a unique dining experience with better than average food. It remains a Ghent landmark. Cool place, good food, fair prices!

Doughnut dinette finally reopened! I love the breakfast here and the cool place & staff. They have real home fries. Great portions on ham and eggs with home fries breakfast. The pancakes are the size of a dinner plate. I love local owned places that are cool like this one.
I have added photos
Sure glad it is back open!

Sheet metal chic. That’s what I was thinking the entire time we waited for our food. It’s like we were in a galvanized twinkie. Breakfast was okay, donuts were good (they only have glazed.) A very limited, but classic diner menu. I liked that they were dog friendly, but overall not my first choice for brunch.
I noticed a sign driving past recently that may indicated this place is done for, which would be a shame.

This is pretty much what a diner should be — simple food, simple spot, simple service. Donut Dinette offers all of that and they do it very well. I have nothing bad to say about it, although I’m a bigger fan of Charlie’s. Ghent residents understand this because typically you’re either a fan of one or the other, just as one could either be an Elvis fan or a Beatles fan. You can like both but you can never really like both equally. In the end you have to choose one.
Oddly, I’ve never had their donuts, which I’ve heard are the bomb. Maybe in that respect I’m partial to Krispy Kreme, since those are the donuts I grew up on. I should make it a point to try them since they only named themselves after the yummy treat.
I can easily give this place five stars, but I can’t because of my loyalty to Charlie’s. But it really is a great place to go for breakfast. Definitely try to get there early because it will fill up quickly. JV

This is a great little diner down in Ghent. To say it’s tiny on the inside is an understatement. However it’s cozy. When you come in the door there about 5 – 6 chairs on either side of the entrance and the grill is right behind the counter. Outside there’s probably another 10 or so tables.
If you’re coming for the doughnuts you need to get here early. If you’re coming in for brunch or later there’s a 95% chance they’ll be gone for the day. So the earlier you come the better.
The weather is perfect today so I sat out front in the breeze for a late breakfast. They run a two egg special daily, however I was looking for a little more than that today and ordered Eggs, home fries, sausage w/​toast. This a was a perfectly filling meal to start off the day. Who says you can’t have breakfast at 1:30 in the afternoon. :)
The staff is friendly and the owner always takes a moment to say hello to you. One more thing, starting May 7^th they’re going to be open late at night throughout the summer. Perfect for those late night cravings.