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    Berkeley Bowl West

    4.1 (1.6k reviews)
    ModerateCafes, Bakeries, Grocery
    Closed 9:00 am - 8:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Berkeley Bowl West Photos

    BERKELEY BOWL WEST ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Berkeley Bowl West

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    Entrance
    Brian V.

    Really popular grocer that has been serving the greater Berkeley community for decades. This location was opened in 2009. They're known for their organic produce or just their produce variety and selection in general. I know for a fact that they are one of few places that get stone fruit from a central CA farm that I am very fond of. I've heard of this place through several of my family members who went to UC Berkeley and been wanting to go. Finally got that chance recently. The folks here are friendly and I would say the vibe is similar the popular grocer chain that started in Austin, but with a more organic community vibe. I came through looking for some fruits and stumbled across their craft beer section, which I have to say, had a pretty impressive selection including some rare, esoteric beers that some of my craft beer buddies would geek out on. I then went to the cafe across the way to get a beverage. That cafe is great too! (I think they're affiliated). Didn't have much time to explore or shop, but me and my fam got some stuff before we left. A true gem and am envious of what the denizens of Berkeley or students have here.

    Blue eggs?! Don't mind if I do!
    Zinia G.

    Wow! This place is huge and has so much variety. When I went to this location a few weeks ago, I was absolutely blown away. All kinds of meat, fish, produce, snacks, and it's pretty affordable. When I went back with my husband yesterday, I did see some moldy vegetables, but ehh, it happens. They have sushi-grade fish and all the fixins and accoutrement-- I'm talking ginger, wasabi, sushi rice, seaweed, imitation crab, kewpie mayo, ALL OF IT! Be prepared for a lot of maneuvering your cart! It takes a minute to find parking and the spots are tight. When you first enter the store, it's a little challenging to find a way to get into the store. Don't skip the outdoor area! The meat department is organized and while it feels like the wait will be very long, you just pick a number and it goes by pretty quickly. The checkers/ cashiers have been less than friendly both times, but they worked quickly. The first time they had samples of drinks. This time, I had to ask someone in the cheese department for a sample. I'd love to see some more samples at a massive location like this! Overall-- the options are too good not to go here, both when you need a big haul or if you're looking for speciality items.

    Goodies for the home!
    Jacqueline F.

    See my last review. This is generally a good store and all the details is in that one. However, they do have issues with taking returns and that is a problematic for me. And it makes me not want to try new things. But they have all the fruits and veg at a good price and the sales are pretty good too. Things are more expensive now, but they are not impossible. At some point, they will have sales on all the gluten-free flowers and stuff and that's when I can stack up on all of my baking goods and get ready for the holiday season. I do like coming here. I do respect their prices. And the people are generally nicer than they've been in a while. I will continue shopping here. The store is generally clean and I've never had a complaint about anything like that. Sometimes their products are a bit hard to find, but it's not a big deal.

    Deli dept
    Lisa L.

    This is the best grocery for all your needs, there all types of food depts including meat/seafood dept., deli, pastries, bread, cheese, regular/organic fruits & veggies, etc.

    Mango, Strawberry/Red Bean & Strawberry/Chocolate mochi - handmade treats!  VERY GOOD!!
    Hillari A.

    Been shopping here for decades now, but thought I'd post something recent. These past weeks a new Tokyo Central has opened and I thought would give BBW a run for its money, but no. I went this am to BBW and they again had fresh strawberry mochi! JC did not - too funny! I'll stick to my BBW for my weekly items and even some of my fav "Japanese" items as well! Keep doing you, BBW, I'm here for it!

    Abi H.

    I come to Berkeley Bowl West once a week and always have a stellar experience. Yesterday, I was even more impressed by their teamwork and ability to work through high stress situations! It was crazy busy, as usual, and it was a Saturday, so the checkout lines were super long and all of the cashiers were going as fast as they could. All of the card readers went down while we were in line for checkout, we were next in line and were pretty bummed to either have to pay with cash or write our card down. It only took about 30 seconds before the leadership team came out and helped to direct everyone on next steps. None of the team members appeared to be phased by this situation which, to me, is a sign of great training and support! They pulled out their backup card readers where they had to manually input our totals and were ready to keep rolling. Thankfully the main card readers were back online before it was our turn and checkout resumed as normal for everyone. I'm always so impressed with how the Berkeley Bowl West team gets through their busy days in general, but this was the cherry on top. You all are the best! Also, if you've never been to Berkeley Bowl West make sure you set aside AT LEAST one hour, if not more, to explore the entire store. They always have bright and bountiful in season + local produce. And typically, each produce item has multiple suppliers so you can usually find one within your price point. I'm a pretty particular shopper and will seek out deals, so my weekly produce hauls at Berkeley Bowl West usually cost me about $25-$30. That's just on produce alone and for high quality local produce, you really can't beat that! They do also have a bargain produce section all the way in the back corner by the meat/seafood. This section has bags of produce for about $2/each and even whole cartons of berries for $1. Because it's the bargain section, you will definitely have to peel through the bags when you get home because they are older items. But you can, and I have, totally get your entire week's produce just in the bargain section for under $10. You do have to beware of narrow aisles just because of how crowded it gets, but the team does an amazing job at keeping aisles clear of hazards/trash as well as maintain a gorgeous farmer's market style aesthetic for the produce.

    Black Pearl Cherries
    Lloyd C.

    When my wife lived in the East Bay, she frequently shopped here at Berkeley Bowl West. I've shopped here a handful of times. I love the sushi grade seafood and produce here! I mean there is so much variety and such a huge selection, it makes your head spin. In a good way of course. She stopped in to see what kind of fresh fruit she could find. She ended up only buying some bananas and cherries.

    Figs and tomatoes galore!
    Howard B.

    Hands down this is the best grocery store that I've been in. Is it crowded with challenging parking? It sure is! Just breathe deep, be patient and kind and this grocery store will deliver a treat that will dazzle your taste buds.

    Ohh

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    3 years ago

    Great service, selection and prices! I drive all the way from Lafayette just to shop here.

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    Page 5 of 41

    Berkeley Bowl West Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Berkeley Bowl West

    Do they still accept ebt?

    Yes, but not for hot food. The Cafe doesn't accept EBT, gift cards.

    Is the deli organic?

    Not really. They may have some organic things, but in general it isn't.

    Do you take EBT?

    Hi Melody! Yes, we do - at the point of sale, you can use your EBT card as you would any payment card. Thanks!

    Has anyone noticed a time of day (or day of the week) when the store is not so filled with Instacart shoppers?

    Is there a time of day or week that is not too crowded?

    I was there on 3/27 at 11:45am and it was a 40 min wait. On 3/18 at 11:15, it was a 10 min. wait. They are keeping the store at about one-half customer capacity. I would think it's a little more crowded during the weekends.

    Is there a difference between Berkeley Bowl & Berkeley Bowl West when it comes to flowers, the amount and the different types? Thanks…

    Can't speak specifically to flowers but the Heinz store is a much larger store than the Shattuck store and I have definitely found larger quantities and greater variety at the Heinz store. One small issue for me: I need specifically Chinese cuts of… 

    Are dogs allowed in Berkeley bowl?

    No.

    What is your address thanks?

    920 Heinz Ave Ste 200, Berkeley CA

    Does Berkeley Bowl have bulk cooking oils?

    I don't think so

    Thai ice tea?

    They do have thai iced tea in cans/bottles. It's in the same aisle as their non-dairy cheese options and the refrigerated tofu.

    Does anyone know what kind of mushrooms they carry here besides the generic button or portabello ones?

    In the organic section they usually have those, cremini, shiitakes and a couple other kinds. In the non-organic section many other kinds as in season such as black trumpet, porcini, chanterelles, morels, etc. in this area Monterey Market usually has… 

    What are the yummiest and or the best hard to find items here?

    Definitely check out their produce section. Chances are you'll find fruits and vegetables you've never seen or heard of before.

    View All 15 Questions

    Review Highlights - Berkeley Bowl West

    ORGANIC PRODUCE: Like the original Berkeley Bowl, all of the organic produce is in its own section.

    Mentioned in 45 reviews

    Read more highlights

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    4.6
    (441 reviews)
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    I was in Berkeley and craved Mediterranean, I was not disappointed by this lovely gem of a…read morerestaurant and market! It's been in business 54 years. Generations have shopped and eaten the wonderful food here. I ordered the Baarg and it came quickly- cooked to order. Amir has owned it the part 11 years, and his father before him. The Shiraz salad was the best I've ever had. Rice was perfection. The Baarg was so tender and delicious.. Amir made sure everything was perfect. This place is great for families and very reasonably priced for the high quality of food. The place is charming with a terrace out back and the World Cup game in tonight. They have live music Friday nights and a host of other events all month. Check the calendar in the hall by the patio. I highly recommend!

    I stepped in to grab food before realizing there was a separate cafe next door…read more Decided to come back after dinner next door to pick up some dessert and I'm so glad I did! I got an assortment of Turkish delight and some pistachio baklava ($2.99). The Turkish delight is sold by weight across all the varieties and goes for $16.99/lb. The guy behind the counter was super friendly and offered us a sample of one of the flavors to try which I thought was a nice gesture. Everything looked so good, so we picked a couple different pieces of Turkish delight to try. To my surprise, my favorite ended up being the saffron, though rose petal with pomegranate and sour cherry with pastachio were close seconds. I didn't like the coconut or the chocolate one that much, so reminder to myself to skip those next time. After picking up the dessert, I did a quick circle around the store to see what they had. It's not a big store but they manage to cram a lot of stuff into the limited space!

    Photos
    Persian New Year table on display.
    Persian New Year table on display.
    Baarg with half rice and half Shiraz salad
    Baarg with half rice and half Shiraz salad
    Market sign next to cafe

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    Market sign next to cafe
    Berkeley Natural Grocery

    Berkeley Natural Grocery

    4.2
    (108 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    I suggest this grocery for vegetarians and vegans. Berkeley Natural Grocery has less meats than…read moreanyone as far as I know.

    Yeah no. Back in the mid 2000s, til about 2012, I regularly shopped in this small local,…read moreemployee-owned grocers because it was close to where I lived, I prefer small, neighborhood markets, and I liked that everything was organic. I liked the long-time manager Michael (now many years retired). I was out of state for about 10 years, and returned a few years ago. I have dropped in here now and then for an item or two (or just to use the restroom, which is always very clean), and left empty-handed each time because the prices are laughably exorbitant. You can tell a lot about a business - grocers or other - by the mood or attitude when you walk in. I don't know if employees have been burned by bad customers or if it is just more post-pandemic 'Weltschmerz,' but whenever I stopped in here I never felt welcomed, or as though the staff actually enjoy working here. I hear no customer-staff friendly banter, see hardly any smiles. It is just stony-faced, entitled (mostly white) people getting what they need, not interacting with or making eye contact with others, much less exchanging smiles or friendly "hellos." It is one more example of the bratty coldness that has taken over most of Berkeley, which breaks my heart. This used to be a lovely market to call my "neighborhood market," but absolutely no longer is. Before any employees or the manager chime in with a response to defend their laughably exorbitant prices by reminding me of how small a market they are - whoa there, little kitties - your prices are still higher than Monterey Market up the road or another employee-owned market, Berkeley Bowl. I can't even afford to puchase a bottle of mustard here, and must get it at Trader Joes. Be honest: This market is for VERY WEALTHY PEOPLE ONLY or for people who DON'T MIND MAXXING OUT THEIR CREDIT CARDS HERE so that they can feel like one of the "cool kids" for shopping here. Your produce is beautiful, your shop very spic 'n span clean, I appreciate that you offer non-GMO and Fair Trade groceries, but you could do better, truly, by making the less-than-ridiculously wealthy people feel more welcome here. You'd have to care about us first though.

    Photos
    Berkeley Natural Grocery
    January 2025 Sales Flyer A Page 2: January 1-14, 2025
    January 2025 Sales Flyer A Page 2: January 1-14, 2025
    Another must post from yours truly just so that I remember where you came from :)

    See all

    Another must post from yours truly just so that I remember where you came from :)

    Berkeley Bowl West - cafes - Updated August 2026

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