Barbecue and live music, you say? This is the place. Great ambiance, great venue and decent sound. Wednesday night open mic for you closeted rock stars out there. The crowd for open mic gets a little fervent for that type of show, so it is a lot of fun. Food is very good for a bar, drinks are strong. Fun night out! read more

Berkeley Cafe - Burgers Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Nice to find a neighborhood restaurant with a bar open early Tuesday morning... The service is not great but the food was fantastic. the big Mike hit the spot and the club sandwich was off the hook!!! Tater tots were hot n crispy!! The beers were icy cold! I'd definitely return here if I am ever back in Raleigh... read more

Service was ok. Food was meh. Live music was TERRIBLE. I would give it two stars but this restaurant doesn't deserve four, so I want to offset it to more accurately reflect the deserved rating. read more

Berkeley Cafe - Frozen. Was given options for how I wanted it done. Don't think it would have made a difference. - Burgers Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Came here on a Wednesday afternoon. Not from Raleigh so decided to try something random. Foot traffic was pretty slow. I can see how this place is probably really packed at night and on weekends. My and my cousin got the Shut Up and Eat It (whatever the kitchen feels like throwing together). I feel like it's kind of a risky thing to throw on the menu, however the food we got was DELICIOUS! The chef made a burger for my cousin and I got a ham BLT. The house-made thick potato chips were the perfect amount of crunchy and not too salty(most house made chips are always too salty). Overall I really enjoyed the food here. Service was ok. However I'm not the kind of person that expects 5 Star dining service everywhere I go. We're all human and all have different things going on in our lives. I ordered food, it came quick, it was delicious. What more could you ask for? read more

Mediocre-ish. It's okay. It was acceptable. I've made better sandwiches myself. I ordered the Reuben.

I absolutely LOVE this place! As a Wilmingtonian this place made me feel like home away from home. Lucas and Gizmo are amazing and the back, back patio is rad AF! Thank you all for making us feel at home when we weren't read more

Awesome service, awesome food. Good beer selection on tap. Great place to get out for a bite or some day drinking. read more

Berkeley Cafe - Cafe is across the street from this beautiful tree. - Burgers Near Me - Raleigh, North Carolina

Large salads and great barbeque! Great for lunch and the place has live music at night.

During the day, the Berkeley is a reasonably good lunch spot. Reasonably good BBQ for a reasonably price. Everything is just reasonable. At night, though, the Berkeley is a good option for your drinking. There is almost always live music of some sort, cheap beer, and a nice little outdoor area where I normally spend my time. Wednesday night is open mic night, and if you're very lucky the bad poetry guy and his bad flute solo will be there to entertain the pants off of you. Sometimes the open mic performers will surprise you, sometimes they will horrify you, but it's always worth watching over a few beers - whether it's entertaining for all the right reasons or all of the wrong ones. If your there for the beer, try the potato skins. After a few drinks, they somehow go from reasonably good to the best thing you've ever had. Not in the "Waffle House sure is good after a long night" way, but in a "I can't believe that these got this much better over the course of a beer!" way. read more

Came in after we already had dinner so not a food review. There was live music playing at bottom level of the bar. They played a lot of covers for some older songs. The musicians were really good and the atmosphere was a great end to our date night. read more

Don't let this place fool you. The Berkeley Cafe is a great place for food and has a great atmosphere too boot. Been there twice now and each time I got the "Shut Up or Eat It" and was pleased each time. read more

Great service, sandwiches, and drinks. You can't ask for anything more than a little place like Berkeley cafe

The last time I went service was TERRIBLE. Male bartender didn't even wait for is us to put our drink orders in after saying hello, and got very upset when I asked for a cup of ice (I can't drink caffeine so I had brought a drink for the day out) and while I was looking at the menu he literally stuck the ice right under my nose before slamming the glass down. I was appalled at how bad his behavior was. My boyfriend ordered coffee (which he never got), and it took us ten minutes to put in an order of fries, and he never came back so we could order actual food. We didn't even get the fries until we told the extremely nice cook that our service was awful, how we wanted to pay and that we were leaving. The cook offered to get the manager, but before we could say yes or no, the bartender yelled across the café at us, asking us "what is going on here". I would have given two stars because the first time I came here was absolutely lovely. A woman waited on us and was very attentive and nice. We gave her a four dollar tip on a six dollar bill because of how great she was to us. However the abominable behavior of the bartender threw me for a loop. Treating paying customers as if they are a burden is a sure way of losing customers, as he did. I will never recommend this place to anyone, something I would have done after the first visit. read more

Went in for our first time today, didn't stay and won't be back. Walked in, sat down and instead of a greeting the bartender asked if we would need menus. We Said yes, and then I asked for a glass of water, which seemed to annoy her a little bit. Got my water took a sip and then watched as said bartender returned to a plate of spaghetti which she leaned over and dug into right in front of us and what appeared to be a regular. The place appeared dirty, bar was sticky, there was a strange smell and I was watching the bartender slurp down spaghetti in front of me. Gross. My husband and I decided to just leave rather than take our chances with food poisoning or wait for the bartender to finish her lunch and take our order. As we got up to leave I noticed the cook who I had just seen 30 min before at the place across the street. He stood next to me for a quick drop in to toss back a Rumpleminz shot and then rushed off, or back, to work. Not a friendly staff and not our vibe. Total bummer. read more

Went to the Berkeley to listen to some music last night. They have a sandwich and burger menu with vegetarian options and lots of beers, you have to go to up to the bar to order. They have a back patio/room where people can smoke, unfortunately the smoke heavily wafted through the bar. It's a dive bar, I didn't expect it to be spotless. Staff seemed disinterested in serving and preparing the food. Maybe the regulars get better service. read more

I'm here on a Saturday about 5pm. Not super busy. Really relaxed but pleasant atmosphere. Good, friendly service right when I walk in door. I ordered a turkey rueben with chips-- very excellent, cooked perfectly, warm, delicious, chips were crispy and very good. I'd say it's pretty clean, not doctors office clean but doesn't feel dirty or grimy at all. Good food, good set up, good service!! 4 stars :) read more

This place was surprisingly delicious. The location is completely unassuming and it looks pretty divey at first glance. However, the beer selection had us curious and the guy making the sandwiches behind the counter looks friendly enough to give this place a try. The bartender here is super cool and will suggest beers by simply sliding a sample in front of you if you look unsure. We had the chicken philly which did not disappoint. The fries were crispy and they even split our meal into two baskets since we were sharing. We didn't even have to ask. This place is certainly worth a try if you're looking for a neighborhood gem. read more

Great diner food! Good quality meats and fresh ingredients. The services was solid and we really enjoyed the philly cheese steak and chicken tender salad! Yum! read more

Went to see Chris Knight at Berkley Cafe last night with the missus. Ho-ly crap, am I going to miss seeing shows here! While I can't speak for the food (since we stopped by Fiction Kitchen before the show), I can tell you a few things: the promoter, Marianne, is awesome; the sound quality is good; the space is intimate; and the crowd is stoked to be here. The only downside, and maybe this is just what I'm used to coming from Philadelphia, is that the banter coming from the people heckling the drunk, old guy who spent the night finger-blasting his side chick on the corner of the stage seemed a bit lackluster. Oh, well. Nobody's perfect. read more

I wish I could give a fraction or no star at all. Piss poor service, can't get anyone to come back to you after they bring you your food. They don't ask about drink refills (for beer that's lost profit of additional purchases) and the food is sub par. My wife and I came in with our youngest and ordered. My daughter and I got our food and my wife waited for more than 40 minutes for hers. Finally my wife and decided to ask about it and she walked up to the counter. It turns out the cooks never even made it and that's why we didn't have it. The order was a freakin BLT! Never come here, ever! read more

Came here with a groupon and thought I'd check out a new area. So the one and only reason I docked one start is because of the location. There is a lot of construction going on right in front which makes finding it and parking more difficult. It is however in front of a beautiful park and will be a nice spot once their done with all the demo. The place itself was very clean quaint. The people that work there are very nice and hospitable and the food was very good. Their homemade chips were awesome and I tried the chicken Philly which was so good. No pics though (sorry :( ) looks like a great place to come at nice grabs a few drinks and listen to live music which they do have. If I'm in the neighborhood I will be returning. read more

Great under the new management! I had one of the veggie subs and added bacon. Superb. Great value for money. Great beer selection with 12 rotating taps. read more

Not the classiest of places in town but you can't find a better cajun burger in town. This restaurant has very good meals and the customer service is usually A+. In the mood for a good burger, you have to try the Berkely. read more

Extremely hostile staff. I stopped here just before 4 PM on 26 April 2021 to use the restroom and grab a bite to eat. I did not have a mask at hand and would have just left if they said I had to wear one, but they didn't bring it up. The female individual (certainly not a lady) at the bar rudely told me the bathroom is "for paying customers only", and I assured her I intended to sit down and buy something but I really had to go to the bathroom first, so she reluctantly let me go. When I came out, I headed for the bar and she immediately shoved a mask at me and demanded that I put it on. I was taken aback and said "what?" to which she aggressively ordered me to "put the mask on". I really don't like this kind of behavior so I just said "no thanks" and headed for the door. The only customer present started screaming obscenities at me, and the employee followed me, shaking her head at me as he screamed. At no point did I do anything to provoke this behavior and I am not exaggerating any of it. This is literally the worst experience I've ever had at any kind of eatery. I love going to local places wherever I go but I will not so much as speak a neutral word of this establishment. read more

It was OK. A bit dark and I've heard from locals that they've been shut down a few times for health code violations. The food was mediocre at best. The waitress was really nice though. read more

I never went under the old restaurant so I can't comment as to whether or not it's better. I will say that I enjoy Berkley for what it is (and I knew full well what to expect). I've been there a few times. They have a fairly decent beer selection with the typical beers and some local. They have music here and there on the weekend. Food is surprisingly good. I've had several burgers and they all seem to be good choices. The tator tots are awesome- especially sweet potato ones. Plastic cups for beer and baskets for the food. Its definitely a dive bar/restaurant, but this place is proof that dive doesn't mean bad. I think they do bingo on Monday. read more

I love this place for a great sandwich at lunch time. The Pitts wrap is the bomb!!!! Also their homemade chips are out of this world! Very clean, friendly staff and great food make it one of my regular places to dine! read more

I was in town for a conference, and a few of us decided to hit the town. I didn't eat anything, so I can't attest to the food. However, I do want to call out how nice the staff was to all of us. They were very kind and knowledgeable about their beer selection, and overall it was a very enjoyable experience. The music was incredibly loud despite the place being almost empty at that time of night, but that's my only gripe. read more

If david was on point which i know he was all was awsome.. The berkely cafe is a mix of leisure an the wild. Take youre next free day off stop an make a friend.. read more

I love this place! I don't know why it gets such mixed reviews. Yes, be prepared, it is a divey hole in the wall rock club that serves sandwiches. Reminds me a lot of Chapel Hill / Carrboro. There always seems to be a crew of old locals / regulars hanging at the bar, and sometimes a dog or two. Very chill place where anything goes. I usually come here for the food since it's one of the few places downtown that still serves sandwiches in the evening. They actually have a lot of vegetarian options! The avocado sandwich (veggie pumper I think?) is fresh and tasty, and the fries (regular and sweet potato!) are excellent - crisp, fresh, and never greasy. I'm glad this place has stuck around for so long. I need to check out the back patio one of these days when the weather is good! read more

Great food, great staff, awesome live music at night! The Berkeley Cafe is amazing

Beer cheese soup was amazing! My husband loved the kung pao cauliflower. Service was great. They have lots of live music!

I'm from Nashville, TN! Came here to play a show in town and needed a cheap bar to eat at so we stopped here. This place is awesome for beer specials and a cheap place to eat WELL. The staff is nice, the vibe is chill, of course the live music is too loud for the size of the place, but it comes with the atmosphere. read more

This place has got some history. I remember seeing a lot of local concerts here back in the early 2000's and I hear that they are one of the oldest bar/venues in Raleigh. I came back here the other day and to my surprise they have done a lot of renovations and the food has increased in quality. The sandwiches here are delicious and overall this place seems to be underrated. I will definitely come back to this spot. If you're trying to avoid huge crowds on the weekend and need a drink and some good food, this place is for you. read more

Great place for lunch! The specials are always good. Great prices. Beer selection is good. I love the "Shut Up and Eat It" option.

The owner, John, is a trip and always entertaining... I've eaten here on multiple occasions for lunch only. Prices are kind of high for my tastes but the daily specials are a pretty decent price and include a drink. The chili is good, so is the Old Fashioned burger, onion rings and lemon-pepper chicken sandwich. (The lemon pepper chicken sandwich isn't on the menu but just ask for it and they'll make it for you). I've always gotten my food to-go but it looks like if you eat in on a busy day like friday then prepare for the wait to be a little long - there's only one waitress for all those tables read more

Best thing about the Berkeley is the bar staff; cool, cute, friendly, efficient and often willing to engage in meaningless chit chat -- the best kind after a couple of drinks. They're after tips, of course, but hey, who cares? Just one thing about the Berkeley you should know, in case you've never been there. If you gotta take a shit, do it before you go. The restrooms look like downtown Berlin in April, 1945. Shitting in the woods on a rotting fallen tree is a more pleasant experience. Even washing your hands will leave you feeling dirty. read more

If you are lucky enough to be in Raleigh for Food Truck Takeover Tuesday, make a reservation and go! The evening is very special. The food is delicious, the staff incredibly nice and the experience delicious and fun. We have been to two Tuesdays and are going back for more. Fun and casual. read more

Decent drinks decent food. Extremely clean kitchen! Great prices great owner friendly staff. I can't say enough positive things about this new little joint by the law school read more