Our brunch was charming and delicious. Highly recommend trying this place if you haven't yet.read more

900 Grayson has been around for so long. Been coming here for ages! Classic spot…read more Came here recently and ordered something different for once. I usually get the chicken and waffles, but he ordered it anyways so I got lucky to be able to still have a few bites. I ordered the "Breakfast" which came with 2 eggs however you want (I got mine over easy), hash browns, toast and either bacon or chicken sausage. I got the chicken sausage. For a drink, I had the Aquatic Park Sunrise. It was good. Not too sweet and strong enough that I wanted another lol My friend just had coffee which the staff made sure to always ask if he wanted refilled. Breakfast came quick. The chicken and waffles is a classic. I always order it when I come. Chicken was thick and juicy. I didn't try the waffle this time since I had my own food to eat (plus I've had it so many times before). This plate comes with either gravy or syrup but definitely pay the extra fee to get both. My dish was simple and delicious. Can't go wrong with eggs, hash browns and sausage. Love coming here and so happy they don't try to switch up anything too much. Came in and didn't have to wait for a table which is not always the case cause it's a busy place. Everyone is always so nice. Great place to come, great service and great food.

Nina's Cafe is great! I recently met up here with four friends, and the vibe was incredibly…read morewelcoming and perfectly conducive to great conversation. You can immediately tell that the food is freshly cooked with a lot of love from Nina herself. I particularly enjoyed the Chicken Curry. I also had the Chai, which is the real deal--crafted from her own authentic recipe, it completely blows away the generic versions you find at most places. Whether you're looking for a great place to meet up with friends or just want to enjoy a heartwarming meal made with love, I can't recommend Nina's Cafe enough.

The homemade chai is delicious, as well as the veggie curry combo plate. The atmosphere is warm and…read morecozy. The owner is an absolute sweetheart too. I highly recommend!

Omg, such great ideas for selling mochi donuts and drinks! Such a perfect combo!!…read more This place has been on my list to try, so when I was in Berkeley yesterday, I had to stop by! I got the Strawberry Lychee Roasted Matcha Latte (Hojicha) and the Ube Coconut Butter Mochi Donut As I've been more into hojicha lately, I had to try the strawberry and lychee flavor! It was perfectly balanced and not overly sweet. I loved it! The donut was so chewy and delicious, and the Ube flavor on top was amazing. I also love that it's an open kitchen, so you can actually see them making everything fresh. It smells SO good when you walk in! Definitely add this place to your list if you're around the area! FYI, there's no designated parking lot, but there's plenty of street parking around. There's also no seating inside. Hopefully they open more locations around the Peninsula because this combo is too good! PLEASE!

Maybe back in the day, Third Culture's matcha was considered novel, innovative, and really good…read more But compared to all the new matcha spots popping up, I honestly don't think their drinks hold up anymore. Especially at the price point, you expect a more premium drink. The matcha was gritty and tasted mostly like milk, with just an essence of whatever flavor it was paired with. For the price, I was expecting something much more flavorful and refined. The donuts were fine, but nothing particularly special or memorable. Overall, I just don't think the drinks or donuts justify the price compared to what's available now.

New job, new restaurant neighborhood! This restaurant is attached to the office building I started…read morein this week so I decided to give it a try! The model is a little different - you pick 2 or 3 salads as a base - I chose the lentils with cabbage and the cauliflower with salsa pomegranate seeds. Everything was bursting with flavor and blended well together across salads. Then you can add on proteins - I picked the chicken AND the Spanish tortilla. The chicken had a great crispy sear and full of flavor. The tortilla had perfectly fluffy eggs and potatoes. Next time I want to try the jammy soft boiled eggs! The ambiance is very chill and relaxing after a busy morning of work. The staff are super friendly and clearly know their regulars.

Whatever you do, do not book an event here. Customer Service is entitled, condescending and rude…read more My daughter was planning a baby shower so we called a number of venues to get a quote. We had been to Tarocco for lunch and figured we would ask them for a quote, too. My daughter warned me that the owner is trying to be an "influencer" on Instagram and posts photos of herself in crop Tops so I should beware, but that's fine by me. We called to get a quote and had a discussion. After we gave the owner all of our information, she told us she wouldn't give us a quote unless we came in person (?!) Which is weird because this isn't how restaurants work. Typically for events restaurants will give you a quote via phone or email for the sake of convenience. We had gotten 3 quotes already from other restaurants via phone. Making us drive 45 mins just to get a quote is a total waste of time. Especially if we can't afford it. So my daughter called again, left a VM explaining we couldn't come in person due to time constraints, and again asked for a quote. No reply. We waited a few days and called again. No reply. Finally we got a voicemail from the owner saying that she didn't like my daughter's attitude ?!!! Apparently you're not allowed to ask this restaurant how much they charge for events unless you're face to face. This lady has absolutely no idea how to run a restaurant. We took our business elsewhere and recommend that you do, too.

Tanzie's is located on Dwight, a ways west of downtown Berkeley. It's a sunny spot with very…read morelimited parking, but it's worth the trip. We didn't wait too long either--about 10 min for two ppl. We came here for lunch and since it was my first time, got the lava eggs and the special, which was cod fish curry. The curry had just enough spice to make my nose runny but not enough to make me cry. Paired with the lava eggs, it was the perfect combo of herbaceous savory flavors. My friend ordered the NAM PRIK ONG which also came with lava eggs. It was tomato-ey and had a great combination of spice as well. We also got the beignets to start and both agreed that it's better with condensed milk instead of the traditional powdered sugar. Can't wait to come again to try the other specials and evergreen dishes!

I came here in the evening hours. The dinner menu is not really suitable with our taste bud but ood…read moreservice and staff. We ordered Trio Nam Prik and (Pork brain) Ang Ong Awe Good things to know: $8 for Still water (Not sure how much for sparkling water) $6 Jasmine sticky rice 20% Services fee will be added automatically

My hair salon is near here. I've walked by it many times, even paused to look at the menu several…read moretimes. Such great offerings but when I'm getting my hair done, I'm in a rush to go back home/work. I finally made the time to visit Etoile! My sister was in town and getting her hair done. She needed a ride to the salon so off we went! We had an almond milk latte and a regular latte. We ordered it for here, so we asked to have them served in mugs. The lattes were delicious! There a good mix of students studying here. And some people working. It was a pretty quiet group when we were there. My sister and I sat at the counter and chatted very quietly. Nicely decorated inside. I love independently owned cafes like these! We also got a breakfast sandwich, but they are made to order and it took awhile, so we had it packed it up to go because she didn't want to be late to her hair appointment. Sandwich was great! Service was great! I'd love to go back and order from their lunch menu!

This is a cute little cafe spot right by Trader Joe's. You order and pay at the front, and they…read morecall your order out when it's ready. The workers and the owner were all very kind and welcoming. I got there a little after they opened in the morning. As for the food, I ordered the kimchi fried rice along with the chicken and croffle. The fried chicken tasted a bit interesting. I'm not sure if the frying temperature was off or if it had something to do with the condition of the oil, but the texture of the breading wasn't quite right. I used to work at a fried chicken shop in Korea, so it was a texture I recognized--the coating was fully cooked and wasn't necessarily soggy, but there was no real crunch. Instead of being crispy, the breading was soft and kind of gave way when you bit into it. Unfortunately, I couldn't continue eating it. I'd give the chicken a 2/5. As for the kimchi fried rice, I liked the addition of cilantro and beets, which gave it a refreshing touch. My only issue was that the kimchi itself was way too sour for kimchi fried rice. I don't mind fermented or sour kimchi, but in this case, the sourness overpowered the rest of the dish. Overall, the cafe itself is cute and the people working there were genuinely very kind. I just wish the food had been a little better, especially the fried chicken. Will be back next time to try out the coffee!! It is a cafe after all.

I moved to the peninsula so haven't been here in a while but was pleasantly satisfied with our…read moreservice and meals! We tried going to another cafe that wasn't even that busy and they told us it would be a 20 mins wait with several 4 tops empty. We arrived here and every table was packed with a small waitlist. Even then we got seated quickly, served quickly, and everything tasted good! Will definitely be back and recommend when I'm back in the area!

I came here for brunch with a friend on a weekend and thought it was a perfect place for brunch…read more The place has a very large interior and also seating outside, and we opted for seating outside and were impressed by the service. When the sun came out on us, they brought an umbrella out for us unprompted. However, it did take awhile for them to bring us our check and I had to ask someone for a box given how busy they are. The food was also very good. I ordered a Veggie Omelette and it came with potatoes and toast. I think the best part about the dish was the potatoes, which was more like shredded hash browns that were very crispy and had great flavor. The Veggie Omelette itself was just okay, and could have used some more flavorful veggies, but the dish was offset by the potatoes. The orange juice was also fresh squeezed, which was nice. Overall, I really enjoyed the food and the fact that they did not rush us out. That was really nice and makes it a good place to have a leisurely brunch given the amount of space they have.

Very cute and quaint spot for breakfast. A friend suggested we meet here on Saturday for a late…read morebreakfast, what a great choice. It was pretty hard to pick from the menu items, but I settled on the Frittata with a side of Fennel Sausage, sourdough toast and a Arnold Palmer. Although the seating was full, thank goodness out food came out just as some seats were emptying out. It was a chilly day and the outside seating was full too. The service was without any complaints. They did their best to accommodate all patrons despite it being very crowded and crazy busy. Overall I would come back here, probably right as the doors open to be guaranteed a place to seat and not have to wait and hope for a seat. Oh the music was on point!! Put it on your list, I don't think you'll be disappointed.

AMAZING breakfast, lunch, and dinner in Berkley. It started as a cafe by Kelsie Kerr in 2014 and…read moreattracts long lines even on weekday mornings. My friend who rarely insists on eating at specific places insisted we come, a previous girlfriend was in the food industry and they have this place bookmarked for awhile. They described it as "healthy california food". We came on a Friday morning around 9:20 am and it was pretty crowded. You can't park right in front but there was plenty of street parking on the weekdays. Inside, its intimate and cozy and there is also a nice seating area outside with lots of dog-owners hanging out. Everything we had was great quality with choice ingredients where you could actually taste the difference. Buttermilk Biscuit Sandwich: herb butter, roasted seasonal vegetables and onions, soft-cooked egg, and greens. Surprisingly filling, we were trying to share a bunch of little bites but ended up getting one each of these. It's fine as a stand alone mini breakfast! Frittata: pastured eggs, assorted vegetables, caramelized onions. WAY too good! we all love this one. Herb-Dijon Biscuit: Excellent savory biscuit, you can taste the high quality butter used.

I stopped at this really cool spot. I had the chef's burger and fries. The burger was simply…read moredelicious . I could not finish my fries. I shared a table with strangers. They were so nice and it was all of our first time. They had plantain , grits pork chops they expressed that the meals were delicious. The service was friendly and helpful. I will return to try more of the yummy items on the menu.

This is a crazy place! And so much fun. So many delicious things to try and an eclectic menu very…read morebefitting of Berkeley. It's called Cali Alley because it's literally down an alley. Cool right? The food is high quality and the variety is huge. Everything from pork belly bao buns to buttermilk waffles to loco moco! If you're looking for the high end Berkeley vibe, come to this place. FOOD: Really good. I got the Bahn Mi Burger and enjoyed it a lot. The ground beef is brisket so better than your average burger and the pork belly was a pretty nice slice! The various toppings really rounded out the taste and it was basically a bahn mi burger. We also tried the mac and cheese and REALLY good. I don't think we thought we would finish it up but between three of us we did (in addition to our other food). Love that you can also lettuce wrap any sandwich or get a gluten free bun. SERVICE: The folks are very nice. It's quick service so you do have to clean up after yourselves, but everything is plated nicely and the serving sizes are plentiful. COST: $20 burgers. That gives you an idea. But they are nice big burgers. And like I said the quality of the ingredients are top notch. Definitely worth the $20 if you can afford it.

If you're looking this place up, you've hit the jackpot. Good coffee, good food and beautiful…read moreambiance. Seating is limited and parking can be challenging but worth the trip Brown rabbit and breakfast burrito was 10/10 for me

One of my favorite cafes to go to in the east bay! Parking…read morecan be a little hard to find, but there are nearby parking garages and street parking. The food and drinks are always yummy!! The workers are all super chill and sweet too. They also sell items from small businesses as well so definitely take your time checking everything out if you ever decide to come to Polaris. I usually get their matcha and their breakfast burrito. Both always hit the spot. The burrito is very filling and they do not skimp out on the ingredients. They also give you a hot sauce to go with your burrito. I love bringing people here to just catch up or to do work. It feels like you are in a beautiful botanical garden while still being under a roof. It's a very refreshing environment to be in.