I am absolutely shocked I haven't reviewed Southside Station since trying them out for the first…read moretime at a Yelp Event back in 2021 because we've been back so many times since. Although it's a small and cozy space, they have both inside and outside seating. Food wise, my go-to is their amazing curly fries and lychee iced tea, while the hunny absolutely adores their fried chicken sandwiches. It's probably some of his favorite fried chicken in the Bay Area. We try order online as we're driving over because everything is made to order so there can be a bit of a wait during the lunchtime rush, but the service is super friendly and helpful and everything is always delicious. So we will definitely keep coming back!

Today's adventure took me to Berkeley in search of fried chicken. For some reason fried chicken has…read morebecome my new love. Whenever I'm in search of something good to eat in the Bay Area I always check TikTok first. My search directed me to Southside Station! It's a small quaint establishment with a very quiet vibe. When I entered, there was a table of three gentlemen sitting there enjoying their selections. I checked in with them and got suggestions on what I should order. They made a recommendation, but I chose something totally different. I ordered the wings and garlic noodles with a side of brussels sprouts. This place is known for their fried chicken because it's so extra crunchy. They definitely did deliver on the crunch and the flavor. The garlic noodles were very garlic, which is what I liked, and the brussels sprouts were sautéed in a honey glaze. I decided to enjoy my food inside the restaurant as opposed to sitting outside where they have two tables set up. The young lady that took my order was ever so sweet and kind. She was the only one I saw in the restaurant behind the counter, but there may have been others working further in the back. There was an error on my order and she was quick to correct the error with an apology and a smile. The portion size was decent. I ended up taking home leftovers.

I had the loveliest drink today. School's finally out, thank goodness, and after the week I'd had,…read morethe sweet young server took one look at me and made it just a touch stronger -- bless her heart. The mint and blackberry together were just divine, such a wonderful combination. And the lighting in there, oh my, so lovely and soft -- I can only imagine how gorgeous it must be in the evening!

First walking in the staff made it a very welcoming and kind place! Everyone was so friendly, and…read morethe environment is clean, put together, and has such a chill, comfortable vibe. It feels very family-friendly, and I absolutely loved the variety of mac and cheese options. Literally so many choices, affordable, and delicious. They even have little mini games in the corner, which adds such a fun and cozy touch to the whole experience. Definitely a place where you can relax, chill, and enjoy some good food.

Great ambiance 10/10. This place is excellent for brunch and for large groups. Their brunch menu is…read moreavailable until 2 pm. The service was excellent 10/10 very attentive waitstaff that don't hover. The food was great 10/10. We had the breakfast jambalaya which was a great combination of 2 poached eggs Benedict-style and the jambalaya rice with andouille sausage. The spiciness was just right. We also had banana foster French toast. Both were equally delicious. I would definitely recommend this establishment

wow famous famous place. angeline must be a baddie the way she has 5k+ reviews rn. well i went in…read moreto see if they stand up to the hype. walked out the door with small pricey portions. angeline is..ehhh. not worth the price. sorry girl. oh well! i got takeout but IMMEDIATELY noticed the servers are bomb af. yes get those tips girl. i saw that social engineering. HAHAHA just kidding they are just very nice i got the jambalaya, gumbo, chicken, and beignets. gumbo came with rice and french bread. good! traditional. would've been fun to see potato salad or cornbread with that but it seems like this place is more modern. fried chicken sides were green beans and some mashed sweet potato. jambalaya - its alright. rice is unevenly cooked. slightly too sweet from the tomatoes but good amount of meat and smokiness. 7.5/10 fried chicken - DRY! but crunchy. slightly too salty. i like the breading otherwise. green beans were overcooked and lacked flavor. why are we not doing collard greens cause those lowkey taste better as a side. also the sweet potato / yam situation was okay...6/10 beignets - big star. supernova of the show. LOVE the pillowyness. wish they offered chocolate sauce to go with that or something. healthy amount of powdered sugar and by healthy i mean an appropiate amount...like maybe 3 full spoons in total? idk at this point. SO good and warm gumbo - needs more meat! would've loved okra but i get it sometimes it tastes like phlegm reincarnated. also i wish the roux was darker cause it felt like the gumbo was missing something. overall it's okay. would come back for beignets and lowkey the jambalaya too

They have the best Mac and cheese ever. great salads. A place I would recommend if you don't want…read moreto spend a lot of money.

This place was soooo good. We did the trio so that we could try three different Mac options. We…read morealso had the green beans. It was all great! The elote Mac, truffle Mac, and chicken pot pie Mac each brought something different. We were surprised that we liked the truffle Mac best, it was so worth it. We sat outside and enjoyed the sun, which was nice. What really sealed our experience is our server, he was new but knew the menu well and was so kind. We really felt welcomed and would come back just for that experience alone. Thanks for great food and a warm welcome.

First time trying this place and will be back. Awesome that there is parking…read moreInside is clean and we got seated right away. We ordered a couple of banh mi sandwiches. They were good. I have had better but they were worth it and the price Food arrived quickly and very fresh.

Extremely flavorful chicken pho noodle soup, I can see why! They have outdoor seating and I am so…read moreglad I sat outside. It was extremely busy inside. I will be back with my family! I ate my fresh shrimp spring rolls so fast, it was so good but I was also really hungry lol I had to order the mini shrimp pancakes because it looked like it's a "must" order... The waitresses were super friendly and quick with taking my order! To the owner(s): Please do not change your ingredients in your food menu! Thank you for offering delicious pho!

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.

Yummy food served with warmth. My 7 yr old wanted hamburger and fries. I wanted dim sum. I was wary…read moreof a place that serves both. But this is truly an American restaurant where the hamburger and fries are as delicious as the dim sum. "I love this place," my daughter said as she put her hamburger down to use the kid chopstick and try out the dim sum. It was her first time trying dim sum and she wants more when we go back . We were greeted warmly when we entered, service was timely and attentive, and they even packed our leftovers with care when we left. The ambience is cozy and tasteful. We had our own booth and it was relatively quiet even though there were many people there. How have I not discovered this place sooner?!

Good food! Loved the Maple Root Beer too. One thing they need to do to help the experience is put a…read morecoat of resin or polyurethane on their tables. They are super sticky and not smooth. Doesn't make it feel clean. Food was great and service was 10/10

I had THE BEST time at Rob Ben's last night! bout last night…read more.. What started off as a quick dinner with my son ended up as a whole TURN UP that my son had to drag me away from! And that smothered pork chop dinner with greens and yams? OMG! Smackalicious! I WILL be back, great customer service!

Oh the fish and grits is to cry for, so tasty and delicious. The grits are flavored through and…read morethrough. Thick with a great consistency, I want the recipe. The savor of flavor in those grits, they are thick but thin. I have taste none other no where. Then the fish, battered just right crispy on the outside but soft and savory inside. I saved some fish for later because the portion can make 2 meals. This meal made me so happy I am going back a few more times. Definitely a repeat, stop by eat and grab a seat. You will be happy you did.

When I think of a sandwich that has the ability to make my mouth water just thinking of it, few…read morecome to mind, but what the sandwiches they make at Southie is definitely one of them. I've had their Spicy Hog, steak with mushroom, a few Cubans, but the one that I always come back to is "The Balls" sandwich. First off, this sandwich is massive, so be sure that you come here on an empty stomach. These beef meatballs are seasoned to perfection and bursting with flavor. The balls are covered in their red sauce with provolone and Grana Padano, which gives it that nutty and salty flavor that pairs extremely well with the meatballs and baguette. All the juices and cheese just get soaked up to perfection. The baguette bread they use is supplied by La Farine, which is just a few meters away from each other. Just putting out there that La Farine is hands down one of the best bakeries in Oakland, so it makes sense that this sandwich would be so dang good. I'll be honest that I'm not a big fan of the chips or those chips in general and could be fine with just the sandwich. If you are going to have any sandwich to eat here first, I would highly recommend you try "The Balls" because I promise you will not be disappointed. I will always say that the dozen or so times I've been here, the staff are always so friendly, and the atmosphere is very down to earth. The price of their sandwiches is in the $20 range, but the quality and portion make it totally worth it.

The spicy hog sandwich I had a few minutes ago was quite messy but good…read more However, my petty gripe is that it was 2pm, there was an open 2-person table on the side, but I was seated 1 foot from and facing the cash register, and told people were coming for the empty table. No one came and instead quickly several more tables cleared out. Rather than see a few minutes of the England-Serbia World Cup match, I saw a bunch of people up close paying lunch bills. Don't come in solo expecting a side table.

Came here a few weeks ago and the place was packed. Definitely come early or you'll end up with a…read morewait. Like everyone there we got the Peking duck which was awesome. The skin was crispy and a good mix of pieces that were just skin versus some with meat. With just three of us we "forced" ourselves to eat all of it! So good! The food came out one entree at a time but that was good for us. We were hungry and were happy to just dig in. Service was very efficient and friendly. A bit pricey but for the area it was kind expected.

I've been here a couple of times and each time the food has been good! Others seem to rave about…read morethe double skin as well as sauteed crab meat with steamed buns so I'll have to get those next time. 1. Peking roast duck 3.5/5 I had really high expectations and unfortunately this roast duck was just okay. The skin was not super crispy but the duck itself had good flavor. The plum sauce was probably my favorite part. 2. Salt and pepper prawns 4.5/5 Note that these come with the skin on but it's fried so perfectly that the skin is completely edible with a crunchy texture. 3. Combination fried rice 5/5 I was surprised how much we enjoyed this but it was really well done. 4. Guo ta fish fillet 5/5 This was excellent--very tender fish fillet with a perfect soy broth sauce 5. Crysanthemum leaves with fermented tofu sauce 3/5 On the salty side All in all, even though I came for the peking duck, I found that the other items were much better!