Yes, yes, triple yes. I can't believe East Bay Spice Company is back! If you didn't know, know ya know...located essentially across the way from CAL in Berkeley, East Bay Spice to me is a hidden gem filled with such nostalgic memories shared with friends over the years. They closed for a time, and now seem to be thriving again! Heading to the Greek for a weekend show, we wanted to pop in somewhere close-by. We cozied up to bar seating, and enjoy a couple of martinis featuring local gin and vodka, and ordered some food to share: the Original Tikka Masala Flatbread (we had to finally try it!), and the Sev Puri Chaat (first time trying this ever!). Service was amazing, and if I could write this review purely on the originality and creativity of the menus, I would (see pics!) The menus were CD cases (remember those, ha) with a fun take on 'Spice Girls', titled 'East Bay Spice Company'. For Spice Girls fans, you will recognize what album this was derived from. Each page of the cd book was a different part of the menu, including drinks, happy hour (from 2-6pm), and food. So fun, and unlike anything I've ever seen before. The food was so fresh and delicious. Loved the pomegranate seeds and lightness from the Sev Puri Chaat, bite size garbanzo bean/potato goodness! And standing O for that flatbread..pro-tip: get a side of the Tikka Masala sauce to pour on top. Absolutely amazing. I'm a huge fan of Tikka Masala, and having that sauce be a base for a pizza...come on!! We did chicken as the protein. Overall, so happy to return and have East Bay Spice back apart of the Berkeley rotation again. Small, dimly-lit, cool digs. Also check out their sister spots: Tap in Lounge and Tipsea in Berk, Blue Rabbit Bar off San Pablo, and Lemon Drop in Alameda. read more

See all

I saw someone post a photo of the chicken tikka masala here and immediately made plans to visit that same week. I ordered the same dish, and it absolutely did not disappoint. The presentation was impeccable, and the sauce was rich, creamy, and full of flavor. The chicken seemed like a leaner cut, possibly breast, but it was still tender and not overcooked. I thoroughly enjoyed this plate and would 100% come back to order it again. My husband ordered the flatbread, though I can't remember the exact name, and it was surprisingly delicious as well. It tasted almost like a pizza version of the chicken tikka masala, making it a great shareable option if you're looking to snack, chat, and enjoy cocktails. Speaking of cocktails, the bartenders seemed very knowledgeable and helped me choose a drink based on my preferred spirit and cocktail style. I ended up with the Skeleton Key, which was strong, but still paired well with the meal. I'd happily come back to try more cocktails and, of course, order that chicken tikka masala again. read more

See all

Hey Y'all, Went here the night going into my birthday a few days ago. I totally forgot the name of it, someone took me here, but I hunted it down just to leave a review! THIS IS A GREAT BAR. one of the best I ever been to. Their food is so good, I am still thinking about their prawn street tacos and the prawn flatbread. I wish I had some right now! I can taste it in my mouth, oh lord. They have one of the BEST BARTENDERS EVER, her name is Adela, I hope I am spelling that correctly. She was so beautiful, she had long beautiful dread locks. We talked and she was very welcoming her and Nicholas who birthday was a day before mines, he was so cool. They made sure we had everything we needed and our drinks was to our likings, she was very very informative about our drinks, what was in it, and she even had great detail to the things we wanted/looking for in our drinks. I still can not get off how good the food was. This place is a VIBE, period. Music was on POINT! and its very cute and I LOVE THE HUGE OPEN window, wish I got a pic of it. It wasn't loud, ghetto or dirty, just a nice place to vibe, have a very good drink and great food. I can not wait to come back and see you guys, EVERYONE PLEASE CHECK THEM OUT. 1000/10. LOVE YOU GUYS! read more

East Bay Spice - AMAZING FOOD!!! - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

East Bay Spice is a vibey spot across UC Berkeley's campus for a flavorful cocktail menu and good sample size of Indian bites. It has an open window next to the bar area, low lights for an intimate atmosphere, and lots of cozy tables. We ordered the Ginger Spice and Royal Charter for drinks, the former a smoky ginger drink with lots of ice and the latter a tasteful chai/citrus-y old fashioned that wasn't too strong (pro for me). I liked both, but the royal charter especially! We also ordered the paneer tandoori tacos, which were top notch - a good amount of paneer that was well seasoned, and surprisingly light (loved all the crunch from the veggies). The service was really warm, with bartenders introducing themselves and being really enthusiastic about the menu. My only gripe is the menu saying dhokla is South Indian love dhokla, let's get an actual South Indian dish out on there!! read more

East Bay Spice - Tandoori Street Two Tacos - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Phenomenal place with lots of great taste from their drinks to bites. My friend and I had the Mango Mommy - 10/10 Love & Demons ?? - 3/10 she didn't like it, but the bartender acknowledged and said next time tell them so they could adjust Tikka Masala flatbread - it was like tikka masala pizza, 7.5/10! it had more cheese than anything else and it was a bit dry, if there was a sauce to pair it would be better. The ambiance includes the bar, different tables, and upstairs. It's really cute, good service, we came in last minute before they closed and they still took our last call orders. They close at 12am every day. read more

East Bay Spice - Mango Mommy - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

TLDR: food is EXCELLENT. the service and drinks are mid at best. very vibe-y, dim-lit, date night type of spot. I tried two different drinks and requested a re-do with less ginger but they both still had this spicy, ginger-y taste-- not for me, personally. and their soft drinks are very limited, only carrying Mexican coke that's $5 a bottle. after we were seated, it took about 15-20 mins before someone checked on us again. and that was kind of the theme throughout the night. but the servers were lovely! maybe someone didn't show for their shift. the food is verrrrry good though. maybe some spicier sauce options would be nice. i think the chutney is the spiciest they have. the white sauce is also very yummy too. would visit again just because the food is that good. read more

East Bay Spice - Chicken Tacos - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

My friend and I came here for happy hour after co-working together in Berkeley. I thought this place looked really unique, but it was honestly pretty average. The drinks were standard, nothing special but not bad either. The food, however, was quite bland. My friend got a tandoori taco, and I got a chicken tikka empanada. The empanada barely had any flavour even with the different sauces. I was more impressed by the location and interior than the happy hour items. Located near campus and the downtown Berkeley BART station, it was easy to get to. In addition, it was raining the day we stopped by, and there were hooks beneath the bar counter to hang out bags and umbrellas. To conclude, this really isn't the best place for food, but it's a chill spot to grab a couple of drinks at the end of the day. read more

East Bay Spice - chicken tikka empanada - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

The food was very nice. Started with the chicken tacos which was flavorful. We did the beef biryani which was so wonderfully saucy and tasty. The service was great. Drinks were nice. Place is well decorated. Lots of liquors on the wall. read more

Great music. Delicious food. Awesome service. Nice vibe. It's not your traditional Indian food, it was fusion. The place is intimate and the booths are tiny... I gave it four stars for the seating - upright / stiff (maybe add back cushions?) and it was a bit $$. I highly recommend checking them out and we will go back. Hopefully they have a few more GF options added. read more

See all

This place has unique drinks and fun appetizers. I really enjoyed the tacos and sporty cocktail. Eve though the place is small it has a lot of book and crannies to hide out in. Staff were friendly and laidback. Recommend as a starter place before going out. read more

See all

We found this spot with a quick Yelp search. As soon as we entered, we felt transported. The vibes of this bar are spot on! Being a chat lover, I got the sev puri chat. My friend got the chicken tikka empanada. We also ordered a couple of cocktails from their craft cocktail menu. The drinks came out fairly quickly. The presentation was 10/10. Additionally, the flavor and alcohol proportion were perfect. The food took a bit but it was worth the wait. The sev puri looked yummy and I couldn't wait to dig in. The portion size was adequate for one person. I loved the sev puri. It had the right amount of spice, sweetness and was topped with yogurt. The sev puri was authentic and truly stole my heart. My friend loved the empanada. The portion size was adequate for one person. He mentioned that it was very flavorful and well made. All in all, this is a great place to hangout, try some craft cocktails and indian fusion food! read more

See all

My boyfriend has been talking about this place for a while now it's somewhere that he's been to years ago and finally remembered the name of the place. They did move locations since the last time he's been here. They have a self serve taproom which was heaven to my boyfriend. It was dark inside and kind of empty when we arrived. We seated ourselves while our server grabbed menus for us. It was still happy hour so we shared the tika masala flatbread and I can't even describe how delicious this flatbread was. It was so flavorful as is, didn't even need any meat. It was so good we ordered a second one and I had the leftovers for lunch the next day. I'm still dreaming of the flatbread as I'm typing this lol I can't wait to come back for more and to actually try other dishes. Like the curry or sizzle plate. read more

East Bay Spice - The Original Tikka Masala Flatbread - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Updating my review for their new location. Much brighter and friendlier, great bar service, and a yummy chicken tikka masala. And my old favorite drinks are still on the updated menu. read more

East Bay Spice - Now open at 2pm! Here's my favorite drink, Love and Other Demons. - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Wow! Great Indian food and fabulous cocktails in a dark and moody vibe. We enjoyed four cocktails and the Lamb Biryanis and shrimp cocktails. Our favorite cocktails were the Samsara and another one we can't remember but we will go back and find out! read more

East Bay Spice - Samsara - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

*Incredibly* rude customer service over the phone who spoke to me as if I were a child. Made a Rez for 6 people, cancelled bc 3 couldn't make it, told them 3 would still come and asked them to only change me $30 instead of $60 ($10 pp cancellation fee). Was told that was a hard no. Even tho 3 of us were still planning on coming! Taking my business elsewhere. read more

Came here with a friend. I love how cute/creative this place is. The staff were very kind and made great recommendations. The menu came out in a CD case. I had a delicious mocktail as well as 2 paneer tacos. I loved the high booths, they seemed to help with noise control. read more

The bartender here made me something that wasn't on the menu: Mango Lassi with Mezcal. GURL. It was SO good. So was the service. Everyone there was fantastic and so was the food. I keep meaning to go back. It's also super chill. The bar reminds me of a great big bookcase. There is outdoor seating so I was able to bring my dog and sit outside. It's really got a great ambiance. Happy hour food options also look great. read more

They moved locations and are now on shattuck but the food and drinks are still sooooo good! They have happy hour everyday from open to 6pm and 12-2pm now so honestly I couldn't ask for more. I like this location! read more

See all

Loving the new location and ambiance... first time trying their Handi Lamb Biriyani, it didn't disappoint!! read more

East Bay Spice - Handi Lamb Biriyani...and of their classic cocktails - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

I like this place. It's dark but the vibe is great. The bartenders are really nice, welcoming and patient. The Indian food is good. But just to be clear come here to eat the Indian food because you're here to hang and drink cocktails. That's the vibe. Is there a secret room here? Hmmmmm read more

This was my first time at East Bay Spice Co since they moved. The first thing I noticed was how cold it was; they leave the door open to the elements and there wasn't a heater or anything to keep things warm. The second thing I noticed was that all the drinks were completely different, but the food items were the same (with some new editions, like the chicken wings which were DELICIOUS!!!). I arrived for happy hour and the place was pretty empty. There isn't as much seating as the old place and it filled up pretty quickly once five o'clock rolled around, so get there early. I had the pisco sour (pretty good) and the daiquiri (excellent) to drink, both new cocktails. I am excited to come back and try the rest of the menu. EBSC is known for their cocktails and this new spot hasnt yet disappointed! read more

East Bay Spice - Happy hour pisco sour - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Nice drinks and good food! It's pretty dark in here, but it was a really nice environment. Staff were very friendly. They have a cute menu in a cd holder with creative drinks. Would like to go back for happy hour! read more

Came in for a quick drink after dinner. They were busy so no one was able to greet us which is fine. They had one bartender kind of scrambling on his own to do everything. He was able to still get our drinks in pretty quick anyway. It was only 2 of us and we each ordered one drink. We got 2 beers, and when it was time to close out, it was $36?? We didn't need to fuss and make a scene so we just didn't tip. Beers are $10 here which is already something. Just be careful, pay attention to the prices of what you're ordering and be ready to confront them about the overcharge cause either the owners having them do it, or the bartenders want a higher tip out. Super sketchy place, just go down the street to Tupper and Reed for better cocktails and service where they don't try to take advantage of you. read more

Gorgeous remodel and strong drinks full of flavor and real quality ingredients. Special spot! Chill environment read more

East Bay Spice - Sporty Spice - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Old spot was better. Place has gone downhill unfortunately. Food isn't as good and the drink take forever.

drinks are great and tacos are tasty. Too much sauce though on the tacos. Hard to find the location on GPS because there is no signage. I had to find parking and walk to look for it. It took driving back and forth to figure out where it was. The signage "East bay Spice" needs to be visible. read more

We haven't been here since college, but I love what they've done with the place since then! The location is different, but it still is walkable and near all public transportation as well as multiple parking garages. Tastes just the way I remember, and honestly, probably my favorite place to get tikka masala. I also love the bit of spice it has. The drinks are strong but well mixed. And I love the lounge atmosphere and playlist they have. Looking forward to returning again! read more

See all

I'd been wanting to come here for a long time. I live very close, and I love having cocktails at night. I came once, late in the evening, and although they were already closed, they were so kind that I really wanted to come back and experience that welcoming vibe. Unfortunately, I chose the wrong day. The bartender was so unfriendly that I felt completely unwelcome. On top of that, the place feels very dark and cold. We don't have many bars in downtown Berkeley, so please try to make it better. I can see you have a good drink selection, and maybe the food is good, but you really need better people at the front of the house. If you don't, you will fail. read more

Had been a fan of the OG EBSC when it was on Oxford in its original space, so its nice to see it back on the same block. The new space is also pretty cute; they have generous bar space and plenty of booths. Their menus are very uniquely placed into cd cases and they feature seasonal/rotating themes-in my case, it was the spice girls! My friend got the Sporty Spice featured drink and i got their regular Mango Mommy. Drinks were very good and strong. We ordered a flatbread chicken tikka with paneer and were disappointed by it; while it was flavorful, it was very dry and definitely not worth the $25 dollars for it. Service was great, however. In the future, we'd likely grab drinks from here, but with the food being very overpriced, we'll stick with a nearby alternative. read more

East Bay Spice - Chicken Tikka flatbread with paneer - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

loved the tikka empanada because the filling was packed with amazing Indian spices. The friendly staff provided excellent service throughout my visit. read more

Came for friends' graduation mini celebration (and yap session), after having tried their Tikka Masala flatbread once before. This was the second time I had it and the food was just as good as the last time I tried!! It was a cozy vibe inside so my friends and I were able to chat for a while, although the music did make me feel like I was in a club. The food did come out slower than expected but it might have just been more crowded that night- we stayed until 11 pm just eating and chatting! TLDR: would definitely come back + the price was very reasonable for the quality/quantity of food! read more

East Bay Spice - The Original Tikka Masala Flatbread, Fries - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Vibe on point and drinks were top tier. I didn't get a photo of the lamb chops but they was tendaaaaaaa! Can't wait to go back. read more

East Bay Spice - The Original Tikka Masala Flatbread - super yummy I just wish it had some more sauce on the side or on top - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yet again, here's another place I've walked by dozens of times, but I didn't realize it was a place to stop by until I saw a recent episode of "Check, Please! Bay Area" where the craft cocktails were uniformly praised while the Indian-based food was a point of contention. My curiosity was piqued, so I decided to stop by one weekday afternoon and decided a late lunch here might be in order as well. The bar has charcoal walls with dark wood accents and an impressive wall of liquor bottles with a tall ceiling that accommodates a separate mezzanine loft for dining. As I expected, there was a robust menu of craft cocktails but also a good selection of bar snacks and curry plates. I started with a $10 Watermelon Daiquiri (Happy Hour priced), a sweet mix of rum, lime, watermelon, and sugar (photo: https://yelp.to/fVL8meve4m). It was a bit puckery for my taste, but it went down smooth. I ordered the $17 Chicken Korma and thought it was delicious, quite creamy with plenty of chicken and a huge half of grilled naan (photo: https://yelp.to/T0ikTA77rk). I ended the meal with a dessert-like cocktail, the $14 Lassi Come Home with dry gin, mango, cream, cinnamon, ginger, and lime (photo: https://yelp.to/zhdrcJHgSw). It was a bit like a South Asian smoothie with an attitude. I was impressed by my experience that I came back with Jamie W. a couple of weeks later. He ordered the $10 Masala Daiquiri (Happy Hour-priced) which switched out the watermelon for garam masala, definitely an improvement over the one I had (photo: https://yelp.to/jFika5feU7). This time I went for the $14 Trinidad Ting, a tangy blend of tequila, amaro, bitters, pineapple, and lemon (photo: https://yelp.to/IwafNo1xwB). We were both pleased with our choices. We decided to try the $9 Center St. Samosas, a Happy Hour offer that mixed potato, onion, peas, and Indian spices that ended up being rather bland (photo: https://yelp.to/1Z2y6iHgc0). Better was the $15 Original Tikka Masala Flatbread, really a vegetarian Indian-style pizza with onion, cilantro, mozzarella, and a housemade tikka masala sauce (photo: https://yelp.to/aJt1FPFWBg). With all the grilled veggies on top, it turned out to be quite satisfying. COCKTAILS - 4 stars...some standouts with the occasional slight miss FOOD - 4.5 stars...the curry and flatbread were well executed AMBIANCE - 4 stars...nice chill vibe even as it got crowded SERVICE - 4 stars...pretty good, quality of the bartenders slightly varied TOTAL - 4 stars...pretty nice find for both libations and Indian-style edible delights RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's a collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u read more

See all

Super cute bar near campus with a true happy hour! Drinks and bites! The entire cocktail list isn't on happy hour, but totally worth venturing off and trying the Gumby Buck and "Love and Demons"! My two favorite! The chicken sandwich was good with a side of tikka sauce for dipping! Flatbread was move and fresh as well. There was only one server upstairs when I arrived and the bartender. It got a little busy as the night progressed but still very friendly ! read more

East Bay Spice - Gumby Buck - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

I honestly really liked this place. They have a secret back room behind a bookshelf that you can dine in, with a bunch of beers on tap. It was a very nice ambiance but the lighting was super dark, and the tables were very small. The food was veryyyyy good, the popcorn chicken had great taste, the lamb tikka was also great. My friend got the chicken sandwich, but unfortunately she found hair in her food. I was ready to rate this place 5 stars but after that, it felt like we didn't want to continue eating and risking it because of the dark lighting. I would still recommend this place to people, because it seems like this does not occur often, and the food was good. read more

See all

First off, our waitress was very sweet and helpful. We got there just before happy hour ended and ordered drinks and an app. Then we each ordered an entree. Everything was delish!!! read more

All I can say is YUM!! Popped by here to grab after work drinks with a friend. It was both of our first time coming. We made it just in time to enjoy the last twenty minutes of happy hour. It wasn't too crowded but was vibrantly getting busy. It still wasn't too loud to have a conversation. We ordered a few different cocktails. The bartender did a great job at crafting our drinks and suggesting drinks based on our taste palettes. The food was so flavorful and filling. I would definitely come back and try more items off the regular menu when nearby again. read more

See all

Finally trying this place after living in Berkeley for years! Came for dinner and drinks on a Monday night, not super busy as expected for the time/day we went. It was very dark inside and had a cool vibe. For 2 drinks, samosas, and flatbread with chicken, after tax and tip, we paid about $70, which I'd say is pretty normal for this type of establishment. We asked the bartender for drink recommendations and they were friendly and helpful. I had the Pink Nova which was GREAT!! So light and fruity. Tasted like a fruit soda but was still strong. My parter had the Lassi Come Home, which was very mango-cream forward and not overwhelmingly alcoholic-tasting. I would recommend both and happily get them again, but now I'm curious about the rest of the cocktails! The samosas were good. The flatbread was just ok. The chicken was a bit dry and I wished there was more tikka masala sauce. Considered giving 4 stars for this, but it is a bar before it is a restaurant. Overall, one of my favorite cocktail bars that I've been to! Great drinks and fantastic vibe. Might go elsewhere if I just want Indian food, though. read more

East Bay Spice - The Original Tikka Masala Flatbread with Chicken and Veg. Samosas 3 pcs. - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

What an underrated spot! Right across from Berkeley campus, this place is a gem. A beautiful bar, high windows, outdoor seating, and a small upstairs dining area, this place is cute and cozy--perfect for dates and for hanging with friends. Love their extensive drink menu, both seasonal and classic drinks, they have happy hour, and they're open late! Service is great, workers are kind, and drinks and food are made with TLC. Would definitely come back if I'm in the area, and if I were a resident here, East Bay Spice would be a regular go-to spot for me. read more

East Bay Spice - Whiskey Sour (no egg white) - Indian Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

We came back because of the ambiance and we absolutely loved the food and the drinks. The service has improved and this place has great music and opens late. Had an amazing drink, the Love and other Demons mezcal zitrus drink and the Tandoori Street Tacos were amazing read more

See all