We came here during a college trip to view the campus of UC Berkeley. The outside of this cafe is beautiful! The inside? It is alright. Extremely hot in this place. I was not a fan of that at all- Shoot, they needed a fan! Any how, I ordered some kind of fried chicken sandwich. Waited super long for it and it came out burnt. Not extra crispy, straight up burnt. So I let one of the sassy, feminine male workers know and he said something, but I was not really having it so I asked for a refund. Super rude demeanor. Another employee comes and asks him, "What happened?" He responded, with attitude, "It was too crispy." ... Yup, you know how I rock. So I cut in their conversation and go, "No. It was not even crispy. That sh*t is burnt." Do not ever.. Ever play with a hungry woman! Goodness, he was annoying and I know his feelings about me were mutual. I ended up getting my refund and did not order anything else. Definitely will not come back here. read more

Maybe my most recent Yelp compliments are ironic, because to be honest I'm really not.that.cool. Yet I've known the words to every single from Rihanna, Chris Brown, Akon, Lady Gaga, Usher, and Kanye that has come out in the past year, all thanks to the I-House Cafe. There's something soothing about listening to hip-hop in a loud room where tree-sitters bathed, international students drink beer, the creepy guy gives you dirty looks for taking "his" table, and the smelly chess corner gets animated. Plus, taking a study break to look up and see my friend Greg (photo of Greg's ipod here: http://george.hotelling.net/90percent/pics/npr_podcast.png) awkwardly bouncing his head to rap never gets old. The coffee's terrible and the food mostly comes out of a microwave, but those nachos are pretty hard to resist and the lasagne isn't half bad if they re-heat it all the way through. I'll keep studying here until the university realizes I've stolen my sister's wireless password. read more

Ihouse Cafe is one of the best places in Berkeley: great view, perfect place to meet up with friends, and get some studying done. The coffee is great- very strong and will keep you awake! Try the soy latte or Americano! The people who work there are great and always play good music in the background. There's also a great view of the Bay from here, so it's very cool around sunset too. read more

If you need a place to study, i-house is the place to go. 1) reliable internet 2) STRONG CRACK coffee & delicious sandwiches/salads 3) outlets 4) lot of seating and chairs Two downsides: 1) it can get a little stuffy in there because of a lack of ventilation--take note during the summer. Winter time, it's soo nice and warm. 2) Sometimes the international students who live there come down to the cafe to drink beer and get "rowdy". It makes staying in on a Saturday night studying that much worse... Their food portions are pretty big. The sandwich+salad combo actually gives you the amount of salad you would normally get if you just ordered a salad. They also give you bread with all their entries, even the sandwiches. Pastries are good and cheap there in comparison to other cafes around Cal. BEWARE OF THEIR COFFEE-- SUPER STRONG. Which is good for nights you need to pull an allnighter but if you only want to stay up an hr or two extra, i suggest you skip out. I cannot tell you the many times I pulled all-nights when I didn't have to, and my caffeine tolerance is pretty high.. read more

I go here often due to convenient location close to office. They have good offerings but there are some problems. Be sure to tell them not to hammer your burger patty to super well done+++. Meat was cooked to a lump of coal. Arugula salad is good, but if you add chicken for $5 you get crumbs of chopped way-overcooked meat (not worth $5; guys, just slap a thigh or breast on there). Negra Modelo on tap, which is nice. In short, this place has potential for sure. But they need to tighten up their kitchen and be a more careful to not overcook their grass-fed beef and mary's chicken. I suspect the cooks are letting finished meats sit on the side of the griddle where they keep on cooking and drying out. update 10/28/2017: went in at 1:15pm and was told kitchen is closed. I said that the sign says lunch until 2:00 and they said chef has to leave. lame. read more

Okay, the coffee is kinda crap which is why one should always get iced. Then it's supposed to be a little watery. Here is why you go. There is this huge building with a lot of international students. Seriously, who can resist the cute accents and men with good shoes. Also it is across the street from the law school. If you want to meat (I mean meet) some friendly international sophisticated types you should definitely spend a little time here. Sometimes, a sexy type A law student finds their way in here as well. I never leave without at least one suggestive smile. read more

Since I don't live around here, I don't get to spend much time studying in the cafe unless I have a meeting there. Therefore, this review is mainly a reflection of the food not so much the vibe or ambiance of studying in the cafe. Drinks: I've had their white chocolate mocha and their regular mochas, both of which I love! They are never too sweet, which is sometimes my issue with these drinks, but this cafe makes them just at the right level of sweetness. I've also heard good things about their happy hours (half off wine & beer), which I really want to try one day. Food: The only thing I've tried is the portobello mushroom sandwich. It is served on a fluffy multigrain bread with mayo, mushrooms, some sort of vinagrete, and feta cheese. I don't like feta cheese much so I asked for a replacement and they used mozzarella--it was heavenly! Just slightly melted, fat slices of mozzarella with the mushrooms and the soft, doughy bread was exactly what I needed after a long day of class. I've heard great things about this sandwich (it's literally just mushrooms, cheese and bread...how good could it be I thought?) and now after finally trying it, I am going to rave about it to everyone else to try as well! The food also came with a little bit of orzo I believe, that was seasoned with tomatoes and basil leaves. It's a really smart portion of orzo but still tastes great in between bites of your sandwiches. I will definitely be returning for that sandwich and hopefully happy hour as well! read more

Warning. Randomly stops selling food. Will leave you and everyone else hanging after waiting in a long line. More variety, more reliable and generally better options are available within quick walking distance - a block or two west on Durant or Bancroft. I work nearby and I've met the managers of this venue who also run other nearby restaurants and cafés, and for some reason this one has always been spotty. Recommendation - avoid. Quick update - I walked down to Julie's Cafe and was able to order a snack without waiting in line for 20 minutes. read more

too slowwwww. don't waste time here. Don't go to this place. Ordered a regular burger to go. I spent almost 30 mins. read more

Edmonds Cafe - Cafes Near Me - Berkeley, California

Oh, I-house. How I miss your overpriced burnt coffee and greasy foccacia. No, seriously. I attempted to analyze many an angsty French novel here. If you're going to do the same, may I suggest ordering the beer instead of the coffee? It really gets the creative juices flowing. And try to avoid the nachos when it's late and you're tired and wishing you were a physics major so you could invent a time machine and go back in time and kill Proust, who was a pompous ass. read more

I stopped in here a few weeks ago for a beer to hang out before class started. I had a good time people watching and listening in on various conversations, reading the electronic newspapers on the big screen, and enjoying the pretty wooden dining room and the surrounding I-House architecture. There's also a patio for nice days and a comfortable self-service vibe. I have no idea how good (or bad) the food is, but with this kind of atmosphere, that's almost besides the point. read more

Pretty darn awful coffee. Was it even coffee? Might've been a cup of hot water with black food coloring. The food is just average priced averagely. The service is also pretty average. Nothing about this place stood out to me or made me want to return. Studying inside is also not ideal due to the stickiness of the tables (ugh, my pet peeve) and some of the dimmest lighting I've ever encountered at a cafe. The only saving grace for this place is the location and vintage interior, which is reminiscent of being inside a castle. However, it's not worth bearing the darkly-colored water they call 'coffee.' Nothing is worth that. Shame. read more

The electronic newspapers are pretty cool. You don't really see many of those around too much. They are a great thing to read if you are waiting on your food or beverage. This is a great place to study as there is free internet and decently behaved people around you. They never have any shady people there because of some reason. I get the Nachos here quite a bit. I wouldn't recommend them though. If you are feeling like munching down on some good nachos, La Burrita would be a better bet. Sometime I'm just too lazy to walk down the hill so I go for these. The best food item here is without a doubt the Arugula Priscutto Pasta. Get that little buy and you'll be set. Foreign students are always super nice and willing to meet new people. They are more often then not good looking as well ;-D read more

I lived at the I-House for some months. I stopped getting coffee here as soon as I discovered Cafe Strada, one block down. It's watery and not too tasty. But then again there's a fabulous patio and lots of people eager to make friends. The food (sandwiches and salads, nachos, etc.) is suitable if you're living there. If you're not, it's not worth walking up there. read more

Another source for food and culture, all in one place! And another future study hall pour moi! International House Café or I-House Café. I met a former manager and friend for lunch here once before embarking on my journey to academia. I had the pasta primavera salad for lunch and it was quite tasty! I cane once on my own for a quick cup of coffee. I thought it was mighty good coffee! I shall return some in the near future for a bite or two to eat. I hear the café is under new management. And I will write a much longer update then! Cheers and Ciao for now! Fresh Review #50 for 100 Yelps! for 2013! (Whew! At the halfway point!) read more

I had just finished volunteering at an event in the morning, and I was starving! My boyfriend and I had been wanting to come here, because they served beer, and we'd heard it was decent - for campus food. We had a friend in town, and in the midst of giving him a campus tour, and me being famished, we stopped for a bite to eat. I ordered a pulled pork quesadilla. Maybe that was my first mistake.. I forgot what it was like to eat "college" food. This was the greasiest quesadilla that i've ever eaten - and it was weird that there was lettuce in it.. Okay, maybe that's the LA Mexican food wanna-be aficionado in me... who knows. Either way, probably won't go back unless i'm INCREDIBLY HUNG OVER - and even then there's better. Secondly, for what this was.. it was kind of expensive. Although, I will say everyone was really nice! read more

A lot has already been said about the International House Cafe. It is a great place to study, but there's not many outlets. The food is kinda pricey and has a limited selection. You have to really know what is good. Living a block away for a whole year. I have gone through the entire menu more or less. Here is my recommendations: - Breakfast Burrito - Pesto Chicken Pasta - Arugula Priscutto Pasta - Spicy Chicken Sandwich read more

Decent food and decent coffee. Good location, good views. HOWEVER, for some unknown reason, the staff/management have decided it is a great idea to play some tasteless repetitive trash music at an insanely loud volume. It makes it impossible to work, let alone think. I've tried emailing and filling out a google form to voice this complaint before, but they seem set on turning an otherwise pleasant cafe into a Euro dance club. Please. At the very least, turn the volume down. read more

The I-House Cafe is one of my favorites near campus since it is usually not too crowded, has beers on tap in addition to coffee and tea, and serves tasty food including healthy options for cheap. On my most recent visit, I got a large beet salad with generous amounts of red and golden beets, portobello mushrooms and cheese for $6. It was very fresh and satisfying. The menu changes so they can use seasonal ingredients, but you can be sure whatever they're offering is delicious and fresh. There is also outdoor seating with great views and a dog-friendly patio. read more

The food here is passable if you're a student, and most things are very reasonably priced, but if you are used to eating at any kind of quality cafe or restaurant I'd recommend that you keep on walking. My beet salad was just fine, but my dosa was truly disgusting (and over-salted). read more

When I lived upstairs in the International House and missed a meal at the cafeteria, I twice made the mistake of eating here rather than going out. Both meals I had tasted as if they were leftovers that had been sitting in the freezer and simply thrown into the oven or microwave when I ordered. Also, they have Italian sodas and coffee and such, but I never bothered getting any. read more

I was in the building for a seminar and stopped in to the cafe to get a hot chocolate. While in line, I noticed that the person at the counter, whose name badge said manager, was rude to several customers in front of me. I ordered my hot chocolate. When I received it, it was about half foam, and the liquid portion tasted like watery milk. I went back a few hours later, stood in line, and asked to get change for a $5 bill so I could use the vending machines outside. The same manager from before refused to make change, despite the fact that I could see plenty of $1s in his open till. If a restaurant is going to serve sub par food and drink, the staff shouldn't also be unpleasant and rude. A little customer service goes a long way. I would not recommend this place to anyone, even if it's in a convenient location. read more

I've been the International House Cafe several times. I mainly go because of the vintage look of the place, and have never ordered anything more than a latte or black coffee, and very rarely with anything more than a cookie. The place can be pretty quiet, all the time, so I am all agreement that this place is a great place to study. Its just that in regards to studying there, I've not done that before. I have seen, however, some pretty good ripping games of chess just about every time i've been there. Three stars for cleanliness and some good tasting coffee. If I pushed myself back in time some 30 years, I could see that it must have been a completely different place. read more

I have a love/hate relationship with the I House cafe... On the one hand, it offered me the ability to escape the library and be more productive in my studies. On the other hand, it gave me the ability to be more productive in my studies because I spent at least 20 hours a week there studying during my undergrad career. I had always been one to avoid the library (really, it kind of gives me the creeps, I used to tell people I had a library-o-phobia) and so I discovered this cafe early on in my college years, probably about halfway through my freshman year and it blessed/haunted me the rest of my years at Berkeley. The coffee and food are both so so, they always played loud annoying music that I had to cover up with my own from my laptop, there was a huge lack of outlets and it was always a fight to get one (or a kind request to share an outlet), the staff seemed to think they were the coolest kids on campus, and there were always creepy old international students hitting on young unsuspecting undergrad girls, but for some reason the I House cafe was my safe haven for studying. There were a lot of tables and my favorite were the two or three about halfway back along the mirrored wall (apparently everyone elses favorite too cause they were always the most coveted). Despite the decent amount of tables for a cafe, it was necessary to get there early or hope to get lucky because this place was always packed on a weeknight (somehow though the smelly chess players in the corner always managed to get their two or three tables and keep them all night...or maybe they just never left? either way they were ALWAYS there). Oh I House cafe...how I love/hate/miss you... read more

I've totally forgotten about this place. Back in the day, there weren't too many places that were open past 10pm so this was a reliable hangout after those hours. Good international people watching to boot read more

Better than most student cafes in the area. Its up a hill, so only fit foreign people go there. Great place to people watch - you'll see and hear a lot of different types. One of the few places fit for coffee and studying but also where you can grab a beer or two with pals. Coffee's alright... most of the food is overpriced, but tastes pretty fresh (I'm talking about the cafe, not the cafeteria - GROSS.) There's big windows to look down Bancroft and - unlike Cafe Milano - more than four outlets! read more

I had a fried chicken sandwich here once and it was actually quite great! I know the menu rotates so it might not be there when you go but it seemed to be a pretty decent price and has the added benefit of being near the law school. I-House is also pretty cool looking in general so be sure to wander a bit. read more

The International House Cafe is the best cafe in Berkeley to engage in that practice known as "eye-f*cking." (Please see review of Free Speech Movement Cafe, Berkeley CA, for the definition.) It is the cafe with the highest number of attractive people, most of whom you will see only once and never see again. The typical clientele consists of a whole bunch of international students, fraternity and sorority types, the occasional co-op denizen, and the permanent homeless person. The drinks are average, the food is decent. The mezze plate and the hot chicken sandwich are pretty good, as are the fruit salad and nachos. Most of the tables require jimmying with napkins to stop the wobbling, in addition to a quick wipe-down to remove the traces of biscotti that seem endemic to this particular cafe. Good luck finding a table at night! Be sure to arrive early, or hope that one of your friends has a table to him or herself in the corner. Be sure to strip down to all but a t-shirt as it gets unbearably hot. There are usually a few good hours--usually around dinnertime to about 8 pm--in which to get anything productive done, as later than that the stereo turns to crazy beat-heavy dance and world music and international kids come down to drink glasses of Salmon Bay chardonnay, and down pitchers of Heineken. I usually studied through the resultant noise, trying to read up for poli sci but ending up eye-f*cking that one girl from the sorority down the street. I miss college. read more

Met up with a buddy here yesterday to get some practice games in before the National Scrabble Championships beginning next weekend. I only had a large chai tea. Sweetened, which I like, but a bit on the sugary side (works for me, maybe not for everybody). Next time I come here, I'll try some food - prices seemed fair. The inside is pretty dark, and the front room can get pretty sunny (and hot!), so if you're hanging out in the afternoon, you may find yourself moving inside. But yeah, a fun option all in all - I'll return! As an aside, it's also a nice change from having to drive through downtown Berkeley. read more

Bumping them up one star because I visited today and saw they had updated food options. Ordered a chicken sandwich and it was as delicious as it sounded! Only thing is that it's expensive for how much you get. I paid $8 for a fairly small sandwich and a "side salad" that was actually just about two large spoonfuls of barely flavored pasta salad. Ordered a white mocha again and wished I hadn't because it was still powdery. Come on, at least mix it a bit with espresso so that it all dissolves and so I don't have all that powder collected at the edges of the bottom of the cup + floating around on top. Even constantly mixing between sips didn't dissolve most of it. The way they put it together is strange. Most places do syrup-espresso-milk but this place does powder-milk-espresso...which is prob why their powder is not mixing well -___- makes me question if the powder is actually white chocolate or just some powdered creamer. At the very least, glad their espresso machine isn't completely automated like some other places Noticed their interior was renovated with new chairs and seats, but it's quite dark! So I'd stick to studying by the windows (only one outlet by the door in that area, unfortunately) read more

I am a former resident of the house, and when I lived there, I went to the cafe a lot, for the atmosphere mostly. There are language groups that meet frequently during the school year for conversation hours, as well as weekly chess games. My friends and I spent many hours studying at this spot. I remember being pleased with the morning bagel or croissant sandwiches, and the occasional latte. It's an amazing view of the bay on a good day, too. And, yes, my favorite coffee in Berkeley is a block away (at La Strada,) so only in a hurry did I buy it here. read more

The coffee here is awful. It's brewed way too hot. You can tell by how acidic it comes out. It's also served at a considerably hotter temperature than most other places. Also, I personally think it's outrageous that breakfast stops being served at 10AM in a college town. If you want to study, the lighting is extremely dim inside, so the only good spots are in the glass patio. There are not enough outlets also. Just a poor experience overall. read more

Good = Not having to get something in order to study. Well, at least getting away with it because the workers didn't seem to care. Bad = Random people coming in and doing random things like staring at other people. Like literally, just staring. Good = Having a plug close by.. sort of. Not as many as I would like. but adequate enough. Bad = Parking is bad unless you go on a holiday like i did. I can only imagine a regular school day, fo-get-aboutit! Good = Cool flat panels that flash front page news articles from around the world. Bad = Quite small with small selection of goods. Good = Cool old building with a cool history and reason for existing. Read about it. http://ihouse.berkeley.edu/i/history.html Bad = Young folks all around making me feel old. Good = Hours are great... if you can get the parking. Overall: Good but not great. Haven't had their food/drinks/service. Good environment overall and good hours. Only 3 stars because i have to go back to get the aforementioned items in order to have a complete review. Otherwise it'd be premature and unfair, right? read more

It's a beautiful, stimulating study spot where you don't have to buy anything if you don't want to. It's warm, it's cozy, you get a great view of the bay through the large windows, and you can get strawberry-or-lemon-flavored water for free! The one time I bought hot chocolate, I got it within a minute of ordering it, and it was delicious. Same with the chocolate chip cookies here. I love taking a walk here just to grab a seat and do my homework. read more

Poor service. Every time I have gone I've experienced something wrong. The food isn't bad but the customer service deserves zero stars!!

So I guess I-House Cafe changed its management! Food is a bit overpriced, but actually pretty good. Granted, I've only tried the sandwiches, but I've seen other people's orders of the pizza and quesadillas and other yummy things. I've heard the quesadillas are a must-have. The coffee is good too! Only thing is, their closing times are extremely arbitrary.. it seems to depend on what time the employees that day feel like closing. Sometimes it's 11pm, sometimes 11:45pm, sometimes 12am. Not a huge deal, but can be slightly inconvenient. Pro tip: If you come here when they're almost closing, sometimes they give you your order of coffee or pastry for free.. hehe :) read more

Food: I ordered a typical breakfast meal, spinach omelet, toast, bread and soup. The food was very bleh for my taste. It wasn't very good but it wasn't very bad. It's just your typical breakfast that you could probably make at home. Nothing really special about it, but then again, it is a dining hall. How special can it get? I really thought I was just going to go in for a quick bite and get out but they take quite a while to prepare you food! I originally got it "for here" but because they took so long I had to get "to go". So if you are on a time crunch, this is NOT the place to go! Price: It was decently priced. A little bit of a rip off for what you get, but I guess they have to factor in the price of paying someone to cook it for you. Service: Wasn't any, you bus yourself, like any other dining hall. Ambiance: kinda dark and old, musty looking. I thought it would be more quiet but it's actually kinda loud in there. It's the neutral, background type hum always going on in the background (I guess from making food or something?). So it's still a nice place to go and study but not if you want it really quiet. read more

This place deserves 4 stars for their amazing hummus and mezze plate alone. But wait there's more: -Awesome view -Cool flatscreen with the day's international headlines from newspapers around the world -Myriad of accents and languages being spoken around you -Delicious iced chai teas Another Berkeley favorite of mine :) read more

This is probably one of the more convenient coffee spots for people living on Frat row. They just got new ownership so the place is looking a lot better. However, the line for the food and the wait for your drink gets a little excessive. Not to mention the fact that their stuff is pretty darn overpriced. Pro: they take credit card! (Getting rarer and rarer in Berkeley). read more

I work at I-House and will pop into the cafe for a cup of coffee or an occasional bagel/breakfast burrito. The coffee is okay, I enjoy their bagels (the cream cheese for some reason is my favorite thing, I will eat all of it!), and a breakfast burrito is very filling. I've had a sandwich here once, it was okay, the bread seemed a bit stale. Some of the pasta salads are good if you need a quick snack to go. The service can be slow, especially if there is a line. I think the best reason to come to the cafe is for the atmosphere - there always seems to be tons of students huddled over their laptops studying intensely. It also seems to be a good place for study groups. And it's true you can study here without making a purchase - the cafe staff is pretty relaxed. read more