This place is a perfect place to stop by on the way to class and pick up fruit or coffee or a delicious chocolate croissant. They have self serve water on the side and the staff is really chill. Also a great place to hang out and study. 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!!

General: I come to the I-House Café often, as I live right next door to it (just about as convenient as it gets)! You walk up and order at the cashiers, pay, and then wait for your number to be called (which can be found on your receipt). Indoor and outdoor seating is nice, especially since they redecorated this year! This is a prime location for study groups and meetings. Food: The food is pretty delicious. I love the Farmer's Market Salad; I add the strip steak to it! You can't go wrong with any of the build-your-own sandwiches. The gourmet sandwiches are good, but the ones I've tried aren't quite as filling. I love the late night flat bread pizzas, although fair warning -- they usually have run out of many of the ingredients by the time I get there, and my options are limited. Beverages: Most of the time, the staff keeps water sitting out in a big container with mint or fruit slices in it, which is so good that you don't even need a soda. The coffees are great, but a little pricey! Service: This is the one downside -- don't expect quick service, and don't expect your food to come quickly. They have two registers up front with one to two people working the front at a time, and they get pretty caught up taking orders, making coffees, and calling out the orders. It won't take years, but it could take a solid 20 minutes. read more

Really convenient place to do some light studying/ people watching. I-House Cafe gives off such a cool vibe - probably because of all the international students in the area. People are easy to talk to, and I think old(er) men play intense games of chess in the back in the evenings. All of these things make I-House a special spot on the UC Berkeley campus. Foodwise: Their sandwiches are honestly pretty standard. Make sure to get it on focaccia bread though (nice and herby with a great crunchy/chewy texture)! I usually get the roast beef with sprouts, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, mayo, mustard. Again, standard. Service: Usually fine, but when I went earlier this week the cashier was being an impatient jerk. I ordered a roast beef sandwich right after my friend and he decided to put in the order right away - assuming I wanted the same condiments as my friend. Eeehhhh so I ended up a very boring tomato-less, sprout-less, bland roast beef sandwich on whole wheat bread that tasted like I wanted to ask them to remake the sandwich for me... but didnt want to be a total biatch and nibbled on the plain sandwich unworthy of my 7 bucks. =( and for that, minus one star! (The actual i-house is AWESOME though!! I stayed there summer '08 and had a blast. met tons of cool people I still keep in touch with) read more

S.e.M. and I, curious to compare this spot to la Strada, the coffee house we more habitually frequent down the hill and down the block, Getting there: if you're on foot or on a bike coming from the west, it's a shlep, as the International House is perched at the uppermost part of campus. [For those of us seeking a modest aerobic challenge this may be a good thing.] The tea, of the bag variety, is unremarkable, but it does have a variety of selections. By Berkeley standards barista speed was excruciatingly slow. The outdoor seating pace is ample, with separate northern and southern patios, although there's a feng shui issue that could likely be worked out with more tables. S.e.M. liked the indoors, with lots of wood and odd iron light fixtures from the Olde West. I thought it seemed like something from a cheap Zorro movie. Points for a couple of vertical plasma screens above the coffee accessories bar displaying the front pages of newspapers from across the globe. We might well go back, even venturing to try the food, if only to verify the horror stories recounted by the other reviewers. read more

This cafe, which can be seen from down Bancroft Way, offers a variety of sandwiches and salads. Their pastries were a bit stale, however. I would suggest trying their watermelon juice. It is a cute cafe where you can surround yourself with international students. Wireless internet is free with a UC SID login. Sometimes it is crowded, especially around finals. read more

After 2 orders, tellin' it to ya straight: 1.) Food is put out at a decent time. +1 star 2.) Food is hot and very tasty, the chef knows what he's doing! +1 star 3.) It's quite an elegant place to eat, whether you are studying, working or out for a chat. 4.) No frozen ingredients! You can tell that their meat is FRESH! Halleluja! 5.) While their food is very good, it is certainly overpriced. I can cook these meals myself at fractions of the cost. -1 star Overall, I would go back to eat when I get the extra change. I was very pleased. Thanks for lunch! read more

I mean, of course this isn't going to be some 5 star restaurant, but if you're looking for a decent all-you-can eat meal for a decent price, this is definitely the place. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are $8, $10, and $12 respectivelyfor non-residents. The food there is generally okay, sometimes they have great stuff. The fish is generally frozen and not fresh. However, I really like their cookies! read more

Food is decent but they have the least friendly staff of any spot near campus. There are several women working the front counter that never smile, move incredibly slowly and act as though they're doing you a favor serving you. Having worked in chain restaurants before I feel for them, but also think that being somewhat decent to interact with is half of their job. The other half is making coffee relatively efficiently. They seem to struggle to do both :/ read more

I'm a fan of the I-House Cafe! The space is cute, it's conveniently located to Haas and the Law School, and everyone on staff just couldn't be nicer. It's a great place to stop in for a coffee or a snack, and prices are super-reasonable. It's never too packed, and it's nice to relax on a comfy couch, a table in the glass room in the back, or even outside on the patio on a nice day. Definitely worth it, even if a visit involves a walk up the big Bancroft hill! read more

I met my buddies here on the way to the CAL game for some beers, They were hanging out on the outdoor terrace area which is a good spot to watch people on the way to the game, It was not crowded, had a little table to ourselves and the beer vender was right on the other side of the door. I was drinking Shock Top and my friend was having Stella. They were $7.00 a piece but I didn't mind because they were cold and delicious. (All Cash transactions) The server was a very nice Hawaiian lady so tipping her was not a problem. I did not have anything to eat here so I can't comment on the food but it seemed like a chill place to meet up with people, read more

i never ate food, drank coffee or studied at i-house. i worked at milano for less than a year but for years after that, i could get free drinks whenever i wanted so my loyalty stayed with them. i would only go to i-house for beer. it was almost always free because if you worked at one cafe in berkeley long enough, the employees of the other cafes recognized you and it was a unwritten rule you just gave each other free stuff, especially if you were female. i don't know if that's the case anymore but it worked out well for me back then. i am thinking of i-house because amber and valentine's day are on my mind. amber, because i wish she still lived in the bay area so she could be on my pub trivia dream team (she'd kill that music round) and valentine's day because it's around the corner and one year a bunch of us spent the evening drinking pitchers of beer on their patio right before candy punched a guy in the face for calling her a bitch and broke her wrist. on sunny days, that outdoor patio is full of foreigners, some hot, some not, but fun nonetheless. read more

The food here is usually pretty surprisingly good! BUT the service is horrible. They all stand around and are so inefficient. They are not helpful nor friendly. Boo to the bad service, but at least the prices and food are ok. read more

Ordered the latte and a bagel from here it's the first time I've ordered a latte in Berkeley and wasn't happy with it. It had a milky film on top which would indicate it was a greater than 2% milk when I clearly asked for 2% milk. The gentleman behind the bar was pleasant enough. I have no problem with the service. It just wasn't very tasty. The bagel on the other hand was very satisfying. read more

Don't bother going they don't have the product available for you to eat. If want a hamburger you couldn't have a bun you have it on sandwich White Bread . If you have a taco watch out. They throw the shell on plate meat on side no lettuce, no tomatoes no cheese no onions and threw it on the plate and you make your self. That's a rip off for nine bucks read more

I drink coffee and study here. The coffee is pretty decent, and the food is allright, I've had their bagels with egg, and Turkey Sandwich. Pretty standard, but the plus is if you are actually able to score a place to study. read more

I-House Cafe is a great place to grab coffee with a friend. There is always an ample amount of seating, the coffee isn't bad, and the foreigners are always up to something in the cafe. It's probably one of the best people watching spots in Berkeley. On a nice sunny day, the balcony is a pleasant spot to sit and watch the hoards of students walking to and from class. I don't think the food is anything special. The cafe serves basic sandwiches and a few pasta dishes, but I wouldn't go here just to grab some food. Make sure you order your sandwich on focaccia bread, which is very greasy and adds tons of flavor to the sandwiches. read more

Coffee is okay. Bread is not so good. I eat apple turnovers everyday with my resident points and sometimes it is too sour, other times it is ultra sweet. Breakfast burritos are moderate, and burgers are aweful in my view... although everybody seems to eat the burgers. read more

I stopped in before a concert at the Greek Theatre and grabbed a cappuccino. Good quality milk and espresso beans, hot, and excellent in flavor. Service seemed good. read more

I love the burritos! I can't say what else bc this extremely rude Latin lady at the cash register w/ the blue cal Berkeley shirt would not assist me properly! This was my second visit. She seem impatient when I was asking questions about the menu, and finally I just said forget it and just settled for the croissant! And she didn't even heat it up when I asked her too! It extremely poor service bc she was a straight up bitch w/ a stick stuck up her ass. I hope no one else have this bad experience! read more

The food was good. Staff was helpful. The manager Bob makes me give this place a one star. He is rude and very cold. My order wasn't correct and he says so what, what do you want me to do and walked off. read more

The Dish + Ambience: Coffee is delicious. Spacious room for studying. Good natural lighting all around. Really great cafe to read, study, and have coffee dates. They also have rooms to rent out for private party events. read more

The food here is decent and there is a good variety. As a law student who's sick of eating at Cafe Zeb, the I House offers a much needed variety. They take credit cards, are not more expensive than Zeb, so they get 4 stars from me. I think rating this place independently it may only get 3, but compared to Cafe Zeb, it gets a 4. read more

I love this place's fries and the burgers are actually pretty good but they always take at least 15 minutes to give me my order and always find a way to mess it up. Whether it's not giving me the side of fries or ignoring my request to remove the cheese, the service always has a mix up. Probably the last time I'm coming to this cafe! read more

Coffee and food are awful. t one saving grace is its location. Nice place to study since it has outlet and wifi for Cal studets.

The ambiance in I House Cafe definitely makes it a great go to place when you want to meet up with friends, or just study on your own. But I'm not here to rate the environment or the service - they're both somewhere in between decent and good in my book. But the food that they sell here is a little off. I tried the various different pastas that they offer, and... well, I'm not going to try to get fancy describing these: they're not good. The bread on the side is good sometimes. Really hit or miss - get it while it's fresh, it's great; get it while it's a few hours old, yea... big Meh. read more

The worst customer service ever. They literally just don't put ingredients that are supposed to be in food and say 'we're out of them' when I make a complaint. They don't even say sorry, they just say 'do you want a refund?' I had western burger today and they didn't put onion rings. When I complained, one of the clerks said onion rings were out, and then a few minutes later she gave me a burger with onion rings, not even apologizing. She was just trying to make her own case, aka bullshitting. Talk about a shitty customer service. All of the clerks are ignorant, dismissive, and they don't know what they're doing. I got $250 credit as a resident at international house and today I used my last credit with the shitty burger, never gonna eat here again. read more

I ma bias because I worked at this joint in the 70s and I will always remember the regulars.TRhis place has a crowd problem and now a problem with freeloaders.This place is still a business that must make money to exist.The internet is good and bad for the cafe.I feel thatsome of the campers"like me" who use the internet and milk a latte for hours,at least you bought a latte,some folks are only a small coffee cheap and then stay on the internet.I will buy some food also along with a couple drinks.I feeel that it is money well spent.The food can vary from employee to employee but that is human nature.Some of the breakfast items are rather bland.Lunch is better.The sandwiches are good.Prices sure have gone up,but that is the way it is everywhere.I still will always like to people watch here.The people are from all over the world just like the name of the cafe.Never boring. read more

Asked for the chicken sandwich with no bacon. In the past has come with a generous side salad, this time a tiny spoonful of rice was given, but I decided not to question the person working at the cash register and just take my food. Got home and bit into my sandwich to find EXTRA bacon. I clearly stated no bacon two times. This is the first time I've had pork in two years. And my frio was awful. read more

I went there this Wednesday evening around 8 pm with two friends. We ordered chicken sandwiches, and there wasn't any queue, but we had to wait 15 mins to get our meals. The sandwiches were decent but too small, and we were still hungry afterwards. A good point though: they have some beers and one type of wine. The place is also well located, close to the university in a good-looking building. Tables are clean and there are TVs for those interested in watching sport events. read more

Yeah, I agree with the last post, 2 stars for the coffee, six stars for the hotties. As far as Berkeley goes, of course.

Great location, nice interior. The staff isn't bad either. The food is pretty good (I wish they served breakfast all day). They stopped closing at midnight, which sucks. They could also use way more outlets. But a good spot. read more

I come here for a quick breakfast before classes. I get the breakfast English muffin, with egg, cheese, and sausage (you can also choose bacon). The egg is the best part, made fresh, but everything here is overpriced. read more

why o why are the cookies so bad? but love the patio and the hours.... read more

Coffee isn't the best (as you can see from the other reviews), but this is a great place to go when it's too wet and cold outside. Beware of the school schedule, you might not find a seat! read more

Food here is ok. Not much flavor. The best thing on the menu is the nachos, lasagna, and breakfast burrito. I really only go to I house for their coffees which are good. It also is a really popular place to study. And their staff are nice. read more

I work on campus toward the top of the hill, and for lunch I usually head to north side or telegraph. And whenever I get really tired of those options, I think and think and remember that I love the sandwiches at the I-House cafe. I always end up choosing between the portabello sandwich and the eggplant sandwich, both of which are hearty, tasty sandwiches served with a nice salad. The last time I went, I made the mistake of ordering the mozzarella sandwich, which was just mozzarella, tomato, and mustard on a white roll. Not good at all. But I'll still go back for the portabello or eggplant. They also toast up a pretty decent bagel with cream cheese, tomato, and cucumber for those mornings when I need something more than my usual instant oatmeal. read more

The I House Cafe is well worth the hike up the hill to get there. With coffee, snacks and wifi, what better place is there to study? As an added bonus, the chicken pesto is delicious and they serve wine and beer for the much needed occasional study break. And who can resist that foreign charm? read more

Newly renovated, has some very nice view down bancroft. The iced white mocha is on the sweet side. I heard they offer late night now! Great place to go study if you're sick of libraries - I personally prefer here because I can actually eat, talk, move, etc. without getting shushed or having my food taken away by library staff :). Free wifi, open till midnight. read more

Food was pretty good but the service was slow and disorganized - people were getting their food out of order. We were here for lunch during a conference. There is a beautiful view looking down out to the Bay and Golden Gate. I used to study here sometimes back in the day when I was a student. Good memories of that. read more