Update: I tried two more items last night: Duck confit bao and Clay pot. Both were very good. The…read morebao were soft, flavorful and had a nice combination of duck and (enoki?) mushrooms among other things. The clay pot rice was great! The delicious crispy bottom of the pot rice, delectable chicken and shrimp in a delicious sauce. My only complaint would be that there wasn't enough bok choy, I love bok choy! I can't believe Vanessa's has been around for 20 years, and I just tried it for the first time. I recently moved back to Albany, right off Solano, from North Berkeley, and decided to try all the restaurants I haven't yet tried. In a word, fabulous. The food, vibe, and staff are all amazing. I was there on a Wednesday night (Wine Wednesday, 1/2 off bottles of wine), by myself, about 45 minutes before closing. It was a slow night, with about 6 people at the bar and maybe 2 or 3 other active tables in the dining area. They have a wonderful vibe in there; every member of the staff was über-friendly, accommodating, and patient. I ordered a house-made lemonade, which the bartender brought to me himself with a big smile as I perused the menu. I purposely ordered extra food since my entire kitchen was still in boxes, and I only had access to my new microwave. I had mentioned to my server that I had just moved, and during my meal, Vi (co-owner and daughter of THE Vanessa) came to introduce herself and welcome me to the neighborhood, a very nice gesture, and one that brought me back with friends two nights later, with Vi remembering my name. Anyway, on to the food. French onion soup; nice, was it the best FOS I've had? No, but still solid. The crouton was more like a slice of baguette. Salt & Pepper Calamari; really good! An amazingly light and crispy batter encased calamari strips, loaded with flavor, super tender, delicious dipping sauce, and a very large portion for a "small plate". Vanessa's Spicy Sautéed Lemongrass with garlic, onions & green beans topped with roasted peanuts: I chose chicken for my protein. Again, the meat was extremely tender, the dish very flavorful, much more lemongrass-forward than at other restaurants, which I loved. The staff and Vi kept insisting I take my time and not to worry about the 8:30 closing time. People were still lingering in the bar area, and I did as I was told, relaxed, and enjoyed my meal (thoroughly). Bottom line, I loved it and plan on being a regular fixture :)

Loved my time in Walnut Creek! We tried to eat at Lita but the wait was 90 minutes with no…read morereservation. We put our name down and walked around, then stumbled on Vanessa's Bistro!!! Much better choice!!! Hostess greeted us right away and got us a table. Service was amazing, the margarita was strong and tasty, and those chicken wings with the peanut sauce...So good!! Highly recommend they have TVs you can watch the game. They also have a good selection on the menu . Great food, great vibe, great service. I'm definitely going back and telling friends and family to check it out.

I went searching for a quiet cafe this afternoon downtown Berkeley. Surprisingly th at was more…read moredifficult to find than I expected. After walking aimlessly among milk tea joints for about 15 minutes, I found the Jazz cafe on Addison that was perfect! I ordered the boichik bagel with wild mushrooms with a lovely arugula salad. The gentleman at the counter took my order, made the meal, and brought it to my table. Very polite and yet friendly. I sat and read undisturbed for an hour - delightful atmosphere, excellent meal! The cafe is cozy with lovely purples, reds and orange. I'll be heading back on days that I usher for the Berkeley Rep! Nice to get a meal for under 15 bucks!!

This place is FABULOUS & Flawless!! The coffee drinks are…read moremade to order and so perfectly made. The food is a Mediterranean diet dream- fresh broiled salmon over impeccable green salad & beets. Delicious toasted bread for side (or for sandwiches!). Fresh baked goods to go with amazing coffee or tea drinks of all kinds. Love the vibe here- comfy chairs & tables- intimate and open ceilings. A true downtown Berkeley gem

The food here was incredible!!…read more We initially planned a short pitstop on the way to a coffee shop. The ambience was great and the WiFi was strong, so we decided to stay a while. We arrived before their 11am lunch menu opened, so we opted for items from their breakfast offerings. We ordered at the counter and seated ourselves at a table in the dining area. The food arrived promptly and looked beautiful! We were incredibly happy with both dishes! The UQBAR Breakfast Platter is great for those whole enjoy grazing/sampling multiple items. I personally loved the eggs and potatoes with hummus! The buckwheat flatbread arrived warmed and paired perfectly with both dishes. We look forward to returning in the future to try their lunch items!

The excellent fresh food and the choice of a relaxing indoor and sunny outdoor patio…read more Looking for a new lunch space on a busy sunny Berkeley Saturday. My usual haunts would be busy I knew. Found UQBAR on Yelp. It was bustling but tables opened up outside after I ordered. I did have to wait for a minute or two until the tables were bussed & wiped clean. I ordered the half soup and half sandwich which cost about $15. A surprisingly reasonable price. The mushroom soup was thick and the best I've had in a while. The lamb sandwich was succulent and melted in my mouth. I also ordered their milkshake which is made with coconut milk and a berry which name I don't remember right now. The shake was a nice chilling treat on a sunny day after a week of overcast days. Of course, I enjoyed sunbathing over my leisurely lunch. The only glitch was somehow my order got misplaced. After a long wait, I brought it to the attention of Benjamin the owner and order taker. It turned out that my order somehow got lost on a bustling morning. But Benjamin made good by offering me a full sandwich. It was the best lamb sandwich I've had in Berkeley for a while. Benjamin is a very nice person and didn't try to disguise or excuse the glitch. As I told him, the lamb sandwich was well worth the wait, especially since I was hungry when I first ordered and much much more hungrier because of the wait! To be fair, even in Berkeley venues I've frequented for a long time, this does happen once in a while when things are busy. But from what I can see the staff of UQBAR are typically OTJ. I'll be back to my new fave Berkeley lunch spot. Oh, it was easy parking on a Saturday.

I come here frequently when getting my car serviced nearby. The folks behind the counter are always…read morefast and friendly. And best of all I get work done with free WiFi. Bonus: Old school Star Wars Lego decor.

Tropical smoothie ($8.50) is so delicious, with coconut milk, pineapple, mango, and just enough…read morespinach for that green color to camouflage how amazing it tastes. The staff were so friendly and helpful, offering me a paper menu to read when they saw me squinting at the overhead menu and offering to customize anything that I might want from their many sandwiches, burritos, smoothies, etc. If I lived in the area, I'd be here every day to study or work. Lots of room in this clean, well lit space, and I also saw enough outlets.

My friends and I came here for a special event, World Cup Watch Party for Brazil vs. Norway, and…read morefeaturing Brazilian entertainment by Namorados da Lua, who we enjoy listening and dancing to! Parking on a Sunday was probably better than other days as it is free and unlimited in the residential area. Casa Do Petisco is inside an organic market and it is very welcoming and cozy! We got there early for seats and decided on watching the entertainment as well as the game outside in the spacious back yard. As soon as we got our seats outside, I went to order the food and service was efficient and friendly! I ordered 2 Guranas and 1 Golden State cider, pastrami sandwich on roll, Brazilian chicken salad on roll, and the Petisco platter, which consisted of yuca fries, Pão de Queijo (cheese bread), olives and amendoin (peanut) and cilantro sauce, which were all tasty. For dessert for my friend, I got her a pao de mel (honey bread) for her belated birthday! The whole experience was fun, friendly and relaxing except when the game was on, we were all tense!

Casa do Petisco is located inside the Berkeley organic market on the right has you walk in. There…read moreare 3 tables inside and 2 tables in the front. I studied abroad in Brazil and often frequented a local bakery there so sometimes I do miss these bakery/small plate items and I'm so glad I found this place. I ordered Pao de queijo (cheese bread), coxinha, and a beef empanada. I came in around 11 something so all they had at the moment was 3 traditional pao de queijo and 2 guavas and this was the first time I've ever tried the guava ones and it really was life changing! It was fresh and definitely didn't feel overwhelming by the filling. The coxinha was definitely more flavorful than the ones I've had in Brazil and enjoyed it, same as the beef empanada. I do wish they had pastels! The thin rectangle ones! It definitely looked like the staff here also operated the market as you can check out at the same counter. Can't wait to come back for the guava pao de queijo and to try the sandwiches!

An unassailable Berkeley institution. The fact that they've managed to survive for over 50 years…read moregives me hope for the future. Prices have at least doubled since the time I ate here as a broke college student, but it's still a great value for the quality and quantity. It's one of the very rare places where you can get vegan hot and sour soup; just ask for no egg and you'll be golden. That, plus the blistered string beans and vegan "duck" in black bean sauce are an absolute must. Their mock meat game is on point. Grab a lunch special and dine in for best results.

I love this place with my whole heart. Food is amazing,…read morethere's always fresh (free) tea, service is great, they have great deals, yet every time I go in it's empty, it's not fair..

Outstanding Beer selections, very Friendly Vibe and attentive Service. I brought 3 out of Town…read moreGuests there and we had a wonderful time. 5 Stars !

Came here for brunch and it was a little interesting in the fact that you can order in here…read more(basically a kitchen with a very small store front) take it to go, eat outside in front (1 table and 2 chairs) or eat it next door at the brewery. Honestly it was pretty confusing and I didn't really understand. They also didn't explain it I had to ask if they had a back patio and she said next door. Prices were kind of high, wait time was awhile, there was only one person making the food. They also don't have lattes or espresso here (next door does). No parking lot, just street parking. Service was okay. Overall, pretty average experience.

Update: I came in from hole 9 and they won't allow orders…read more You must call in advance on the hole before, which on our day there was no one behind us. And we were sitting in regardless? Plus, there is no cell reception on the course so there's no way to call them. The service has gotten poor. The workers will peek over your shoulder while you tip, 18%, 20%, 22% and so on for a packaged item. Also, I had a voucher that I won from a promotion, and they took it and it never got used.

The food here is really good and they have a good selection of drinks and they got a nice fire pit…read more It's a really nice place to hang out.