Great food! Love the falafels. LOVE the cookie. LOVE LOVE the hummus and potatoes. The green juice is good too very green. Fast service. Very hole in the wall and very busy. I would order online to skip the line (1% online order feee :(!!) I don't know if the food is authentic ? They sell mango lassi which is odd to me. But the food is delicious! read more

Small unassuming place that you will miss unless you are lucky to see the line of Cal students and Berkeley residents waiting to order. The Falafel Flatbread sandwich had fresh mint and parsley that freshened your mouth as you worked your way through crunchy Falafel and soft pita. The Falafel was not oily and spiced just right. The Banana Pudding is not too sweet, had banana slices, a small dollop of cream with coconut and a biscuit. Wife wouldn't stop raving about it. The sweet potatoes are ...meh... the pooch loved them. Give me the real fries or roasted potatoes. read more

Fava is so good - incredibly flavorful food that tastes fresh and is well made - and expensive. The plate (extra for your choice of protein) will easily set you back $20. So not an every day lunch but if you want to treat yourself to an amazing, fresh and healthy meal, come here. The banana pudding is top notch, if you are so inclined. read more

This place always comes thru for a delicious fresh lunch and they are all really kind. I recommend everything on the menu with a mango Lassi to drink. read more

Fava Restaurant - I recommend this dish and don't forget to order a mango lassi with the tahini chocolate chip cookie for dessert (soooo good) - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

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The food is off the charts !!! I had an escarole tangerine mint fennel salad with feta and almonds. It sounded delicious. I expected delicious... but it was so beautifully balanced; The leaves were sooooo fresh... the dressing so perfect, it was probably THE most exciting salad I had ever eaten my entire life! Then I tasted their lentil cauliflower soup. Soooo incredible that I bought an entire quart to take home. If I lived closer i would eat here every day. I must mention the staff Friendly...accommodating...efficient. This was truly a five star experience! read more

Fava is in The Juice Collective's spot. (remember 2114, luckily, signage slightly visible on drive by). essentially grab n go. no seating inside. a few tables outside. Fava operated by Chez Panisse alum. offerings: juices, sandwiches, salads. eats: braised lamb wrap (15) only 50 made every day! -lots of juicy lamb pieces, red cabbage, yoghurt in a wrap described as Reem sourced "flatbread". looks like typical shawarma wrap. never seen flatbread like this. it's delish, melt in mouth quality. red drips a mystery. -so deliz. $15 well worth it. rather eat this than an anemic $11 Ike's... -food came quick, no doubt due to short menu, lamb also premade.... leftovers: luv'd the lamb. would repeat. probably should try falafel (14) which is also made in limited supply. -menu is on wall at right side. not much room to gaze. luckily i like lamb. forgot reviews mentioned lamb is THE item to order! -i like to pay cheaper prices BUT people deserve a living wage, rent isn't cheap. i believe in Fava. what they charge is ok by me. read more

First of all, love love love the fresh produce and fish. It's like it jumped out of the ocean/farm and briefly skimmed the kitchen on the way to my plate. Super flavorful and thoughtful combinations of textures in their salads and roasted veggies. It's like having a low key but secretly swanky meal. The red cabbage thing is to die for and their falafels are a hit at every meal. The one single thing that has got me not making this 5 stars is the salt. Sometimes the fish is perfectly salted, sometimes it's oversalted. Sometimes the lentils are nicely seasoned, sometimes overly salty. Same for the roasted veggies. And if you had leftovers, next day that saltiness feels almost too much. I'm not sure if it's getting tasted before it goes out or measured ahead of time, but I could use much less salt in my Fava deliciousness. Still isn't gonna stop me from coming back. But I hope they read this and pull back a little. read more

The food at Fava tasted so fresh and clean. It seems the owners work really hard to get the best ingredients possible. I can't wait to go back! read more

Delicious lamb wraps and salads with sidewalk seating in North Berkeley. Limited quantity 50 lamb wraps until they sell out for lunch, so be sure to come early (doors open 11am). Lamb was top quality with yoghurt, red cabbage, and wrapped in a delicious flatbread from Reems. Five stars! read more

Fava Restaurant - A few lamb lovers were creeping outside at 10:45 before Fava opened at 11am. - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

SOME of the food is tasty, but definitely overpriced. And for the love of God - do NOT buy their HUMMUS! Look - I get it. It's the Gourmet Ghetto (sorry, Wrecking Ball Coffee, but I will continue to call it that FOREVER!), and so things are more expensive. But even with that, their wrap was almost $20, as they charge you extra to put hummus on a dish that...should always have it. That's insane. Sometime in the last few months (no need to identify myself, LOL), I went and tried their hummus (bought a $6 pint, fairly priced). And let me tell you this, as loudly and clearly as I possibly can: THEIR HUMMUS WAS TERRIBLE! First off, it was a strange color (?). Then, it had way too much of some odd-flavored spice - one that does not belong in hummus. The entire taste was off, AND it was significantly lacking seasoning. FREAKIN' SALT, folks! It's pretty easy to add, so maybe they aren't even tasting their own food when they make it? Hmmm... And wait - the owners are former Chez Panisse employees? So they are trained in some aspect of the culinary arts? REALLY?!! This is MIND-BLOWING! Wonder what Alice Waters would think about bad hummus? How are these people clueless about this very obvious fact, especially when they are serving Middle Eastern food? Let me be completely honest when I say that this was quite possibly one of the WORST versions of hummus I have ever had in my entire life (and that's my signature food; I've had it everywhere, and for decades). I cannot really believe that these guys would open a Middle Eastern restaurant and not have a good recipe for such an iconic dish. UNBELIEVABLE. I ate two bites and then threw it out - it's THAT BAD! I mean...go and buy some at any store and you would be better off. Trust me on this, as I am an expert on the matter. Don't waste your time - or your money at this spot. The entire neighborhood is still lamenting the loss of the Juice Bar Collective at this same location, given all the good food they made for so many years. These owners need a reality check - and need to get hip, and quick, to the fact that their hummus is the worst. And then take that criticism, and (hopefully) make a version that is MUCH better. Because that's really the end goal here. I'm not looking to negatively affect their sales (or worse). I'm trying to motivate the chef-owners to take a deeper look at this dish. Go try some of the best hummus in the East Bay and you all will see - try Pomella in Oakland (top of the heap), or for a great nearby option, the Jerusalem Kitchen at the top of Solano Avenue. That's what hummus is SUPPOSED to taste like. Ugh - this whole topic makes me so angry. These people thought they knew better, or that they wanted to riff on a dish that is several hundreds of years old. Just like you can't use cilantro or white beans and still call it hummus - whatever they are serving here to their customers? I don't know what to call it....some strangely-flavored bean dip? Well whatever it is, trust me - it AIN'T good. You want great, local, Middle Eastern-inspired fare? I'm sorry, but you need to go somewhere else. Try Lula over off of Gilman Street, which is relatively new and has gotten fantastic reviews (owner used to do pop-ups, now has her own space). Try Pomella on Piedmont Avenue. Try any number of solid choices around the East Bay. But do not support this place - until they get their act together. Hopefully, that day does come, AND IF IT DOES, and they change this dish, I will happily delete this review. Until then, it's going to stand. read more

Very small menu, and a bit expensive for what it is, but this place churns out yummy sandwiches and soups. The fare is Mediterranean and quite healthy, the kind of food that if you ate this regularly, you'd probably live to a million years old. In particularly, I really liked the soup they had that day - red lentil and squash with dill yogurt. I drank the whole bowl. It was delicious! The hummus was OK, nothing to write home about. This is a bit of a hole in the wall - no seating, so you have to grab the food and go eat elsewhere. The ginger tea was also comforting, and no sugar added to it at all, so quite healthy as well. read more

Just opened 3 weeks ago!! Fava was created by Chez Panisse alums, so I was really excited to come! Come early, because they're only open from 11-3 and the lamb flatbread is made in limited quantities (50 a day). It's a counter service, so plan to take the food to-go or hope to find seating in one of the outdoor chairs. I came at 11:30 on a Saturday and there wasn't much of a line. The lady at the register recommended the lamb flatbread, so that's what I chose to get. She was really friendly and chatted with me while I waited for my order! The lamb flatbread is a must-get if you come here! It's very hearty; there's a lot of lamb and the flatbread is warm and chewy. There's an orange sauce on it though that makes it drip a lot, so it's a bit of a messy eat. My hands were stained orange for awhile afterward. My friend got the beet salad and liked the egg and lentils. She wasn't a huge fan of the beets, but it seems like she doesn't always enjoy them in general. At $16.39 (including tax) for the lamb flatbread, I find it hard to see myself coming often. But it remains a competitive option with all the other sandwiches available in Berkeley! read more

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The tiny shop has friendly workers and a very lively vibe; make sure to get here on time for the lamb sandwiches (I think there's a limited number)! The braised lamb flatbread is a little pricey, but it's a hefty wrap! I almost wish it was wrapped Up but it using foil might not be the most waste-friendly ( I assume that's why?). So it was a little messy to eat, especially when red hot juices are coming out and chunks of lamb are still in between your teeth. Very nice blend of flavors though; the lamb wasn't particularly flavorful but it luckily was accompanied by a lot of yogurt and red sauce. read more

Fava Restaurant - Lamb flatbread - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

LOVE Fava!!! We live nearby and come here at least weekly. Seriously don't know what we would do without it. EVERYTHING is fresh, delicious, and of the HIGHEST possible quality. Produce and steelhead trout are insanely good - we get the steelhead plate, escarole salad (with salmon!), and falafel (soooo good) on a weekly rotation, and often add in their green juice, tahini choc chip cookie, and seasonal pudding. Truly a gem that we are so grateful for in the neighborhood read more

Berkeley's answer to souvla! I think Fava deserves 3.5 stars, but I'll round up because there's a lot of potential. I went to Fava a few weeks after it opened, and I was able to get one of those limited and oh-so-tempting lamb wraps, as well as a mango lassi. Like everyone else I wish the lamb wrap were actually wrapped in foil, but unlike everyone else I had just come from the gym and didn't care about getting red lamb juice all over my sweaty clothes! The wrap was tasty and the lamb was tender, but overall was not as flavorful as I would have liked. Some housemade hot sauce would've been a perfect touch. The mango lassi, though, was amazing and I drank the whole thing in about 3 minutes. Overall, the food was tasty and fresh, but execution could be improved and the prices make it unlikely that I'll return often. read more

Fava Restaurant - Lamb wrap (3.5/5) and mango lassi (5/5) - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

Delicious healthy food - fresh with lots of veggies. Ready for them to open a place with indoor seating!

Absolutely beautiful food. In my opinion, the quality of the produce marks the true measure of a food establishment, and they are hitting out of the park. Also these people truly love what they do--the other measure of anyone to buy from. I hope for more vegan and gluten- and sugar-free options! read more

Quite literally the best Mediterranean food in the Bay Area!! If you're lucky enough to enjoy some Fava, you're quite lucky indeed. The falafel is crispy and all the ingredients are sourced carefully and the resulting quality is phenomenal! Jeremy and his wife are amazing and the kindest business owners I have come across in Berkeley - they really put the love into the food they serve. My go to's are the Falafel Flatbread Sandwich, Escarole Salad With Blood Oranges, and the Mango Lassi to wash it down. The perfect lunch on Saturday 10/10 would recommend to a friend! Thank you FAVA for bringing such an amazing staple to Berkeley read more

Yummy falafel sandwich! I really appreciate the freshness of the flavors, including the mint. Will try the escarole salad next. Their https://favaonvine.square.site/ page says "Using all ORGANIC produce and 100% eco friendly packaging." Thank you, thank you! read more

Order the cheese chicken sandwich! Has some kick but you can get peppers on the side if your worried. Fresh flavors and the yummiest bread (made in-house). Falafel is moist and delicious. Banana pudding is childhood yumminess! Chocolate chip cookie is perfection. Love this spot!! read more

FAVA is everything!! I LOVE the Lamb Flatbreads, fresh Herby Falafels, and rotating soups and salads. Most recently, I had a Golden Squash Soup w/ Jalapeno Yogurt that was divine. Their drinks are also insanely refreshing and reasonably priced. Fava is nothing short of everything I want and need at lunch time. The menu changes with the seasons, so it always features the absolute freshest ingredients that local farms have to offer. It also means that I never tire of what's on the menu, and there's usually something new and delicious to try. I sincerely appreciate their small menu because that means everything is excellent. It's simple math! The share of time and effort paid to each dish is above and beyond what most places can afford to give. Lastly, Sylvia and Jeremy (the chefs/co-owners) put their heart and soul into every detail of this tiny restaurant and you truly FEEL it when you're there. I always feel so good, and so proud of my community after I eat at Fava!! read more

Fava Restaurant - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

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1000 out of 10. The Chez Panisse tree is very strong. Feeling very grateful to have this in the East Bay. Reminds me very much of Reems in SF or the Persian breakfast at Bartavelle's. This is the stuff that makes the bay area such a gem when it comes to ingredients and simple foods. I don't care that my lunch was $60 for 2. Worth every penny. read more

I just had to post this salad! Sooo good! I usually get the chicken which is always well seasoned and comes with a tasty harissa sauce. I'm happy I went with salmon today. Couldn't have been better! read more

Fava Restaurant - Salmon salad!! So beautifully prepared and delicious! - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is one of my all time favorite restaurants. It is so delicious and simple and healthy. The salmon plate (with chili peppers!) and a banana pudding (....plus a tahini chocolate chip cookie) is my go to order. I just love their red cabbage salad situation. If you like vegetable and herb forward, healthy, California cuisine, and the best banana pudding in the universe - go here! It's extra good after a long hike in Tilden too (: read more

Fantastic Falafel, best in the Bay Area, maybe best in the USA. Incredibly fresh ingredients. The green juice is incredible. Soup, desserts, everything top notch. Smallest restaurant I've ever seen, but packs a huge punch! read more

Very good, high quality falafel, cooked to perfection! Very overpriced (15 dollars) for just a falafel wrap from a whole in the wall though. read more

Fava Restaurant - Falafel wrap - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

First time! So delicious, so many fresh flavors. We tried most everything since we were celebrating a family birthday. All so tasty! Very nice owners. Definitely will be back!! read more

I had always wanted to eat at this place before, but was not able. When I finally tried it, I was really happy that I did! I had the Plate with Steelhead which was so delicious! The steelhead salmon was cooked to perfection. It was still moist and tender. I loved the delicata squash, cabbage slaw, herb salad, and yogurt. I'm looking forward to returning and ordering delicious takeaway for me as well as for some relatives and friends. read more

the food is really delicious, and though fave doesn't really have seating, you can go to walnut square or epicurious garden. the food is really good, it's just fairly small portions for what i thought would be a full meal. read more

How have I not reviewed FAVA yet? My favorite lunch spot! The soup is so satisfying- esp when it is a curried lentil version! Fresh herbs, fresh juices, satisfying hot falafel...this place is everything the juice bar should have evolved into and it is such a perfect fit for this business to be in the old juice bar space. Get yourself a hot soup, coconut ice, any flavor pudding and a hot falafel plate-you will not be sorry! read more

I'd give this place a 4.5 because I think it is a tad pricey but for the quality of the ingredients I'll let it slide. The falafel wrap and beet salad I've had here are so delicious and fresh, and portion sizes are extremely decent. Service is also super friendly though the place is a bit cramped. The sesame chocolate chip cookie was tasty too, but really come here for the wraps because the flatbread is out of this world good. read more

Fava Restaurant - Falafel wrap - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

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With only 5 main dishes on the menu, this barebones lunch counter doesn't seem like much, but everything is made of high-quality ingredients and is beautifully-plated! There are only a few tables outside on the sidewalk, and the food comes out quick. On my visit, I tried the super popular flatbread sandwich with braised lamb, yogurt, pickled red cabbage, and herbs. The sandwich came on a fresh, chewy, delicious flatbread, and the tender lamb went so nicely with the crunchy vegetables and the slight tang of the yogurt! I also got the salad of red and golden beets served over warm lentils, shredded carrots, herb salad, yogurt, and a soft-boiled egg. There were so many things going on in every bite--the beets were sweet and tender, the lentils were nice and hearty, and the carrots, herbs, and yogurt added a nice lightness. The soft-boiled egg was amazingly flavorful as well--what a great veggie-forward dish! For dessert, I tried the chocolate chip cookie topped with sesame seeds. It was a bit on the sweet (and expensive) side, but the thin cookie had a nice chewy texture that was balanced by the crunch of the sesame and the chocolate chunks! What a great casual, quintessentially Californian restaurant! read more

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Pros: fast and friendly service Good food Lots of greens Cons: street parking Only take out read more

The best falafel in the bay, excellent texture and flavor, and hummus is superb! I love the pile of fresh herbs on top too. All the sides are excellent. Everything is so fresh you can taste the care put into everything and that nothing is artificial so it's super healthy too. Love this place and can't recommend it enough. read more

Wow! I just had an amazing beet-lentil salad and Carrot- Ginger juice! This little hidden gem has only a few sidewalk tables, but it's in the beautiful North Shattuck neighborhood near The Cheeseboard Collective, the original Peet's, The Walk Shop and the Pumping Plant wine store. And their cookies look amazing too (chocolate chip sesame today). Good wholesome healthy food. Highly recommended. read more

Fava Restaurant - Lentil- beet salad and carrot-ginger juice - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

Absolutely the best hummus in the land and I know hummus! You can't go wrong leaving your neighborhood to drive over and pick some up. Generous, friendly staff. Treat yourself! read more

This is the joint you eat at while you're waiting on your computer to be fixed at the apple store. 1. They decided that instead of making hot sauce, they'd buy a large Valentina bottle & strip the label off, so that a) people don't know what kind of hot sauce it is, and b) only one person at a time can use it. Worse is that they put that same sauce in the falafel sandwich (clearly the hallmark of mediterreanean food). 2. Water cups are tiny and water isn't cold. 3. Falafel sandwich was more than $15 dollars. Berkeley Magic! 4. They have this whole fresh ingredient ethos happening, but unfortunately it highlights their inability to cook mediterranean food. The herbs weren't cut up for that "fresh from the garden" feel. 5. Ridiculous hippie fluff everywhere, written in cutesy lettering. I mean; if you're going to make me feel like I'm in PDX, go ahead and make the food bang so that I can forget about appropriated yoga for a minute. 6. The falafel was flavorless. The only thing they got right was the green color, and the texture was mushy. 7. There were only two falafel (I'm not even full for $15 dollars) The cabbage was basic and not actually fermented. Quickle vinegar solution... Really? 8. You cannot eat the sandwich because it is literally impossible (the "wrap" is not in foil, nor is it even wrapped; it's a piece of flavorless flat bread that barely covers the ingredients that they put into this thing). Good luck eating it without utensils and napkins, and guess what? That's not environmentally friendly. 9. They serve recyclable cups and yet they only have a compost bin 10. I've seen pictures of other fava-lafels past and it seems like they used to use foil, but now have decided to "upgrade" to these enormous biodegradable containers. Just a thought: the size of the container might be at odds w/ the carbon footprint required to break it down. Namaste, dear readers. read more

I appreciate the vision and vibe. Being the kinda frugal opinionated home cook I am I had minor issues with the food. 1. the lamb wrap...the ample lamb and the bread were great!....trying to pick it up though! no way! it dripped copious amounts of red cabbage juice and started to quickly fall apart leaving Gio & me to use forks... not ideal... forking it, you don't get the mix of flavor & texture that make a wrap or sandwich or burrito more than the sum of its parts...(maybe shred the overly abundant cabbage finer & salt it a bit & drain the excess juice? maybe some green onion to give it a pop?) it just didn't quite come together? 2. The lentil salad needed more spicing for me too...a bit of cumin etc. Loved the eggs and beets and cukes! I really appreciate the fresh chiles I was offered when I went for the Valentina hot sauce I would suggest making an in house kick ass condiment or 2..... a cilantro/mint based green chili type? and a more perhaps a harissa type?. My final long winded quibble is it's too pricey for me to make it a go to lunch option The mid east direction brings to mind Mamouns falafel & shawarma in Manhattan which I'm sure doesn't source as carefully but really delivers delicious food for about 1/2 the price. I'm really hoping this place makes it & hope my critique is constructive great mango Lassi!! thanks read more

Fava Restaurant - condiment sugestions - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

This cute little spot went in where The Juice Collective used to be in the Gourmet Ghetto. I went today for the first time to try it, and was lucky enough to get one of their lamb wraps. I am in the middle of eating it and had to stop to write this review because it is SO good. There's so many flavors and textures packed into the perfect sized wrap. I'm typically not even a huge fan of lamb but it sounded good enough to try and I am so glad that I did! Yes, the spot is small, and no, it is not cheap. But it is so worth the extra cost for quality, delicious, unique ingredients. I can't wait to go back! read more

Fava Restaurant - Lamb wrap - Salad Near Me - Berkeley, California

I absolutely love love this place. We come here with my daughter for a little special date every Wednesday and get a treat here. Soup, cookies, wraps. The food is scrumptious but what we love the most is how friendly everyone is to us. The atmosphere is lovely and we just have the best time here. My daughter asks for going there every week ( they always give her a little taste of the mango lassi or the tea or a little taste of something). What a gem of a place. We love coming here and I always secretly fantasize what it would be like to be part of this team what it would be like to work there. Thank you Fava! read more