Over my 4 years in school at Berkeley, I must have eaten here 15+ times. This is the breakfast spot I take my parents to, that my partner takes his parents to, and that we take each other to when we're craving a simple homestyle breakfast. You wont find anything fancy here, but you'll find simple, classic breakfasts made with quality ingredients and served up in huge portions. Compared to other breakfast joints in the area, the prices aren't bad either! I've tried a lot of stuff here: sweet, salty, benedicts, daily specials, and everything in between - but nothing beats a classic 2 eggs, sausage, and potatoes. I'll miss this great little spot. Yeah we had to wait a while before we got a table on some days, but they never failed to deliver when I craved a classic homemade breakfast :) read more

Favorite breakfast spot in Berkeley! Definitely can get crowded at times with long waits, but would recommend if you plan to visit at a less crowded time (1ish). Love all the food, especially the fresh OJ, homefries, and the chocolate chip pancakes! read more

Homemade Cafe - Chocolate chip pancakes and the California club sandwich in the back - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ate here first in 1981 after a rugby match in college. Great food and needed pancakes to soak up some beer. Thirty five years later, it remains one of the few Berkeley businesses I patronize. Good breakfast choices/ I eat mainly alone so the counter works for me. It's a diner, not McDonalds. You will wait, particularly if you order items and insist on substitutes and exceptions for being a s weed eater (vegetarian) or gluten fearful . It's a diner! Eggs, bacon, sausage, and shrimp! How can you expect businesses to cater to your dumb requirements. Go to the store and cook your own food at home Homemade Cafe is a great place. Sit down, read the newspaper (if your cell phone is in your face all the time remember how to read) and have some coffee. Here's a new thing- try conversation with others. Your omelet will arrive soon read more

Cozy neighborhood diner feelings with much-tastier-than-regular-diner fare. Place feels like it's been here forever. You might run into or make a friend here. read more

Yum!! Lots of seasonal options, cute decor and friendly staff. We got the root frittata, a veggie hash and a side of pumpkin pancakes cause this the season. All delicious! read more

Homemade Cafe - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is breakfast magic! They excel at savory morning treats, I'm particularly fond of the huevos rancheros and the corned beef hash but pancakes are great too. Go and enjoy it and quit complaining about the surcharge, tipping including is a way better system. read more

Wonderful spot. Great quality ingredients and expansive menu. Even if you've been coming for years they keep it interesting with their inventive rotating specials. Plan for a wait but if your in the mood for high quality but unpretentious food this is the spot. Ps This place kept me and my partner fed through tough times with their weekday before 9am morning specials. I don't know if they still do them but it was an amazing deal! We'd order the same thing every weekday morning and split it. read more

My favorite breakfast place since I first was introduced to it by my wife in the early nineties.nthe cinnamon swirl French toast and home fry heaven with pesto sauce is my go to. We need to support our small neighborhood eateries! read more

This is always my #1 or #2 spot for breakfast. The breakfast potatoes with the Heaven Hash upgrade is a stone cold winner. I love their muffins, coffee cakes, pies, and bread puddings. The lunch choices are also amazing. I was so happy when they re-opened. Great staff, great atmosphere, great location. Their outdoor seating is wonderful. If you like breakfast, eat at Homemade! What are you, crazy? read more

I believe it is only fair that I give them 5 stars. Their food is so tasty, so flavorful. Their omelettes may not be as big as my homemade 3 egg joints, delicious nonetheless. AND, they have grits as an option to homefries/potatoes. Spectacular! It is also of note that during these times they are extremely courteous, safe and professional. Great menu. Great service. I hope they continue to remain open. read more

Today (5/21/22) while returning to Sac'to from SF, we were starved and came upon this place after rejecting several others our cell phones led us to. Glad we did. Unpretentious on the outside, we found parking (a miracle) and a line waiting to get in. No wonder. The menu ranged from ethnic to southern to traditional to what the hell is that? My son got the two egg breakfast, over easy with runny yolks and home fries. Perfect. My granddaughter got the chocolate chip pancakes with bacon. Perfect. I went brunchy and got the Cali Club. Best one I've had in a long time. The turkey was real breast meat not deli cut. All had the home fries which were amazing. I was also intrigued by a menu item called "corrupted sauce". WTH? I asked. The waiter didn't know so he asked the owner who just happened to have invented it. A sample was provided and it was great!!!!! my son dipped his toast in it. And I added it to my sandwich thus, "corrupting" it. The staff AND customers were very friendly. And it was an extremely pleasant atmosphere. Left happy. Not the cheapest breakfast we've ever had but worth it even with the built in tip. I can only imagine what caused that. After all, this IS Berkeley we're talking about, folks. Alice S read more

Let me first say, unless you go to nations hamburgers you aren't getting a proper breakfast in Berkeley for under $15. I've tried many (MANY!) berkeley restaurants for breakfast foods and by far this place is head and shoulders above the rest in freshness and flavor. I like the corned beef and eggs. They mix cubed tatoes in the meat. Ohhh sooo good! read more

The Breakfast Burger and the Bread Pudding French Toast probably the best two entrées I tasted in my life. The bread pudding as a more softer but wet, melting texture. Meanwhile, the breakfast burger fills you with a big sweet sausage patty between two mini French roasts breads. This is one of the hole in the walls where you would have to be naive if you did not come here read more

This place is amazing. Had breakfast here and can't wait to have lunch & dinner. Guacamole, Pesto & sour-cream home fries are ridiculously good. Grits, sourdough toast, Bacon/Turkey omelette & freshly squeezed OJ...can't go wrong. read more

The Asian lady taking our orders was extremely rude and not accommodating in anyway. I ordered a breakfast burger, and the bread was so burnt I couldn't bite the sandwich! I had initially got my food to go but something told me to stay and check it. I think because of how rude the lady taking the order was. Good thing I stayed to eat. They would've just sent me off with burnt below average food ! I wouldn't recommend this place. But everyone's experience my be different! read more

Homemade Cafe - Breakfast burger - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is always packed, which made me pretty curious about it. We were going to head over to Venus today, but since I try some place new each week we decided to give this place a try. I was not impressed. My boyfriend had the Lox scramble which he said was okay. He didn't care for the potatoes, as they were pretty darn salty. The orange juice was good. I ordered the pancakes and a side of corned beef hash. Now I'm not one who likes to put syrup on my pancakes, I think most pancakes are well flavored and I don't need the sweet sticky stuff covering that up. I was delighted when I saw how thick my 3 $8 pancakes were. The pancakes were pretty flavorless, and I had to end up dousing them in syrup. I only ate about 1 pancake since the were grossly undercooked and sticky inside. Darn. So on to the corned beef hash. This is the kind of corned beef hash that's mainly potato with a smidgen of corned beef. Not quite what I was in the market for, but I ate it. It was good, and yeah, a little too salty. The service was terrible, and our waitress was rude. I felt like I was inconveniencing her by just being there. You're expected to refill your own water and coffee. So what does the waitress actually do then? Overall I was not impressed, and most likely will not be returning here for a meal. It's pretty expensive for the serving sizes and quality. read more

Waited for half an hour and no one took our order despite asking twice. The restaurant was full of flies, and the owner repeatedly yelled at his staff in the middle of the restaurant. read more

This spot had been on my "to do" list for a short while. Me and the boyfriend decided to treat ourselves. I wish I would have taken a picture of the bf's blueberry pancakes!! The best pancakes I've had in a long time. I had the the lox omelet with a bagel, cream cheese and home fries- no complaints about the food. The complaint I do have, after the waitress took our order WE NEVER SEEN HER AGAIN! I would have preferred to leave the tip for the guy that brought us our food! He did more for us than the waitress. We'll probably return.. But I'll be more tip conscience. read more

I do judge a breakfast place on their pancakes, and as one waitress accurately stated: "our pancakes will ruin other pancakes for you." I hope that, in your many quests for food, you will find other places that do the mightly pancake the justice it deserves, but if you get lost, led astray, heartbroken and disappointed, you can always come back to Homemade Cafe (I hope - it has been true for at least 30 years now). The food is top notch, and creative (specials are always fun and changing) but the setting is wholly non-pretentious. There are no irritating hipsters waiting the tables and lamenting the ennui of their 20s; no. The staff here is mature, and therefore legit (in my book). I like diners that manage to keep their staff for the long haul (like Bettes) and it encourages me that the business is a good one to work for if people are sticking around for years. I also find that the waitstaff is patient and enthusiastic, despite being constantly slammed with customers. I never feel rushed, I always feel accommodated, and I am proud to live in a city with a restaurant like this one. Bottom line: pancakes. read more

The food is pretty good, I had this Breakfast BABE sando which is like a BLT with an egg, and some basil/arugula in it. The homefries heavenly style (with salsa, sour cream, and guac or pesto) works pretty well too. But the wait is kind of insane. I put in our names at 10:50, we probably weren't seated until around 11:50, and our food didn't come till almost 12:40. That's a real long time. At around 12:35 I hailed our waitress asking if our food was coming soon (we all ordered the same breakfast sandwich, except for one person who got the mexican scramble) and she said she'd check but that "we weren't even the one's waiting the longest." Which is both an insane response and insane if it's true. I'm sort of at a loss to explain why this all took so long. Anyways, our group of 5 had gratuity added automatically (is that normal for a group of 5? the website is silent on the topic) so maybe they saw our dissatisfaction and didn't want to chance it? I don't like to give less than 3 stars unless the food is actually bad, but today was kind of ridiculous. I guess if you see there's no line check it out? Anyways, this seems consistent with a lot of the reviews they've got so I've got to imagine they're aware of it all. Oh, and to top it off, it's not particularly cheap or anything. My meal came out to $18.50. read more

Before a dazzling day of wine tasting up & down the Russian River Valley, the girlfriend & I met up with a couple friends for breakfast. Unbeknownst to us, our 1st choice of eatery is closed Sundays. There was no plan B. We ended up at the Homemade Cafe. It was pretty busy, but we scored the last open table. Situated on a corner with only street parking, the Homemade Cafe is small & a bit cramped inside. Service was friendly & fairly attentive. I ordered the Eggs Florentine with Home Fries & a coffee. It wasn't long until we all had our food. Breakfast here is of the good old fashioned, stick to your ribs variety. The Home fries were a hit & they didn't skimp on the portions. The coffee was pretty good too & if refills aren't coming fast enough, there's a self-serve station. The lowlight of the meal was the Eggs Florentine. While prepared nicely, there was 1 element that was seriously lacking. The Hollandaise sauce had next to no flavor. A nice little citrus tang would've been the perfect complement, but instead it was a creamy textured & almost tasteless sauce. It all got the job done, though. We were all fueled up & amped up for a full day of driving around scenic wine country + tasting & comparing wines from a bunch of Russian River Valley wineries. The Homemade Cafe was our last minute breakfast plan B & turned out to be A-OK in a pinch. read more

I love Homemade Cafe. Their entire standard menu is fantastic but their specials are also a delightful surprise. If you go after about 1:30 you won't have to deal with the brunch wait. Wheelchair accessibility notes: The entrance has a short, medium grade ramp to it. Tables are at normal height but are packed closely together. There's only street parking. read more

Homemade Cafe - Halloween decorations! - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you love bacon, and you haven't yet been to Homemade, you need to be slapped silly, because they have THE BEST bacon!!. I'm a fan of the pig, and I've eaten lots of it in my lifetime, but nothing compares. My mom has been known to go just to order 2 sides of bacon and a cup of tea (for reals). Besides bacon, I really love this place and have been a regular for going on 9 years. The staff is always friendly, even when overwhelmed by weekend crowds. It's that little local corner greasy spoon where everybody knows your name. Everything I've eaten there has been excellent - from the eggs Benjamin (think eggs Benedict, but instead of ham, there's smoked salmon and sauteed mushrooms) to the cheese blintzes. Their lattes are solid, and they do offer alcoholic brunchy beverages, including mimosas. OH, and don't let me forget to mention their potatoes - as a breakfast potato snob, these are some of the best - especially when you get them with a dollop of sour cream (which is always offered). The owner has also been mixing things up a bit and trying new specials, which is a nice alternative to the usual. If you go on weekends, especially closer to 11 am and beyond, just be prepared to wait. Depending on your party size, the wait isn't usually too painful, and if you're willing to sit at the counter, even faster. Make sure you put your name on the list if there's a wait. Homemade is also really accommodating to wheelchair users. It's a small cafe, and only a few tables really work for wheelchairs. But, staff will ask people to move to another table (if there's room) to accommodate you. Be sure to put down on the sign in sheet that you have a wheelchair in your party so the staff knows you're limited as to where they can seat you. Better yet, grab a staff person and just give them a heads up. Also, if you go on a weekday wanting to have eggs Benjamin or another specialty item, you'll be out of luck (unless it's a holiday). So, if you have your taste buds set on a particular item, check the menus on their website so that you know when you can have that particular dish. One last thing - the coffee (but not lattes) and water is self serve. Some people get irritated by that (not sure why, but it is what it is). Just be prepared for that, if you are a first timer. But, if you are a wheelchair user or have other mobility issues, the staff is more than happy to serve you. read more

I had a tuna sandwich on wheat with a side of home fries. It came with a pickle. Hubby had a pastrami melt. Pros: *Food is good. *I like sitting at the counter to watch my food being made. : ) *Friendly and efficient waitress *Clean bathroom Cons: *Portions on the small side *The unisex bathroom lock doesn't work and a man walked in while I was using it! * We waited 20 minutes OUTSIDE(mandatory) on a cold day while there were empty seats inside. *We waited another 20 minutes after being seated at the counter. Verdict-- I'm too lazy to wait 40 minutes for a sandwich and I can't use their bathroom. I don't plan on coming back soon. read more

Was looking for a good omelette for my husband. Googled it and came along this location. Coffee is great. Service was great. We loved it! read more

Homemade Cafe - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

good food, and i like the new outdoor dining area, but i used to like this place a lot more before they added an automatic 20% surcharge to every ticket! food is nice, and it happens to be convenient to me,.. but considering it already wasn't cheap or quick, this surcharge especially rubs my fur backward. i'll typically tip more than 20% when its warranted, but if they're going to just autogouge us, i just won't be frequenting here as often as i used to. read more

Everything here is good, but not amazing. It's classic diner fare. If you're in the neighborhood, it's a great option, but I'd probably be just as happy at many other places, if they were as close to home. Two pet peeves: - Their prices are about 150% higher than advertised on the menu on their website. Such a stupidly simple thing to fix, and makes me feel like I've been tricked when I check that out before going to a place, and then I see the real prices. Why advertise prices if they're so wrong? - The OJ is not fresh-squeezed, despite what it says on the menu. It's Odwalla or something like that. read more

I walk down to homemade on the weekends a lot. Always get fantastic service. The other day I had a bacon muffin... it was the best breakfast item I've ever eaten. It was savory and sweet moist and perfect. I can't recommend this place enough it a perfect neighborhood spot. If they happen to have a bacon muffin when your there, get two and thank me later. read more

A neighborhood staple with amazing breakfast/brunch. Don't expect the baroque hipster brunch; they make the classics: waffles, pancakes, omelettes, etc. Food is delicious, local, and seasonal. Service is quick and friendly. Corned beef hash used to be my go-to but now I'm into the bacon and guacamole omelette. Home fries are a must! My partner with the sweet tooth always gets the waffle with real maple syrup. Their bread pudding and coffee cake are pretty bomb, too. Weekdays are the times to come because there's always a wait on the weekends. read more

Sensible good food if your mother REALLY new how to cook and had the time. Just how many different forms of cow's milk did your mum use in her pancakes? Great pancakes read more

Homemade Cafe - Yumm...yum...fluffy ... really fluffy blue berry pc's w/butter and maple syrup. That's breakfast - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

My wife & I came here on a Sunday a couple of weeks ago. I won a gift card at a fundraiser, and the folks running the fundraising event raved about this place, so we wanted to cash it in. We arrived around 11:30 AM and noticed that all the outdoor tables were full, and there were a few people waiting idly. We walked in the door and were about to sign in, when one of the servers seated us at the only remaining empty 2-top. With the nice timing, we proceeded to go through the menu. The first thing I noticed about the menu was that all the egg dishes were served with 1 slice of wheat toast, "unless you prefer two." While I understand this is Berkeley and everyone here is conscious about wasting food, I thought this was a curious thing to point out. Nevertheless, I ordered the corned beef hash and eggs dish, with a side of bacon and a large glass of fresh squeezed orange juice, while my wife ordered the Eggs Benjamin dish (smoked salmon and sauteed mushrooms) with an iced tea. When our food came, my wife was impressed by the size of her dish. There were 2 good-sized portions of smoked salmon on top of the English muffins, along with a spicy, thick hollandaise sauce. She dove in right away and finished her place quickly (though she did give me one bite to try). Unfortunately, my dish was very disappointing. The portion of corned beef hash was very small, with mostly hash and not much beef. The onions and peppers that were mixed in seemed very bland, as if all the components were grilled separately. None of the flavors seemed to blend together, making my meal very boring. While the bacon, eggs and toast were good, I couldn't finish the hash. I did take it home with the intentions of eating them the next day, but I couldn't even do that. While this place is very popular (based on the many people waiting outside for a table after we left), I don't think I could come back here unless I was invited by a friend or given another gift card. I wanted to like this place, but there are way too many other brunch places to try before I'll come back here. read more

Dinner! Collin recently added dinner service to the Homemade Cafe. Six of us went and all were enthusiastic about the food. We had three different entrees: a vegetarian etouffe, gumbo, and brisket. The etouffe was especially well liked, the gumbo was excellent and I was head over heels about the melt-in-your-mouth brisket. We were all stuffed at the end and the prices were very reasonable. Of course, being the Homemade Cafe, the service was wonderful...delightful... read more

Good neighborhood diner. Good coffee and lots is options on menu. You can have sweet or savory or both for breakfast. Get there before 10 on Sunday's otherwise you'll be waiting for a table. Service is okay. Ordered the LEO - lox, Eggs, and onions which was good but not a lot. Plate was full of potatoes - home fries - which were okay. Barron's bagel was disappointing. read more

I was really excited to try out this place since I've been trying to come here since November but plans fell through every time. I was finally able to come here with my work cohort for a meeting over breakfast. We came on a weekend, so naturally, the place was completely packed. We were lucked to be seated at a table before the rest of the group arrived, but we were told that if the remainder of our group did not arrive within 15 minutes, we would have to vacate it. Fortunately, they came in and we were able to order our food. The service is questionable, but like I said, the place was packed with people. I ordered a Matzoh Juarez - bomb! I really enjoyed the salmon bits in my egg/onion/potato omelette. I've heard a lot about the homefry heaven, which initially caught my eye but had to decide against it because I thought it was too unhealthy. Our waitress kind of forgot to provide us with water refills, though. =/ read more

I have frequented this place for over twenty years. I have not gone here for about two years because of the pandemic. + Food still tastes good. Staff pleasant. - We did not like that they add a 20% service charge to all orders ( essentially a tip). They also tax this service charge ,which is ridiculous. They, not customer, decide tip amount. Friend and I agreed the portions are Much smaller nowadays than two years ago and They charge more for these smaller portions! read more

Possibly the worst and most uncomfortable meal I've ever had. I used to come here often about ten years ago. The service is truly terrible. Our food took forever and we only received it after it was given to the table behind us accidentally (luckily we were paying attention). The hollandaise is watery and lacking in general and the home fries taste like they spilled an entire bottle of italian seasoning on top-- most of all -- to the man that runs this place (or attempts to) literally yelling at the employees across the restaurant throughout our time there-- you suck. Watching you scream and berate people made everyone obviously uncomfortable. At one point he started yelling at this young girl, causing the entire restaurant to go silent (she later clarified that she was his daughter as if that makes it appropriate). So much for the 30k you raised to save your business- this is a sad excuse for a community establishment. I hope you guys close and that that rude asshole of a man goes to anger management and apologizes to the women in his life that he has no doubt at least verbally abused. read more

Yummy local diner style breakfast with political visionary art on the walls by Natasha Robinson. The lox plate is a no fail win time and time again. Funky people with a free spirited edge. read more

Homemade Cafe - Lox plate! Mm! Good! - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

They were open on New Year's day! Which is pretty cool, considering it's a holiday. But, I am afraid I compared their service, experience, and food to some of the other brunch options on Shattuck Ave. With respect to food, I thought their food variety was OK. They had some specials going but nothing that really stood out. I recall having one of their specials - which consisted of pancakes made with pieces of some organic apples. Not bad. With respect to service, well, I didn't realize coffee was self service after the first cup. After waiting a few minutes after being empty, I had asked for a refill and was graciously given one - but was also told that I could fill my cup anytime from the heated pots in the middle of the cafe. With respect to experience, we had a small table for 2 which is expected for the space constraints. Cafe ambiance is not bad; they had some "anatomy" artwork on display - I forget if from a local artist or not, but probably. Also, I didn't realize we had to pay for our check by going to the counter up front. Overall cost for organic apple pancakes, coffee, and some eggs benedict: $30. read more

Coffee (all u can drink) and water is self served which I particularly enjoyed. I got the b + g + j (bacon, guacamole, and jack cheese) omelette and it was quite literally heaven on a plate. Their beans on the side are phenomenal and the homefries are perfectly crispy. They have a variety of hot sauces at each table which was a great add to my omelette. Overall 10/10 experience. read more

I'm shocked by the two one-star reviews for this cafe. I'm a huge fan of breakfast, and searched the Bay Area or ages for decent pancakes, eggs, breakfast meats and other fare before finally finding Nirvana at Homemade Cafe. The eggs are fantastic. You can really taste it when the eggs are good, and don't have the rubbery taste of eggs that have been sitting at the grocery store for a while. I'm especially picky about scrambled eggs, and usually ask for them to be cooked very, very hard because I can't stand for them to be undercooked. The eggs here are perfect and don't need to be cooked within an inch of cardboard -- if you sit at the counter, you can see the being cooked top and bottom. You'll see what I mean. The pancakes are fluffy and substantial. They absorb butter and syrup they way good pancakes should, returning the flavors to you with each bite without that doughy taste you can get if the pancakes are made from a mix or not cooked well. The bacon I've had there is great, crispy and meaty. The home fries are good, but you have to take the extra step and have Home Fry Heaven. They come with salsa, sour cream and guacamole or pesto. I have never tried the pesto because I can't let go of the guacamole, but if the guac version is any indication, it's got to be good. It is true that the lines can be long on the weekends -- earlier is better than later since this is a local favorite. I use that time to decide what to order. You can also opt to share a table with others or take an outside table when it's nice outside. The wait staff are great and seem to tag team the tables. It's never been a problem for me to ask a different waitperson for something I wanted, and get it quickly. read more