If I could add negative 5 stars I would. When I heard the story of how the place was able to reopen because of a new partnership I was happy that the city was able to keep a staple. Unfortunately this Homemade Cafe isn't anything like the old and should close immediately and not waste the investors money. Today at 9:45 I visited for takeout and had the following happen. 1. Overheard Woman ask for milk for her tea and was denied it. 2. Was told I could not have toast because they were saving it for breakfast sandwiches. 3. Was given burnt home fries that were cold. 4. Was given dry cold biscuits 5. No utensil to eat although it was asked for. 6. No condiments If you want bad food, bad service and more bad food go for it. This is not what you have grown accustomed to and with so many options in the city of Berkeley I would highly suggest you go elsewhere and not waste your hard earned money. They couldn't pay me to walk in the doors again. read more

Went in with my girlfriend and got seated within a few minutes. Staff are super helpful, kind and friendly. The restaurant itself is clean, doesn't have any weird smelling odors. The food took about 25 minutes to come, we ended up waiting for a while. I ordered the corned beef breakfast and my girlfriend ordered the blueberry pancakes. We found that the food itself was not all that special especially considering that the price point was far reaching compared to the quality of the food. The eggs were cooked fine and how I asked for but lacked any type of seasoning. Same deal with the corned beef, lacked salt and pepper all the same. My girlfriend's pancakes were raw in the center. Overall I'd say that the staff were nice and friendly but we did not get what we paid for. read more

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Such a disappointing experience. My partner & I went to get some late breakfast & were treated like a burden. The food was decent, but the server was rude and inattentive to basic service. At the end, getting our bill, they forced a 20% "service fee" on the table . I am a healthy tipper when service is good, but being forced without it being clear that they are going to add a "service fee" seems unethical and unkind. I hope they can be more clear to future customers that they're forcing "service fee" on all tables. read more

Well, it was an improvement, albeit not perfection. It was edible, so the compost didn't get it. My sauerkraut wasn't strong enough, so I have to buy more. The compost got that. IIf/when I return to Homemade I will try their breakfast food so the point is moot. I wouldn't order the sandwich again. read more

Hey, if this is in your area and you aren't coming here that's just stupid. Come on, they are making sausage gravy that's more sausage than gravy, the breakfast potatoes are real crisp mountains of potatoes and the coffee is jet fuel. Refresh your cup any time at the station in the dining room. I sat at the communal table and had great conversation. I ordered the hash brown poutine - it was enough for a football team. Ok I exaggerate- but it was certainly enough for one football player. There are so many southern adjacent dishes on the menu, go once and I'll bet you go more than once. read more

Homemade 2.0 has a couple beta elements, but the essentials are strong: friendly service, great menu, fun people-watching (improved by the bigger windows), and THE BEST PANCAKES IN THE WORLD. Glad this Berkeley mainstay is back! read more

Homemade Cafe - Florentine Scramble in the foreground, full stack of pancakes in the back. - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Mid food at best, and then they charge a 20% auto-gratuity when all the servers did was take our order and give us our food which is insane. Didnt ask how the food was, didn't offer any drink refills, didnt come by to ask if we were ready for the bill. Why am I being forced to pay an extra 20%?? I have no problem tipping (generously even) when servers actually make an effort but this was piss-poor. Not coming back read more

No liquor license but still has a full cocktail menu. Out of latte syrup. Out of sausage for a breakfast sandwich. On a holiday weekend well before their 3pm closing time. They either don't know what the hell they're doing, or they're so careless they couldn't give two sh*ts. Basic stuff like updating menus, communicating with staff, or warning customers? Forget it. They're perfectly fine wasting your time and leaving you pissed off. We bailed before ordering because life's too short for this level of incompetence. Avoid like the plague. read more

The food was good but not great. The highlights were the fluffy pancakes, homemade jam, and hot sauce. I especially liked the spicy orange sauce. The service was very friendly but I was surprised they automatically charged a 20% gratuity when the water and coffee (refills) were self-serve and I was dining alone. I got two pancakes, 2 chicken apple sausages, one egg over easy, and a black coffee. Everything came out to $27 including tax and non-optional tip. The ambiance was nice with local art work and plenty of natural sunlight but the meal just felt too expensive for what it was. Other than the sauces nothing really stood out about the meal. That said, I think this place has potential. A fruit/vegetable garnish and an extra egg would have really elevated the meal and its value. read more

The worst service ever, the waiters are so rude we clearly mentioned what we wanted but a different the waiter had to come back to ask again and my pancake was undercooked and came with hair on and our spoon was dirty so nothing is clean here. Ambiance is terrible as well. Save your money and go somewhere else read more

Homemade Cafe - Undercooked pancakes - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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On Sunday morning, we ordered the BEC and The Combo. But despite them being on the menu, neither mimosas nor tomato juice were available. Okay. Please print new menus. read more

Simply put, it's hard to imagine sweeter, kinder service or better food. Our breakfast was delicious! I love, love, love the potatoes...love the thyme in there - it reminded me of Thanksgiving stuffing - it was wonderful. We were touched that they brought my sister a big piece of banana cake for her birthday as a surprise! We sat inside but I'm told they have a heated patio too. I'm also told that they've fed a lot of hungry people who have fallen on hard times over the years out of the goodness of their hearts. They were so kind. It's a great local place worthy of your support. read more

This spot is very close to my house, and I just want to create a record that while we had been fans of the "Everybody Eats" program, towards the end, every single meal we had here (more than 2 dozen) was made uncomfortable by the manager his yelling at and belittling his staff, in an increasing fashion until we could not stand it anymore. We had to stop eating there despite wanting to support a small struggling business because one day the yelling was so bad, my 5-year-old son began to cry at the table. He said "I feel so bad for everyone who works here". I cannot be complicit in the abuse of employees. So we stopped coming after years of loyalty. I read interviews where the owners blames customers for now showing up because they want "slicker" breakfast places. I just want anyone who is wondering to know, that is not what happened. Loyal patrons stopped coming because they didn't want to be complicit in the manager's verbal and emotional abuse of his employees. Mismanagement is why this place closed, not rising costs or disloyal patrons. It's ironic that a place that built its reputation on everyone's right to eat violated its own employees right to work with dignity and free from abuse. read more

The food was expensive for how bad it was. Generally, diner brunch is pretty hard to screw up, but they managed. Entrees were in the $20-30 range and our food was inedible. Mine was overly salted to the point that it was disgusting, and my husband's Benedict was also bad. The hollandaise sauce was splitting and old. We will not go back. They also forgot part of our order and charged us for it anyway. read more

First time here. The corn beef hash was outstanding. Burberry pancakes were amazing. Served with maple syrup. The bread is artisan, and the raspberry jam appears to be a homemade. Lots of love in this food read more

Sadly, this is NOT reboot of the old Homemade Cafe. My waffle was served cold, such that the whipped butter didn't melt at all. I returned it and since the service was glacial, I cancelled getting a replacement. There are plenty of breakfast cafes in this price range with better quality and service. We won't be coming back read more

I have been a long-time customer since the 1980s, and today, I had a horrific takeout experience. I should have known when I walked in, and the place was empty, albeit I could not get through when I called ahead. I ordered biscuits and gravy, sausage with eggs and home fries. My wife had a cinnamon roll pecan waffles, fried chicken, black eyed peas and collard greens and lemonade. Here is my experience: Ordering: An ordeal. You have to order online using their app. They charge 1.5% to package your food. I have never had to pay a packaging charge. Apple pay didn't work so I had to manually enter my number. They indicate you will receive a confirming receipt via email and if not to call a number in the app. I did not receive the email so I called. The number did not work so I called the restaurant. My call went to voicemail so I had to drive over and see if they got my order eventhough my bank indicated they got their money. the app indicates the food will be ready in 25-35 minutes. I live less than minutes away and I drove over about 15 minutes after I ordered. Food: EVERYTHING was cold. Biscuits and gravy: The biscuits were very big but they gave only a smattering of gravy. The home fries, which were some of my favorites there inedible, burned and raw on the inside. No chef should have put that mess on a plate. I had to reheat everything but I couldn't eat much. A swing and a miss here. Chicken and Waffle and cinnamon roll: Outrageously bad. I have never had a pecan waffle where they just throw some pecans on the waffle. The pecans are supposed to be in the batter. The waffle was very unremarkable. the cinnamon roll had lots of butter and sugar and a very tough texture. Another swing and a miss. Once warmed, the chicken and black eyed peas were actually good but I can do better. Lemonade. Good. Too bad they don't offer Arnold Palmers (Lemonade and Iced tea.) I called the restaurant to tell them about my experience. You get the feeling the chef does not have pride in their work and just wants your money. They apologized but told me there was nothing they could do but to give them another chance as they were going through growing pains. Outrageous. i agree with Claudia M's review. This is not a reboot. It seems like they are best at getting your money. they should stick to the fried chicken and greens. The gravy was good but you get very little. I asked whoever answered the phone to have the owner call me. Of course I didn't get a call. This business model isn't good. I doubt I will be back, not after spending $65.00 for mostly inedible "food." The irony of it all is that at the cash register, they ask for a yelp review. I give it to them, they have balls. read more

Great tasty food, super slow service. I think they need to fugure out how to turn tables a bit faster, and seat people in the right tables for their group size. It's frustrating to see a group of 3 take a big table and then our party of 6 stand in the sun for 30 minutes. Growing pains maybe? Super happy to see them reopen. read more

This saddens me... But this place was HORRIBLE!!! Food was painfully bad! Service was non existent!! We arrived at 2p seated outside with two other parties... Great start... Then NOTHING. Waitress disappeared with out a word for 45 minutes. End up grabbing one of the busboys who graciously takes our order. It is now 15 minutes before they're scheduled to close. Food comes quickly but very unappetizing and looks like a bit of mush. Does not taste better!! I had ordered a hash brown dish with sausage ,gravy, eggs and toast. Dish was painfully horrible. Other dish ordered was huevous ranchero... Unfortunately, this dish made my partner sick. Why was this sad to me.... Because 40yrs ago, 30yrs ago.... This Place was amazing. Simple food with great service. On top of horrible good with lacking service... We Then get a bill with 20% tip added! This was not ok... We barely saw the waitress and had no service. Even 10% would have been a stretch. HARD PASS... This Place is no longer edible... They even messed up the potatoes... Which used to be one of the main stars. $50 meal..2 breakfast, no drinks... Ridiculous! Disappointing read more

The food is great and plentiful. The service is good. The ambiance is totally different from the one in the 60s. It's not funky but it is easy relaxing area to eat in. read more

Glad they reopened. My wife and I had a great meal. Staff are nice, excellent coffee which you can refill yourself. The new menu is more expansive and innovative and it invites you to try something new. I had a perfect pecan waffle and my wife had the Good Luck Eggs, which are poached and served over a mix of beans and collard greens, fabulous. The biscuits were perfect and they had home made strawberry preserves which were outstanding. I have been going there for decades, was bummed when they closed and delighted they are back. It is a Berkeley institution. read more

No value for money at all. 14 bucks for a cold veggie sandwich and takeout box is not compostable. read more

Homemade Cafe - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

The quality of the food and service does not justify the price. I ordered the French toast and potatoes; the former was soggy and not particularly appetizing. Potatoes were ok but not much flavor. I waited around 25 minutes and was presented with the bill before the food even came out (strange... what if I wanted to order something else?) The couple sitting next to me was not thrilled either. Add on the 20% mandatory gratuity (I'm all for paying restaurant workers, but let's face it this was not exceptional service) and it left a sour taste in my mouth. I wouldn't revisit this place, not worth the cost. read more

The food was somewhat expensive for the quality served. The service was slow, and when I visited, there weren't many customers, yet the tables needed to be cleaned. Additionally, the hot sauces were not labeled, making it difficult to determine their heat levels. They also included a 20 percent gratuity, which I believe should have been optional, allowing me to choose my own tip amount. I will not be returning. read more

Food was ok. I had the fried chicken sandwich against my will. Our server was horrible. I had to clarify a few times with him about our order and he still got it wrong. They said they would fix it but at that point my partners order was already there and I didn't want her to eat alone. On top of everything they charge a 20% gratuity on all orders. Then they just shrug their shoulders with no solution. This place sucks. read more

Service was fine. The food not so much. It lacks flavor and salt. The gravy with sausage tasted off. I hope I don't get sick from it. I also found a brown hair in my gravy. I will not be back. read more

This place is more superb than ever, and it started at five stars. The food is wonderful: even something as simple as a salad is tasty enough to persuade small children to gobble their vegetables! Service is casual but precise, and relaxed/friendly. Ambience is optimized for comfort; art displayed on walls is imaginative and tasteful. Now, all I need is fifteen stars to do it justice! read more

A friend and I went there to dine two men of color. We sat down and the young waitress sat and waited on three other tables before coming back to us. The other tables that got there after us got their food before us. When I inquired and informed her I stopped there on my way to the airport and needed to go she then went to the kitchen and asked them to hurry my ticket. She was condescending when speaking to me saying that the other tables got their food first because they were waited on first without offering explanation as to why she waited on them first. We ended up walking out without even trying the food. I guess it's true what they say about dwb (dining while black) in Berkeley it doesn't work. read more

We're so happy that this neighborhood gem is back and it's better than ever. Delicious egg dishes, creative coffees and yummy baked goods. Service is terrific and efficient. Love this place! read more

Friendly service, great food, and a charming location! I had the chicken and waffles, which were fantastic.

Worst. Service. Ever. I stopped in yesterday with a friend for lunch. The place was less than half full. It took 15 minutes to take our order, even having to ask a couple times to do so. Waited 30 minutes for food that never arrived. Asked the waitress to check on our order, she said she would and promptly walked outside, never did check on our order. We got up and left. I've never done that before, but 45 minutes waiting for food? We went to Oceanview Diner on 4th street - in and out in 30 minutes. BTW - I'm pretty sure they do NOT post on their menu that they are charging 20% gratuity - which I think is illegal (if not rude) to not let customers know ahead of time. read more

Where do I even start. The experience here was ghastly. Service was HORRIBLE. Absolutely unsatisfactory and not to mention just straight up rude. When we came in we were not greeted which would have been okay if we were property treated once we were seated, but we were not. The waiter was very rude and short with us. Not to mention there was a rancid odor. When they brought over the utensils they literally SLAMMED it on the table. Couldn't believe my eyes. Then proceeds to place our waters directly onto the menus we were looking at. Then when it came time to take our order was our final straw. The waiter was just not friendly, acting as if we we were a nuisance or something. After placing our order we decided we could not eat the food given how horribly we were treated. We canceled our order and walked out and went to OLE's in alameda! Way better 100000/10 service food and everything. Don't go to homemade cafe because you will be disappointed and upset. read more

Went for brunch today. Weekday so plenty of seats. Nice outside sequestered seating and brought the dogs. Traffic noise is definitely present. Staff is extremely welcoming and friendly. Found out at end of meal tip is included automatically. Personally love this - means staff knows they're getting paid and we get excellent service. We tried waffles and chicken - delicious chicken and served with country gravy that's very good. Also had a couple of breakfast burritos. These were also good although I prefer a burrito that has been griddled a bit - tortilla was soft but not cooked beyond basic warming. Potatoes are ok - small cubes that are tricky to eat. Dogs loved the vibe - Chill and relaxed. Coffee is put on table so refills aren't an issue. Overall good brunch spot and we will be back. read more

I've been coming to this cafe since it opened back up and it is always a 10/10 experience. The food is phenomenal, I highly recommend the BABE sandwich, their pancakes, and the daily coffee cake is a must. The staff is also extremely helpful and friendly. Can't recommend checking out this spot enough!! read more

This place has changed drastically since I was a kid and it's not for the better. The exterior still looks the same - like a good ol' fashioned diner/cafe. The removed the sidewalk seating and opened "patio" which is nice, but if it's a sunny day and you sit in that section you won't get any sun lol. The main issue with the outside seating is the excessive amount of dogs in the same space. A service dog? Sure. A huge golden retriever that sits on the bench like a human? No thank you! The service was not great. The current staff feels like a mix teens/college students or people trying to get their life on track. Love that they are providing jobs for community members, but you can clearly see why the service is poor. There was a sweet waitress with curly dirty blonde. She was really good so we gave her an added tip because our server was all over the place. Additionally, my server mocked my grandfather repeatedly because my grandfather couldn't see the menu well so he confused the Fried Chicken Salad with the Grilled Chicken Salad. The server said "You can't tell the different between fried chicken and grilled? C'mon man that's like a no brainer" and repeated the statement multiple times. When we made him aware that my grandfather misread the menu, he still kept going! Never tried to explain or ask my family member for help. NOT cool. The food? forget about it. Any menu with 100+ items should tell you that they buy frozen and cook quickly lol. Overall, would I come back? No Would I recommend it to a friend? Not until they tighten the ship read more

Was beyond excited to relive the days of old and enjoy a short stack of blueberry pancakes, crispy bacon and home fries in the confines of the compact, yet cozy and familiar space. While I can appreciate a refresh, the new space is cold and unsettling. Especially the line to the register where customers were literally hovering over those dining, and the occasional bump to the back of your chair. Once you order, people were walking and standing in the small space watching you eat while waiting for a table. The condiments on the table were not clean, we had to ask for flatware, our drink order and refills. The food was as delicious as I remembered, but didn't make up for the discomfort of the new environment, service, harried vibe...and price point. I'm willing to pay for the experience, but not this experience. I want the OLD Homemade Cafe back, PLEASE!!! read more

This is where I go for breakfast before work. My go to is pancakes, bacon, and eggs. Quality varies from day to day, but the range is "good" to "the best I've ever had". Every time I come, I'm hoping that day will be a good egg day. The staff are friendly, but they can be overwhelmed if it's busy like normal humans would be. Likewise if the kitchen has 15 orders in process, you shouldn't be surprised if your food takes a bit. The middle of the week is a good time to visit if you want to avoid the crowds. read more

Not your typical cafe! A comfortable spot with a great local, Berkeley feel. The menu is full of so many treats and eclectic combinations, it's so hard to decide. Today, I loaded up with a whole wheat waffle and the two eggs breakfast. I got scrambled eggs, chicken apple sausage, grits, and whole wheat toast. I haven't had grits in YEARS, so this was a special treat. The waffle includes cinnamon and nutmeg for a distinct and unique flavor. Next time I get the chicken and waffles. Needless to say, I didn't leave a single crumb behind. I washed it down with a refreshing Arnold Palmer. Great stuff! read more

let me start by saying that the wait person was kind and accommodating so this review is not about the service but the food: never have had such bad breakfast. I got the basic breakfast with bacon and home fries. The potatoes were at the same time burnt and undercooked which is hard to accomplish. The wait person offered to bring me a new plate when I mentioned this to them but it was still as bad. The egg was ok, just not a lot of it and the bacon was dry. Overpriced and bad. Never going back. Get a new cook. read more

I used to go here often when I lived in the neighborhood. It was a friendly go-to spot with always good food, chatty folks working, and locals reading books or talking with each other. Came here today with a friend for breakfast and, while there was a gal at the front, she was too engrossed on her phone to really notice us. We asked for a table for two she motioned to a two-top along the window and tapped the menus (like get it yourself). The good: the food is still as good as I remember. The menu is large (larger than I remember). It isn't anything frilly or fancy but it's good food. Also, the waitress who helped us was friendly but hustling. The less than good: there are flies inside which is off putting and landing on to go food. A man with a red stipe in his hair pulled back in a ponytail kept yelling at the employees in front of customers. Going off into tirades about only 8 tables (1/2 with food) and 3 people working and no one helping put the supplies that just arrived away. Gal who was up front roaming around not being pleasant with anyone really but her coworkers. She said barely two words to the person picking up food (not even I'm bagging it up now, just a moment). When the chef put a to go order on the counter to be bagged up another gal went to close the lid and home fries that were in the lid fell on the counter which she promptly scooped up with her hands and put them back inside (yikes). I'm not made at charging a livable wage tip - this is CA. What as off putting about the bill was being charged $5.57 for a take out fee, which they list at 10% but the home fries I got to go were only $5.00 so my take out fee should have been $0.50. I'm hoping it was a bad day for red haired guy. It was awful to see and hear him treat his workers like that. read more

Homemade Cafe - Home fries to go. $5.00 (average price). With the takeout fee = $10.57! - American Near Me - Berkeley, California