I stopped by the new Berkeley location earlier today for lunch. I like spacious and open layout of this new location. I also like how the was counter/bar seating and couple of TVs to watch while I'm enjoying my meal. Service was fast and friendly. I was seated right away after walking in. Staff was attentive and regularly checked with me that everything was going well. I had ordered the "Gilroy Garlic Mac & Cheese" with broccoli, shallots, and chorizo added to it. It was delicious and flavorful. It was also had just the right amount of spicy, thanks to the chorizo I added. I'll definitely come back to this location again sometime. read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Gilroy Garlic Mac - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I HIGHLY recommend this place to any vegan or lactose intolerant person craving a good Mac n cheese but other than that I can't say much for their food. I try to go to places a few times before writing a review, twice now their biscuit has been super dry, their regular "non vegan" macs cheddar taste like powdered cheese and they charge $1.19 for the smallest possible teaspoon of hot Cheetos crumbs lol I know what orders to stick too now, the service however has always stayed consistent over the years, attentive and kind. not sure who helped me at the front tonight but she was lovely ! Cute sit inside, never dined in at this location. read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Elote Mac - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

We were very pleasantly surprised with our meal here. Especially my hubs who is the anti-carb man. The menu isn't huge but what they do, they do well. Kogi beef brisket was excellent. Cheddary with a slow lingering heat behind it. The meat isn't spicy at all - it's definitely in the sauce. I went full comfort mode and had the chicken pot pie. Creamy, cheesy and loaded with veggies and chicken chunks. And there was no way we could finish it all. Made an excellent meal the next day. It was slow when we came in, all the servers were friendly and attentive. At least 3 pet checked in with us. It was clean, bright and pleasant inside. The only thing I'd change is to make the take out carton microwave friendly. read more

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Super welcoming staff, especially because it was my first time trying Homeroom! I always knew there was a location in Oakland, but the Berkeley one felt so homey. I loved the restaurant's decorations, seating and lighting set ups. I ordered the Elote bowl as an app and the Crab mac and Kogi Beef Short Rib mac as entreés. I definitely think the Crab mac tasted better with the sriracha sauce! Lovedddd the Kogi Beef short rib mac!!! The meat was so soft and savory, especially paired with the cheese. Definitely a spot to come check out, or order (bonus points after a late night out!). read more

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This space is GORGEOUS. For a fast casual restaurant, it feels like such an elevated, special space. Our Mac was pipping hot when it arrived and had the same tasty bites as the Oakland location. Drinks are fire. Bring back sangria slushy! HUGE portions. Top tier service with very friendly and attentive servers. I would 100% recommend for families and foodies alike. I went at 1pm on a Saturday expecting this place to be packed, shockingly it was pretty empty. Maybe lunch is the best time to visit. read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Short rib mac - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I've been hearing about this place for awhile now and since we were in the area, my family stopped by to give it a try. Cool little spot. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We started off outdoor but moved inside as it was pretty chilly. The server was pretty nice about moving us. The service was good, always refilled our waters. We ordered buffalo chicken Mac, crab Mac and plain Mac. All three were good but honestly we really could have just shared one. I'm not used to eating Mac as an entree by itself despite the buffalo chicken pieces in it. We needed some steak or some fried chicken to go with all that cheesiness. But it was fine, we ended up taking it to go and ate it up the following day with some home made chicken wings. We also, ended our dinner with some dessert and ordered the Fudge brownie sundae! Hella good! Would we go back? Definitely! read more

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#GoldenBirthday review, homeroom has the best consistent mac and cheese choices with huge portions, I never leave hungry. My favorite is the Gilroy Garlic, with no additions. The to-go service is what I use most frequently both in Oakland and Berkeley. The order ahead feature has hot mac and cheese ready when I arrive for pickup. I am happy to pay for premium M&C anytime. read more

Loooooooove this place we came from san mateo, i was CRAVING it! The vegan mac is AMAZINGGGG i added peas, sauteed mushrooms, and crispy onions DELISH! read more

I have tried the truffle Mac here before. I thought it was pretty good. But, my favorite is simply original Mac with bacon. Always hits the spot. This place is great for people who love or crave Mac & cheese. There are a variety of meals to choose from. The staff are friendly and are always happy to assist you in any questions you may have. The restaurant itself also has a bar and looks clean and nice looking. Portions of the Mac & cheese are big and cheesy! read more

Overall experience for their special grand opening was fantastic. The waiters were patient and took our orders accordingly and the drinks were the first to arrive a few seconds later. The strawberry limemade was a refreshing drink with light acidity from the lime and sweetness from the strawberry. The ambience wasn't all that bad, but it was considerably loud in comparison to most establishments, but that's to be expected considering it is a grand opening with everything on the house. People are enjoying their time there. The Truffle Mac was a winner for me. Wonderful truffle flavor that paired well with the cheesy pecorino and aromatic gouda. The nicely browned mushrooms add a tame earthy flavor. Chicken Pot Pie Mac was my healthy hero. The balance of sinful cheese and veggies add a nice balance to the meal and didn't make it feel like you'd gain a few pounds. I didn't get the chance to try the Vegan Mac, but my friend who ordered it said it was a tad bit salty, but otherwise delicious substitute since he is lactose intolerant. The Buffalo Chicken Mac didn't have much of a "kick" as it says, but otherwise tasted okay. Nothing all too special, but tasted like what you'd expect from a cheesy buffalo sauce. Kogi Short Rib Mac wasn't much of a winner, but it tasted different because it had a beef based flavor. Not sure what Kogi BBQ is, but it more or less reminded me of Carnitas. I would definitely come back here once in awhile to eat again probably as a sinful craving meal or as a celebratory occasion. I recommend this cheesy restaurant. Their vibrant and energetic staff made the place a lot more entertaining. read more

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We got to-go but the ambiance from a first glance was nice inside and would say totally photogenic which I love. I got the buffalo mac and a friend got the jalapeño mac. Both were immaculate to say the least and the service was great. It's a bit pricey considering we got to go but if you sit inside I would say it's worth it. Would come back to dine in to try more of what the menu has to over. Thank you for the great food and service read more

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Homeroom Berkeley is one of our go-to spots! It was so fun celebrating with them on their #GoldenBirthday There was a DJ which was a lot of fun. Our favorite part was the new Mac n cheese flight, so we could try a few different items. We really hope they keep it! Even though it was very busy, the waitstaff was friendly and attentive. Happy 14th birthday, Homeroom! read more

Homeroom Berkeley - BUFFALO CHICKEN MAC ELOTE MAC CACIO E PEPE MAC - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

Favorite memory is all the options they have for Mac. Truffled Mac is so good because I do love truffled things especially black or white truffle if not both. #GoldenBirthday read more

The food is always delicious, and the staff is so kind! Last time I went, I was feeling a little sick at the time, and the waitress offered me lemon tea and treated me like I was family. Always a great experience! #GoldenBirthday read more

talk about the best mac and cheese in the world. whatever you want, you can get! the best add ons! plus amazing appetizers. you're a fool if you pass this place up! read more

Le'lani and staff have always been helpful to our family and friends when we order, the food is very tasty, I love the Jalapeño biscuits, especially with the tomato soup, our kids and grandchild love all the variety of Mac and cheese, our granddaughter especially loves the play area, we'll be back again soon read more

Love this place recently opened the original one is in Oakland but I think the seating here is better. The food is amazing they brought more flavors to try I usually go for the bacon Mac n cheese but they also have a buffalo chicken Mac and chicken pot pie Mac. Service is always nice and they seat you right away. Seriously underrated spot. It's in between other restaurants so it can be missed, but it's a must try. Date night, girls trip, family time all is great here. read more

Absolutely delicious food and wonderful service! I was taken aback by how good my meal was. My server Jane went above and beyond to make sure my table was happy. read more

Me and my family had dinner at homeroom and were served by Karla, let me tell you. She is an amazing person, she treated us with respect, she was knowledgeable and super kind, she gave us a cookie at the end of our meal. Will definitely be back to homeroom to see her again. Karla thank you so much for making us feel welcomed and important! read more

Homeroom Berkeley - This drink 10/10 - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This branch is frankly much better than the Oakland one. Leilani always goes above and beyond for accommodating us. Her service is amazing! The food is good and the ambiance is also good read more

I love Homeroom! There is plenty of seating inside, so it's unlikely you'll have to wait to be seated. The ambiance is quite unique and welcoming -- there is an indoor bar and games for you to enjoy as you wait and socialize. Service is very friendly -- they check in often to make sure you have everything you need. Food was made relatively fast and I didn't have to wait too long after ordering. I got the Mexican Chorizo and it exceeded expectations. It tasted exactly like a taco -- the menu description for this dish was very accurate. The pico de gallo and limes added a fresh element to an otherwise heavy / savory dish. Maybe it was bit too heavy? I would come back again if in the area! read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Mexican Chorizo - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

I felt conflicted enough about my experiences dining here that it inspired me to write my first review... Of any restaurant. Ever. First let me say, I enjoy the food. It's mac and cheese, the ultimate comfort food. It's really difficult to make a bowl of Mac that disappoints. I've stopped by Homeroom four times during my trips to the area, and enjoyed the various dishes I've had here. Despite my four visits, however, I've only eaten here three times since I've had to put in extra work to receive service. The quality of service I've received here is a real toss of the dice. It's been fine for some of my visits so far, but very poor for the other half. And when the service is poor here, it's so abysmal that it's actually offensive, moreso than any restaurant I've dined at before. It's one thing if it's a busy restaurant, but I have been flat out ignored during times when there is only one table seated, including my most recent visit on 7/1/24, in which I cut my losses and walked out hungry after never receiving any attention. It's not an isolated incident. During my very first visit here sometime in 2023, I couldn't have been more excited. I received homeroom's cookbook as a Christmas gift many years ago and have been cooking those recipes since. I was so thrilled to finally realize how close the restaurant was to my friend's house after moving to California myself. I waited at the podium up front for nearly 10 minutes without any response. It's 3 pm and there's one or two other tables seated, and one other person at the bar. Since it's my first time and nobody has come to seat me, I figured the protocol may have been to seat myself. I go to sit at the bar and eventually somebody does bring me a menu and I order the kogi short rib Mac. While I'm dining, the staff disappeared. I couldn't get a refill. There was nobody to flag down. I had been finished with my food for nearly 20 minutes, until I saw another staff member and flagged them down so I could pay (I'm not going to dine & dash, no matter how long it takes to pay. mama raised me better than that.) On subsequent visits, I made sure to take notice of how the seating protocol *actually* works. It didn't seem like a place where I was supposed to seat myself, and a line of people at the podium that a host was attending to confirmed that suspicion. To set the scene, there is a podium near the entrance where I recall seeing a 'please wait to be seated' sign once, though it is elusive and has failed to make an appearance on my recent visit. There is also a separate counter for to-go orders. So it would seem. Nothing is clearly labeled when you walk in. I like to dine in, so I assume the podium is where I need to wait to be seated. After all, during one of my last visits that's where people were lined up and getting seated. It makes sense! But during my last visit, the one that inspired this review, I again waited for 10 minutes at the podium to be seated. No 'please wait to be seated' sign present this time, but now that I've learned this is a restaurant where you *are* brought to your seat, I waited. Again, there was only one table seated and one staff member present. Again, I was the only other person in the restaurant. It was 8pm or so. I can empathize with an understaffed restaurant, so I don't mind waiting patiently for a nice bowl of noodles, but I have my limits. It was after a surprise surge of people began flooding the to-go line and were being seated that I decided not to wait any longer. I guess the rules had changed again - I was supposed to stand in the *to-go line* to be seated indoors, of course! I could have stood in the to-go line to be seated like everyone else at that point, but there were now 9 people ahead of me and still only one person on staff. They were being seated, but not *quickly*. Who knows how much longer I'd have to wait to be seated, and how much longer still to be fed? All that to say - it feels pretty bad to be literally the only one standing inside the restaurant and be completely ignored. The fact that it's happened to me on more than one occasion over the course of a year, as well as similar complaints about service in other reviews here, seems to demonstrate that there is something flawed with the way this establishment operates. My advice - buy their cookbook instead! The recipes taste better at home, and you'll have yourself a nice hot bowl of delicious noodles in less time than it would take for a host to even glance in your direction here. read more

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TL/DR, If there was a sixth star they would have earned it today. After a Memorial Day event for veterans at a local Palestinian-owned business, 7 Stars, some of the troops and I got the munchies and grabbed lunch at Homeroom. I'm so glad that we did. One of our warriors is differently-abled so we were initially disappointed when the sidewalk elevator didn't work. The General Manager, Melissa, was profusely apologetic and allowed us to set up a table right there on the sidewalk! She served our table herself and the food was fantastic. Order the crab Mac and cheese and thank me later. We had a decent sized party and for some reason an extra burger and fries came out. Instead of taking it back to the kitchen she winked when acknowledging the "mistake" and left it at our table. A couple of our elder folks shared it and chowed it down. But wait, there's more. As if our expectations weren't already blown away, two of our Comrades asked if they could get banana with the brownie sundae. Not only did Melissa accommodate this request without bumping up the price for the bananas, but she comped both desserts and all of our beverages too! To show our gratitude I bussed the table myself. I casually mentioned that our table was exclusively veterans and how Melissa made it a memorable Memorial Day for us. We all come from humble origins and some of us have had really challenging lives. I can honestly say that the staff made us feel like absolute royalty while breaking bread together. Much love and massive respect to the whole squad at Homeroom Berkeley. Especially Melissa, the homie with the checkered vans, the swagged-out plaid trousers, with a pearl necklace, and the back of the house manager with the wicked mullet and handlebar mustache that came out from the kitchen to warmly greet our table. The next time we have an event in the area you can expect to see us again! Maybe Homeroom and the other tenants could collectively withhold some of the rent in solidarity to incentivize the landlord to fix the elevator. ; ) read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Brownie Sundae w/ - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

I used to love going into Homeroom with my boyfriend for comfort food. Never again. The person who took our order, Grace, did not even acknowledge us when we first came in, even after we said hello. We wanted to hear about the special game nights they have, but she looked at us with a rude stare, then she looked away and told told us she doesn't know what we are talking about. However, we noticed her telling other diners about the game nights, so clearly she didn't want us to come back. read more

Homeroom absolutely slays. Love the staff, love the food. Always very good to our group of people.

Bomb mac and cheese spot, it was couple night so we got the buffalo chicken and we got the rib koji bbq mac and cheese, i gave a 10/10 for the buffalo chicken and 7/10 for koji. We also got the elote it was good 6/10 corn could be cooked a little longer. We also got hot cheetos on the side !. I want to go back and try the rest of them it was bomb. Service was amazing we had a lovely waitress & the dining area was huge great for large parties! read more

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It took 45minutes and 25 seconds for my garlic Mac and cheese to come out. Absolutely ridiculous and this was not just for me, all tables around me had a minimum waiting time of 35minutes. The restaurant was a little over half full and people came in at staggered times so no clear reason why this was the case. It took 5 minutes until I had to ask for the menu for my table. read more

If you are in the mood for Mac and cheese, this is where it's at! First timer here, the hubby and I ordered the crab Mac, they went heavy on the crab which we loved! The crunchy crumbles on the top made it savory for each bite! Super friendly and welcoming soon as we entered in, it was kid friendly with a sheik spin to it. Good vibes. read more

If you are like me you love Mac n Cheese, but are always disappointed with it in restaurants...not so here! They do not skimp on the good ingredients and you will almost always be leaving with leftovers to enjoy at home. The staff is great and the ambiance welcoming. Great for families or a date. read more

Ordered on DoorDash and the Chicken Pot Pie Mac n Cheese and Giant Oreo were amazing, highly recommend! read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Chicken Pot Pie Mac - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

Absolutely Spectacular! Much better than the Oakland location Leilani and Darian are superstar servers!

Phenomenal service and warm, family atmosphere! We love Gilly Homeroom the most! Garlic green beans are the jam.

My daughter is probably made of mac and cheese, that's how much she eats it. Probably every other day. Homeroom's version is her favorite restaurant version and they get it right, good cheese consistency, bone warming sit in the bottom of your stomach comfort food. She likes the elementary mac. I do recommend adding peas to whatever adult mac you get for more color and texture. IThe berkeley location is very convenient for us, and appreciate the brownie I got when my order was 15 min late after promised time. (Although I won't get the brownie next time, it was kinda dry.) read more

GOUDA MACS: Yummy yummy crab Mac! Pot pie Mac gooood. Short rib Mac great. SHARP CHEDDAR MACS: High hopes for Jalapeño popper Mac (request gluten free pasta, no breadcrumbs) Was watery, maybe forgot the cream cheese? Also, if you have someone gluten free at your table make sure you tell the waiter to have the cooks bake their Mac too, even though there is no bread crumbs. Everyone likes a browned top Going back. read more

OMG, a great addition to West Berkeley! The Elote Mac (with chicken added), was the cozy, comfort food lunch experience I was looking for. I recommend this new Homeroom location! read more

Homeroom Berkeley - Elote Mac! - Comfort Food Near Me - Berkeley, California

Tried homeroom yesterday and I can't even begin to share how much better it is at the oakland location. Oakland is 5/5. Skip the Berkeley location and dont waste your money. The mac and cheese was watery, and the beer tasted like the lines needed to be cleaned. The worst part was the service. It was like there was no manager there, just a bunch of kids with little or no training. They are nice, but completely ignored me for a long time. Then when they got the order wrong, the guy behind the counter simply said "ok", took the wrong dish, and walked away. No "my bad". Also, the music coming from the kitchen was better than the music coming from the restaurant speakers, but having 2 different streams playing at the same time was kinda chaotic. Hope they can get these issues fixed, because I really want to have a homeroom in berkeley that the family enjoys going to. read more

Quick and easy for a pick up order or even a nice place to just sit down with the family and enjoy some really good Mac & cheese!

Great experience and yummy Mac (all different types). They also did something for me birthday.

We DoorDashed from this place and it was delicious! We ordered the crab Mac and cheese, Brussel sprouts, and the Oreo cookie. The Mac and cheese had good flavor and a nice texture. The Brussel sprouts were soft and not bitter and for being someone who hates balsamic, the maple balsamic glaze wasn't overbearing. I will definitely be trying their other macs! read more

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Cute place and the food was yummy! The servers Darian and Isiah quick and friendly & the manager Leilani was very nice and helpful. Thank you for the brownie and good luck with business :) read more