I discover El Cerrito has a Mr. Pickle's. The whole time I been going to Martinez but now I know El…read moreCerrito has one. The only problem I have is finding parking and a restroom but I am not going to ding them. The sandwich is wonderful. I enjoy that I get a cookie with a sandwich. Mr. Pickle's can be pricey but it is worth having. The service at Mr. Pickle's is wonderful. I love how when I pick up my online order I was ask if my order is good. I just like how I was taken good care of. I will definitely come back to Mr. Pickle's

We have been to this location a few times (more than 3, less than ~9) and the experiences have been…read moreenough that the draw is wanting specifically something they make there, weighted heavily by the lack of sister stores nearby (think *$ - don't like this location? there's another one right down the street.....almost). We've come for sandwiches and salads. Twice including the most recent visit, we got dismissive attitudes. The last visit admittedly was 30 min before they closed. Because of that, we called ahead to request the desired salad. When we arrived, nothing had been done. OK maybe you don't want to start, just in case of a no show. But when we show 12 minutes before you close and you realize yes you DO have to make the salad, miss me with the attitude. The other dismissive experience was well early in the day. The third experience was for a sandwich and the staff seemed more interested in slacking, moving slowly, and entertaining each other. Not a good look Mr. Pickles. Hopefully someone reads this and sees the needs for a lil chat with staff about approachability and customer service. I understand how horrible and demanding customers can be, and that can make for a miserable day. But the flip side of that is each person walking in the door at least deserves a fair shot at being a good customer experience. All that said, the salads are pretty good and sandwiches notably better than the competition who's name sounds like an underground train - just in case you are the type that couldn't care less how the person behind the counter is acting.

Still my favorite go to banh mi spot, friendly workers, great prices. My favorite order is the #8…read morebanh mi with a viet iced coffee They also sell trays of other kinds of foods depending on the time of day (egg rolls, spring rolls, banh cuon, etc). This is only a takeaway spot and there's parking

Came here a second time because our go to spot, Banh Mi Ba Le, had limited hours and was closed…read more While the name is similar, I don't think they're actually related, and the difference in quality is pretty noticeable once you bite in. The construction of the sandwich is where things fall short for me. The bread to meat ratio is just off, and the flavors don't quite hit the way a good banh mi should. There's a balance you expect with a well made banh mi and this one doesn't really land there. I get that sometimes you just need a backup option when your favorite spot isn't available, and for that purpose it fills a gap. But if Ba Le is open, there's really no reason to settle here when the real thing is right around the corner.

3of us arrived at 8:45pm. Dolly graciously invited us in and we ordered 2 Caesar salad es 2…read morespaghetti & meatballs & one shrimp & crab ravioli, soft drinks and a mascarpone. The food, hospitality, ambiance and service was excellent. There were 3 other jovial couples that ended up staying past closing with us. We ended up closing at 10!! Our only regret was that the place can only accommodate tables for 2 and seats at the bar. Dolly is a do

Made a recent visit here as I was looking to try cheese wheel pasta and I must say they did not…read moredisappoint. Inside is small, but fortunately we were able to be seated at the bar right away. The gentleman at the bar (Dolly's husband) couldn't have been a more gracious host. He immediately gave us menus and allowed us to sample the various wines before making our selection. We struck up conversation with him since it wasn't too busy and he told us how him and his wife met and got together, honestly a great story. As for the food itself, it was all amazing. We ordered a variety of things including the meatball and cheese wheel pasta and it was all very good. Dolly herself came out, who was also very friendly, and we were able to speak with her and meet their beautiful daughter. It was a great experience and I would definitely comeback and recommend to others.

Been coming here for years and have always been 100% satisfied. Recently learned I can order tuna…read moresalad or their other varieties a la carte. Game changer for when I'm needing to keep carbs low. The owners are beautiful, endearing people.

Bread was extremely stale, dry, and small. Paying that much for a sandwich and it only has one…read morepiece of cheese ripped in half (how small the bread was, half a piece fit across...) sandwich wasn't double wrapped like they usually are, and was just lightly wrapped once and dripped EVERYWHERE. Also wasn't cut in half all the way, glad I was home and had a knife. On the go, this wouldn't have worked. Ordered a basic kids sandwich- just turkey on sliced bread for $6! Insanity. Really used to love this place, not sure what's happening.

Antojitos Guatemaltecos was exactly what I needed after a hike at Tilden!…read more While I'm familiar with food from El Salvador, Nicaragua, and Mexico, I have never had Guatemalan food so was excited to try. There were so many items on the menu I wanted to try but ultimately my husband and I choose Churrasco Chapin, Garnachas, and Chuchitos. The churrasco platter included flank steak, shrimp, and sausages with a variety of sides. The garnachas were probably my favorite and the chuchitos had a good filling of chicken and topped with a delicious sauce. The staff were so nice as well, I will definitely be back to try more!

A hidden, cozy gem. I've never tried Guatemalan food, but I'm so glad I did! The food was so…read morefilling and delicious. Staff was friendly to provide recommendations since it was my first time. I will be back to try more! PS: The churros are a must try -- not optional!! So good

Stopped in the grab some grub before some brewery stops. The babe and I were feeling like a…read morepastrami sandwich and he found this spot that also had lasagna. Why not! Small hole in the wall place. Has 2 stools inside for seating. Menu was upside down when we went in but the lady fixed it. Both meals were awesome. Sandwich was the perfect size to split, bread nice a toasty and coleslaw on the side. Lasagna was a good size portion and came with salad and garlic bread. It was a delicious lunch! Glad we stopped in.

Very loaded menu with a lot of options! We got a hot pastrami and the lasngna to share. We were…read morestarving from the night before and drinking too many beers so this lunch really hit the spot. We didn't finish either item and wee travelling so it was a shame we had to throw some of it out. It would made for great leftovers today. Anyway, the owner(and his wife?) were nice. Rhe place is small and wouldn't draw you in from the location or signage out front but it worth a stop. I find it on Yelp and it didn't disappoint, so I thought I wpuld add my two cents as well.

I live in the neighborhood, and this place is an absolute gem. They offer great coffee, tea,…read morebagels, and delicious sandwiches. The people who work here are incredibly kind and welcoming. There's plenty of parking, plus comfortable indoor and outdoor seating. I'm so happy to have such a wonderful spot right in the neighborhood!

nice place if you happen to be in the area, nice people and bites, decent coffee…read more [nothing else special; but enough to make the review long enough]

Great food , amazing coffee , Great place , great service and great ambiance .. loved this place…read moreand I recommend

Perfect brunch place for a group, many menu options and seats! My party got a caramel macchiato,…read morehot chocolate, green tea and a chai latte, all turned out great. Everyone loved what they got, croissant sandwich, egg/avocado toast, bagel sandwich (pictured). So nice to see they have gluten-free toast available! Service was quick especially for the amount we ordered. Everyone was nice, especially the worker that hand scooped our Booza icecream at the end. Didn't even get a picture because we were too excited to try it!

As much as I love Ike's, I've significantly reduced how much I go there because the prices are…read moregetting out of control. I know it's not their fault, as minimum wage grows way out of hand, and they have to pay their employees the same no matter how many or how few customers come through the door. I am OK with a living wage, but there should be a separate "living with your parents" wage that is not as excessively high. Teens whose needs are met by their parents don't need to make $20 an hour making sandwiches. This is what befalls all restaurants, and I don't know how any of them survive. Also, I can't prove it, but I think their sandwiches are getting smaller. This is where they lose a star.

My husband and his bestie remember a time when they visited Ike's first location in the Castro,…read morenever thinking it would grow to the empire it is today. With a franchise location now in El Cerrito (yay!), I can't help but love the fun and quirky sandwich titles like the Jaymee Sirewich and Going Home for Thanksgiving, also all the nodes to Bay Area sports like the Beast Mode and Madison Bumgarner. From the famous Dutch Crunch sandwich rolls to the dirty sauce that's added to every sandwich (secret recipe), to the Caramel Apple Lollipop (very nostalgic to grade school), and Zapp's potato chips with a node to Nola, it's always a good time with Ike's. I recently tried the Mozzarella's Big Cheese: Halal Chicken, Honey Mustard, Real Honey, Provolone (and added avo) on Dutch Crunch. Delicious! You can order your sandwiches also in a bowl, with gluten free bread, or can ask for the innards of the roll to be removed for those that still want some bread but not so carby. To note, you can also request Vegan dirty sauce. They have a pretty cool array of vegan and veggie sandwich options, really catering to all sandwich lovers and folks that don't mind stepping outside the box, getting their hands a little messy, and enjoying an overall exciting experience from the norm. I'm all for it. With this location you can order ahead on the website for pickup, which seems to be the move to beat the school/kiddo rush during peak hours.

Looking for another spot to grab coffee in the El Cerrito/Kensington area? Did you know Benchmark…read morehas a grab & go secondary spot essentially across the street from their restaurant and next to Semifreddi's Bakery in the Colusa Circle, Kensington? Now ya do! On a recent Farmers Market morning I noticed they had a blueberry matcha and I couldn't stop thinking about it. I've been on the hunt for fun summer flavors, and blueberry is a new one for me. I finally had a moment to stop back in and noticed the "Summerween" menu. How fun and unique! Service was great, and I ended up trying both the blueberry matcha and the butter brew latte. Both so different, but honestly so delicious. Thoughtful detail for each, and snaps to the cold foam(s)! Benchmark Portavia also has to-go brekky sandwiches and pizza of the day slices, meatballs, salads, dressings, sweet treats, and frozen cookie dough, full pizzas, and more. They are also a small market with a few shelves of jarred and packaged goods. This spot is perfect for grabbing something to-go for just you, creating the ambiance for a yummy cozy night in/date night, or grabbing a gift for someone for a housewarming. To note, those cookie dough balls are divine!

The sandwiches are all tough bread and no filling. Similar to a French sandwich, but for the price…read moreyou should get a lot more.