I keep coming back here. Large protions, amazingly seasoned and steamed. lots of variety on each…read moreplate. you simply come and order a medium or a large plate. they give you what is being cooked that day. always delicious, varied and filling.

We came back today and all three of us felt the food was insanely salty to the point where we…read morecouldn't even finish the food. Even worse, both my husband and I found pieces of white plastic in our soup! I don't know if we can come back here anytime soon. We understand that there's a different chef on the weekends and maybe the weekend is the only time to eat here. Very disappointed and disgusted.

The excellent fresh food and the choice of a relaxing indoor and sunny outdoor patio…read more Looking for a new lunch space on a busy sunny Berkeley Saturday. My usual haunts would be busy I knew. Found UQBAR on Yelp. It was bustling but tables opened up outside after I ordered. I did have to wait for a minute or two until the tables were bussed & wiped clean. I ordered the half soup and half sandwich which cost about $15. A surprisingly reasonable price. The mushroom soup was thick and the best I've had in a while. The lamb sandwich was succulent and melted in my mouth. I also ordered their milkshake which is made with coconut milk and a berry which name I don't remember right now. The shake was a nice chilling treat on a sunny day after a week of overcast days. Of course, I enjoyed sunbathing over my leisurely lunch. The only glitch was somehow my order got misplaced. After a long wait, I brought it to the attention of Benjamin the owner and order taker. It turned out that my order somehow got lost on a bustling morning. But Benjamin made good by offering me a full sandwich. It was the best lamb sandwich I've had in Berkeley for a while. Benjamin is a very nice person and didn't try to disguise or excuse the glitch. As I told him, the lamb sandwich was well worth the wait, especially since I was hungry when I first ordered and much much more hungrier because of the wait! To be fair, even in Berkeley venues I've frequented for a long time, this does happen once in a while when things are busy. But from what I can see the staff of UQBAR are typically OTJ. I'll be back to my new fave Berkeley lunch spot. Oh, it was easy parking on a Saturday.

My favorite neighborhood spot for a quick, casual lunch. Their chicken sandwich is consistently…read morefantastic, and the hummus is honestly otherworldly. Everything feels fresh, unfussy, and thoughtfully made. Part of me wants to gatekeep this spot because it's THAT good, but they deserve the love.

Incredible chicken banh mi! I'm over here knowing I shouldn't eat the second half, but it's so good…read morethat I don't think I can save it for later. It's definitely expensive, but rent on Solano is high, and tariffs make it really hard on small business, so I understand. The portions are very generous. Also, the place has a clean, airy ambiance with great outdoor seating.

Asked for less ice for a 50/fifty, and got a good drink the first few times. But the last time I…read morewent it was watered down so when I asked it to be remade considering the cost, however they exclaimed it "was the way they always made it". They also forgot about our other order and we also had to exclaim for that one to be made They're service could be better

This place saved me from traffic, ha…read more I was looking for a cafe near my dog' vet to take a meeting, and after fighting a bit of traffic, I found this place. It has its own parking lot (which is great). It's really spacious, with plenty of seating and relatively quiet. I ordered the huevos scramble with a chai. The chai was amazing (probably the best I've had since moving the west coast), and the food was yummy and filling. (They give you a lot of food). Friendly staff, and a nice little garden seating in the back. I will keep this place in my mind for the future.

It was my second time first time was great but this time it was horrible, from taking our order we…read morearrived 2:30pm the restaurant closes at 3:00pm. She was rushing so badly took our order half way and started to make the latte! Even though we asked to get the latte with the pancake she said its better for her to make it right now and she did make it before we get the pancake. My burger came with the fries which was soggy and drenched in oil which looked like it had been sitting there forever! Asked if they can change the fries for me and the second time was even worse than the first time cause you could tell they refried the old fries again tasted burnt completely inedible! Very disappointing cause I actually really like the place and ambiance but the service was really bad this time.

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.

A perfect pit stop for a cyclist... Always friendly, efficient service! Love the dogs, too. Food is…read moregood (chips, all beef hotdog, breakfast burritos, etc). Will be back for sure!

Decided to drop by this place for the first time while my MIL shopped at the nearby costco. This…read morelocation is beautiful and dog friendly. I walked up to the window to pay cash, but they shut it as I approached and never came back to take my order. They have a card only self-service kiosk where I placed my order for an iced vanilla latte with oat milk. The drink itself was alright. Not enough vanilla for me to taste it. Looked at the bottom of the cup and confirmed that little vanilla bean remnants sat at the base. I saw plenty of other patrons, but I dont see any other appeal to this place other than they have a good amount of seating, a good view and dog friendly. Service needs work.

Right next to my house (and always busy) but only tried for the first time last Sunday!…read more We got the weekend specials and wanted to try out both savory & sweet styles so went with the crab cake benedict and chocolate toast. The portions were just right! Flavors were well-balanced. Interior seatings were much better than expected. Would definitely come back for dinner menu etc ^^ and coffee drinks

Delicious crunchy corned beef hash with eggs sunny side up, sour dough toast and with fresh fruit…read more Eggs done perfectly and love the crunch on the hash browns. They have a special trio of sauces on the side which made this dish extra special. Terrific service by a lovely helpful hostess . Someone came around and checked in on us and asked if everything was ok and took away our dishes. Lovely spot to sit and have a coffee and do work. It is very quiet.

Can I get something STARTED for you? For years at various…read morecoffee shops, I've enjoyed their fine product, usually the blueberry muffin. Today, I'm at their company store on Solano Avenue in the gastronomic epicenter of the lovely town of Albany, California enjoying a nice warmed up chocolate croissant, and a passionfruit Madeline. A nice clean facility, friendly staff, and calm environment. To say that this is the best chocolate croissant I've ever had might be stretching it, but I can't imagine better? The warm melting bittersweet chocolate is what makes it so tasty. Nothing worse than a chocolate croissant with cold hard chocolate in the center. First the chocolate croissant, and then for dessert the passionfruit Madeline. Snap, crackle, pop. What a way to START the day! Next time I'll grab one of these sandwiches for lunch. This is a real winner. Don't hesitate, bring a date. Note: They have a huge wholesale business and if I had a coffee shop, that's where I'd get my product.

Stopped by after brunch to get some pastries for the ride home…read more I've been to their other locations. This one is nice because it has plenty of street parking. The line was short and I could see that the selection was still good. I came for the kouign amann. They have some of the best, always crispy and buttery.