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

Tried out the Banh Mi Ba Le in El Cerrito because it was time for lunch and we were too far from…read moreour regular spot on International Boulevard to make it there before their mid-afternoon closing time. I had high hopes given the name and the largely positive Yelp reviews. I'd liken my assessment of this shop to that of a teacher who instructs students from the same family in different classes: Even though objectively you know that each person (or sandwich) should stand on their own merits or lack thereof, it is hard not to compare, especially if a prior experience was so stellar that it set a standard for the brand. This Banh Mi Ba Le is located in a small, humble strip mall occupied by an array of mom-and-pop shops, including a nail salon, electronics repair store and various ethnic restaurants. There are parking spaces in front of the stores, as well as along San Pablo Avenue. The shop is a small, no-frills spot offering an array of takeaway pre-packaged Vietnamese food, cold drinks and made-to-order sandwiches. Upon entering, an older man with a proprietary air was the only visible staff person. I asked if this spot is related to the one on International; he said that that one is run by his niece. Food and beverages in front of the counter are self-service. I ordered my go-to sammie on International, the BBQ chicken (coincidentally the number nine, both here and on International). The pricing for that sandwich is comparable: $6.50 in El Cerrito, $6.30 in Oakland. The El Cerrito version was solid, but not as good as the one from the hood. Even though I was quite hungry, I was not that interested in the second half of the banh mi. The bread lacked the crispness of the one on International and the chicken, though flavorful, was more chopped up and, well, mushy, like chunk canned chicken. I like a little kick, but had to remove the jalapenos slices after a few bites because they were too powerful. As for the service, when we arrived in the early afternoon on a Saturday, we were the only customers. Almost immediately after we entered, the man behind the counter made eye contact, ready to take our order, eager to serve. Within minutes, we left with a bag of carefully wrapped and bagged sandwiches. Overall, it was a fine experience, but, since the sandwiches were mediocre, I'd not go out of my way for another visit.

They are so kind and wonderful here! I hosted my birthday party at Dolly's and am so glad that I…read moredid. It is a really cozy spot and Dolly and her partner took great care of us. I've also visited a few times for a date night or a drink with friends. Foodwise, I'm a fan of the salad with shrimp and the meatballs. For my birthday party we ordered a cheeseboard and a platter of desserts for the group to share and all were delicious.

I have always looked forward to Parmesan cheese wheel pasta only in SoCal, so I was super excited…read moreand proud to meet this resto, which is in the East Bay, at the Gold Yelp event on Treasure Island recently! I finally found an opportunity to go in person this week. I find the resto very accessible and casual, which is great for a quick bite. Conveniently located on the main street of San Pablo not far from the freeway, and has its own parking lot. You sit at a small counter while you watch them prepare the cheese wheel pasta right in front of you. Servings are generous, and the wine list is vast! Because I love the dish, and it's now to easy to get, I will be back!

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.

I really want to give a higher rating but the cheese on my sandwich was hard/ had clearly been out…read moreawhile. (This was around 1pm so no excuse and you could tell by looking at it so they should've gotten me a fresh piece). Also I felt ignored for awhile, even though they greeted the person behind me (a regular) but didn't acknowledge me for awhile.

WOW. I can't believe I never tried this place earlier. Our party of three got the sweet corn…read moretamale, pache tamale, chuchitos, garnachas, and chile relleno plato. It was more than enough food but we just couldn't stop eating because of how delicious it was! The sweet corn tamale was like a dessert, but paired with the tang and salt of the sour cream and cotija cheese it became a refreshing sweet and salty bite. It was a traditional corn dough and the texture was insanely soft, unlike most of the dry tamales I have had before. The pache tamale was truly the star. I had no idea what I was ordering, but I'm so glad that I managed to get this item in my order. The masa is made with potatoes instead of corn which gives it a smooth and melt in your mouth texture and a savory, addictive flavor. The pork inside is juicy and tender. Each bite is complete with the tangy pickled onions. The chuchitos were like the traditional Mexican tamales I am used to, with corn masa and stuffed with flavor and juicy chicken. The tamales are doused in a delectable red sauce and topped with cotija, sour cream, and more pickled onions. They were delightful. The garnachas were definitely the other star of this order. I had never had tostadas like them before, with flavorful and juicy chopped meat, salsa, and cotija. They are served with pickled veggies to add spice and tang, but what surprised me the most was the sautéed cabbage placed on top of each garnacha. The cabbage was so flavorful and soft, and despite all of the other sources of flavor it made itself known. The chile relleno plato was unlike what I am used to. Often, the chile rellenos my family eats are poblano peppers stuffed with oaxacan cheese, these were not that at all. In a way, this dish resembled more of a stuffed bell pepper, with a red pepper filled with chopped meat and veggies. I did get a piece of cartilage which made me a little wary when taking a bite but it was so delicious I couldn't help myself. The black beans it came with were flavorful and the dressing of the salad was amazing and reminiscent of a green goddess dressing. The service was amazing. The people were sweet and accommodating. I also really enjoyed the ambience even though I did order pick up. There are murals and bright colors lining all of the walls, giving the place a welcoming and fun vibe. Overall, with the amazing food, sweet faculty, and beautiful setting, it is impossible to go to this place and not feel an immediate lift in mood.

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

I had a nice experience at Navarros Italian Deli. The service was really good ....I'm pretty…read moreindecisive when it comes to ordering, and she was so patient and kind while I figured everything out, which I truly appreciated. The sandwiches are a little on the pricier side, but they do come with chips, which is a plus. The lunch meat was sliced thinner than I prefer, Im just used to thicker slices of turkey but that's more of a personal taste thing. Overall, it was okay..

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.

Parking is so nice. There is plenty! 2 hour limit though…read more I got an iced cafe latte and it was good. Staff are nice!

Very personable waitstaff Neighborhood regulars…read moreI was able to swap out the butter on my bagel for jam (thanks)

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!

Got their booza ice cream and it was so delicious and creamy. I think the price is pretty decent,…read moreespecially since it comes with all the toppings (pistachio, phyllo, and rose petals). The service is really friendly too and the interior decor is welcoming. Would love to come back and try the different rotation of flavors!

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.

My first visit to them was ages ago in Oakland. The downtown Oakland location was around during the…read moreart walk and my husband wanted a sandwich. I was overwhelmed by the offerings and wanted to go. But the lure of gluten free bread was too much. And I didn't have to pay extra? I was sold. Especially after they asked if there was a preference or an allergy. With the allergy, they have a place dedicated for preparation, which greatly reduced cross contamination. I fell in love. But now??? This is my second visit. The first visit consisted of a guy scratching his arm as he was on his way from the sandwich prep area to the cash register. He was scratching a lot. I left. I turned around when I saw a woman come from the back to prepare sandwiches. Unfortunately, when it was time for my sandwich he prepared it. He wasn't scratching himself, but initial impressions are hard to shake. This was my second visit because my husband wanted a sandwich before our trip to LA. First, you have to pay $3 for gluten free. They make their own buns? Why do they do that? And the buns are so much smaller. So, I know which sando is mine in the bag because it's the smallest. I don't like that. Next, you have to check on the sauces. One sando that I ordered was fine until they changed the marmalade to one that has gluten in it. Why? I couldn't think of a reason. Luckily, the person at the shop (this was in Emeryville) was also gluten free and knew about this. I had to order another sandwich that'd I'd never had before as a result. It was fine, but not what I wanted. Then, they went from having slices of meat to it being more of a bits of meat surrounded by a lot of mayo and other things. So what used to be slices of meat with fixings became a meat salad with fixings. Also, can someone explain to me why it is that every time I order a drink, there are dark hard sand-like bits at the bottom of my cup? I know they clean it because I taste the cleaner, literally. But the dark gravel-looking bits at the bottom of the cup is disconcerting. What used to be a special experience isn't so special anymore. Especially with expansion. I used to dream of them being closer to where I'm located and now that they are here, the specialness is gone. A smaller substandard sandwich with a soda with brown crunchy bits at the bottom of the cup? No thanks. And not to mention the fact that the last time I ordered flavored chips, they didn't even hav salt on them. The only flavor was potato - no BBQ. No thanks.