I LOVE Cafe Mezzo. Their food is so fresh and delicious and bountiful. What I don't love is the fact they charge a $1.50/item that is placed into a to go box. That means that $8 tossed green is now $9.50, just for taking it to go. That $12.50 sando is now $14. I'm all about avoiding the one time use plastic utensils and bags, but this is nuts. I live over an hour drive away from Cafe Mezzo and whenever I'm in the area, I order a lot of food to eat throughout the week. I have to get it to go - I can't eat 5 salads at the cafe. I don't live nearby and can't just pop in whenever I want to eat here. With this to go packaging fee, I was charged $7.50 for 5 salads. That's pretty much the cost of another salad. read more

Mezzo - Receipt that shows the $1.50 to go charge assessed per item ordered... - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

Alright, I came back today for a light night dinner and they forgot to add cucumbers....this is the third time they forgot an ingredient. It isn't that big of a deal compared of the other two times when they forgot my protein BUT they still forgot something. I'm scared of what else they'd forget at this point. Will it be my salad for the chefs salad ?? read more

The food is very good and the vibe is 10/10. However, the wait was very long and the service was not good. The salad bar was chaotic and very messy. If you have severe allergies this place is not made for you. The portion sizes are amazing for the price. read more

Mezzo - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great amounts if food. A regular at this location Glad to stop in. It's the most consistent place read more

This is the best place for a fresh healthy meal! When you walk in it is bright, with an open concept with lots of table, counter, group seating. You order at counter and your food is prepared while you watch. We got the combination of half sandwich and tossed green salad. The Honey Wheat bread is the best for sandwiches! They put the perfect amount of everything on them too! The delectable salads are tossed with your dressing in a big wooden bowl and topped off with sprouts, tomatoes, and a slice of pineapple! Once your food is prepared you pay, grab silverware, napkins, etc and find a seat! Metered parking on street wherever you can find a spot. Make sure you pay with app or cash because parking tickets will be issued! It's always fun to stroll around Berkeley so parking a few blocks away isn't a problem! read more

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Amazing sandwiches and salads. Share with a friend - portions are huge. Their bread is also delicious read more

i have been coming here since my freshman year (i'm a senior now) and it still hits every time. i always get the combination half sandwich and half salad with poppyseed dressing. the salad hitsss. it's honestly not that special in terms of ingredients but i think it's so good because each ingredient tastes so fresh and the croutons are so flavorful. i'll sometimes get mezzo just because i crave the refreshingness of the salad. for the sandwich, i got the turkey with honey wheat this time. similar to the salad, there's honestly nothing that special about it except just how fresh and clean every component is, which makes it so enjoyable. also, it's hugee like it's impossible to eat it while staying looking remotely ladylike. i can only imagine what other people see as i tackle the sandwich. i also tried their pineapple agua fresca which is really tasty. it tastes exactly like the pineapple juice left at the bottom of a container of pineapple, no other bs mixed in. it is a pulpy drink, so if you don't like pulp, maybe stay away. as a pulp lover, i lovee the texture. such a cute environment too with working wifi if you wanted to sit down and do work read more

Mezzo - combination half turkey sandwich half salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Great sandwiches, very big and filling while being pretty healthy w/ lots of veggies and such. Bread is soft and fresh. Lots of seating and reasonably quick to get your food. read more

I have been going to Mezzo (formerly Intermezzo) since my college years long ago and it is still one of my favorite places! I still come from across the bay to eat there regularly because I crave the big salads with the poppyseed dressing and the incredible honey wheat bread sandwiches. The salads are huge and even a half sandwich is bigger than a sandwich at most places. It is always my go-to place to meet friends. You can get your food and then eat in the backyard with a drink from Raleigh's. Perfect! I recently ordered several catering platters of sandwiches and salads from them and the general manager Maryam is wonderful to deal with and made the process easy. And I got a whole bunch of new people addicted to the food! This place is not to be missed! read more

I was in the area and needed a breakfast burrito. Mezzo is a warm Inviting space near campus. Their breakfast burrito is huge and an awesome value. Mine? Bacon, egg, potato and cheese. So good. Matt says check this place out read more

Just tried this place for the first time today. Really tasty sandwiches with a ton of options for toppings and bread (3 kinds sourdough including jalapeño cheddar, artichoke and plain, honey wheat, rye and something else I don't remember seeing when I was there). They load it up with toppings and have tons of options for veggies including delicious homemade pickles (they're a bit on the sweet side, which I like, but people who don't like sweeter pickles should know it goes really well with their Dijon/mayo sauce). They do go a bit light on the meat to be perfectly honest, especially for the ham, but they seem to load up the chicken salad and tuna salad for people who like that. They make up for it with three hefty slices of cheese though. The sandwich is also so big that it barely fits in the to-go box they give you, and it's less than $13 which is a good deal compared to the $13 you'll pay at subway and the $18 you'd pay at Ike's. The staff was quite friendly to me, especially compared to how workers in Berkeley can often be (tired, overworked, frustrated from dealing with us entitled Cal students). The worker who made my sandwich was nice enough to humor my questions about bread choice and whatnot, which I appreciated. I used to work at a sandwich place and would get quite frustrated with this kind of question over time. It's also a nice place to hang out and do some reading or studying. I was planning to take my sandwich home with me but I decided to stay for a bit and eat half of it in their cute dining area. The place is attached to Raleigh's pub next door, so I imagine on Fridays and Saturdays it can get a bit loud and rowdy next door. I've also seen this place get really busy around lunch time, so I think it's good to aim for a late 2-3 PM lunch at this place if you're like me and are obsessed with missing crowds. Great spot, Berkeley institution for a reason. read more

I order for togo ( com sandwich- salad with dressing on the side. Everything look good, fresh and healthy until I got home and found out that they forgot to put the dressing for my salad. If you guy order togo, make sure that they give the dressing for you. read more

Mezzo - Salad without dressing - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

LOVE Mezzo's. They have fantastic salads and sandwiches. Even though all the ingredients seem ordinary at first glance, it tastes great altogether. Even when the line is long, it moves relatively quickly. Portions are big - you can definitely split a sandwich or salad across two meals. I will definitely miss this place when I'm no longer in the area. The sandwich I usually get is Italian salami on Jalapeno cheddar with all the works (no pickles) and red onion and chipotle aioli as add-ons. A tasteful combination! Jalapeno cheddar with the aioli adds a nice spice to the sandwich. Plenty of seating and you would order/pay individually, so convenient for large groups. read more

Mezzo - Italian salami on jalapeno cheddar - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

Hugemongous salad (maybe too big)! ! I tried the Poppy Dressing and the Herb Vinaigrette, but both were underwhelming. They were nice enough to give me all three dressings and the Greek Goddess was really flavorful and went perfectly with my Veggie Delight salad. read more

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Undoubtedly my favorite go-to restaurant in Berkeley. Worth the hype. Absolutely phenomenal, loaded sandwiches. Ingredients are always fresh. If you're looking for something nutritious, filling, and flavorful, this is the place for you. Sandwiches are MASSIVE. In terms of the sheer size and variety of ingredients in the sandwich, I would say that the prices are quite reasonable for being in such an expensive area. Lots of seating, outdoor patio has a great ambiance. Usually always somewhat busy with a line, but that's also because they make all of their items freshly made to order right in front of you. I know their salads are supposed to be good too, but I'm just so in love with their sandwiches that I can never bring myself to try anything else. I've tried the BLTA, Italian Salami, and Pastrami. All were amazing, but I think the BLTA is probably my favorite. Or maybe the pastrami is? I've gotten all my sandwiches with honey wheat bread, and that is something I will continue to stick by. I also always add chipotle aioli and banana peppers (both free to add) to my sandwiches. I literally cannot think of one thing I don't love about Mezzo except that you usually have to wait in line (understandable, because it's that good). Also their hours are veryyy extensive- open until 10 pm!! I love love getting a sandwich as a late night meal. read more

Mezzo - Pastrami on Honey Wheat - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I have heard so many great things about Mezzo and thought it would be overhyped...! But actually, it was pretty good and I was not disappointed. One of the greatest things about Mezzo is the price to food amount ratio. I think it's just very satisfying when you pay a pretty standard price (~$15) for a meal, but end up with a serving that could feed from 1.5 to 4 meals depending on how much you eat (my friend had leftovers enough for a few lunches!) I visited with a friend around 6pm on a Saturday. Berkeley parking is what it is (read: not great, street parking and hope you're lucky) but the line itself outside Mezzo was not too long and moved quickly. We were able to order within about 10 minutes, and service was quick and efficient. After you walk through the counter line to order, pay, and receive your food, it is self-service seating inside (which plays loud music) or on the patio. I had the BLAT on honey wheat (their house bread - since it was my first time at Mezzo, I wanted to try this), and my friend got the Chef Salad with chicken salad as the protein. The slices of bread were hefty for both the sandwich and the slice provided with the salad. While I didn't think any of the options Mezzo offered were particularly unique, the ingredients were fresh, proportions good, and taste yummy. I appreciated how they did not skimp on the bacon in the sandwich, and the sprouts added good texture and flavor. The meals also come with a slice of pineapple for a little dessert. read more

Stopped by here to grab a salad on a Saturday night for dinner and there was already a line. When you first step in, it looks like a very cute restaurant. You wait in line and order from the salad/sandwich bar. You can choose a full salad, full sandwich or half salad/Half soup or half sandwich combo The portions are huge and can feed 2 people. For the price you are paying, it is worth the wait. There are plenty of seats inside the restaurant. read more

Mezzo - Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

we were swinging into the Bay Area from out of town to enjoy a warm Saturday as a couple. I found this "Berkeley sandwich shop with garden patio and good reviews." wow the bread is fresh baked, the veggies are juicy, and the servings are huge. I felt for the workers as they seemed sort of sad. I wanted to give them hugs and smiles and find some brooms. it was not a clean restaurant, had to step over trash and wipe down a table to sit at. the patio was lovely! cute pillows and mason jars of daisies. a bocce ball court around the corner. we enjoyed the lunch date and packed up our leftovers for later. best wishes mezzo, smiles! read more

Like everyone else says, the portions here are great and a meal is only $13ish!! Mezzo is easily one of the best sandwich places I've been to in the bay area. Their half combos are an amazing deal, and I believe they change up their soups (there are 3 offered at a time). Each meal also comes with a slice of pineapple The outdoor patio area is BEAUTIFUL (I forgot to take a pic)- highly recommend taking a look. I went during Saturday lunch and there were plenty of open tables. The line was kind of long though, but the servers were very sweet. read more

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Looking for a lunch spot after visiting the UC Botanical Garden in Berkeley. Mezzo looked especially good, so we went there. Parking was easy, sandwich/food line moved quickly, and the selection was great. The people making the sandwiches were courteous and efficient. My friend and I ate on the patio, which was lovely! It was shaded and cool in spite of the heat wave. We both enjoyed our time at Mezzo!! read more

One of the best places in Berkeley to grab lunch. The sandwiches are amazing, with a lot of customization options. I've tried their Black Forest Ham, Marinated Tofu, Italian Salami, and Chicken Salad over the various times I've been here and all of them are delicious and well-seasoned. They also have rotating options for soups on different days, and these are also very tasty. The soup also comes with bread, butter, and fruit, which is a nice added bonus. Ordering here is also really nice. You can customize just about everything and my go to order is to get the half and half combo, in which you can pick 2 of half a sandwich, a cup of soup, and a tossed salad. I normally get the soup and sandwich, though I've had friends enjoy the salad and the portions are quite big. read more

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We went to Mezzo after a play this weekend, with 4 adults and 4 hungry teens. The food portions were huge and the bread looked good, but I was so distracted by how dirty everything was! The area where they make sandwiches looked to be never wiped down. They used the same mixing bowl for multiple salads, which seems wrong to me. The bathrooms were filthy and there were 3 tables that were never bussed the entire time we were there. I would have left immediately after seeing how filthy the kitchen was, but the rest of the group decided to stay. I have never written a review on yelp but the mess at Mezzo was so bad! read more

Okay this place is super cute! The salads are huge but delicious I ordered a chef salad with Greek yogurt dressing, I remember seeing the lady grabbing a bowl, and in my head I was like ok ...she's like mixing it and stuff... I go pay, and I come back... and the bowl was for my whole salad. You could literally order one salad for two people. The staff is so sweet and attentive. I knock of one star for cleanliness, when I got there most tables were still dirty from previous customers. Not a big deal, and the salad definitely wins it over. read more

Mezzo - Chef Salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

Simple menu that consists of sandwiches, loaded toasts, breakfast burritos, salads. Write name on a little slip of paper and mark off/circle what you want in your order. Food and coffee was good and prices very reasonable. Exactly what a college area restaurant should be. Does get crowded quickly with college students and parking in the area may be challenging. read more

The line was out the door for this place but moved super quickly. Interior is casual and has ample seating, I managed to snag a table with a group of 4 of us. I ordered the half sandwich half salad with a pastrami salad. The salad alone is enough to fill you up but the bread here is delicious. Definitely a staple restaurant in the UC Berkeley area. read more

It's a decent salad. Way too many beans in comparison to tomatoes, avocado, and cucumbers. It reminded me more so of a bean salad than a salad. Still, it wasn't bad. It just wasn't my preference. read more

Terrific chicken salad sando! Generous portions. Fast and friendly service. We'll definitely be back.

I really don't understand the hype around this place. The restaurant was wrecked, many of the tables were dirty and chairs were scattered around. I assumed that this place must have been busy that day and shrugged it off. My friends and I ordered at the counter, and the worker helping us out was obviously just done with their day. When I was looking for a table, my friend was paying for the food. I noticed that even though there were plenty of workers, no one was ringing her up. As for food... I had a BLT and a tortilla soup. I thought the portions were good for the price. Though the worker from earlier had spilled one-third of the soup onto the plate while dishing it out. The flavor of everything was uneventful, basically a water-down version of tortilla soup. The sandwich was fine. My only problem with it was that other restaurants I have been to in the past did it better. The bathrooms were horrendous. It seemed it was a while since the stalls were cleaned. Most of the stalls smelled of urine and had trash/toilet paper on the floor. When trying to get water or to-go boxes workers would notice and ignore my eye contact. If they were busy, I would have no issue with this, but the two I made eye contact with just went back to chatting about their day. No one who worked there seemed to really care. Overall I am just really confused at how this place is still running? My friends and I all agreed this place was no good. read more

Mezzo - Half of BLT - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

hands down my favourite lunch/study spot in berkeley. outdoor patio is perfect except the wifi is kind of splotchy. i love the tofu and chicken salad sandwhich. i don't know why but the pineapple on the side is soooo sweet i love. the salad is good but on bad days i could be feeling like i'm eat grass. portions are always huge tho! breakfast is also super yummy - love the strawberry avacado loaded toast and burrito. service is great and patient read more

Mezzo - tofu sandwhich - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

All positive! Great price/product and quality! Spacious and friendly too. Ordered a salad for pickup and it weighted like a ton of bricks. So packed, so fresh, so flavorful!! Shared that with a friend and we were full! A definite "will go again"!!! Love love love! read more

I used to go here when it was called Intermezzo, I believe it burned down in a fire or something. I have recently been going here for the excellent breakfast burrito. You can order it any way you prefer and good price as well $9. Just be warned this place is extremely crowded with college kids so def order online ahead that is a must or you will be waiting a long time, but they do crank them out here pretty fast I must have seen about 15 or 20 other burritos come out of the back. Overall a great spot still. read more

Went here for lunch on a friend's recommendation. There was a small line but it went quickly and they had a few people making food for everyone. They only have sandwiches, soups and salads, pretty simple menu. We ordered a couple chef salads and they were huge. Lots of everything. I got the combo with a Italian salami sandwich on jalapeno cheddar bread and a cup of chili. Both were a good size and filled me up. They have lots of drink options, we ordered some nitro cold brew coffee and a couple CBD kombuchas. Good portions and simple tasty food, check it out. read more

had a great sandwich from here! love that you can customize it to your liking, kind of subway style. restaurant is large with lots of seating and it's located near the berkeley campus. a little pricy for the amount you get, but other than that, it's great! read more

Mezzo - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Really good fresh food. Love the fresh bread, fresh veggies and amazing marinated tofu. Great vegan options. I had the half sandwich (marinated tofu) and half salad combo (huge half salad; added marinated tofu and they gave me a ton of it). Delicious. Great ambience to sit outside. You can also buy food and drinks from Raleigh's next door (great beer selection) and sit in the same area outside. Staff was friendly. Highly recommend. read more

Salad was enough for three meals and so affordable! All the veggies were super fresh, and the bread selection was fresh baked and delicious as well. This is the kind of salad spot you want to leave near. read more

Mezzo - Veggie delight salad - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Simple fare at a reasonable price. A lot of food and it's healthy. This makes it a solid option for lunch, honestly probably your best bet for a simple healthy meal in the area that will leave you feeling full and good afterward. I like the seating areas. Nice staff, good bustling energy in the place. Areas for growth: 1. the area you bus your dishes to is located in a kind of crazy spot. 2. It's no longer a great deal for food here. It's fine, it's not worse than other local places it's on par, but it's no longer a more reasonable price. This is a significant loss that can't really be overstated. 3. Some of the food can have a bit of a cafeteria type flavor to it. That was all good when the price was one of the better around, but if the price goes up as much as it has I expect the food to get a hair more refined. Or better yet leave it kind of raw & uncut but fix the price-- it can't be expected to drop all the way to where it was pre-inflation but it can get to the same relative level compared to other options. Still definitely a top choice for lunch around here, glad they're still going! read more

I have been coming to this place since 1988 I have always recommended this place (so worth the drive) --------- Yesterday I came to have a salad. It was okay (bland). I arrived around 1ish pm. The employees at the front seemed not happy or friendly (2 of them even rude). I don't want to describe them (you know who you are). The salad that we purchased (few of them) were not as good it was super bland! The only girl that seemed happy and friendly was an Latina or maybe she was African America (very beautiful). She has been here in the past because I remember seeing her. We drove up from Fremont (and gas is not cheap). Just to have a salad. I know we all have busy days and life can be hectic. But take pride in what you do since you are being paid for good customer service. Thank you read more

Mezzo has an appeal when you walk in because of the fresh baked bread selection and array of menu options. The sandwiches are on very large pieces of homemade breads and the salads are large enough for two or three people to share and the prices are very reasonable. The drink selection is a little lacking, but the outdoor patio is shared with that of a bar and you can scan a QR code outside to get a wide variety of additional beverages. Why the two star review? About 1/3 of the way into eating my amazing looking salad, I bit into a fork full of greens and got a huge mouthful of dirt. So much so that I had to walk away from my table to rinse my mouth out several times. It was quite impactful on my meal and the rest of my day as I couldn't finish my food and had grit in my mouth, even after rinsing, for a few hours after. I brought my salad up to the counter and the offered to take my name and give me a free salad next time I come into the restaurant, but I don't live in town or close by so I didn't take them up on that offer. Bummer because I really had high hopes for the salad. Another family member experienced the same thing with their sandwich during the same meal, so I'm guessing this is kind of the norm at this place. read more

I want to cry. I loved this place when it was Cafe Intermezzo... but this was not the place I remember. The bread wasn't fresh, the crust was tasteless and hard, the croutons are different (used to be little discs), and the poppy seed dressing wasn't as epic as I remembered. God I loved eating there. I've been away for 10 years and I was so disappointed. The cashier was rude and told my one daughter (12) to buss our table in a rude way when she asked if we were supposed to. Everything was more expensive and crowded and it felt cold and impersonal. I remember lines out the door. But I don't see that being the case now. read more

Mezzo - Garden salad, scoop of tuna, and stale bread. - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been here a handful of times and never disappoints, huge portion sizes for very reasonable prices, salad is super fresh + comes with a slice of pineapple read more

Mezzo - Half sandwiches + salad/soup - Sandwiches Near Me - Berkeley, California