Was in the neighborhood strolling around and was looking for a quick bite before a movie. Had totally forgotten about this cafe style restaurant and decided to pop-in. Was primarily drawn ro the pastries but again I came on to get food and not sweets. Everything here looks good so and they have everything from brick own pizzas, sandwiches, salads to full on meals. There is both counter seating and tables available so you can gander at the foods as it's being prepared. Especially like watching the brick oven pizza as it's being created and pulled from the brick oven. Decide to get the crispy chicken sandwich which was so good and a dessert to go, a huge oreo style cookie sandwich which was sorta pricey at $11 but it was huge and weighed about 5 pounds - lol ! I wanted to order some more food as I saw several dishes being served to others. Will definitely be back and will add this spot to my favorites list. read more

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I used to Frequent this place a lot as it's very close to my job. The food is good. The 3 stars are strictly for the prices, expect to spend $25 for a salad. Any add ons are $5. So add avocado and you got a $30 salad. Now I come here to treat myself. $$$$$$$$$$$ read more

Summer Kitchen is a very cute restaurant that focuses on farm to table. The ingredients are fresh and high quality and they offer a variety of dishes spanning across their lunch and dinner menu. My coworkers and I came for lunch and we made it right before the lunch crowd. Although there was no line when we ordered our meals, it took over 20 minutes for our sandwiches and salads to be delivered to our table. I would love to come on a weekend lunch, although I am now wondering if take-out is the move. The restaurant is small and limited, offering a few tables indoors and outdoors. I got the steak sandwich and thought it was delicious. They bake their bread in-house and you can tell -- the ciabatta was soft and fluffy. Their specialty also seems to be their pastries which I ordered two to-go. The marshmallow brownie was disappointing, the torched flavor of the marshmallow was too overwhelming in my opinion. The chocolate cake was fantastic though, the filling in-between the layers of cake was light and airy as opposed to it being too rich. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Steak Sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I came here for lunch with my partner to try a new restaurant down on Elmwood! I have been eyeing Summer Kitchen for a while, and was excited to try it. The place is pretty small with limited indoor seating (as all other restaurants on Elmwood) but there are also some tables outdoor. It is very bright inside, with a nice display of their pastries too. You order at the front, and they bring you the food when it is ready. I got the Brentwood Salad with Roasted Chicken, and my partner got the Pulled Pork sandwich. Overall, the food was okay. It was good and very fresh, but nothing too phenomenal. The meal was so pricey, however, and was not entirely worth the cost. Regardless, I'm glad I was able to check this place off my bucket list! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Brentwood Salad - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Summer Kitchen is a delicious gem of an eatery in Berkeley! Farm-to-Table fresh everything; specially prepared sandwiches -I had the Reuben-delicious & crispy, spicy chicken dipped in panko, with special sauce to bring a smile to your face! Do try the salads & fresh salmon to tantilize. House-crafted baking reveals pastries that will have you in ecstasy! Service is fabulous & the friendliest people ever! Ambiance in this cozy, warm, friendly & delicious eatery named after Martha's Vineyard kitchens! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Just a sampling of the daily prepared delicious deserts that tantilize the senses! - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Friend of mine is a local and loves this place. I went for the crispy chicken and he had a Rueben. Honestly, for the food and how packed it was I lean towards a 4 star but when a local says it's the best spot on a packed block I recognize I'm probably missing something. The pastries and baked goods looked excellent. The staff was friendly. Good amount of seating but very little room between tables. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Spicy chicken - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Always hits the spot when I'm craving a sweet treat around Rockridge/Elmwood! My go-to is always a slice of cake because it's GIANT and lasts me a good week or more in the fridge. The frosting is super decadent is the cake is moist. The baked goods always rotate and the staff has incredible recommendations for what to grab. The inside is a bit small, but I usually take my treats to go. Definitely recommend checking out if you're in the area! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - S'mores brownie - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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One of the best restaurants in Elmwood (4/5 green stars) It's so easy to walk right by Summer Kitchen without even noticing it. It's a narrow shopfront with just a few tables outside and it's easy to miss as you ponder ice cream and other offerings from neighbors. Well, take it from me - forget ice cream and get a baked item from Summer Kitchen instead! Or try a pizza, or an egg salad sandwich - possibly the best egg salad sandwich you'll ever have. But if you are limited for time, try one of the fresh fruit pastries (galette) - they seem expensive at $12 but they are big enough for two and totally worth it! I'm giving Summer Kitchen 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact. The positives are obvious - most of the ingredients are organic and locally sourced. Everything is made from scratch and there is transparent sourcing of the meat and fish (Mary's free-range chicken, etc.). There are a reasonable amount of vegetarian options and you can definitely find some vegan dishes too (salads, sandwich, pasta). Summer Kitchen could make the biggest environmental impact by scrapping beef from the menu - replacing it with plant-based alternatives, ideally. Beef has a carbon footprint of around 10 times that of chicken and over 100 times that of pea protein, on average. If everyone one the planet ate 1 lb. of beef per week (the US average), total greenhouse gas emissions would increase by one third! I'll write a post illustrating all of this soon on the Green Stars Project. So I really appreciate that Summer Kitchen makes more effort than the vast majority of restaurants on improving sustainability so that's my suggestion for the biggest opportunity for improvement - cut the beef. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is just a review for their Chinese chicken salad as takeout. Large and flavorful.

Good but pricier food. I got the Chinese Chicken Salad. Great portion. Super fresh. Perfect dressing ratio. It's normally hard for me to justify buying salads instead of making them but I was really craving salad. Ultimately, I was happy with my decision. I want to come back to try their sandwiches and pizza. Everything looks good. A lot of vegetarian options on the menu too. Food was ready fast. Super cute "farm to table" vibe interior. Nothing extremely special about service. I'll definitely be back after cooking at home and saving up money to come back. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Chinese Chicken SaladChinese - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stumbled upon the cutest little farm-to-table restaurant! We tried the veggie sandwich and kale Caesar, both of which were spectacular. The fries were huge and fresh. The prices are definitely worth the quality of food. Next time I will be trying the desserts, they looked fantastic! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Kale Caesar, Veg Sandwich, fries - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I've only been twice (for takeout) and both times something was missing from my order. Once my salad was missing its dressing. Another time it was missing the wonton strips. It's fine, this stuff happens, I must be unlucky but I hope they make it more consistent. To be honest the cashier staff seem quite confused But looking forward to coming back and trying it again. The arugula salad is particularly tasty! read more

Get the spicy chicken sandwich, it is so juicy and delicious! Need to come back for their oven-roasted pizza and their dessert. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Mary's Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

It's a local cute cafe with delicious sandwiches and bakeries. Wood oven pizzas are thin crust and great. Limited inside and outside seating. Clean and decent room inside to sit or rearrange tables to your party. Limited outdoor seating. Service is order-to-sit and your food will be delivered. Very few veggie option like eggplant sandwich. Few (good) local beer can options only. Great for seniors, kids, couples. Not so great for large groups or gathering unless pre arranged. There is parking lot being the block as well as free and paid street parking. Will be back for carrot cakes and more sandwiches. read more

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Dropped by after a movie. Recommended by a local walking in the neighborhood. Ordered a Cobb Salad. It was really good. Next time I am in the neighborhood I will try a different salad. The service was friendly. The restaurant bright and immaculate. read more

What I like most about SK+B is that the food is prepared to order by cooks who care using high quality ingredients. Everything is simple and straightforward. Fresh and flavorful. The Chinese Chicken salad is a major sleeper hit. Really good and filling. The seasonal Brentwood salad fresh corn and feta is super tasty and worth anticipating its appearance. The pre-made Diestel turkey sandos are great grab-and-gos for the road or the park. The pizzas are perfect for one hungry human or two who wanna share with a salad. They have canned beer and wine and usually a house made citrus-ade. You can usually find a table inside after ordering at the counter. read more

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Their pastries and baked goods were fresh, flavorful, and beautifully made. The staff were very friendly and helpful and the atmosphere was cozy and welcoming. read more

Ordered a salad today - Summer House. The lettuce was wilted, but it got worse, the lettuce on the bottom of the bowl was slimy and yuck Cucumber was mushy too. Not worth $17!!! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Summer House Salad - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I hope you dint get offended that I say this but make necessary improvements quick. The food looked good and there were a lot of people there. The atmosphere was inviting too. Unfortunately, I walked in, received a blank almost uninteresting stare by 2 woman, and both carried on with a very unusual demeanor as if I was a bother and not worth even a greeting. I could tell I wasn't the only one to receive this nonchalant treatment because of the normalcy of the behavior. I was standing there for about 2 minutes exchanging glances at the display case and the workers but eventually the workers darted to the back and I just stood there. lol So, I left. Unfortunately, this was my experience. I hope you have a better one. read more

This is one of my go-to places for take out in the Elmwood. I get fried chicken here. Their chicken pieces are amazing. Also - the cake is amazing - they make huge cakes and a slice of that will do you. I have also had the pizza and salads. I do really want to try one of their sandwiches. This place has excellent farm to table food offerings and their baked goods are exceptional. Highly recommend. read more

food tastes fresh like theyre shopping for the day. pastries from their bakery are buttery and flaky. service is warm and genuine. place has bright airy feel inviting. read more

This review is just for the burgers, I use to eat the best burger here made with love and good ingredients, tonight I had the worst burger ever with cheap ingredients and poor presentation with an upscale restaurant price tag, the place felt that it has gone through change of management/ownership. read more

Amazing sandwich, chill enough spot. Order took longer than expected, and things felt a little unorganized but food was incredible so definitely will go back and try to pizza. Place definitely has good potential. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Chicken sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

We got the steak sandwich and salad as well as a side of fries. The steak sandwich seemed to have no seasoning whatsoever and was somewhat tough to eat, and we felt the salad wasn't worth the $16 price tag given the vegetables weren't dressed or even seasoned particularly well. The service was wonderful, super nice people taking orders and dropping off food. They have inside and outdoor space. We might give it another chance in the summer, maybe farm to table hits differently at that time. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Steak sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I was last here about 15 years ago and so happy that it's still a solid brunch and lunch place. The whole vibe is relaxed and homey with a touch of Mayberry in a good way. The Brentwood salad was delicious with the salty feta and sweet blueberries balancing out the flavors. Tables were small and the seating cozy but so coming back for that fried chicken. read more

This place is what you don't expect. A summers kitchen with food that just works. I had the crispy chicken sandwich and kicking myself for not adding a side. It was delicious. The place can get packed and which makes it even better in my opinion. Just large enough. read more

I've always liked Summer Kitchen but today was a bummer. First off it was so cold in there it was uncomfortable, why would you have no heat in an eating establishment, don't you want your guests to be comfortable? Second they were out of kale so I could not order what I went for. I order another salad one of the worst salads ever, overdressed sloppy mixed greens, no flavor a few assorted garbanzo beans and slices of cucumbers just terrible. The pizza was really good. But who wants to sit in a freezing cold place !!! read more

Desserts are amazing here and huge portions. The place was bustling the whole time I was there. The egg salad is mainly to go but it looked so good I had to have it. Perfectly made egg salad on the lightest French bread. Omg. I want more. I picked the smallest dessert. The chocolate cupcake with the cream cheese frosting. Omg again!!!! Wolfed down. But glad I got something small. I will be back to try more!!! read more

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Our $15 salad was just a Costco mesclun mix with Costco cucumber and Costco cherry tomatoes with canned garbanzos. Rip off. The worst was... Our meatball was undercooked and raw which gave my daughter food poisoning. We called the restaurant up and let them know and they refunded us our meal promptly which is right on them. I appreciate they gave us that support but unfortunately I cannot recommend this place for the bad experience we had and I hope you don't have such a bad time there. read more

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We stopped in here after walking the Cal Campus for a few hours (my husband's Alma mater.). Had fabulous Chinese chicken salads. Very fresh, lovely light dressing the salads are big. We wish we had shared it. Staff very nice. All food we saw looked great. read more

This is my favorite place in my hood! The pizza, sandwiches, salads and desserts are all scrumptious.

I have been frequenting Summer Kitchen for a few months now and have just now gotten around to writing a review. Stopped in today to grab lunch with a friend and had a great experience as usual! I always favor the wild arugula salad, which instead of apple and pear has been updated (for summer?) to have watermelon and fennel. Both variations are delicious and refreshing. My friend had the veggie sandwich, which was a good portion size and tasty. I have tried various menu items (bbq chicken pizza and fried chicken sandwich (both spicy and non spicy)) and have never been disappointed. The food is consistently good and comes out fast! The restaurant itself is bit small, but I have never had trouble with finding seating. The ambiance is light and bright, fun to dine in or sit outside on a nice day! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Veg Sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Their turkey sandwich is absolute perfection. My favorite sandwich in the world. So fresh, so perfectly balanced, never too heavy. I love this spot -- it's a great lunch spot and have some outdoor seating as well for people watching on college ave which is always fun! Service is great too -- everyone's always kind and patient. read more

I love their egg salad sandwich!! I've learned the hard way to call and reserve ahead since they're so popular and often run out. Yesterday I noticed our sandwiches were noticeably lighter in filling than those we've had in the past. Previously they were so big that I'd eat half and save half, but yesterday I easily finished my entire sandwich in one sitting. :( The cakes are pricey but actually not a bad value. The slices are HUGE and my husband and I had difficulty finishing our slice of chocolate cake with peanut butter buttercream frosting. Highly recommend the PB chocolate cake!!! read more

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Consistently good food, fresh salads and creative, delicious sandwiches. Think turkey, cranberry, avocado on a seeded freshly baked bun and Chinese chicken salads with citrus and crunchy noodles. They also have the most RIDICULOUS desserts -- three layer cakes that are a foot high, like lemon poppyseed with raspberries, chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven, giant chocolate cupcakes. Service is always prompt and kind. Not much seating, so plan to take out. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Yum. - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

he pastry display is so aesthetic, everything looks so good!! they have a nice variety in menu items, and it's a good spot to grab lunch with a friend. peach tart- my friend got a slice of this pie, and the crust was so buttery and flaky. it's not too sweet either chicken sandwich- i got it spicy, so the chicken was saucy while still being crunchy! i came here to study, and it was peaceful, but there's no wifi. the food is pretty good, and i want to come back to try the pizza because it smelled so good!! read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - chicken sandwich, peach tart - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I love this spot for a relaxed, no-rush meal. I had the chicken sandwich and a salad, and both were so fresh and delicious. The whole place has an easy, inviting vibe where you can just sit back and enjoy your food. The service is friendly and unhurried, which makes it even better. Definitely a place I'll be coming back to. read more

Cute little spot! I was able to try a piece of their chocolate cake and it was delicious!! The place is small but feels very intimate and cozy. The service was very good and the employees were very nice! I'll be returning to try other items on their menu! read more

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The crispiest chicken tenders I have ever had in my life! Great salads and incredible pizzas. I recommend the sausage and the margherita pizzas. The cobb salad is packed with fresh ingredients and I really enjoy the creamy Italian dressing that accompanies it. But seriously, the chicken tenders are a standout. You can order them by the pound or as a meal with fries. If you order them with fries, it comes with the most delectable lemony aioli with fresh herbs! The crunch on the tenders is so satisfying, haha. This place is a great dinner or lunch option for sure. read more

It's my first time in this area in over two years and I noticed people were having a good time at this new spot so I wanted to give it a shot! I ordered the Pulled Pork sandwich and I got to say I was a bit disappointed. I think the flavors were really good; the pulled pork was nice and tangy and the coleslaw complemented it well! It's just the bread was really cold. It was like they took freshly made pulled pork and put it between slices of refrigerated bread. As much as I enjoyed the flavors I could not get over the texture of cold bread. The sandwich was 15 dollars too so this was a hard miss. On the contrast, the brownie was amazing. Nice texture and flavor and it looked so pretty! All in all, I do want to give it another try. They have a brick oven for their pizza and their baked goods look amazing. So that's what I'll get next time and hopefully I'll have a better experience and update this review read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Pulled Pork Sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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