I understand that they use organic produce and this photo is the perfect proof for that. But I still wouldn't expect to see a bug in my salad at a restaurant. read more

I came by Summer today in serious need of a takeout sandwich to bring back to my office. I remembered that Summer had great reviews and thought that the tuna sandwich looked pretty good when I saw it sitting in the display case. That sandwich met and exceeded my high expectations. The focaccia that played the role of bread in this sandwich was, in particular, much better than I guessed when I made my choice. (In general, I'm not a big fan of focaccia and imagined that this was going to be the weak point of the lunch.) The filling was quite delicious and most definitely hit the spot! read more

This review is for the pizza only. I did not sample anything else on the menu. I ordered a half cheese and half sausage, tomato, onion and fennel pollen pizza to go and it was pretty good. It certainly was not the best I've ever had but decent. The prices are a bit high for the quality and and quantity (10 inch pie for about 15.99). In my opinion it was over priced and not very filling. I would give this place another shot but I would skip the pizza. read more

I'm a fan of the sandwiches and chocolate cupcakes. The service is also great... sometimes. Sometimes the service can be... not exactly rude... maybe leaving you feel like you were an insignificant passing stone? I guess it's not really a big deal to be talking to someone else as you're handing my change back. Maybe I talk too softly and no one heard me say thanks when handed me my food with zero eye contact. I suppose it's curt and to the point at times. Usually the cashiers are nice though and the food is great. Pricewise, expected for the area. read more

Tried this for the first time today and loved it! Though they did run out of chicken and pretty much all their baked goods by 12:20 pm today so I was a little disappointed I couldn't try it. I ordered the egg salad, hamburger, pesto pizza and the salad with watermelon radish (I forget the official name) and they were all delicious! My personal favorite was the salad because everything was so refreshing and the avocado tarragon dressing was superb and complemented the vegetables well! The egg salad sandwich, though very simple was also good because the bread tasted so fresh! I really wanted to try the bacon sandwich but I had already ordered too much so I would get that next time! The pesto pizza was good but kind of average to me. The hamburger was alright too but overall I enjoy the ambiance of this restaurant and like how you can watch the chefs make your food! I just wish they didn't run out of the baked goods and chicken, but I would definitely come back! read more

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

Nom nom nom. I'm a sucker for good sandwiches. We decided to eat here before dessert at Ici. I ordered the Diestel Turkey, Onion-Cranberry Marmalade, Provolone, Lemon Aioli, Poppy Seed Kaiser Bun and my significant other ordered the Asparagus, Green Garlic, Burrata alla Panna. I also got a mojito soda. The sandwiches are pre-made, which is ok, but I would have preferred if they were made-to-order, but the bun wasn't soggy, so no problems there. The marmalade is what makes the sandwich. It definitely adds a nice amount of sweetness to the sandwich! The mojito soda was also very yummy. Mind you, no alcohol added. Very refreshing on this warm day. The pizza was good, but a little bland. However, I must say that the asparagus was very fresh. Not much seating. There is a big community table, and a small two-top by the window and some bar seating. When we walked in, there were maybe 5 people eating, but by the time we left, there was a line--almost out the door. I would definitely come back if I were in the area just for the sandwiches. Yum! read more

Super cute spot next to Ici with a rustic/hipster feel with friendly staff! I had their crispy chicken sandwich and was pleasantly surprised by how moist the chicken was, and I was the perfect level of full but not too full afterwards! Looking forward to coming back to try more items. Only downside is that the seating is limited, since it's a fairly small shop, and the food is on the pricier side. read more

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

I live right down the street and come here multiple times a week. The menu is fantastic, my personal favourite is the crispy chicken sandwich, though the burger is definitely the best burger I've ever had. It has caramelized onions, blue cheese and arugula. delicious! the wood oven pizzas and the spaghetti and meatbals are also amazing. pretty much everything on the menu is fantastic. though I really wish they had macaroni and cheese, I'm sure their version would be amazing. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Hearst Ranch Burger, Blue Cheese, Caramelized Onions, Wild Arugula - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food is really great and simple. Always greeted with a smile and the prices are right. The only downside is trying to find a seat if it's busy. But I don't mind sitting at the counter. I usually go with the sandwiches because they are sooo good. Need to try everything else! read more

I had no idea this place had been open for a while until the week before I moved in May. I originally arrived at Summer Kitchen and Bake Shop with the idea of tasting their cupcakes, I heard they had the best cupcakes in Berkeley since Love at First Bite, thus I was curious. Upon my arrival, I not only ordered the chocolate cupcakes of choice, the pulled pork BBQ sandwich, and a chicken drumstick as well. Although the place was small and crowded, my friend and I found two seats at the bar, which was awesome watching the chefs create the dishes in front of me, especially the pulled pork as I like to watch other people's pulled pork techniques. The sandwich was incredibly tasty, with the pork cooked to a tender perfection, which each bite the perfect combination of pork and BBQ sauce with each bite. The fried chicken drumstick was juicy on the inside and crispy on the outside, enough to satiate anyone's fried chicken cravings. The cupcake was moist and the frosting delicious. I went back a few weeks ago with a friend and we both ordered the crispy chicken sandwich. I also ordered three meatballs out of curiosity and extreme hunger. Both were very good. The sandwich had a balanced taste between the chicken, fennel, and aioli. The meatballs were heavenly and the tomato sauce tasted legit. Summer Kitchen does have its drawbacks for me. Their prices are high for me for the type of food offered (albeit they cook with higher quality ingredients). I can see why people complain about the small space, although I've been fortunate to find seating whenever I eat there. I have no complaints about the service, the girl at the counter was nice and patient while I asked for "just three meatballs." Overall, it is a great place to eat once in a while, and fits well with the neighborhood! read more

I've been a frequent patron at this establishment for years. Every time has been a more than comfortable experience. A fantastic place to relax and have any of the fabulously delicious food on the menu. The Star Route Salad had a perfect blend of my favorite roasted beets, crunchy fresh baby greens, and a precise amount of balsamic vinaigrette. A recommended dose of fried chicken tenders garnished the salad to my appetite's delight. As usual, the friendly staff and the atmosphere made my visit feel as if I was at my own home. My previous visit with my son was very warm. He ordered a Margherita pizza which brought us to the back of the restaurant by the fire brick stove. The chef included my son in his pizza making magic by showing us how his pizza was being prepared. The only thing I would change is something that I think the staff has no control over. For them to have the marshmallow-topped brownies more often on the menu. Maybe even top the marshmallow with a swirl of caramel! So nice to dine in such a warm friendly restaurant. And to have such a cozy family room environment. read more

I eat at this place so regularly (about once a week) that when a friend suggested that I start reviewing all the local business I rave about, I thought of this place first! Everything in here tastes home made and you can tell they use high quality ingredients. I almost always have their soup as an appetizer. They have a different one every day and it's always delicious. I don't live or work in the area anymore (used to live in Rockridge) but it's not difficult to get to if you how to park. The secret to parking is park far! I never, ever, park on College ave, I enjoy walking and walk every chance I get, so I just drive right past the craziness of College Ave and park on the side streets. Back to The Summer Kitchen, my favorite is the Vegetarian sandwich - Which Vegetarian sandwich you might say? there is none on their menu! well, yes there is. It's the bacon without the bacon. If you ask, they switch out the bacon for provolone cheese. .') It's simple and amazing and those pickled cucumbers are the perfect balance of tangy sour and sweet. The runner up is the cold egg sandwich, I had never had eggs cooked like this before, turns out hard boiled eggs in cold salad are even better than warm eggs, imo. I love this sandwich! Next up is the chicken tenders, I had them in the sandwich form, and it is also very delicious, but I like those perfect tenders chopped in a salad. Or I buy them alone and have them with some of the pre-made cold salads they have on display. Yeah it's small, it can get crowded, and the pizza takes a little long, but that is they way it is with quality and flavor. If I am on a hurry I get either the tuna or the egg sandwich, which are pre-made. If I can wait a few mins, or I am with someone, we wait, it is not so terrible. Also, if you must pick-up and go, place a phone order! that way you get your walk in (if you park far, as I suggested) and your order will be ready when you arrive. Oh and for dinner, my favorite is the fish plate. Much of their ingredients are seasonal, so their menu ingredients do change, but they are always very tasty, whatever it is. Last and not least is the pre-made cold salads and veggies, so far lentils are my favorite, but I also really like the orzo salad. I noticed yesterday that they are doing construction next door and it seemed slower than usual, I hope their business is not hurting because of the construction, they deserve to be busy every hour of the day! Especially the manager (maybe he is the owner, because he takes great ownership in the place and it's always, always doing something) I see him all the time, we just wave hello now. I tell you, I should get a different wig every time I am in there, they know me too well! So don't be deterred by the construction or the parking, take a walk and try it! read more

Really friendly service. There are only two tables. One that sits 2 people and one that can sit like 8 people so its more of a to-go kind of place. I find it weird that they dont have water or something on the side but it didnt matter, when our pizza was ready, they asked if we wanted any water and got some. :) We got some chicken tenders, the Spaghetti and meatballs and the Housemade Sausage, Tomato, Red Onion and Fennel Pollen pizza. The chicken tenders were Okay. The breading was different, more flaky and sweet but overpriced in my opinion. 4 pieces for almost $4 dollars... hmm... The Spaghetti was okay. The portion was good but I found that the balls should have been warmer. Probably like 6 or 7 meatballs on the plate. The texture of the meatballs was good, not chewy at all. The pizza was the best out of the meal. The sausage was super juicy and the cheese super cheesy and the crust was thin. The only complaint was that the bottom had too much flour so the taste was a bit chalky at some bites. Overall, maybe it was just what I ordered but I thought it was OKAY. read more

This place is so yummy! Everything is fresh and organic, and they have some creative options (cauliflower, farro and lentil salads). The staff is also really nice about letting you do combo plates so you can try different things too. I haven't tried any of their sandwiches yet, but friends who came with me loved them (they're very filling). Make sure you try a slice of their marble pound cake and grab a virgin mojito while you're at it too. All delicious! read more

Great food. I ordered the pep pizza, kale salad, and chicken sandwich. All were fantastic on this wonderful Christmas Eve. read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Kale Salad Pepperoni Pizza Chicken Sandwich - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ok, so first things first, their cashier/barista/"jack of all trade" is really nice. She was very courteous and sweet. However, a little advise to the establishment, hire another helper. She can't do it all. The wait to purchase food was way too long since she had to keep going back and forth to tend to coffee orders. Now, on to the food. Not worth its price or the wait. I got the cauliflower salad and a piece of their fried chicken (thigh). They looked good behind the counter. But when I got home, the cauliflower was way to oily and the fried chicken was soggy. I expected a cold piece of fried chicken to at least still be crispy if fried correctly. Not this piece, the outside had turned soft. and at $3 a piece(its actually $10.99 per pound), not worth it at all. The cauliflower salad was also $10.99 per pound, again, not worth it. read more

I've been here a few times and it never disappoints. Their tag line is "high quality take-away food", but it's a great place to eat in too! There's a large communal table, a smaller table by the window, and more seating along the counter. I love sitting at the counter because I get to check out all the delicious and beautiful dishes while they're preparing. My favorites are: - Burger with blue cheese and caramelized onions: Delicious and fresh ingredients, with tasty and juicy patties on a soft Acme bun. So good! - On the side or to go: curry chicken with raisins. Simple and delightful. read more

What a crummy place with delicious foods! First, you get my order wrong. There is only one organic mushroom pizza on the entire menu. How did you managed to get that wrong? I don't know. I don't freaking know. And then you don't even have the decency to apologize when I walked back up and told you that you had baked the wrong pizza. And on top of that, what was meant to be a sit-down meal was to-go-ed. But it came out in a paper box two times in a row. Secondly, you saw me sitting down at a table with my guest. Yet, when the pizza was ready, you didn't even let me know. Service was getting really dicey at this point. Instead, I had to walk back up and asked for my pizza while every guest was gifted with their orders by hands without having to inquiry about each dish's status. Man, I'm salty. Whatever. Thirdly, Mr. Baker and or Ms. Baker, you baked a spiffy organic beech mushroom pizza. I will be back for fifths. You surely deserved 10 stars. read more

This place overall is quite alright, but I had to bump it down by 1 star because of the wait for my coffee. The lemon chicken sandwich with pesto sauce and grilled chicken was not bad, and it had a strong lemon accent well blended with the pesto sauce. Plus, I saw the head chef was behind the counter working and tasting the cooking, and I think this can be a good thing (at least he QC on what the line chefs were making...) I didn't have the pizza, but I thought they looked quite good. I may consider giving it a try next time. They serve Blue Bottle coffee at this place (they are made fresh and dripped) But they left my order on the counter for too long and when I got it, it was cold. Nobody really likes cold coffee, isn't it? read more

Yum. Great salads, crispy chicken sandwich with spicy cabbage slaw and amazing soups that change daily. Did I mention the incredible pizza? Love this place. read more

I've loved this place in the past: a little pricey but a good place to go for good food. Last visit was really unsettling. It was crowded at lunch time. A table for two opened up, and we took it; but leaving customers didn't bus their table, so we did it. Problem: the bin to put dishes in was overflowing. We had to ask twice to get a very pouty waitress to deign to take away and bring back a new bucket. I then had the temerity to ask for water glasses -- the water was there, but no vessels for it. Same "waitress" glared and walked away. When nothing happened for several minutes, I asked again. She soon came out with a stack of glasses and put them on the water table. Then brought two over and plunked them down on our table. Empty. I mean, while she was there she COULD have filled them. But clearly...well clearly this waitress should not be a waitress. After writing this I think I shall go back to talk to someone about this incident. read more

Went to Ici and craved pizza afterwards. This was right next door. Unfortunately, I don't recommend any of the pizzas. They weren't bad, but they didn't hit the spot. The margherita pizza especially wasn't what I was expecting. No fresh mozzarella discs -- it was basically a regular cheese pizza. If you're getting pizza, order to share!! Among three people, we ordered the asparagus pizza, as well as the mushrooms one I found my tastebuds getting bored after a while and wishing we'd ordered less. read more

Note: This is just a review of the cupcakes which I ordered for our wedding! So one day I was on College headed to Jeremy's looking for shoes for my upcoming wedding... on the way I passed Summer Kitchen and couldn't help but notice the delicious looking cupcakes inside, particularly since I still needed to find a place to get cupcakes for our wedding. Ended up talking to the owner, Charlene, and she invited me to come down for tasting with my guy. Of course I had to take a cupcake home -- it was superb so I was quite excited about coming in for a tasting. We came back and were treated to a feast of cupcakes. Mind you, it was 10am on a Saturday morning, but what better way to start the day? They were fabulous. Our favorites were the lemon meringue, the rasberry filled (they also have nectarine), and the chocolate with cream cheese frosting. I was thrilled because this meant I could check another thing off the list! Fast forward to our wedding. Summer Kitchen delivered them to San Francisco on the day of. During the reception, everyone was asking us, "where did you get those cupcakes?" including the catering staff. And since they were such a hit, there was barely any left for us to take home. I HIGHLY recommend Summer Kitchen and can't wait to stop in again soon to try their food, and to grab a couple cupcakes. read more

A-Ok puts it perfectly- not bad but not great. Came for the pork sandwich, I was hoping for more of a pulled pork with that salty goodness. Instead it was more of a stewed pork that was smashed into some purple cabbage which didn't make it bad but I was just craving some salty pork goodness not mama's stew pork ( all I needed was a side of potatoes and carrots). I got a homemade cola on the side which tasted delish for being made on the spot. This place is also pretty roomy with their one table and a counter top. With all the extra space, it would not hurt to put a few more tables and lose the package crackers and jams sitting on a lonely table in the front. read more

Came to this place because it was next to ici's (Earl Grey ice cream, anyone?) Was deciding between the crispy chicken sandwich or the turkey, but decided to go with turkey since I didn't do Bikram this week - no work, no rewards :( The cranberry marmalade and the lemon aioli gave the turkey the extra kick it needed, the sandwich was just perfect. They also have a housemade mojito soda that is worth a try if you are a fan of sparkling aters (think mojito flavored sparkling water). read more

Summer Kitchen +bakeshop - Diestel turkey, onion cranberry marmalade, provolone, lemon aioli, poppy seed kaiser bun - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Lemon Meringue Cupcake was absolutely fantastic!! The meringue was probably the best I've ever had and the lemon filing was spot on. All the pastry items look out of control...in a good way. My friend ordered the Sausage & Fennel Pollen Pizza, the Orzo Salad, and the Chicken Tenders, which were all very delicious!! Basically...every time I go into Summer Kitchen I want to order EVERTHING. It's quite spendy but totally worth it if you can afford it. About $12.50 - 15 for a takeout dinner without the dining experience. Once I get a paying job this is my go to place for a quick-ish bite! Until then, $3 lemon meringue cupcakes will have to suffice for my poor college budget. definitely recommended. 4 stars because I haven't tried everything yet :) read more

Nice shop and nice desserts, but I really have to take off stars for the Hobbs pepperoni pizza, which was one of the greasiest things I've ever eaten. It was so greasy, I couldn't come close to finishing it. I was wondering if President Obama and the BP cleanup crew could take a break from the Gulf and get to work on this. I expect that from Domino's, not a place like this where the menu goes on and on about quality and ingredients. read more

Eating at this place made me feel like I'm living on the wrong side of the bridge for the first time ever. They are so good. For a moment I could imagine myself raising kids and vegetables in Berkeley (both sustainably and in a fair traded kind of way). Finally I realized I cannot leave San Francisco only because of one restaurant, not for Berkeley at least. Well what about the food? It is simply great, and it is greatly simple. No more than a few ingredients in every dish, but each of them handled so perfectly - or even more accurate to say - minimally handled - and it is so good. Their crispy chicken sandwich is amazing, and their "lululemon drop soda" is also very refreshing. The place decor is simple and beautiful, and the staff was very attentive and nice. Definitely coming back here, and the sooner the better. read more

I am so happy to have found the perfect spot for catering small parties. The food was so fresh and delicious. My entire family commented on the food and its tastiness. Also, Charlene, the owner, was super accommodating when we had to cut our order in half at the last minute because my son got sick for the party. The platters were beautifully put together and everything lovely. We'll definitely use them again. read more

Stopped by here with my husband for lunch. We shared the Turkey Cranberry sandwich and a Sausage Pizza. The sandwich was okay but it would have been better if the roll was toasted. The Pizza was deelicious!! The best part of our lunch was dessert, and it was complimentary! A guy working in the kitchen gave us a nice sized cupcake. It was lemony, custardy, coconutty deelish!! Will definitely be back here! read more

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

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Like many folks, my partner and I had often walked by Summer Kitchen and Bakeshop on our way to some other destination on College. Last week, though, we hit a pizza craving and were unimpressed by the "usual" options, and in a moment of brilliance, one of us said, "Hey, let's try that place on College that we never go to with the pizza?" "You mean the one between Elmwood [Cafe] and Ici?" "Yes." "Good idea," (looks up on Yelp, skims reviews, and reports, "It seems to be decent and they half-bake their pizzas." We decided to try two of their pizzas-their take on a margherita (cherry tomatoes) and a fig, gorgonzola, and arugula pizza with carmelized onion. The second pizza was far better than the first. They were both good pizzas, though the texture of the figs were a bit gummy. It was additionally bizarre that while we ordered half-baked pizzas, we did not receive instructions (written or verbal, or available on-line) about how to best finish reheating the pizzas. We have the capacity to figure these things out (how hard is it to pre-heat your oven and warm up a pizza?) but it's nice when an executive chef has gone through all of the trouble to create a recipe to know the optimal way to prepare it at home if that's what you're doing with it... The counter service was impressively nice and unpretentious. What was slightly odd was that in the fifteen minutes that elapsed between ordering our pizzas and picking them up, the place transformed into a high school hangout, with kids of various ages occupying the largest table, playing cards, and eating ice cream from Ici. They didn't appear to order anything from Summer Kitchen, and that didn't seem to phase anyone. A little strange, and definitely shifted the ambiance, but that wasn't what I was there for. Overall, a decent experience, but am not sure that I'd go back. read more

The quality of the food, especially the pizza varies, depending on the chef on hand. By far, the best pizza cook is Julio, but I have not seen him doing this for several weeks. I hope the owner puts him back onto this important job! In my last two visits, I tried pizzas made by the owner himself, and they were only so-so. I took them both home, unfinished, but decided neither was worth heating up as a left-over. But I would go out of my way for one of Julio's versions! I do not know his secret, even though I watched him make them. But his are so good, it is hard to stop eating the entire pizza at one go. If Julio were still making pizza, I would give this place 5 stars. (The owner could work on his social skills. His employees are all charming and helpful, though.) I also like the chocolate cupcakes. The icing is based on cream cheese and not too sweet. The egg sandwiches are fabulous, with fresh crusty white bread and lots of butter. They are rather expensive for what they are, though. The polenta, which is available as a side, is sometimes too thick, and otherwise uneventful. For the price they charge, this should have a healthy portion of Parmesan cheese in the mix. read more

This is a review for their lemon meringue cupcake. Sugar. That's all you need to know. That and milk. The cupcake was wayyyyyy too, TOO sweet. Usually the frosting is sweeter than the cake itself, but the frosting and cake are on the same page. My tongue still hurts from all the sugar! I swear, my taste buds are brunt bc of the sugar they loaded into these little devils. First bite is delicious, but after that, drink half a gallon of milk before finishing this sugar devil. I'll change/update my review after trying their other items on their menu. read more

I've always had amazing food here. From the sandwiches to the pizza to the drinks. The burger is my fave and definitely worth trying. The combination of arugula and bleu cheese works so well! The pizza with the farm egg is phenomenal and all of the baked treats are scrumptious too. Definitely a necessary stop in Elmwood. read more

So, I've been a few times to pick up baked goods and friend chicken. Both delicious! I've decided I like the tenders better, but that's because I don't do chicken skin that well. It's a bit bland when you take off 1/2 the skin. The vanilla raspberry cupcake and rhubarb tart were delicious, but the other cupcakes are a bit dry. Try Cupkates truck instead! The thing that really irritated the be-jesus out of me was that I went in one night to order a salad....A SALAD...and I waited for 20 minutes for it to be made. I understand that there are other dishes, but get on it! It's a salad! The quality of food is good, but don't go there to get anything that isn't pre-made...the service is too poor for that (and I don't mean the young women at the register, because she was feeling super bad for me as I stared...and stared...and stared to get my s.a.l.a.d. read more

My BFF sent me an email with a BlackBoard Eats 30% off passcode, so the boy and I decided to give it a try. We had a really late lunch/ real early dinner at 4. It's not a sit down place where they take your order at your table. Rather, you order first, find a seat, and then pick up your dish when it's ready. I went for the fried chicken sandwich, which was pretty good. It didn't blow me away, but the mustard sauce gave it a nice kick. The boy had the egg salad sandwich, which he thought was pretty delish. We ended with a slice of aprium blueberry upside down cake, which was very good. Sweet, but not too sweet. Nice cute place. Will probably be back for their sweets. read more

The Dish: I got the Margherita pizza and split it with my friend. It was pretty good, but it definitely didn't meet my expectations. I had high expectations for this place, but pizza everywhere else is better. If you want pizza (which is supposedly their specialty), go to Zachary's or Sliver. Ambience: The ambience was a lot cuter than the taste of the food. There aren't that many seats/tables, but if you come at a good time, there's always room. read more

It really surprised me that this place has been open for three months and has not found its rhythm. Summer kitchen is essentially a takeaway joint. Their menu items range from the basic fried chicken and collard greens/mashed potatoes plate to fancy pizzas with special ingredients. They also contain a variety of salads, beverages, and retail miscellany such as Charles Chocolates and Cans of Happy Boy Farms Pickles. They treat the seating there as if it was coincidental, if you are just there for a quick informal bite before a film it is not a bad deal. Prices were comparable to Gregoire and the Fried Chicken Platter was good, even tasty in fact in spite of the sides being lukewarm. The fried chicken was crispy, juicy, and flavorful --although I only had the leg meat. The pizza my boyfriend ordered came out hot and fresh, albeit 15 minutes later. They warned him they were out of broccoli rabe just as they were tossing it into the oven after he had paid for it (again another faux pas but one that was ignored in the interested of finishing and getting out of there). The pizza tasted good enough, but I felt that something was a little off in the flavor. I am guessing this place will do fine. I enjoy simple and tasty food with good ingredients and so do the folks in Elmwood. Price is not too exorbitant. However, the place is pretty mismanaged right now, so if you dine in you are likely to be somewhat dissatisfied. read more

One of my new favorite places to eat in Berkeley! When I first saw this place as it was being designed and built, my expectations for great food was high. When I finally had a chance to sample some of their delicacies, I was not disappointed. It's a great little shop next to Ici that carries fantastic sandwiches and pizzas. As of yet I've only tasted their flank steak sandwich, which is filled with slices of tender flank steak and made with crisp bread; their duck confit pizza, which is baked to order and boasts a fresh and light crust; chicken tenders, which surprised me with their fresh flavor and light crust; and their lemon meringue cupcake, which had a cloud-like cake base and an airy and sweet frosting mound on top. My one comment for you: be prepared to spend more for this place, but also be prepared for some great food. Steph's Recommendations: Grilled flank steak with roasted peppers & onions, olive tapenade & aioli Chicken tenders (what impresses me most is how light they taste--a contrast to your typical dense, thickly coated chicken tender) Lemon meringue cupcake read more

I've eaten at Summer Kitchen many times since my original review. I've shifted to a vegan diet since that review as well, and always found the staff to be accommodating with substitutions. But today, though I ordered the same salad I have ordered many times* from the same person I have ordered it from many times, I wound up with pieces of what my omni sweetheart identified as sliced turkey lurking. I'd already eaten half the salad. Summer Kitchen, why? Whether it's dubious prep hygiene or a deliberate act of malice, I don't think we can be simpatico any more. *"Would you like avocado instead of the chicken?" "Yes, please!" - clearly I would like a meatless salad at that point! read more