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    Vault Cafe

    3.4 (396 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 am - 3:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    VAULT CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Vault Cafe

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    Reviews With Photos

    Carol C.

    Date: 6/15/2025. Time: 3:00 PM. 67° Sunny I happened to walk by Vault Cafe while attending the Juneteenth event in Berkeley. It's my first time here and they did not look busy at all. Nobody greeted me at the door. As bold as I am, I grabbed a seat at a table near the entrance. It took a little while before a waitress handed me the menu. After perusing the menu, I decided to order the grilled salmon salad to go. I haven't had a grilled salmon salad in over two months. Hmm...which restaurant had it better? A restaurant in Alameda by the estuary or Vault Cafe in Berkeley? It is the former over the latter. It was not only what food item I ordered, but other factors were taken into consideration; namely, ambiance, service and attitude. The grilled salmon salad was okay. I am not much of a purple onion fan in salads. I only prefer purple onion in a hamburger. Indeed I am a picky eater. LOL. Then I have to be careful with raw carrots (food allergy). Cooked carrots are fine. The salad dressing was tart and salty. It was not thick and creamy. (Watered down?) Service could have been better. Based on my observation, the man sitting near the kitchen had attitude. He did not want a family of four to use the restroom facility when they needed to go. He was rude. He insisted that they use the outdoor restrooms. Attitude leaves a lot to be desired. Ambiance: comfortable and casual. Cafe is on the corner. There is plenty of natural sunlight coming through the plate glass windows. Return visits: Might then might not. In my book, it is a hit and miss. Three star rating is what they are getting from me.

    Menu
    Denise R.

    Stopped in for a late brunch and was pleasantly surprised. There was plenty of space to sit without feeling crowded. Shared a chicken pesto sandwich, spicy penne with sautéed chicken and marinara, an omelette, and French toast, everything tasted fresh and well-seasoned. Service was friendly as well. Will come again next time I visit Berkeley!!!

    Cinnamon French toast with banana
    Candy N.

    It was just before 2PM and we wanted breakfast. That's why we decided to grab a bite to eat here. Seems they are open until 3PM and they serve breakfast every day. The inside dining area has many tables available and I can see them being busy during a brunch weekend in that neighborhood. We ordered cinnamon French toast with banana, a side of bacon and eggs. We also ordered a bacon croissant egg sandwich. For beverages we ordered a chai latte with an espresso shot and a regular latte. The food came out hot and quickly. I do love a breakfast croissant sandwich. The bacon was cooked just the way I like and the yolk was perfectly runny. I didn't try the French toast but my friend ate it up. This place isn't a fancy brunch spot but it's a hangout and they have really good food options for breakfast every day. I'm definitely going to try to go to brunch here one weekend.

    Mango Smoothie
    Tara M.

    A friend of mine and I came here during the Juneteenth celebration to get a couple of smoothies. Great location and the decor is nice. The service was excellent. I enjoyed the mango smoothie and my friend liked his strawberry banana. The food I saw going to other tables looked delicious. I'll definitely return to try other options.

    Reuben sandwich with homemade potato salad.

    The Reuben sandwich is very nice, and the side is very homemade potato salad. The environment is really cool it's an ex bank. If you're in this neck of the wood is a pretty nice place to have a quiet meal.

    Orange Juice and Fruit

    Perfect for fans of simple breakfasts! Enjoy scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns, fresh fruit, and orange juice--classic and satisfying. The service is equally straightforward and efficient. This location offers plenty of space, making it an ideal spot for hosting a "diner" birthday party if you're a local!

    Eggplant and Zucchini Sandwich
    Ali M.

    I mean.... It's not the best cafe but also not the worst. I ordered a zucchini and eggplant sandwich with provolone and a fruit salad on the side for lunch today. All of it was good, some flavor but nothing really to write home about to be honest. Nothing I tasted made me think I gotta get food from here again unfortunately. Good price point though so I guess if you're looking for something cheap, give this place a try!

    a vault door with a neon sign above it

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    2 years ago

    food is always delicious service is excellent prices are extremely reasonable becoming one of my favorite places to frequent

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    3 years ago

    It was closed at 2pm this Tuesday afternoon (11/8/22), when it's supposed to be open. No sign about different hours or a brief closure

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    Ask the Community - Vault Cafe

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    Gather

    Gather

    (2.6k reviews)

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    Downtown Berkeley

    Gather nails the farm-to-table concept and was very highly recommended by my vegetarian friends. We…read morecame here after class one day; even with our last-minute planning, we were able to secure a table for the six of us that evening. We shared a plate of the tossed green salad and crispy Brussels sprouts, in addition to two pizzas - Fun-Gi and the Spicy Tomato. The crispy Brussels sprouts stole the show - the deep-frying created a smoky flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture that was equally loved by vegetarians and non-vegetarians in the group. The tossed salad was decent; the lettuce was heavily coated with oily dressing, which I think could have used more acidity. The Fun-Gi pizza was our favorite of the two pies - the hint of truffle oil and rosemary took this mushroom pizza to the next level. I also loved the light and airy crust, which had the perfect amount of crispiness. I wasn't as much of a fan of the Spicy Tomato pizza; while I really liked the unexpected sweetness from the tapenade, the cashew cream drizzle seemed out-of-place. The ambiance of the restaurant was whimsical and warm, providing the perfect backdrop for my friends to linger over our meal. The outdoor seating also looked very charming, and I imagine it would be nice to dine here on a warm, summer evening.

    even on a weekday during midday, the place was popping! small crowd & line out the door but…read moreeveryone was friendly and made sure we were accounted for. the food was presented nicely, and very well-balanced flavors. butternut squash soup was a favorite & the pizza was a nice delicate crisp. i liked how it wasn't your typical marinara sauce but even with the white sauce, it didn't feel particularly heavy either. such a great pizza combo & vegetarian friendly!

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    (2.4k reviews)

    $$$

    Rockridge, Elmwood, North Oakland

    Those who know me, know that I'm not a fancy guy. Which is why I always get the reliable pastrami…read moresandwich at this place. It's good and a solid meal for the price point. The pastrami sandwich comes on a baguette, which I love. It's nice to sharpen my teeth on that crunch. The pastrami itself is made in house, and it's delicious. They cut it fresh. It also comes with a small side of coleslaw. They use a Dijon dressing that is absolutely fantastic. Be sure to ask for extra dressing.

    I have been wanting to try this place for a few months and its so hard to grab reservation. I was…read morefinally able to after trying for a few months. The food in this place was good but the service was so bad at some point I felt like it was a torture. The place was kind of empty not too many table were full but the waiter just would be gone for long and wouldn't come ask if we needed anything. The wait between meals like appetizer and main course was so long not because of kitchen but the server was just gone for long at a stretch. I had to ask him to come and same with after our meal was finished he never came to ask if we needed dessert, The waiter on other table saw us a few times and he finally came and gave us a menu. I really wanted to try a dessert but was scared this will again take us another hour to even get the server to come and get our order. On top of really slow service there was an older man who sat in the table next to us and kept talking to us looking at our food. He literally was asking me if you support trump do you like him. He kept telling us how he knew the owner and his wife and has come to this place for 100 times over years and everything is free for him here. This was all ok but I wasn't sure why he wasn't letting us eat our meal in peace. At some point he became a little racist as well, when we tried to take our food goto he told us i won't take this goto. I never take this goto. And then was like ohh you are from India and it felt so uncomfortable. He was like do you watch fox, I watch fox. Then was like I have cable, I don't try to save money. Do you have cable.. omg never ending interrogation and also kept looking at our food and table and what we were eating and kept commenting on that. I understand this restaurant might have some old and familiar guest or important people come to this place but they should understand other guest should still be able to enjoy there meal without being bothered by the people who are known. It was one of my worse restaurant experiences, the service and on top of this man who somehow is VIP guest at this place made it so hard for us to have our date night meal in peace. I literally tried to run away from this place. This was almost 2 hrs long ordeal. We came a little before 6 and left at 8 and I never eat for that long. I'll NEVER go to this place again even though I loved the food.

    Berkeley Social Club - Gooey Corn

    Berkeley Social Club

    (2.5k reviews)

    $$

    Downtown Berkeley

    This place was such a great find! From the moment we walked in, the atmosphere felt clean, cozy,…read moreand welcoming. The booths with soft pillows made it extra comfortable, and multiple staff members greeted us right away and made sure we felt taken care of throughout our visit. We decided to try the bottomless mimosas, and even though we're from out of state where they're usually cheaper, we normally don't get them but it was 100% worth it. We were a little hesitant at first, but we're so glad we went for it--the flavors were amazing and kept coming at a great pace. The food really impressed us too. Everything came out hot, fresh, and full of flavor. The Korean spicy syrup was a standout--so unique and absolutely delicious. (Spicy pork bowl & waffle and Korean kfc was amazing!!! Portions were generous for the price, which made the whole experience feel like a great value. Overall, we were really impressed. Great service from all employees!! great food, and a super comfortable vibe. This is definitely going to be our go-to breakfast spot from now on!

    Parking is a little tricky but we were able to find a spot right away! We went on a Sunday so it…read morewas really busy around 12-1pm. We put ourselves on the waitlist and the wait was about 30-40mins. I've gotten the Ube latte, and it was pretty yummy but I could barely taste the ube. We waited about 25mins for our food to come out but it was fresh and hot when we've gotten it. It was super yummy! I liked my scrambled bulgogi. It came with potatoes and a slice of toast. Overall I finished my plate! We ordered: Side of Mixed fruits Bulgogi scrambled Tornado Bulgogi Omurice Dirty Ube Latte Hot chocolate (not pictured) The place was really pretty but by the host stand it was very tight. Better to wait outside for your table!

    Vault Cafe - breakfast_brunch - Updated May 2026

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