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nicedragonboy
Apr 13, 2007 01:44 PM
It's more of a lunch place, but Sam's Kabob that just openned on Milvia and Allston is pretty good. They have a nice Mango Honey smoothie there too.
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gemster
Apr 12, 2007 01:35 PM
Barney's has very good sandwiches/burgers (better than Bongo Burger, I think)
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re: gemster
lexdevil
Apr 12, 2007 01:44 PM
If I were going to head past downtown to Cedar, I'd hit something a lot better than Barney's. I'm actually not a fan of their burgers, but I wasn't really recommending Bongo Burger for straight up hamburgers anyway. I'd take a Bongo Burger falafel, Persian burger, or eggplant sandwich any day before eating a Barney's Burger.
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lexdevil
Apr 12, 2007 11:00 AM
Nothing fancy at all, but Bongo Burger (both downtown, Southside, and Northside) is good for cheap and tasty better than fast food. I wouldn't bother with a regular burger, and the fries are merely serviceable, but there are several good options. Their falafel is tasty...not as good as Holy Land, but good enough and beyond cheap. The Persian burger is also satisfying. Ground lamb patty on a toasted roll with sumac. Ask for extra sumac--it is the key to the Persian burger. We're talking cheap student eats, but there's nothing wrong with that. And the downtown location is generally quiet and easy to get a table at (Southside can be crowded).
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Robert Lauriston
Apr 12, 2007 10:00 AM
For cheap restaurants with easy parking, Telegraph's better than downtown Berkeley.
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re: chemchef
Robert Lauriston
Apr 13, 2007 11:02 AM
Cafe Colucci, Unicorn, Norikonoko. Not sure about Saigon City since the chef opened Bui.
Holy Land on College is great but parking in the Elmwood can be rough until after peak dinner hours.
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re: Robert Lauriston
My husband doesn't like Middle Eastern food, which I believe both Cafe Colucci and Holy Land are some versions of. I do like Unicorn, but I thought I remembered it being a little pricey. Obviously, not Chez Panisse pricey, but certainly more than I would want to spend for a little take-out meal. Maybe I'm wrong.
What type of food are Norikonoko and Saigon City?
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re: chemchef
Robert Lauriston
Apr 13, 2007 02:19 PM
Norikonoko is home-style Japanese cooking (no sushi).
Cafe Colucci's Ethiopian. Not very similar to Middle Eastern food.
Might be easier to post a list of what your husband will eat.
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re: chemchef
Robert Lauriston
Apr 13, 2007 03:19 PM
I'm probably not the only person who has been omitting places that don't meet your stated criteria.
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re: Robert Lauriston
nicedragonboy
Apr 13, 2007 01:38 PM
Patrick Bui did indeed close down Saigon City to focus on Bui, I believe a Nepalese place has openned where Saigon used to be.
I like the little Korean place that's inside the restaurant/shopping center at the corner of Telegraph and Blake. The Clay Bowl Bi Bim Bop is pretty good there.
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re: chemchef
nicedragonboy
Apr 20, 2007 01:55 PM
I agree w/ chemchef...I really miss the days of Hua Hin, which used to be on the corner of Bancroft and Fulton.
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re: chemchef
nicedragonboy
Apr 20, 2007 02:33 PM
Yes, and I am not a fan of Looney's at all. At least, not of the food. There's a couple threads floating around about it, but for the 1 time I went, the food was pretty much inedible. a real disappointment.
The scene is pretty good though for watching the game and grabbing a bear, but other than that, if the brisket sandwich and Blueberry Cobbler were any indication of the food, I will not be going back.
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re: nicedragonboy
Robert Lauriston
Apr 20, 2007 02:58 PM
I thought the spareribs were OK but the side dishes were bland and boring.
T-Rex's ribs are much better and the sides are really good. Oddly a half rack is cheaper than at Looney's ($14 vs. $14.96) but a full rack is more expensive ($28 vs. $22.96).
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Morton the Mousse
Apr 11, 2007 09:48 PM
I prefer the options in the Gourmet Ghetto. It's less than a half mile from Downtown, and worth the detour.
Epicurious Garden recently installed a bunch of seating indoors and outdoors. Imperial Tea Court is great esp. the beef noodle and pork won ton. Haven't tried the new Mexican place yet, though I've heard good things. If you go to Kirala2 get your sushi made to order. EG is nice because you can get a variety of different things, eat there or get it to go, It's inexpensive, most of the places use organic and natural ingredients, and it's quick. No on-line menu, but it's easy to drop by and pick up a take out menu, and they're happy to let you call ahead.
Gregoire is a great value, though I know others will take issue if I call it cheap. They have an online menu so you can judge for yourself. Seating is tricky during peak hours.
Gotta love Cheeseboard. Cheap, tasty, and you get to enjoy live music. There is usually seating in the evening, esp. when It's warm out and you can use one of the outside tables. They post the pizza of the day on the web, so you can get to know your favorites and plan accordingly. I like to pick up a salad at Gregoire across the street, and take it to Cheeseboard to balance out the pizza. Half a pizza, one salad, and a couple of drinks is a great dinner for two under $20.
Guerilla Cafe recently expanded their hours to 8pm. Haven't been for dinner, and I can't find a dinner menu (heck for all I know, it's coffee only in the evening) but they do a solid lunch of panini, soup and salad. Inexpensive, quick and fun.
Those are my inexpensive picks for the area. I don't eat in Downtown much, but I go to the Gourmet Ghetto all the time. You might also check out Poulet, which has its fans.
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re: Morton the Mousse
Thanks Morton! Great post.
I too, love the Gourmet Ghetto. I have been to Epicurious Garden. Did not care for the food from Imperial Tea... food was cold and overly greasy, but maybe it was just a fluke since I've heard others rave about it. The tea was good, though.
I haven't been to Gregoire yet (yikes!), but its on my short list of places yet to try. I love the Cheeseboard and check their online menu daily since I don't like goat cheese and my husband doesn't like blue cheese, both of which they use a lot. I have been very disappointed this week b/c they haven't been posting the pizzas.
Never been to Guerilla Cafe, but it sound like I should go based on your enthusiasm.
That area is great, although parking is mostly a pain, especially around dinnertime. I guess that's why I don't go over there that much.
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re: chemchef
Morton the Mousse
Apr 12, 2007 10:21 AM
Give Imperial another shot. Get the beef noodle, pork wonton and green onion pancake. Though the menu is definitely hit or miss, those three dishes are solid; I've porbably had that combination 15 times.
You gotta try Gregoire. I eat there more than any other restaurant, period.
If CB doesn't post their menu on line, you can always call them and ask about the pizza of the day. I'm with your husband in not liking blue cheese, so I always call ahead before going.
Parking can be a pain, but if you circle the residential streets south of Cedar or North of Rose you can usually find a spot within a few blocks walk. Finding parking on Shattuck is the real bear.
Not sure if I'd say I'm enthusiastic about Guerilla, but the food is solid and cheap. I think of it as a cheaper, faster and less snooty version of Cafe Fanny. Try it out, I just want to temper your expectations.
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re: Morton the Mousse
Robert Lauriston
Apr 12, 2007 10:25 AM
I think Gregoire is a lot more appealing to people who can walk over and get home before the food gets cold. My friends who live three blocks away get takeout there all the time.
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re: Robert Lauriston
Morton the Mousse
Apr 12, 2007 10:37 AM
I agree that the food loses its magic as it gets cold, but it's not that hard to snag a table on a weekday evening, especially as the days last longer and the outdoor tables become an option. I rarely order ahead so I can get there, appraise the situation, and maximize my chances of scoring a table before the food arrives.
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Would love a place that has a menu online, so I can just call in our order and pick it up on my way home from school after picking up the hubby at Ashby BART.
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re: chemchef
Robert Lauriston
Apr 11, 2007 05:16 PM
I thought you wanted quick meals in downtown Berkeley.
What you really want is fast takeout near Ashby BART? Where do you head from there?
shopinberkeley.com has links to the Web sites of most restaurants that have them:
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re: Robert Lauriston
Ah, the semantics! Well, we head toward downtown Berkeley from there, and since I don't particularly like the Ashby BART neighborhood, plus I figured there'd be more choices closer to downtown (at least that's been my experience thus far). Didn't want to say take-out b/c there is a chance we may sit in and eat depending on the place and our mood. Also, sometimes take-out implies fast food, which we definitely don't want.
Thanks for the help!
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Robert Lauriston
Apr 11, 2007 04:58 PM
Ryoya Ramen (upgrade to "special noodles" for $1 extra (they got lost from the menu the last time they updated it but they still have them))
Jayakarta
Jupiter's pizza and sandwiches are decent
Pie in the Sky (pizza by the slice)
You can eat well at Taiwan if you order the right things. Search for posts by Han.
The Mediterranean's not as good as it was when it was Truly Mediterranean.
For people who do like Indian:
Udupi Palace (vegetarian South Indian; thali dinner changes daily)
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re: Robert Lauriston
Morton the Mousse
Apr 11, 2007 05:04 PM
When were you last at Cha Ya, Robert? I've heard a few reliable off-the-board reports that things have gone downhill since they opened a location in the city. The A-Team crew went to SF and has left Berkeley with a staff that puts a lot less care and attention into the food.
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