Tips for Dining, Eating, and Food Shopping in the SF Bay Area (including Berkeley, Oakland, Napa, Sonoma, Marin, and San Jose)
Start New ThreadThis great thread discusses food near lots of BART stations (http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/630521) but the only mentions near Ashby BART are weekend-only places (the Thai temple, flea market) and a bakery.
Where do people go on their lunch break near Ashby BART?
Thanks.
By david kaplan
on Mar 31, 2011 01:14 PM
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Anyone tried Flacos, opens at noon.
http://www.flacos.com/locations.html
1/3 miles to Rocky's for decent burger and fries.
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ive tried flacos at the sat farmers market. i like their taquitos. all vegan. however, slightly pricey.
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Flacos is great. Vegan but you don't miss the meat...their avocado sauce is very tastey...beware when they say hot they mean HOTTT
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I finally tried Flacos today. Taquitos are only $1 on Tuesdays. Plus they have a free meal on your birthday.
My favorite though was the $4 banana leaf tamale, which was tender and delicious. No idea what their protein is, and I'm not a vegan. But this is really tasty Mexican food. The fresh salsa was especially good.
Looking forward to returning. Closed Mondays.
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Sweet Adeline Bake Shop (Adeline at 63rd, one block south of Alcatraz) has very nice baked goods, including several savory choices, and they serve sandwiches on house-made focaccia for lunch. Pleasant room, friendly bakers/staff. If you're willing to walk to up College, there are many more options, including Summer Kitchen and Bakeshop and the Elmwood Cafe (formerly Ozzie's). There's also the Whole Foods deli with outdoor seating at Ashby and Telegraph.
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Sweet Adeline
3350 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA
Elmwood Cafe
2900 College Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
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Unfortunately, there's not a lot in the immediate vicinity, and even less to recommend. The $7 pizza/salad lunch special at Addie's Pizza Pie is very nice; the pizza is quite good, and so is the salad (see http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/734413 ).
The Mexican breakfast items at Sconehenge are a decent way to go. Sweet Adeline has a quiche of the day, served with salad, which I have not had, but their baked goods are very nice in general.
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Sweet Adeline
3350 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA
Addie's Pizza Pie
3290 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
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Addie's no longer serves lunch.
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That's my neighborhood. Pickings are relatively slim. Crixa is the one major destination in the area but has only a few savory items. Addie's has good pizza, at lunch I believe they have it by the slice. The fish tacos at La Familia are good. Berkeley Bowl's prepared food department does a brisk lunch business. The Vault is an OK breakfast / diner-type place. Kirala for Japanese. LA Bayou is an odd mix of Cajun, Korean, and burritos, I haven't been there since it changed hands. Flaco's is vegan Mexican.
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Berkeley Bowl
2020 Oregon St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Crixa Cakes
2748 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
La Bayou
3278 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Kirala Restaurant
2100 Ward St, Berkeley, CA 94705
Taqueria La Familia
2971 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
Vault Cafe
3250 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
Addie's Pizza Pie
3290 Adeline St, Berkeley, CA 94703
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Crixa it is! I've seen all the glowing posts, but my East Bay geography isn't good enough to realize it was near Ashby. Thanks.
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Crixa has some of the best -made and most distinctive baked goods anywhere in the Bay Area, but it isn't a lunch destination (very few savory items) unless your idea of lunch is a slice of divine flourless chocolate cake with a pot of tea.
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Crixa has a few savory items at lunchtime. You can check online to see if the day's selection appeals.
http://www.crixacakes.com/archives/to...
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Use to live a couple of blocks away from Ashby BART and it's sparse. As mentioned Berkeley Bowl, La Familia, Flaco's. Also there's that corner deli at NE corner of Shattuck/Ashby, no sit down...just okay.
Also Sconehenge, a nice breakfast/lunch place. Starry Plough has basic bar food. I think they're open for lunch but not sure.
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Starry Plough doesn't open until 4:00.
There's also the Cafe Valparaiso, which I've never tried.
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Cafe Valparaiso
3105 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
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A friend who goes to La Pena regularly says Cafe Valparsiso should be avoided (to put it nicely) and I trust his opinion...plus I've never heard anything good about it, ever.
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There are a few positive reports in the archive here.
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Just for the record, Taste of Africa (which moved from what is now Flaco's to the old Omnivore space on Shattuck) has closed, and that space is no longer a restaurant.
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A Taste of Africa
3015 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA
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Try the Vault. The hamburgers there are very good, especially if you like them underdone. They're on Adeline/MLK 2 blocks N of Alcatraz
(There is an old bank vault at the back of the restaurant)
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I love to go over to get the lunch special at Kirala.
I also like the turkey sandwich at Sconehenge
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Kirala Restaurant
2100 Ward St, Berkeley, CA 94705
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Smokey J's Barbecue at Shattuck and Emerson (1 south of Ashby) is pretty good. I've only had dinner there though, so I have no idea whether lunch is any good as dinner.
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No difference, Smokey J's has the same menu all day.
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adding a link to Smokey J.
I've tried a few of their items; I'm not knowledgeable about BBQ but everything I've had has been very good (rib tips, ribs, brisket, pulled pork).
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Smokey J's BBQ
3015 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA 94705
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