Wrap n' Roll--Berkeley sandwiches and wraps--EXCELLENT

[rccola]

Read about this place on SFGate but couldn't find it on yelp or chowhound (if it's on and I missed it, sorry. delete this or add it to another thread.) Decided to take a chance as husband L-O-V-E-S sandwiches. I'm not so enthusiastic but can take a break from my routine Thai/Vietnamese/Indian/Korean/etc.

So we drove down to University between 7th and 8th and it was GREAT. He had the club sandwich for $7.50, chock-a-block with tasty turkey and ham, lettuce, tomato, bacon and avocado and a side of too-many but too-good crispy fries. I dithered between a regular BLT (my favorite) and a breakfast sandwich of egg/cheese/bacon on an English muffin. But I fell back on my old standby: Asian food and had a Kathi wrap of Indian spiced chicken in a fresh chapatti/pita that they either make themselves or buy from an Indian granny. This was the best Indian thing I'd had to eat in a long time.

The owners, a sister and brother were not only super, super nice but cute as buttons and anxious to be hospitable. They gave me a taste of the gyro meat which was scrumptious. Meanwhile their dad was lovingly shaping falafels. Kind of a pan-American place!

Really, if you crave sandwiches to go or eat in, gotta try this place, perhaps before hitting the road as it's so convenient to I-80. I'd actually go back tomorrow for that BLT.
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[majordanby]

i had the the kathi roll for lunch recently. i went there a few months ago to try to grab one for dinner, but they ran out. i agree that the roll was quite tasty. my only complaint was how oily it was. not sure if this is typical. i got it to go and they wrapped it in both a parchment type paper and foil...and the oil still managed to leak out.

[Glencora]

Unfortunately, I agree. The filling is great, but I find the chapati greasy and heavy.

[drewskiSF]

that's too bad. wasn't greasy last summer when i tried it.

[katya]

I don't get to go to Berkeley much these days so I'd hate to forego a Kathi kabob roll at Vik's for one here unless it was really worth it. Any word on which is better from someone who's been to both?

[abstractpoet]

Wikipedia description of the Kati/Kathi roll:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kati_roll

[rccola]

Thanks for the correction to paratha! These days I'm having trouble remembering the names or things, goshdarnit.

[abstractpoet]

I'm not certain if it was a paratha, actually -- I guess that's just the traditional flatbread that's used, according to Wikipedia. I went again, and I believe it said "roti" on the menu description.

BTW, when we went at dinner time they were sold out of the Kathi roll -- said they need to start making more of it. So we ended up getting the gyro and the turkey BLT wrap, both pretty good.

[rccola]

I had my BLT. Traditionally great. Just what I wanted--no avocado, no hard roll, no other kinds of meat (reason my husband loves the club), just BLT on toast.

I want the Italian hoagie next.

[wolfe]

Noon, your favorite place top of Solano. Sourdough

[rccola]

Today? I'm making a peach pie.

[abstractpoet]

So I went and checked out Wrap n' Roll today based on this rec, and while I can't speak to the quality of any of the other menu items, I concur that the Kathi roll is fantastic.

I don't know why, but I was expecting something fusiony (maybe along the lines of a curried chicken salad, which I probably would have also enjoyed), but no, this was straight-up street food: "from my hometown in India," as the friendly guy who prepared it for me (maybe one of the owners?) said.

Anyway, the wrap reminded me a little bit of the lamb baida roti that they have at Vik's on the weekends. If anything I liked this better, mainly on the merits of the fresh paratha (I believe), which was griddled to order on top of an egg -- like how street vendors in Taipei make dan bing, the Chinese crepes I ate for breakfast pretty much every day in Taiwan. The masala chicken filling was nicely spiced (but not very spicy), with bits of onion and green pepper.

$6.75 (before tax) for a piping hot, totally satisfying lunch. And (shhh) I managed to inhale nearly the entire thing during my drive back to Oakland -- and didn't collide into oncoming traffic or even spill food all over myself.

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Wrap N' Roll
913 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94710

[drewskiSF]

quite delicious. that egg in the roll really adds a different twist for me, like a bready, spicy, omelet.

while overall i liked it, almost a 1/3 of it at one end didn't have any chicken which made it not totally satisfying. i'll definitely be back, though.

and yes, it is listed as "egg roti" on the menu