Berkeley: Alfonso's Cafe - Holy mole ... CREPES !!!

[rworange]

Alfonso's is in the old Gallegos location on San Pablo Avenue. It serves sweet and savory crepes, hot pressed sandwices, salads, breakfast and pastries.

In addition to the usual crepes, they have a chicken mole crepe that is quite good.

Alfonso's is a family buiness. The daughter is the manager. The mom makes the mole. It is cholate based with chicken stock and lots of spices. It is not spicy hot but has depth. There is a generous filling of roasted chicken and crumbled Mexican cheese.

Most of the dishes range from $4- $8. If the salads and paninis look familiar, the daugher worked at Cafe Trieste. They buy the bread, coffee and some of the pastries from Trieste.

Orange juice and carrot juice (or a mix) is squeezed to order and there is a generous cup for $2.95.

They open early (6:30 am weekdays, 7 am weekends). A whole breakfast with eggs, potatoes, french toast or pancakes is about $7.

It is a tiny place with a few tables inside and a big patio area. There are nice touches like small vases of fresh flowers on the table.

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Alfonso's Cafe
2309 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley, CA 94702

[chocolatetartguy]

This is nextdoor to Tito's Machine Shop and the discount liquor store, the old Gallego's location? You have me worried because, a few weeks back there was an illness in Mrs. Gallego's? family back in Mexico.

[sydthekyd]

Yes, between LoCost Liquors and Tito's. Do you recommend Gallego's, and if so, what? I don't ever see very many people in there.

[chocolatetartguy]

I do, recommend that is. I haven't been there in a while. They don't stay open that late for dinner, but I have always liked their chicken mole and caldo de res. Also the spareribs in red sauce.

They are mainly a neighborhood lunch spot. Due to the hood and the hours, they don't seem to attract much dinner traffic. Almost went there for Cinco de Mayo, but it was too late.

[ernie in berkeley]

I'll recommend Gallegos as well. Nice atmosphere, family run, very well-assembled platos. And a parking lot, so you don't have to feed the meters on San Pablo.

[abstractpoet]

Just to be clear, Alfonso's and Gallego's don't have anything to do with each other, right? Besides the one being located in the former location of the other.

[ernie in berkeley]

Correct.

[chocolatetartguy]

Affirmative. Sorry to create confusion but when the post popped up I failed to notice the date and thought it referred to the new Gallego's location. I knew that Mrs. Gallego's? had traveled to Mexico due to a family illness and put 2 and 2 together and got 86.

[abstractpoet]

Finally got around to trying this place. It is tiny, but they set up some outdoor seating in the parking lot. On a Saturday morning, it was only the owner working -- the "dad," I guess. Nice guy.

The chicken mole crepe was good, but the mole was too sweet for my taste, and next time I'd ask him to hold the raw onions. On the sweet side of the menu, the banana-nutella was decent enough, if not exactly conjuring memories of Paris. Portions are big! Cafe au lait was basically undrinkable, though.

[rccola]

The traditional crepe with butter, sugar and lemon juice was delicious.

The traditional breakfast was meh.

[Ruth Lafler]

Those look like real crepes, not those overstuffed monstrosities at Crepevine.