New American Restaurants in Berkeley, CA

“The food inside is delicious and healthy portions. The service here is great too!“

“A game day classic, but also a great place to chill with your friends or family on other days in the cozy banquettes. Great space, excellent drinks, and the new burger is amazing.“

“What a lovely surprise to find such tasty, healthy food so close to home, friendly staff, on time! Lightly cooked but high-protein and *yummy*“

“The lamb chops were phenomenal!“

“open mic Tuesdays and the food and atmosphere!“

“This was my first time here, and I'm so glad that I visited. I ordered the double smash burger, which was delicious and juicy. The order came with seasoned fries. The atmosphere was simple, no fuss, and the service was quick.

Parking: Depending on time of day, parking can be difficult.“

“Not many vegetarian options, but the one you have is the best ever🤩“

“Things haven’t gotten going yet so you can still make it.“

“I appreciate when a restaurant gives you a reasonable amount of food on your plate. My breakfast was the right size to feel satiated and not overly full. The potato wedges were well cooked and tasty. Coffee is self serve, so no worries about cups being empty. It's a bit small inside, so seating might be an issue if they are busy. Definitely a great breakfast place“

“You can't get food with such quality cappuccinos, and espresso shots are exquisitely pulled anywhere else in San Francisco suburbs. The foam can hold in my adult sippy cup for over any hour I spend commuting back or forth from the peninsula. I am astonished by the rarity of the lost dinner or dive to have a cup of coffee tasting like my grandmother Thanksgiving dinner. Thank you for being wonderful people with personality that enchants the atmosphere, and your service makes a comb slick my hair back in a greased lighting.“

“One of the best restaurants in Elmwood (4/5 green stars) It’s so easy to walk right by Summer Kitchen without even noticing it. It’s a narrow shopfront with just a few tables outside and it’s easy to miss as you ponder ice cream and other offerings from neighbors. Well, take it from me – forget ice cream and get a baked item from Summer Kitchen instead! Or try a pizza, or an egg salad sandwich – possibly the best egg salad sandwich you’ll ever have. But if you are limited for time, try one of the fresh fruit pastries (galette) – they seem expensive at $12 but they are big enough for two and totally worth it! I’m giving Summer Kitchen 4/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact. The positives are obvious – most of the ingredients are organic and locally sourced. Everything is made from scratch and there is transparent sourcing of the meat and fish (Mary’s free-range chicken, etc.). There are a reasonable amount of vegetarian options and you can definitely find some vegan dishes too (salads, sandwich, pasta). Summer Kitchen could make the biggest environmental impact by scrapping beef from the menu – replacing it with plant-based alternatives, ideally. Beef has a carbon footprint of around 10 times that of chicken and over 100 times that of pea protein, on average. If everyone one the planet ate 1 lb. of beef per week (the US average), total greenhouse gas emissions would increase by one third! I’ll write a post illustrating all of this soon on the Green Stars Project. So I really appreciate that Summer Kitchen makes more effort than the vast majority of restaurants on improving sustainability so that’s my suggestion for the biggest opportunity for improvement – cut the beef.“

“Outdoor patio Salad Lunch Breakfast Brunch“

“ok so bear with me here. this is like the tiniest silly thing to be thrilled by when everything else cool about this place is more interesting (the mermaid arts! the creative cocktails! the tikka masala queso!) but like you know how a lot of the time cheese fries look more exciting than they are because all the topping is on top? the ones here do not have this problem. there is sauce on all the fries. they were crispy and flavor balanced the whole way to the bottom of the tray. this is terrible for my calorie count but amazing for my heart.

also the charming snake shaped mug brought me great joy. needlessly adorable thank you.“

“had a nice brunch before class started and was on a budget, cashier was sweet and recommended me a nice sandwich and i tried a smoothie which was way better than expected, workers were all sweet and i sat for a bit while waiting for my next class to start, will come back again“

“Great food and friendly service! We've dined in and gotten takeout and both times the food has been super tasty. I like that they can open up the big doors to the main room on a nice day. There's some outside seating too. Highly recommend a burger on Hawaiian roll and tater tots!“

“Stopped by this café in Berkeley and loved it. The place has a warm, relaxed vibe with just the right amount of buzz from people studying and chatting. The coffee was excellent—smooth, rich, and clearly made with care. I tried their cappuccino and it was perfectly balanced. The staff were friendly and seemed to genuinely enjoy what they do, which adds to the atmosphere. There’s plenty of seating, good Wi-Fi, and a nice mix of indoor and outdoor spots. Great place to work for a few hours or just hang out and unwind. Definitely coming back.“

“Wonderful food service and beer! Very friendly owner! Will definitely return and recommend.“

“Delicious and portions are huge“

“Dining with Abstract Table is an art experienced through the eyes and palette. Each course was beautifully and thoughtfully created to delight the senses. I can’t wait to see what they dream up next!“

“Tender Greens | Berkeley has become a go-to place for occasional food delivery & dining in house in the mid-afternoon. The food is tasty, fresh, & plentiful—consistent—& always tastes good. Chefs develop interesting & tasty seasonal menus. I have explored a number of plates & bowls, especially savor the greens & seasonings that go alongside the entrees. Have enjoyed chicken, salmon, beef, & vegetarian options as well as all the sides. Sandwiches & salads are delish. As is the mint lemonade & watermelon fresca. The place can be hopping or not, & the service is top notch & personable, professional. They do robust to-go orders & have spacious outdoor garden seating. Sure wish I’d discovered it sooner!“

“We all agreed that the food was first rate, the staff was friendly and helpful, and the French toast was excellent…“

“Delicious, fresh and wholesome food! We were visiting from out of town and just googled breakfast in Berkeley, and this place popped up. So glad we chose it, because our food was delicious. Our group had the lox bagel, breakfast burrito, and the jumpstart breakfast with pancakes and bacon. Everything was quality and cooked well. The smoothies and espresso drinks were also great!“

“Love this place. Great service and food!!!“

“Always a great experience and that view!“