I'm really sad. They had the best falafel in Berkeley. I haven't worked at Cal for six years now, so I really had to make an effort to come to Sunrise Deli at lunchtime, and sadly, I didn't come often enough. The San Francisco locations remain, and that's good, but it seems that every month another little part of the twentysomething me dies as beloved businesses that existed when I moved here in 2003 close. It happens over and over, and they're usually replaced by expensive, crappy substitutes with poor service and ridiculously small portion sizes. Even when I first came across Sunrise, this stretch of Bancroft between Oxford and College seemed like it was precariously frozen in time. The developers finally noticed, I guess. Sunrise Deli was right up there with the original Ali Baba's Cave in San Francisco (RIP). The good places close, yet the mediocre Middle Eastern places soldier on. Thank you for all the delicious food, Sunrise. I already miss you, even though I didn't know I did.
Dubzy Tse
Best Chinese in Berkeley
Laurina S.
This place is tasty however the food takes a really long time. They only have a regular stove top and cook all the raw meat to order. Normally, Mediterranean restaurants have the meat rotating and they slice it off or cook it partially and finish it off when someone orders it. Also, they run out of stuff often and it take forever during lunch. Every time I've been there during lunch time, I see people wait too long to order and walk out because they realize they'll have to wait just as long to receive their food. They should invest in an industrial size stove tops and ovens to serve the hungry lunch crowd near Cal.
Richard M.
Many many years ago, my buddy took me to Sunrise Deli in The Sunset (SF) and told me that it was the closest thing he'd seen to the falafel he'd get in Israel. I loved it from the get-go. The tahini sauce they make is the specific thing that keeps me going back. Many tahini's are pasty and plain. Their's has depth that I've never experienced anywhere else - without a doubt my favorite tahini. So I decided to try Sunrise Deli on Bancroft. Before ordering, I asked, "Do you also have a restaurant in SF?" Yes, they assured me it was the same. So I ordered the falafel platter. It arrived - but no tahini. I asked the clerk - where's the tahini. She said it does not come with the falafel plate. I looked at the menu (photo attached) and it says "tahini". I pointed that out to her and she acquiesced and gave me a side of tahini (weird). So I enjoyed my meal - the tahini wasn't exactly as I remembered it, but it was pretty good. The falafel was fine - almost impossible to mess that up. The side salad was excellent. Overall, it's not quite what I remember about the SF location, but still good.
Megha T.
Poor quality food and service, to the point where I'm upset their prime real estate isn't occupied by a better eating establishment. Lol. I've eaten here several times while at Cal and each instance has left me underwhelmed and annoyed at spending $10 on bad food. Their falafel is bland and usually overfried. This particular instance, I ordered a chicken shawarma sandwich. When I entered, there was only one employee who was sweeping the floors. In order to make my food, she washed her hands but wiped them on a dirty rag and proceeded make my food without gloves, which really grossed me out. My meal was an 8" long wrap ($8.50) with chicken, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, and beets. The chicken was very sketchy - tough to chew and didn't seem fresh at all. Same with the veggies, you could definitely tell they were sitting out for a while and/or frozen at one point. I also had an issue with sogginess similar to other reviewers, where the bottom half of my wrap was incredibly soaked and soupy.
cautious optimist
One worker, used cell phone during prep, did not wash hands. Stale pita ruined otherwise small but typical falafel. Great ground lamb and good hummus.
Molly L.
I went there during lunch and got an Avocado falafel and fries for $6.99, which is one of the lunch specials. I wasn't going to come here because I was craving fries and none of the photos had fries. But I saw the sign on the window with the falafel pita and fries special and went in. Unfortunately, the fries took a while since they had to fry them and so people who ordered behind me got their food first. It took awhile for the fries to be done, about 15-20 minutes but the cashier saw my impatience and said he would bring it to my table. The seating is pretty tight because of the small space. I sat on a side table and two others joined me and it was squished to say the least. The lines can also get pretty long and it can be hard to know where to stand or sit while waiting. The hummus side was the biggest disappointment. The hummus was so watery and had no flavor to it that I didn't even finish a quarter of it before I threw it away. But I did like that they scooped and fried the falafel as people ordered - I just wish my falafels weren't so over-fried.
Evan C.
Delicious chicken shwarma wrap. Eat it with the housemade chili sauce. Outstanding lunch meal for a solid price point too.
Piarpreet K.
Worst Mediterranean I've had in America. How can a plate not have rice or tabouli? The hummus is watery... the service is deplorable. I'm in shock of how badly cooked and cut this chicken is.
Danielle S.
Wow. I got the Veggie Wrap with chicken instead of eggplant today. Wraps are a favorite of ours, but Sunrise Deli beats them all. Packed with tons of vegetables unlike most - so not only super tasty, but super healthy too. This place is kind of far from us, but parking is easy and well worth the drive. We will be back...often.
The portions are significantly smaller than expected given the price, and even with the discount from Snackpass, it still feels like a rip off. Like some reviews indicate, the plate is pretty soupy so they just didn't really try... The primary reason for the one star was during the check in offer. After receiving my order, I asked to redeem it. Well, the guy said "sorry we only give that for PAYING customers." I DID PAY, as seen with the chicken shawarma. He was hesitant and rudely turned away, saying "just a few minutes" even though the falafel is obviously made already and it just takes 5 seconds to squeeze in 6 pieces of falafel in the bag. Minus 4 stars just for that. When they say "best falafel in town," I honestly don't think so. The falafel was very dry and cold, clearly left out in the open for a long time while there were warm/hot falafels given to those who actually paid for the side dish. In terms of flavor, it is bland. I think almost all the places I tried the falafel is way better than this. Overall, they really should not ignore the customers that use the Snackpass and yelp check in offer because I honestly was just testing to see if this would be the place I would go regularly if I'm craving the food. You missed the chance and you just lost a potential regular customer. Good job!
Kendall G.
I generally assume that food close to campus is tasteless and over priced. I was hesitant to try this place out as a result, but I had been walking all day and was desperate for ANY FOOD (like seriously, any food at all). The place is small. Nothing fancy. The cashier wasn't the most warm and welcoming guy, but I tried not to take it personally. There was a yelp check-in coupon for a free half dozen falafel, so I got that to split with my friend along with a regular falafel. She got an avocado falafel. Y'all when their menu advertises "the best falafel in town" THEY AINT LYIN. It's not green inside like most falafel, but it's fresh as all hell and so perfectly crispy on the outside that it's startling. The avocado and tomato were beautiful, vibrant colors and also tasted fresh. I will definitely be back for a healthy lunch on the run after class or to refuel after the gym.
Eman D.
Amazing falafel and pro tip, try the homemade hot sauce. Soooo good! Especially with snackpass discounts I can eat here everyday. Without snackpass probably not but still delicious. Avocado falafel wrap is awesome and portions are actually quite big!
Bob F.
Garbage food that drips liquid like crazy. Can't even eat the chicken shawarma because it was literally a soup dish. Disgusting
Shivin Devgon
Small but wholesome restaurant. Falafel wraps or plates are made quickly and taste great
I'm really sad. They had the best falafel in Berkeley. I haven't worked at Cal for six years now, so I really had to make an effort to come to Sunrise Deli at lunchtime, and sadly, I didn't come often enough. The San Francisco locations remain, and that's good, but it seems that every month another little part of the twentysomething me dies as beloved businesses that existed when I moved here in 2003 close. It happens over and over, and they're usually replaced by expensive, crappy substitutes with poor service and ridiculously small portion sizes. Even when I first came across Sunrise, this stretch of Bancroft between Oxford and College seemed like it was precariously frozen in time. The developers finally noticed, I guess. Sunrise Deli was right up there with the original Ali Baba's Cave in San Francisco (RIP). The good places close, yet the mediocre Middle Eastern places soldier on. Thank you for all the delicious food, Sunrise. I already miss you, even though I didn't know I did.
Best Chinese in Berkeley
This place is tasty however the food takes a really long time. They only have a regular stove top and cook all the raw meat to order. Normally, Mediterranean restaurants have the meat rotating and they slice it off or cook it partially and finish it off when someone orders it. Also, they run out of stuff often and it take forever during lunch. Every time I've been there during lunch time, I see people wait too long to order and walk out because they realize they'll have to wait just as long to receive their food. They should invest in an industrial size stove tops and ovens to serve the hungry lunch crowd near Cal.
Many many years ago, my buddy took me to Sunrise Deli in The Sunset (SF) and told me that it was the closest thing he'd seen to the falafel he'd get in Israel. I loved it from the get-go. The tahini sauce they make is the specific thing that keeps me going back. Many tahini's are pasty and plain. Their's has depth that I've never experienced anywhere else - without a doubt my favorite tahini. So I decided to try Sunrise Deli on Bancroft. Before ordering, I asked, "Do you also have a restaurant in SF?" Yes, they assured me it was the same. So I ordered the falafel platter. It arrived - but no tahini. I asked the clerk - where's the tahini. She said it does not come with the falafel plate. I looked at the menu (photo attached) and it says "tahini". I pointed that out to her and she acquiesced and gave me a side of tahini (weird). So I enjoyed my meal - the tahini wasn't exactly as I remembered it, but it was pretty good. The falafel was fine - almost impossible to mess that up. The side salad was excellent. Overall, it's not quite what I remember about the SF location, but still good.
Poor quality food and service, to the point where I'm upset their prime real estate isn't occupied by a better eating establishment. Lol. I've eaten here several times while at Cal and each instance has left me underwhelmed and annoyed at spending $10 on bad food. Their falafel is bland and usually overfried. This particular instance, I ordered a chicken shawarma sandwich. When I entered, there was only one employee who was sweeping the floors. In order to make my food, she washed her hands but wiped them on a dirty rag and proceeded make my food without gloves, which really grossed me out. My meal was an 8" long wrap ($8.50) with chicken, spinach, tomatoes, radishes, and beets. The chicken was very sketchy - tough to chew and didn't seem fresh at all. Same with the veggies, you could definitely tell they were sitting out for a while and/or frozen at one point. I also had an issue with sogginess similar to other reviewers, where the bottom half of my wrap was incredibly soaked and soupy.
One worker, used cell phone during prep, did not wash hands. Stale pita ruined otherwise small but typical falafel. Great ground lamb and good hummus.
I went there during lunch and got an Avocado falafel and fries for $6.99, which is one of the lunch specials. I wasn't going to come here because I was craving fries and none of the photos had fries. But I saw the sign on the window with the falafel pita and fries special and went in. Unfortunately, the fries took a while since they had to fry them and so people who ordered behind me got their food first. It took awhile for the fries to be done, about 15-20 minutes but the cashier saw my impatience and said he would bring it to my table. The seating is pretty tight because of the small space. I sat on a side table and two others joined me and it was squished to say the least. The lines can also get pretty long and it can be hard to know where to stand or sit while waiting. The hummus side was the biggest disappointment. The hummus was so watery and had no flavor to it that I didn't even finish a quarter of it before I threw it away. But I did like that they scooped and fried the falafel as people ordered - I just wish my falafels weren't so over-fried.
Delicious chicken shwarma wrap. Eat it with the housemade chili sauce. Outstanding lunch meal for a solid price point too.
Worst Mediterranean I've had in America. How can a plate not have rice or tabouli? The hummus is watery... the service is deplorable. I'm in shock of how badly cooked and cut this chicken is.
Wow. I got the Veggie Wrap with chicken instead of eggplant today. Wraps are a favorite of ours, but Sunrise Deli beats them all. Packed with tons of vegetables unlike most - so not only super tasty, but super healthy too. This place is kind of far from us, but parking is easy and well worth the drive. We will be back...often.
Restaurantji Recommends
The portions are significantly smaller than expected given the price, and even with the discount from Snackpass, it still feels like a rip off. Like some reviews indicate, the plate is pretty soupy so they just didn't really try... The primary reason for the one star was during the check in offer. After receiving my order, I asked to redeem it. Well, the guy said "sorry we only give that for PAYING customers." I DID PAY, as seen with the chicken shawarma. He was hesitant and rudely turned away, saying "just a few minutes" even though the falafel is obviously made already and it just takes 5 seconds to squeeze in 6 pieces of falafel in the bag. Minus 4 stars just for that. When they say "best falafel in town," I honestly don't think so. The falafel was very dry and cold, clearly left out in the open for a long time while there were warm/hot falafels given to those who actually paid for the side dish. In terms of flavor, it is bland. I think almost all the places I tried the falafel is way better than this. Overall, they really should not ignore the customers that use the Snackpass and yelp check in offer because I honestly was just testing to see if this would be the place I would go regularly if I'm craving the food. You missed the chance and you just lost a potential regular customer. Good job!
I generally assume that food close to campus is tasteless and over priced. I was hesitant to try this place out as a result, but I had been walking all day and was desperate for ANY FOOD (like seriously, any food at all). The place is small. Nothing fancy. The cashier wasn't the most warm and welcoming guy, but I tried not to take it personally. There was a yelp check-in coupon for a free half dozen falafel, so I got that to split with my friend along with a regular falafel. She got an avocado falafel. Y'all when their menu advertises "the best falafel in town" THEY AINT LYIN. It's not green inside like most falafel, but it's fresh as all hell and so perfectly crispy on the outside that it's startling. The avocado and tomato were beautiful, vibrant colors and also tasted fresh. I will definitely be back for a healthy lunch on the run after class or to refuel after the gym.
Amazing falafel and pro tip, try the homemade hot sauce. Soooo good! Especially with snackpass discounts I can eat here everyday. Without snackpass probably not but still delicious. Avocado falafel wrap is awesome and portions are actually quite big!
Garbage food that drips liquid like crazy. Can't even eat the chicken shawarma because it was literally a soup dish. Disgusting
Small but wholesome restaurant. Falafel wraps or plates are made quickly and taste great