10 Best Berkeley Restaurants | Where To Eat In Berkeley, CA

Written By: Gail Clifford | Published By: Foodie Flash Packer | Last updated: October 1, 2021

https://www.foodieflashpacker.com/best-berkeley-restaurants/

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Named after the 18th-century Irish bishop and philosopher, George Berkeley, this lovely college town is located on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay.  

Home to the oldest of the University of California campuses, Berkeley is considered one of the most socially liberal cities in the United States, home to the Civil Rights Movement, the Free Speech Movement, and the Vietnam War protests. All of these needed great food in the area, and the best Berkely restaurants have only gotten better.  

Having survived the Great San Francisco earthquake of 1906, Berkeley’s leisurely growth blossomed as it became a refuge to one of the largest art colonies west of Chicago. Rapid growth continued until the Crash of 1929, which hit the city hard but perhaps less so thanks to UC – Berkeley’s presence. Big growth returned with World War II when droves moved to the Bay Area to work in the war industries, including UC Professor, J. Robert Oppenheimer, a long-time Berkeley resident. 

The 1960s is, perhaps, the most strongly identified with Berkeley – civic unrest, political upheaval, and the hippie movement.  

The number of distinct neighborhoods gives rise to different restaurant areas. 

West of UC’s campus in Downtown Berkeley, home to the civic center and the busiest BART station. South of the campus is Southside, known for its student housing. The busiest stretch of Telegraph Avenue traverses this neighborhood. North of the campus is the calmer Northside neighborhood, with parks (especially the expansive Tilden Park) above it. And the Northside is nicknamed “Gourmet Ghetto” because of all the well-known, fine dining restaurants and food-related businesses.  

A few miles away, you’ll find collections of restaurants, like these on 4^th Street, with shopping and the ever-necessary computer store. 

Known as a major food hub with a variety of ethnic restaurants, Berkeley remains a center of art, music, and literature with its festivals, concerts, theaters, and bookstores. 

My journeys took me to Berkeley for the Apple Store. So, many of my first foodie experiences were at the Fourth Street Shops. They’re perfectly clustered to allow you to eat tapas-style – a little something for you alone, or to share with a group, in your own personal café crawl. 

10 Best Berkeley Restaurants

Tacubaya 

1782 Fourth St // +15105255160

This taqueria is named after the neighborhood in Mexico City where famed architect Luis Barragan lived. The owners were drawn to the “purity and simplicity, respectful of tradition that Barragan’s modern architecture represented” and they pay respect, if not tribute, to traditional dishes. 

The menu is packed with simple, exquisitely tasting items. 

Here for breakfast? Check out the Desayuno offerings. From Chorizo and Eggs, served with black beans, or Huevos Divorciados, to Chilaquiles, Torta de Jamon, Revueltos Nortenos, you can even find tripe with hominy if you’re so inclined. 

Oh, and for the kids? Quesadillas or a scramble are readily available. 

You’ll definitely want to try something from the seasonal menu, especially if you’re able to come back often. When I was there, they had quesadillas, rellena, corn de verdura, ceviche, and plantains. The plantains reminded me very much of what I’d had in Belize – served with their housemade crema … delicious! 

But sometimes, you’ll need a little longer to decide on your main meal or want to use this as a stop in your pub crawl, so I jotted down the Bebidas options for you. Their cocktails included a margarita especial, La Dona (tres agave anejo), Strawberry Mezcal Margarita, and Paloma Mezcal, Bloody Maria (tequila instead of vodka), Olla Borracho (hot coffee with tres agave tequila), mimosas, and several options of wine, sangria, and cerveza. 

For the non-alcoholic versions, check out the “Refrescos” section of the menu with waters and sodas, iced coffee, coffee, cappuccinos and lattes, a Mexican Hot Chocolate, orange juice, and grapefruit juice, as well as hot tea.  

And then, continue to the main event. Served from 11 am to 9 pm daily, their tacos allow you to choose between asada, al pastor, lengua, pescado, pollo, and vegetarian. 

Since their fish is battered, I went with the pollo, a crispy taco shell, stuffed with chicken, sufficient cheese, and light cucumber salsa and cilantro that was both refreshing and filling. Utterly delicious. 

People nearby had ordered from the Almerzo/ Cena section – the Torta Al Pastor, a roasted pork sandwich with pinto beans, grilled onions, avocado, aioli, cabbage, and toasted bolillo. They said the bolillo, like a Cuban roll, made it the best they’d had.  

Other offerings include Torta Vegetariana, Pork Tamale and Mole, Frijoles con todo, Sopa de Tortilla and Ensalada Primavera (in whole or half portions). 

Enchiladas (beef or chicken) and Sope de Chorizo y Papas are also available. 

As side dishes, your choices include Frijoles Negros, Frijoles Pintos, Arroz, Papas con Crema, Guacomole y Totopos, Salsa y Totopos, Tortillas.  

And for dessert (postres), cookies, Mexican Chocolate Cake, Flan or Churros. 

With so many options, great service, and so many happy, smiling people around me at this casual counter-service restaurant, I’ll be back my next time to visit this superb Mexican restaurant in Berkeley. 

Market Hall Foods on 4^th

1786 Fourth Street // +15102506004

This eatery reminded me of my time spent in Cork’s English Market. You can find things for right now, or for the next day. The food is made fresh daily, from wholesome ingredients, most locally sourced, and can be ordered in advance or at the counter. 

Here, they have a cheese counter with more cheeses than I could count, an incredible selection of fruity, bitter, or pungent olive oils, fresh pasta, and a selection of chocolates if you’re so inclined. 

The breakfast pastries, cakes, pies, cookies, bread, and pizzas are all made right here at the on-site bakery. You can’t get fresher than that. 

But, on to the eating. Everyday favorites include salads, sandwiches, fresh pasta, soups, cakes, cookies, and other baked treats. 

The soups of the day included black bean chili and Hot & Sour soup (too bad my daughter wasn’t with me). 

Today, I found the Tuna Melt, Falafel, Cubano, and Italian looking appetizing, but not quite so much as the fried chicken. A fried chicken breast with bacon, provolone, arugula, thyme aioli, avocado, and tomato, it’s served on a sourdough baguette (which you can switch out for a deli sweet roll or ciabatta roll if you’re so inclined). 

Other offerings in the sandwich category include Caprese with Prosciutto, Grilled Chicken Pesto, and a Grilled Turkey Club (I want to have that next time I’m here – the person after me ordered it and it smelled divine). 

Whether you’re celebrating High Holy Days, trying to control an unruly mob at home, tired of cooking, or need a break from shopping or work, it’s a great place to stop for food you’d be happy to have confused as made by you. 

Pollara Pizzeria 

1788 Fourth Street // +15105294548

In the old Market Plaza building, you’ll find the Pizzeria with the entrance to the right, but feel free to go into the Vino section to the left first and find the perfect pairing for what you are about to receive. If you haven’t checked out the menu before you go, you can always order, then go back and choose the wine if you’d like.  

They tell you straight away how the COVID-19 pandemic changed their business. They now serve their traditional Roman-style pizza al taglio in a variety of three different sizes; ¼ pie (good for one person), ½ (good for two or three people), or full pie (good for four or five people). 

Despite the many offerings, the outlay of choices of squared sections of pizza made this a no-brainer – cheese pizza for me. They warm it fresh or, if you’d like an entire pizza, can make it as you wait. 

Having preferred New York-style pizza most of my life, this squared version was an interesting contradiction. The cheese was clearly fresh, the tomato sauce delicious and perfectly spiced, yet the crust was raised, perhaps a half-inch and layers within it delineated – the air bubbles in the dough created a crunch within a crunch with some smoothness in between. I’ve tried (but failed) to explain it any better. The texture is different but definitely pleasing. 

Other options on their menu include Suppli Classico and Crocchetta, gem lettuces, arugula, farro, Ceci (chickpea salad)), Porchetta or Mortadello Sandwiches, and Tiramisu for dessert.  

Their pizzas include Diavola (spicy salami), Prosciutto, Sausage, Amatriciana, Meatball Parmesan, Nduja (leek, mushroom, straciatella with a spicy spreadable pork salame), Margherita, Cacio e Pepe, Mushroom, the vegan version of the Sundried Tomato, Gorgonzola, Sundried Tomato, Eggplant, Zucchini & Pesto, and a kids’ Cheese pizza (though I’d think the pizza “square” would widen any child’s eyes with pleasure). 

I think when I come back, I’ll have to try the Chicken Parmesan; it takes an extra fifteen minutes, but you can always spend the time browsing the wine section, or the kitchen store across the way.  If you are looking for excellent pizza in Berkeley, this is your place.