Vic's

★★★★☆ 4.4 (917) • $$

"Vic's has been on my "To-try" list for a long time. Ever since they opened several years ago, I have heard nothing but praises from different people, including my friend and fellow Elite David A. For his birthday this year, our friend Sarah and I decided to treat him to dinner here on 07/03/2024.Sarah and I arrived simultaneously at 5:30pm. Since the temperature was 105F, we had zero interest in sitting outside. Upon entering, we were immediately greeted by the staff, and they seated us at a table near the entrance. The interior was cozy, and the vibe was a mix of coffee shop, old school tavern, and neighborhood bistro. Not sure if that's what they were going for, but it definitely worked. Once David arrived, our server came by to take our drink and appetizer order. For appetizer, we shared an order of Four Cheese Garlic Bread. If you like bread and cheese, make sure you get this. Half a dozen slices of perfectly toasted buttered ciabatta bread topped with several types of melted cheese. Very delicious. For entrée, I had the Chicken Parm Pasta, while Sarah and David had the Chopped Cobb and Pollo Provencal respectively. My dish was a good size piece of double battered chicken breast served on top of a bed of garlic pasta and spinach, topped with marinara sauce and melted cheeses. What I liked the most was when you take away the sauce, cheeses, and breading, I could really taste the chicken. I tried a piece of the Pollo Provencal and it was excellent as well.Service we received was exceptional. The staff were welcoming, friendly, and attentive. Our server checked on us several times during the meal and she took care of our requests with great efficiency.Based on this experience, their high rating is well justified in my opinion. The food, service, and atmosphere are top-notch for a small neighborhood restaurant. I know Martinez is a bit far for some, but it's definitely worth a visit when and if you are in the area. 5 stars.BONUS MATERIAL:- Small private parking lot on site.- Split check option available."

Bara's Deli

★★★★☆ 4.4 (829) • $$

"The minute I walked in I was greeted. The menu had a multiple options of different kinds of sandwiches, and a build your own option. Also, the chips and drink options had awide array. I ordered the Cali club sandwich and it was amazing. For the price which was around $15, they definitely gave a lot of meat and condiments. Baras used to be a liquor store, but they eventually converted it to a sandwich deli which was a great idea. Everybody, I know who's been There says they love the food. The staff are nice and the deli is clean. I highly recommend this place If you like sandwiches and pasta. I will definitely be returning to Baras in the future."

Huong Tra

★★★★☆ 4 (982) • $$

"Absolutely most delicious food!! We were traveling from Florida by car and found this place on google and gave it a try!I ordered pork chop over white rice and my husband ordered a pho (combination pho) both dishes were soo good we almost ordered an other portion!Lots of people were eating at the restaurant and we can see why!And the cherry on top was they brought two delicious coconut and coffee taste candies with the receipt! We will definitely stop by on the way back home!"

Sam's Log Cabin

★★★★☆ 4.1 (859) • $$

"In the small town of Albany, Sam's Log Cabin is a favored brunch destination. Living within walking distance my entire life, I'm still embarrassed to say this is my first visit--and not my last!Most are familiar with the vintage log cabin exterior. Don't enter inside (only for take-out), instead put your name down for their outdoor patio seating. You're greeted with the smell of home-style cooking and friendly attentive service. Drinks and condiments are self-serve, and food comes out quickly. The Lake Trout and Eggs had my name on it; I opted for eggs over easy. The trout was mild and firm, I enjoyed the sweet and savory balance of the hash, and the eggs were well-cooked. My companion had the Daily Scramble which he liked. It was chorizo, broccolini, and mozzarella but specials rotate daily. We agreed our dishes were well seasoned and very filling. I'm a huge supporter of the sustainable, locally sourced, and organic ingredients used to make our meals.If you're looking for a home-style breakfast or lunch with unique charm, Sam's Log Cabin is a great spot in the East Bay. The restaurant is on San Pablo with street and neighborhood parking. With how close I live to it, it'll be on my brunch rotation!"

Fournée Bakery

★★★★★ 4.6 (651) • $

"The best French style bakery I have ever been to.The olive bread knot was amazing. It's all good."

The Powder Keg Pub

★★★★☆ 3.8 (885) • $$

"Loved my experience at powder keg! Food was amazing as well as the service. We started with some oysters 10/10 would recommend, then got calamari and mussels for appetizers. You can say we love our seafood! Everything we ate was good, but im bummed I wasn't able to try their wings (I heard that's good). Plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, our large group was able to fit. Still thinking about all the food we had at powder keg and can't wait to go back and try more!"

Eon Coffee

★★★★☆ 4.3 (688) • $

"This is my go to spot if the traffic is heavy and I need a good place to study, take a virtual meeting, and get yum y food and drink. I usually get a hot chocolate here and I got a ham and cheese sando which may seem strange for morning breakfast, but it hit the spot! Will come again!"

IB’s

★★★★☆ 3.9 (785) • $$

"I'm so glad Berkeley had restaurant week recently and I was able to pop in and try IB's. I always walk past it but have never gone in. I'm usually not a fan of cheese steaks either but this was one of the best sandwiches I've ever had! I got the garlic cheese steak and added hot peppers with a side of curly fries. I hope to be able to come back and try other items on the menu because they all sound delicious. The service was fast and efficient and I can't say enough good things about this place!"

Crepevine Restaurants

★★★★☆ 3.5 (953) • $$

"I love this place. The staff is so warm and friendly and they have a great menu. The Spanish omelet, the gluten free pancakes, all of it is fantastic. If you are looking for a casual meal with friends and family, here is the spot. Have fun."

Saigon House

★★★★☆ 4.3 (628) • $$

"Garlic noodles are amazingAmbiance is small and a bit congested Service is good family owned. Cleanliness an area of opportunity ."

Lola's Chicken Shack

★★★★☆ 3.9 (752) • $

"Ambiance: Lola's is a sit down restaurant with a respectable interior that does its purpose as a food establishment. In addition, It has a lot of seating so it's a great place for big parties.Service: this restaurant has an ordering desk where you put in an order and wait for your food. The service was quick and friendlyFood: we got the honey mustard chicken sandwich and the Asian citrus salad. The chicken sandwich was very good with a well breaded and crispy piece of chicken. The bread was nice and fluffy and the simple toppings complimented the chicken nicely. I did not think the cheese they used would pair well with this sandwich but it fit perfectly. The Asian citrus salad was light and had textures and flavors that complimented each other perfectly. I loved that they put the salad dressing on the side so you can control flavor of the salad on your own."

The Lunch Box

★★★★☆ 4.4 (580) • $$

"They are a hole in a wall in downtown oakland, definitely hard to find parking but great if you are on a walk . Great experience getting a sandwich that blew me away with flavor. Service was quick and easy."

Gracie's

★★★★☆ 3.7 (789) • $$

"I've been going to Gracie's since they opened. Always thought they did a great job and served up delicious BBQ. It's been quite a while since I've eaten there. Was in the neighborhood today and thought that some good BBQ would be awesome. So, I motored over to Gracie's and was warmly greeted by the nice lady running the front of house.She took my order of a combo chicken and rib meal with cornbread and two sides. I got potato salad and coleslaw.I sat down and a few minutes later the nice lady brought my BBQ to me. That was super fast. Zoomed home with the sweet aroma of BBQ in the truck and it took will power to keep from gnawing on a rib. But I waited.Got home and fixed myself a plate, one rib, a chicken thigh and the sides. Took one bite out of the rib and it was dry as can be. Hmmm that's not like the Gracie's of old.Took a bite of chicken thigh and it was the same way. Dry. So dry I had to drink a lot of water to wash it down. Hmmmm. Sides were decent, but nothing to write home about. Didn't eat the cornbread because of probable wheat flour to which I'm allergic to. I get the feeling my BBQ had been sitting out for a long time or maybe it was smoked too long.Sigh. I really was looking forward to a good mess of 'Q."

The Ultimate Deli Cafe and Catering

★★★★☆ 4.3 (563) • $$

"All I ever crave is a Turkey sandwich and now we have an amazing halal deli shop! Alhamdullilah! The menu is actually pretty extensive. They have gyros , falafel , paninis. I think I even saw orange chicken! But you can't go wrong with a sandwich! The Vietnamese coffee was also delicious! I'll be coming here again inshAllah! Definitely recommend"

Cafe Soleil

★★★★☆ 3.9 (677) • $$

"Cafe Soleil, you're fantastic! After recently seeing your inclusion in Check Please! Bay Area, we wanted to stop in to give a little local love to a place we've never been.Decorated for Christmas with a tree and festive garb, this is a must-try if you're looking for a comforting meal in cozy digs. We came in early, and I would recommend checking their hours and doing the same; as we were seated, we could see numerous groups of people coming and after being put on a list, waiting outside. The great things about having a baby in tow, we're early to breakfast/brunch spots. The wait staff is amazing ~ from coffee top-offs to check-ins, we felt all the love. We ordered the Pancake Special with scrambled eggs, sausage, and a side of home fries/potatoes, and the Workers Special that comes with homemade biscuits and gravy, a choice of bacon or sausage (or half and half), and eggs. Wowee, what a hearty meal! Everything was delicious. Well cooked, flavorful, and honestly felt like home. The pancakes have a sweet cream batter that just melts in your mouth..would come back for those alone!Looking forward to trying more from the menu if coming for brunch, and also fun fact, they do catering as well! We will be back soon, thank you for such a wonderful experience for us early risers!"

The Best Sandwiches

★★★★☆ 4.2 (560) • $$

"I ordered the torta cubana, all I can say is that it was amazing. They have a combo too, not sure if it's only a lunch deal but it's your preferred sandwich, an alfajor (sweet cookie) or chips and a soda. 10/10 I will come back and bring co-workers. The service was great and the place was clean and comfortable."

Elevation 66 Brewing Co

★★★★☆ 3.8 (661) • $$

"The food was a 4. I ordered fish & chips, and Honey Spicy wings. The fish was a 2. The batter to fish ratio was off because the batter was thick. It did arrive with crispy ends, but the batter across most of the fish was softer (not mushy just softer) than the ends. It was also visually oily when handling so much so that I could see the oil secrete from the batter. There wasn't much ventilation in the container so there was some condensation insider the container. The batter had a mild flavor, but was complimented by the well seasoned fries. The fries, again, were well seasoned and cooked somewhat to my liking. The condensation in the container may have soften them a bit. They were definitely the best part of the fish & chip duo: a solid 3.5. I wouldn't order the fish again, but I'd definitely include the fries as the side of another dish. The chicken was the best part of my entire order. Again, the container was poorly ventilated resulting in some condensation and softening of the skin. The flavor was fantastic. I will definitely order this 4 star chicken again.This restaurant is definitely worth trying. If not for the fish and packaging, I'd be able to give a higher star value."

Che-Lo

★★★★☆ 4 (590) • $

"We catered Che-Lo for our holiday party and it was a hit! I placed my order in person, and the owner and daughter were super helpful in providing recommendations to accommodate my needs. We ended up ordering 2 types of banh mi (cut in half and lightly wrapped in parchment paper), a tray of shrimp spring rolls and 2 types of tea. Since I wanted the drinks in a large serving container (instead of individual boba style cups), they offered to lend me their own pitchers which worked out perfectly for our party.10/10 would recommend and will easily choose them again to cater our next party!"

CRUST - Fresh Sourdough Deli

★★★★★ 4.6 (437) • $$

"Unbeknownst to Crust, my closest coworker suddenly passed away this morning. I spent all morning vacillating between shock/numbness and crying. Eventually I decided to order Grubhub for lunch. I wanted something comforting, so I ordered my favorite chipotle chicken sandwich from my favorite sandwich spot, Crust. During my online order, I added a few requests and sent a note that I hoped they had a nice weekend. My order arrived swiftly and when I opened the bag, I saw that they threw in a cookie too. I almost started crying again because of their kindness, without even knowing how my morning went.The sandwich was perfect; crunchy yet chewy, perfectly tangy with the sourdough bread, hearty portions of chicken, delicious chipotle sauce. It never fails me. It's always my go-to when I'm feeling down.Thank you Crust, for adding a slice of brightness to such a heartbreaking day."

Manny's Steakhouse

★★★★☆ 4 (576) • $$

"Get the surf and turf!! Tender filet mignon and lobster tail, creamy Mac and cheese and well dressed baked potato. Fried calamari was good and wish there was more. Service was prompt and friendly, ambiance is beautiful with a fire pit and water views from a wall of windows. Prices are decent and there's a parking lot but can get full from the ferry goers. If you haven't tried Manny's and appreciate tasty classic affordable American cuisine, you need to dine here!"

The Napa Deli

★★★★☆ 4.2 (522) • $$

"A little pricy but the portions are HUGE and the sandwiches are so fresh. One sandwich always lasts me for two meals. You can tell they use quality ingredients and their Dutch crunch bread is the best! I love the "build your own sandwich" option. Service is quick and always friendly. Very cute seating area that makes for a great lunch date."

Jay’s Cheesesteak

★★★★☆ 3.8 (622) • $$

"This review is mainly for the veggie cheese steak which consists of a few veggies with cheese . Overall it was bland ,since there were no seasoning added it seems. The meat options maybe be better .also it took really long to get the order ,even though there were just orders ahead of me"

Picnicky's Sandwich Shop

★★★★☆ 3.9 (584) • $$

"Service was great! Not a sandwich person, wanted to try something different. I had the turkey, avacado, bacon sandwich and I added red onions, it was amazing!! Really fresh ingredients, tons of options!!!"

Sierra Deli & Market

★★★★☆ 4.4 (456) • $$

"Excellent food , sandwiches, soup, salads, hot food, fruit salad, bakery treats. Illy coffee is the brand they use (very good)Line gets long, but goes pretty fast. Everything is fresh and in house made (just look at the avocados in my sandwich)"

Guerilla Cafe

★★★★☆ 3.7 (625) • $$

"I had the croissant and egg sandwich with fruit on the side and a big mocha. Very good!"

Mountain Grounds

★★★★★ 4.7 (387) • $

"Much improved consistency; no problems last few times. Quality on baked goods is better too. Brownies have been not dry and great lately."

Richmond Pizza House

★★★★★ 4.5 (413) • $$

"The pizza/food here is amazing! I never thought that this place would be as good as it was, I always drove by it but never tried it until today and I cannot recommend it enough, plus it's halal! I ordered the garlic veggie with chicken and it was suuuper flavorful (pictured below).The service was great, I ordered via the phone and it was quick and easy. Once I arrived, I just walked and and told them my name and quickly got my pizza. Although I did a carry-out, the ambiance in the restaurant was nice. It was clean, neat, and very nicely decorated. I could definitely eat-in at this spot!Overall, I give this spot a 5/5."

Cecil's Famous Burgers

★★★★☆ 4.1 (487) • $

"Nom Nom, these burgers are really good!Ok ok, hands down one of the best burgers I've had in the Bay Area here. I've had them countless times & it's time to give up the flowers for them. They are definitely nom & pops style food here & I appreciate it greatly as it's hard to find the non commercialized flavors. They are consistent & the food is deelish for sure. I've never had a bad meal from here & that's to be celebrated in the world of fast food. There is nothing fancy or anything about this place but great/consistent flavor/taste is what they have. I will always be back! All burger heads, whether you k ow it's the enemy or not, this is a good cheat meal for the conscious.Cheers!"

Hoagy Steak

★★★★☆ 4.3 (432) • $$

"Finally, a decent steak and cheese at a reasonable price and it includes big old steak fries"

Lee's Sandwiches

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (669) • $$

"Food is good service is good. But $7.00 for iced coffee.. its already premade. They just pour it in a cup for you. Seems high. I guess thats how it goes now, everything expensive. The premade sticky rice with chicken and sausage was tasty and pretty cheap still. Smaller portion and no wait time."

Proposition Chicken

★★★★☆ 3.6 (594) • $$

"Came again this past Friday night. My wife was craving their Gluten Free chicken Sando and I opted to try the Entree this time and ordered it Flipped. The service was fast, and friendly. Raul was the person who took my order. This location always has a flow of traffic from people coming in to pick up their orders to people dining in. Inside has plenty of seating to wait for your food and it has always been clean when I have gone.My wife got the gluten free Sando with gluten free bread. My Flipped chicken entree was delicious. It came with a sweet buttermilk biscuit and a small tomato cucumber salad. We both got meals so we ordered a few drinks as well. Though I do love the fried chicken Sando I really enjoyed the flipped entree. The flavor was great, and the chicken was moist. The cucumber tomato salad was fresh as well. Only thing I'll do different next time is slap a little butter on my biscuit My wife Sando came with chips which she enjoyed and she ordered a side of ranch. I do like the ranch there, it tastes fresh. She also got a side of the hot sauce and habanero sauce. Another great experience at this location!"

Kim's Cafe & Sandwiches

★★★★☆ 4.3 (413) • $

"4-ish stars but I'm gonna round up because service was pretty friendly. The only thing I wasn't a huge fan of was the BBQ pork in my banh mi. Although flavorful the exterior of the meat slices were old-crusty, almost jerky-like. The banh mi bread was a bit different than what I'm used to. Really dense and hearty.....reminded me of sourdough but without the tang. At first I wasn't really on board of it not having a crisp but it grew on me after a couple of bites because of how springy-spongy it was.Favorite part of the sandwich was the pickled veggies! Yeah, they matter to me a lot in banh mi and I think this was the best rendition of the veggies that I've had. Veggies were cut more thickly and were perfectly pickle-y and al dente. No skimpy portion of them either!I also had the Vietnamese iced coffee. Smooth and actually pretty strong for a Vietnamese coffee. Minimal cream used here, which I didn't mind at all since I generally like the Vietnamese coffee brew taste.Seems like a family-run business. Staff were thriving during the lunch rush. Several customers were unfamiliar with this type of food but staff were eager to answer any questions about it.Located in the outskirts of midtown where parking, although still on the street, is only time-limited (no hourly meter charge)."

Dino's Grill

★★★★☆ 4.2 (432) • $$

"Stopped by after a day at Arden farms. It was kinda empty but everything looked very clean. They didn't have any high chairs nor booster seats, just FYI.What we ordered:Pasta Alfredo with Chicken -10/10 portion was huge and the flavor was real good.Kids spaghetti - 10/10 portion was huge for a kid but it was real yummy. Greek salad - 9/10 I love when places add salt and pepper to a salad. The chicken was well seasoned too. The crumbles of feta w chunks of cut tomatoes and cucumber just really brought it together. I didn't even use the dressing because everything was so flavorful. 1 point off because the olives were not pitted, so be real careful when ordering this item.Cheesey bread - 10/10 wow this was real good!Funny thing is that each item comes with garlic bread so we had an overage but that's fine, we took it home. Really great experience and very nice workers."

Bronco Billys Pizza Palace

★★★☆☆ 3.2 (735) • $$

"UPDATE: it's not very often the owner of a business takes the time out for a 30 minute conversation, but she did! Marlene, thank you for listening and taking the time to connect with me. I will take my kids back to get their pizza replaced, plus a 2nd one! Marlene you have what it takes to run a well loved franchise, hang in there the food service industry like many others is recovering from "after covid desocialization effects". Keep working with your employees, hopefully the hiring pool improves!You still have a loyal customer raising your next generation of Bronco Billy's customer s! I will update the pictures when we pick up the replacement s. THANK YOU Marlene!"

Boulevard Burger

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (648) • $$

"Came here on a Saturday for lunch and service is lacking. The menu is on a chalkboard and I had to ask for a paper menu to see everything. I have been here a long time ago but wanted to give it another try. The prices are kind of steep for just a burger and you still have to add on the sides. There is also a 3% automatic fee for using a credit card which is also relatively high in my opinion. We had a table of 9 and the cups and silverware just looked like it needed some extra cleaning. The burger itself was good. I had a mushroom burger, onion rings and curly fries. Everything came out tasty. However I don't know if it was worth the price."