The Cheese Board Collective

I was recently introduced to this Berkeley establishment and fell in love! Delicious baked goods and a wide array of cheeses. Corn and cherry scone was among the best scones I've ever had. Oat scone with currants was also delicious, though not quite as revelatory. Cheese roll was ok. Nice variety of teas and beverages. The long line moved quickly.Friendly service: cheesemonger offered samples to those waiting. No indoor seating and limited outside benches and tables. I'll have to return to try the pizza next door!

This place has gone wrong big time, so I'm missing nothing. I came here to get some cheese and there were no people behind the counter to help. It's all self-serve. I assume that there are no tastes either. They changed how they give out bread, it's no longer self-serve so you have to wait in the longest of lines. So a line for the cheese and then the line for the bread.Another gripe, they have a gluten-free loaf, but don't make enough. There are never enough here, so even when I get there after they've been open for an hour. And the pizza, I'll review them next.Gone are the days when I would dream of this place and wish to be there. I lived in the area and would walk down to get my breads, some cheese and a coffee. But never again! I have to say that I used to love the idea of supporting a small-ish, collective, but their time has passed. This place is the definition of has been. The truth is that I can make my own bread and have options, rather than relying on their tired carrot loaf - who wants that? I can get cheese elsewhere.The time for this spot has passed. It's time to move on. I'm looking forward to the next spot that will replace this one.

The shop is very quaint and has a wide variety of baked goods + farmer's market quality condiments. This is a Berkeley staple! The apple cider was very tasty and warm. It seemed like they poured it from a premade container that was sourced from a local farm and then warmed it up. Both baked goods were fantastic and baked fresh that morning. The Rosemary puff is lovingly described by my friend as a "savory donut" - and for good reason! It has a sourdough base that is both fragrant and flavorful, but not overpowering. It has the perfect amount of sea salt seasoning and rosemary flavor, and just enough oil to make it soft and slightly juicy in the best way possible. It tastes great on its own or with one of the sauces sold at the collective! The pear ginger muffin was also very yummy and fresh with a distinctly citrusy flavor. It was fluffy and not too sweet. 10/10 experience!

TLDR: good quality ingredients, hearty rather than delicate, and worth trying if you're into artisan breadThe Cheese Board is known for their pizza (which I've tried ofc) but I've always wanted to try their bakery as well. I got 2 things and I rate in order:- Chocolate thing $3.75: never had anything like this! it's denser than a bread but not as dry or crumbly as a scone, which is why it's maybe just called a "thing." Studded with quality chocolate chunks.- Rosemary puff: $3.25: oiled enough to color the brown paper bag, airy and beautifully baked bread but studded with so much salt on top that the saltiness overwhelmed any rosemary flavorThe breads are on the smaller side but considering that croissants and cookies are easily $5+ these days, they aren't outrageously pricey. However, if you aren't someone that intentionally seeks out unique/quality breads, I wouldn't waste my time waiting in long lines or dishing out $$ for these.

Mushroom pizza w/ lemon vinaigrette arugula The flavors were fantastic! Lots of cheese and I love that you get a slither slice with it. I love that the crust is sourdough based, definitely makes it a different kind of pie. Green SauceYou must get this, it was phenomenal. Like they should sell and ship this sauce it's that good. A little spice kick and cream finish. I love everything about this place! The concept is dope, you either come for that flavor of pizza or don't. With the line wrapped around the building it goes pretty fast and totally worth the stop. #CynBitesThisFeedsMySoulStatus

First time here last week and it was a whirl wind of confusion. There is a line that moves TOO QUICKLY. I felt like I didn't have enough time to look around. There was literally too much to soak in. There were lots of cheeses to choose from. Not much interaction with the workers. And bread... I love bread. I just got whatever was recommended to me.

Line goes out the door but dies off towards the later afternoon. Don't come too late though or they'll be sold out of more items! I got a sourdough boule for about $6 and it was fantastic. Hearty crust and really flavorful interior that freezes and reheats super well (make sure to slice and freeze your bread sooner rather than later so you're freezing at peak freshness!). I wasn't the biggest fan of the cheese roll here as the cheese is a bit too funky for me, but if you prefer non-mild cheeses, definitely give it a try!I do wish they had pads of butter to go so I could have had some of the sourdough or baguette pieces fresh, but no biggie to wait until you're home.

This place is a bit of an institution in Berkeley and deservedly so. There is a whole feel in the place that is kitchy and unique. The staff are nice but not kind. They sort of just are people tasked to work and not much more. That's not bad, it's just a feeling you get talking to them. Like they're okay to do their job, but don't expect them to be overly nice about stuff. It's a job.The bread is a bit overpriced. It all looks great, and the taste of the scones/sour dough is worth the price. But you can't really convince yourself of that easily before you pay for them...The cheese was actually pretty reasonable. A lot of options and only ~2x what you'd expect to pay at Costco or the like, so pretty fair for a small business.TL;DR: Support local business that support their employees. This place is good.

Ginger pear muffin!!Corn scone!!Oatmeal scone!!I'm so happy to find this delicious, relatively healthier bakery in the area. I'm obsessed with the texture and flavors of their corn scone.I was first skeptical about their Ginger pear muffin, but it was really pleasant to have every bite!

I love everything about the Cheese Board. It has been here since the 1970's, is owned by the employees, is incredibly inexpensive and has fantastic world wide cheeses and awesome breads, scones, & some pastries and cappuccinos etc. The only drawback is the line that can form to get in. However the service is pleasant and rapid.