Location: Berkeley
Top Restaurants in Berkeley
California, United States Food Guide: 10 American food Must-Eat Restaurants & Street Food Stalls in Berkeley
Best American restaurants nearby. Discover the best American food in Berkeley. View Menus, Photos and Reviews for American restaurants near you.. The counter-culture, flower power center of the 60s, bohemian Berkeley has evolved into a culinary and cultural travel scene. Shift into low gear and people-watch along quirky Telegraph Avenue while checking out the bookstores and cafes. After strolling through the UC Berkeley campus, the Berkeley Rose Garden and the Downtown Arts District, head into the hills for an outdoor adventure in Tilden Park or cruise down to the waterfront park, where the San Francisco skyline sparkles across the bay.
Things to do in Berkeley
10. Venus Restaurant
Overall Ratings
4 based on 185 reviews
Venus features the best of our local foodshed, from local farms, waters and ranches, served in warm and lovely style in the heart of Downtown Berkeley. A favorite dinner spot for theater goers, Venus devotes itself to local and organic purveyors, creating
Reviewed By kawh
yummy lunch here. Split the check w 2 credit cards. Coordinating the tip at 20%, I saw that my friend tipped $7 and I tipped $3.50. Huh?SHE followed the suggested 20% tip on the receipt...but I had figured it in my head. The split visa tags did not split the tip. Would have tipped 40% of the meal if we had both followed the tipping guide. Beware!!!
9. Gather
Overall Ratings
4 based on 351 reviews
Gather is a restaurant, café and organic bar with an outdoor patio in Downtown Berkeley.We serve seasonal farm food, sourced carefully and prepared thoughtfully, with a fairly priced menu for vegetarians and omnivores.Located in the David Brower Center, t
Reviewed By Guaifun A
Took my son there and we were both duly impressed with the food and service. At 1pm on a Sunday, the place was bustling. We sat at the bar and ordered gem salad, pork belly, hamburger, eggs w/spinach. And pilsners to wash them down with. The gem salad was the best. We had to ask what kind of dressing because it was that good -- creme fraiche. Who would've thought? My son devoured the pork belly and hamburger.My son insisted that I taste the burger and it was perfectly done right (m-rare) and juicy good. I recommend. The eggs were done perfectly but couldn't finish because it was just too much food. The service was great as we received a lot of attention to and through. I highly advise reservations.
8. Skates on The Bay
Overall Ratings
4 based on 776 reviews
Skates on the Bay is known for their fresh market ingredients, innovative menu, and spectacular views of the bay, Golden Gate Bridge, the Bay Bridge, and San Francisco. This beautiful and historic waterfront gathering place for fresh seafood and unmatched
Reviewed By margaretpat
This place is amazing. Right on the water, and I mean on, overlooking San Francisco Bay. Stunning sunsets. The food is excelled but expensive. A great place for fish lovers. Very friendly staff. Large car park. Hello Margaretpat,Thank you for your kind feedback, we truly appreciate it.We consider ourselves so lucky for working here at Skates with our spectacular view !!!!We hope to serve you soon again.Best Wishes,Sarper OztemizGeneral Manager
7. Eureka!
Overall Ratings
4 based on 150 reviews
Reviewed By MarSonoma72
We were early for a show in Berkeley and decided to try this place out. The environment was lively with numerous televisions showing various NCAA and NBA basketball games. We were sat immediately. We waited a few minutes for our waiter and ordered our drinks first. The waiter came back and took our order. It took a while for our drinks to come to the table. The Osso Buco appetizer beat our drinks to the table. We didn't have any utensils or plates. The hostess brought us utensils but had to wait for plates. The Osso Buco appetizer was excellent. Mind you, our drinks still hadn't made it to the table. Our drinks finally arrived after 20 minutes of waiting, even after we asked out hostess since we were unable to flag down out waiter. The meal eventually came. We had the fish tacos and 2 cowboy burgers. I had my cowboy burger modified with bison meat. In all, the food was excellent. It took a while for use to (1) receive our bill at the end of the meal and (2) to receive my credit card back upon paying. If it wasn't for the service, this would have received a 5 out of 5.Word to management: Saturdays seem busy. You should always have extra people on in order to better serve your patrons.Word to waiters / waitresses: Just because you take an order doesn't mean you are finished with a table. Customer service is key in the restaurant business!
6. Wood Tavern
Overall Ratings
4 based on 454 reviews
Reviewed By Advntr18
Itâs a small neighborhood restaurant that is adjacent to 2 other restaurants and a great bakery....I walk by when grocery shopping or grabbing some fresh croissants and coffee...catching glimpses of the food being served....it has a Wow factor! From attentive service to tasty, well conceived food. Make no mistake, this is tavern food .....elevated to contemporary upscale plateau. The flavours are not subtle and refined....we shared the Gnocchi 1st course....soft fluffy pillows balanced with cherry tomatoes, chanterelles, crunchy vegetables and subtle heat from chiles....The Halibut entree seemed to be most popular entree of the night seeing it on many adjacent tables...seared to a golden brown yet moist and tender inside, it sat on a bed of fresh corn .....the sauces were almost too strong over powering the fish essence...a fine line. My bone in pork chop was a generous portion, well seared yet lightly pink on the inside,,,,tender and moist. The bed of beans, andouille sausage and sauce was perfectly balanced with the pork chop. The peach marscapone dessert was good, but overshadowed by the excellence of the entrees....itâs kind of a noisy restaurant with an energetic ambiance...there is a small bar counter for single diners....good wine list. Service was A+
5. Jupiter
Overall Ratings
4 based on 316 reviews
Brew Pub with oven fired pizza and a variety of other food
Reviewed By Arotake
Late lunch as a family on a Saturday. Nice feel to the place especially outside. Good range of beers for an American restaurant/bar. Service is pretty good but food itself only very average. The Caesar Salad and the wedges were poor but the pizzas were good. So, OK just overall.
4. Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen
Overall Ratings
4 based on 350 reviews
Reviewed By Steve P
We had seen Angeline's Louisiana Kitchen reviewed on "Check Please Bay Area" a few years ago and had wanted to try it. On a Saturday evening, we did not have a reservation, and waited about 30 minutes for a table. Staff was welcoming, efficient, and most helpful. We are active home cooks, including Cajun cuisine, and found Angeline's preparations to be spot on. We had "Voo Doo" barbecued shrimp over rice and Jambalaya. Both were beautifully prepared, quite different from each other, and each appropriately seasoned. For desert, we had a wonderful pecan pie, and a chocolate cake seasoned subtly with cayenne. Portions were ample, and the service was attentive without being over-bearing. The restaurant a family friendly. We will gladly return.
3. Bette's Oceanview Diner
Overall Ratings
4 based on 444 reviews
Reviewed By Stanley N
Stopped for take-out sandwiches and got turkey and avocado-cucumber. Both were tasty with fresh ingredients, lots of vegetables and a dill pickle spear. The dijonnaise was especially good. They were ~$6, a terrific bargain for the quality of the food!
2. Rick & Ann's
Overall Ratings
4 based on 329 reviews
Our menu offers simple, comforting foods with universal appeal. We are conscientious of the ingredients we us and the diversity of our patrons, so we can accommodate a variety of diet restrictions. We love using organic and local produce. We truly are a B
Reviewed By Amitava Michael K
So this evening, I get a notification from TripAdvisor that I needed to 'resubmit my review of Rick and Anne's in Berkeley' because it doesn't seem to be the right place. Here's what I saw... "Dear Amitava Michael K, We are requesting that you resubmit your review of Rick & Ann's because we believe it was submitted to the wrong business."And here's my original review - "Expect to have socially progressive (read clean cut) panhandlers totting causes or non-profits hitting you up outside while you wait (or at the edge of the patio calling to you as you eat), tie-dyed or dreadlock-sporting staff serving your meals, and that communal, crowded eating style environment youâll find in that stereotypical progressive Berkeley atmosphere, but the food isnât bad - not great, but certainly not bad. Among our meals, sone where tasty, but some had minor issues; the pancakes tasted a bit cornbready, the scones were dryer than expected, but the margarita pizza was tasty and filling. The fair trade coffee was a bit bitter, but acceptable. If you want a true taste of Berkeley, come eat here, but if youâre after a more value-added meal, stay a bit further away from the University area - btw, parking here is a major pain!"So it seems that my initial review may have rubbed Rick or Ann the wrong way, and somehow they had enough clout with TripAdvisor that my review was removed - Wow! Is this real? Well, I'll just say that MY REVIEW IS ACCURATE, and for the record, I will now add some photos to prove that we actually ate at this place, on the patio, and there was no mistakes in my original review.If people are to expect honesty and no corporate 'massaging' of reviews, than do not challenge your voluntary (yes, remember, people like me do not review a cent for putting time and effort into writing reviews for TripAdvisor) reviewers unless you have some concrete evidence. If the images included are indeed not at Rick and Ann's, and if the patio does not include their business model, then I'll eat my words - but if you do recognize the business, admit that your customers on that day were 'less' than impressed with your fare. And above all else, be honest and ethical even if you do not agree with your customers.
1. Chez Panisse
Overall Ratings
4 based on 1428 reviews
Reviewed By Melissa77797
I had a reservation for one at the cafe, and I'm an almost-senior citizen ... a demographic that is not beloved in many restaurants. To their credit, service was excellent -- almost too attentive. (I didn't feel rushed, but I was out of there in less than an hour.) But the food was competent, not remarkable. The braised lamb, polenta and mixed vegetables were very good, but not much better than I could make in my home kitchen.
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