UC Berkeley is a big school—30,000 undergraduates-big. This means lots of nearby restaurants. How does one pick out the best from the rest? Well, as they attend the No. 1 public university in the world, Berkeley students don’t like to settle. This means that only the tastiest restaurants survive. For a city known for its quirky and dynamic food scene, here are some of the places that have stood the test of time and become Cal student standbys.
Caffeine Fix
Free Speech Movement Café
Located in the heart of UC Berkeley’s campus, Free Speech Movement, (often called by the initials FSM) is the go-to for students looking for a quick cup of coffee in-between classes. With hot and iced coffee drinks, plus a respectable assortment of pastries, sandwiches, and salads, FSM is a reliable Cal standby. Honoring Berkeley’s Free Speech Movement, the café is covered with iconic black-and-white photos of protesters and advocates. FSM is so popular that some professors and GSI’s (our acronym for TA’s) have office hours either inside the café or in the outdoor seating area.
Asha Tea House
The brainchild of a couple of engineers, Asha Tea House has tea brewing down to a science. From carefully sourcing whole tea leaves, to making their own condensed milk, Asha (Taiwanese for “someone who enjoys life) goes the extra mile, making it a Cal favorite. From matcha lattes to milk tea with chewy tapioca pearls, Asha tea house is a pleasurable way for Berkeley students to get their caffeine fix.
Philz Coffee
While a little out of the way, Philz Coffee is nonetheless a prominent Berkeley fixture and a student favorite. With over 20 different blends ranging from dark to decaf, this café has something for everyone. Each blend is carefully constructed, and the café’s first blend, “Tesora” took the founder seven years to perfect! Equally iconic is the iced “Mint Mojito” (don’t worry parents, it’s non-alcoholic). Simultaneously sweet and creamy, this cup-of-joe is served with fresh mint leaves, which although unorthodox, is truly a stroke of genius.
Lunch & Dinner
Sliver Pizzeria
You can get plain cheese pizza pretty much anywhere the sun shines. But where else can you get pizza with corn, chile pasilla, yellow onions, mozzarella, French feta cheese, cilantro, garlic olive oil, and Mexican key limes?!? Yes, the ingredient lists are a mouthful, but after tasting these zany combinations, you’ll be hooked. While a rotating menu of eclectic and savory pizzas, Sliver is a godsend to any midterm-weary, stomach-rumbling young scholar. Plus, you get a free “sliver” of pizza with every purchase!
Cheese n’ Stuff Sandwiches
Yes, there is a Subway right next to campus but why settle? Instead, go to Cheese n’ Stuff, an extremely affordable fixture of the Berkeley food scene. Since 1987 this hole-in-the-wall joint has been cranking out made-to-order sandwiches for the hungry student on-the-go. With the walls plastered with autographed photos of Cal athletes like Aaron Rodgers, you know these sandwiches are made for the best.
Tacos Sinaloa
It is often said that you can’t find good Mexican food in the Bay Area, well, Tacos Sinaloa is on a mission to prove that wrong. A brick-and-mortar incarnation of the popular East Oakland taco trucks, Tacos Sinaloa does not mess around. Their gargantuan burritos are gloriously coma-inducing, and their tacos will be sure to satisfy your craving for tortilla and meat harmony. Wash it all down with an ice cold agua fresca. The cinnamon-y horchata is especially good.
Gypsy’s Trattoria Italiana
Voted “Best Italian” by the UC Berkeley student paper as far back as anyone can remember, Gypsy’s famous pastas are truly iconic. Here you can get classics like pomodoro and chicken marsala but also plates like “crazy alfredo.” While budget friendly, many dishes utilize various wines, and the complimentary garlic bread is topped with out-of-this-world garlic confit. Plus, Gypsy’s is in a food-court-like enclave of restaurants affectionately called the “Asian Ghetto.” This means that group members can get take-out at different places but then sit together at the central tables.
Thai Basil
Also a part of the “Asian Ghetto,” Thai Basil is everything you want out of a Thai place. Their curries, noodles and rice dishes do not pull any punches. Here, vegetarian-friendly and carnivore-prone options abound with umami goodness and that characteristic Thai heat. Lesser Thai restaurants might rely on pure greasiness to satiate their customers, but Thai Basil is different. Despite being kind on students’ wallets, Thai Basil’s dishes achieve deliciousness through carefully balanced flavors working together in complex synergy. If you’re looking for spicy and savory, then Thai Basil is the way to go.
Late Night Bites
Top Dog
It’s irresponsibly late, and everything in sight has closed for the night. What is a famished Cal student to do? On Durant Ave, there shines a beacon of hope for the hungry and the weary. There beckons a fluorescent sign adorned with an anthropomorphic sausage that promises hunger-ending hot dogs. And on the cheap too! From the semi-spicy calabrese to the slightly sweet, smoked chicken apple, Top Dog is certain to satisfy anyone even into the wee hours of the night.
Dessert
Kingpin Donuts
Another “Asian Ghetto” institution, Kingpin Donuts is undoubtedly the source of countless student’s “freshman fifteen.” In their defense, Berkeley is stressful, and Kingpin’s donuts are ridiculously delicious. From classic glazed to fancy chocolate buttermilk, these donuts are the perfect way to celebrate good grades or to forget about bad ones. Be warned, the donuts are denser than you’d expect, so bring a friend along so you can share.
Cream
Cream sells scoops of ice cream sandwiched between hot-out-of-the-oven cookies. It’s a relatively simple idea, but it’s nonetheless genius. If you want simple, then the chocolate chip cookies and vanilla ice cream are sublime. If you want colorful, then go for CREAMfetti cookies, birthday cake ice cream, and rainbow sprinkles. It’s an exploding piñata of flavor. Few places receive as much hype as Cream. Does it live up to the fanfare? You’ll have to make that decision for yourself.
