ICONIC. Berkeley Bowl is where it's at. Hands down the best grocery store in this city and the next!! Those who know me know I love grocery shopping and I love affordable groceries even more. In the Bay Area, the latter is very hard to find. This makes Berkeley bowl all the better. The prices are the best in all of Bay Area and the variety is amazing. The produce is fresh and they have both organic and non organic options. If your a student looking for good deals, don't come here for pantry items or fresh meat. Really what's the best here is the produce! read more

I love Berkeley Bowl. Definitely one of the highlights of going to school here. Their selection is endless (for the most part). I'd love to see a larger Asian section, but that's definitely because I'm Asian and have grown up going to Ranch 99. This is a great place if you're looking to explore food and expand your palate. I'd like to highlight their beer section. I've looked far and wide for a supermarket with sours and GOOD stouts. Been failed every time, but Berkeley Bowl stands as a beacon in the shadows. They've got Modern Times sours, IPAs, and stouts, and an employee casually recommended an Abraxas stout which was sooooo so great. I trust that beer selection and I'd love to try more. read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - covid adjusted hours - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

Wow. Just wow. This grocery store blows all the rest away. I only wish there was one of these near where I live! Their small parking lot cannot possibly supply enough parking to all of the patrons that are here on weekend mornings much less busy weekdays after work! Luckily my brother's in-laws had a temporary handicap hang tag from a recent knee surgery, so we were able to find a spot right by the entrance. Once inside I was immediately impressed by the baked goods section. I'm a guava lover and they had guava pie, fruit spread, as well as fresh fruit! They also had a huge vegetarian and vegan tamale section - I probably looked like an oddball standing there just drooling at the options. The meats and seafood sections were beautifully organized and we passed through to get to the fresh produce. I was thrilled to see so many fruits and veggies that are hard to find where I live, and at reasonable prices! I was especially excited about the wall of mushrooms in the front corner of the refrigerated section. Next I made my way to the bulk section. They had so many perfect options for snacks to bring on a hike or picnic. I had to narrow down my options to a couple of things so I didn't go overboard! As we were leaving we were enamored with the floral options. The tuberose was a unique bunch and my mom couldn't resist. We brought those as well as some other beautiful purple flowers home and made a beautiful arrangement. From start to finish we were like kids in a candy shop. I can't wait for my next visit to this 5-star grocery store! read more

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Date: 12/21/2019 Time: 3:50 PM 56° Cloudy Berkeley Bowl was the final stop for my two sisters and me. All that walking from IMM Thai on University near Shattuck to UC Berkeley Campus to Telegraph Avenue to here, and my "puppies" were "howling". Then there was the sit and rest along the way because of my sciatic issue. It's my first time at this Berkeley Bowl. I did not shop for any produce or grocery. I chose to sit in the dining area while waiting for them to buy vegetables and some grocery items. However, I did see something that I like in the bread section, Stonefire roasted garlic naan. It's not all the time I can find that brand at the supermarkets. Then I can't complain about the price. It's $2.59 a pack compared to $3.69 a pack at Lucky's. I purchased two packs. For the time being, I'm giving Berkeley Bowl a three star rating. I need time to explore other parts of the store on return visits before considering upping it to a four star rating. read more

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I hate to say this about the beloved Berkley Bowl, but many times I have gotten produce here that has spoiled. It's just happened too many times. I get home and that very day or evening I pull out the veggies start to snack on them or make a salad and... They're bad. I''d much rather support a local place than Whole Foods. And they have so many more varieties of fruits and vegetables. They do take returns, if you notice that your produce is rotten or moldy, and you do NOT need a paper receipt. Just tell them the total dollar amount (look it up on your phone banking app) and they can print out another paper receipt. Maybe if more people started returning their rotting produce, the store would have better quality control. read more

The people giving 5 star reviews are clearly oblivious to the scam that this grocery store is. The quality has downgraded significantly in the past few months alone, prompting me to write this review. Multiple times, I have seen MOLDED rotten fruit still on the shelf for sale, items have rung up at check out much higher than the price tag - and when I brought it up to "Customer Service" the rude black woman behind the counter accused ME of being dishonest. Talk about gaslighting. I've gotten sushi (or what they call sushi) twice and both times got an upset stomach afterwards. I will never shop at TOILET BOWL again. I feel sorry for the people still being duped by its facade. I will continue to support local farmers by shopping at the Tuesday Farmer's market. The prices are better and 100% of the money is going to the farmers, and not supporting the money laundering business of this sham grocery store. Oh and best of all, they aren't trying to sell rotten fruit at full price. read more

Tons of options a wide variety of groceries to choose from. This is a great place if you are in need of organic fruits and vegetables, there are tons to choose! They also have your standard variety as well. Be sure to hit up the butcher because they have a lot of meets and seafood to pick! My favorite is the lunch counter. I really enjoyed the spicy wings, mashed potatoes, and donuts! Prices are a little on the high side but the food is fresh, delicious, and in stock. read more

The place is great and always has been. For years, I was under the impression that this location was the original bowling alley, but my beliefs were dashed when I learned that the current building used to be a Safeway and Berkeley Bowl moved here in 1999. I may have technically visited the OG Berkeley Bowl when I visited friends going to Cal in 1997, but I can't confirm that, and I feel like if it had been Berkeley Bowl, I would remember it. The produce is amazing. The prices are high, but that's a relative thing in the Bay Area, and compared to Whole Paycheck, they're not that high, or at least they never used to be. This should be a five-star review, but the other shoppers here bring the experience down at least one star, possibly more. Is this Berkeley Bowl's fault? That's a difficult, complex question with myriad nuanced answers that depend largely on how much responsibility you believe a market has for the clientele it attracts and serves. I can tell you that I've seen many otherwise pacifistic silver-haired hippy ladies fighting over particular organic fruits and vegetables. They may oppose capitalism and believe that the state or, better yet, self-organized collectives can do a better job of feeding people than evil moneymaking businesses; but they're mighty possessive of their kale and broccoli and Vidalia onions, especially when you consider that they (the hippy ladies) don't believe in private property, ostensibly. If you're going to get the best produce, you're going to need to sharpen your elbows. You think I'm exaggerating, but I'm not. read more

Bought some groceries this morning. I picked up an item that I normally get. I remembered that last time I bought it I had to throw it away because it was spoiled. I asked the lady at customer service if they could comp another one. She was on the phone and seemed put out that she had to get off to talk to me. She was immediately agitated and confrontational. I asked her to get the manager because I felt that she was being abusive. She continued to berate me. She then called the manager and characterized the entire event as if I were an aggressor simply because of my request. Terrible experience with zero compassion or even diplomacy. read more

Incredible selection of fresh, organic produce at an affordable price, wonderful fish market, variety of ethnic foods, amazing cheese selection, delicious prepared foods! Parking can be a headache however. read more

I love this place so much I won't complain about parking today... Ran (not literally, I drove) here during my lunch hour. I only wanted to come for some avocados and salami. I did really well in that I didn't leave with a ton of items but the stuff I picked up was great. Strawberries and raspberries for less than $2 bucks each. Limes for $.12 cents! I mean, I just got some at the grocery store for $.50 each. Avocados - even though they were small, I got them for $.50 each - which maybe is a wrong thing to say...may cause MORE of a rush to BB but I was happy with today's total of $11 so sharing is caring! For those that haven't been here - DO NOT COME ON A WEEKEND. Too close to campus but so worth the trip any other day of the week for awesome price on veggies and other items. read more

Love coming here (kinda long drive for me) for their fresh produce and sushi grade fish. They have such a nice extensive selection of produce, both conventional and organic, and I really appreciate the variety and high quality. My only gripe is about the parking. It's really tough read more

The coolest grocery store I've been to! The produce section is amazing. I hadn't even heard of a lot of the produce they carried! Not to mention the selection of drinks, snacks, dairy, meats, etc were all so impressive! Stopped in for a quick snack so I only bought chocolate milk and a local chocolate bar but both were delicious (Highly recommend Straus chocolate milk). I wish they had one of these closer to the South Bay so I could regularly shop here!! read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - Produce - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

First timer here and had to visit with all the hype surrounding their produce. Surprised by the amount of different items they carried, from fruits to ahi poke. While the produce was of high quality and plentiful, I give it three stars as I felt that the store was somewhat cramped and dirty in some areas. Other than that, great place that I will definitely come back to later. read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Meat counter doesn't know what they're doing and apparently will "defend to the death" their right to never figure it out. I have never bought a prepackaged group of chicken thighs or whole legs at Berkeley Bowl on Oregon where the pieces were anything near the same size so that they will cook at about the same rate. When I called the meat counter today and spoke to Becky the manager about this she explained that they just couldn't do that. In other words when they pack up their family packs of chicken legs or thighs they simply cannot sort them to any extent by weight so that pieces that are somewhat the same size end up in the same package. So I explained that I just couldn't shop at their meat counter I'll have to go to whole foods. read more

The fact that people visit from out of town is a clear indicator of how unique this grocery store is! The stars here are the produce section, bulk food section, and the cheese section. There's an incredible variety. It's not often that I don't find produce that I want. I shop without a grocery list so I often leave with random things I thought were interesting! Some cool ingredients I've seen and tried over the past couple years: Daikon (the food in the logo!), White Zucchini, Delicata Squash, and Burdock Root. Shout-out to the cashiers who somehow remember all of these items! I've also been happy with the asian section. I usually find what I want, including a specific brand of 15lb rice bag, and yaki-soba. They used to have a great take out food counter that makes Chinese or Mexican food to-go. It's not open currently while it goes through renovations but when it opens back up I give it a thumbs up for a reasonably priced meal! In the meantime you can pick up pre-made sushi and sandwiches, which are decent. Things that are not produce are a bit more expensive than you'd find elsewhere. If you're on a budget you could get similar products across the street at Walgreens for a bit cheaper. read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - Produce - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Finally made it to Berkeley bowl in Berkeley, and it definitely lives up to the hype. Easily one of the most sustainable grocery stores I've ever been to--makes Whole Foods look like a beginner. The selection is amazing, but the best part? The people. A mix of hippies, scholars, and everyone in between, all coexisting in this eclectic little hub of conscious consumerism. Definitely a Berkeley experience. read more

Berkeley Bowl is a great grocery store. They have many different sections of the store that offer quality food products that rival other supermarkets. Parking and getting in and out of the store can be a challenge at times The meat and produce section are really great and offer high quality products. Since I love to cook, I'm all about the ingredients and have shopped here for holiday cooking, special dinners and gourmet cheeses. I've bought my thanksgiving turkey here in years before. But, the real reason for the 5 star review is for the floral department. I often do floral arrangements for small weddings and events, although I have other floral sources that deal in larger quantities, I come to Berkeley bowl for the unique selection of floral accent flowers. I made a wedding bouquet made with kale and roses from the floral department that was amazing and quite unique. Berkeley Bowl is more than just a grocery store to me, it's a place to discover new ingredients and interesting flowers to inspire creativity in my projects. read more

If you like fresh produce, Berkeley Bowl is heaven. I literally take out of town visitors here as a must-see. PRODUCE: Berkeley Bowl can't be beat for produce. While "traditional" grocery stores have one type of strawberry, or one type of mango, Berkeley bowl has an entire row of all different varieties, from different farms. I myself have become a mango snob and will never eat a Tommy Atkins mango again (Manila's and Hayden only for me!). The produce is separated by locale as well, so often you know what region each fruit comes from. The quality of fruit is unmatched between "traditional" grocers like Safeway, Trader Joe's, or Sprouts. Did I mention that the produce is CHEAP? ORGANIC PRODUCE: The organic produce is so expansive that they have their entire section. For people who shop organic, they only need to go to one section and get all of their produce. BULK FOODS: I'm a big fan of bulk food, and Berkeley Bowl has quite an expansive selection. Everything from grains (quinoa, rice), herbs and spices, snacks (sesame sticks, wasabi snacks), nuts and granola, dehydrated soups, pasta, beans, etc. etc. etc. Less waste, less cost, and you can get exactly how much you want. ASIAN GROCERIES: A pretty expansive aisle of asian groceries, much more than traditional stores. It holds me over until I can hit up an actual Asian grocery stores. PANTRY: I usually buy my pantry items elsewhere as they can be a bit more expensive at Berkeley Bowl (e.g. staples like greek yogurt, cereal, hummus, etc.). They also tend to have more of the healthy brands, so I don't know if they'd have things like Kellogg's cereals (can't remember, as I never buy these here anyway). OTHER: There are other sections that I typically don't use myself, such as fresh fish and meats, cheese section, olive bar, etc. But they seem nice. read more

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Great star with a massive and broad variety of fruits vegetables and all sorts of foods, some ready to eat my items. The bread section was particularly divine. Must return. read more

Why did come here on a Saturday? It's a crazy mess! My sister has not been feeling well and I was obligated to take her shopping. Since I was there and found an angel of a parking space, I made the best of it. Picked up some veggies for protein and carbs, cashew milk, and the most delicious tuna salad sandwich. Just a half for $4 was great. It was prepackaged and fresh. Having just come from a gym workout, the sammie was perfect! read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - 1/2 Tuna on Marble Rye. Comes with mustard and mayo packets. $3.99 - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

I just have to say that I love Berkeley Bowl, I love that they just exist! I love shopping here, today was the first time I came to the Berkeley Bowl West store....didn't realize it was here. I had my car serviced in Oakland today and they gave me a loaner....so I went grocery shopping! And I don't live here but when I have the opportunity to shop at Berkeley Bowl I love it! I can't say enough about it, love the selections they have here, the vegan choices and the black truffle potato chips...I had to chase them to the other store....but I got them! Sometimes I just need to acknowledge places that make me happy! read more

The best supermarket with the best fruits variety in the world! I think this place is opened by Japanese people so there's a lot of Asian food / groceries here too, like sashimi and onigiri. read more

I love Berkeley Bowl because they have fabulous fruits and vegetables - - both organic and conventional. They are really on top of their produce. There are lots of people working there to keep it clean. They have discounted produce that is super ripe--ready to take home and use. I prefer going early in the morning when it's less crowded. I find their aisles to be rather narrow when someone is coming the opposite direction. It can be hard to socially distance in their isles. They have lots of variety. They have fresh fish (wild and farmed), and meat (organic and conventional). I have found the butchers to be friendly and helpful. If you are a senior, they will give you a good cup of coffee (part of my morning ritual if I am there in the morning). They have a very nice bakery if you have a sweet tooth. Their cheese section has cheeses from around the world. Besides the bakery with wonderful tasting desserts, they have fresh breads. There deli has Asian foods, Mexican, and desserts. During Covid times--take out only. They clean their shopping carts between uses, and don't let too many people in at once. You put your own groceries into your own bag--unless you buy a paper bag and they then bag it for you. For me, it is kind of a cross between a coop and a large grocery store. I love what they have to offer!!! read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - Prepackaged meat with dairy in background - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Unparalleled quality and broadest selection of food in the East Bay. Foodies and home cooks will find anything they need here. Berkeley Bowl supports our wish to eat healthy, seasonal food. Top notch fruit and vegetable produce, huge butcher counter, fish counter, deli/bakery, bulk and organic. Love Berkeley Bowl! Parking can be a bit of a challenge at times, but if you go early you can usually find a spot. read more

Had a chance to visit Berkeley Bowl Marketplace with the boy and wow this place is an amazing place to visit if you are looking for asian foods in the Berkeley area or just wonderful produce in general. I had heard alot about this place and was so impressed by all the variety there once I got there. They also have sushi grade fish and lots of meats for those who are nonvegetarians and want something yummy for dinner! Walking through the store it was very huge, and there was lots of to get which was nice. Ended up picking up eggplants, onions, falafels & some calzone type things and am looking very forward to trying! What I was most impressed by though was the produce. They had so many types of unique mushrooms and other veggies - this is a fun place to go to if you want to pick up some unique ingredients to cook as well! read more

Berkeley Bowl West: dLoved the quality of meats and produce, tasty hot lunches, nice coffee and desserts, space to eat and drink, nice selection of asian products, vitamins, flowers, and good parking available. My new go to market read more

I love the Berkeley Bowl! There are so many different types of veggies and it's very organized. I feel l like I can almost always try something new. The produce if fresh and things are organized by an organic and conventional section. They stock a lot of healthy options and staff is friendly. They also have a clearance section that is more affordable. It felt safe to shop there and I was so happy to be able to get some cool new snacks for the road. Definitely a unique grocery store. read more

I love the food choices and quality of produce at Berkeley Bowl. The only beef is the customer service person. She is absolutely no help in finding things and insists she knows where something is even when she doesnt but won't get out behind her desk to help you. She really brings down the service at BB which is otherwise a gem. read more

The Berkeley bowl is a bay area institution, but you probably know that already! The produce section is absolutely bananas, no pun intended. There's an entire section that's got to be at least 500 ft.² that is all organic produce. The conventions product is twice that size. They have every kind of mushroom you can imagine and tons of fruits and vegetables from other countries that you would never find at your local Safeway or Whole Foods then I bought a quarter of a fresh jackfruit! I had never seen one before before. As a vegan I love that I have so many options here from every possible flavor of dairy-free creamer to local, handmade vegan pastas I never knew existed! They offer tons of local brands as well smaller brands I've never heard of it so it's always an adventure coming to the Berkeley bowl. If you're ever in the East Bay be sure to stop by! read more

Berkeley Bowl Marketplace - Vegan Dutch crunch baby! - Grocery Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Go for the produce. You rarely find better for the price. Meat counter is ok. Avoid packaged chicken as it is often not local Eggs are the best anywhere. Been shopping here since 1988. Biggest drawback is the two stores don't carry the same items. Go figure. read more

I am a regular shopper and a fan of Berkeley Bowl for many years. Since pandemic lockdown, I am even more impressed by this legendary market place. Their website has clear message outlining how they have responsibly prepared store to protect their employees and customers safety. It is very reassuring. At the door, staff are there directing customers with social distancing. Cashiers have plexiglass shield They also making sure dirty shopping carts go to right place for cleaning. They do quite thorough cleaning unlike some other large chain stores. They also provide customers with gloves. Once inside, produce are neatly displaced as they always do. Nothing is in short supply. All the safety precaution are in place. Some bulk dry good are prepackaged. Every detail is thoughtfully taking care of. One feels safe to shop there. Of course in compliance with SIP, and in consideration for others, I reduced shopping trip frequency to every 2 weeks and prepare a list to go for quick shopping. Thank you Berkeley Bowl employees, management, and suppliers for providing us great essential products, clean and safe place to shop! read more

I simply love Berkeley Bowl. Here is my shout out to AKIRA at the seafood counter. He helped me with the fresh oysters. I needed to buy a dozen for oysters on half shell and he helped me through their offerings. I think they had 4 varieties. Based on his feedback - I ended up getting 8 Blue Point, 4 Miyagi and 4 Kumamoto. He was right on with the Blue Point being creamy. My daughter loved those because she said they were creamy which is exactly what AKIRA said. The Miyagi was a little too briny to me but I happily ate those. Look for AKIRA. He knows the seafood counter! I'll be back soon. And will likely buy more oysters! read more

So much to look at, try and enjoy Meat department, fresh veggies of every kind both organic and non! It's like being in a good library! read more

I am a lifelong bbowl fan. They are a little pricey, but way better than supporting Whole Foods, and have all the things I ever need.

Good Food, always busy, we get burritos at the deli, always a choice of different rice.

Lot of variety! Fresh and lot of variety of vegetables and grocery! Had I been living close to this store this would have been my goto store read more

Great grocery store with an ample selection of vegetables. Their selection for fruit, mushrooms, veggies, and nuts is really expansive and has all kinds of ethnic selection. They have an awesome section for cheap produce (might be damaged) but you can find some awesome deals in the bargain rack. The meat is all high quality (much pricer), but much better quality especially in fish (caviar, lox, shellfish, etc). They have everything you need. read more

Food is great! $great prices and selection. I drive all the way from milpitas just to go here.

The new bags are absolutely terrible. People are throwing them everywhere and they fall apart. Fire the person who came up with completely ridiculous compostable bags that don't work. read more