Every time I call. Every time I go in. The staff at the store is always so helpful, friendly, and…read morehuman! I so appreciate the homie feeling I get when I walk in the store... Not something I get from any other Ace Hardware store! Thank you for excellent customer service!

I am upgrading my review from several years ago. I have had many positive subsequent experiences at…read morethis hardware store. They don't have the best selection or the best prices, but they are convenient if you live off Arlington Avenue in the Kensington-Berkeley-El Cerrito area.

Large store and friendly staff. They have large collection of everyday household items in the…read moredowntown area.

Ace is the helpful place! A hardware store that's actually fun to go to. Downtown Berkeley lost the…read moredollar store but has Target but not many craft stores. It was nice to grab odds and ends for an art project, volunteer activity and church, etc. The kitchen supplies are plentiful and they always carry decent cleaning supplies. I've bought everything from batteries, card games, handkerchiefs, and toy. The hot sauce shaped like a grenade was delicious. I tried the original spicy flavor. Nice treats and candy at the checkout. Grab some!

I really want to support local businesses like Cole Hardware. In a world dominated by big-box…read morestores and Amazon, it's great to have an independent hardware store serving the community. Unfortunately, this visit was frustrating. I placed an online order that was estimated to be ready in 15 minutes. I intentionally waited an hour before coming in, but I still had to wait while my order was put together. It honestly would have been faster to walk the aisles myself, grab the item, and pay at the register. What disappointed me even more was the customer service at the front counter. The staff I interacted with came across as dismissive and unfriendly, which made the experience feel less welcoming than I expected. I genuinely want to keep supporting Cole Hardware because local businesses matter. I just hope they can improve the online pickup process and provide a friendlier customer experience. Those two changes would make a big difference and would keep me choosing them over the convenience of Amazon.

OMG. What a gem. A hardware store with everything you could need, laid out in charming, organized…read morefashion. The staff went above and beyond. And I struck up a neighborly conversation with the people in line with me. Support this place. In a world of heartless Home Depot's we need to keep a gem like this alive.

I had an amazing visit to Hida Tool in Berkeley for master knife sharpening with Kou! My prized…read moreJapanese chef knife I've had for decades, that lives carefully dried and wrapped in towel when not in use - nonetheless over the decades, had small imperfections here and there and needed sharpening. Claude AI led me to Hida! Kou educated me about the hand forged knife I had, translated it's inscriptions, and maybe because I had my beloved Japanese Akita with me, invited me to watch the process - it was amazing to see his adroit flow of steps to remove almost invisible fine pits and barely visible rust, straighten a slight bend (and now I know NOT to cut hard winter squash with this fine knife!) and used sequence of fine whet stones and water to finish the polish over a special sink basin that felt like a small pond in a Japanese temple. It is new and happy again! My hand wrought knife restored for just $20, so very worth it - and the drive to Berkeley and the experience and learning in person was priceless. You can't have a knife in more appreciative hands, and your appreciation of your knife will grow too. Yes, they sharpen European knives and all sorts of fine tools too, and sell an amazing array of fine tools and knives too. My knife, well cared for like this, is an heirloom - and I now know can literally last hundreds of years! Check out their website for their dazzling array of speciality knives and tools. Very worthwhile - make an appointment to see Kuo and take the drive to Berkeley and be sure to stop after at the nearby also famed Monterey Market - the original that helped launch Chez Panisse and the California Cuisine movement decades ago - always rare and wonderful produce there, as a lifelong chef myself, it is truly one of the best unique private fresh artisan produce and food stores on earth!

A friendly and well stocked source of high quality tools, mostly from Japan with many other items…read morethat are useful. They stock many hard-to-find items and also provide ideas and inspiration for projects based on what is on their shelves. I no longer live in Berkeley, but it's a must-visit spot every time I'm in town! Not inexpensive, but well worth the cost for a well curated selection of quality items.

We had such a great experience today at Orinda hardware. Manuel was a true superstar and helped us…read morefind everything we needed and even let my son help with mixing the paint cans. It is wonderful to shop local and Orinda hardware makes it special and meaningful.

Sadly my recent experience trying to return something I bought just two days prior with a receipt…read morewas such an unpleasant one that I will not be returning. The manager insinuated that I was lying about what an employee had told me about the return policy, and made a point to tell me that he would accept my return "this one time, but never again." This was a matter of two items amounting to $20. This is a way to lose customers.

I'm not sure why I enjoy shopping here but the idea of "having to go to the hardware store" makes…read moreme smile, in contrast to pretty much every other errand. Very helpful and available staff.

They usually have everything we need. Today's quest was a door stopper, the kick stand kind. We…read morefound it by going up and down a couple of isles. Usually we see an employee soon as we arrive and are able to as them for directions, but sadly not this time. That is something I appreciate coming here is there is usually someone to greet you and point you in the right place. There was one gentleman that made a comment on my taking pictures, but he didn't have a vest on or asked if he could help me find something. They have added new signage in their parking lots telling you to move all the way forward so can pass you as the parking lot is tight. Parking is an issue at times as it's a small lot. We've had to park on the street before near their garden center. Overall this is a solid hardware store with usually easy to spot employees, that are happy to help you.

I was in Berkeley with some time to kill and also have been searching for a particular gas fitting…read moreso I hoofed it down there to take a look. I have seen the store front multiple times driving down Ashby. The main entrance is around back. Upon entering it reminds me of Orchard Supply Hardware. Back in the day when I was farming and owned rentals I think I almost lived at OSH. The other one. It was nice to cruze around a well laid out hardware store with just about anything you'll need. I was looking for a brass gas fitting and there was drawer for it but sold out. Popular item I guess. Even with that it's a great hardware store. Wide aisles and plenty of items. There are times I could just drive the extra few miles to go here instead of Home Outhouse.

Better service than Home Depot but that comes with higher prices…read more Main problem is the layout of the store. Very difficult to know which aisle items are on and even if the helpful staff tell you it is impossible to know how to get to a particular aisle because the signs are not visible from the front of the store.

I love a family hardware store that's packed with every imaginable household item as well as…read moretools, painting supplies and even bubble wrap and other stuff. Will you pay more? Yes, compared to a huge box store but you pay for the convenience of having a neighborhood hardware store. I went into the store looking for packing supplies since I was planning to ship some fragile items and wanted to personally box them myself. Kay, the owner, was very helpful and I also enjoyed the interaction between her and her sons who helped her.

Very helpful and will get you to where you need to be whenever you ask. Key copying is cheap and…read morefast. Wide array of stuff for a small place.