This is where my friends and I go when we can't really think of any place else to eat...the ghettoooo There really are a lot of different types of food you can get in the ghetto from Italian at Gypsy's, to sushi at that one sushi place, to thai at the thai place at the end...haha guess i never really pay attention to the names. The prices here are great for college kids on a budget. And usually portions are pretty big. Also Pancho's is open till 3 am so it's perfect for late night nachos! Oh and don't forget a donut from kingpin read more

I don't think anybody in the world can even count all the times I've been to this area to grab a meal. So many...so many... There is no restaurant here that doesn't have something I truly enjoy to eat. Oops double negative. Luckily the Asian Ghetto is a double positive in my book. Zing! read more

2.5/5. Durant Square, known by most Berkeley students as the "Asian Ghetto," is a food court specializing in cheap, unhealthful Asian cuisine. Its location on the south side of campus -- it's just one block away from Sproul Plaza -- makes it popular among undergraduate students and, in particular, lowerclassmen, who have no means of transporting themselves to superior pockets of food in the area. F O O D O P T I O N S The biggest problem I have with Durant Square is that the food just isn't that good. Portions are large, always greasy, and most often a combination of overcooked, bland, and dry. Gypsy's (Italian) and Thai Basil are the two most popular restaurants in the food court and the only ones I'd frequent. While their food isn't much more healthful, it's at least tasty. Steve's BBQ (Korean) is pretty decent and King Pin Donuts, while not being a restaurant, is solid. I'd steer clear of the Chinese and Japanese restaurants. A M B I A N C E Ambiance. What's that? Seriously: Don't come here expecting quiet, calm, or peace of mind. All the restaurants are small, cramped, and noisy. But they're nothing compared to the courtyard in the middle. It's a popular spot for panhandlers, belligerent youths, and students with poor manners. There are wooden tables scattered around, but people always seem to forget to throw away their trash. Speaking of trash, the bins toward the back fill up quickly with discarded take-away containers and often overspill onto the ground at night. Just this week, I saw a young man drop an entire container of chow mein in the middle of a walkway, swear aloud, and then just skateboard away, leaving others to jump over the mess. Ultimately, you come here for the price and the flexible hours. Most places are open to midnight, and some until 3 a.m. However, I'd probably stick to Thai, Italian, and donuts, if I have to stop by. read more

Pretty much the "chinatown" of berkeley. Here you can find all sort of asian food. From korean to vietnamese to Ethiopian! what else can u ask for? A lot considered it dirty, but I consider it cute & convenient. I can walk way with a delicious plate of combo Pad Thai with shrimp, tofu AND chicken, pretty decent kbqq ribs and my ultimate bubble milk tea from quickly (or sweetheart)..... and ALL in the same location. WHEEE! read more

It's the asian ghetto. It's open late with a lot of variety. 1. King pin donuts 2. Thai basil (can be heavy on the basil but delicious) 3. Bear's Ramen house (korean) read more

Lots of options for the student or person in/near Telegraph area of Berkeley. Lots of pretty so so food. In the past, this place has even had not one, but two bars. Gone are the halcyon days of House of Kabob, replaced by a similar, but not as friendly and not as good Cal Gyro's. Had to ask for the garlic sauce. The pitas weren't spiced and grilled. And the overall sauce flavor was inferior. And the owner's daughter told me that they were way better than the old place (there from at least 1994 to about a year ago). Oh, well I'm sure your opinion isn't biased, heh. Mandarin Chinese is still there and after my one time there I decided going back wasn't a necessity. Poorly made food, largely flavorless, honestly it gives Chinese (which can be a pretty interesting and fun cuisine) a bad name. Thai Basil has been there at least 13 years, replacing one of the bars. They make a terrific yellow curry chicken. They make you wait forever, it's like being in a non-heavily touristed part of a third world country. I've strayed from the yellow curry chicken a few times and was never pleased with the results, all pretty mediocre, quite unusual for what is usually pretty interesting in all that is Thai cuisine. If you work really hard, even a white guy like myself can get very spicy food. I like the really spicy, but if you don't, please don't be a hero as people that think they like spicy, but really don't have made it extremely hard for me to get the spicy. Ask for 3 stores, be emphatic and you'll get it the best possible way, really spicy which I know is somewhat inappropriate for yellow curry chicken, but that's how I like it. :) King Pin doughnuts has great hours (any time) and solid, fresh doughnuts. The doughnut lovers that I knew were all VERY fond of this place. I've found Gypsey Trattoria badly overpriced and it's very inexpensive for Italian food. I can easily make better and I'm decent, but probably only on par or slightly inferior to the average Italian restaurant. Kind of a long wait. It's very popular so maybe one of the largely uninspired, simple to make menu items that I haven't tried (all but 8 or so) is a lot better? Or maybe people just think it seems cool, don't have that discriminating of a palate and go there because it's close. Given the high turnover rates and incredible location (near something like 15,000 students living Southside), I suspect it's a pretty tough place to run a business. There's a Japanese/sushi place that I used to like, but it changed owners and got more expensive. Steve's Barbecue is a long term staple. Cheap, large portions of marinated beef and kimchi, pretty basic, enjoyable as a quick food fix. Vietnam Village was nice enough to introduce me to rice nuggets and has a large, fairly interesting menu. It's cheap, it's an adventure, it's not a bad option. Fairly fast. Satay House has never impressed me. Flavorless Thai? How is that possible? It's slummy, the outdoor seating has every seat right next to a typically almost overflowing trashcan and bums will ask you for money on your way in and out. Great for a quick fix in the area and good for those on a budget, otherwise, I'd look elsewhere to get fed, generally. Not all options apply for all restaurants. Some may not take cards. I'm not actually sure ANY places serve alcohol. Cal Gyros and the mixture of sensible pricing and many restaurant options are why I give them 3 stars, otherwise, they'd get less due to dirty Bohemian atmosphere and generally mediocre food. read more

Bum on the trailhead of Asian Ghetto, bumpin' a boombox of remixed 2Pac classics for late night entertainment. Fine 18-yr old undergrads flooding the joint all hours of the day and night. Trash dumpster divers rummaging through the huge trash cans - just be wary of that dirty 'ish. If no one in your large group can decide on where to go, this is the choice epicenter of informal food eats at UC Berkeley. One block from campus, it's the spot really for its accessibility at all times of the day/night, good with groups, and variety. My latest visit Friday night, only after Gordo's on College Ave. closed, was the newer member of the Asian Ghetto called Pancho's taqueria. The chicken burrito was x-large. Just be sure to get plenty of hot sauce with your order so you can drench the burrito's inside. By the way, this place is for people on FOOT or BIKE. Not much parking so get with the new decade 2011 and ditch the motor vehicle. read more

Asian Ghetto is the ultimate places to get food from, this square has a selection of Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese/Chinese, Korean, Gyros and Donuts. All suitable for Students who are on the Go, because of fast service and cheap prices But with a Good Quality set of food selections as well. All CAL students know this. - Go Bears! read more

I've had spoiled meat from Steve's Korean BBQ, spoiled eggs from Thai Basil, too-heavy-cheesy-everything from Gypsy's. That, and the piles of plastic containers and what not surrounding every trash can and spilling over onto the tables and chairs and floors, kind of killed it for me. I would say come here for cheap food, and nothing else, but for that, I go to Blondie's or Smart Alec's. read more

Asian Ghetto! 5 stars just because this is what fed me during my freshmen year as a starving college student ... so many good memories here! When you're a poor college student, you can't expect more than this. read more

This place has a good variety of different kinds of food. Not a fan of all of the restaurants, but that's why there are so many others.

This is part of my Berkeley retrospective series. A comprehensive review will take too long. So briefly. 1) Thai Basil - 4 stars. Nicely done Thai food. I admit I haven't been adventurous enough with the menu, but I dig the Basil chicken and garlic pepper chicken dishes (ordered really spicy, of course). They remind me of Thai joints in Houston, which is a good thing. Comfort food. 2) Gypsy's - 3 stars. Initially a fantastic experience, but the overwhelming use of heavy pasta sauces eventually dulls the taste buds. The "light" dishes are just not tasty, period. Use of herbs and appropriate seasoning is absent, use of HEAVY WHIPPING CREAM is abundant. The lingering aroma/odor of stale mozzarella cheese is present in the air. Busy. 3) Mandarin house - 2 stars - Inferior to the other place outside the ghetto. Store owner really hates you for some reason. Not too packed usually. 4) Fantasia house (sp?) - 3.5 stars - never tried their food, but their smoothies are the bomb. That's all. read more

Asian Ghetto, my best friend during my time at Cal. It's actually not very ghetto except for the fact that there is a bum or two panhandling out front, it's a little dirty due to the constant presence of pigeons (watch out for the one with only one foot, it's mean!), and the trashes tend to overflow. Hmm, on second thought, maybe it is a little ghetto. But cheap and tasty food always brought me back here. In fact, Gypsy's still draws me back when I'm in Berkeley. Gypsy's, Bear's Ramen, and Thai Basil are the places to eat. I wouldn't bother with the rest. For boba, Quickly and Sweethearts are equally decent. If you're a Cal student, be prepared to run into a good amount of people you know as EVERYONE comes here. read more

SO THIS IS WHERE ALL THE PEOPLE WITH YELLOW FEVER HANG OUT! AHA!!! Just kidding. Some of the restaurants in this Asian Ghetto area are a rip off and the quality of the food looks lousy. There's no public restrooms here, go figure. Go behind the place and piss in a corner somewhere after dark. They're open late too. Great for drunk fooding! There's hella stinky ass homeless people who congregate around here too. Bring some air freshener! Boba in this area isn't really up to par with SF's, but it'll do. The food's okay... So if you're wondering why this place is called an Asian Ghetto, you'll figure it out when you see it. read more

ATMOSPHERE: I love the location of this place. This little spot provides a good variety of Asian food and an outside door seating to hang out and chill. Definitely cute and convenient. It could get crowded outside sometimes, but you always have the option of sitting inside the restaurant. It's relatively close to the Berkeley campus which is a plus! RESTAURANTS: some of the places they have here is a rip off and janky, but I still recommend stopping by this spot to check out all the different restaurants they do provide, and it's also a nice place to chill at! Every time I stop by the Berkeley campus, I stop by this place because it's the most convenient and has outdoor seating, good place to study or hang out with people without having to visit the same restaurants. read more

Pro open late variety of food available Seating indoor and outdoor some (note some, not all) cheap options - college budget friendly Con all the smelly ghetto homeless people that hang out by the place no public bathroom some of the restaurants are not exactly clean average prices have been rising fast - and no longer 'ghetto' read more

I love this eatery! It has all the food that I like. Convenient, reasonable prices, and they open late. Hate the nickname for this place though. Cal Gyro has a really nice gentleman that guides you on what to order. Keeps you entertained while you wait. The chicken gyro is delicious! Thai Basil hits the spot every time. Loveeeee the daily special! $5.75 for a whole meal is the bomb. Sushi House of Berkeley is all right but still good food. The lunch special is a good price for a little bit of everything. Quicklys is small and a little dirty but $1.50 for a taro milk tea - that ain't bad seriously. This is the place to go for hungry ass college students, esp. when you haven't eaten the whole day from studying or grinding on that paper. You can run over and grab a quick bite, for that moment you can just chill out on some good, cheap food. :) Oh how I love DURANT SQUARE! read more

This place is simply fantastic for delicious cheap food. I was born and raised in San Francisco, so I can't get enough Asian food, and I have very high standards. The Asian Ghetto meets those standards. The Vietnamese and Thai are my favorites, but it's all good in my opinion. By the way, don't forget about what I call Asian Ghetto #2 on Hearst Ave. (across from North Gate next to Etcheverry). It's a food court that has Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Thai, with an American grill and a Top Dog for good measure. It's also worth checking out for sure. read more

The "Asian food ghetto" (I put in quotation mark because it is not all Asian. In fact barely over half of the joints in this place are Asian.) provided me some decently delicious food without breaking my bank when I used to live in Berkeley and down on periods of financial hard times. I mostly patronized the Thai place, the Korean BBQ place, and the Gypsy Italian place. Never been much of a doughnut fan, so can't comment too much about King Pin. And I think the Mandarin Chinese place has the worst food of them all. read more

Fuck this place. All my friends who go to Cal always suggest we eat here for some reason - it's not THAT cheap and definitely not good. To be fair I have only tried a handful of places (not including the coveted Gypsy's) but when you are in the city of innovative, amazing food, why subject yourself to the Asian Ghetto... there's so much more out there!!! read more

There is Chinese, Thai, Vietnamese, Korean (although I have never seen a korean worker/owner inside the restaurant), Mexican, Italian, and a pastry place. Some places take credit while others do not. If you come here, you will eventually find something to eat. I have frequented this place often in my 4 years at Cal. read more

So many great places to choose from. I love going to thai basil, steve's korean bbq, gypsys for pasta, and sweetheart cafe for boba and popcorn chicken. All of them are affordable and open late. It's the perfect spot when you're with a group because there's something for everyone. read more

used to frequent this area quite a lot back in the college days... a variety of (mostly) asian restaurants serving up big portioned dishes for an affordable price... there was a gyro place and 'italian' place too 3.5 stars read more

a star for convenience as a cal student, a star for good prices, a star for tasty foods, and a star for all of the homeless people. but i can't give you anymore stars, asian ghetto! also, if you have a car, do not try parking here. read more

Since there are so many small places in here I would prefer to comment on them all as a whole compared with individually listing each place. To save some time I will talk about the 3 places which I find the most interesting the first being Quickly. Yeah yeah I know, how un-unique could I be but hear me out for a second. This is one of the only places that serves tapioca (sorry "boba" fans) in the area and their drinks are very well priced. From offering great specials to catering to a large group of Asian-American students they have done a good job preparing high quality drinks for a low price. Outside the fact that no matter where you go there will be a slight smell of garbage around along with the usual homeless person asking for spare change, it's nice to know that a community like Berkeley can have an area specific to Asian Americans. With that said there are two places which stick out in my head more than any others. I know there are many other places around and one day I may update this post to reflect that but due to writers block I will keep things simple and suggest 2 places to go to no matter what. First off is Steve's Korean BBQ. Recently I have noticed that they have been raising their prices (due to inflation and the economy) but there is no where else can you find yourself satisfied with meat, rice, and a generous helping of kim chi on the side. It's in my opinion the best deal in the area. Second is King Pin. What is this you may ask? Well think of it as Krispy Kreme but much better. Not only is it open late at night but the items they serve here are much more superior to the fast donuts that they serve at Krispy Kreme. I always enjoy coming here early in the morning to get a donut getting my fix on sugar. The food made is always extremely fresh and it's nice to get to know the staffers as well. With that all said there are many other places to check out, and there are other reviews that you can read that go into further detail that what I have written about. Regardless of who sez what, if you ever find yourself in the area, this is the place to check out. read more

Best hang out place around campus. A variety of food to choose from and a fairly moderate price. And all are open quite late ~1pm on Weekends? Anyway, my favorites are the kimchee fried rice and ramen at the Korean place. Go Bears! read more

I love this place! Every time I visit my friends at Berkeley I always make them eat here with me. It's good cheap food!

Pure cheap and always open college food. This is where you go when you're craving some form of asian food at night.

haha! it's actually listed as "asian ghetto"...i thought that was just a nick name locals used...and not listed on yelp! that's awesome... I digress...it's perfect for late night munchies and boba. it's convenient, inexpensive, and convenient. The food has variety..and, it actually tastes good..unlike overpriced Asian food restaurants (ahem, va de vi's)... The best "Asian food on a budget" one-stop shop... read more

hahahah first i saw the "durant square" and i was about to write a review saying "whats that? you mean the ghetto?" then i saw the rest of the title. a few of my friends used to get so upset that it was called the ghetto :P they are like, super azns that fight for azn rights, i mean, nothing against them, i totally support their cause, but come on... (irene, that was for you :P) anyway, this "square" is great. the food is great, cheap as all hell, fast and open late. love the thai basil, bear ramen and gypsy's also, since they "remodeled" the place, its cleaner and the flooring isnt as weird, but i think they just poured concrete over the old cobblestone so now when you sit outside, the benches seem a lot shorter... does anyone know what i mean? oh and the boba places are dirt cheap too but i think i like sweatheart's better than the quickly read more

Asian ghetto? In the late 1990s this place was called "crack court." I suspect it earned this name because it is where you could get 99 cent rice with teriyaki after you were cracked out. The phrase "cracked out" in the late 1990s didn't necessarily mean you smoked crack, although I suppose it could mean that too, if you were a crackhead, of which there were plenty to be found, at crack court. read more

I love this place! Whenever me and my friends visit Berkeley we'd always go to the Yogurtland on Shattuck ave. and the Asian Ghetto. It's just a nice little hangout spot with cheap but delicious food. It's especially wonderful that the restaurants are open till very late. I always recommend friends to go here and they all love it. I can't wait to come again this week. read more

It's a place for undergraduate students - you can find cheap food, new friends, you can feel like you are "in". It's early-20-s crowd, Telegraph-street-like setting. Once you graduate, you can come here to feed your kids, but probably would avoid it with your friends. read more

The outside patio seems to attract an amalgam of unemployed philosophy students, homeless people, and Asian-American kids who only care about how cheap food should be. Slightly less enticing than a food court at a mall, this place gathers all the odors together from the different Asian restaurants into a nauseating odor that smells like dead meat, fish and cotton candy. I suppose this is the place where all the post-drunk college kids go to have their late night snack. The food is prolly edible if you're too inebriated to notice. read more

Ah, memories. I will always remember late night runs to the Asian Ghetto to get food before it closes during finals or lazy days when we didn't feel like cooking for ourselves. Or grabbing some food in between classes and bringing it on campus to eat in the grass on nice sunny days. The food is cheap and there is a good variety to choose from. The location is super convenient for Berkeley students. My favorites were the Vietnamese place for their varietal menu and Steve's BBQ for their delicious meat and kimchi. Asian Ghetto has never disappointed me! read more

Effing convenient when you don't have that much to grab lunch and are with a group of people who don't know what kind of food they want.

Convenient, decent prices, food is alright. The new Mexican place and the Korean place are probably the worst ones. Gypsy's is a classic and Thai Basil is always satisfying. The food is much better than the collective of Asian restaurants on North Side. read more

No UC Berkeley Asian student can make it through their education without the nourishment from the Asian Ghetto. Ironically there's nothing really ghetto at all besides the overfilled trash cans towards the end of the night and the bum sitting in the front panning out. read more

What's not to like, a small area for just Asian food in the heart of Berkeley? I wouldn't drive from the South Bay for this place unless i'm the area but the food is good and decent prices. read more

before I came up to NorCal, my friends who graduated from Cal warned me to stay away from this place but I wanted to give it a try, since it's pretty close to our campus my first impression was that this place was very DIRTY!! as soon as I walked in, I realized why people call this place Asian Ghetto anyways, I usually go to Thai Basil or Gypsy's and I think their food is over price also, they recently reduce the size of food. read more