Very large shopping center near bart. Great mix of stores and great neighborhood. Macaroni Grill, Sees candies, grocery store, junky retal store - Ross. Mostly I remember hanging here with the kid brother when he lived a few blocks away. Starbucks and such. Good neighborhood. No crazy like in lesser cities. read more

Great atmosphere to shop, few good places to eat, farmers' market on the weekends are epic! Great way to pass the time & soak up the sun! It's easily accessible both by private & public transportation! I would recommend this place to pass the time on a Sunday. read more

Great place to go to shops and get stuff done or a bite- let me clear : THE VENDORS ARE GREAT !!! I have the bad fortune of being a tenant here and they are HORRIBLE LANDLORDS :-( Within 60 days of moving into our 5 rooms the environmental system in the main classroom died- guess what ? They said it was OUR issue and we could pay the $5000 to fix it- I guess great for whomever moves in after us is that it ? Now we really do like our rooms, but they are not easy to find the first time- so like any business we put a signboard downstairs indicating where our biz was- those S***s took it to their office and only gave it back when asked- they said it was "Advertising" and so prohibited - effing whaaat ? Directions are now promotional ??? Now after negotiating they say they will fix the environmental if we commit to 5 years there ! Hehe damn bro- fool me once and so on !!! These guys could at least ACT like they give a sht about their tenants, but they instead choose to hedge everything on just having a decent location...Wow thanks :-/ read more

When I came to this plaza, it was busy busy busy!!! They have a lot of stores here, Lucky, Wingstop, Mod Pizza, Barnes & Noble, and Trader Joe's just to name a few. The parking lot is decent sized, but it does get a little hectic because of the way it's configured. This place is sandwiched between San Pablo Ave and the Bart station, which explains the busy-ness!!! Seems like a popular plaza for a lot of reasons, you can get a bit of everything here!! read more

See all

If you have nothing better to do for the day, consider this place to make the most of it. I've been here a few times before, but they were mostly quick stops (Daiso and Ross) and never really appreciated how much was in here. I had a slow day one day and decided to come through and really take my time. I ended up making stops at stores I didn't even plan on going to. Daiso and Ross were a given, but I also made stops at Bed Bath and Beyond, Starbucks, ate at Kyoto Ramen and CVS. I practically spent half the day here. Ended up going home with a few bargain buys. Parking is not an issue: there's always a spot available regardless of which store you decide to stop at first. I'd come back just to check out other places, if only just to grub. (Not true, I already know I'm gonna end up with fun-filled shopping bags, who am I kidding...) read more

See all

Yeah only reason this place isn't getting a 5 all day is because Gamestop closed down. This plaza was the ultimate convenience back when I went to UC Berkeley. It's literally right across from the El Cerrito Plaza BART station, so its super accessible. I used to go to the Ranch 99 in Richmond all the time, and I would always walk through this plaza on my way there and spend some time shopping around. The plaza is huge and has a ton of stores: Ross, Barnes and Noble, Quickly, Rubio's, Mod Pizza, Gamestop, Wingstop, Daiso, Lucky, Trader Joe's.. among others. Those were mainly the ones I went to though. So not only is it convenient to the BART, you've got a good amount of variety as well, making this place a one stop shop. Unfortunately, a bunch of those places closed due to COVID, so the plaza is definitely not at its prime. Really miss Gamestop, I purchased Persona 4 Golden and Detective Pikachu there. The plaza also has ample parking if you're taking a car, so parking is never an issue. The parking lot is a little bit confusing with the weird roundabout, but I mostly come here via the BART so it usually wasn't an issue for me. If you follow me on YouTube, this place is also the origin of my series "Berkeley Essentials". My roommates and I were getting Wingstop and shopping at Lucky, and we based the name of the series off of the Lucky store brand "Market Essentials". I also bought Demon Days from the B&N here. Looking back, I really enjoyed my time at this plaza. It has tons of stores, at a convenient location. Admittedly haven't been back here in years tho. read more

El Cerrito Plaza has been modernized with the opening of Trader Joe's and all the Bigbox stores. no longer a neighborly shopping center. eats/drinks: services shopping chef ups trader joe's jamba juice metro,sprint daiso junket att, t-mobile gamestop mod pizza verizon see's panda express massage barnes & noble rubio's european wax bed, bath beyond romano's yoga cvs, ross starbucks tax dress barn wingstop jo ann fabrics yummy sushi lucky's petco shopping notes: -OTG and farmers market also here -parking difficult in certain areas. off hours is more parking friendly. read more

ONE STOP SHOP: El Cerrito Plaza is located right diagonally from the El Cerrito Bart. Pretty big outdoor mall with Lucky's, Ross, Barnes n Noble, Bed Bath Beyond , Trader Joe's and CVS are the anchor tenants and have been here for quite some time!!! You can easily do a lot of one stop shopping here with the variety of stores. They are conveniently located and there are smaller tenants such as MoD pizza, Daiso and Petco. Worth checking out next Time your in the area. read more

As I am pulling out of my parking spot in front of Trader Joes, I say to my friend Anna: "This place is a parking nightmare. I always see near collisions, and have had a few close calls myself." And, before I can take a breath after uttering such a troubling statement, under the light of the ominous sun that could have been a full moon with bats flying in figure eights around it, I see a car come around the corner... and slam into a different car pulling out of a spot a few spaces away from me! Bumper goes clunk on the ground. At least there is a Planned Parenthood at El Cerrito Plaza to take care of THE OTHER KIND of accidents. read more

This mall opened in 1958 and I imagine that it might have been a nice regional shopping center then. Despite the upgrade a few years ago it seems faded to me. It is handy for books and household goods and perhaps a few other things. It isn't inviting to wander in and the turnabout is so strange. Drivers always seem not to know how to drive around it. Surly the people in this region deserve a better shopping experience. Until then, I guess the mall is still worth 3 fading stars. read more

I agree that parking can be a pain, but I appreciate the Trader Joe's, Joannes and Barnes & Noble. I've had to call the police twice because pedestrians hit my car (with something in their hands), both times the people were in the middle of the road and appeared to be on drugs. Not sure if it is bc it's so close to Bart or what, but there is def a problem with aggressive people here. read more

I find it odd that ECP got such low ratings ... I checked to see if the reviews were written a long time ago, but most are fairly recent. I like this place, it's convenient, it's got ample parking and it's got a decent selection of stores for the suburbia of El Cerrito. Check it out: - it's got a selection of food (Panda Express, Louisiana Fried Chicken, Rubio's, Pasta Pomodoro, Macaroni Grill, Chinese place and Japanese place etc) - drinks and desserts (Starbucks, Jamba juice, Peet's right across the street, Coldstone) - it's got groceries (Lucky's and Trader Joe) - it has a farmers market on Saturdays - book store - pet store - shoe store - drug store - discount clothing (Ross) - home decor store (Pier 1) and coach store (Jennifer's Convertibles). A Dream Dinners recently opened up here as well - in a large spacious location. It's a good one stop shop for everyday living, is well lit and close to BART. While I don't think it's a destination for anyone, for those of us who live close by, it's quick, it's convenient and it's got a bunch of stuff. I docked 1 star because once I parked here for BART and when I got back to my car, they left me a giant green irre-movable sticker on my window. Thanks for not towing me, but that sticker cheese was left on my window for the greater part of a year. read more

I frequently need to pass through the mall on my medical scooter and am always disgusted by the vomit and other such things that seem never to be cleaned off the sidewalks. Not pleasant. Not healthy. read more

Inspired by Catherine's review, I decided to write one of my own. I share her appreciation that it was rebuilt, but I have many of the same complaints, and more. Here's how it shakes out. 0 stars: for trite, unimaginative architecture, done on the cheap. See the miniaturized, out of scale clock tower in the traffic circle for what I mean. 0 stars for the badly designed traffic pattern in the parking lot. 5 stars for the farmers' markets on Tuesdays and Saturdays. 5 stars for Trader Joe's. 3 1/2 stars for the Junket 5 stars for the Great American Dry Cleaning Store 4 stars for the UPS store, which is handy for mailing packages and for having documents notarized 4 stars for Pasta Pomadoro. Even though it's a chain it's a small local chain and I like it. 0 stars for far too many boring low end national chain stores and restaurants. At least they could have had a more interesting department store than Ross. Like Nordstrom. Three very dim stars. I don't know how the math works, but that's my score and I'm stickin' to it. read more

This place has the most poorly designed parking lot I've ever seen. I prefer shopping centers where I can park once and walk around to all the stores, but you can't do that here unless you like getting run over by cars. It also has way too many chain stores. I want to see some good restaurants! Why the fudge to we need Pasta Pomodoro AND Macaroni Grill? I mean, if there have to be chain restaurants, why not mix it up a little? I come here for Trader Joe's mostly (about twice a week), and occasionally for BB&B, Lucky, and Barnes & Noble. This place needs to be demolished and totally redesigned. read more

This plaza has several good stores and places to eat - Trader Joe's, Barnes and Noble, Daiso, Ross, See's, Burgerim, etc. There is plenty of parking. It's near Bart. read more

I'm glad I'm not in urban planning or whatever profession it is where folks decide what businesses go where. It must be hard to look at the kind of people who live in an area and decide that yup, that place is not a "Nordrstrom" or "H&M" type of place. That's a "Ross" place. Yes, it's demeaning, but there are reasons why you can't get nice things. Besides, the mall itself is too small to accommodate larger chain stores. I remember when this place had an Emporium Capwell smack dab in the middle of the parking lot (or perhaps it was where Lucky is now). No other store directly near it except for the drug store. I have vague recollections of old folks using the far end of the parking lot (where the Farmers Market is now) to board a bus to Reno. The parking lot looked bigger back then because there were no cars around. After redevelopment, the place changed for the better. What was once a desert is now filled with cars. It's not a mall for upscale stores; it's a mall for your everyday errands. You get your grocery store, your farmers market, your drug store, your book store, your housewares, your clothes, your petstore, your shoe store, your chain chocolate store, your hair salon, your dry cleaners, your video store, your video games store, your ice cream parlor, your UPS store, your Trader Joe's, your crafts store, your bank, your cell phone stores, your Starbucks, and your restaurants. You even have a recycling center behind the mall, near the BART tracks. The traffic and parking are horrible, especially near the Trader Joe's. And I can never understand how this area can install a roundabout within the parking lot when many people don't know how to drive them. Yeah, there's a roundabout nearby up at Marin Circle, but people there can sometimes figure out how to drive it. It's an outdoor mall, so people are usually not sitting down congregating at a centralized location like you can at the food courts in indoor malls. Very few benches, which I find odd. Otherwise, it's a decent mall. It's there when I need something. And I find myself here to get something several times a week. read more

Hard to believe this El Cerrito Plaza was ever a shopping mecca for the East Bay back in the old days. Gone are Emporium and Chuck E Cheeses, even with the half assed refresh two decades ago with Starbucks, Ross, B&N, Pier One, Bed Bath & Beyond, Copeland Sports, Petco, and Trader Joe's, now Copeland is replaced by Joann's, Pier One is now a Japanese knockoff of Dollartree "Daiso," and BB&B is now vacant. Gamestop is no longer there. The little food court island just has a Jamba Juice & Panda Express but for how long? Gone are "Rubio's" & Italian chain restaurant "Pasta Pomodoro" that abruptly closed. GNC is gone that was next to Trader Joe's and also "The Junket" which was part of the old plaza. Now the El Cerrito Plaza sits like a blackeye with no energy, no life, nothingness. The developer is holding a expensive piece of land that is looking more like a ghost town everyday. Without the anchor stores like Lucky, Ross, and Barnes & Noble, this plaza has nothing to offer! They should bulldoze it all down and turn it into a fun & social multilevel "ACTIVITY destination" for people to go to: an aquarium, a IMAX theater, a Dave & Busters arcade & restaurant, Cheesecake Factory, In N Out, gelato & mochi shops, a gourmet avocado toast shop, a rooftop Topgolf/minigolf, ice-skating rink, indoor go-kart, iFly indoor skydiving. All next to a BART station! Clearly after several attempts this place fails at being a shopping area with online shopping the new normal. There's nothing for young people to do around here & jobs that are attractive! read more

The drivers here are CRAZY! STOP signs mean STOP! Most drivers feel that the STOP signs in EC Plaza mean speed through them and DO NOT look out for other drivers or Pedestrians! I think the city of El Cerrito could balance their budget and fund their Police Department and hire more officers by issuing more tickets for these STOP sign offenders! Speaking of drivers. I was at the plaza at 8am on a Friday and their parking lot was at least half full! WTF? About 90% of the businesses don't open till 9 AM. I suspect BART riders rather than store employees. When I took BART to work I parked several blocks away since their lot fills up quickly. ENOUGH for the ranting. Same info is true from my previous review. I didn't mention SEE'S CANDY (which I've reviewed separately) Love it.I still think See's candy is superior to Godiva! PETCO We get our Science Diet here--you get a free bag after 10 purchases---sounds like a lot of bags but our cats go through those bags licketty split. VERIZON Love this store. Staff is always friendly and helpful. Separate review already posted. JO-ANN Mr Rinky and son hate this store. My response to that is "JoAnn's is NOT made for people like you. I'm writing a separate review for them. read more

4 Stars for Trader Joe's or 5 depending on what time of day I get there and if the shelves haven't been picked over... This place was the greatest when I was a kid. Before the remodel and before the horrendous design of the parking lot. Ridiculous to have 3 places to get Starbucks within a mall area. It is convenient for a quick jaunt to Barnes and Nobles, the nail salon (Sara's), Farmers Market, Sees and of course TJ's. I have a lot of fond memories of the Plaza. 3 of my friends worked at Capwells. Before we were old enough for jobs, we were eating fried burritos and mock orange julius's at the Juice Hut, getting our ears pierced at Bedazzled, shopping for gifts at Waldenbooks and that candy store that I can't remember the name of, that had HUGE jawbreakers. Oh, do I miss the days before all the chains and strip malls.... read more

The Plaza is a great place to run most of my errands without having to drive all over the place. It has what I need, like 2 grocery stores, a womens' gym, a dry cleaner, a mail services shop. It has what I want, like plenty of places to eat, a beauty supply store, a book store. The parking lot is huge, but it is very poorly designed. There is a farmer's market on Tuesdays and Saturdays near the Trader Joe's. I try to avoid that area whenever possible. What is it about that minority of people who shop at those places and are also the most discourteous people on the planet? They almost make me write off the whole lot. Basically, I am there about three times a week and it meets my needs very well. read more

I may have inflated a star for nostalgia. If I was rating for only 2007 experiences, woudl be 3 stars. But, I Grew up near here, worked at the Emporium back in the day. Got my shoes at the Junior Bootery until my feet were too big. Grandpa Jim did my feet good. Feasted on Orange Julius and chimichanga's during high school. Learned about good coffee at the Junket. But most of those stores are gone now. The Junket holds strong, though. Still, it's a nice central shopping center where you can find most anything you need. When I lived in EC I walked there most times and, as hard as the parking lot is for cars, it's also difficult for pedestrians as you have to cross all of that frustrated traffic! I am so happy there is a Trader Joe's. Pasta Pomodoro has also been a highlight. In short, good location, good variety of stores (though way too many starbuck's, esp. w/ Peet's across the street). Bad parking lot. Some definate highlights: Pasot Pomodoro, Junket, TJ's. read more

I became familiar with the area some time around when the whole property was in the midst of being torn down and fenced up, so I cannot speak for the concrete predecessors of El Cerrito Plaza. I'll tell you this, though... it's the obligatory, perfunctory, etc. etc. super strip mall that most towns are getting. There are very few non-franchised businesses to speak of, and the parking and traffic flow through the area is a big mess, as far as I'm concerned. At every turn, it appears there's an accident waiting to happen. There are tight spaces with tight spacing between rows, very short turns, confusing 4-way stops, and overall not enough capacity to handle the weekend traffic that fights its way through. Still, it serves a purpose for those of us who are sometimes forced to place convenience and economy above unique, local experiences. It's not something I look forward to, but sometimes I just need to go there. read more

I am very happy to have this place near me. The Trader Joe's is a blessing and I like the fish tacos at Rubios. Barnes and Noble is nice for gifts and to sit and read with a coffee. That said, what the hell is with those two lanes in that traffic circle? And for the longest time one of those lanes was for busses, right? What the heck? I always try to circumvent that stupid thing. That 4-way stop by Pomodoro stinks, too, since many people seem to not know how to work 4-way stops, but I prefer it to the circle. Also, put a GD protected left on San Pablo for when we leave the place. read more

Much better then when it was the 90's. Even though, I grew up in El Cerrito & go to this plaza all the time, good or bad, it has changed a lot in a very good way. It expanded like 20 more srores; thats how big it is. I believe that EC Plaza will stay a good place & will possibly expand even more in the coming years! read more

I'm a fan of present day El Cerrito Plaza, there are several businesses that I frequent quite often. Jamba Juice, Rubio's, Chef's Chinese Cuisine, Trader Joe's, and Starbuck's are only a few of the tenants at the plaza. Like most other people agree, the parking lot is poorly designed and can make it difficult to get around. Regardless the plaza has everything you could need in one car trip: a grocery store, multiple restaurants, a pharmacy, a Wells Fargo, book store, Ross, dry cleaners, etc. I can deal with a parking inconvenience for a handful of conveniences including a one-stop shopping destination. read more

El Cerrito Plaza - Shopping Centers Near Me - El Cerrito, California

As I navigate around the EC Plaza, I often think about the man who designed the place. His hatred for pedestrians must only be exceeded by his hatred for car drivers. He obviously despises bicyclists. I guess he was a total misanthropist. It's nearly impossible to get in and out of the place without a near-death experience in any case. It's unfortunate that the design is so hateful because the place has useful stores: now a Joanne's Fabrics so I don't have to drive to the Hilltop Mall to buy thread, the Tuesday and Saturday farm markets, a passable drug store, several clothing stores for women with more money than taste, the oft-cited TJ's, a sushi restaurant that's not nearly as good as Kasuga and several horrid fast food joints. Alright, if I didn't live two blocks away I'd never patronize the place. But given that it exists, could a civil engineer please look at the traffic and put in some contiguous pedestrian pathways? And now that the Copeland's is gone and Joanne's in business, maybe do something with the chunk of old parking lot in the back of that business? It's not like the plaza needs more parking, but it could be a nice little park with benches and picnic tables. And could someone please find the guy who designed it in the first place and take away his license? Thank you. Re: wheelchair accessibility It's no less accessible to wheelchairs than any other form of transport. Actually, I think an armored wheelchair may be the ideal vehicle for dealing with the plaza. read more

Two stars on the strength of Trader Joe's. If you think it's odd that every reviewer mentions the parking lot, you try getting from your car to a store - any store - without getting run over. When the Plaza was being redone, the proposals talked about a pedestrian village. What we got is the exact opposite. It is nearly impossible to park anywhere in any of the lots and walk to anything other than the store directly in front of you. The stores are all close enough that one should be able to walk from store to store, but the layout is such that you'll almost definitely get killed trying to do so. I have to admit that I miss the Chevy's that used to be here. Rubio's is great (fish taco Tuesdays!), but I remember the balloon guys who used to work at Chevy's. And Ross is no substitute for Capwell's. read more

There's something incredibly depressing about El Cerrito Plaza which infects every shopping experience I have there. I don't know whether it's the huge parking lot - I always half-expect to see tumbleweed blowing across it - and the way that it always seems deserted no matter when I go there, but a trip to ECP invariably strips me of the will to shop (and to live). I guess the shops there aren't too bad, but they seem so much more depressing than their counterparts elsewhere that I haven't yet managed a successful shopping trip there. Go to Emeryville instead. read more

Worse parking ever. Traffic pattern never was good but now it's terrible! Farmers Market not worth the money- sprouts has just as good quality at reasonable prices; ie. sprouts has green beans for 1.99 lb while farmers market at 3. Whose idea was to build an apt. Complex in the parking lot? Love how kids have to dodge cars to play. I may live in the area but will continue to shop outside the city until this city gets it together read more

Classic strip Mall with options. Not open too late but always can find parking even in a pinch. Jamba, Safeway and att. Are more regular stops. read more

who remembers chuck e cheese? the emporium? maybe im just old school. i grew up about two blocks from here and definately have spent way too much around the plaza. it's gone through its phases of having nothing to being alright. overall its pretty decent for chore-type shopping and its fairly safe. im completely comfortable walking around after dark. but id like to petition to bring back chuck e cheese... read more

This is similar to the Emeryville Powell St. Plaza but with a few welcome additions of Ross and CVS. But like everyone else has complained, the design of the plaza is pretty awful and you just have to watch out for yourself! read more

The shopping is okay - 4 stars The parking lot and layout is horrible, hazardous and probably the most poorly laid out in all of California - minus all stars One star back because I can't go without a visit to Trader Joe's! If you are also in need of visiting the useful stores housed in this horrific plaza, please bear in mind that every second you're in that lot is like your road test; be super cautious! No one knows what to do at the circle. People blow stop signs and never use blinkers. Pedestrians are walking out from every possible direction, including the poorly placed crosswalks. Bicyclists whiz thru, sans helmet but with blasting headphones. Enjoy! read more

This place sucks. The majority of people who live in this area are rude and stuck up, which reflects on their driving. They always think they have the right of way, and they WILL NOT stop for pedestrians (unless they're one of the few nicer residents around here). read more

Decent stores like Trader Joe's, Barnes and Noble or restaurants like Pasta Pomodoro... but parking sucks especially on Saturdays when the farmer's market is there. This place has changed so much over the years, I remember back in the day there used to be a Chevy's and Emporium Capwell's, loved that store. read more

I like El Cerrito Plaza's shopping and dining options. Having all these business available so close to my job is a plus! The minus 2 stars is for whoever designed the crap whole of a parking lot they have there. I am serious when I say that not 20 minutes ago while driving from picking up dinner I not only almost ran into a car (because they didn't stop at their sign) but I also got so mad that I cussed out a 90 year old woman (by the time I realized how old she was the stream of obscenities had already begun to flow from my mouth). Don't even get me started on the stop signs that are by the Fairmount St intersection... if you are next to Starbucks good luck making a right and forget it if you are at the sign next to Rubio's attempting to make a left to get on to Fairmount HA! You'll be there all day. And why is there only one way in to the Barnes and Noble and Bed Bath and Beyond area?! F*ck that parking lot! And where is Capwells! read more

This is the stupidest mall in the Bay Area. It is unsafe, confusing, inefficient, poorly designed for cars and worst for people. I met an urban designer from Germany who was studying the plaza as an example of what not to do! The only reason someone has not been killed trying to walk across the parking lot is that there is usually a traffic jam! The clock tower is a joke. The place is ugly to boot unless you like the urban penitentiary look. I give this place one star because it has 3 Starbucks. Advice, if you go here park your car somewhere else and walk around at your own peril. read more

Not enough pedestrian walkways making it unsafe for pedestrians to walk from one shop to another or to their vehicles. Extremely poorly maintained, no recreational or rest areas to enjoy a lunch or a cup of coffee. Shops are hardly interesting, nor unique. Too many break-ins into parked vehicles. Security personnel hardly ever visible. Not enough choice of restaurants. Ugly . . . . ! read more

I have shopped here for years and have been happy about its convenience (it's close to my house). However, today, Friday morning, I parked my car in front of one of the shops near Trader Joe's. I was gone for 1/2 hour and when I returned to my car, the rear passenger window was broken out, and someone had reached in to lower the back seat (in order to see what was in the trunk, I presume). All I had were shopping bags, paper towels and a sweatshirt, so no further damage was done to my car. The El Cerrito police wanted me to wait "15 minutes to 1 hour" to make a report (at their headquarters), so I left. How could this happen with guards all around? Where were they? I saw none..... read more