Nice ambiance, tasty food, friendly servers. And YES it is open again! Opened 19 February 2025!

You guys have to do better then this i use to go there for the home fries but this is is just nasty burnt home fries read more

Homemade Cafe - Burnt home fries - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I had breakfast there before the grand opening tomorrow. Food was good, service was friendly and it's basically a good place.

I come here often and nothing has ever disappointed me. The fried chicken was thick and perfectly fried, not dry at all. I could've used more gravy but that's just me. Chilli and biscuits was great, very satisfying. I always leave with leftovers. If you don't know what to order, the breakfast burger on cinnamon swirl french toast will never do you wrong. read more

Homemade Cafe - Breakfast biscuit w/homefries - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Best service ever. Every single person was exceptionally sweet, friendly, kind. Grits - 5 stars Eggs - 4 stars Biscuit beignets - 5 stars Lemonade (made in house) - 5 stars Sour cream coffee cake - 1 star. No. Noisy but in a cheerful way. Decor simple but charming. read more

Food: we had the Italian scramble with black beans and sourdough, along with their blueberry pancakes. The eggs were watery and had no flavor (adding the pesto on top didn't make the dish any better). The black beans had an after taste that was a combo of metallic and awkward sweetness. In other words, the flavor was extremely off. As for blueberry pancakes, yes they were fluffy, but they were mediocre and bland. The blueberries provided were definitely not sweet. The sourdough bread was actually the only item that tasted good, but wish we had the choice to add on the butter instead of it being soaked in it. Service: hella slow!! My partner and I waited for 40 min outside until our name was called followed by another 40 min until we got our food. In the end we were charged $50 (which included a 20% gratuity despite party size). We won't return to this spot ~ but support what y'all do for the community in offering meals. read more

Nahhh the home fries were some of the best I've had. They know what they're doing here. Cute breakfast spot with cool art hanging up. The staff was awesome - I wanted any type of parfait or fruit and the cook made up a special thing for me to get that! Very grateful and appreciate the vibes here read more

We used to eat hear often until a couple years ago when they changed the tofu breakfast. Today, I was in the neighborhood for business and decided to stop in. They've changed the place. Indoors wasn't as busy as it used to be but there were a number of parties in the parklet. My scrambled eggs reminded me of summer camp, not fluffy at all, sort of like eggs that come from a mix. My bacon was overcooked and dry. But worst of all was their flagship product, the homefries, which for me were overcooked, dry and even crunchy. The breakfast menu used to be compact and easy to navigate. The new menu is a substantial tome that requires a good bit of time to read, which I don't think is a good thing. Service here has always been a little indifferent, and today was the same. But now, you get to pay a 20% surcharge on top of your ticket for indifferent service. Making it worse, since they add the 20% to the ticket, it's now 22% for the customer because it's taxed. The State of California thanks you. To be fair, the surcharge is prominently disclosed in the menu, which isn't usually the case when I've seen surcharges before. If they want to be really honest, they should just include it in their pricing and prominently disclose that the tip is included in the price. While their commitment to making sure that "everybody eats" is laudable, that policy isn't sustainable when the food quality is going downhill and business suffers. read more

I just had a really fantastic meal from the homemade café delivered to me at my home. It was a brisket sandwich that was so tender so flavorful and delicious that I really wanted to post. Some thing about is here. In addition to the sandwich I also got they're really fantastic home fries something they've been known for for 30 years at least, but which there's repeating again here In addition, I also got a piece of their fantastic homemade coffee cake Always an abundance of food in their order enough for more than one meal and screamingly delicious read more

I've been going here since long before there was a Yelp. They are hitting some hard times and I realized I'd never left a review, so here is my attempt to help out. French toast, waffles, and pancakes are very good; they do it right and put the blueberries in the batter for the pancakes. Bacon, sausage patties and links are also very tasty. There is certainly lots of other good stuff on the menu, but these are my go-to favorites over the years. The good folks who work here are unceasingly patient and hardworking, and they have a great "everyone eats" initiative to help out with the epidemic of homelessness. read more

I was pleasantly surprised by this little brunch spot. I'm often torn on where to brunch in Berkeley-- there's just so many good options! But when my friend suggested this place, I saw the yelp rating and was tempted to suggest another spot. Instead, I kept an open mind and just went with it. I got there and there were a good amount of people outside waiting to get seated. A good sign, I thought. Plus we didn't wait very long. Maybe 15-20min, which was consumed entirely by conversation, so it went by quickly. The place is cramped though and they don't come around to refill waters often, but there's a self serve station with water and coffee. That's one of the reasons why I knocked off a star. Service was just ok. But clearly people still keep coming, so the highlight would probably be the food. And I was impressed by the Oktoberfest menu. I ordered the roasted pumpkin + gouda cheese frittata, an egg-based Italian dish like a quiche without the crust ($13). According to the waiter, no changes can be made because it was prepared beforehand and reheated. That also turned me off when I heard that. To me, it was very Olive-Gardeny of them. So I'm not a huge fan of goat cheese and there was goat cheese in the frittata. It ended up not being as overpowering and just added a slight tanginess. I really enjoyed it! I'll probably be back because I'm curious to try out any seasonal specials! read more

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I want to commend this place for serving food to people who couldn't afford a meal, in their restaurant. Served with dignity. Nothing but five stars from here. In gratitude for your many years of work and generosity. read more

I've driven by Homemade Cafe multiple times and I swear I've never seen this place without a line for breakfast. I just assumed that it was a small space, and while it is, the lines are really because of the food. Therefore, it's true what they say - go where there are lines, especially when the majority of those in line are locals. FOOD: 4 SERVICE: 3 I recommend getting here before 9AM if you're planning to go on a weekend. We came in just shy of 9AM and got seated right away but 15 minutes later there was already a line out the door for multiple groups. This place has definitely got that homey feel. It's an older place with old wooden booths, plastic tables outside, but it has a vibe of it's own. As mentioned it's fairly small so the coffee/pastries are to the right or your entrance and tables and seating to the left. Service is pretty hands off as water is self-service after they bring you your first round/cup. GET THE PANCAKES! The pancakes come 3 an order and they are $8.5 for a regular batch and go up in price depending if you want choco chips, fruit, etc. It's unfortunate that they don't have a pancakes & meat combo because paying $5 extra for 3 pieces of bacon (even though cooked to my liking) is not my fave option. You can also pay $2 more for maple syrup, but the regular sam's log cabin syrup hit the spot so up to you. We also got the corned beef hash ($12.5) and honestly we would pass on it next time. It does come with all the fixins such as toast (they ask you 1 or 2 slices) and eggs, but we've had better so might try something else next time. TIP: Check the board in the back near their kitchen for their specials! They have a specials card on the table but it's mainly for lunch + dinner. Overall, it's a solid place to come for breakfast/brunch (they close at 4PM). The pancakes are the real winners here and were devoured so quickly. read more

Homemade Cafe - Corned beef hash - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Homemade cafe makes delicious food. For me, the problem was the service. When we first arrived, they let the three of us stand awkwardly in the doorway for about 5 minutes, without anyone even greeting us, despite there being 5 empty tables. (I looked at the person behind the cash register but he wouldn't make eye contact.) We ordered and they got my daughters order wrong. (Plus the food took a long while to get.) The server never checked to see how we liked our food, so I had to flag down someone else about the mistake on my daughters order. He said he'd check the original order. About 5-8 minutes passed, and then he (not our server) came back and said the order had been wrong. He nicely offered to replace it, but we didn't want to wait for another order to go through. We never actually heard from our server again (though I saw him working other tables). When they brought the check, there was a *mandatory* 20% tip already applied! I couldn't believe it! And this was after super slow service and getting our order wrong! Feeling pretty miffed, I asked them to take my daughters order off the bill, which they kindly did. But I'm still upset about the mandatory tip. read more

We went to the Homeade Café for breakfast this morning, we hadn't been for years. Decided we wanted to try it out. My, review is mixed. First the good, my husband's hash was great, well spiced, well prepared. As for me, I love grits and I love that their grits had a rougher texture than you usually get. It must've been a medium grind. I loved the flavor of the biscuits, apparently they put in some bacon grease to add a little different flavor. The wait staff was was thoughtful, prompt efficient, and I was thrilled to see them treat a disabled customer with tenderness and thoughtfulness. They were very careful with him. Now the not so good. my grits were not thoroughly cooked. They were too crunchy, not even al dente. They needed to cook another 10 minutes maybe with a little more water. The biscuits were very heavy. I understand, having been a biscuit maker for 60+ years, that it's hard to make biscuits in an industrial or restaurant setting. But I was disappointed with them. My scrambled eggs were great I was only mildly taken back with the 20% tip, which is automatically added to the bill. I usually tip 20%, but I kinda resented being forced, and I wonder what would happen if a person decided or insisted on not giving a 20% tip. I wonder how the restaurant would handle that . The 20% tip is laid out very clearly in large print on the menu and the weight staff tells you both when they take your order and when they bring your bill that there is a 20% tip included, so it would be very difficult to be surprised by this . I would go back to the Homemade café although I think that there are restaurants who serve a better breakfast. read more

It's kind of hard to know where to start in this review because it feels like every choice they've made is strange. The food is not terrible, but definitely not good. Coffee and hot chocolate were bad and luke warm. Condiments are unlabeled and not clean on the outside. The service is bad - slow, and unfriendly. They add a 20% gratuity (totally fair) but call it something ambiguous so you're not sure if you should add gratuity or not. The menu is unreadable in a tiny and light grey font. Even though they cater to families especially on a weekend there is no kids menu. Top it all off that it's a pricy meal - with each person getting a drink (not booze) and a meal it was $25/person. I'm open to paying that, but at that price point I'd expect better food and better service. I'm so sad to write this review because I love the restaurant's ethos as a community space with respect for local sourcing, but it's just not a place I want to go back to. read more

I called to order a corned beef hash and eggs order because they were three blocks away from my project. Little did I know that they automatically charge 20% gratuity. I don't mind tipping when I want to tip and what I think is fair for each service. This to me is unacceptable. The food itself is just below average. Nothing special for food that was probably cooked two hours ago and kept warm. The place looks unorganized and dirty. read more

They permanently close in half an hour today, New Year's Day. :-( So many warm memories of delicious breakfasts and good people. "Good" includes giving free breakfasts to those who can't afford them, because "it's the right thing to do." Carl the griddle chef made flipping eggs and pancakes look like an art form. read more

We came here Saturday morning ~10 am and waited 15 minutes to be seated. We had indicated not to share a table, so I was amused when our table for 2 was literally a former shared table offset by about six inches from the other. The offset table just looked out of place compared to the rest of the seating in the restaurant. But, not a big deal. The huevos rancheros Z. ordered was tasty, and the homemade corned beef hash for me was stellar. I've had the corned beef hash at Bette's (Maryland Breakfast) and think the difference with Homemade is that it's meatier, has larger beef cubes, and has a more generous portion. Bette's is more expensive but the beef is quite crispy which I prefer. Both places are yummy though! Coffee after the first cup is self-serve which is nice. (The Homemade staff seem busy enough. Our order took at least 30 minutes to arrive which is on the longer side.) We'd love to come back to try more of their menu! read more

Homemade Cafe - Huevos Rancheros - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Not sure why this place isn't a solid 4 stars. Went there with a friend for some mid-week brunch and loved it. My only complaint would be small glasses of water. The food was excellent and a good solid portion of everything. Quaint and cozy if you go for weekend brunch you'll be waiting a long time. FOOD: I have been twice now and each time the food was really good. My favorite was the homemade corned beef hash. They use real corned beef, and the potatoes were diced correctly. The grits are good. Some of the best I could find west of the Mississippi River. The waffle had a little too much cinnamon or not Meg or something for my taste. But it was a really good size for the price. They have a great variety of brunch items made from scratch. Everything looks like something your grandma would make in her kitchen. SERVICE: Both times I went to this place, the service was great! They were super nice, and helpful. Like I said the only thing I regret are the small cups for water. COST: reasonable. Maybe a little on the high end, but everything in Berkley is a little on the higher end. I thought overall it was reasonably priced for what you get. read more

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I was really looking forward to going back to this place since it reopened and was very excited to try thier biscuits and gravy breakfast. I was told that came with homefries when I ordered so, fabulous right? Well, the waitress brought out the breakfast and informed me that it did NOT come with homefries and would I like them anyway. Now, I was thinking the fries would be complimentary since I was misinformed when I ordered, silly me, and when I tried to sample the biscuits & gravy I was impressed by how hard and exceptionally DRY they were. If they weren't from yesterday, then they must have been 2 or more days old. All in all, I paid $28 for 2 eggs that were under cooked and half of a side of homefries that paled in comparison to the ones I remember before Covid. The ambiance is same as before and tables and chairs ARE much nicer. The waitress was very pleasant if uninformed about the menu. read more

I love this place and will continue to go back as long as I live here. The thing I love most is their genuine care and support for the community. They offer a free breakfast to anyone in need of a meal that can't afford it, pay their workers a living wage, and source their ingredients from local east bay businesses. They don't have to do any of this and I'm sure could make more profit if they didn't, but that's not how they work and I love that about this place. The food is consistently really good and I love the unique spins they put on some of their dishes. Like a corned beef breakfast burrito???? Amazing. I've also heard rave reviews on the fried chicken breakfast burrito. Some of my other faves are the seasonal veggie frittata (veggies included vary, but always good), the breakfast grilled cheese, breakfast burger, any of their bread puddings, and the holy trinity sandwich (pastrami, brisket, corned beef). They have a wide variety of options and everything I've had so far has been good, with a few standouts I tend to reorder. I typically come on weekends during prime brunch time when it's hella busy. Because they have a small staff, this can definitely mean slow or low-touch service. But I don't come here expecting to be waited on, I come here for a great meal and to support a family-run business that is committed to serving the community. If service is your #1 priority, I'd suggest another option, especially during busy periods. read more

Decided to have something different this time and it was good! Glad I stepped out of comfort zone and got something different instead of my normal Denver Omelette read more

Homemade Cafe - 2 globs on burnt potatoes - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Little hole in the wall place with alright breakfast. I actually enjoyed the robust and flavorful coffee most!lol There will be a 20% gratuity charge regardless of party size and it helps pay for staff's wages. After placing my name/party of 2 on the list, I was told the wait time was about 10 mins. That 10 mins somehow turned into 45 mins I cannot say it was the wait staff or cook bc I seen them busting their butts off. Anyhoo, I didn't love it nor hate it. The overall experience was alright. read more

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My husband, father in law and I ate here the other morning. Our service was great and the food was good. One of the best things is you can pay it forward for less fortunate in the community .We purchased multiple plates to give to low income and homeless a chaancr to get a hot breakfast! For five dollars you can provide a complete meal for someone in need. If most restaurants served their communities by offering this opportunity the world we be a much better place! The homemade muffins are amazing! read more

OK where do I begin. My husband and I went to breakfast I got pancakes and bacon, he got biscuits and gravy the gravy was called and my pancakes were mushy. These are the rudest people I've ever come across in the food industry. $48 for two small breakfasts and the Food was not good the service was atrocious my husband asked for a refill of his coffee and he was told you go get your all refill you go up to the counter and refill your own coffee but yet they throw the gratuity into your bill 20% and your waitress takes your order and you don't see her again. Would never come back do not recommend this place stay away all they would say is well this is how it is in Berkeley!!!! BAD read more

I hate to review bomb a place so I never reviewed it when I first had visited a year back. All I will say is that even though we live a few blocks away, the experience was so bad we hadn't been back. Flash forward to a chill Monday when I have a craving for pancakes and decide to give it a second chance. Bad decision. 45 min after order and no sign of food or the glass of water I had ordered a waitress came up to me to ask if I had gotten my food yet. So I told her it had not yet arrived and she went to check on it. Took another 10 minutes to show up. At this point I'm like, I might need to tip under 10% (which as someone who waitresses for 10 years means a lot). The check comes in the middle of when I'm eating... includes a 20% gratuity baked it. Of course they have no incentive to improve the service!! What a shame, food is good for a local cafe. But we won't be back. read more

Homemade coffee is my favorite type of cafe so I expected quite a bit from homemade cafe. There was minimal wait time and crowded seating arrangements. Staff were like the nice peers you met in math class looking out of for you. The pancakes were basically cakes -- filling and fluffy (which was good) The portions were XL to say the least (but I'm smol so maybe me biased) I'd give solid 4.5 but round up for the homemade coffee enthusiast out there. read more

Homemade Cafe - Syrup goes on anything they say - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I drive by this place all the time. Decided today to try them out. Ambiance was chaos but I managed to get a to go order in. Ordered a B.A.B.E. sandwich with a side of potatoes. After being told a wait time of max 20 min I check in around min 35 to see how the order is doing. I'm handed a bag and I head off looking forward to the sandwich only to open the bag and see that the only thing in there was the side of potatoes. Now I'm writing this review as a means of airing out this frustration. read more

Homemade Cafe - American Near Me - Berkeley, California

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2.0 hours to get in and out of breakfast service. Food was good warm not hurt I don't know what else to say read more

This gem of a cafe is tucked in a tiny neighborhood with a few other restaurants. Amazing pancakes was the main highlight of this cafe! [The restaurant] My boyfriend and I came on a Sunday around brunch time and there was a sizable but not terrible wait, around 30 minutes. The interior is very homely and a little cramped, granted it was very crowded. We were seated and given menus and water/ coffee. If you want a refill on either, it's self serve however they do occasionally come around with fresh coffee to refill at the tables for us. [The food] -starter // strawberry crumb muffin // amazing! Just try it and you won't regret it! -entree // blueberry pancakes with apricot sauce // it was a seasonal special but the apricot sauce was tart so I would have been fine without it. The pancakes are delightful! So fluffy!!!! -entree // Portuguese sausage scramble // homefries are delish and the eggs were cheesy and flavorful! Overall, this brunch place was true hit for my bf and I! It's a bit of a walk from Berkeley downtown but for the price and quality, it's worth it! read more

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Honestly was a little hesitant due to the lackluster reviews but it's so cute and close to our house that we gave it a shot. Glad we did! It seems most of the recent complaints center around the 20% included gratuity, which we don't mind. COVID has hit many businesses hard. We went for dinner and it was great. Had breakfast for dinner, chicken and waffles. The service was lively and personable and we really enjoyed both the food and the atmosphere. I can definitely see us becoming regulars! read more

My mother and I were in town and I had to make a visit here. I have never been disappointed and before I left the Covid pandemic was in full drive so I ordered on line. I usually order blueberry pancakes, which are loaded with blueberries and this is one of the few restaurants that I can truly order a omelette that will satisfy my picky preference ( super soft) which btw is not just soft on one side. And if you ever want grits cooked the right way this is also one of just a few restaurant in Berkeley that can do the job right( nice and creamy) and then there's the home fries. This is a Berkeley Gem and one of my favorite breakfast places!!! Thanks Collin miss all of you guys!!! read more

For all the people talking about reopening as "coming back, only better", here's an old favorite: the Homemade Cafe. Yeah, the place that always popped into our heads along with 'what's for breakfast/brunch/lunch?' They're baaaaacccckkkk...with DINNER! The Homemade Cafe met Covid-19 with all the ingenuity that's kept them in our minds, hearts and tummies while all those other beloved places rose and fell. First, little things like the ironing-board 'tables' pressed against the edges of their scanty sidewalk dining space, then the little street 'patio', then using the slowdown time to do some remodeling of both their space and their time-honored menu. We couldn't resist the chance to find out what this haven of comfortable, welcoming, go-back-to-your-childhood offerings would come up with for dinner. It's been a favorite of mine since they opened. I, for one, had to know. So two days after they reopened we were there, and We Were impressed! The new Homemade Cafe may not be fairytale smooth again yet, but I'll take the sneaky tingle of imagination and energy... We chose the "Just-the-two-of-us" option and ordered traditional corned beef with some lovely garlicky roasted potatoes and a very-old-fashioned novelty called PCP -- peas, carrots and PARSNIPS coming together to comfort and tease our unsuspecting taste buds. All the anticipated, reassuring taste notes were contrasted by a tangy vinaigrette-dressed salad, a mustard with pointy little nuances of horseradish, and a (soju) Bloody Mary that required no extra hot sauce to be credible -- with a 'swizzle stick' of...bacon! The portions were homemade-generous -- we had to take some of that lovely corned beef home for a breakfast in a day or two. The service was provided by the owner and the very new server: a longtime customer who's now living her dream of being a different part of the family. Y'know, there are times when the smooth blandness of restaurant service needs to be cut by that kind of friendliness. Dang! We didn't have room for dessert. No worries...today's breakfast will be a slice of Apple-Bacon-Cheddar pie. Yum...what a tempting way to learn our ABC's. Enough already...I'm drooling on my keyboard. UPDATE: Breakfast was YUM. Back in the day, I remember a book called "You Are What You Eat". If that's right, I just made a pig of myself! read more

Terribly rude staff. Literally have never experienced such rudeness from someone in hospitality. My party of two arrived and stood at the entrance while staff ignored us for several minutes avoiding eye contact with us. After a few minutes we discovered there was a pad of paper being used as sign-in list. The page was full and all the names had been crossed out, so I flipped the page to a new one and wrote our name down a few lines down from the top so it would be visible. Immediately a man who worked there walked over to look at the paper (still refusing to look at us or acknowledge us). He then shouted at me " that's a terrible place to put your name!". It shook me because he used a scolding tone and shouted. I was very embarrassed because it was loud enough that people looked up. I apologized to him, and he said nothing and walked away. He then refused to sit us at one of the several empty tables. We decided to just leave at that point. I read plenty of other reviews on Homemade Cafe after my visit and found that my experience was not unique. This establishment has a reputation of treating guests like this. The staff is angry. They are not engaging or friendly at all. In fact, they are unwelcoming. I have been in hospitality for the past 25 years working every position in a restaurant from dishwasher, cook, server, to ultimately operating several restaurant locations around the Bay Area as a General Manager. I believe I can say with a professional opinion that it is obvious that the owner/management of this establishment does not care about how the guests are treated. There is no response from management to all of the reviews written about this kind of treatment from the staff. It appears that they allow it and are not concerned. Well, I will never be back. I am curious to see how they continue to stay open while treating guests so poorly. read more

Very bland uninteresting food. The service was terrible...took forever to be served and the waitstaff was rude. On top of everything there was a 20% inclusive tip for only 2 of us! Seriously!! read more

This cute little spot is very busy in the weekend so I had to check it out. I got the home fry heaven with two poached eggs and guacamole. It was hella good, though the potatoes could've been cooked a tad crispier? But the flavors were all there and the portion was huge, so regardless I would def go again! read more

Good food good service, just not very friendly. Show some warmth and love to your customers with warm welcome and greeting. read more

We had brunch there yesterday. The food was wonderful. Every person who worked there was nice and some were even fun.. We originally heard of this place as a place that feeds people who need food. We wanted to support them. However, the food was great. I had a pecan waffle, one person had French toast, and another person had eggs with some pastry. They have pastry from Semifreddis. We were all happy with our food and plan to return for more. The menu was at least 6 pages long, so lots of choices. read more

Such an amazing breakfast restaurant. First time coming here and will definitely come back. Staff were amazing and welcoming. Pet friendly. Food was delicious and flavorful. read more

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