I'll be honest, one of the weirdest meals I've had in a while. It wasn't the worst, but was so strange. I can only describe it like an alien came down to earth and put together the food how they think humans eat. The mushroom pizza has tomato sauce, big chunks of onion, fresh parsley, chipotle sauce all over it, bland mushrooms, and is just strange somehow. The salmon tacos have coleslaw (like the kind you get as a side with bbq), chunks of mango, huge slices of jalapeños, and a tortilla that has been heated up in a way it hardens by the time it gets to the table. The dishes have ingredients that don't quite go together or complement each other. I couldn't get past it. It's also not cheap. The sangria is $8, pretty small glass, and a bit cloudy and citrus heavy. Service was pretty good. It's a nice location with a little outdoor alley seating and spacious interior, but they definitely need to re-work the menu and food. I don't think I'll give it a go again to be real. read more

See all

Food was bland. Had a seared ahi salad and there was little to no Vingrette or seasoning. It looked good but did not taste how it looked. Had the truffle fries and those were really good. Also we got sat outside and they refused to move an umbrella for us. My friend who I was eating shortened our lunch since it was so hot under the sun. Tough experience at In the Wood! read more

In The Wood - Seared Tuna Salad - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

My husband and I decided to stop in for some food after shopping. The atmosphere is cozy and has the " Cheers" feel to it. The server was nice and friendly. But.....the food was AWFUL!!! My husband ordered a pepperoni pizza, and it was burnt, and I ordered fish and chips, which was inedible. It was likely frozen and over-fried. The French fries were terrible. I couldn't eat them, which is rare for me. It's a shame because I could have seen this as a nice spot to visit regularly if the food was good. read more

The Hey The Best Pizza In The SF Bay Area I'll Be Back! Great Service And Staff! 6 Stars If I Could!

The food was great and the restaurant is the perfect place for a Friday night with friends! The pizza was definitely a the highlight with the peaches adding a lot of flavor to the pizza! The salad was also great with plenty of toppings. read more

In The Wood - Onions rings, Baby Kale Salad, The New Benito Pizza - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

I haven't eaten here in a while, so I came here with friends. Our server was excellent, and the food arrived promptly, and it was fresh. In the search for the perfect fried chicken sandwich, I tried theirs. Totally it did not make the grade. So far,Bake Sale Betty's is #1 followed by Fat Apples. read more

The service at this establishment is horrendous. I received a dirty glass and the server Alex inspected it as if she didn't believe me. The food was lousy and Alex refused to remake it saying she would charge. Ambiance is mid. Go elsewhere and save your money and the aggravation. read more

Ordered on Uber Eats, the app says the food is ready but when we arrived they didn't receive the order at all. So I get to wait 30 minutes with a hungry kid who just wants her pizza. The manager tells me there's an error with their Point of Service machine but doesn't bother apologizing or make a single effort to make it right. The Margherita pizza was not a Margherita. It was flatbread with bland sauce, grainy cheese, and far too many sliced tomatoes on top. The crust was oily and burned on the edges. My daughter will devour horrible frozen pizza but she couldn't have more than two bites of this stuff. read more

While their prices seem to go up about another $1 or $2 per selection every 6 months, the food continues to be pretty good, and servers are generally friendly. This past visit I had the salmon sandwich ($19), my husband had the beet salad ($16.50), and two friends each had a 12" pizza ($22.50 each). Toppings on the pizzas were substantial. I always have them put the tartar sauce for the sandwich on the side - otherwise it kind of overwhelms the salmon. Ditto for salad dressings. We like to sit outside on the patio when weather permits. Price increases definitely mean we come less often than we used to. read more

Hands down one of the best hamburgers I have ever had. I'd recommend this to all my friends and family. I the wait we're friendly. Overall very good place. read more

We stopped by In The Woods for a quick dinner. The wood fired pizzas caught our interest but we found the Calabrese a bit plain despite the mix of flavorful toppings. The kale salad was fine but not memorable and was overpowered by red onions. Service was not as attentive as it could be but they were also busy. Overall I really wanted to like this place but somehow the non-descript internal ambience, menu with variety but lacking theme, and service style made it feel like it hasn't quite come together. read more

Great little spot in the Elmwood district of Berkeley. I've been coming here for years and they recently added a full liquor bar! I highly recommend their burger, pizzas and their tacos. Ice cold beer on tap with great service and inviting atmosphere. Must try! read more

In The Wood - Margherita Pizza and Ice Cold IPA. - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

A lovely neighborhood spot. The menu has enough options that everyone can find something to eat (they also make stuff for kids that's not directly on the menu). Crispy Chicken sandwich and the El Gordito Pizza are my go-to's. read more

In The Wood - El Gordito Pizza - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

I like this place for burgers and beers, but tonight I made the mistake of ordering one of their margarita pizzas. On a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give the pizza a 1. It was almost inedible. It was loaded with so much garlic that the garlic flavor overpowered everything and almost made me sick. I tried to pick it off with not much success. I think they must have a jar of chopped garlic, and they just took a spoon and threw it all over the pizza. No basil on the pizza either. Too much cheese. Very imbalanced. Yeeech. read more

So I order a pizza from Zachary's and wings from In The Wood (hey, it's Thursday night football) Pick up the pizza and as always, ready on time and staff is super welcoming and nice. Go to in the Wood, foods not ready so a server says "you're going to have to wait". Sit down, 5 mins later some dude with a British accent who seemed to be the manager of owner tells a couple "Hey this guys just sitting here I don't know why but you can have this table then asks me to move. Yea, F this place. Plenty of other spots. Going from Zachs to this place within 5 mins showed me "night vs day" in terms of etiquette and good customer service. read more

Such a surprise! This place has some of the BEST pizza I've ever had! A friend and I split the cheese pizza and it was fabulous. Our friends had the salmon sandwich on an Acme roll, which she enjoyed, and another had the salmon tacos. We all were very impressed and will be back! Also, we had a great server. It helps to be near UC Berkeley and be able to hire some very clever, intelligent people to serve.... makes a big difference. read more

Absolutely AMAZING place!! Would recommend going here for brunch, lunch, dinner, everything! We had Barbara as our waitress and she was the best server that I've had, she was so kind and accommodating and made the whole experience so amazing. We ordered from the brunch menu and got the avocado toast and garden omelet. The garden omelet was divine, and very filling and the perfect breakfast. The avocado toast wasn't the best because it had a little too much lemon juice in the avocado. The space itself was quite roomy and very sunny, and didn't seem overcrowded. I don't have a picture of the drinks but they were DELICIOUS and Barbara did such an amazing job :) I'd come back here in a heartbeat, and have heard that their pizzas are some of the best in town and can't wait to try those next time! read more

In The Wood - Avocado Toast - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Found this place while getting a little holiday shopping done on a sunny but brisk afternoon. We had my girlfriend's dog with us and weren't finding as many outdoor eating options as we might have hoped for on College Ave. Luckily, we spotted In The Wood. The menu on the sandwich board out front was only so inspiring, but Yelpers had given ITW four stars, so we gave it a shot. Great idea we had - we found a legit 4-star gastropub. FUC me - Yelp makes livin' large by the Bay easy breezy. I'm not making it out to be the greatest restaurant in the entire neighborhood. But for a place with rotating taps, tall windows and a decent decor, the food was delicious. Our server, Molly I think, was super sweet. She charmed us in part because she was eager to get along with our usually not so friendly pup, who came around after a couple of visits. Turning this gastropub to the brews, I love that they had Sierra's Celebration Ale on tap. It's perfect for the holidays, with notes of spice to go with a robust flavor. The also have Sierra's Hazy IPA, a Dust Bowl and a Drakes as their standard taps along with a rotating amber and an oatmeal stout. My gf's avocado toast was OK, but lacking the touch of olive oil that would have made it pop. However, the salmon sandwich, which our server recommended, was downright delicious. Wild salmon on an ACME bun. I'd be happy to eat this anywhere, let alone at a chill pub with a sunny patio. It came with a mixed green salad that was pretty good. Though the fries were gorgeous and appeared to be fresh cut, they were lacking a crisp. Do these guys know about soaking them to remove the starch before cutting and frying? They're seriously just one step away from having absolutely killer fries. I'm curious to try out the kale salad, fish tacos, burger and chicken sandwich. They have a real wood-fired oven, offering the potential for amazing pizza. So I'll be back. Other deets. Plenty of seating inside. About seven tables outside. A couple of TVs with sports on in. A quiet alleyway off the street out. One, unisex bathroom. All the servers were friendly. This is a new-in-2018 business worth checking out in the Elmwood. Does anyone remember the name of the Italian place that was here before? *Toni said Trattoria, and I'm pretty sure that's true.* Regardless, this is an upgrade! read more

The food itself was good, but the service was so bad that our meal was unpleasant. A few service highlights: 1. Our water glass had a lipstick imprint on it. When we asked for it to be replaced, the server swapped it with a glass an another table. I guess she figured the next guest would be okay with a lipstick print on her glassware? 2. The dessert was oddly small, particularly at the price. The server said it was small because they ran out. But not to worry - she has told her manager about the problem and in the future, it would be the correct size. But for now, she refused to adjust the price. 3. The medium well-done burger we requested was not cooked. I don't mean it was rare. I mean it was actually raw on the inside. When we discussed these problems with the server, she said it was because Mondays are so busy, so they couldn't help it. read more

Came here early evening with a friend for the first time after shopping college ave., and we were looking for a bite and cocktail. It was the perfect choice with a Local, friendly vibe, not too big or noisy, and the right menu selections. Prices were realistic for quality of food and location. We shared a lamb burger cooked as requested at medium along with fries - it was very good. The cocktail menu options were plenty- I had an amazing Mezcal cocktail followed by a nice Pinot with my burger. Lastly, the staff , including Aidan at the bar, and friendly owner Robert?just made our whol experience really nice, I'd describe it as a 'visit' at someone's place. Everyone , seemed friendly, checked on how we were doing, and appeared to enjoy being there as much as we did. read more

Ate here today and had the in the wood burger. It was so delicious! It wasn't overloaded with stuff, but the patty was fat, juicy, and packed with flavor! The owner delivered our food, and was super friendly. Didn't order a pizza, but the guy next to us did and it looked perfect! Definitely recommend if you're in the area. Great place with a cool outdoor patio in the alley. Inside dining had a great vibe as well, with great people watching views from the windows. read more

The food is good, they have a great menu, a solid little outdoor patio and a nice interior, I'd say the only critique I have is that for portion size it was pricey. We sat outside on a glorious sunny day and enjoyed the baby kale salad (2) and an order of fish tacos. Both were quite tasty, but neither dish were a meal in itself (although the fish tacos were listed on the app portion). As I mentioned before, it wasn't cheap either. While we spent what we thought was more than enough on lunch ($40, with a beer), we left hungry. I think next time the move is to order the burger or sandwich; an item typically more filling to get a bit more value! Definitely stop by and check it out! read more

See all

We stopped by the restaurant on a Sunday afternoon for brunch and were seated immediately. The atmosphere was great, not too loud. We ordered the waffle & fruits and the In the Wood Omelet. Both of the items were very tasty but the portion size was a bit small for the price. Overall, I think its a pretty ordinary place, but the quality of ingredients they used felt very fresh. read more

My daughter and I were working down the street on a Saturday and took our lunch break here. We ordered the Benito pizza to split. It was delicious. She liked it more than I did, a little dry with a crispy crust but still very good. Inside was clean and elegant and our server was very attentive and kind to our needs to be quick and speedy. Recommend!! read more

***3.5 Stars*** In the Wood is in my 'hood, and it's tastin' GOOD! How'd ya like that for a rhyme? You don't have to answer that.... I already know you loved it! (Wink). With all of these new businesses popping up on College Ave, I have to admit that I was kind of skeptical about In the Wood. You can blame this partially on the fact that I don't even know what the hell was here before this, so I didn't really have anything to compare it to. But after dining in for lunch, my apprehension "melted away" if you will. Came here for lunch a few weeks ago right when they opened and it seemed like they were still setting up. I was greeted by the staff and given a menu to look over after I sat down. They specialize in wood fired pizza but their menu also features salads, burgers, sandwiches, and small plates. On the walk up, I noticed a promo board on the sidewalk advertising their happy hour specials. Y'all know that I gets down with the HH! I haven't tried their happy hour yet, but it gives me another reason to come back (wink wink). The interior is rustic and spacious and the outside is painted a very bright green. There's a small bar with a great view of the wood fired oven and kitchen. There's one large TV hanging on the back wall and is viewable from most angles of the restaurant. Although I was tempted to try out their pizza, I ended up going with a "healthier" option aka their baby kale salad. I'm trying to incorporate healthier foods into my diet y'all! You better give me a round of applause for that, because ooohh baby... it can be haaaard! Luckily, this salad made it easier for me because it was damn good! How does Applewood bacon, smoked cheddar, heirloom tomatoes, avocado, grilled baguette croutons, and a poached egg over baby kale and topped with green goddess dressing sound? Oh c'mon, you KNOW that sounds good! Even a non-salad lover could appreciate this salad. I had to top it off with some succulent shrimp! Absolutely delicious! It was an additional $4 to add the shrimp but they provide a generous portion. The bacon was yummy, avocado slices were fresh, and the poached egg was the perfect accent. Loved loved loooved those tasty shrimpies! They appeared to be marinated and slightly grilled on the sides. This added a really nice flavor the entire salad. I didn't partake in any of their beer and wine selections (they are beer and wine only) since I was on my lunch break at work. Their fresh squeezed lemonade was very refreshing however. The environment was super casual and comfortable and the service was adequate. And now for the nitpicks... lunch ended up being over $20 for me after tax and tip.... for a salad and a lemonade. I mean, I know it's Elmwood but it was also 11:30 am. Why am I paying dinner prices this early in the day? There are a lot of other restaurants on that block that offer lunch specials for waaay less... just sayin'. The lemonade was $5 and it costed $4 to add shrimp to the salad. No bread was given with the salad which I thought was kind of odd, but I just went with it. They've actually increased their prices since my last visit. I think it would benefit them to offer a few lunch specials and better deals than just $2 off drinks and pizza for happy hour. Us penny pinchin' people need to have options too, especially when we are constantly dining in this area. Y'all know it can get super expensive to eat out here! Not sure if they are still in their soft opening, but this is definitely something to think about. They're located less than a mile away from UC Berkeley and those students are def not going to spend over $20 for lunch... especially for a salad and a non-alcoholic beverage. Anyways, that's just my 2 cents. To each their own I guess? All in all, it's a nice little spot and I sincerely hope that it does well. Would love to come back to try out their pizza but hoping that it won't cost an arm and a leg. read more

See all

Really good food and service. The salmon tacos were delicious, we also tried the shroom pizza which was sooooo amazing. I'd highly recommend this place. read more

Great service and cocktails. Tasty pizza- thin crust. Good seating indoors and outdoors. Causal, low key.

No wait on a Sunday 4:30pm. Came in with my group and sat down with a mostly nonbusy restaurant. We were pretty hungry and each ordered a type of burger. In the Wood Burger 4.5/5: This was a very tasty well made burger. It was cooked to my liking (medium) and had a unusually salty paste/jam/sauce on the meat that gave it a unique taste that I liked. The salad that came with it was meh, but the fries that you could replace with it were nicely crispy and black peppered. Fried Chicken sandwich: I didn't order this, but it was decently alright according to my friends, so I'll give it a 3.5/5 Garlic fries 5/5: Crispy and actually tasted like garlic fries. Good service and clean. Small amount of small tables for alleyway dining. Street parking. Single Unisex bathroom. read more

In The Wood - Wood burger - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

I had a Togo burger and pepperoni pizza. The burger was soggy & I literally walked out to my car to eat it. The bacon was the soggy part. My pizza was not exciting either. Kind of a let down - not terrible just sloppy. read more

Went here with my girlfriends to catch the packers and 49ers game. There was ample seating and 2 large TVs which were playing the game, Yey! We shared order of garlic fries and a margarita pizza. Food was good to share and overall tasty. My girlfriends had some wine which they enjoyed, while I had an ice cold coke. Overall, it was a nice place to watch a game, while leisurely snacking. read more

Came here to eat with the family. We had the Mac and cheese, crispy chicken sandwich, salmon plate, pepperoni pizza (for the kiddos) and fish and chips. All were very delicious! The servers and chefs were very friendly and accommodating read more

See all

Came here for their brunch menu over the weekend and I thought it was ok, but not great. We got here in the early afternoon and grabbed a seat outside. It's nice that dogs were allowed and that there was seating tucked away off of College - where there is a ton of foot traffic. There's a little parking lot behind the restaurant which is nice..even though it was full when I got there. It's worth a look-see if you are stopping by because many people might just bypass it. Best thing we ordered was the Pizza. Got the el gordito one and we really enjoyed it. Everything else we ordered was about a 3-star quality. Omelet had way too much cheese - I was left twirling hella cheese out of my omelet because there was just so much of it, plus my eggs were browned all around my omelet. Mac and cheese lacked a good cheesy flavor, but the eggs benedict was good. Overall, it was a 3 star for me, but it's got plenty of seating for good groups and being dog-friendly definitely helps! Hope to try their regular menu soon! read more

Good for happy hour. Drink specials were solid for a nice evening drink on their side patio which has patio heaters, as well as string lights. Great location & service was prime! Will be back! read more

In The Wood - Hazy ipa and house red wine - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

The food was good but took wayyyy too long! They were out of the item we ordered. Then forgot another other for part of the party.

Great food, friendly servers, and a new expanded bar that is cozy buy cool! The menu has some tasty dishes, any of the salmon dishes are great. read more

This is a surprisingly good classic American restaurant! Sometimes I feel that many of the things that make it "American food" are over done. I've had too many burgers and pizzas to get excited about it, or so I thought. But this restaurant does everything impressively well. I got the "In the Woods" burger and it was cooked to perfection, juicy, meaty, with a delicious garlic aioli and carmelized onion jam (doesn't that sauce just sound amazing?). My husband got the surf n turf, and he ordered his steak medium-well, which normally I would call a travesty. However, his steak came out perfectly juicy and tender and not at all overcooked like so many medium well steaks are! Not only that, but the "surf" part of his dinner - seared scallops- came served in a savory blueberry sauce that was surprisingly complimentary. A unique flavor combination I never would've thought of. As far as drinks, you've just got your classic beers and wines. The ambiance is pretty basic. The menu is mainly burgers, pizza and salads. But despite these somewhat banal traits, this restaurant is definitely worth checking out because of their super high-quality food! I for one will definitely be back for more of that juicy meat. read more

Always delicious foods and staff members are always friendly . We love this place. Guests are pleasant and decent

Wow. Just wow. Came in an hour before closing. The server was hesitant to seat us outside for some reason but he did. The service after that was awesome. Drinks came out quickly, food turned out to be incredible. A pizza with prosciutto and egg. It was a beautiful pizza even the next morning for cold leftovers. The cheese was perfect. None of that one bite and the whole slice comes off style. I wish I knew about this place sooner. The outdoor seating was in this little alley filled with twinkle lights and a tall street pole with a round lamp that served as the moon. It was casual and intimate and cozy. The pizza I think was around 18 dollars which reminds me bay area prices are out of control but at THIS particular place I was happy to pay for this environment. Plenty of parking up Ashby. One bathroom. Good food. Nice staff. Will definitely go back for more. In fact, take me with you. read more

In The Wood - Prosciutto with egg. 3 The Nando - Gastropubs Near Me - Berkeley, California

Bekah was our server the other day and she was absolutely amazing! She was friendly, easy to connect with and always made sure we had everything we needed. You can tell she enjoys what she does and it shows because she is great at what she does! The food and the ambiance of the night was great as well. Thanks Bekah for a great night!! read more

Had the crispy chicken sandwich for lunch today, it was awesome. The perfect ratio of warm bread to crispy chicken, and to my surprise, the coleslaw is served ON the sandwich. Add in the fresh avocado and pickled red onions and you end up with one tasty sandwich! Service was great, as always. Thanks for my delish lunch today! read more