Update: I tried two more items last night: Duck confit bao and Clay pot. Both were very good. The…read morebao were soft, flavorful and had a nice combination of duck and (enoki?) mushrooms among other things. The clay pot rice was great! The delicious crispy bottom of the pot rice, delectable chicken and shrimp in a delicious sauce. My only complaint would be that there wasn't enough bok choy, I love bok choy! I can't believe Vanessa's has been around for 20 years, and I just tried it for the first time. I recently moved back to Albany, right off Solano, from North Berkeley, and decided to try all the restaurants I haven't yet tried. In a word, fabulous. The food, vibe, and staff are all amazing. I was there on a Wednesday night (Wine Wednesday, 1/2 off bottles of wine), by myself, about 45 minutes before closing. It was a slow night, with about 6 people at the bar and maybe 2 or 3 other active tables in the dining area. They have a wonderful vibe in there; every member of the staff was über-friendly, accommodating, and patient. I ordered a house-made lemonade, which the bartender brought to me himself with a big smile as I perused the menu. I purposely ordered extra food since my entire kitchen was still in boxes, and I only had access to my new microwave. I had mentioned to my server that I had just moved, and during my meal, Vi (co-owner and daughter of THE Vanessa) came to introduce herself and welcome me to the neighborhood, a very nice gesture, and one that brought me back with friends two nights later, with Vi remembering my name. Anyway, on to the food. French onion soup; nice, was it the best FOS I've had? No, but still solid. The crouton was more like a slice of baguette. Salt & Pepper Calamari; really good! An amazingly light and crispy batter encased calamari strips, loaded with flavor, super tender, delicious dipping sauce, and a very large portion for a "small plate". Vanessa's Spicy Sautéed Lemongrass with garlic, onions & green beans topped with roasted peanuts: I chose chicken for my protein. Again, the meat was extremely tender, the dish very flavorful, much more lemongrass-forward than at other restaurants, which I loved. The staff and Vi kept insisting I take my time and not to worry about the 8:30 closing time. People were still lingering in the bar area, and I did as I was told, relaxed, and enjoyed my meal (thoroughly). Bottom line, I loved it and plan on being a regular fixture :)

Loved my time in Walnut Creek! We tried to eat at Lita but the wait was 90 minutes with no…read morereservation. We put our name down and walked around, then stumbled on Vanessa's Bistro!!! Much better choice!!! Hostess greeted us right away and got us a table. Service was amazing, the margarita was strong and tasty, and those chicken wings with the peanut sauce...So good!! Highly recommend they have TVs you can watch the game. They also have a good selection on the menu . Great food, great vibe, great service. I'm definitely going back and telling friends and family to check it out.

Great food, great service and atmosphere! I had the lemon ricotta pancake special, and partner had…read morethe s'mores crepes. He gobbled up his right away; I could only finish a third of mine, which he happily ate up. We're going back tomorrow!

I've only been here a couple times but decided to finally write a review bc of how nice the staff…read morerecently was. On my other visits the staff was nice and the food was good. Today, however, I was putting something in my bag outside the restaurant when a worker approached me. I expected him to tell me to leave, but to my surprise, he gave my dog compliments and offered some potatoes for her. She very much appreciated them and we appreciate the worker for his kindness. Thank you, William!

The excellent fresh food and the choice of a relaxing indoor and sunny outdoor patio…read more Looking for a new lunch space on a busy sunny Berkeley Saturday. My usual haunts would be busy I knew. Found UQBAR on Yelp. It was bustling but tables opened up outside after I ordered. I did have to wait for a minute or two until the tables were bussed & wiped clean. I ordered the half soup and half sandwich which cost about $15. A surprisingly reasonable price. The mushroom soup was thick and the best I've had in a while. The lamb sandwich was succulent and melted in my mouth. I also ordered their milkshake which is made with coconut milk and a berry which name I don't remember right now. The shake was a nice chilling treat on a sunny day after a week of overcast days. Of course, I enjoyed sunbathing over my leisurely lunch. The only glitch was somehow my order got misplaced. After a long wait, I brought it to the attention of Benjamin the owner and order taker. It turned out that my order somehow got lost on a bustling morning. But Benjamin made good by offering me a full sandwich. It was the best lamb sandwich I've had in Berkeley for a while. Benjamin is a very nice person and didn't try to disguise or excuse the glitch. As I told him, the lamb sandwich was well worth the wait, especially since I was hungry when I first ordered and much much more hungrier because of the wait! To be fair, even in Berkeley venues I've frequented for a long time, this does happen once in a while when things are busy. But from what I can see the staff of UQBAR are typically OTJ. I'll be back to my new fave Berkeley lunch spot. Oh, it was easy parking on a Saturday.

My favorite neighborhood spot for a quick, casual lunch. Their chicken sandwich is consistently…read morefantastic, and the hummus is honestly otherworldly. Everything feels fresh, unfussy, and thoughtfully made. Part of me wants to gatekeep this spot because it's THAT good, but they deserve the love.

I loveee Kim's. It's my go to everytime I'm back home from school! Their lemongrass chicken…read moresandwich is me and my family's fav and their vermicelli bowl is always packed to the brim! I can eat it for 2 meals! Always a good place to go to grab some sandwiches and have a little picnic!

I found this place on TikTok and decided to give it a try. There's plenty of street parking. There…read morewas seating outside and you walk in the counter is in the back where you order. I loved that they had a picture and pricing of the menu. I ordered two chicken bahmi sandwiches. They have lemon grass or bbq flavor. The price is reasonable especially for the area. They are made fresh to order. I had the lemon grass the first thing I loved is that the bread is not as bulky as other places. They also don't put the sauce most places put . There's just meat and veggies it was really clean and fresh. I enjoyed my sandwich and it was filling.

Food was giving fine dining vibes with the small portion sizes, but everything is delicious and…read morethey really put their own twist on basic dishes. We got the ceviche as a starter, which for $32 is pretty much 4 bites, but it is really fresh and delicious. For my main, I got the burger special which had strawberry bacon jam, toasted shallot aioli, Pt. Reyes blue cheese, basil, and mint. It was so unique but delicious! My only complaint is that it's a wet, drippy burger which I don't prefer, but it tasted so good I pushed through anyway lol. They rotate the burgers they serve too, so next time I go I get to see what's new for that. My husband got the lamb meatballs with the lentils and he enjoyed it very much. His only complaint was that there were only 4 of them, but this is just a good note for next time to order more. All in all, I give it 5 stars. The staff is welcoming and our waiter Oliver was so nice, personable, and well-versed in the menu if you need help ordering. We liked him so much we're gonna ask for his section next time we come. Just as a heads up, it's a semi-casual vibe, but it's Albany so you're always gonna get a mixed bag of attire with some people a bit more dressed up. The place is also kinda tight, so I wouldn't come here if your party is bigger than 4 people, and it's definitely best to make reservations like we did since it can get pretty packed. We had a great time and will definitely be back!

Amazing, just amazing…read more Cocktail program is next level. Food is exquisite and creative. Loved everything about this place! Service is professional and warm, small intimate dining room is energetic and cozy. We tried the pork belly bun, lamb meat balls, and the flatiron steak. And added a side of French fries. All of it was 10/10, highly recommended. For dessert we tried a fenugreek meringue pavlova with Meyer lemon ice cream or sorbet. Weird and wonderful! The merengues were crunch, chewy and herby. The ice cream was sweet and so delicious. Together it's all perfect bites. Street parking was fine on a Friday night.

Truly the most affordable, thoughtful, speedy, consistent caterer I've found in Berkeley. It's my…read morego to for work events because they can facilitate gf/vegan/allergies so well! They can adjust spice level to be very mild or spicy. You just cannot beat the prices either. It's very 2015 pricing!!! Like go look for yourself. Anchalee the owner is such a gem of a human. She is so honest. When I over order, she literally says you won't need that much. The "small catering trays" are huge lol. Anyways go support this business plz!

Arrived a little past the lunch rush and had it was empty and quiet. Which I preferred! The place…read moreis cute and brightly lit with lots of light. The staff were friendly and helpful with the menu. I decided to order the Khao Soi lunch special and so happy I did! The curry was amazing! Packed with flavor! The chicken was also tasty and seasoned well. I left so full because the portion was generous.

First Impressions: Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers…read more Mother/Son lunch date at Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers! Yesterday, while in Berkeley, we decided to try BGH for lunch. Honestly, I can't say enough about how pleasant our experience was. Located in Berkeley, I was able to find street parking with a 2-hour limit close to the establishment. Upon our arrival, we were greeted and given the option to dine inside or on the covered patio. Although it was beginning to rain, we opted for the outdoor seating for the ambience. The fire pit, heated lamps, and the umbrellas really set the tone for a relaxing dining experience. The boys ordered a plain hamburger with curly fries, chicken tenders with skinny fries, and Oreo milkshakes. I decided on the specialty western burger and a Turkish coffee. I was assured the kids' fries would be plentiful, so there wasn't a need to order à la carte. The food was delicious and flavorful with great portion sizes. Our needs were anticipated, kindness exuded from the staff as well as timely servicing. We dined uninterrupted but not neglected. We raced to see who could complete the word searches, rated our food, and enjoyed each other's company while watching the rain fall. 10/10 we would do it again.

These guys are theives. $20 for a hamburger with no sides is absurd. Go to Fat Apple for a great…read moreburger with sides for a lot less. We had been going to Barney's for the shakes. They used to be $8.95, then we went three months later and it cost us $26 with tax, no tip for two shakes. That is way too much money for any milkshake and we will never go back.

Whatever you do, do not book an event here. Customer Service is entitled, condescending and rude…read more My daughter was planning a baby shower so we called a number of venues to get a quote. We had been to Tarocco for lunch and figured we would ask them for a quote, too. My daughter warned me that the owner is trying to be an "influencer" on Instagram and posts photos of herself in crop Tops so I should beware, but that's fine by me. We called to get a quote and had a discussion. After we gave the owner all of our information, she told us she wouldn't give us a quote unless we came in person (?!) Which is weird because this isn't how restaurants work. Typically for events restaurants will give you a quote via phone or email for the sake of convenience. We had gotten 3 quotes already from other restaurants via phone. Making us drive 45 mins just to get a quote is a total waste of time. Especially if we can't afford it. So my daughter called again, left a VM explaining we couldn't come in person due to time constraints, and again asked for a quote. No reply. We waited a few days and called again. No reply. Finally we got a voicemail from the owner saying that she didn't like my daughter's attitude ?!!! Apparently you're not allowed to ask this restaurant how much they charge for events unless you're face to face. This lady has absolutely no idea how to run a restaurant. We took our business elsewhere and recommend that you do, too.

5 stars $27.26 for a…read more2 "salad" lunch plus Spanish omelette. Grilled purple cabbage was warm, beautifully charred and seasoned. Potato and radish salad was light, flavorful and really focused on bringing out the ingredients flavors Spanish patata was a hell of a potato omelette creation. Is it a little expensive? Sure. But is every $ on the plate? Yes.