An unassailable Berkeley institution. The fact that they've managed to survive for over 50 years gives me hope for the future. Prices have at least doubled since the time I ate here as a broke college student, but it's still a great value for the quality and quantity. It's one of the very rare places where you can get vegan hot and sour soup; just ask for no egg and you'll be golden. That, plus the blistered string beans and vegan "duck" in black bean sauce are an absolute must. Their mock meat game is on point. Grab a lunch special and dine in for best results. read more

I generally love Chinese vegetarian restaurants, but cannot recommend this one. On a weekend evening, several hours before closing, 3 of the 4 dishes I inquired about were unavailable. The chow-mein I ordered was light on the veggies; the faux meat was OK, but the noodles were a challenge, digestively speaking. Had indigestion all night :-/ Felt sorry for the workers as they were clearly short-staffed. read more

Last time I came here the server was very sweet and there were massive portions. The environment is pretty cozy and calming as well. Has a special place in my heart. One of the first places I went to eat out when I got here :) read more

Long Life Vegi House is my go-to Chinese vegan restaurant. The food never disappoints and is always delicious. The service is exceptional, as it's a family-run restaurant, and you might even have one of the kids lending a hand. Plus, the prices are reasonable given the location and the current economic climate. Pros: -hot & sour soup no egg -green beans and veggie chicken -Spring rolls Dos cinco dos mil viente cuatro read more

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Hella good food. Hella friendly staff. Great for me (vegan), my wife (vegetarian), and my parents (omnivores) to be able to eat at the same place. I'd probably eat here multiple times a week if there were a delivery option. read more

This place is good enough to make a happy omnivore into a vegan. Everything here is delicious. I haven't had a single bad dish. First, let's get the bad out of the way. The ambiance is hole in the wall which is aided by the lack of chinaware caused by a broken dishwasher. Whether that is a human or mechanical dishwasher is unclear. The food is amazing. Get the hot and sour soup. You can get it with real egg or fake egg. Both are amazing. Get the potstickers. Wow. All of the fish (real fish) are delectable. The fried fish was a huge hit. The Mongolian "beef" and "duck" with broccoli are chef's kiss. The staff are the mom and her kids and the dad is the cook. Super home style food so bring all your friends and share the dishes home style. I'm always left super full and super happy after a meal here which is becoming rarer given the cost of food. Definitely five stars. I'd drive out of my way to come eat here. read more

Writing a a revised review, after some years of going there pre-covid. This place is still amazing. Service is great. Food is still bomb! When I was younger, I actually never really liked hot & sour soup, but as I am older, I actually enjoy it, and theirs is really good, even not adding the egg, so it's vegan. This time, other items we had were: salt and pepper tofu & braised tofu w/ mushrooms. Yum!! Definitely, still a fave Chinese Regular/Vegetarian/Vegan Restaurant. read more

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This review is both to express how incredible the food is and a call to help this local business out! They currently do not have enough consistent staff due to budget issues to have someone to wash dishes so they only do takeout or give dine in food via takeout boxes. My family and I went to this establishment for lunch and were totally amazed by the quality and taste of their food. A true vegetarian dream restaurant with a multitude of options. The restaurant manager who was female (did not catch her name) was incredible sweet and made sure we had a lovely time. Do check this place out and support them!! read more

Long Life Vegi House - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is a Berkeley / Bay Area staple serving great Chinese vegetarian/vegan dishes (and seafood). This is a great place near work and we come for lunch specials (served with choice of brown/white rice) and portions are sizable. We do take away too when just too busy to sit down. Also à la carte dishes are yummy (perfect for dinner later). Service is efficient and kind. This is a no frills spot, and light on decoration, but you don't come for that. You come for the crunchy veggie spring rolls, or the eggplant, or the shrimp. Lots of items to choose from, and long live Long Life Vegi House! read more

Fantastic, classic yummy dishes with an abundance of vegan and vegetarian options! I was a little indecisive, but the owner was so helpful and asked me about what I liked and then gave some recommendations. I got the veggie wonton soup was was so classic and yummy and a nice twist on the veggie dumplings. We also ordered the long life vegi tofu which was very yummy, spicey and sweet. I absolutely adored the tofu with black mushrooms and greens, so fresh, so a nice savory sauce. I will definitely be back!! My new go to in Berkeley read more

Went in for lunch, and the service was nice and prompt, and food came out pretty quickly. I enjoyed the spring roll that came with the meal but didn't particularly enjoy the food otherwise - I feel like there was a funky after taste. It was disappointing to me because the vegetarian menu looked great and good vegetarian Chinese food can be hard to find. Ambiance is lacking, and they do use to-go containers and offer paper plates for your meal. read more

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This is a vegetarian spot that is great for vegetarians, vegans and omnivores. The restaurant is a large space and can accommodate big groups. I came in with my brother (who is vegetarian) and recommended this spot. The service was quick and friendly. The lady, whom I'm assuming is the owner, was very inviting and ready to answer any questions we had. The food did not take long to arrive at our table and the portion sizes did not disappoint. We also got some (vegan) hot & sour soup on the house. It was very tasty! We ordered the potstickers, salt & pepper tofu, eggplant tofu and kung pao chkn. Everything was delicious. I can't wait to visit again to try something new! read more

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This place makes me think about going vegetarian entirely. But then I think about life w/ out steak, bacon and salami. Anyhow, this restaurant quenches the desire for both vegetarian and meat lovers. However PLEASE NOTE, this restaurant is vegetarian and seafood only. They do not serve beef, chicken, turkey, pork, lamb or duck. But trust me, you will not be able to tell the difference w/ their imitation meat. Love the broccoli veggie chicken lunch special. With the choice of brown or white rice the lunch combo also comes w/ a spring roll (and soup for dine-in only). The service is always quick and friendly. If you're ever in Berkeley and craving some good Chinese food (especially if your'e a vegetarian) I'd highly recommend this restaurant. read more

Long Life Vegi House - Broccoli Vegi - chicken - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Only went here last year. It's an acceptable Chinese Restaurant near North Berkeley. Their Vegetable Fried Rice is good and the atmosphere was pretty modern. The waitress was friendly to me and it was easy to order. read more

This is a nice, quiet place with many traditional Chinese dishes on the menu, many of which are vegetarian or vegan. I retreat back to my youth in the food that I found so comforting growing up. The people are friendly, and the service is prompt. Prices are quite fair. I do really like the food here, but I am very torn about the use of plastic containers instead of traditional plates and bowls when dining in. Placing very hot food in plastic can cause leaching of chemicals, and I question whether the containers are recyclable. And since we all know that things don't really get recycled, all the more reason to switch out. read more

Years ago I worked right across the street from this place & went there often for lunch. So it was a real treat to have a friend bring me the lunch special. My meal was sweet & sour "pork" over a ton of rice. There was something in it that looked like pineapple but I don't think that was what it was. It had no flavor. All in all it was a good and generous dish. I ate small portions of it well into the next day. My wife got the eggplant and tofu & the eggplant was terrific. Again, it was served over a mountain of deliciously seasoned fried rice. I'll do that again any time I get the chance. read more

I have wanted to try this place for a while. I came in a month ago for a to go order. I wanted a dish that has crispy noodles. The server advised that it doesn't travel well so I said no problem, I'll sit here to eat it. Well....the noodles were not crispy. They tasted....old. I told the server who was apologetic, but didn't offer anything. Tonight I thought I'd give them another try. I ordered a won ton soup and a scallion pancake to go. I took it home and the scallion pancake had no crunch. It tasted old! On top of that, they cut it into so many tiny pieces, as if they were serving a 4 year old. The won tons in the soup were also doughy and disappointing. I called up to speak with a manager and was told there was no manager there. I told the woman about the scallion pancake tasting old. It had no crunch and I put it in the air fryer for a minute to perk it up. Still not good. She told me maybe I don't like this type of food. No, I told her I do, that's why I went in there. I was still thinking I'd give them one more try. But then the lady went from nice to rude in a minute. Also, they are serving people on paper plates. What a waste! I don't think they'll last. It's disappointing to pay so much money and have bad food. Now I am not feeling inclined to go back. Restaurants are too expensive these days to be disappointed like this. I could literally buy a frozen scallion pancake at Trader Joe's for a few bucks and have a better dinner. read more

This has been one of our all-time favorite restaurants for the last decade, and is always worth the 40-minute drive from our house to get! Our go to dishes to feed 5-6 people with leftovers are: chicken fried rice (portions are sizeable, but we often still get two as it's everyone's favorite base), Mongolian Beef or Broccoli beef, Bok Choy with fried tofu (a simple but magical dish!), Eggplant with Spicy Garlic Sauce and Hot and Sour Soup. We also love the Mu-shu Vegetables and Egg Foo Yung! We always order enough for the bonus free appetizers (all three options are delicious!), and we always have leftovers for a few days that heat up well. We've brought meat eaters and vegetarians from out of state and out of country, and it never fails to be a hit! read more

Went there first the first time today with high hopes since I'm vegetarian. Ate the lunch special...and I still have a really weird aftertaste from their kong pow veggie chicken I my mouth 12 hours later. Sigh...after taxes and tips, getting an over priced $20 good lunch is just not possible anymore in California. read more

This once constantly busy vegetarian restaurant has really taken a hit since moving from its original location in downtown Berkeley. The food is still absolutely delicious and the lunch specials are still a bargain. If you're vegetarian and haven't tried it, do yourself a favor and go. Due to lack of customers they are only staffed with two people, so they serve you sit down in to-go containers. They also have seafood entrees. The portions are generous so you don't have to ask for a to go container when you're finished. Highly recommend Long Life Vegi House, Open in 1970 in downtown Berkeley it's now 54 years old. Let's keep this institution of vegetarian bliss alive. read more

Enjoyed the food and service very much in December however today was an awful, degrading, and eye-opening experience. I always order the egg foo young, and this visit was no different. Today the female server was loud, rude, condescending, and unprofessional. She continuously yelled at me even though my tone was soft and discreet. When she brought my entree I advised the gravy wasn't thick but was a runny juice. I showed her. She offered to take it back to the kitchen, pour off the juice, and add corn starch. She said they didn't have gravy ready in the back because it was made especially for the entre. After considering this I told her it was okay I would keep it. She walked away, I pushed it aside, and requested the check. I was okay with leaving the meal, and provided my card to pay. It wasn't until that point that she offered to remake the entree. I gave in and waited again. She stated she "deducted the cost of the soda for my inconvenience." Lol. She started blaming me saying I should tell them next time if I want gravy instead of juice. I told her I had never had to do that before. She went into the kitchen and I heard a man yelling in Chinese. She came out and told me 6 or 7 times that the cook was "very angry but was remaking the order." While awaiting the remake she informed me she had added back the cost of the soda to the check. When she went back to pick up the remake the cook could be heard yelling again. She again advised me that he was angry he had to remake the order. When the remake arrived I teased a bit in a light-hearted manner - asking if the food was safe since the cook was very angry. I again handed her my debit card to pay for the meal. She became very combative, and told me I didn't have to pay if I wasn't happy. I told her I wasn't happy but would happily pay for my order. She argued with me saying she didn't want me to pay if I wasn't happy and attempted to give me back my card. I requested 5 or 6 times that she just take the payment so I could go. She refused to keep the card, and picked up the remade order from the table - stating she would keep it and I didn't have to pay. I reminded her I would take the food and pay for my order. She was still alarmingly angry, argumentative, and loud. I was really ready to go at that point. She kept pushing the card back to me and reaching for the food she had already given me. I was so surprised by her behavior, and this made an already strange situation worse. I took cash out of my pocket and gave it to her to pay. I picked up the food to leave, and she was still yelling "you are not happy," you don't have to pay. I have never experienced anything like that. I finally told her I was trying to remain cool but she was really pushing it. She finally shut up, and took the cash. She lost her cool, blamed me, repeated the cook was very angry, and suggested I tell them in advance next time (by calling) if I wanted the food made like it had been in the past. She even said the gravy had turned to juice because I was eating out of the to-go container instead of the paper plate she brought. WHAT?! During our conversation she said the cook told her that's how he always makes it. I calmly reminded her that wasn't true because its all I ever order, and I know. I can't recommend them or frequent again because professionalism and quality customer service was totally amiss during today's visit. Even another customer chimed in, encouraging her to just take the money! She was mad I wasn't "happy." Wow. It would have been understandable if I was trying to get food without paying! It was her interaction that made me the most unhappy, that and hearing the cook yelling. I try not to judge people because you never know what another person is going through but she was very unreasonable, disrespectful, rude, and unprofessional. Consistency, quality, and customer service are key to assuring customers are happy. It did no good to remake the order if you are giving the customer major attitude. Yes the dish fell short compared to prior experiences, and that's okay. But both the server and cook could benefit from additional customer service training. read more

My go to place. Have been going to Long Life for years and will continue..Family oriented, friendly and kind. Food alway good and always fresh.. read more

Been going to this restaurant for years. Owner is super attentive. Can't find another restaurants with tasty vegetarian dishes like here. read more

This place have nice selection of vegan foods. Fried tofu with chili pepper flakes were our favorite. Chowfun noodles were not as chewy as they should be. Wonton were tasty but not super crunchy. Mongolian beef has good lavor. The place was empty and the service lady was friendly. It was almost like private dining. Don't be bashful to walk in for a meal. We saw many picking up their food to go. Hope the restaurant make it. read more

Long Life Vegi House - Wonton - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

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**3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars** Since a vegetarian friend was visiting and craving noodles, my boyfriend suggested we try this place nearby. He had heard from a friend that this was one of the best vegetarian Chinese places in Berkeley! We originally came by to dine-in, but realized they were only doing takeout once we arrived. We ordered the Eggplant & Fried Tofu w/ Spicy Garlic Sauce and Mongolian Vegi-Beef lunch specials, vegetarian chow fun, and Long Life Braised Vegi-Lion Head. In total, it came out to ~$42 dollars. The eggplant dish was probably our favorite because it was nice and saucy, while the other items were a bit lighter in flavor (which is probably because they don't use MSG). The Vegi-Lion Head was the blandest since it was made with tofu and didn't seem to soak up the sauce too much. Make sure to ask for chili oil if you like spice! All in all, it was a great amount of food for the price - we were easily able to stretch it out to 6 large meals! It's definitely not replicating the taste of meat, but it's great that this place is able to use more traditional Chinese flavors in vegetarian dishes. read more

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Except for the seafood, every other dish is vegetarian, with a truckload of options for vegans. The crab cream-cheese wontons were delicious. They aren't any better than most other places I've had them at, but that doesn't take anything away from their shine. It was a solid appetiser. The onion pancakes were crispy on the outside and soft and slightly chewy on the inside. It was yet another delicious appetiser that could not be faulted. I loved the steamed fish with ginger in soy sauce; it was awesome on the jasmine rice. The fish was flaky, moist, fresh, and not fishy, while the ginger and scallions added the perfect aroma and flavours. The honey walnut prawn is a rather funny dish --- it must be an American-Chinese dish what with the mayo-like sauce. Nonetheless it was pretty friendly to the taste buds, and I must confess that the thin slices of oranges went perfectly well with the sweet sauce, the walnut, and the prawn (shrimp). Coming to the vegan option, my favourite was the Chinese greens with mushroom. It was done just right and I loved the broth-y light sauce that coated the dish. This too was fantastic with the jasmine rice. It was the perfect combination of tasty and healthy! We picked up the order, and the people at the counter were very friendly and personable. I will be back --- and moreso when we have vegan companions! read more

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Food can't be beat and priced so reasonably Try the Vegi Chicken. Delicious. Take out only. Highly recommend! read more

** The following review reflects my delivery experience DURING the COVID-19 pandemic. ** May you live a long life eating your veggies. That was what I figured their message was with their menu. Gee, I don't think it was that big a presumption for me to make when I thought this restaurant was 100% vegetarian with that name. Whenever menu items say shrimp or chicken, I just figured it would be mock shrimp or vegi-chicken. That was what I thought when I was ordering the $8.95 Prawns and Snow Peas, so when it arrived... I blithely remarked to Jamie W. "Isn't it amazing how they replicate the texture and flavor of shrimp with these fake shrimp?" He replied with curdled resignation, "It IS shrimp" to which I defensively said, "But I got this at a vegetarian restaurant. No, it just can't be!" I think I got fairly dramatic before seeing on their website that their seafood is indeed seafood (photo: https://bit.ly/399YLt1). Not a problem for us, but I probably would've flipped if I was a true veg-head. It was good though. The $6.75 Black Mushrooms with Vegi-Chicken was more in line with our expectations. It was indeed mock poultry well turned with zucchini and carrot slices mixed with the mushrooms (photo: https://bit.ly/39WqufR). The $4.50 Steamed Veggie Dumplings were the nicest treat with the doughy wrappers making them heartier and chewier which we rather well liked (photo: https://bit.ly/399PeSM). So at least 2/3 of our dinner was vegetarian, not a bad batting average all things considered. FOOD - 4 stars...it ain't all veggie, but it's good stuff and not too saucy AMBIANCE - n/a...I don't know but I've seen it from the outside on University SERVICE - 4 stars...came quick enough TOTAL - 4 stars...may I live a long life...eating shrimp RELATED - Hungry for Chinese? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/36XdeaP read more

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So hard to find vegetarian friendly menus! The veggie orange chicken was amazing. My parents used to come here when they were in college and they recommended it to me. Still the same owner! I told her that, and she had the sweetest response. The food is delicious. Friendly service. 10/10! read more

Great vegan and vegetarian food. It's not fancy, but the food is delicious and the lady who runs it really does a good job. Incredibly friendly and accommodating. read more

The food here is incredible, and the service is even better. Everything is fresh and all the right textures. Nice tea at the beginning, and the pot stays until the end. The place is spacious, and well lit, and right off the street. read more

The front is really nice you get potstickers and tea The restaurant is really nice it's the best food you will ever taste go right now It's the best read more

Food was great! They also had vegan cookies!!!!! The lady at the front, Sunny was really nice. Ambiance of the restaurant was good, there was light jazz in the background and a little noise from customers. read more

Long Life Vegi House - Vegan cookies! - Chinese Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great restaurant, been going since the 1990s - affordable, good service, and a must-try for vegetarians.

Long Life Vegi House is a new fav! I have lived in Berkeley for years and I tend to frequent the same restaurants over and over...I wanted to try another place to break out of my comfort zone. I was glad to choose Long Life because they have a LARGE assortment of veggie options! Thank you Long Life! read more

I had it for the first time this week and the Kung Pao Chicken lunch special was delicious. Everything is to-go due to Covid which I was unaware of until I got there. It's alright, I took my meal down to a park and ate it in the sunshine. There was definitely enough for 2 meals and actually pretty much the only thing I ate the entire day. The price was unbelievable. So little for much food. I hope to go back soon to try another dish. read more

The sesame chicken was good. The mapo tofu didn't taste remotely like it's supposed to. The onion pancakes were the worst i have had in a long time. The rice was dry. There is zero ambiance. Food is served in to go boxes and paper plates. One side of the restaurant has boxes of supplies piled up. It's as if you went to your friend's house and they didn't feel like tidying up or doing dishes and they decided to just quickly whip up something to eat from what they had in the cabinet. read more

Yum Ate sesame fake chicken Hot and sour soup Both good, sesame chicken had no sesame flakes on it that I could see, and the hot and sour soup was not spicy. But I still gobbled them up... I'm excited to try more of the menu read more

I used to frequent the old location of Long Life Vegi House when I first moved to the SF Bay Area more than 2.5 years ago. Since they moved into a new location, an updated review is called for as visited here recently. Authentic Chinese Cuisine w/ vegetarian & seafood speciality is what they are known for. Affordable, fast, & friendly service. There are a whopping 33 entrees to choose from on the vegetarian lunch combo that is available 6 days a week except when they are closed on Tuesday. I went w/ the sautéed veggies w/ tofu. White rice is no longer an option as there is only brown rice which is my normal go to anyways yet the new location features the option to customize your lunch entree w/ fried rice or chow mien for an additional dollar. The lunch special features soup of the day, spring roll, choice of vegetarian entree w/ brown rice or the option to customize the combo w/ chow mien or fried rice for a dollar more. My server assured me that my meal was vegan. She also said all of the vegi-chicken, vegi-beef, & mock meats are vegan. I am not a big fan of mock meats so tofu w/ veggies is my go to. They do use egg in the fried rice so to customize it vegan simply tell your server that you want no egg & are vegan. What looks more interesting to me are some of the dinner entrees that feature family style tofu w/ napa cabbage & carrots, sizzling tofu iron platter w/ veggies, tofu clay pot w/ veggies & Mu-Shu Veggies w/ four crepes to name a few. For a complete dinner w/ soup of the day & rice it is only $2 extra. Look forward to subsequent visits here as will probably vary up visiting here w/ Butcher's Son when I want a vegan meal in Berkeley. read more

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Really good Chinese food for people who like no nonsense Chinese food. The service is fast and the owner is a gem. You can tell this place is a labor of love. The ambiance is very plain and comfortable. read more