I think this place just opened not long ago...been here twice, and I'm assuming it's a pescatarian (fish/seafood & veggies only) restaurant. Both times I ordered vegetarian food with tofu and it was fresh and savory. The restaurant is spacious with a lot of seats...it's surely suitable for both quick dining and family dinner. Service is good here and I usually care more about the types of veggies than flavoring. If you're like me I'd recommend trying different kinds of veggies on the menu and you might find something you really like from here. read more

Great place for a cheap lunch. Lots of vegan food. Also serves fish (makes the name a little deceptive, no?). I recommend the "mongolian vegi beef" and anything that comes with the long life/spicy garlic sauce. read more

The lunch specials are a great deal. Most recently, I got asparagus "veggie chicken" with spicy garlic sauce over brown rice. It was a ton of food (came w/ soup and spring roll), quite tasty, and cost less than $5. Other entrees I've had in the past have always been solid. It's no frills, good, cheap, vegetarian or pescovegetarian chinese food. No complaints. read more

incredibly cheap vegetarian food. I love the vegi beef and chicken, though the pork has a weird texture. and the also have brown rice to substitute, which to me is really important. the seafood is REAL, not veggie, so just warning you. the lunch combos are less than $5, and they give you a lotta food. give this place a try! read more

Super cheap & good for the price!! My boyfriend and I always eat lunch here. Entrees on the lunch menu are suuuuuper cheap (~$10 for both of us). The wait for the food is nonexistent, and their service is superb. Gotta love the place! read more

.....to be honest I was looking for Cafe Brasil but along the way I came across this gem! No MSG added, vegetarian Chinese cuisine restaurant! Only in Berkeley! The place AND the people were VERY cool plus the food was excellent! I had the Vegi-Chicken (that's soy based for the carnivores out there lol!) and Tofu in a spicy hot sauce with brown rice. It was good and inexpensive! What I really appreciated was the variety of vegetarian dishes that were available. I love Asian cuisine but the Americanized (is that a word?) restaurants don't have as large a vegetarian selection as this place so I will definitely be back! read more

I'm a vegetarian and I decided to check this place out based on some reviews. Some were positive, others less so. The decor was not good. It was dingy. I think that if the owners scrubbed, painted and updated (removed that horrible huge fake shark hanging on the wall for one) it would help them to attract more clients. The bathrooms were in plain view but sort of separated by a weird trench-type structure. Hard to explain but it basically part of the main floor. What I had: veg. sizzling soup. Just average. No tofu, just couple of mushrooms floating around. Tofu Clay Pot: no flavor at all, don't get this dish. Pieces of fried tofu and soggy bok choy in super hot broth with no flavor. Veg. chicken with broccoli: pretty good, maybe would get this one dish as takeout if were ever in the area again. Berkeley is blessed with so many veg. options that I highly doubt I will ever be back to Long Life; not for main seating for sure, but if I was ever famished and everything else fell victim to mysterious closure and I had no other choice then of course! . Hope they update and refresh their dingy dining area. Good luck! read more

I remember this place as long as I have lived in Berkeley, and I am 37 years old. they have a lot of fake meat options aka gluten. One of my favorite dishes is their spicy eggplant. They give generous portions, and it very inexpensive compared to most restaurants.. It seems they have not upgraded their decor, and the general vibe is very dingy. I want to like them more, but over the years the ambiance has declined. read more

My husband and I come here 1-2 times a week, every week, religiously. . Their hot and sour soup is killer. The daily lunch special is 5 bucks, you get a cup of the hot and sour, your dish, rice (brown or white) a spring roll, and hot tea.. FOR 5BUCKS! I recommend the vegi beef w/ black mushroom and bamboo, the Mongolian beef, and the vegi chicken egg foo yung. The two ladies that serve you are always so sweet and pleasant, they are hard working, and I truly appreciate the delicious vegetarian food they offer at such inexpensive prices. This is California where everything is sky high prices, so it's Important to save a dollar any way possible. I love this place, and will miss it dearly when I move away from the bay. Thumbs up long life vegi house! And 5 stars for offering great food at humble prices. (Btw-- don't listen to the D bag reviews that belly ache about ambiance and decor. The food quality, price and the attitude of the staff here are what matters, I would rather the flooring look a tad shabby and the bathroom be in need of a paint job if it means they can keep the prices of their dishes affordable. The building is old, however they keep the place clean and in very respectable condition!) read more

Wonderful vegan Chinese food. The sweet and sour Vegi-Pork tasted like the real thing as did the Vegi-Pork Fried Rice. The portions were huge, the chow mein was great, and the vegetarian won ton soup was good(too much spinach in broth for me, but still good). Vegans who are really missing the old classic Chinese food dishes can rejoice. This place rocks! read more

I've always loved the food here, but the service is so terrible and surly that it's become a serious problem. Most recent example: phoned in an order tonight. Got there for pick up 35 minutes later. The order is not ready and they say "not ready yet." I then wait 30 more minutes for them to make the order with absolutely no explanation. When I ask what's taking so long, they only say "it's busy tonight. Sorry." When people who come into the restaurant after I arrived to get my pickup order are served, it becomes clear they never put the order in in the first place. It would have been okay when I arrived if they'd said "we forgot your order." I then could have decided to go somewhere else. Instead I got, "not ready yet" and lots of waiting. This kind of thing happens here often. Good food, awful -- almost hostile -- service. read more

I was impressed. Tasty food, reasonable prices. In case it's not obvious from some of the descriptions most of the menu is actually vegetarian and fake meat, but it's real seafood. When I was there I just had vegetarian and it was good. Good hot and sour soup on a cold day. read more

All I can say is mmmmm... As a vegetarian who loooooves unhealthy food, nothing beats long life! This is my favorite restaurant in the Bay Area.. perhaps the entire Continental U.S.! I drag all my carnivorous friends here and they always end up being regulars. The lunch special is a steal: $5 for rice, entree and cup of hot and sour soup. Dinner is usually around $7 but the portions are HUGE! The family that works here is incredibly nice (adorable kids!), really efficient and learns your order after going there consistently. Your glass of water will NEVER be empty! I've probably had everything on the menu apart from the vegi-ham because that just sounds kind of icky but I'm sure people love it. The things that stand out in my mind are: -mongolian beef, beef with broccoli, veggie fried rice, sweet and sour or lemon chicken, cashew chicken, kung pao beef, crispy beef and soooo much more! My dad always gets the giant seafood plate (yes they have real seafood) and loves it. The hot and sour soup is amazing and worth the extra dollar to get when it's not lunch special anymore. Sizzling rice soup, spring rolls, potstickers and wontons are also really amazing! This place is also great if you have a large group: there's always room, no need for a reservation. I showed up on my birthday with like eight people and we were eating all our food in less than half an hour. If Long Life ever closes, I might just have to move in with the family to maintain one of the staples of my diet...just saying :) So why are you still reading this and aren't at Long Life yet?? What more can I do to convince you... GO! read more

Me and my kids go whenever in Berkeley. Not too expensive, good place for kids. My kids loved it since going there for the first time 5 years ago. Good service, waiter always nice. Decent amount of food I love the place. good food sometimes. read more

I live in Southern California, but I have been going to Long Life Vegi House since 1983 every time I'm in the East Bay. I usually get the same thing (although I share when I'm with groups) - the eggplant with spicy garlic sauce, the broccoli with black mushroom, both with added tofu (or sometimes the veggie beef) and brown rice. Its great. The service is always friendly and they handle large tables of people well, so its nice to go there with a group of friends. As a vegan for over 20 years, its always great to know there is a solid, affordable, non-pretentious option available. read more

Is NOT closed as of 1/23/14. At some point the building is going to be razed, or something, and they will need to find (we devoutly hope) a new location, but today they answer the phone and say that they are open for business. read more

New location - same owners. A long time favorite is more centrally located in Berkeley. Their old location is in a building scheduled to get torn and rebuilt. It's open as of 12/11/16. read more

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Good chinese vegetarian restaurant with reasonable price. They have options for non vegetarian too. They relocated to a better location. Nice and fast services. read more

Surprisingly good for $5. Where else can you get a tasty, filling meal with tons of brown rice, fried spring roll, hot and sour soup that isn't gross, and tea for that price? My broke college student a$$ is pretty happy. I will be back. read more

I am so happy that this place is still in business, albeit in a new location down University Avenue and with a cleaner, more modern vibe. (If you miss the sticky film on the tables and dirty bathrooms in the old location from your college days, you'll be out of luck...the joint has, thankfully, freshened up.) The woman who runs this place is phenomenal; mind like a steel trap, super friendly and very accommodating. Since I am gluten free, I haven't been able to enjoy Chinese food for years. I come here and they treat me like a queen, making their food the way I am able to eat it. She remembers my special GF fried rice, extra veggies and egg every single time. Portions are huge. Prices are surprisingly low. My daughters love it too and always have to remember to leave room in their bellies for the fortune cookies and fresh, chilled orange slices at the end of the meal. Highly recommend! read more

This is THE best vegetarian Chinese food around. The seafood is real, but the rest of the meat is fake. Fake and DELICIOUS! The lemon chicken tastes like candy and I'm obsessed with their chow mein and vegetable mu-shu. The pot-stickers and dumplings are just okay, but everything else I tried was awesome. Broccoli beef, sweet & sour pork, etc. Super good! Also, very cheap, and even after binging here on a Saturday night I didn't have to feel guilty because I still lost weight this week. In your face, salads! read more

This is my new favorite place in Berkeley! It's cheap and good!!!! We had the eggplant in spicy garlic sauce, the kung pao veggie ham, and the hot and sour soup. The vegetables weren't cooked to a pulp, the veggie (read: fake) meat was decent and the portions were HUGE for the price. The service is nothing special and the owner's screaming kids were riding their tricycle around the restaurant (seriously!), but with all the upside, I didn't mind too much. read more

Amazing food! Great service! So many good vegetarian options. Best Chinese food I've ever had.

Very good mongolian vegi beef. Glad I finally tried it. It almost taste like real beef. Will definitelt be back to try other plates.

I've been coming to Long Life Vegi House for over 10 years, ever since my days as a carefree Cal undergrad. No, I can't believe I'm that old! I still make trips across the bay just to come here. The lunch special is the best deal in town. As many others have mentioned, $5 gets you a huge rice plate (enough for leftovers!) a spring roll and a cup of hot and sour soup. My faves are: Curry vegi-ham: They may as well call it vegi-spam because it's quite similar in texture, but so delicious! I love the curry sauce they use and it's full of nice veggies. The ham has a nice savory flavor to it. Kungpao veggie chicken: Little cubes of delicious "chicken", zucchini, peppers, peanuts... yum. Classic greasy chinese fare but so good. I find that the fried items (sweet and sour pork, orange chicken) often are a little light on the "meat" and a little heavy on the breading, but it's a personal preference. Service is always great. The food comes out quickly and your water glass is never more than half-empty before the waitress comes running over with a pitcher to refill it. The atmosphere isn't great, but it's passable and who cares when you're paying $5 for lunch? read more

Great food! Vegetarian dishes galore and we haven't found one we don't like. The staff is super friendly and they have quick and easy take out. read more

Maybe this sounds rude but I usually hate eating Chinese food. My boyfriend is Chinese and always tries to take me out to eat Chinese food but I find it really hard to find yummy dishes that are vegetarian. However, this place was perfect and the food was so delicious. My boyfriend is a crazy meat lover and even he really enjoyed the vegetarian dishes. The vegetarian dinner special is crazy filling and so cheap. I will be coming here frequently! read more

I go here often and like it a lot. The lunch special is an unbeatable deal. Entree, eggroll, soup, and hot tea for $4.95. The food is usually very good, though not always amazing. Still, great for the price. read more

LOVE IT. Took my parents here when they were visiting and it was a hit. Great place with awesome serving sizes.

I can't give LLVH 5 stars, I'm holding back just one for the decor, I hate taxidermy and it makes no sense that they of all people have a weirdly fake fish on their walls- being veggie and all. But alas, that is not why we all visit them. These are the reasons: 1. Pot stickers like your mama used to make you, pan fried dirty and oh so tender. 2. Orange Flavored "not-chicken" that make me drool down my keyboard just thinking about. 3. Cheap Cheap Cheap food, that is good enough that you go back even when there's an extra zero added to your paycheck. Thank you for keeping it real veggie style, LL, you are so creepy cool. read more

My mommy raised me well since I love to eat my veggies! I used to come here when I didn't have easy access to a kitchen and 99 ranch. They have MANY well-known traditional chinese veggie dishes that are worth ordering. I would recommend some dishes but I don't really know their English names..=( I could try spell out the chinese pronunciation but after 6 years of Chinese school, I still suck (sorry mom!) IMHO, the veggies are usually cooked to the perfect texture (e.g. Veggies are crisp or soft and tender when they're meant to be). Crisp texture can only be achieved if you start with fresh veggies so that's great news! Portion sizes are generous. Lunch specials are a great deal if you happen to be in Downtown Berkeley. Regular prices aren't that bad either. You'll do your arteries a favor by coming here once in a while. =) read more

This is my most favorite American Chinese restaurant. Up to two months before coming back to San Francisco to visit family, I dreamed about this place--telling my boyfriend all the delicious details about the orange fake chicken and veggie fried rice. The only thing on the menu I've ordered and did not enjoy was the bean curd noodles, but that was it. Everything is good here. And the family that owns this place are incredibly nice and welcoming. read more

I like a Chinese restaurant that serves big fluffy brown rice and lots of it. I like it when the prawns are plentiful, robust and cooked correctly. The $5.45 seafood lunch special scallops and green beans is giant and all of these things make up for the non-atmospheric quality of the place. They have been in business for seemingly evar, and sometimes "no" atmosphere is fine for a date (you can make your own atmosphere at your table, ya know wh'umsayin?) Perfect lunch spot for a casual business meeting. read more

Best fake chicken (seitan) with broccoli ever! I hadn't tried anything else on the menu because I really like this dish. I have coming been here for a long time - before I even liked broccoli. They cook the broccoli crisp tender which is why I started eating broccoli at all. Thank you Long Life Veggie for starting my long life love affair with broccoli all those years ago. I have only eaten inside a handful of times, so I have no idea how the service is anymore as I just get it to go now when I'm in the area. read more

I think this place has the best hot and sour soup around. My friends are huge fans of the green bean ball soup - although it doesn't strike me as amazing. I could eat here every day - and the prices are perfect (read low). read more

Serviceable, but far from my favorite. I got the string bean and vegi-chicken, and quickly realized that if I want meat, I should just bite the bullet and get it. The starter soup was okay, nothing to rave about, and the brown rice just didn't cut it when paired with the main dish. Service was decent, but I wouldn't say friendly. Still, I walked out for like $6, so not bad for a budget-friendly lunch if you're willing to compromise on quality. read more

This is not the best Chinese vegetarian/vegan place I have been to. But for the bay area, it is pretty decent. Cheap, and reasonable portions. Only thing is when ordering the lunch special. You get ALL rice. So I suggest ordering an actual entree' not the specials. The taste and quality of the veggie dishes were good. My girlfriend ordered a seafood dish, not worth it. read more

Excellent restaurant. Hardworking staff, delicious food, fast service, reasonable prices. A vegetarian's dream

if you are vegan or vegetarian this is a really great place to go. granted the interior of the restaurant does not look so hot but the food is amazing. The Mongolian "beef" is the best meal to order. try the lemon "chicken" also. i personally like when the owners kids are running around it the restaurant. it gives the place a really laid back feeling. if you do not eat egg products be sure not to eat the fortune cookie. And some of the soups have egg as an ingredient as well. asking before hand it my best recommendation. read more

I love this place! I mainly go for the lunch special, but their regular menu is not too expensive either. In particular I love their hot and sour soup. I'm having someone pick me up some right now because I'm sick. read more