My mother and I chanced upon this restaurant as we drove to a computer repair shop nearby. Since there were so many great reviews, I decided to give it a try. As soon as we walked in, the kind server greeted us and brought us menus and water. The server answered our questions about the menu, and both of us ordered stews: Mom ordered the soft tofu stew, and I had the kimchi stew. Before our meals arrived, the table was covered with small side dishes: small bowls of steamed rice, broccoli in a light sesame sauce, pickled cucumber, seaweed salad and kimchi. The side dishes were so delicious, I would have been satisfied to eat just those! The broccoli was especially yummy! When our actual meals arrived, there was so much that Mom had enough left overs for another meal. I was very hungry, so I ate all of it! We will definitely be back! read more

Korean noodle soup and Seafood pancake. Service is ordinary, go with very low expectations and you will be fine. There is one gentleman though who offers impeccable service, if you get him, you're lucky! The ambiance and decoration aren't very desirable either. But would I give it 5 stars despite all of what I said? It's the food... it's amazing! read more

My coworkers and myself come here once in a while during lunch because it's pretty close to our work. I must say, I was pretty unsure about this place on my first visit. But that quickly changed my mind. The food is good, large portion, optional seating inside or outside, and the icing on the cake was definitely the great service. Great food makes me remember, but great service makes me return. Bibimbap and Kimchi fried rice are my go to dish. You may ask why? Because, all my life the only Korean dish I really like was the Korean BBQ. I know it's sad, but there just haven't been many opportunities to eat Korean dish. Anyway, there are more for me to try in this place and you should too. I will definitely keep coming back. Tip: Be sure to mix your Bibimbap once you get it so that it doesn't burn the rice. SAFETY:The stonebowl is sizzling hot. read more

Spoon - Tasty Kimchi Fried Rice - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I ordered the tofu soup here with beef at a medium spice level. Tofu soup is my go-to at a Korean restaurant and to see if that place is good. I was satisfied with the spice and taste level for sure. They were generous with the beef and ingredients. Side dishes are standard - hopefully they are made in house. The service is very good here too. I forgot my wallet and they were kind enough to let me go get it and come back to pay. The area is nice here. They can pretty busy during peak hours. There are a lot of bio-techies eating here for lunch. read more

I've been here a few times but honestly it's not a place I'd really suggest when asked "what do you want to eat?". If my friends want to come here I'm always down but in my opinion the food here is pretty average and a little bit costly for how it tastes. It's sort of located in the middle of no where but that makes parking relatively easy so I've never had a problem with that before. Moreover, the outdoor eating space closes earlier than their indoor eating space so if you were planning on bringing your pets, you have to come at least 1 hour before the closing time. Overall, this place is not bad but not great either. Possibly worth a try if this is your first time visiting but avoid coming during peak hours as this place can get pretty busy read more

First off, I have to say that they have really great service here at Spoon. The waiter and waitresses were really kind, attentive, and even when they were busy, made sure that we were taken care of. Me and the girl came here last night in the middle of the terrible storm that we have brewing here in the Bay, and were pretty excited to not only spend some quality time together, but to also sit down and enjoy a nice, hot, delicious meal. We were started off with some banchan, which for Spoon, included kimchi, seaweed, pickled radish, broccoli, pickled cucumbers, their in-house sauce for dipping, and possibly a few more that I might be forgetting about. To share, I ordered the seafood pancake since my date had never had it before. Spoon makes a really great seafood pancake it turns out which was nice and crispy on the outside, with a light golden batter, and pretty filling on the inside. Individually, my girl ordered the Soft Tofu Stew w/ beef, while I got the Rice Cake Soup w/ beef. Had a taste of the girl's Tofu Stew, and it was pretty flavorful without being overly spicy. She thoroughly enjoyed it as well and wound up saving half for lunch the next day. While I found the rice cakes in my soup to be as I expected, the beef was a bit tough to chew and the soup kind of bland. There is plenty of free street parking right in front of the restaurant, and we were extremely lucky to snag a spot right in front as it was pouring outside. read more

SO SO SOOOO DELICIOUS!!! My go to spot if I'm in the East Bay with my dog! They have a really nice fenced outdoor patio that's dog friendly! Keep in mind that they do close the outdoor patio from 2-5 if you're looking for somewhere to eat with your dog! My go-to's are the spicy ramen with beef, pork belly kbbq, glazed potatoes, and the potstickers! The spicy ramen has a perfect amount of kick to it, it's spicy but not so spicy to the point where the soup is undrinkable. The pork belly is simple but delicious, it's just grilled seasoned pork belly served with this delicious bean flavored dipping sauce, sides, and rice! The pot stickers are light and crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. The soy dipping sauce they serve with it is so good!! I could literally eat that sauce on rice. The glazed potatoes are crunchy, sweet, and salty! They serve it with a generous amount of glaze so sometimes I just bring that home and dip my own potatoes in it LOL. They also offer $2 Korean fish waffle ice cream!! They have red bean & chocolate. Very reasonable priced compared to other restaurants that serve pre packaged ice cream since it's only about $1.50 in Korean supermarkets. The service here is sooo good as well, I've been bringing my dog here since she was a puppy and every time I come back they always comment on how much bigger she's got! They even gave her a bowl of shredded chicken once! Everyone here is so sweet and I highly recommend checking out spoon if you're in the area! read more

Spoon - Potstickers, pork belly, & spicy ramen! - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Delicious food. Large portions. Many options. Highly recommend. Cute lights create a great vibe.

Really disappointed in the service here. I really wish it had worked out seeing as how we drove from San Jose to try this place out for a day trip to Berkeley. I can't attest to the food here as we barely walked a foot into the establishment. They had at least 10 outdoor tables two of which were occupied with no customers in sight and no reserved customers on the books. They had one table that seemed reserved for expanding outdoor seating arrangements. We asked for a table of six outdoors as we have two unvaccinated children and were not comfortable sitting inside. A non-Asian server proceeded to say they only have enough seating inside to accommodate six. Another Asian server came out after the other server walked away and asked if we needed to be seated and for how many and proceeded to move the extra table to accommodate six outdoors. The non-Asian server quickly came to his side to say not to do that and that he just told us there was no room. I told the non-Asian server that we were uncomfortable sitting indoors and proceeded to say in a dismissive manner "your choice!" Was he the boss? I'm posting this more for the owners awareness because this employee turned away a table that would've purchased $150-$200 worth of food when the restaurant was nearly empty. I so wanted to support this place, support an Asian business. I would definitely want to give it one more try but that server isn't really doing this place justice. It's so unfortunate when restaurants are struggling in the pandemic. I *think* the owner would've liked the business unless I'm mistaken. read more

I would give them 3.5-4 stars. We got kimchi fried rice, soft tofu soup with seafood and tuna roll. Kimchi fried rice was well done, but it didn't have a lot of kimchi, bummer. Portion was huge. Tofu soup we had didn't have a lot of seafood in it. Dish itself was good. Maybe I will go back again, if it's convenient. read more

Dining in, the food is pretty good Ordering on DoorDash the food tasted old, like reheated food. My jhap Jae was ehhhh needed a tiny bit of sweetness. Wasn't as chewy as other jhap Jae dishes I've had in the past. So I feel like it was kinda old. The spicy rice cake was falling apart/breaking apart. It tasted overcooked and old and not chewy. This is my favorite appetizer and I couldn't even eat it I'm really disappointed because I was super hungry and looking forward to it. My DoorDash experience was a 1 star because the jhapjae was kinda old but edible and the spicy rice cake was terrible In house dining is more like 3 stars, 1 less star because my soup was a lil too salty and 1 less star because the bathroom was broken/filled up with poo- which was Would I go back? Idk read more

Spoon - Jap Jhap Chae and spicy rice cake - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

I visited this restaurant while on an out of town trip with a friend. I had been craving Korean food for a while (the town I live in has a dearth of Korean food) and this place definitely hit the spot! I ordered the kimchi fried rice/japchae and kimbap. We also got a few side dishes: two kinds of kimchi and a few other things. The addition of japchae to the dish was an interesting twist but I think I'd stick with straight rice next time around. The kimbap and kimchi were both great as well. I hope to be able to go here again soon! read more

Spoon - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

short ribs were solid, slightly pricy for the quantity --short ribs: overall delicious, seasoned well, portions on the smaller to medium size, not as much fat on the meat as compared to Steve's Korean BBQ (which is good), packaged well Would I order again? Yes read more

Spoon - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Just wanted a few items to go as I had two dogs in the car. It smells so good just walking in. Open Monday nights thank goodness! Veg Jap Chae ($14), and Chicken Soft Tofu Stew ($13) medium spicy. Very friendly greeting by the host. The Korean staff are cheerful and friendly. Lighting is a bit weird - like fluorescent LEDs. Maybe it's the green and grey that makes this place a bit drab. Maybe it's better in the daytime. Close to Berkeley Bowl so probably popular in the daytime. Very casual. Old pop rock songs - easy listening. Good for digestion! Want to try the Spicy Kelp Ramen ($10-12)next time as well as the pancakes! Limited Banchan but generous. Good amount of spice and tasty. Will return!!! read more

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This place is very hit or miss, which is such a shame. I've had a couple different bento boxes from here. One time I ordered to-go and that was probably my least favorite. I won't harp on the restaurant fully for that. Food is always better fresh at the restaurant. The food here is a touch above mediocre, in my opinion. It's better than not getting Korean food when I'm really craving it. But it wouldn't be the first place I recommend to my friends or family. The service and ambiance are decent. Overall, it's not horrible but also nothing to rave about. read more

Randomly found this conveniently located Korean barbecue restaurant. To my surprise the menu had many options including sushi which was great for my girlfriend. Top it off not bad that they have a nice selection of wine. New favorite place to eat in the neighborhood. read more

Spoon - Yummy in my tummy - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

Been here twice and I have yet to be disappointed. Banchans were plentiful, which is a plus!! The seafood pancake was a star on its own. They add tons of seafood.. this pancake was super thick.. you'd think it'd be thick with just batter...but no.. it has more seafood than batter. I was pleasantly shocked with how generous they were with the seafood. I also ordered the soondubu jigae and it hit the spot because I was craving it. I always get the seafood soondubu. My boyfriend's kimchi fried rice with pork was soooo good. How good?! It was better than my kimchi fried rice, which says ALOT! Korean food is great with soju bombs. I highly recommend ordering the green grape soju.. it is my favorite flavor!!! Gunbae to Spoon for its excellent food and service!!! read more

Came here Saturday after walking around Berkeley Marina. Small place but didn't wait long to be seated. Ordered: tofu seafood soup, Mung bean pancake, spicy rice cake with cheese, dolsot bibimbap. Mung bean pancake was a bit plain, wouldn't order next time. The highland was the spicy rice cake with cheese, perfect combo, #1 comfort food. The soup and bibimbap were good, no complaints. Would definitely come back! read more

Spoon - Seafood tofu soup, spicy rice cake, mung bean pancake, bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

If you only order one thing GET THE SPICY RAMEN. So comforting and satisfying. Seafood or kimchee pancake tops it off. Clean delicious place and satisfactory service. read more

Spoon - Spicy ramen, potstickers, banchan, some sort of stone rice bowl - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

i've had my eye on this restaurant for a while due to the high ratings and not-your-average korean resto name, so when my friend gave me the honors of choosing where to eat for lunch in berkeley, i chose spoon! like someone else said, this spot is a bit hidden and the signage wasn't clear. i had to circle to find parking and ended up a block away by berkeley bowl but the bike path leads straight to the restaurant. there was ample outdoor seating available but it was colddd so we opted to sit inside. you'll find the usual korean fare here as well as some japanese items. we stuck with the korean menu and got 1) spicy tofu stew with vegetables and added potstickers for an additional $2 (comes with white rice) and 2) kimchi fried rice with pork (comes with a simple soup). the servings were very generous and both items were super flavorful with just the right amount of spice. the banchan was seasoned nicely too; the fishcake was my favorite! i feel like the price point is average for korean food in the bay area these days. definitely didn't feel like anything was overpriced at a $42 total especially since we stuffed our faces AND i still left with leftovers. that reminds me: i struggled so much to open the to go containers later on at home :( idk if it's user error but perhaps the resto staff can do their own experiment and think of folks with grip issues when choosing their to go containers :) anyhow. the service was warm and attentive and the food was delicious. i'll be back! read more

This is one of our favorites for Korean food. It used to have a small snack stand but now it is cooperating with a sushi spot which seems good. read more

LOVE this place! Whenever my housemates can't decide to eat, Spoon Korean Bistro is our go-to. I ALWAYS get their beef kimbap. It's delicious, filling, and so cheap! The perfect meat-veggie-rice ratio. We also really like their tofu soup--my housemate who typically doesn't like tofu soup would not talking about how flavorful and deep the broth tasted. We like the seafood, but I'd like to try others as well. We've also tried their bibimbap, which was also good, and refreshing. What really stood out to me was that their to-go packaging was superior: the packaging divided rice, egg, and the veggies in separate tiers to preserve freshness. Overalll, a solid Korean bistro that will not disappoint! read more

Not sure about the actual food at the place as the pics and food look delicious. Really wanted to try this place but they need to get their prices updated...could use a bit more courtesy too especially when you're the one that's wrong. I called and tried to order by phone for the Family Meal Special but was told of a price total of ~$66 when all the images of the menus and even their own website shows $49. I even took a screenshot of their menu straight from the website right now and the guy who I spoke to today insisted it's not and then hung up on me. read more

Spoon - Restaurant menu showing the price which I'm told has been the same and not updated yet was way more than what's listed at $49. - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place is one of our favorite places to go pre-pandemic. Well it is still one of our faves. But go by 6PM or you will wait to be seated. We got in with no one else there and got out with a line! The food here is really really good. I ordered things that would either retain their heat or taste good cold. The best dish for staying warm is the glazed potatoes. That and the hot tea will warm you from the inside out. Then you should get the seafood pancake which was the best thing ever. The next best thing is the grilled beef sushi roll. You wouldn't think it would be but it was really really good. The pot stickers were deep fried - tasted good, held their heat but I wanted steamed so.... believe it or not, that was enough for us for dinner after a bike ride. (We had a big lunch). I was eyeing the neighbor's Kimchee Fried rice. Hope to have that next time we go! read more

Love the tofu soup here! I got the beef mild tofu soup, and it is just such a great thing to eat especially on rainy days. The beef is soft and tender, and this is the best tofu soup in the area! The service is not bad, since they get busy at times. read more

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Still great Korean food but the service level has definitely gone down since the last time I came. Most of the workers were back and forth between helping customers and eating dinner at their own table near the register. Service was slow to come take our orders and they give you the banchan after your food comes to your table vs. while you wait. Seafood pancakes are still one of the best things to get though! We tried the kimchi fried rice w/ spam this time and I thought it was just okay. They give you tons of kimchi and spam in the rice. read more

Came here after a long day of work starving for a good Mushroom tofu soup. I ordered the $17.87 Tofu soup and asked for it spicy; I've tried so many tofu soups from many different Korean restaurants and this was the worst of them all. The soup base was very watery, the soup was not spicy at all AND the soup was super bland. Asked to get something else instead since I didn't like my soup, manager said no and so I ordered the soup extra spicy and it came out inedibly spicy. It went from 0 spice level to 100 spice level, there was no rational, reasonable increase in spice level; I think it was spiteful and when I asked for an explanation the manager gave me bs answers. The manager was so insensitive and I think he found it funny. I was really disappointed and felt like they thought it was a joke; this is an expensive small soup that I used my hard earned money on and it didn't seem liked they cared about my experience there at all. I was so disappointed because my boyfriend and I ordered a sushi roll which was good, and my boyfriend got a really good Katsu dish, but they provided us with terrible customer service. Anyways, I ended up spending $18 on a soup that was too spicy to eat and that was still bland. I really wish they would have let me get the sushi roll instead and I really hope they improve that soup. It's really not worth the money. If the soup wasn't spicy but had some flavor to it I probably wouldn't of sent it back, but that soup was so bland. I work in customer service, and do my best to provide respectful great service to people every day, and it just sucks when you go somewhere and it feels like you're not valued or respected as a customer. Mushroom tofu soup is one of my most favorite dishes to eat and I left here so disappointed and dissatisfied. If you're looking for some good Korean food I would recommend going to Bowl'd in Albany, Gangnam Tofu in El Cerrito, AZIT and Gangnam Jajang in Oakland, and Korean Superette in Berkeley over this place. Never coming here again. read more

Spoon is a great Korean food hook up in the East Bay! My go to items are the kimchi pancake, spicy rice cakes, and soft tofu stew. The kimchi pancakes are super packed with flavor and are perfectly savory, tart, and filling. Spicy rice cakes are a must for me because one, I love spicy food, and two, nothing beats the chewy texture of those rice cakes. I typically add noodles to them, but they're actually really good with cheese as well! Soft tofu stew is a great rainy day or cold weather food for me and I would highly recommend it regardless of the weather. This location differs from the other Temescal Korean restaurants mainly because it offers porridge! If you want some comforting, close to home, rice filled, and somewhat healthy/easy for your stomach to digest, I would highly recommend the porridge. One downside is that I've been in the Bay long enough to see their prices go up slowly. Still, it is pretty affordable if you think about the portions you get, especially if you look at how much other Korean places charge for the same types of food. Service has never been an issue for me here. Seating can be tricky as this is a small sized restaurant. There are seats outside which you could definitely grab on a nice day. read more

Spoon - Porridge, spicy rice cakes, and kimchi pancakes! - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

PARKING + AMBIENCE There is parking on the side street of the restaurant. It's a small restaurant that also has patio seating. It's a decent looking restaurant with newish decor. FOOD We got the Spicy Pork Kimbap for our appetizer and it came in a dish with eight fairly large rolls. It was a delicious appetizer before our main entree, with authentic ingredients filled in the roll. I was in the mood for soup, so I got the Seafood Soondooboo (soft tofu stew). I picked the mild spice level and it wasn't spicy at all, definitely go for spicy to get a kick of the hot flavor. The soondooboo was filling, savory, and flavorful. I also rate Korean restaurant based on their banchan. Spoon Korean Bistro's variety of banchan could be better, but the dishes they had were delicious. They have fish cakes, so I was satisfied. The seaweed and kimchi were also good. SERVICE Friendly customer service, waitresses were on standby to fulfill any requests such as refilling the banchan and getting our bill. CONCLUSION I came here with mild expectations, but they surpassed them. It's not the best Korean restaurant, but the food definitely hits the spot and is sufficient for any Korean food cravings. Overall, a solid Korean restaurant in Berkeley. read more

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I was wowed when I saw the cozy outside sitting. I love patios with outdoor lights. The diners outside had their dogs with them which is a plus for dog lovers. It was cold that night, so we ended up eating inside. My family ordered jap chae fried rice, dol sot bibimbap spicy pork, small plate of beef short ribs, spicy ramen korean chicken wings and beef stew. My daughter loved and enjoyed her spicy ramen, and my husband loved his beef stew since it was so tasty. I was disappointed since my rice in my dol sot did not get crunchy and that's a big expectation. read more

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This place is so good! My daughter ordered the Spicy Ramen because she's a foodie! I loved how we influenced her to be one, she's so brave to eat a spicy dish. We enjoyed our meal and will definitely be back again! read more

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Comfortable outdoor dining, gigantic servings of their rice bowl dishes, long list of creative sushi rolls, as well as, offering traditional Korean side dishes. Owned by Bowl'd which is another favorite restaurant I love that was recommended to me by my Korean friends in Albany. read more

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This is my favorite Korean food ever. I love the fact that they have vegan kimchi so it's so easy to make your dishes vegan!!! The kimchi jigae here is out of this world. Their veggie bibimbap with mungbean pancake is also super delicious with a crunch. Their veggie sushi is so good if you eat it there- the rice will still be nice and warm. We've sadly moved away for another travel contract but I still think about the day I can go back. Would definitely love to be back in the Bay Area just to eat here! read more

Spoon - Kimchi Stew Bibimbap - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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This is probably one of my favorite spots to eat Korean food in Berkeley! I love their kimbab and spicy wings. Their kimbab was one of the best that I have tried in the Berkeley area; the marinated meat was just right combination with the pickled radish and a good dish to go with a tofu soup. Their chicken wings were freshly fried so it had that crunchy to it and the sweet and spicy sauce was perfect! It's hard to find a Korean restaurant with a spicy, sweet, and sour sauce that is just right (not too sweet, not too spicy, not to sour) and they made it amazingly good! The best thing about this place is that they have parking outside the restaurant just for customers! ***********My overall ratings************ Taste: 4 stars Price: 4 stars Environment & Cleanliness: 4 stars Service: 4 stars read more

Spoon - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Sweet little spot with some fantastic food! Went there with friends and enjoyed a variety of dishes from the Korean and Sushi menu. The side dishes were absolutely delicious starters along with the veggie japchae and the kimchi potstickers (a great staff recommendation!). We got 3 different sushi rolls (orange blossom, rainbow, and dragon roll) all of them were delicious. The Korean BBQ came out sizzling and steaming, and smelled amazing! The short ribs were tender and juicy, the bulgogi was as well. We also enjoyed a bottle of citrus soju which I highly recommend. The staff was super friendly and attentive, this is my new favorite Berkeley spot! read more

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Food: This was my first time here, and we ordered 2 Beef Tofu Soup and Spicy Rice Cake w Mozzarella! The cold dishes that came with it was so fresh and each dish had a unique flavor. Often times when I go to mediocre Korean restaurants all the flavors sort of blend together, but this place so good! I ended up getting the mild for my tofu soup which was the perfect amount of spice. It was also my first time trying rice cakes and I loved the chewy-ness. The rice cakes were braised with sliced fishcakes, vegetables, and scallions. You do need to pay $2 for mozzarella cheese though. They were very generous with the amount of seasoning, but it was spicy enough! Overall, very good comfort food spot. Price & Portions: For $13, I thought the portions were beyond generous. If you add $2, you can get either shrimp, potstickers, rice cakes, or fishcake. The spicy rice cakes was $12 after adding cheese, but it can definitely be a whole meal on its own. Service & Ambiance: Really casual, a cute and hip place for a weekend dinner and weekday lunch! I loved my experience, would recommend :) read more

Spoon - Beef tofu soup, spicy rice cakes with mozzarella cheese - Korean Near Me - Berkeley, California

This place has such a great outdoor space! We had the kimchi pancake (which was delicious) and a hot sake with a Saporro. The service was kind and efficient. The prices are reasonable. I will definitely be back! read more

Had a really delicious and comforting Korean brunch here at Spoon Berkeley. The place has a really nice atmosphere, very chill and welcoming. The decorations are also very homey. Totally in love with the restaurant. We ordered the mushroom porridge and beef bulgogi to share. The banchan (side dishes) are of different varieties and they were so delicious that we kept asking for refills (and the server gladly refilled them for us). The korean porridge was so warm and comforting for my soul, especially at that time I had a flu, so super perfect. The bulgogi was not as oily as other places, so tasted healthy-er. We would definitely come back again for more comfort Korean food! read more

Short Story: The place is pretty good...just like their sister store Bowl. Long Story: I came here on a Saturday morning with friends to get our Korean food fix. There was not many people there so we were promptly seated. We ordered the Kaibi soup, and a few other dishes that was pretty spectacular. The ambiance and décor are nice...nice tall windows with plenty of sunlight. Though it was a Saturday so maybe during the weekends it's noisier. The service is good...but could have been a little better. It was not that busy and yet it took a while to get the waiter's attention. The prices are not that expensive which is somewhat surprising considering their sister store and it being a nice part of Emeryville. Verdict: I'll plan to go back! read more

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Wow! I'm so glad we found this place. We aren't out this way very often. Food was amazing! I looked around to see what the other patrons had and we ordered a bit too much. We happily took our left overs home. We will be back. read more

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