My husband is a big foodie, so whenever we're in Berkeley, we always look for a place to stop and…read moreenjoy something delicious. This time, I stopped in to pick up some pan dulce, and I had such a wonderful experience. As soon as I walked in, I was warmly greeted by the cashier. I don't remember her name, but she told me she was from Nicaragua. Her kindness, friendliness, and genuine smile immediately made me feel welcome. It may seem like a small gesture, but great customer service makes such a big difference. We all get so busy and distracted these days that sometimes we forget how meaningful a warm greeting can be. She truly brightened my day, and I wanted to take a moment to thank her for making me feel so welcome. The pan dulce was delicious, and the outstanding customer service made the experience even better. I'll definitely be back!

Gone a bit downhill while prices going up. Bakery smells delicious though. Hope they can improve…read morefrom here.

Loved this place! The vibe is fantastic, and the masks and artwork on the walls give it such a…read morebeautiful, authentic feel. We came during off-peak hours, so it was calm and relaxed -- perfect for really taking it all in. The staff were incredible, attentive without being overbearing, and just made the whole experience even better. I tried the super burrito, and while it wasn't the best I've ever had, it was still solid and definitely worth ordering. Highly recommend if you're looking for great atmosphere and great service.

Used to go here regularly when I lived nearby. So it's been years since I've visited, but it still…read moreis great. I love the improvements to the dining area- it is much more open and light than previously. The loaded nachos are amazing. The bar has a ton of great options, and the pork tamales were lovely. Looking forward to returning!

Service was great. Food was even better. We all had Pescado Frito and the fish was delicious. Side…read moreof rice, refried beans, and yucca fries were bomb. Also had a pupusa that was good. Definitely our to go spot when craving fried fish

Terrible experience. The service was awful from start to finish. They seemed to be in a huge rush,…read moreyet still made us wait about 40 minutes for our order. To make matters worse, the bag was completely sealed, so we couldn't check the food until we got home. When we opened it, the food was completely tossed around, just like in the photo. If there were a rating lower than one star, I'd give it. This is by far the worst Hispanic restaurant I've been to in this area. I don't recommend it at all. Save your money and go somewhere else.

The atmosphere was refreshing and the food was wonderful! I will absolutely be returning!read more

Love this place because of the bright, colorful, and tropical interior! Also their Baja fish taco…read moreis sooo good because the fish is really crispy and flavorful. I also like that the service is really fast! You order first, find a seat, and they'll bring your food to your table pretty quickly

Califas Greens on University Ave, run by two sisters and you feel that energy the second you walk…read morein. Got the Califas bowl with grilled steak, basmati rice, quinoa, roasted kale and broccoli, avocado, pumpkin cilantro lime sauce and blue cheese on top. Sounds like a lot but it comes together perfectly, one of the better bowls ive had in Berkeley period. Fresh juice was legit, the carrot orange ginger was not acidic, balanced just right. Place has a warm colorful room and the staff is genuinely warm to everyone who walks in. 5 stars, latin american flavors meets healthy bowls and neither compromise the other

Absolutely one of the most delicious meals we all had. We are up in Berkeley moving my son into…read morecollege and everybody had different things from the menu and everybody was happy.

Great service I went to eat today and it was delicious and the people that work there were very niceread more

They have really amazing Latin food here like your fried fish tacos and I really like their fried…read morefish plate which I highly recommend. . The fish plate had a hold ride for me the fish also it comes with some side salad and a scoop of rice and two pieces of plantain and it was only under $15 which is very affordable. . My friends got the fried fish tacos and they loved it but they love the fried fish plate better because of how it was presented. . We also got some of their guacamole which was really good and everything here is very fresh and made to order. The Ambiance is casual nice and bright and cozy. The service is friendly and answer my questions when I had special requests. Thanks for reading and have a yelp-tastic day.

Excellent food the best in the bay…read more The portions are extremely generous, the red sauce looks rich, and there's plenty of melted cheese. The beans look creamy and the rice looks nicely seasoned.

Pro's: - Quiet…read moreplace, at least for weekday lunch, no music playing, relaxing atmosphere -Friendly staff who give you free soda refills and pretty much as much tortilla chips and salsa that you want. I believe they make their own tortilla chips and they are quite good. They will even give you a bag and little containers to take home some of the chips and salsa if you want to. Con's: Way too expensive for what you get! I can't say the food is bad or anything, but certainly nothing to write home about. It's simply over-priced!

Love this place! I got the chorizo frijoles & crunchy…read morebirria tacos this time and it was insanely delicious! Imo you can't miss when you go here!

Came here for taco Tuesday last week and according to their website, shots are $5 and margaritas…read moreare $7 yet I still got charged full price for everything and for one of the drinks, they gave us a completely different one than the one we asked for. The bartender said the discounts start at 3pm but after looking on their website, there is no start time mentioned at all for taco Tuesday discounts. It's happy hour that starts at 3pm and that's under a completely different tab. It's not the end of the world that I paid full price for something, I just don't like false advertising or employees that don't know their own specials

This is the second time I've had empanadas at 9 Julio, both were delivery. I had chicken rojo and…read moreJamaican beef empanadas with chimichurri sauce. This is not ordinary sauce. It's vinegar and herbs and olive oil and other magic seasonings. I eat the empanada with a scoop of sauce on each bite. Believe me, this is the money bite. I admit to licking my fingers (Hey! it's my house!). This time we ordered peach cobbler empanadas. Just as you can imagine. The crust of all bites was crispy but substantial. It did not shatter all over the plate but was pleasantly crisp to set off the summer peach taste. Order or go!! You will not be disappointed.

Good value for the empanada combo…read more Watermelon Mint Agua Fresca (4/5): very refreshing and not too sweet but I did not taste any mint. Plantain chips with guac (5/5): were portioned generously. Empanadas (4/5): stuffed with good amount of protein but lacked flavor and were a bit dry.

I believe this space was a Burmese restaurant called Tharaphu a few years back. They made a decent…read moretea leaf salad but without the tableside show. I doubt that made much difference to their clientele, but in its place is another family-run business, this time Salvadoran. This one offers more generic plates at student-friendly prices for undiscriminating palates. That's at least my take in the couple of occasions I've tried it after going to the gym. The first time I tried it I couldn't see the menu until I got up to the order counter. Then I made the server wait since the menu was so comprehensive (Photo 5). I went basic and ordered the $16.99 Chicken Platter because the kabob version was five dollars more. It was decent enough though on the bland side with rice, fresh tomato salsa, and a small side salad of iceberg lettuce, sliced cucumber, and radish (Photo 9). The menu mentioned a house white sauce. I didn't see it, but I also didn't miss it either. I came back to try them again. I tried ordering the $14.99 Scrambled Eggs with Beef Chorizo but was told they were out of chorizo. This was looking to be a recurring theme because I was rebuffed the first time when I unsuccessfully ordered the beef gyro. Ironically this time they had the $16.99 Beef Gyro Platter. The rice and salad were identical to my previous platter, the beef was just OK (Photo 10). FOOD - 3 stars...middling meats, edible but not overly appetizing AMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...spacious enough and nicely decorated SERVICE - 3 stars...minimal communication on the food and when it will be ready TOTAL - 3 stars...fitting for a student appetite, good enough for the rest of us if expectations are kept in check RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places l've patronized and reviewed: https://yelp.to/KDNpY106O8

Here goes, short and sweet…read more Yes on the pupusas....no on the birria taco. So the pupusa was definitely handmade and 4 stars. Service was super slow and I was one of 3 people there when they opened. Not sure what was going on. They also took forever to make my food. The birria was lacking flavor was was super chewy. Needed to be more tender.