Old school place on the corner. I came with my mom after a dr.'s appointment. We came because it a cost effective place in a climate of rising prices. I had some pasta (fettuccine with shrimp and mushrooms in a garlic cream sauce) and it was good. wasn't as "creamy" as i expected but it was good. My mom had a pastrami sammich and she said it was good. It looked really fresh. I also had a mimosa that i didn't realize was going to be 20ozs. It was also pretty decent. Service was good. She was attentive and fast. read more

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Party of 7 came in on Saturday and we seat ourselves. Server gets there, takes our order, and gives us our food. She didn't offer water while we waited but it wasn't a big deal. She didn't check to see if we were missing anything.. whatever, I've had worse. The food was just alright, edible. So then we asked for the check and there was a 25% service fee. 25!!! I didn't see it on the menu, it wasn't disclosed.. nothing. So, pretty sure this is not compliant with California Law because it wasn't disclosed clearly before purchase AND it's not on the menu or at least not obvious so it can be considered a hidden/junk fee which is now illegal in California as of 2024. When we brought up why it was so high to the server all she said was that it was because of our large party which I get but I have never gotten a MANDATORY 25% charge fee. I didn't want to argue further so we just paid and left. This is predatory behavior and I will never be coming back. read more

Vault Cafe - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

Date: 6/15/2025. Time: 3:00 PM. 67° Sunny I happened to walk by Vault Cafe while attending the Juneteenth event in Berkeley. It's my first time here and they did not look busy at all. Nobody greeted me at the door. As bold as I am, I grabbed a seat at a table near the entrance. It took a little while before a waitress handed me the menu. After perusing the menu, I decided to order the grilled salmon salad to go. I haven't had a grilled salmon salad in over two months. Hmm...which restaurant had it better? A restaurant in Alameda by the estuary or Vault Cafe in Berkeley? It is the former over the latter. It was not only what food item I ordered, but other factors were taken into consideration; namely, ambiance, service and attitude. The grilled salmon salad was okay. I am not much of a purple onion fan in salads. I only prefer purple onion in a hamburger. Indeed I am a picky eater. LOL. Then I have to be careful with raw carrots (food allergy). Cooked carrots are fine. The salad dressing was tart and salty. It was not thick and creamy. (Watered down?) Service could have been better. Based on my observation, the man sitting near the kitchen had attitude. He did not want a family of four to use the restroom facility when they needed to go. He was rude. He insisted that they use the outdoor restrooms. Attitude leaves a lot to be desired. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Ambiance: comfortable and casual. Cafe is on the corner. There is plenty of natural sunlight coming through the plate glass windows.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Return visits: Might then might not. In my book, it is a hit and miss. Three star rating is what they are getting from me. read more

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This is my go-to spot! I live nearby, and every time I come, it never disappoints. The lady is super nice and always smiling. The food is consistently good, portions are big, and prices are very reasonable. The menu has a lot of options too. I didn't take a picture, but their blueberry smoothie is so good, I'd die for it! :) read more

Vault Cafe - Steak & Eggs, Chicken Pesto Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

Stopped in for a late brunch and was pleasantly surprised. [[HIGHLIGHT]]There was plenty of space to sit without feeling crowded.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Shared a chicken pesto sandwich, spicy penne with sautéed chicken and marinara, an omelette, and French toast, everything tasted fresh and well-seasoned. Service was friendly as well. Will come again next time I visit Berkeley!!! read more

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It was just before 2PM and we wanted breakfast. That's why we decided to grab a bite to eat here. Seems they are open until 3PM and they serve breakfast every day. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The inside dining area has many tables available and I can see them being busy during a brunch weekend in that neighborhood.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We ordered cinnamon French toast with banana, a side of bacon and eggs. We also ordered a bacon croissant egg sandwich. For beverages we ordered a chai latte with an espresso shot and a regular latte. The food came out hot and quickly. I do love a breakfast croissant sandwich. The bacon was cooked just the way I like and the yolk was perfectly runny. I didn't try the French toast but my friend ate it up. This place isn't a fancy brunch spot but it's a hangout and they have really good food options for breakfast every day. I'm definitely going to try to go to brunch here one weekend. read more

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I STILL LOVE Vault!!! This place deserves 10 stars. It's a grassroots family owned business - the service is excellent - the price point is amazing. You can consistently get breakfast. My dad and I drink decaf and we came in here after 1:30 PM today and they happily made us a pot. [[HIGHLIGHT]]My dad is 80 years old and he was thrilled that we were coming here for a late Father's Day celebration.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Your father would be too. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This is not a place for the self entitled, but it's a place for people really from the Bay Area. Or have been here long enough to know what's good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] We haven't been here in a long time because it's hard for my dad to get around to, but the way just knew exactly who we were, we just love it here. read more

I've got to give this place it's do. They make good food and coffee. My personal favorite is the tofu scramble with homefries. The dish is packed with vegetables [broccoli, spinach, zucchini] and it is bolstered with tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms, and onions. Their home fries are like no other with large succulent chunks of potato. The only drawback is the restaurant is understaffed and the server is often doing multiple jobs at once, making service almost nonexistent. I don't recommend eating there, but ordering take out has never gone poorly for me. read more

Had a number of great experiences there over the last two months. [[HIGHLIGHT]]It is a bit of a blue collar cafe--no frills, not bougie.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Great food and pricing IMO, and contrary to some other reviews I've had great service when I'm there. read more

A friend of mine and I came here during the Juneteenth celebration to get a couple of smoothies. Great location and the decor is nice. The service was excellent. I enjoyed the mango smoothie and my friend liked his strawberry banana. The food I saw going to other tables looked delicious. I'll definitely return to try other options. read more

Vault Cafe - Mango Smoothie - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We came in for breakfast on a Sunday. It was a very well-done diner breakfast which is exactly what we were looking for. Eggs, bacon and hashbrowns all done nicely. The OJ tasted fresh-squeezed and while we were there, a delivery of Semifreddi bread came in. Super high quality! When you walk in, there is a table with menus and it's not obvious whether you're supposed to seat yourself, order at the counter, or wait. During our breakfast, we saw everyone who came in wonder about it. A sign on the menu table saying, "Take a seat. We'll be with you shortly" would go a long way. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Next to "the vault" at the back of the dining room is a weird storage area they could clean up or block.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] If they took care of a few things, this could be a welcoming 5 star establishment. That said, we'll be back! read more

I just had breakfast at the vault and I enjoyed every single thing about it. The pancakes were generous you asked for blueberries in them. It was a generous, Heating and blueberries. I was able to substitute fruit instead of hashbrowns and it was fresh fruit, not fruit cocktail. And I had sausage and eggs and they were cooked perfectly. It's the only about my fourth trip to the vault, but I have been really happy every single time read more

Sorta an interesting place to eat. Right near the Bart tracks in South Berkeley. Also the menu is great for breakfast and lunch. Rarely did I get coffee here, but it was quality. Sometimes crowded on the weekends with limited places to sit. read more

The Reuben sandwich is very nice, and the side is very homemade potato salad. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The environment is really cool it's an ex bank.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]If you're in this neck of the wood is a pretty nice place to have a quiet meal.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Vault Cafe - Reuben sandwich with homemade potato salad. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

The Vault is a nice cafe that has nice service and good food. I ordered the Waffle combo. Relaxing cup of coffee with my dog. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Dog friendly.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]I have a small dog that sits by my side.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I like the Bault! read more

Perfect for fans of simple breakfasts! Enjoy scrambled eggs, toast, hash browns, fresh fruit, and orange juice--classic and satisfying. The service is equally straightforward and efficient. [[HIGHLIGHT]]This location offers plenty of space, making it an ideal spot for hosting a "diner" birthday party if you're a local![[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

Vault Cafe - Orange Juice and Fruit - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I mean.... It's not the best cafe but also not the worst. I ordered a zucchini and eggplant sandwich with provolone and a fruit salad on the side for lunch today. All of it was good, some flavor but nothing really to write home about to be honest. Nothing I tasted made me think I gotta get food from here again unfortunately. Good price point though so I guess if you're looking for something cheap, give this place a try! read more

Vault Cafe - Eggplant and Zucchini Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

Great food and a fun concept! The vault was actually open when we came, the things spin and click... it's actually a broom closet in there though so no need to look inside to break the illusion lol You go in, grab menus and seat yourself. It was quite busy for a Sunday so be prepared to be patient and know exactly what you're ordering when your time comes. They're pretty quick once they do finally take your order. Happy with what I ordered, the food was so good especially the hashbrowns, sausage and mocha latte. Excellent portion sizes. My friends French toast was yummy too, though we were surprised how much they gave one person! You'll be enjoying leftovers for a while. The croissant French toast creation wasn't great... kind of the risk you take when trying a new fusion. I expected it to be crispy or have some sort of of crunch but really it's just a flat pancake with a different type of batter. Either way, a great hidden spot to enjoy brunch or lunch with friends! read more

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I have enjoyed the breakfast there in the past but my last visit was alright at best.

Very good, attentive service. Quite a variety of cuisine on menu. Moderate prices. Good portions. I recommend the lox omelette with fresh fruit and/or their Jambalaya. read more

I wasnt sure how to rate this place. Oddly enough, I ordered breakfast because that's hard to mess up. I also ordered lunch in case they somehow messed up breakfast. Corned beef hash w/scrambled eggs and home potatoes. It was 100% out of a can. The potatoes and eggs were standard. This plate ran around $16. Pastrami on Rye w/potato salad. It was ok. Not good, not bad, just ok. Also around $16. A friend got something cajun or creole and said it was absolutely horrible. This place had a decent rating with customers but idk...plus there were some really less than savory patrons that made the experience awkward. I probably wouldn't go back. It wasn't for me. read more

PLEASE BE ADVISED: F-rated service Placing my order was a very difficult task with these servers. A lady yells out from behind the bar "find any table" as I walk into establishment. I sit down, after waiting 10 minutes (I'm the only person here, besides the couple next to me) I get greeted with a menu and she walks away from the table immediately. I open it, figure out my drinks and meal, closed the menu and needed to still wait to be served. Finally she arrives and ask "what you want to eat" I asked if I could order my drink 1st, she mentioned she would come back because I didn't speak quick enough for her. I didn't stay. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Not a good vibe or energy here...[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] Drinks may be good, service is horrible. Maybe DoorDash or Uber Eats? read more

Their food is generous and well made. I especially enjoy their hamburger with hash browns.

Wow, the service has REALLY fallen off, I mean seriously. And some of the food items were not nearly as good as they used to be. Hard to tell if they are trying to go out of business? read more

[[HIGHLIGHT]]Runny eggs, Jarring & noisy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]They use a cart to bus the tables. On the tile floor it's VERY noisy.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] [[HIGHLIGHT]]And it happened over and over while we were trying to have a conversation.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] The bus boy didn't wash his hands after handling dirty dishes before handling food items. Ugh! read more

We love this place! We try to come here at least once a week. [[HIGHLIGHT]]Love the family owned vibe[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] and the food is always great and comes out fast. read more

A breakfast steak that rivals IHOP in poor quality. Nothing special about anything else I had the service or anything else. The people in the back seem so bored that they look at you and speak to one another the entire time you're sitting there. [[HIGHLIGHT]]No thank you this used to be a very different place. That place is clearly gone.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] read more

My thoughts: This is a traditional classic All American restaurant that is been around the Berkley area through out the up and down of the economy. And any restaurant can survive the harsh business world is A OK in my book. Plus they do serve good American comfort food and maintain a reasonable price. Here is my scoring card for this restaurant: 1) Location: ( 4 Point ) - Great location for customer to see and find. Ok on parking for street parking. 2) Decoration : (2 Point) - They still have the original decoration. Clean but not up to date. 3) Price: ( 4 point)- The price is competitive but still a little bit pricey compare to other same stars and type food they serve 4) Quality and Taste : ( 4 point)- The quality is good, food taste is good and portions are good. 5) Type of cuisine standard : ( 4 point) - The style of comfort food they serve is pretty close to the way it was prepare in USA. Not bad! But some dishes did have slightly modify to cater the customer's need Overall it's not bad and I thinks it's great to give it a try and let me know what you think. Go foodies Total max is 25 Score 18 Stars = 72% round up to 3 stars read more

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I've been coming here my entire life, LITERALLY! Recently, the ownership has changed but everything is still the same compared to the original owner. Great place for weekend brunch! Some of the great menu items: -Eggs Benedict (Served on weekends only) -Blackened Chicken Salad -Pancake Combo -Grilled Chicken Sandwich Both indoor and outdoor seating. Wheelchair accessible, dog friendly and great for large groups. read more

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Just went today with my girlfriend, the service from the beginning to the end was terrible. Our waitress was rude and impatient and didn't give us a chance to finish out our orders. My gf was completely dissatisfied with her meal, she order the Spanish omelette and croissant French toast. The omelette she said. Tasted off like something may have spoiled. We shared the toast which tastes so strongly of egg and nothing else it was disgusting. [[HIGHLIGHT]]The whole energy for the place was pretty off though we tried to ignore it in favor of the food and even that wasn't good.[[ENDHIGHLIGHT]] I had the pancake combo which I enjoyed, when I went to pay I asked the lady to take the other items off because we'd only taken a bite out of each since we didn't like it, she agreed yet somehow I ended up with a $47 bill for $12 pancakes. We will never be returning and are severely disappointed. read more

Food looks different , service is bad, the family running the business looked stressed and my meal was bad had to wait long time it's quiet not like it used to be ambiance is bad read more

Looked this up because we needed a place to eat after an appointment. Got lucky with parking right out front, walked in, the place was huge and nearly empty. The first thing my boyfriend noticed was that it smelled like roach spray. Then that the walls were dirty. Still, we decided to sit down near the sunny window figuring it would be better there. We had just sat down and within two seconds a roach came running out from the condiments and into the full sun over his menu so we shot up and left in a hurry, making sure to shake off our coats outside just in case. If a roach is so brazen to come out in full sunlight, how many roaches are there in the kitchen, on the food, or in the walls? Terrifying. read more

Came here with some family within the last month. It was a Sunday, around lunch/early dinnertime. We had worked up some hunger helping a friend pack and decided to come here. The place is HUGE. It kind of made a bit uncomfortable with how large it was, very open concept style, but I soon came to like it when I figured out the history of the building and how they have the original Vault. It did take them forever to acknowledge us. Because of how large the space is, they kind of just let people sit wherever with no guidance or taking note of what waiter is helping what table and so I assume they thought we were kinda blending in with the other customers that had been sitting there for a while. We finally got someone's attention and they were so scrambled from being short staffed the waiter ended up throwing down forks and knives on the table. It was a bit shocking. Food wasn't anything to write home about, we were hungry. It was edible. Pretty much a meh experience. read more

Hit with the mid-morning hangries near the Oakland-Berkeley border, you might find yourself a little short on options to get satiated. Vault Cafe definitely gets the job done, but I can't say it's the trendiest or tastiest brunch place I've been to. Menu is pretty classic- omlettes, pancakes, burgers, and whatnot. I went with the two eggs any style with chicken apple sausage. I liked the sausage, don't get me wrong, but nothing really blew me away. And normally when I'm as hungry as I was, all food blows me away. I will say this though, I paid $20ish for two people and we both left very full, so you definitely get a good quantity for what you pay. Service was whatever. Waitress was cordial but didn't come by often. Our water never got refilled and we were never checked on after our food came. Not a huge deal, just know that you may have to flag someone down if you want more water. Other than that, timing of food was reasonable and all was well. If you're around these parts and you're hungry, this isn't at all a bad place to stop . Probably wouldn't go out of my way though. read more

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Decent prices & serving sizes. Very acceptable taste profiles. A go-to for me. Since I get my food delivered , I can't speak to ambiance's or table service b read more

First time trying the vault and the food was great. Great prices, great service and the place was busy which is a good sign. read more

Personally, I love breakfast places like this. You sit down and pick your own table which is nice having different options. This is the perfect mom and pop style diner that reminds me of nostalgic mornings with my family. I order their classic breakfast with eggs, sausages, toast, and hash browns. It's hard to find a good hearty American style breakfast these days and this cafe does it perfectly! The service is friendly and food comes out pretty fast. Also they serve a good house coffee! Definitely recommend this place! read more

This place serves hash browns! For some reason that is a hard thing to come by these days. Almost every place I got out to breakfast only does "home fries" or "country potatoes" I'm on a keto diet, and I said screw it, I gotta have these hash browns. I haven't seen them in ages. I also had a had and cheese omlette which was also great. Overall a very solid breakfast place. It was about half full when I got here on a Sunday morning. Food came fast no complaints. I'll definitely be back. read more

I've been in Berkeley for about 5 weeks in the last 3 months. The Vault Cafe has been my go-to place for breakfast and lunch most of that time. The food is delicious - breakfast, sandwiches, salads, burgers - it's all been fantastic. But the service - that's the star. Everyone who works here is friendly, efficient and doesn't forget a face. It's the neighborhood Cafe that everyone loves. read more

Vault Cafe - Restaurant - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Berkeley, California

Funky Berkeley cafe with comfy old library chairs and old worn tables. Very good American breakfast and lunch with big portions. Fruit on the side is a whole serving for example and the croissants are bigger than my fist. Big place with ample seating so getting a seat isn't hard. They are however understaffed so getting a server to take the order, bring coffee etc. can take a while. Don't go if you're in a rush! Staff is friendly tho and means well. If the service were more timely and we didn't have to beg for coffee refills then even with funky run down decor I'd go five stars. Food is worth the trip. read more