Vegan
American
International
Organic
Juice bar
Beer/Wine
Take-out
Breakfast
Berkeley vegan restaurant serving contemporary vegetarian cuisine for breakfast, lunch, and dinner everyday. Wide range of offerings from fresh squeeze juices and pancakes to sandwiches, salads, main entrees, and cocktails. Casual, modern decor. There are 2 more locations in San Francisco city. CONFIRMED CLOSED, AUG 2016.
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2451 Shattuck Ave (at Haste), Berkeley, California, USA, 94704
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Last update on 18 Aug 2016 by Guest
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Added by JohnnySensible on 01 Aug 2007
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49 Reviews
First Review by brianedwardgreen
SonjaCPA
Points +5270
large menu - Edit
While on a weekend trip, my friends and I ate here twice, once for dinner and then again for brunch. For dinner, we sat at the counter/bar. I got the pesto ravioli and my friends got the ramen soup and quesadilla. We also got cocktails to go with them. The ravioli was good, but my friend's soup was served room temperature, so they had to microwave it for her. For brunch, we got the front corner booth by the window. We ordered a carafe of mimosas to go with our entrees which were savory crepes, Indonesian noodles and nachos with a French toast side. It was all good, but not spectacular. The service was much better for brunch too. The menu is really large and covers lots of different types, so it's a good solid place to go if everyone wants something different.
Read morePros: large menu, nice atmosphere
Guest
VeganVentures
Points +92
Pleasantly Surprised! - Edit
I love the 50's theme going on with the outside of the building. Yet the inside was modern and minimal. Lot's of natural lighting and very spacious.
Read moreThe menu options are great, so many categories to choose from and the prices are even better! My boyfriend and I both ate for under $20 and ordered full meals.
I had the shawarma with a side of roasted potatoes and my boyfriend had a burrito and salad. The food tasted great and I wouldn't change one thing about it.
We had a great waiter, service was both prompt and friendly. Based on price, quality of food, options and service. This has been my favorite location in the bay area so far.
My boyfriend and I travel all around the world looking for vegan restaurants. We go to 1-2 places a day and will be in the bay area a few more weeks. During our time here, we have been to 10-15 Vegan only locations, Herbivore has made it's way to the top of our list for the bay area.
Simply Amazing!
Pros: Prices, Portions, Options
Guest
celestialcisneros17
Points +24
Maybe if the staff were vegan, they would be more open to considering warm hospitality. - Edit
4 other friends and I went to this joint to eat and happened to make it 17 minutes before closing. Once there, they told us they weren't serving anyone. Seriously? There's no service higher than service to others. That staff is lazy and inconsiderate. I'd rather eat anywhere else anyways. A lot of good friends tell me they mess up on orders a lot and aren't the most polite.
Read morePros: Can't say
Cons: No service = no stars
Guest
Julianabanana
Points +46
Delicious vegan cuisine - Edit
I come here quite often and everything that I have ordered has been absolutely delicious! My favorites are the Raw Kale Salad, the Green Salad, and the Shawarma wrap. They also serve some excellent nachos and milkshakes! They have a huge menu so there are lots of appetizers, entrees, and desserts to choose from. The only downside is the service can be very hit and miss.
Read morePros: lots of selections
Cons: alright customer service
Guest
eeleener
Points +25
take me here please - Edit
My sister took me here once to eat with her friends and I can't wait to go back again for my birthday soon! The wrap I got last time was something I've never had before - uniquely delicious.
Read moreGuest
vegan_ryan
Points +3869
Good but not impressive - Edit
The food is good, but I didn't think it lived up to the hype I've heard from so many people. It wasn't bad, just over-hyped.
Read morePros: All vegan
Guest
KerryLydon
Points +82
great food, but maybe too much choice! - Edit
Visited Herbivore with friends. It's in a lovely art deco building and the service is very friendly. The menu is vast, ranging from Mexican to Italian via Chinese. It took me a long time to decide what to have. We all enjoyed our food but sadly didn't have room for dessert. The carrot and dinger juice was delicious as was the pear martini. I'll certainly be back.
Read moreGuest
Laudi
Points +366
Nothing special, but totally fine - Edit
Had a scrumble for breatkfast which tasted very good. Also, the staff was nice and basically there's nothing to complain about except for the fact that the choices are pretty boring and the food is fast-food style.
Read morePros: Good breatkfast, Nice staff
Cons: "Cold" atmosphere, fast-food style, boring choices
Guest
PAL
Points +71
Still not working for me - Edit
My husband & I hadn't been to Herbivore for some years. We mostly got tired of the rude service, given the prices. But since his parents wanted to take us out for my birthday, & Bkly is closer than Oakland, we decided it was time to give Herbivore one more chance. Unfortunately, my opinion remains the same. It was around 6pm, so the sun was shining blindingly on most of the available tables. I asked the waitress if we could push together two of the two-person tables over by the wall, where it was a bit shadier, & two people could sit on the banquette (I thought it would be more comfortable for the in-laws, in their 80s). The waitress looked annoyed look, but finally said "Well, okay, since it's not busy right now." This seemed unnecessarily rude and unhelpful. How is it any different for 4 people to sit at two 2-person tables, than for 4 people to sit at one square 4-person table? The parents didn't want to "be a bother" so we ended up at a square table in the middle. Those uncomfortable chairs are almost impossible to pull in, on that floor. The meal was just okay; hard to find anything on the menu that didn't include kale in some form. I had lasagne; the flavor was nice, but the thing appeared very overcooked. My husband & his mother both had ravioli. They don't really give you a lot of those, for the price. We all had side salads that came with the entrees; my husband's father had a dinner salad as his whole meal; salad dressing was almost undetectable - the men both asked for more. There were no leftovers. My husband & I are not big-portion eaters, & we're used to eating at vegan places where there is a lot more food for less money; for the same price at an Asian veg restaurant, two of us can always eat till satisfied, & still have enough leftovers for another dinner for two. I also had the house-made ginger ale; flavor was okay, but the glass was so full of ice, that as soon as it quickly melted, there was only half a glass of actual beverage, which was, of course, diluted with melted ice. The waitress made a point of bringing the dessert menus, but those prices were ridiculous - like $7 or $8 for a slice of cake. We stopped by WholeFoods on the way home; got 4 big slices of cake there for $14. Herbivore also had jazz playing in the background, but as I observed at the time, at least the place was so noisy, it mostly drowned it out. We decided we didn't ever need to go there again, since it wasn't any better than we remembered, in any way.
Read morePros: if you're in Bkly, it's fairly nearby, great for people into kale
Cons: small portions, some rude staff, kale in or with almost everything
Guest
DWNPhoto
Points +387
Ate way too much - Edit
We were sent here by some friends on the other side of the bay. Wanted to spend the morning at Grizzly Peak anyway, so it was a great start to the day.
Read moreBased on their recommendation we had the french toast breakfast combo, blueberry cornbread, tempeh bacon, buffalo bites, and I ordered their Grilled Chicken Shawarma. If that sounds like too much for two people... you would be correct.
The star by FAR was the Shawarma. Oh my. French toast was also excellent. The tofu scramble was a little mushy for my taste, and the tempeh bacon was so-so.
Get the Shawarma and don't turn back. Order three.
Pros: The wrap was out of this world.
Cons: Other food was so-so
Guest
corinal
Points +1738
Loved it again! - Edit
After having lunch at the San Francisco location, we went to the Berkeley location for breakfast and also loved it. We loved the scrambled tofu and red pepper sauce on the savory crepes. The blueberry cornbread was also good. Too bad their wifi did not work while we were there, but the servers were helpful.
Read morePros: Prices, Nice, open atmosphere, Friendly service
Cons: Wifi didn't work
Guest
ScienceGuy
Points +45
Garbage salad - Edit
I went here for about a decade pretty regularly. I frequently cut them slack for having very variable service, several crappy dishes, and other weird practices. Not a classy place. (Don't be surprised to find things like lemon wedges just laying on the floor.) Anyway, one morning, I got the salad and pulled a big piece of soggy cardboard out of my mouth. They wouldn't even comp our whole meal... just mine. I asked to talk to management and they said I could e-mail the guy who owns all the Herbivores if I had a problem. Not going back after being a very loyal customer for over 10 years.
Read morePros: vegan, serves alcohol, some of wait staff is nice
Cons: some dishes are awful, garbage in food, terribly managed place
Guest
Pete- old energy
Points +57
Surprising - Edit
The food, not the ambiance or the service, is what makes Herbivore a worthwhile stop. Twice I have eaten there in the past 6 months, once for lunch, and other for dinner. Both menus are extensive, and the results that I have tasted have been excellent. Do not over order- the portions are generous and filling.
Read moreRegarding the service, for lunch it was carelessly written down with a couple of errors. The dinner server did a fine job and her personality was exactly lively and informative enough to fit our needs.
The restaurant needs an overhaul, but I guess with the amazingly low prices one should not complain. The location is not in the richer part of Berkeley, and so making it more expensive would clearly hurt business. Perhaps they should open another place in North Berkeley and make it more elaborate, and with just a bit more care about presentation.
Pros: Excellent Food, Mostly friendly staff, Wonderfully low prices
Cons: Appearance is very plain, Regular staff performance
Guest
Vegger123
Points +68
Best of the trip - Edit
The atmosphere was great, the service was great, food came out on time, and it tasted delicious.
Read moreGuest
FoodAndLoathing
Points +294
Nice vegan diner - Edit
I like Herbivore because it's decent and not overly expensive and although it's not pushing any boundaries, it's a good quality vegan diner. I've been known to kill time here, drinking pomegranate ice cream floats waiting for time to pass at the bar with a book. Every time I go in here, I run into someone I know because all the vegans know each other (kinda sad, huh?). If you want a nice sammy and some salad or other standard fare, this is a good place. I like their charbroiled veggies. I like their potato salad. I like to grab a bite here now and then.
Read moreI think they need better coffee, though.
Pros: diner food, decent, reasonable prices
Cons: coffee isn't great
Guest
WellMorrell
Points +42
Herbivore - Berkeley - Edit
The best! I had the grilled veggie sandwich on Acme bread, with sides of roasted potatoes and salad. Every bite was delicious. My husband had the Indian Wrap, which was also terrific. We couldn't resist finishing up with a Coconut Bliss chocolate shake. Our server was very helpful and when he didn't know the answer to a question about an ingredient, he promptly went to find out. All in all, a wonderful dining experience! If I lived here, I would eat at Herbivore regularly.
Read morePros: Delicious Food, Helpful Staff, Nice Ambience
Guest
Seahorsea
Points +132
Solid vegan breakfast - Edit
I avoided Herbivore for a few years, based on their mixed reviews. Finally, I was in Berkeley, with my non-veg dad, and I finally had to try the place.
Read moreWe had a very pleasant dining experience. Our waitress was pretty attentive, and our food was really quite lovely. Straight-forward vegan diner breakfast. I had the crepes with pesto sauce, and they did not skimp on the sauce, which earns lots of points! My dad was also very pleased with his tofu veggie scramble.
I wouldn't call this food innovative, gourmet, or mind-blowing.
But I would call it healthy, delicious, filling, and perfect for breakfast for a day in Berkeley. I ate every bite on my plate and it kept me full all day.
I am not scared of Herbivore anymore...I would go back!
Pros: decent portions, good people watching, good breakfast
Guest
evea
Points +48
Hecka Solid - Edit
I really enjoy Herbivore. It's a very nice environment to eat in with the big windows. I've had the Fajitas, Swarma wrap, the quinoa cake, the Indonesian salad and the combo breakfast. All of them tasted great and I never left a scrap on my plate. There's nothing unexpected or super creative - it's your typical café food done vegan style. The service is fast. It's nice to see a 100% vegan restaurant so popular with lots of regulars. They also allow some animal rights literature there which is AWESOME (Walk the talk! Souly Vegan also allows this). I come here regularly for a meal I can count on.
Read morePros: Solid timeless dishes done vegan, Nice environment for sit-down, Good fast service
Cons: Not hyper creative, but who cares
Guest
elme1890
Points +20
A vegan diner, what more could you ask for? - Edit
Herbivore is a very unique experience. I have been vegan for a couple years and I have to say that I have always missed the diner experience. Whether it is ordering a giant breakfast or comfort food for dinner, herbivore has a certain sense of nostalgia to it.
Read moreOn to the food. Herbivore is very creative, and for any vegan out there who hates going to a restaurant and having only a few items to choose from, herbove gives you a gigantic menu to choose from. The first night we were there, I had a meatball sandwich, and my wife had a shawarma wrap. They were both tasty, not necessarily perfect but definitely hit the spot. Their potato salad that it came with was delicious and fresh. Our second trip was for breakfast and we were blown away. We had the western tofu scramble and french toast. I highly recommend coming for breakfast.
Despite the occasional negative review we had a great couple meals at herbivore. We came at off times so perhaps it gets a bit too busy here and there. Despite this, you can tell that Herbivore is a restaurant that tries hard and delivers tasty and good quality food to its customers. Will return again
Pros: tasty food, large quantities, massive menu
Cons: food isn't the best in berkeley
Guest
rwalker
Points +134
Sad Service - Edit
We chose Herbivore because of a friend's recommendation. The restaurant was filthy. We were one of only a few customers when we arrived. The service was awful. The employees seemed annoyed that we were there. The food was just ok.
Read morePros: Vegan, Location
Cons: Service, Staff, Food
Guest
m@earthville
Points +9950
Delicious - Edit
We've had many meals at the original San Francisco location, but just had our first two at the Berkeley branch. We found the food to be the same and the atmosphere to be preferable here — less crowded and more relaxed and conducive to conversation.
Read moreThe shwarma is good, as ever, as are the fresh juices. The nachos (with homemade cashew "cheese") are among the best vegan nachos we've had. Good soup, too.
The service we received was mixed. The server on our first visit might be best described as being just on the agreeable side of indifferent, but he got the job done and we enjoyed our meal. By contrast, the server on our second visit was very warm and attentive.
Updated from previous review on Tuesday January 21, 2014
Pros: varied menu, good flavors, fresh juices, quieter atmosphere than the SF location, all vegan
Cons: service inconsistent
Guest
Lily925
Points +129
I'm in love - Edit
We had the pesto pizza and it was wonderful. We came here after having a disappointing meal at Cha Ya so we didn't get to try alot. If the rest is as good as this we are in for a treat when we return to try other items off of the huge menu.
Read morePros: excellent food, large menu, friendly, great value
Cons: none this time around
Guest
calivegan46
Points +104
Absolutely delicious! - Edit
Whenever I am in Berkeley I have to eat here. The food is so flavorful and the restaurant has a nice vibe. There are so many dishes to choose from. Most recently I ordered the lemongrass noodles and I couldn't imagine it to be better. My only disappointment is that I wish they had a location in LA!
Read moreGuest
Sekhmet
Points +31
ok..i guess.. - Edit
I got the cheese steak and their 'fried potatoes' ? The cheese steak i could've easily made at home for way cheaper. The fried potatoes were cold, dry, and grease laden, just kinda yucky, i would've probably left most of them, but i was starving, and my sandwich was on the very small side.
Read moreMy husband ordered a bowl of curry ramen soup with beef tips added for an extra $1.00 and they brought out a big bowl that was only half way filled with soup... ? I knew I should have gotten the lentil loaf with mashed potatoes instead, but the price scared me away seeing as we were there for lunch, and i didn't feel like spending the extra $$ on it.
However if i decide to return, I will go to the one in SF , and i will get an entree instead of a sandwich. I dont know maybe it will be better, I hate spending hard earned money on food that's just okay. Waitress was nice, Drink order took a while. We finished our meals, then our drinks finally arrived after the plates were cleared away.
Pros: Vegan friendly, lots of choices, fresh juices
Cons: a bit pricey , fried potatoes , my portion was small
Guest
veganjess86
Points +499
best vegan place in berkeley - Edit
They have a huge menu with something for everyone, salads, sandwiches, mexican, and an awesome brunch! Totally reasonable prices, delicious food, and a full bar!
Read moreGuest
JohnKeith
Points +145
From one extreme to the other... - Edit
We stopped in on Friday night (Oct 19) and had an incredible dining experience. Great food, great service. Reminded me of the Michelin 3 diamond awards which means the restaurant is worth making a special trip to visit. We returned the following Saturday afternoon (Oct 27) hoping for a repeat experience, and wondered if we were in the same place. The waitress who had provided the amazing service a week ago, was bossy, authoritative and prickly, as well as providing the bare minimum of service. Oh well, we thought, there will still be amazing food. Well, we WERE amazed. Although one of our items was still delicious, the rest were barely okay. When we paid the bill, we were asked how things were, and we recounted our experience. We got a brusque "Sorry" and he went on to the next customer. We left feeling a bit like the restaurant had a split personality disorder. After reading some of the other reviews, I can see we weren't the only ones. Well, on to the ratings. 5 cows for the first visit, 1 for the second, works out to an average of 3 cows. Should we go back? Still undecided.
Read morePros: Good food if you are lucky, Good servuce if you are lucky
Cons: Bad food if you are not , Bad service if you are not
Guest
sandykaren
Points +388
Can't rave enough about the shawarma - Edit
Upon the recommendation of the waitress, I had the "Chicken" Shawarma and it was amazing. It was a huge portion and also came with a side salad that was good, so I would say at $9, it was a pretty good value. Even my non-vegan friend thought it was wonderful. He had the spaghetti and meatballs which were just okay, but he's dying to return so he can get the Shawarma. The menu is varied and looks really good. I'll definitely return to try some of the other things. There were only two waitress and it looked like a few people left in a huff when they didn't get acknowledged. Our service was not bad, but they definitely need to hire more staff.
Read morePros: Great shawarma, Variety, good value
Cons: not enough wait staff
Guest
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