The Berkeley Cafe

Dear Ms. Owner of the Berkeley Café, how do you stay in business with your prices so low???
I wonder about this question every time I step foot into this place. It’s one of the only places even remotely close to the Distillery where you won’t go bankrupt paying for your lunch. Hence why everyone in the ‘hood refers to it simply as Cheap Café.
If you’re looking for ambiance or something hip & trendy, this is not your spot. The café resembles… well… a high school cafeteria but that doesn’t take away from the rating here because there are just too many good aspects of this tiny little gem to let something like décor bring it down.
The food is always fresh, the owner is a lovely lady who mans the till (and has actually apologized for raising lunch special prices by $.25!) and there are Mon-​Fri specials offered for, get this, $ 4! Tuesdays are my fav with chicken and rice on the menu. With prices like this, I have to actually debate with myself over the benefits of packing a lunch.
Should you show up in the lunch rush, expect a line but not to worry, everyone knows what they want and the staff are efficient so the line moves super quick!
I’ve withheld the final star only because of the service hours. If you don’t get in there before 3pm, you’ll find the doors locked.

I love The Berkeley Café! For the many times I’ve been here, I have only ever had the Salmon Wrap because it is delicious! The wrap consists of a large piece of salmon, arugula, red onion, feta cheese, and tomatoes with sun-​dried tomato aioli. It comes with a soup or salad — I always get the daily soup, and although it is always delicious, I find the soups tend to be a little salty for my taste. (But keep in mind, I am super picky about eating soups from restaurants as I am iffy about sodium content.) All this for — I think — $ 9? Totally worth it; definitely the best deal for lunch around.
The space is small though, so try to come here before or after the lunch hour rush. Or get your food to go! When it’s nice out, there is a small patio open, which is nice. The waitresses here are super friendly :)
When you eat here, you leave feeling good, not fat or bloated, which is a huge plus when you have to get through another half day of work.

This place is awesome! They have been in the hood for as long as i can remember. The owner and her daughter are seriously cool… to be honest im kinda of jealous wish she was my mom !!! Also they hire total babes that are down to earth.
The food is always on par. My favourite sandwich is the vegetarian option with avocados etc on a baguette. Love their Salmon Nicoise.
It opens early and closes early so make sure you get there before 3pm.

I had a delicious grilled chicken sandwich (avacado, brie, tomatoes) today with a cappuccino for lunch. The sandwich was really good, the cappuccino was veering on the bitter side with less aroma than expected, but the atmosphere here is definitely one of the greatest draws for the place.
This teeny tiny places has two red curtains the hides the place as you walk in the door, making you feel like you’re walking into some kind of stage. Inside is small, cute, and cozy, perhaps fitting no more than 10 – 12 patrons at a time. A lot of people come to get things to go. We arrived at 11:50am and there were only one other table occupied. As we approached 12:30, the place became packed.
Price-​wise, the place isn’t cheap. 8 – 9 dollars for a sandwich. I did have an enjoyable time here and it’s definitely a great place for people who work in the area to stop by for lunch.

Gearing up for our annual event finds me on the corner of Berkeley & Queen again this spring and so we dash into the Berkeley Café for a bite of lunch and some respite from a long morning of meetings. My affection factor the BC has jumped a star and I’ve decided that as small and limited in their hours, this is jus