Guerilla Cafe — Restaurant in Berkeley

Ordered: eggs polenta and apple ricotta toast. Oat chai and Cuban coffee.

Food: the apple ricotta toast was delish. Perfectly toasted and an even layer of cheese and apple to balance the flavors. The Eggs polenta was ok, while the polenta was cooked well, creamy and slightly thick. The choice of toppings, in my opinion, overpowered the senses. The gorgonzola was far too pungent and thick, did not mix well with the sweet sauteed onions. And 2 halved calamata olives added too much salt to the dish when combined with the cheese. The egg was cooked perfectly over easy, so that upon breaking the yolk mixed in deliciously. My recommendation would be swap the gorgonzola for an herb goat cheese and mince the olives, better balance and even texture distribution.

The service: was great, our waiter was very kind and despite being backed up in the kitchen and the only one taking orders he checked in frequently. I -1 star due to the appearance that there were 2 waitstaff standing idly as a line formed.

Atmosphere: niche and...

Update: been coming here for years with no issue but now staff no longer care: to correct orders much less get them correct in the first place.

When I pointed out things missing in the order (which is identical to every prior visit), there was no offer to resolve.

They just pointed to the incorrect order in their computer. No offer to give me what I originally asked for. No apology.

What little they did bring out included no silverware with which to eat it.

The general vibe is now “we could not care less about your breakfast experience or correcting mistakes”: even for regulars.

It was a nice ritual every few weeks but I won’t be back.

Their fresh squeezed grapefruit juice is still outstanding but available for less at any decent grocery store.

Their poached eggs are great if you can find staff that can be bothered to take your...

I had lunch at the Cafe today with two friends. We met around 11 am because we heard the place was busy and noisy. My friends arrived first and ordered coffee, which didn't arrive until I arrived and ordered my own. No coffee for another 20 mins, and even that took speaking to a staffperson.

We ordered a simple lunch and waited, watching a party who arrived after us get served. Our salads arrived but it took another 20 minutes to get the third order.

I requested the check, fearing we might get stuck waiting for it. I paid with plastic on a laptop; the wait person asked if I wanted to tip. I explained why I did not. Later a second person came over to apologize and offer us a card for a free waffle.

The food and coffee were OK, but the service and chaos did not work for us. No one expected elegant dining, but this was...