Oceanview To Go — Restaurant in Berkeley

It was yesterday morning when my daughter asked me where I wanted to go for breakfast. After naming a few places, my daughter asked if I was interested in going to Fourth Street in Berkeley. I replied that that was a fabulous idea. As soon as we arrived on Fourth Street, we were thrilled to find a parking space a few steps from Oceanview To Go.

The place was packed. My daughter immediately registered us. It was going to be about a 20-minute wait. Twenty minutes later, the server approached and asked us if we would like to be seated at the counter or at a booth, in which case there would be an additional 10-minute wait. We, of course, opted to be seated at the counter, and that turned out to be an amazing experience because while we were waiting for our food to be prepared, we had a full view of the kitchen area and watched the entire scene of the execution from beginning to end of the diner chefs in action in preparing food for a full house of hungry customers, and for the servers to double-check the order before picking up the plates to deliver them to the customers in the booths.

While being entertained and taking photos, our server brought us our food. My daughter ordered the omelet with a side order of beans, and I ordered the pasilla-chicken sandwich. My daughter was a happy camper with her order, and so was I with mine.

There was an interesting dish that the chef prepared, of which I wasn't able to take a photo, unfortunately. We were puzzled by what the dish was; it had the circumference of a whole pie or cake. Perhaps on our next visit, we might order it and take a photo of it if my daughter's friends join us for lunch since it would be too huge for two people to consume it.

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This is a To-Go lunch spot adjacent to the Oceanview Diner. It's basically an entire separate restaurant with a different kitchen. You can get a satisfying meal for ~$10 and a good snack for $5. They do a few things really well. All the prepared dishes from the glass case I've tried have been great. Some staples include lentils & feta, chicken salad, potato salad, and there's always a daily special that's been tasty every time I've tried it. You can also combo the mixed greens salad (+ tomatoes, pickled red onion, and dressing) with one of the prepared dishes, which makes for a light and fresh lunch. The middle eastern combo (hummus, greens, pita, dolmas, veggies) is a lot of food and a good deal; the empanadas are great for a snack, and you get some fresh homemade chimichurri with them. The "burrito" is kind of funny (you get two little burritos) but it's cheap and tasty. Tuna toast is a good snack as well. Last but not least, the baked goods are bomb. As I understand it, they have a few different bakers who come in and contribute to the pastry case. All the cookies and cakes I've had have been delicious. The lemon pistachio shortbread, brown sugar shortbread, lemon cake all transport me to a childhood I didn't know I had. All in all, the output of this place is truly impressive. There are so many different little elements to the lunch offerings, and everything appears to be homemade, even the pickles! I don't know how they manage it and run a full-on diner next door, but I'm grateful for it. It's got a locals-only vibe and can be pretty hectic at the lunch rush, but that shouldn't deter you. Also, you don't necessarily have to take it "to-go"; there's two high tops inside and some...

I can only comment on the one item I purchased here, the "medialuna" which was a huge disappointment. Medialunas, the Argentine croissant like pastry is buttery, soft, sweet and gooey. This was a dry piece of half-moon shaped bread w glaze. I threw it away. I would love to have real medialunas in the city, they remind me of Buenos Aires, but this was not it. I recommend changing the name so customers aren't disappointed. I paid $5 for it only to toss it in the trash. :/.

I'm sure other items are great, the restaurant was packed w happy customers but this articular dish needs a revamp, a rename or to be...