Bleecker Bistro

Food is decent, service is terrible. My boyfriend had to repeat that he wanted onions on his burger three times and the cashier still decided to not acknowledge his request. His food came out not only without onions but without buns!!! When we asked where the ingredients were, the lady simply pointed at the receipt and told us the receipt didn’t say anything. It took ten minutes for them to «remake» the burger, and then his fries came out with a hair on top. Amazing.

I was not at all impressed with this place. It was overly crowded and hard to find a place to sit.
I ordered French toast which was not cooked all the way. Hence the 3 stars. My hubby ordered a sausage breakfast and he said it was good. My daughter ordered a bagel sandwich which she enjoyed. I also tried it and it was pretty bland.
It’s just really unorganized as far as how it is ran. People everywhere. You seat yourself and some of the tables weren’t cleaned up which made things more difficult.
I’m not sure I’d go back unless I was starving but there is other places for breakfast so I may just skip it next time.

So the problem I have with this place is that while the food is good, the service is not. I’ve been going here fairly regularly since I moved to Berkeley over a year ago, and I always expect it to be a little better. And unfortunately I’m slightly disappointed every time. This place is always uncomfortably crowded, and the service is always slow. I attempt to make call-​in orders in order to forgo the crowds and poor service, but their phone doesn’t work 50% of the time.
It really is the quality of food and the insanely low prices that keep bringing me back. Seriously, this is some of the cheapest food in Berkeley. I just really wish they would get their service up to par, or AT LEAST get their phone working properly!

What a pleasant surprise!
The first time I went to bleeker bistro (on my birthday actually haha), I had a very poor experience. To sum it up, my friend and I thought that the burrito and omelette we ordered simply tasted like dining common food… (Walk down the block for crossroads).
A friend suggested that we go to bleeker today, and I took the chance to try it again. The one thing I’ll always notice about bleeker is that it’s cheap, hangover food, and way too crowded.
That said, I tried to hangover omelette.
Pros:
Food was not bad. For the price point ($ 7), you get what you pay for. The omelette isn’t the best in your life but if fills you up completely.
The home fries were very crispy, much to my liking. I guess last time someone made it way too soggy.
Best part was probably price. I can make this stuff at home but for about $ 7, I don’t mind paying.
Cons:
Overhyped. Food isn’t the best you’ll ever have and I’m not sure why so many people come (guess it signals that everyone’s hungover)
Overall:
Try it once but If you want cheap breakfast, make it yourself and it’ll probably be better. Or better yet, there are other alternatives. Thar said, I don’t regret going! Definitely upped my experience.
Eat well and prosper!!!

Been here twice and I’m over it. Sure, the food is pretty cheap ($ 6 – 9 per plate), but you get what you pay for — greasy spoon standard fare. Plus, you come out smelling like greasy homefries for the rest of the day, and I’m just not a fan. The whole place has a sticky feeling like maple syrup was spilled and dried up all over the floor, tables, and seats. It’s not even a quick in and out place during brunch — expect to wait around 20 mins for your food to be prepared when it’s crowded. Place is pretty abandoned during non-​brunch hours.
– Fried chicken sandwich: batter was pretty bland; nothing much compared to Bakesale Betty
– Salmon burger: weird salmon patty (not the salmon fillet I was expecting)
– Omelette: quite oily
– Pancakes: actually not half bad
However, check it out for a light-​filled, corner location and the no-​frills nature of the food.

I shouldn’t have to wait 30 minutes in line, and then another 45 minutes for my food to come out when everyone else’s food is already out.
The wait is ridiculous. I told the lady in the front to check on my food twice and she just says «ok» and doesn’t even go check. Then I asked her for a third time, and just asked for a refund. Instead, she told me she would put the order in and get it out to me in 10 minutes. are you serious? You didn’t put my order in yet and I’ve been waiting for 45 minutes.
If you’re hungry, don’t expect to eat anything until over 1.5 hours later.

I always take my friends to this place when they come and visit me in Berkeley. It’s easy to win them over, too.
«Wanna get a plate of eggs, toast and potatoes for $ 5?»
They’re sold, and so am I. At least three times a month I come in, order the same thing (2 egg special, scrambled) and it never fails to hit the spot. It’s a very casual environment so I wouldn’t go in expecting a fancy brunch.
There are a few local homeless people who I see every time I go in, but anybody who lives in Berkeley knows that the homeless are far from worrisome. Yeah they might yell at you on the street but they don’t follow me home or touch me so it’s chill.

Solid brunch place near campus. Always packed on weekends during peak brunch hours. And the service can get pretty slow. I’ve had to wait nearly an hour for my food. Don’t come here if you’re in a rush. Defs come here if you have some time to spare and wanna catch up with friends or something. The conversations will make the time pass faster!
Food here is pretty good. I always get the western omelette. It’s a good size and I think it’s delicious. It also comes with a generous serving of home fries and some toast. There’s also apple butter they have on the side that goes great on the toast.
Price is cheap. My omelette was around $ 6 and nearly put me in a food coma afterwards.
A tip is to call lin your order if you don’t wanna wait that long and you still want your brunch food!

Bleeker Bistro is a spot that I’ve rooted for since my first visit! But my most recent visit around lunch time on Sunday changed my attitude.
It was crowded as always, so I scouted for an empty table while waiting in line. Luckily, my brother and I were able to sit comfortably at a table that opened up as soon as we ordered. Here’s where it gets sticky — I ordered a cappuccino… Which came out in a paper cup. Why is this an issue? First, because if I were to inadvertently squeeze the cup, everything would spill out. Second, the paper cup hardly protects your hand from the heat of the beverage. Lastly, who puts coffee in a solo paper cup meant for gargling listerine? I solved my first world problem by asking for a coffee mug in which I poured the beverage into.
Now to the meal! We ordered the Super Rising Sun: pancakes, eggs, and sausage/​bacon/​ham. I’ve always been in love with their pancakes, but this time it was dry and had an insufficient amount of butter. Once again, first world problem #2 was solved by a request for extra butter.
All in all, Bleeker seems to have lost its magic… Or maybe my infatuation for the atmosphere blinded me all along. I’ll be back next week, surely with another review of that experience.

On our now (seemingly) weekly pursuit for the best and brightest of Berkeley cuisine, da Binks brought me to this wholesome little joint this past Sunday as Binky has many a Berkeley friend who vouch for this classic, American dining establishment.
Binky and I both ordered coffee drinks as well as breakfast dishes — his was the «2 Eggs Special» while mine was the «2 Eggs & 3 Whole Wheat Pancakes». In regards to the coffee, I really am NOT at all picky about the caffeine that goes into my body MEANING I do not sit for hours musing over the «notes» of chocolate, honeydew, lavender, nougat, tobacco, lobster bisque, smoky barbecue, or grassy, grassy green trees in my coffee. Therefore, to me, the coffee tasted FINE indeed — the subtly unsubtle notes I detected from delicately swirling and swishing the coffee in my mouth tasted of coffee + sugar + milk WHICH really hit the spot. However, in my short time on this earth, I have been privileged enough to befriend more than one coffee «snob» in my life who might take pleasure in belittling my unpretentious cup of joe as «weak» or «watered-​down». Therefore, if you are such an individual who enjoys buying two hundred dollar coffee kettles in order to ensure the «delicate control» of your water pour, I besiege you to refrain from ordering the coffee at Bleeckers. Their coffee is most likely NOT for you.
Aside from the coffee, I do not know what prompted my momentarily lapse of judgement in ordering my dish as I actually do not enjoy eating pancakes very much. I have a secret, and rather unfortunate dream of one day aspiring to be one of the many tried and true American citizens who enjoy eating such a classic American comfort food — but alas, that day was not this day. I will say, however, that the pancakes were *good* for what they were. I’m impressed that these cakes were whole grain as I detected ZERO difference from these and their refined, white grain counterparts. The eggs were yummy, cooked exactly as I had ordered them (over easy). Binky’s HOME FRIES were bomb (although there is nary a fried potato that I wouldn’t happily stuff into my mouth with violent force). Overall, the food was pretty much to be expected from a standard, American dining experience.
The reason I took off two stars was for wait + environment. After Binky and I ordered our food, we were estimated for a forty minute wait. As good-​humored and forgiving as Binky and I try and try to be – that is simply much too long a wait for eggs and potatoes, I’M SORRY. The restaurant is over-​run with gregarious, young, bright-​eyed and bushy tailed college students, of which I am no longer one and therefore, I was rather overwhelmed by the sheer noise + people. The heat from the kitchen + the heat of young-​blooded college students == HOT HOT HOT and STUFFY (even though the weather was EASY, BREEZY, and BEAUTIFUL in Berkeley). MEH, as a certified grouchy old lady, I will probably not frequent this location again unless the herd simmers down. Food was good though.

Average breakfast-​diner food for cheap — this pretty much sums up Bleeker Bistro.
Generally the crowd consists of hungover undergrads and a few elderly people.
Omelets are pretty good and are served with home-​fries. The portions are VERY generous. You will most likely have left overs, unless you shared the meal with your friend.
Coffee drinks are watered down and not strong at all. Don’t get any espresso drink, it’s not worth it. A latte is $ 4 for a small glass. I would much rather go to Peets across the street and order a coffee drink from there.
So overall, while Bleeker Bistro’s strong suit is definitely not its espresso drinks, their huge portions of average-​tasting food for a cheap price is worth coming back for more.

PANCAKES AND POTATOES.
Pure heaven.
FOOD
I’ve only had breakfast here so my review is only to the extent of breakfast but WOW, the pancakes and potatoes, I’m telling you, I’ll keep coming back just for these.
Pancakes: SUPER fluffy, soft and moist inside. Slight crisp on the outside. They have a great aroma to them too. They’re perfection.
Potatoes: OMG I AM SO PICKY WHEN IT COMES TO POTATOES BUT THEY ALWAYS ALWAYS DO ‘EM RIGHT. They are super crispy and crunchy on the outside/​top and the potato itself is super fluffy and not dry at all. I’ve never loved breakfast potatoes that much until I had these. They’re a-​m-​a-​z-​i-​n-​g!
Didn’t find anything too special about the omelettes or eggs but the PANCAKES AND POTATOES are enough to keep me comig back. Friendly staff too but again you pick up your own food and bus your own table.

I would’ve loved to rate this higher because the food here isn’t necessarily bad, and the convenience of this location makes it a perfect go-​to and easy breakfast/​brunch spot for Cal students, but my last experience at Bleecker was very disappointing and I don’t think I’ll be going back any time soon.
It was Saturday morning and I decided to call in and pick up my order for the first time, since I know the place is usually full on weekend mornings and I didn’t want to wait in line or for a table. I called, told the woman my order, and she responded by repeating my order once and then saying, «Ok, bye.»
Um. What. I didn’t get the total for the order, how to pick up my order, or how to even pay for the order. I wasn’t even sure if my order was confirmed since all I got was Ok, bye. I was confused.
I called back, and didn’t get through for about 5 mins. Then someone else answered the phone and told me to come in 20 mins, and to just skip the line to pay/​pick up. I asked how much my total was and he said he couldn’t tell me because the order was being processed or something… Ok…
I went into the store, and waited around the front. The cashier, who I believe was the woman on the phone, was deliberately ignoring me. She kept calling the next customer in line and avoiding my eye contact when I was standing literally right in front of her. Finally, someone else called my order. It was on two plates and I had to ask for it to go (I said can I order for pick up over the phone, but honestly I didn’t think this was a big deal).
She then was about to hand me the bag of food. After this experience, not gonna lie, I was tempted to grab the bag and run but I told her that I didn’t pay.
FINALLY the cashier decides to acknowledge my existence and tells me my total.
I hand her over my card, and she tells me they’re only accepting cash.
…
She could’ve told me this on the phone, before I came to the restaurant with only card. There could’ve been a sign at the door, so customers didn’t have to wait in a long line before learning they couldn’t pay. I overheard her tell at least 3 other people they weren’t taking card. I don’t see how she didn’t think this would irritate customers, having to wait in a long line only to be told by a cashier to go to an ATM!
I went back to my apartment, got 20 bucks, came back, took my food, and left with a mental note not to go through with this ever again.
I hate leaving completely negative Unilocal reviews, so I must mention that the food was good. And the woman who handled my order (NOT the cashier), was nice and professional.
But sadly, I don’t plan on coming here anytime soon, and definitely won’t order by phone again. I wish there was a better option for brunch in the same convenient location. I think Bleecker needs to reevaluate how they handle the weekend brunch rush, because putting one cashier at the front counter to handle all transactions (when she clearly lets it be known she’s not happy about being there in the first place) is not good business practice, especially with a line going from the counter to the door.

Average café! Very crowded. You get your own water. The portions are big for a good price. The potatoes I had were good. Very crunchy, which I like. The only thing that was bad was the avocado in my friend’s sandwich. She said the avocado didn’t taste fresh, so that was the only problem. Besides that, our experience was good.