Sweet Leaf

Mr. Nacho is under the same ownership as Sweet Leaf– they just turned into a Mexican place.
Got a Nacho Supreme to go with steak– it’s pretty good! I was wary of nachos with rice (I’m not used to it) but it’s pretty yummy. A little pricey, paid just below $ 9. And the place kind of had a cigarette smell when I visited. Still, steak was good, portion size is great. I got the spicy orange sauce (salsa?)– it’s pretty hot good.
Will come back to try other menu options. 3.5 Stars if I had the option.

This place is aight. I’ve been here twice, once for coffee and another for food, but nothing here really is amazing.
My coffee experience here is meh. I got a cappuccino here the first time and they burned it, second time I got the chai latte and it tasted just like warm soy milk.
I also tried out the egg sandwich which contains egg, tomato and cheddar and Swiss cheese. They steam the egg which makes it really creamy and fluffy and really good! But they used old bread which really killed it):
Might go again to try out the salads but probably not for coffee or sandwiches.

Don’t let the «leaf» name fool you. They serve tea from twinnings teabags, using unfiltered water. If you’re looking for good tea, keep looking.

Came here for one thing only: SIMIT! Turkish bagel I heard so much about. Great! $ 2.50, but for $ 7 you get extra turkish feta, cream cheese, cucumbers, tomatoes, olives and very good turkish black tea.
It taste a lot like bagel, but little softer texture and covered with A LOT of sesame seeds.
Tried their sweet leaf salad, extremely fresh.
Service was outstanding, I felt like a family there, or like the best friend stopped by for a visit.
Outside sitting is nice.
Will definitely go back.

A great salad and sandwich place in Berkeley. They have fresh ingredients all the time for salad. They also start making Turkish sesame bread (simit) and serving a delicious breakfast plate with a cup of tea or coffee. Cozy place, a good customer service and free wifi !!! Check it out

I was really disappointed in my half Sweet Leaf salad. I was expecting high quality ingredients but instead, got old tomatoes (the skin was all wrinkly and they were warm), avocados that were browning with large black spots, and just a small portion of beans/​sprouts/​everything else. The salad didn’t even taste that great, and I found a DEAD FLY. It was small, but um.gross.
Additionally, when I ordered my salad, I ordered it without the egg and croutons (allergic). It came with both, but the guy working (GUY #1) was nice enough to ask if I wanted it remade since he made a mistake. I repeated my order and made sure to make a point of NO eggs or croutons. I come back, and my salad was remade by a different guy (GUY #2) and has an egg in it. I say (again) that I can’t eat eggs and GUY #2 just takes it off the salad and shoves the bowl at me, like he’s annoyed. I ended up removing everything the egg touched and being really careful. It turned out okay because I didn’t die or anything, but GUY #2 was just rude.
DO NOT RECOMMEND for people with allergies or food preferences (since cross-​contamination is off the charts). OR people who like customer service. Most likely won’t be returning. Too bad, because I wanted to try the other stuff.

Holy deliciousness. these cute Persian boys sure know how to make a mean tuna sandwich!
Reooowyummy!
I am not going to lie to you… that’s never been my style.
this was the most delicious, mouth wateringly good tuna sandwich I have ever had in all of my years here on Earth!
Promise, no lies.
The pastries looked great! But today was not the day to try. I’ve included a pic of the sany and a delectable looking chocolate cake for you to drool over tho.

Good food and good service. It’s not busy or crowded. I always see people studying here.
I like their sweet leaf salad. It’s pretty large and can feed two small people :) it’s full of beans and yummy things. Sadly sometimes their avocado is sub-​par but at least it comes with the salad.
This is pretty much my go-​to place especially when I want something healthy.

Okay, I apologize for my short review but I have only been here once. Here are my impressions:
The store is relatively small, just a counter on your right and maybe a few tables. Relatively small place. You most likely are not going to eat within the store. Seems to be a grab-​and-​go type of deal.
But if you want, they have small tables and some seating outside. The cool part is that when it rains, they put up this overhead-​kind of thing that protects you from the rain while you eat outside.
On the plus side, they have free Wi-​Fi!
What I got was the salad here and… Oh my god. It’s freaking huge. Like we are talking about a salad that rivals the amount that Intermezzo (Rest in Peace, We Miss You Dearly). To picture it: It was a regular sized plastic to-​go container and the guy even had to tape it down to close the container. The salad was slightly above average and the Orange Poppy dressing was good.
If you want a decent salad with an absurd amount, I would recommend this place.

Just an update that the sweet leaf salad is now $ 7.50, which comes out to about 8 bucks. I don’t know if I just eat a lot, but I can totally inhale a whole salad in one sitting. That being said, I like how they include an egg, a slice of bread and cantaloupe with the salad too. The orange poppy dressing is the only dressing worth getting; the rest are a bit too creamy/​plain for me.
I had high expectations, but another reviewer was right about how everything tastes «okay but not great.“Regardless, I’m still going back until I find other salad alternatives in Berkeley!

SO I have to preface this review by acknowledging the fact that whether or not this place would like to admit it, it is trying to fill the void that café intermezzo left, so the 2 stars is in comparison to café intermezzo.
Everything tasted okay but not GREAT. I got the sweet leaf salad (without eggs or croutons since I’m vegan). I went here when they first opened so it may have changed since then, but I wish they had red cabbage and carrot slices (not shreds) mixed in with the lettuce (like intermezzo did). I also wanted a low cal, low fat (or fat free) dressing similar to the awesome low cal veggie dressing that intermezzo had… they did not have such an option.
Lastly, and the thing that really made me give this place such few stars was the lack of variety for vegans. Especially the lack of a delicious tofu option. Intermezzo had a BOMB marinated tofu that I would always get added on to my salad since I had to omit the eggs and croutons. I crave that marinated tofu all the time, and this place doesn’t even offer a tofu option.
If they were to put out a tofu option that rivaled that of Intermezzo’s along with a low cal dressing, it would definitely make me a regular customer, but for now, I’m not going to make the trip here. Also get rid of the shredded carrots and add carrot slices… nobody likes shredded carrots.

My boyfriend absolutely loved their giant salad, and he’s a hard to impress guy! So good job on the salad. Keep the quality high and portions fair and you’ll be in business for a long time.
The guys working here are really nice and accommodating despite working on telegraph, so I will be back to give them more of my business.

I finally tried Sweet Leaf after reading reviews that it is a close substitute for Café Intermezzo, which burned down over a year ago. I had the Sweet Leaf salad, which came in an enormous bowl, stacked with avocado, garbanzo beans, carrots, sprouts, tomatoes, croutons, and a hard-​boiled egg. The vegetables were all fresh and the portions are beyond generous, but it just doesn’t match up to Intermezzo for me. The bread was also a disappointment as it was too hard to chew and didn’t have the thick, chewy texture I look for in my bread. You definitely get a bang for your buck with the salad because it was big enough to feed me for two meals! Sweet Leaf is a good lunch spot, but don’t come in expecting Intermezzo.

Let me preface this review by saying that nothing will ever take the place of Intermezzo in my heart. So I’ll try my hardest to not compare every single thing here to my favorite salad shop of all time.
Ambiance: Small and cozy restaurant down Telegraph. They have tables inside and outside, if you want to enjoy the weather outside which my friend and I were able to do this afternoon.
Food: I got the Sweet Leaf Salad (full for $ 7.50) with garbanzo beans, kidney beans, carrots, eggs, avocados (good portion of these!), sprouts, tomatoes, croutons, and dressing on the side or mixed in if you want. I went with the olive oil and vinegar which tasted great and they mixed in just enough without overpowering the salad. The salad also comes with a piece of fruit (honeydew melon) and a small slice of bread. My friend got the same salad but a half size and their chicken sandwich, which looked way too runny and messy too eat (she wasn’t a fan).
Verdict: Huge portion sizes in the salad for the price you pay so you can split the salad into two meals! But the salad really isn’t that great unfortunately. The flavors are not spectacular and it’s not something I would crave. But, I see myself coming back for a healthy options that are sometimes harder to find! Maybe I’ll try a different dressing next time to see if that makes a difference.

Sweet leaf is definitely one of the healthier options near campus, and I find myself getting a to-​go order from them frequently. They give a generous portion for the price, and the salad LOOKS delicious. That being said, the salads are too hard to eat, and honestly it’s nothing spectacular. Yes, they do squeeze in as much food as the to-​go box will hold (again, generous portions), but it’s just not convenient.
I still support Sweet Leaf, and will remain a loyal customer since I’m trying to be more health conscious. But quite frankly, the salads aren’t the best.

Huge salads.
This small restaurant has a small menu and a small space, but their salads are big enough for two meals. I tried the Sweet leaf salad and it was packed with sprouts, beans, croutons, a hard boiled egg, and more. You get your choice of dressing and you can add your choice of meat.
They unfortunately did not have a soup the day I visited, which is what I was craving. They also sell some sandwiches, pastries, and coffee.
It is hard to compete with their portion size for $ 6.50, so if you like salad, pay them a visit.

Yay for salad and donut as a dinner meal!
Atmosphere: Very small café next to a dingy, but cool bookstore I’ve yet to step foot in. Customers in and out during lunch and dinner times. It’s super cool how they savaged chairs and tables from their old store and are reusing them now! :)
Service: Servers are very sweet! I’m in love with the bread that comes with the salad so I asked for extra bread and he gave me some at no extra charge.
Food: — Sweet Leaf Salad with orange poppy dressing. SO GOOOD!!! The salad is massive! There’s avocado, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, croutons, shredded carrots, garbanzo beans, and more! For a small person, it could last more than one meal. For me… someone with a huge appetite… I can finish the whole thing with time. Hahaha~ The orange poppy dressing is creamy but not overly creamy like ranch. I usually hate creamy things but THIS DRESSING is DELICIOUS. It even comes with a slice of honeydew melon and thick slice of delicious whole grain bread!
— Get it with the Sweet Leaf peach tea from the fridge! It’s a sweet fruity refreshing drink that’ll leave a smile on your face. :)
— Donuts here are also yummy! I like how they name their donuts: donut, fancy donut, and extra fancy donut.
Price: $ 6.50 for salad.
Tip: — Sweet Leaf peach iced tea :)
— You cannot go wrong with the orange poppy dressing!
— Take-​out if your eating alone because this place is small so might as well eat it at home or at a park/​school/​with the birds
Conclusion: I could probably recreate this meal by myself at a cheaper price but it’s a convenient place to frequent whenever I’m deprived of food in my apartment. :P

Sweet Leaf occupies a former donut shop. they still had a few on hand along with muffins and some pastries.
the draw here is the salads. unfortunately, i wasn’t in a mood for salads, my loss.
will return some day to check out the fab salads.
eats: glazed & old fashioned donuts (1.25]
–not the melt in your mouth type
–more cake like, more firm
3.5 stars.

Sweet Leaf Salad with Poppyseed Dressing to go, with spicy tuna and chicken on the side.
THIS. IS. MY. JAM.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Berkleyans, Health-​Freaks, and Foodies alike,
Sweet Green is the proverbial ISH.
Suffice to say the salads are the size of an asteroid or small planet, the amount of food you get is incredible for the price.
FRESH
CRISPY
DELICIOUS
PROTEINY
BREADY
FRUITY
This review is all over the place but I don’t care.
Sweet Green is my go to spot for lunch whenever I’m in Berkeley. I alternate between Sweet Green, Suya, Brazil Café, Berkeley Espresso, and Urban Turban for healthy, delicious fare.
Sasha (owner) is mad legit as well and cares deeply about the quality of the food and his customers. Definitely check this new spot out; I guarantee you’ll be impressed.
ProTip #1: Napkins are on the wall.
ProTip #2: Salads, Sandwiches, Coffee/​Drinks, and Freshly Baked Muffins/​Donuts
ProTip #3: Salads come with a side of fresh bread and melon.

Hidden gem of Berkeley, a bit further down Telegraph!
Not gonna lie, it is basically an Intermezzo-​wannabe, from the monstrosity of the salads to the saran-​wrapped plastic boxes. Not complaining though, because the salads are so HUGE and delicious! I always order the Chef Salad with tuna, which has lettuce, mixed greens, carrots, tomatoes, garbanzo beans, black beans, avocado, alfalfa sprouts, egg, croutons… and it even comes with a slice of fruit (cantaloupe) and bread! Sadly, the wheat bread is disappointing and dry.
Only thing is that service is (a bit) slow. They really take their time making that salad, scooping each ingredient with painstaking deliberation.
I must say though, this place needs better marketing! It could really be MUCH more popular with the help of some fliers, word-​of-​mouth, and maybe a more aesthetically pleasing sign/​logo. But for now, it’s kinda nice that it doesn’t get crowded :)