Berits & Brown

I’ve been coming to Berits & Brown once a week or so for about the past year and in all that time I’ve only ever purchased one type of sandwich, so consider this more a review of the sandwich than of the place in general.
Berits & Brown do hands down the best of Glasgow’s purported Reuben sandwiches: lots of thinly sliced salt beef stacked between slices of toasted brown bread (I’m told white is also an option) garnished with saurkraut, swiss cheese and something I doubt is an authentic Russian dressing but which is much closer than anything else round these parts.
I should add that I’ve actually also tried some soup and a coffee in here, neither of which set me alight but were wholly passable though not good enough to encourage me to try them again when there’s better in the neighbourhood.
That sandwich, though.

I will admit to initially balking at the price for scrambled eggs on toast. I mean… £7.89 for such a simple-​sounding dish seems like highway robbery, right? An additional 50p splurge to upgrade from plain toast to a bagel almost didn’t require thinking about, because when you’re already paying that much for roughly half a Full English, why the hell not?
It wasn’t until my meal arrived that I began to get an inkling as to why the food at Berits & Brown is so stupidly expensive. These portions are not for mortals. They’re meant for gods. Gods of gluttony.
Piled high on top of chewy, crusty sliced bagel was a veritable mountain of steaming, fluffy scrambled eggs. Buried beneath that golden pillar of protein were thin slices of mouthwateringly savoury ham. I couldn’t tell you why it’s called ‘Blacky ham’ to save my life, but it sure added a beautiful flavour to the dish.
Though I was legitimately full after half of my breakfast, I couldn’t bear to waste the rest — especially considering how much I’d paid for it, so I powered through. Needless to say, I wasn’t hungry until many hours later, and ended up only having breakfast and dinner that day due to the heavy workload I gave my digestive system in the morning.
I still can’t completely justify the pricing on the food or drink (I don’t even pay £2.50 for an americano in London!), I would heartily suggest popping by for a massive breakfast to kick start your morning, and go with a friend that you don’t mind sharing with.

It was my birthday, I remember having a good experience last time but… food was, hmmm well average, my poached egg was over done. Coffee was very average, not difficult to do decent coffee these days and the service was well poor. Waiting staff that keep you waiting, avoid eye contact and generally don’t care that you are there. I think I will go else where next time. Shame.

Strange one this. I live very close by but have hardly ever been in here. Any time I have been in I’ve been fairly surprised by what’s on sale here. Not just sandwiches, but some interesting chocolates, teas, preserves and quite a large wine selection for a deli.
There’s a decent meal deal here, £3.00 for a roll or panini from the cooler plus a bag of crisps and a bottle of water or juice. Not bad value eh? Or you could opt for a freshly made sammich. I just had a Reuben (£5.50) and it was very good, even with the pickles, which every one should know is the second most evil vegetable in the entire universe, second only to celery which will be exterminated in the new Wigglonian Empire.
I haven’t experienced the slow service or rudeness that some have in the past. In fact I found the folks quite pleasant. It does have a slight ‘hipster’ vibe about it, but don’t let that put you off. It is only slight, and now that it’s been tagged with that moniker, the hipsters will find some other cool venue that us regular Joes won’t have discovered yet.

I’m kinda surprised it’s taken me this long to review this place and to be entirely honest, I’m not sure if this is really a great way to do so. Push on boy, push on.
Right, so I popped in here for a wee takeaway coffee the other day when I was down at the Merchant Square market. I’d passed by the joint on many occasions and had always thought ‘oooooh, get you Mr Fancy Pants’ and walked on. Nowadays though, this place ticks more boxes in my brain than it used to. Aye it looks like it filters under the ‘organic, free-​range, fair trade’ section on Unilocal,but screw it, I kinda like all that stuff sometimes.
What is hard to ignore about this place is that it always appears to have customers filling it up, which can only be a good sign eh? Today was no different as Farquhar and Jemima enjoyed a lovely al fresco brekkie in the dullish Glasgow morn.
Food wise? Cannie comment, but tbh I’m kinda inclined to make a visit to check it out. Coffee wise, aye, not bad. Tasted better (looking at you Artisan Roast) but then again tasted worse (looking at quite alot of folks just now).
So yeah, a distinct ‘hmmmm, not sure’ just now for me. I like the feel. I reckon I could whip out my laptop, put on my geek glasses and order myself a skinny latte without getting a second glance in this joint. In fact the only person giving me ‘arsehole’ looks, would be my reflection.

With many things, there is always room for improvement.
The boyfriend and I were introduced to Berits & Brown by couple of friends whom we had a brunch date with before we had moved to Glasgow. Our first experience was over a year ago, and I could remember enjoying nearly every aspect of the experience… except the service was hella slow. Since then, Berits & Brown continued to be our standby anytime I was meeting the bf or friends for a coffee/​tea after I was done with a full day of lectures at Strathclyde. The food is always fresh, and pretty tasty. There’s also a varied selection of gourmet groceries along the wall. Overall Berits & Brown provides a cosy clean atmosphere. My only gripe with the place is the service. Despite the sloooowww service, I’ll still come back because of it’s proximity to uni, variety of teas, and fresh foods. Plus, I don’t feel like I’m betraying my waistline when I eat here.

Berits & Brown is a lovely little deli, café and coffee shop in Glasgow’s Merchant City, where I was drawn into today by the promise of hot coffee and cake. After a long day of shopping, my friend and I decided to pop in here for a mid afternoon perk up, which we received from some lovely strong hazelnut lattes. Unable to resist, I also had a nice big slice of Victoria sponge, which was served with strawberry and cream. Absolutely delicious.
At £3 per slice of cake, this place may be a little extravagant, especially if you decide to push the boat out and go for their shared deli platter at a whopping £23.99! However I do like the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of this place, whether you’re perched by the window sipping coffee, or browsing the deli counter and wine selection. A lovely little place where I would lunch every day if I was able.

It was bloody freezing today! Before the snot from my nose froze and stuck to my face, I needed to dive into the nearest warm coffee shop if I was ever going to be in with the chance of making it home in one piece.
Berits & Brown was the nearest and most comfortable joint we could see and so popped in for some tea and a cappuccino.
The staff were cheery and all smiles but like Jamie said, it carries an air of pretence which can feel a bit uncomfortable.
It was great to be treated to some tasty Brewhaha breakfast tea and a strong, well made coffee, but, well, you pay for it!
The shop as a whole has a really clean a fresh feel and would be ideal to relax in after a hard day at the office, however, if you’re more of a cosy-​up-​in-​front-​of-​the-​fire type person, you might find it all a bit clinical.
There’s a good selection of homemade food, fresh sandwiches, wine and other wholesome little bits and bobs in their delicatessen.
It wouldn’t be my first choice but I like the crisp and relaxed nature of it all. I’d definitely come back.

Oh, Jamie, that’s unfair!
Yes, it is pretentious. And the service isn’t great — as it is veeery slow, but also friendly and relaxed, so they ain’t all that bad. The food isn’t the cheapest, but I came here for an early dinner and the bill for two — including a bottle of wine, came to less than £30, and that ain’t so bad either — especially when it was completely delicious. My pizza was homemade and spot on, and my boyfriend’s sandwich was SO jam packed with filling it could have fed 200. Or… just him. And the wine could have been one of the best bottles of wine I’ve had for a while — and it was the second cheapest on the list too.
I liked the intimate feeling of sitting in a little shop, and very close to other customers, but not encroaching on their personal space. I’ll be back, even if Jamie won’t. :)

Overpriced.
Rude staff.
Pretentious.
Outdoor seats face an array of flyposting.
Game, set, match. One star.

Berits & Brown is a deli/​café/​bistro — given it’s small size I’m a bit surprised that it manages to do all three! I’ve only ever had coffee and cake, always excellent. Would probably have food there more if it weren’t for the fact that the tables seem so small and crushed together. The deli isn’t huge, but it is reasonably well-​stocked with yummy looking things and the staff seem knowledgeable.
This place is also licensed and seems to be very popular at night for wine and nibbles. Outdoors tables are a bonus in summer!