Burger Depot

Burger Depot has been around for about 35 years with the same owner and his wife who came here from Hong Kong and raised their kids. Generations of high school and college students, including me, have been through this place for burgers, shakes and ice cream. I heard it just closed a few days ago and am posting one last quick review to wish them the best in a well-​deserved retirement:
Craving burgers, my dad and I stopped by for lunch a few weeks ago. The 1/​3# burgers are still made to order. There are so many types of burgers and sandwiches on the overhead menu. I had a burger with avocado and tomatoes. Yum, fresh & juicy! The French fries are crispy but get the onion rings. Huge and tasty!
David and Daisy Cheng are super friendly, and he couldn’t believe I was (just a bit) older than his place (maybe that’s why I liked him LOL). There is no waiter service but plenty of tables and chairs.
Ice cream is in a separate room and except for the prices, the whole joint is like a step back in time to Albany in the 60s and 70s. So cool.
Albany is going to miss this place for sure.

feeling bummed i never tried the burgers here. yep, it’s true, there are still places out there i’ve haven’t reviewed. better late than never. (heretell they closing after 35 years in the biz.)
it was in my pre-​yelp days.
eats: ice cream (forgot price)
–the usual 2 scoops. bud’s ice cream then too?
–deliz but ice cream’s never been my go to item.
only eat it on hot days…
drips:
–always thought i reviewed this spot already so never tried to find parking nearby
not so easy…
–definitely youthful staffers served the ice cream.
–if i see them open, will definitely try the burger, looks cheaper than «habit»…

Burger Depot is CLOSING on July 11^th after 35 years in business.
The sweet couple that runs it will be retiring.
Never the best burger joint in town but still a homey Blast From the Past that many locals grew up with.
Thanks David and Daisy. Many happy memories. Happy Retirement!

Oh my god this place is seriously disgusting, it looks like its infested with bugs. The people that work here are very sweet but it’s obvious they don’t maintain their restaurant. I wouldn’t eat here simply based off of how dirty it is.

I went in with friends for after dinner ice cream. The Bubble Gum ice cream was melted! Actually, all the ice cream in the right freezer was melted. I try not to be so critical with Mom and Pops, but refrozen ice cream can make you sick. We were invited to try another ice cream, but that was beside the point. She was aware the freezer wasn’t cold enough. Since the tubs are uncovered in open air, there’s too much potential for bacterial contamination. Even if they get the freezer working again, refreezing will not kill any bacteria. The right thing to do would be to throw the tubs out. Do not buy it if you see any ice crystals on the ice cream or if the texture is off or grainy. Once ice crystals grow big, the cream cells get broken down. It’s not like I wouldn’t appreciate a little food poisoning, I always seem to lose 10 lbs when it happens. It’s just that dairy poisoning is no fun. If you are with kids who expect ice cream at the end, check the tubs out before you buy.

This is a review that requires more stars than five (5) stars. …but since that’s all we have, this place gets it!
I discovered Burger Depot several years ago when I moved to the Bay Area from Atlanta. I wanted a new place to find my favorite (Turkey Burgers) and couldn’t seem to find a spot anyplace that fit the bill. I’d Unilocaled, googled, and all else — and even drove as far as 40 miles from home — seeking a good one. Burger Depot was literally right in my own Berkeley backyard.
David and Daisy (the owners) are simply the best!!! They know most of their customers by name, and visiting there is literally like going HOME. And the food is ALL good. (…don’t miss the Chai Tea Milkshake! (OMG) I have often told them that their prices are FAR TOO CHEAP — and that people would easily spend a couple of extra bucks on a made-​to-​order meal like theirs — and their reply has been «we have enough» and do it for the love of it. And it shows!
Don’t MISS this experience, Unilocal friends! Burger Depot in Albany (near Berkeley) is unparalleled, made to order, delicious, and delightful. I’m a customer for LIFE! ;)

I would avoid this place if at all possible. The burgers are rather tasteless, the fries are frozen (like you can get in any store) and if you order onion rings — you get 5. They repainted the outside but the walls and wall menus are grime-​covered inside. The worst part is a cheeseburger, cheap fries and a soda will cost you well over $ 10. When you have paid $ 11 for something that wouldn’t be worth $ 5, it definitely leaves a bad taste. I suspect they are just letting the place go as they are getting older.

Came hungry and left satisfied! No frills, no white napkin, whatever you get is going to be grilled or fried– but it’s going to be good and very reasonably priced! The service is friendly, and the burgers are tasty! We really enjoyed this place and will return next time we need a burger fix!

Dave and Daisy have the best burgers and onion rings on Solano Avenue and they have the best prices can’t beat it!

Omg I had to write something because I haven’t gotten a salad this fresh in such a long time! I wasn’t expecting a good salad, especially from a hole in the wall burger place, but the dressing was exceptional too. Pretty presentation, and friendly service definitely gives this place 5 stars. I can’t believe I’ve never been here before!
We also got a burger and fries and onion rings. Everything was good! I’m very happy with this place, and will be coming back often. :)

We have some good burger joints in and around Albany but I prefer this place the most. They have the best teriyaki burger I’ve had outside of Hawaii.
Service is excellent. Its regular people making you feel at home when you eat out.

Like most others have stated, this is a nice family owned business.
Unless I’m craving some spicy boss sauce I would much rather come here if in the area!
Although the patties are well done they are juicier and taste better than boss. The prices are reasonable. I got a small cheeseburger, but with less than a dollar more I could’ve gotten a «giant» cheeseburger (less than $ 6 with tax).
Cheese is nothing special but didn’t disgust me like some places that use cheap cheese. The buns are soft. They have a variety of options. not only in food but shakes as well! If I hadn’t already had (shitty) cupcakes earlier I definitely would have indulged.

A cute little mom and pop burger place. It reminds of where I used to go with my Dad in my hometown.
They have a great selection of burgers, hotdogs, and sandwiches. Parking is easy to find around the street and residential areas.
Service:
The guys who seemed to be the owner and only worker was really great. He was very friendly and attentive. Even though he seemed very busy, he was able to refill our water, take our orders, and even get our ice cream! Awesome guy.
Food:
The burgers here were great! The meat was cooked to perfection. The buns were perfectly toasted. And the condiments were well ratio. I had the mushroom burger and it was amazing. The juices kept the burger moist, but didn’t get the bun soggy.
The fries were just as amazing. Each fry seemed to be individually fried. (Which wasn’t the case, just tasted like it) Never had a soggy or limp fry. And each time they were seasoned to perfection.
Overall:
I would definitely recommend this place. Must try!

Great service!!! Im not really a burger person but it did taste good. My lunch break is short so i was in and out quick. Ill be back

Great burgers, and a very solid ice cream selection. Friendly service from long time owners Dave and Daisy. No fuss and low prices. A great option!

I was pretty unimpressed… A bit pricey for what it is, and many of the items were just frozen foods, like the fries. However, the guy who runs the place is friendly and the burger hit the spot.

The gist: Cute, old timey spot with some excellent burgers that are probably more expensive than they should be.
Came here on a wednesday with some friends on one of those hot nights we had back in May. It was just us and this other couple in there having the most intense fight I’ve ver heard in a restaurant. It was pretty funny. The dude was like, «I have a real job — it gives me partial health insurance!»
I ordered a veggie burger, but I got cheese and bacon on it. I didn’t get fries or a drink. For this specialty item, I paid, I wanna say, over $ 9. I guess that’s just kind of the going rate for getting a special burger, but I feel like, in my mind, it’s like plain veggie burger should be $ 5, extra toppings 1-​$ 1.50 each, but whatever.
The best part was the old dude working there. First off, I really appreciated that right on the card machine, there’s a note saying, «charge if you use the card for under $ 10» or something like that. The debit/​credit surcharge always bums me out if there’s not a really clear note about it, b/​c of course I’m going to avoid 50 cents to 79 cents (saw that large sum today) charge for using my card! It was a nice thoughtful way to think of the customer.
Then, when I got up to pay for my burger, the old man running the place was like — «Veggie — with MEAT?! I have worked here for 27 years — never have I seen that!» He went on for a while about it — it was great! I definitely love pig bacon on a veggie burger — who’s with me? But it was fun to get called out for it. I’d love to go back and order it again just to see that reaction.
The burger was pretty good. Not like, blow your mind, but also not like bad cafeteria burger. He cooks it right there in front of you. The ambiance of the place is definitely lacking, but it does feel kind of nostalgic in there.

Super delicious, super juicy burger! 34 or 35 years they have been delivering the same quality and gratification. It really shows through their food and service. I literally hadn’t even paid for my food and they started my burger and fries. I will frequent this place. You should too!!!

I was totally surprised how good the cheese burger tasted! It’s super big, moist and totally yummy!!!
Why aren’t there more big muscly hubba hubba beer drinking, sport playing dudes frequenting this place!!!

I volunteer nearby and there are plenty of choices to choose from on Solano Ave. I felt like a burger today and this place was just around the corner. I was greeted by an friendly Asian couple who runs the restaurant. I ordered a regular burger and fries along with Orange Juice. Although I wasn’t asked how I wanted my burger cooked (I usually like my meat cooked medium/​medium rare), it tasted great The order came out relatively quickly.
Side-​note, they only take either cash or ATM and there’s a 50cent charge to use the ATM here.