Ann’s Kitchen

They changed ownership and name to Bleeker St. Bistro. The place was empty on a Thursday afternoon, but I kind of prefer it that way (although the atmosphere was strangely too warm… like humid-​warm, odd for inside on an already warm day in my opinion). Spacious with great sunlight. It took a while to order since there seemed to be only two employees — one working the front, the other in the back. The man in the front was answering a phone call that took a while. I do want to note that he acknowledged our presence and ended the phone call promptly yet as politely as he could so that he could take our orders. I ordered breakfast for lunch: for $ 4.25 you can get two eggs + toast (with butter) + home fries. I thought it was a great deal. I wasn’t even able to finish my home fries because there were too many. My fellow diner paid less than two dollars more for two eggs and three whole wheat pancakes (all three were fairly large, to boot).
They don’t poach eggs, so I had mine done over easy. I received my food in a timely manner… maybe within 20 minutes? I’m not sure. We were too busy people-​watching as we sat on the stools facing Telegraph. My eggs were incredibly oily, but that’s a caveat of over easy, so I won’t hold that against them. The toast was pleasant — a slice of whole wheat bread cut in half (they even buttered it for me :), and the home fries were plentiful, as previously mentioned.
The employees were kind and attentive, but not overbearing. As the customer you are in charge of getting your own water, utensils, condiments, and bussing yourself. I liked that because I can do things at my own pace. Overall, the experience was enjoyable. The food is simple but good. You can probably make it yourself at home, but it’s cheap and the environment /​location was nice. Right across the street is a bookstore. An added plus: they donate 10% of your patronage to a charity. I would come back.

They seem to be having some managerial issues.
Food at Ann’s is a mixed bag. Some items are average, some are below average.
The biggest issue though is that there are a lot of irregularities about what is actually available and the consistency of the food.
They never have soup, despite it being on the menu.
My salad did not have olives in it despite them being advertised.
They don’t take credit cards.
They had to check in the back for the availability of turkey burgers before taking my order.
In addition to not knowing what is available, you might also end up getting a mediocre dish. The turkey burger I ordered, for example, was fine (despite not having the grilled onions I requested), but my fellow diner’s French Toast was pretty terrible.
Ann’s Kitchen is one of the few American brunch places on Telegraph Ave, but if you walk 10 minutes in most directions you will find better options.

They just redid this place to be Bleecker Bistro. It’s like Ann’s but nicer and a more chill vibe. The food is the same, as well are the prices I believe.
For a quick breakfast or brunch that’ll fill you up and give you energy for the day, Ann’s/Bleecker Bistro is the place to be.
Clean inside, great service, delicious food at great prices.
Try one of their breakfast specials! The home fries are real winners here. If you’re looking for a protein bomb, try the Butcher’s breakfast burrito. Breakfast meats + eggs and potatoes, and boom, you’re good for breakfast AND lunch.
So glad they’ve revamped one of Berkeley best and classic breakfast spots close to campus.

I ordered the 3 wheat pancakes and in at least one pancake the were egg shells. And not just a few pieces, there were A LOT — and big chunks too. I had to literally pick them out with my hands and made this little pile of white egg shells on my plate. Other than that, my pancakes were really burnt. My friend ordered the same thing and he had decent ones. But mine were dark brown/​black.
The food was decent, nothing special. Good portions I guess. Wish I didn’t have to eat eggshells first thing in the morning though.

Never again. I waited half an hour for a bacon, egg, and cheese bagel, and the restaurant was fairly empty at the time too.
After half an hour, a sad-​looking bagel finally emerged from the kitchen, drowning in oil and utterly lacking in flavor. The eggs were rubbery and the bacon seemed reheated.
The fact that Ann’s Kitchen can’t even make a simple breakfast bagel means I will not be returning.

Pretty good amount of food for a decent price.
I tried the Southwest Omelette and Hangover Omelette with Home Fries and Toast (**gotta get that APPLE BUTTER!). The southwest was better in my opinion, but overall I didn’t think it was anything special. I also tried all their smoothies, which are alright but not stellar (a bit too sweet). I guess I just felt l like it’s all stuff you can make pretty easily at home.
But I do appreciate that they donate a portion of their profits to fight human trafficking, a cause I fully support. Besides that, it’s a pretty average brunch place.

Met up with some friends for breakfast here and was amazed that the line was out the door at that early on a Saturday (shouldn’t people be sleeping?). The line does move fairly quickly though. You have to be quick to catch a table though, as you need to seat yourself after ordering.
I got the chicken and avocado omelette and coffee, both of which were adequate, but didn’t quite hit the spot. On the bright side, they were priced well, so that kind of makes up for it. If you’re looking for a cheap, large breakfast, this would be a good spot.

I’ve thought about updating this review for a while but waited to see if things changed… instead they are getting worse! 3 huge problems: price variances, quantity variances, and really poor quality since new management.
1. Sometimes I add avocados or mushrooms to my eggs. I have no idea how sometimes my meal (usually the EXACT same every time) is 2 – 3 dollars more expensive on some days and cheaper on other days. They never give you a receipt so you have no way to know what you’re paying for. Basically, alterations and substituions are just really hard here because you have no idea what you are being charged for. They also changed the menu so once when I asked why my meal was more pricy, they said the prices went up. But when I went in another day, they charged me less money… it’s really annoying! I wish they’d start doing receipts and be more transparent with their prices.
2. This is the bigger problem: QUANTITY. WIth their new management, they’ve significantly cut down their portion sizes.
— The 2 eggs in the #1 basic breakfast combo are basically the equivalent of one egg, and they just make the plate look fuller by adding more potatoes, to a point where no one can finish that many potatoes.
— Just last week I ordered a size of eggs (large) which was $ 1.95. I got my regular #1 breakfast combo with the two tiny eggs they now use and went to go ask where my side was. The girl at front claimed that it was included in the two eggs on my plate already. When I began to claim that I paid an extra $ 2 for what was literally already included in the breakfast combo, she quickly produced a plate with maybe half an eggs worth of scramble and said that even though my breakfast combo included the side, the cook gave us this extra side for free… I was so mad that I paid $ 2 for that tiny little scramble and even more so that she claimed that she was being nice by giving me the extra scramble, because apparently my breakfast combo already included the side, which is just not true.
— The other day I ordered a grilled cheese with avocado and basically got two slices of tiny wheat toast with a slice of cheese and a mere slice of avocado. I was so disappointed because I’ve had the same dish not 4 months ago and it was a huge, meaty grilled cheese with almost half an avocado stuffed inside with cheese oozing out of it!
Not sure why but their quantity cuts are not nearly as subtle as they hoped. I don’t think they’re considered «cheap» breakfast food anymore, considering how little food you get.
3. The biggest problem I have now: QUALITY. Since there are too many examples, here’s a quick one. As I was waiting in line, a customer walked up with a grilled cheese sandwich in a to-​go box and showed the lady at the desk that the cooks basically put two slices of toast together and jalapenos… and forgot the cheese. Seriously? Similar incidents: half of a slice of toast rather than a full slice; forgetting onions after I paid extra to get them in my scramble; etc. Basically they’re working too fast and forget the little things. Like cheese.
Sad I had to write such a harsh review, but after so many negative experiences (despite a very very positive first couple visits), I had to update this review. Hope management gets their act together!

OK place for breakfast, no bells or whistles or anything.
I’ve come a few different times, so amongst my visits I’ve tried the Western Omelette, Eggs+Ham+Toast combo, their homefries, and Banana Pancakes. I think the most consistent thing that I have noticed is that I never finish my portions, hahaha.
Food wise, I think my favorite would have to be the HOMEFRIES + pancakes. I also like their apple butter!
Their western omelette is a close second, but they always put too much onion in mine.
Prices are pretty cheap to start with, but can add up pretty quickly if you want a lot with your breakfast. The restaurant itself is kinda pretty dingy (so it’s best not to think about it). You definitely leave the place smelling like greasy breakfast …
They recently extended hours? So now you can get this sub-​par breakfast all day!

This place is one of the better breakfast joints around Berkeley… and I hear Nathan Adrian hits lingers around Berkeley and hits up this spot. Le sigh, I graduated too early.
Their breakfast is surprisingly very cheap here and averages around $ 6. You can order a la carte pancakes, eggs, french toast or order their plates that come with home fries. Their litto potatoes are soo good and fried and is definitely one of the highlights of the place. I had the diced ham and scrambled eggs and they are cooked perfectly. It comes with toast on the side as well. This place is super cheap and definitely a go to. This place does get very popular and busy so be aware of that when you come out for breakfast.
**TIPS**
1) Cheap yummy breakfast!
2) Enjoy!

Ann’s has been under new management for a little while now (the same people who run Joshuyas), so I decided to see whether or not anything has really changed for the better. My friend and I came here on friday around 2pm and it was pretty empty, but on the weekends from 10am-​1pm, be ready to wait in line for a little bit.
The ambiance is pretty much the same as before. It is really casual with seating pushed up pretty close to each other and not too much room to walk around. All the tables look like there is a layer of grease on them which makes me which this entire place would get a good scrub down.
Ordering here is a disaster. They changed the menu a little bit (got rid of a lot of the breakfast options that used to be available) and the waitress who took the order (the mom I think) did not understand what I was saying — so i ended up with homefries instead of potato salad and my friend didn’t get the extra slice of toast she wanted… not the end of the world but still annoying when you repeat it 3 times AND see that she had written it down on her notepad.
Food:
I got the avocado jalapeño grilled cheese. It came with a side of homefries (even though i wanted potato salad) and the entire portion was pretty large. I was definitely full by the end. The grilled cheese was pretty good since the spice from the jalapeño helped cut through the richness of the cheese. It was a good standard grilled cheese sandwich at a reasonable price.
My friend’s egg scramble was pretty good too. It was a pretty standard egg scramble and she had added mushrooms and avocado in it. Again, it was good but nothing really special.
Overall, Ann’s is a good place to go if you are craving some breakfast food since it serves breakfast all day and is now open from 8am-​8pm. I think it also still has free Wifi if you want to come and do some work. However, be ready to reek of food when you leave. I don’t know if the fans in the kitchen were not working properly the day I went, but when I left, people could smell the food on me from quite a distance away. So don’t come here if you are planning to go somewhere else afterwards, unless you don’t mind reeking.

I haven’t rated this place before? Such blasphemy! hahaha…
Well, I’ve come here so many times, and I’ve found it’s a solid place for breakfast. Nothing fancy, nothing special, but if you’re in the area, and are in need of a really good All-​American breakfast, come here! This place is always packed with people, and luckily the food comes out pretty quickly. Another positive is that their food isn’t pricey, or overpriced as with some fancier breakfast spots.
Haven’t tried their sandwiches and non-​breakfast foods, but I’d say their breakfast is definitely a winner!

Oh, how I miss Ann’s!
A good value for breakfast with quick (ish) service – love love loved eating here during college.
You may run into issues with trying to find a table during peak times, but I think I always eventually found space.
Favorite? HOMEFRIES. Or, «breakfast potatoes» if you want to call them that. MUST EAT THEM. I hold all others to the standard of Ann’s Kitchen and have yet to find another place that does it half as well.
Fresh squeezed OJ is delish as well, and reasonable price for everything makes it worth the «splurge» (college student standards) :)

Ann’s Kitchen is know for their breakfast. but i just wanted coffee.
brew: america’s best (1.75+.15+1.90)
–black coffee actually harsh.
–added H & H but pitcher ran out
–cashier refilled it and then offered me some leftover steamed milk,
cool recycling! made the coffee hella drinkable ala latte.
3.5 stars
drips:
–4 stars just for steamed milk coffee
–anomaly but it did happen.

[THE SUMMARY]
Large portions of deliciously unhealthy breakfast food. It’s perfect comfort food to satisfy your stress eating cravings and kick off your day of intense day of studying over dead week, but coming here regularly will make you feel like a fatty.
[THE FOOD]
The huge breakfast burrito is decent, and the spicy sauce adds a kick. There is a ton of fried potatoes but not much egg or veggies.
The western omelette is also satisfying, but half-​way through you realize you’re eating huge mess of cholesterol. The only aspect of redemption is the abundant veggies, because the large serving of home fries doesn’t help.
My favorite is the whole wheat pancakes because they are pretty tasty and healthy enough to not leave you feeling guilty.
Also tried the pecan pancakes but they didn’t have enough pecans to be worth the extra charge. The first few bites had no pecans at all so I thought they messed up my order!
[THE CONSUMER SURPLUS]
Prices are okay, but I would rather spend the money to make my own breakfast. Although there is a lot of food, it’s not like you can save half the omelette or home fries for the next day because it would be gross and soggy.
[THE VIBE]
I do like the small-​town family-​business feel. The setting is not glamorous but it’s clean and feels homely. The lady and her husband are both friendly.
[THE VERDICT]
Not bad, but because of my healthy-​eating inclinations, I would rather go to the dining commons, Whole Foods, or Northside Café for brunch, unless I have am possessed by a stress-​eating impulse.

Telegraph does have a decent breakfast place and it is in the form of Ann’s Kitchen. I didn’t really know about this place until a friend said we should get breakfast on Telegraph. I had my skeptical eyes on but I followed.
Ann’s is not much to look at but the portions are big. Like really big. I could probably split this into three meals. I just remember that the home fries were bomb. The potatoes were crispy and had a nice crust to it.
This place looks like a greasy spoon diner and in a sense it is. But it is much better than your run of the mill greasy spoon. It’s smudged spoon and I’ll gladly eat every bite.

Oh Ann’s! I honestly think this is Berkeley’s answer to breakfast foods. I mean, yes, Café Durant is pretty good but Ann’s is just heavenly!
I came here with a friend the morning of the Cal v. Arizona State game– big mistake. The line was HUGE and wound throughout the restaurant! Sigh. Better luck next time!
Regardless, we stuck through the massive line, stole some chairs from an exiting group, and finally set out to eat… I had forgotten how HUGE the portions were! I think I got an egg breakfast or something? I don’t really remember the name of my order, but it contained toast, scrambled eggs, home fries and– my favorite– BACON!
Anyways, the bacon was cooked to crunchy perfection; honestly it felt like it was melting in my mouth at the same time. I thought the eggs were a little skinny (I like fluffy ones!), but the home fries were delicious and I always love toast [:
I feel like I forget about Ann’s most of the time when I’m in Berkeley, so this review and last week’s visit is definitely a HUGE reminder for me!
Bottom line: BEST breakfast food in Berkeley! Reasonable prices & huge plates– I’m loving it!

I’m such a sucker when it comes to quantity, quality, and a great price on a meal!
And yes, like everyone else on Unilocal has said — the home fries are amazeballs. Or as my friend, Nicole, said: «the home fries are the shit.»
I got the Western omelet which was stuffed with a bunch of veggies and goodies. It was definitely a hearty meal… lots of carbs, too. Don’t forget to ask for the apple butter to spread onto your toast! YUM!!!
Bonus points for Ann’s Kitchen for taking on my health conscious request for using egg whites only! And also major kudos to the employees there. They were busting their butts to get the orders in and food out!
My only gripe is the line… but that’s understandable. Totally worth the wait! Excellent breakfast spot after the spending the night out =)

I’m not usually a breakfast person, but on this one particular day, I was in the mood for breakfast food. So while I was in Berkeley, my boyfriend’s friends suggested we go try out Ann’s Kitchen, and I’m glad we did.
Ann’s Kitchen has this really relaxing atmosphere to it. It gives you a sense of relaxation where nothing is more important than having the most important meal of the day. Maybe it was because the sun was hitting at just the right spot, the weather was unusually crisp, or the fact that I was starving, but it was a wonderful day to have breakfast.
I ordered the Beef Polish Sausage and Eggs ($ 6.95), but these entrees should really come with a warning sign because when I got my breakfast, it was huge! They are really generous with their portions and it was definitely worth the $ 6.95. The entrée came with homefries (seasoned potatoes) and toast. It was a delicious meal with a delicious price!
College student on a budget, come here! You will have plenty of left overs for lunch.

Cheap food, and filling food. This is the perfect kind of breakfast place for college kids on a weekend morning (or anytime actually). The banana banana walnut french toast I would highly recommend. It’s probably the only non-​egg/​toast/​hash item you can order there from the breakfast menu.
If you’re here to meet up with a friend and/​or to study, look elsewhere. This place is LOUD, and it’s honestly just a place to eat, like any high school cafeteria.