Bongo Burger

This place has pretty good thin style patties on thick sesame buns. The problem is that it is has too much bread to meat ratio, and starts off a bit dry. If you get it all the way and with mushrooms, that balances the burger on the second half, but it still starts off dry. The fries are frozen but cooked crispy: I love them. Overall, not bad but a tad overrated.

Bongo burger is good but I prefer the one on South Side more. But their onion rings were really yummy if you like batter… I like batter. And the two guys that I came with were satisfied with their burger combos and since their meatatarians then I count it as a success. My other friend was vegan so she didn’t have too many choices but there seemed to be a lot of yummy vegetarian options!

The burgers here are huge, and though they might be greasy and heavy, they never advertised them as healthy! I always go for the mushroom burger, which has mushrooms and cheese and a patty — super delicious! Somewhat pricey for a burger maybe, but it’s yummy!

I was very disappointed with my meal.
I got the All American burger which was incredibly salty. The fries were okay. The entire meal came out to nine or ten bucks, WHICH IS SO OVERPRICED. I could have honestly spent this money on a better meal. If I threw in two more dollars, I could have gotten a burger from Eureka which is so much better.
The two stars is for the fact that they were pretty quick, which is definitely something I look for in this style of a burger joint.

FOOD SAFETY WARNING! On 1÷6÷16 at approx. 2:35pm, I watched either the owner, a vender, or the manager (50−60s, balding, Middle Eastern male) eat fries from the troth not once, but 3 separate times. After handling cash and after touching his face and head. Disgusting!!! Beware!!! If they are this brazen in front of customers think of what they’re doing behind the scenes!!!
Wish I would have taken a photo!

I ordered a hummus sandwich with no onions. It wasn’t busy. It was an easy request. Halfway through eating it, I bit into onions. Saw onions, tasted onions. I went to the counter, said, «I ordered this with no onions.» The girl turned to the guy who had made it, and said, «Did you put onions on this?» He said, «No.» Clearly lying. She told me it was lettuce. I can definitely tell the difference.

The spicy chicken burger is the best chicken burger I’ve ever had.
Most burger places will offer a grilled chicken sandwich, and it’s always tough, bland, and leaves you full of regret. Bongo actually makes you a burger patty with ground chicken, and the heat doesn’t just come from hot sauce or jalapenos on top, but from peppers and spices added into the patty itself. Brilliant.
Tack on a side of fries, and enjoy it with ketchup + sriracha.

The burger and fries were definitely tasty and will fill you up. The mushroom burger was pretty good, but it was a bit dry and not as juicy as other burgers I’ve eaten before. The fries were really good, but that may also because I like salty foods lol.

This is going to be very short review. They make the best burger in the Bay Area. It’s under 6 bucks, the bread is from Semifreddi’s or Acme. Their meat is never frozen, It’s organic, It’s a very high quality beef. And it tastes great, plus it’s huge!
Just make sure whenever you go for the first time that you order a cheeseburger. Their cheeseburger is equivalent to first base in a relationship. Everything else gets more complicated. It’s good, but it gets complexed. For now, just stick to first base.
Their menu is actually quite extensive, and even branches out into a very accurate version of Mediterranean food, primarily of the Persian influence. Falafel and Pita, Dolmas, legit hummus. There is even a Persian Burger and baklava! They have baklava! Most things there are between 5 and $ 7. Everything is under $ 10. And it’s all good. All of it. If you feel crazy, you can’t even order an egg on top of your cheeseburger, or even give it a few dashes of siriacha … But again, first base.
Totally worth the six bucks.

I had the bacon burger. The order was placed quickly and courteously; the food came out within 10 minutes. As for the taste, it wasn’t anything special. Tasted like a burger; nothing unique that distinguishes this place from a grill at my house. The burger lacked a bit of sauce; flavor was lacking especially because it was cooked well done. The fries were essentially the ones you would buy at the grocery store
For $ 10, it did the trick: get me full. If i wanted something unique, I’ll find a differet restaurant.

Food: The mushroom burger here is great! The mushrooms are nicely seasoned and grilled and the burger’s done just right! I’m a regular and I am never disappointed. However, I was lucky and got a little extra this time and got bits of cardboard in my burger. I told the waitress and she promptly changed my burger.
Service: You order at the counter and pick it up after. The waitress was super nice and accommodating when I told her there was cardboard in my burger. She gave me a tabouli salad when I waited for them to make a new burger. The person who brought me a new burger apologized as well. I really appreciate how they handled the situation. They immediately insisted on changing out my burger and were genuinely remorseful.

I come here for lunch sometimes, the lamb burger is fantastic and the fries that come in the combo are great as well.
The sandwich tastes great, is filling, and the price is right, I definitely recommend.
I think you add two dollars to the sandwich price to come up with the combo price, which includes fries and a drink.

The Breakfast Special sign outside their door is definitely what attracted me into their restaurant. This meal includes two eggs, toast, and homefries. This seemed like a real good deal for breakfast, so I decided to go in and see what it was all about.
Since the restaurant had just opened (it was 8 AM), there was only one other customer in there, so I headed straight for the counter and placed my order. The lady quickly rung up my order, asked me how I would like my eggs cooked, and handed me a receipt. I was order #2.
I went to take a seat and in a matter of minutes, the chef called my order number and I went up to grab my plate of food. My first impression was, «There is so much food on this plate!» There were two slices of bread, toasted, buttered and cut into triangle halves. Underneath was scrambled eggs and a generous heap of diced, peppered potatoes. My second thought was, «The presentation doesn’t look that great, but what can I say? For $ 3, this is good enough.»
After I finished the meal, my final thoughts were, «The breakfast was too greasy and buttery. You could really see all the leftover grease from the potatoes and you could really taste the heavy amount of butter spread on the bread. I wouldn’t order the breakfast anymore because there are plenty of other good, less greasier breakfast options elsewhere in Berkeley and I would rather go with eating healthy and taste rather than price and portion.»
Aside from this experience, I am definitely going to give this restaurant another try because really, this place is known for their burgers, not their breakfast.

Mediterranean, Persian, and American in one place. This should be the new fast food standard. The burgers are good, but don’t overlook the sandwiches. The Persian burger is actually on a sandwich bun. My favorite thing about this place is the breakfast special. It’s just a standard eggs and toast, but it’s cheap and delicious. It saves me the hassle of making it at home. Love the location of this Bongo Burger too, right on Center Street and close to everything else in Downtown Berkeley.

Where to go when you’re craving a burger at 10am in the morning? BONGO BURGER!
They actually have breakfast here as well.
Service:
All the staff members were professional, but can use some improvement with being friendly. I didn’t feel exactly welcomed in this place, but I also didn’t feel like I was being pushed away.
Food:
Mushroom Cheeseburger — May have been one of the best mushroom burgers I’ve had! The bun was lightly toasted, cheese was melted into gooey goodness, mushrooms were sautéed to perfection, and the sauce complimented everything. Delicious!
Fries were decent, but nothing to celebrate over.
Overall:
I would definitely come back! Would recommend!

We were starving. We had little time to spare. We needed a vegetarian option and something in a jiffy! Bongo Burger was perfect and exactly what we needed to stumble upon at that particular time and place.
They have a nice lengthy menu with plenty of options for carnivores and vegetarians (even vegans). We didn’t take long to decide, and both ordered a veggie burger (made with black beans), and shared a plate of the hummus and pita bread.
We only waited about ten minutes until our food was served. We sat in the window and people-​watched. It was really nice to sit down and relax for a moment.
The burgers ended up being AMAZING. Maybe it was our huge appetite, but I felt they were some of the best we had in a while. I loved the flavor and freshness of that veggie burger! We both agreed that Bongo Burger was definitely the perfect place for a quick bite to eat– any day– hands down.
The hummus was also wonderful and fresh. The pita bread wasn’t homemade or anything, but it served its purpose. It was a healthy and refreshing alternative to fries.

This chain seems popular around the Berkeley area, but after coming here for a quick dinner, I am struggling to see what is so special about it.
I ended up getting the #1 combination, which is the mushroom burger, fries, and a drink. My only advice to you would be to stay away from their normal burgers and go for the persian food. In hindsight, I should have known to try the more «exotic» persian choices, because they are probably good if a burger place offers something like that.
Anyways, the mushroom burger was just average if anything. It was a little pricey for what it was. The bread they used for the bun was a little interesting and it was crispy on the edges, which was nice, but other than that it really didn’t seem special at all.
The fries on the other hand, looked innocent enough, but tasted amazing! It must be in the way they fry them, but they tasted extra crispy and almost like Mcdonald’s fries.
TL;DR: Try the fries and Persian food, stay away from the generic burgers!

The shish kabob plate with a side of tabouleh is always a winner!
Though, this time the meat was a little more chewy than a different time I got it. The total is $ 9.76 which is definitely worth it for the amour of meat you get in the meal.
The pita bread is great with the meal as well. A great place to stop by for lunch In between classes

My family and I have been coming to Bongo burger for as long as I remember. The Persian burger is always a hit.
Whether it’s with fries or tablouli salad (finely chopped parsley and cucumber delicious and very fresh) on side it won’t disappoint.
The portions are large, I usually eat half and then have some leftovers.
It is however, on the pricey side for a burger ~$ 9 – 10. My sister, Cal student, says it’s delicious but definitely waits to go with our parents. It’s not exactly the price range for a college student…
The family and I came after a game and we rushed down, since they’re supposed to close at 530 on Saturdays but luckily for us they were opened later. We were glad and so was the long line of hungry customers. Food took a bit long to prepare, but with the large crowd it was expected.

This is one place that I have consistent cravings for.
I used to come here in the mornings for their $ 3 breakfast special, which includes two eggs any way you want ‘em, toast, and potatoes. This is such a steal and the food is pretty good, although it’s not amazing. the potatoes are a little peppery, but not bad. You just have to come before 11am if you want to save money AND get breakfast.
I also really love their black bean burger, which doesn’t even taste vegetarian! I actually prefer this to their burgers because it tastes so good and you can’t really get it any where else, but a girl’s gotta eat meat sometimes! (Especially since I was feeling a little weak)
Yesterday I had their No. 1 mushroom burger combo, which includes fries and a drink for about $ 9. I really don’t like soda, so I asked if I could pay to upgrade to juice and the cashier let me have apple juice at no extra charge!
To top it off, she poured my juice, tossed it, and decided to open a new gallon for me. I hate when things get wasted so I asked her about it and she said it just didn’t look right. I really appreciated her consideration about the quality of my drink! (Even if it was just to protect their reputation)
My fries were on the shorter side and they were a little crispier than usual, but it’s nothing a dunk in the ranch can’t fix!
As for their meat, it comes from Niman Ranch, which means the beef is raised on sustainable, family owned farms, fed grass, and not injected with growth hormones. When I want to eat meat, I know I can come here and feel better about my choice.
Sometimes the tables can be dirty, but usually someone will come around and clean them, though they often just wipe it onto the floor, so it can be a little messy when it’s busy.