Cafe Durant

Getting to this place is a little tricky. It’s located above the Chinese restaurant on Duran. You enter a sketchy ally, go up a flight of stairs and turn left.
One thing I will say is that this place is really affordable. The portion sizes are great for the price.
Café Duran is a great place to get Mexican food or a classic breakfast!

I always enjoy coming to Café D, but I have never been here early when they open until today.
The sign outside, Unilocal,and their website all say the restaurant opens at 7:30am… it’s currently 7:54am and the door is still locked. We’ll see if they hopefully decide to open at 8am.

Café D is a fun place to hang out with some pals on a Tuesday. Tacos are only $ 1, and they’re actually pretty good.
The carnitas taco is a little dry for my taste, but I’d definitely recommend the al pastor!

I love it! This is one of my favorite spots in Berkeley. I love going here on days when it’s not too busy although I am guilty of stopping by for taco Tuesday on more than one occasion.
The folks working here are lovely people. Fast service and great prices.
Also they have a great patio for sunny days :)

I come here occasionally for brunch since it’s so close to campus and it’s pretty good for the price! My usual go to is the breakfast burrito with steak. It’s a pretty hefty portion and comes with a side of potatoes. The burrito comes with your choice of meat, beans, rice, scrambled eggs, and then it’s topped with guac and cheese. It’s definitely not the best breakfast burrito I’ve had, but I think it’s pretty good for the price and portion.

I’m not a fan of their brunch.
Their pancakes and french toast somehow manage to be floppy and dry at the same time, and lack the element of fluffiness that makes french toast and pancakes great. The home fries are soggy and lack any crunch factor, and the veggie omelette is mediocre at best.
If you want a substantial brunch, make your way to Bleeker Bistro instead — it’s way more worth your money.

This review is for brunch. I think it’s a little known fact that Café D has decent brunch because a lot of people focus on Taco Tuesdays or the Mexican food. Brunch is a great time to come because there’s so few people and the wait is short! So far, I’ve tried the crepes and breakfast combo.
Today, I tried the strawberry and Nutella crêpe (boo Crepes A Go Go was unexpectedly closed) after craving crepes for days. While not the same quality as places that specialize in crepes, I was pleasantly surprised! First of all, the dish was HUGE. It was also very generous with the strawberries and Nutella smothered all over. Bonus for the whipped cream and sprinkles!
On another day when I was feeling particularly hungry I tried the breakfast combo, Sundeck D. Literally has a little of everything with a chocolate chip pancake, omelette, crêpe, and fruit cup. Sweet and savory. What more could you ask for?!
Overall, a good place to come for decently priced simple brunch if you happen to live close to the UC Berkeley campus.

Came on a Thursday for the margaritas. Ended up getting the taquito plate as well. The plate was meh and kind if reminded me of the frozen ones you get at target or something of that caliber.
Pointers
1) Get the margarita over rocks (just ice cubes, nom-​blended). The blended one tasted more like ice than margarita. While you’re at it go for the whole pitcher (if you’re sharing… oorr not) for a better ice to marg ratio and more bang for your buck.
2) there is a piece of lettuce under the bowl of guac so there was only about ½ the amount of guac I thought there was. No bueno.
I’ve been here on taco tuesdays before and THAT was worth it so I would just stick to that from here on out.

The restaurant opens very early which I like! You get your own water. I got the quesadillas with steak for breakfast, so it was really fulfilling! The only thing that I would change or tell them to do is to add more cheese to the quesadillas. The quesadillas felt more like an egg and steak taco. Overall, satisfy with the price and portion!

Café Durant is hidden away… which is kind of wonderful. I met my husband on his lunch break, and we got to enjoy a nice meal on a quiet patio overlooking Durant avenue, with our 1 year old son. I ordered chicken fajitas, which weren’t amazing, but were pleasing enough. Café Durant has breakfast and Mexican options, and are extremely affordable (perfect for their college clientele.) We’ll be back!

As I was paying a cockroach ran across the back ledge behind the cash register.
We waited an hour for our food only to find out they forgot to make my omelette. Asked for a refund and went somewhere else…

Note: Review is only for Taco Tuesdays!
Had their breakfast before and wasn’t a fan BUT the 4 stars is for their taco Tuesdays when tacos are only $ 1. I love the steak, carnitas and chorizo tacos. The meat is super flavorful and I pile on a lot of salsa from the side bar. Granted the tacos are pretty small though but they’re really only $ 1…
–1 star for the gross dirty bathroom and the long wait for tacos.
Try and get there early to get seats and avoid the line! I’d recommend 5−6pm especially if you have a large group.

When I first came here as a college freshmen I was mind blown. Their breakfast combos are just awesome. At every breakfast place, I always struggle choosing between pancakes/​waffles vs savory options. But at café Durant you can have both! I also used to come here for taco Tuesday’s as well. It’s a chill place to grab drinks with your friends after class.
I have fond memories of café durant because I came here so often during my college years. It wasn’t the best food in town but it’s a very comforting place to be in Berkeley.

This review is purely for Café Durant’s Taco Tuesday. To be honest, I’ve stopped by this place a few times with friends, but I was always hesitant to order from here because the food didn’t look too appetizing. Boy was I wrong…
I came here around 630pm with my friends to partake in the weekly «Taco Tuesday.» Surprisingly, there werent too many customers, which is interesting since I’ve heard that the place gets packed. When you are waiting in line, there is a small sign on the left which gives you the type of tacos you can order. All the tacos that have the deal are 1 $ and I believe Coronas are also 3 $. I was pretty hungry so I ordered 3 carnitas and 3 carne asada tacos, totaling about $ 6.7.
Being used to the truck style tacos, I was definitely surprised by how quick the service was. My friends and I barely sat down and our food was already presented to us. I was a bit skeptical and excited at the same time because I was afraid that the food was poorly prepared, but I’m glad I was wrong!
Both the carnitas and the carne asada tacos were very flavorful and juicy! I was very surprised at the quality of the tacos because I’ve been so used to gourmet truck style tacos and haven’t taken the time to sit down at a restaurant to grab Mexican food. For 1 $, these tacos are definitely a steal.
The only thing I can say against the Taco Tuesday deal is that they didn’t have pico de gallo, but the flavor of the tacos more than makes up for it! Come and check it out for yourself, and you will not be disappointed.
Eat well and prosper,

Café D is the best.
Food is always filling and reasonably priced. Whether you want breakfast foods or Mexican food it is a nice stable place to go. I really enjoy their wet burritos.
During the regular day you are very likely to find space. The tables are generally pretty big and spacious. Outside tables are smaller but it’s the price you pay to enjoy the weather on a good day.
Now for some taco Tuesday. Café D taco Tuesday. Their chicken tacos are pretty good! Also if any of you are like me where you like to eat tacos to enjoy the taste rather than eat a full meal it’s even better because their dollar tacos are great! Also it’s a great time to hang out with friends. They have dice you can borrow with a 2 dollar collateral Grab a pitcher of beer and some dice and play games for the rest of the night. Be weary that they close kitchens and stuff at 10.

Tuesdays will forever be taco Tuesday thanks to café d. Tacos and beer are cheap and the place is super lively. Also be sure to check out beat the clock on Fridays where a pitcher of beer is $ 5 at 5pm $ 6 at 6pm etc etc. the beer is typical coors but come for r fun time! You can sit inside and there are regular tables and large tables for larger groups. I really like the environment outside where you can sit outside and enjoy the fresh air and if it’s cold outside they have heaters that turn up.
As far as the food goes, it’s alright. The tacos are small (as expected since they are cheap) and don’t have enough food – but eat a couple and you will be y. They have pretty good brunch options that gets you a lot of food, but the food is average. Service is good and I’ve never had any issues with someone forgetting my order or being late – but keep in mind this place will be slower when there are a ton of people. Overall if you’re a large group come here to hang and drink!

Café Durant is a perfect hole in the wall for just about anyone. Whether you’re a berkeley student, staff member, or visitor, this place is definitely worth the visit.
It’s one step above Denny’s, but I won’t sugarcoat it and call it gourmet food. For the price you pay, you’ll get a decent meal with larger portions than you’d imagine. I came in with absolutely no expectations and was pleasantly surprised by the quality of my meals. On my most recent visit I ordered the Sundeck Combo D for $ 7.50 and that included a strawberry banana crêpe, 2 chocolate chip banana pancakes, a veggie omelette, and fruit salad.
I highly recommend this place for breakfast, lunch, and the occasional drink!

Only came here for taco Tuesday and finally got a spot on the rooftop; thank god because inside felt like a sauna! The tacos weren’t anything special but they came out fast. Mmm corona…

What a bunch of dirt bags — I asked if they would give me a deal on wings, for a large quantity, because that’s how I like to eat my wings — go big or go home.
Dude answered the phone said «No, that’s not enough to cut me a deal, if I order 200 or 300, then maybe»
If I only get a «Maybe» at 200, I’m giving them a 2 thumbs down for customer service.

Everyone loves Café D! Margarita Monday, Taco Tuesday, Wing it Wednesday, Thirsty Thursday, and BTC Fridays!
Although, this is like the hub of youngin’s on weekdays. VERY VERY cheap beer and food!
All of their food is average; nothing too spectacular. I’ve had omelets, burritos, nachos, and tacos from here. I cannot count the number of times I have been here but I have never been disappointed!
BEST breakfast food (for its price)!