Hummingbird Cafe

The owner is so friendly and always makes conversation with customers. And if you’re lucky you might be able to get a smoothie sample! He prides himself on the best smoothies in town and if a random review from a stranger on the Internet means anything to you, then I can guarantee you they certainly are the best

Walked in since the place we originally wanted to go was closed for the day. I wasn’t expecting much to be honest from the sight of the front and cramped inside but it’s another reminder to never judge a book by it’s cover! It’s been awhile since I’ve eaten lunch in Berkeley but it used to be I’d frequent deli’s here quite often. The first bite into my Pastrami sandwich and a nostalgic moment of déjà vu! I dunno what it was but the perfect dutch crunch roll certainly had something to do with it. On a rainy dreary day in the bay, the sandwich tasted like a brief ray of sunshine!

This is a great quick and healthy lunch option near campus. I’ve never tried it before despite being a local, but the freshness and reasonable prices as well as friendly service make it a score! I got the falafel wrap and it was a large (1.5 meals for me!), fresh, and hearty vegetarian lunch. My friend A got the veggie delight (avocado, feta, veggies, and sprouts) on Rye and I think I’ll try that next time as it was creamy and perfect for summer. The owner was super friendly and gave great suggestions on what to order.

Great food.
It is a pity that I noticed this Café towards the end of my Berkeley time. They definitely have good food.
Best of best: BBQ chicken sandwich/​wrap. You will never forget the taste after you have it.
They are also very friendly and kinda cheer up your day!

Jamal is passionate about the food he makes — talk to him about the Middle Eastern Platter and you can tell. The selection and freshness of food here is great, plenty of ethnic options. Good for lunch on the go, I’ve had the cranberry turkey and sumac roast chicken sandwiches, gotta try the schwarma next

I always go here for their croissant sandwich with freshly squeezed orange juice ! It’s a small place with limited seating but it’s still worth it! I prefer this café over the other ones on Euclid but that’s just my opinion

Hefty Turkey Avocado on a dutch crunch roll for $ 5. I like coming here after class when I’m not trying to drop $ 10 on a meal elsewhere. The owner is cool and you got to try his smoothies and lemonade when you’re on Euclid.

Had some time to pick up a quick bite while in the area, but didn’t have time to choose. Ran into a sandwich shop that sold espresso, which was exactly what I needed
I wish I knew they were known more for their smoothies and falafel wraps! I’ll be back to try them.
Super friendly staff, very busy spot!

Go here. Best smoothies. You can trust they are the best smoothies because Jamal really takes pride in his smoothies. You can taste the craftsmanship.
Besides the smoothies, I really like this place because it is one of those rare, round-​the-​corner stores that don’t really exist in big cities anymore. The owner is a gem – truly genuine. Anything he says that may be taken as offensive probably shouldn’t be. That’s just him being genuine.
I came here one day of course to order a smoothie. Upon receiving my smoothie, I realized I didn’t have cash with me. I peered across the counter apologetically. Jamal waved his hand, and said, «That’s okay, come back tomorrow.»
He let me walk out with the goods on faith? What???
Of course, I came back the next day with cash to pay my tab, and ordered another smoothie. That’s how you do business.

Very tasty, perfect for grabbing a sandwich for lunch. However, the place is very small so eating there is not really an option.

So I haven’t had any food from here but I had a smoothie and it was so refreshing! The man (owner of the store) is extremely friendly and can help you make a decision if you’re unsure of what to get.
Most of the smoothies come with frozen yogurt so I wasn’t feeling it. The mango, pineapple, and ginger smoothie (no froyo) is a refreshing way to start your day. I don’t believe he allows substitutions in any of the smoothies so just talk to the man and he can help you out.
Will definitely be returning.
**there is a $ 5 minimum for debit/​credit**

I’ve never tried the food here, but if you’re either here or at Banana Sam’s and are lucky enough to see the owner there too, make sure to ask him for his custom smoothie! Seriously the best smoothie I’ve ever had.

This place is not good. I ordered the eggplant pesto and the eggplant was cut so thin that it was stringy and chewy. Also it was burnt so there was an overwhelming burnt flavor with each bite which hampered the potentially delicious bread and mozzarella. The falafel wrap was decent but nothing noteworthy either.
However the worst part of the experience is that the café felt unsanitary. It has very dim lighting that gave an unclean aura from the start. But this feeling waa escalated because of the food handling practices. The staff wore plastic gloves but handled your money and the food with the same gloves. Also, while weighing the meat, they did not put parchment paper on the scale leaving slimy meat residue on the scale. Overall just an unpleasant experience even with the incredibly nice staff. I just can’t handle mediocre food with thoughts of food poisoning crawling at the back of my mind.

This place is legit, so good and great service. Owner makes everything from scratch and provides great service for everyone who walks in his door.
The esspresso beverages here are also on point and authentic! So great for your morning stop as well! Have him toast you up a blueberry muffin, it’s amazing!

So this place became my go-​to place for lunch. The owner always gives me free sample, whether it is a little cup of smoothies or the turkey that he roasts himself. I am not a big fan of turkey but those were the juiciest turkey I’ve ever had. Although there are many many sandwiches and wraps I can choose from, I always find myself ordering the same one over and over again — the veggie delight. DON’T EAT IT IN FRONT OF PEOPLE because it is stuffed with goodies like avocado, sprouts and feta cheese, and it’ll get really messy. But it is so refreshing and fulfilling! Definitely the best I’ve ever had!

The smoothies here are not bad. I’ve gotten the Maui Dream and another smoothie before (I believe it was coconut pineapple?). The Maui Dream was pretty good. It had a lot of fruits in it, and I really liked the sorbet that was added on top of the smoothie, as well as the fresh fruits on top. I remember the second I got being not very flavorful and not that good. It was also somewhat watery. The price for these smoothies is almost $ 5, and for the size of cup, it’s not worth it. The man making the smoothies is always really friendly though!

I’ve been coming here since 1999. In fact it was this place that helped me start eating raw tomatoes!
The falafel is amazing and the owner ensures there is great quality. The prices are great. My favorite is the hummus wrap.

I stopped by here one morning due to good reviews.
I ordered an orange carrot juice and a bagel breakfast sandwich. They were both ok. The bagel ingredients were all microwaved (egg ham and bacon).
The unsettling part, is the sanitation.
The owner (I’m assuming) is a nice guy, but around his fingernails it was black for whatever reason. That was a huge turn off. Plus, he didnt wear gloves when preparing my items. I didn’t see him wash his hands between the different items. And to conclude, he rung me up and didnt wash his hands. I hope he washed his hands to make the next guy’s sandwich.
I would want to try this place again, but maybe when someone else is working (and in a cleaner manner).

I come here all the time for lunch. The sandwiches here are an affordable and tasty way to fill you up until dinner time. The convenient location is a huge plus, right next to campus and many apartment complexes in the area.
The staff here is really friendly and very obliging when it comes to customizing your order. The café is pretty small, not much room to sit without blocking everyone in line. I’d definitely recommend getting a sandwich to go and eating it on Memorial Glade.
My favorite here is the turkey avocado on a croissant. The texture of the toasted croissant is amazing and the ingredients in the sandwich are all fresh and super tasty.
After coming here once, I guaruntee you will become a regular.

Dark and dingy. I like cafes with a unique character, except I much prefer open, uplifting themes to one that looks like a UC Berkeley building in dire need of renovation.
Came here because of the glowing Unilocal reviews, and the food was better than I expected. I always look at the photos beforehand, but sometimes it’s an issue when there’s no scale. This is what happened – the wraps look tiny in the photos, but it turned out to be huge! Like, almost Chipotle size! I couldn’t finish it even though it was a late lunch and I was hungry.
I got the lamb wrap (a little under $ 7 after tax) because I couldn’t find the falafel wrap that everyone was talking about. The menu might have changed, but in any case the lamb wrap was not bad. Toasted pita (or you can choose bread), tabbouleh, hummus, spicy sauce, jalapenos. Overall a good combination of flavors, though I found it a bit unimpressive that the lamb was pre-​made and just microwaved.
They only have 1 table outside, and on the inside they have high chairs with a long table. The long table is TINY, and when you eat there your face is right up against the wall. Maybe I’m just claustrophobic, but this is where the interior design could be improved.
Service was pretty friendly. I was helped by a bubbly Korean lady, and you rarely see people that energetic and warm :) Definitely brightened up this dark place.