I B’s Hoagies

BLAST FROM THE PAST
When I was a student a Cal Berkeley one of the places I would eat is here. I remember the first time I had a bite of the hoagie of this place. I never had a hoagie before as I didn’t like sandwiches. However the crunchy dutch bread and the moist cheese steak made me a converter of hoagie. I would eat here often as a student. As an alum before any Cal Golden Bears football game I would either come here or Top Dog. Since this place set the bar for me if how a hoagie should taste I would compare other hoagie eateries to this place.
I came here today for lunch. The classic is the classic cheese steak hoagie. When I come here I order the mushroom cheese steak as mushrooms are a great ingredient to go with steak. When there’s a chance to order tater tots over fries I always take the to order the tots. What I noticed is that there was garlic tots. I’m not a big fan of garlic fries as the fries eventually become soggy. So I decided to get the garlic tots. I never had that before as I usually get regular tots. I felt the garlic tots would be more crispy than the garlic fries. And I was correct. The reason is that the tots have a smaller surface area than fries. The fries would absorb the garlic flavor but that absorption make the fries soggy at the end. The tots in the other hand will always remain me crispy than the fries because they have less to absorb. You can still taste the garlic flavor of the tots as you would with the fries but the tots still remain crispy.
The mushroom cheese steak was moist as I remember. The mushrooms enhance the cheese steak despite all the lettuce, tomatoes, mayonnaise, and onions. If I love this place so much as a student why am I not giving this a perfect five star rating? What I remember about this place was the toasted dutch crunch bread that made the hoagies special. The crunchy dutch bread made this hoagie lighter than most hoagies at other places. In addition the toasted dutch bread absorbs the seasoning of the cheese steak. Then I noticed the menu items of I. B’s Hoagies are much different when I was a student. There are more varieties such as the garlic tots. I noticed the cheese steaks aren’t oven toasted anymore. There’s a section of oven toasted sandwiches. That’s a disappointment because what made I. B’s Hoagies special was that all the cheese steak sandwiches were oven toasted. Despite the cheese steaks not toasted anymore I still like this place. If you’re ever in Berkeley and have a craving for hoagie I recommend I. B’s Hoagies. You’ll see why students and alums keep going to this place.

My order:
9″ (regular size) Mushroom Cheesesteak
Small Garlic Fries
About $ 10 – 12
The mushroom cheesesteak was BOMB. I got the onions on the side (which I didn’t end up eating because I hate onions, I got them on the side to consider the idea though), mayo, lettuce, cheese, and mushrooms of course since I got the mushroom cheesesteak. I’m not really a fan of many toppings other than my meat and cheese, so this was just the right amount of toppings for me. The sandwich was HUGE, I ate the whole entire thing and felt pretty dang full.
As far as the garlic fries, they weren’t too great. The fries were sort of either too soggy or too fried. And the garlic/​seasoning wasn’t quite right in my opinion. A little bit strong for my taste.
There are a few reasons why I am not giving five stars:
1. The customer service wasn’t the great, the cashier wasn’t too friendly.
2. They charge 5% for card.
3. The garlic fries were a let down (I LOVE garlic fries generally, which was one thing that got me excited about this place).

I legitimately had a dream about their cheese fries and sweet potatertots :^)

I’ve been here on multiple occasions, and I must say that the food is great, especially for its price. I usually get the mushroom cheesesteak, and for a small, it’s around $ 7. Portions are hefty, and the meat is cooked right before it’s served, so it’s nice and hot when you eat it. They’re also really accommodating with people’s toppings preferences and as long as you tell them what you don’t want on your sandwich, they’ll happily do it. The mushroom cheesesteak is pretty rich and flavorful and super filling. I’ve also tried the garlic fries, and though the fries are nicely fried, I wasn’t pleased by seeing how they prepare them. I was waiting for my food, and I just saw the worker dump the fries into a plastic container and pour some garlic oil in it and shake it. I’m not sure how sanitary that method is and how often the container is cleaned. I’m pretty sure there’s a better way of going about it. It’s not the greatest cheesesteak but it’s definitely above average, and if you want to just grab something quick, cheap, and filling, IB’s is definitely a solid option.

IB’s Hoagies is my go to restaurant for good, filling burgers, hoagies, and cheesesteak sandwiches. The service is quick and the sandwiches are delicious. My usual food of choice is the 9″ mushroom cheesesteak sandwich. The flavors meld together quite nicely. Other things are good on the menu as well. Their burgers are super juicy and surprisingly filling. In all honesty, IB’s reminds me of a burger shack with good, classic, greasy burgers, hoagies, and cheesesteak sandwiches.
One tip:
The hoagies and Cheesesteak sandwiches come in three sizes, 6 inches, 9 inches, and 15 inches. I usually stick with the 9 inch sandwich, but I am also a bigger eater than most people. If your not a big eater, a 6 inch sandwich will probably fill you up. The 15 inch sandwich… Well it is really big and is probably best eaten spread out over several meals. All three of the sandwiches are packed is why I say this all.

After a couple years, this place still remains the same; great service, low cost, huge portions, and full of flavor!
The classic cheese steak hoagie is still the same as it always was just maybe a buck more. I did however order their large garlic tots for $ 5! These make the best pair with their sandwiches. Their fresh from the fry, seasoned just right with garlic bits and lightly salted. The large size is enough for two people I’d say.

Their cheese steak sandwich was actually really good. The bread was nice and toasty and the steak had a good flavor to it. I just wish I saw what they put in it before I said everything nonchalantly lol

3 stars for the food, 4 for the service, and 4 for the affordability.
I’ve walked by IB’s nearly 500 times and finally finally decided to try the place out tonight. I ordered a cheeseburger and garlic fries. The service was very friendly and they were very accommodating – no problem cooking the burger med rare (though it was more like medium), and giving me a lettuce wrap.
Overall the burger was just alright. Very juicy meat, tasted good, with decent flavor. Generous with the cheese and toppings. The garlic fries were just meh as well, though next time I will ask for extra crispy.
The actual food itself was slightly disappointing, tho I probably should try a cheesesteak or hoagie next time. They have corned beef which i absolutely love. Will get a cheesesteak and update my review accordingly next time around.
*UPDATE*
The wings suck.

It was late night and I had just finished class. My friend and I were looking for a place to eat. So we went over to IB and eagerly awaited our orders (mushroom hoagie and sweet potato tots for me, pepper hoagie with french fries for her). The smell was heavenly, especially when all we usually eat is bland food from the university dining halls (the exception of course, is Clark Kerr)
We devoured our dinner in less than 20 minutes while complaining about classes and admiring the view of the moonlit Campanile.

As a certified french fry junkie, I have no qualms in saying that I have never been disappointed with an order from I.B.s. They have a nice selection: curly, waffle, steak, sweet potato, and tots. (Plus onion rings, which aren’t bad either).
Their cheesesteaks come with the works, and they have a HUGE selection of self-​serve condiments to boot.
The place is super tiny, so definitely try not to bank on getting one of the coveted chairs (let alone a table) during a rush, but it’s still totally worth it.

About two weeks ago, I was flipping through channels on the TV and ended up watching a show (probably on the Food Network or Travel Channel) about the best places to get a cheesesteak in Philly. With no trips to the East Coast planned any time in the near future, I took to Unilocal to find a place in Berkeley that would be an acceptable placeholder in the mean time. The consensus on Unilocal was the I.B. Hoagies is the place to go in Berkeley, so I walked over there that evening to see for myself.
I ordered a small 6″ mushroom cheesesteak ($ 4.99) with everything on it (they include lettuce, tomato, onions, pickles, mustard, and mayo on every sandwich) and an order of curly fries. If all of those ingredients already on the sandwich are not enough for you, they have a dizzyingly large array of condiments, seasonings, and peppers that you can add to the sandwich later. I’m not even sure if Safeway carries as many condiments in their stores.
Although this sandwich wouldn’t be considered the real deal because of all of the lettuce, tomato, etc., it was still really tasty. The juices from the beef were soaked into the chewy soft roll and the melted cheese complemented the meat well. My only complaint about the sandwich is that there were very few mushrooms on it. The curly fries were great too. They were cooked perfectly and well seasoned.
There was one nit-​picky thing I don’t like about the menu. A 15″ sandwich costs $ 11.99 but you can get a 6″ for $ 4.99 and a 9″ for $ 6.99 to get a composite 15″ sandwich for $ 11.98. Far from getting a deal for ordering the big sandwich, you are actually paying more than you would for the two smaller sandwiches. Maybe they just want to punish people who are bad at math though.
I.B. Hoagies offers satisfying sandwiches at a reasonable price in a location close to campus. I will definitely be back.

I’m not a big sandwich (or bread) person, so I have to say I haven’t had a hoagie here and probably never will.
I am, however, a huge fan of any and all potato products.
My coworkers introduced me to IB’s fries, specifically, their chili cheese fries.
Let’s go further.
Curly fries, tater tots, fries, and crisscut fries are all options. With chili cheese.
We ordered a mix of curly fries and tots in one basket (WHOA) with chili cheese and wow was it amazing. I was really pleased with how few tots and fries were bare since my love for potatoes is only trumped by my love for cheese and cheese flavored sauces. I also really like how many condiments there are. I would very highly recommend the bacon mayo as a compliment to the chili cheese. It adds an extra flavor as well as a nice creamy note to balance how heavy the chili and cheese and potato can all be together.
Note: you can only do two types of potato in the large size. The small is a very affordable $ 3.50 and the large is a shockingly fair $ 5.50. The large is pretty large though, I can put down a lot of potato at one time and I didn’t quite finish. Maybe if I’d had more bacon mayo. Yeah, if the bacon mayo hadn’t been running out, I’d probably have made the mistake of finishing and putting myself into a food coma.
My coworkers talked this place up for weeks and this lunch was everything I dreamed it would be and more.
I just wish they had some umbrellas for sunny days since all the seating is outside.

A great, cheap meal every time. Note that they charge an extra percentage to use a credit card, so cash is better. I always get the teriyaki cheesesteak. The meat is perfectly cooked and slathered in the right amount of teriyaki glaze. I hear their other sandwiches are great, too.

Garlic fries. This is one of the select few places i know around campus with garlic fries. They are so fresh and so hot. I love it! They also have great curly fries and Hoagie sandwiches. The wait is pretty sure and always have a bunch of people so you know the food is fresh! They take credit card which is convent. I love the mushroom chicken steak. The meat is very tender and soft which i love. The bread is toasted perfectly and plenty of meat and stuffing inside. The order is fast and its not a long wait at all! There are about 3 tables outside so seating is limited, but most people takeout to go.

This place is so good! We had the classic cheesesteak and garlic fries and it was amazing! The cheesesteak is definitely good for two people, we ended being so full that we couldn’t finish it! The location is also great if you want to eat somewhere near campus.

Every time I come here, I always get the garlic fries and the chili cheese fries! Those are my favorite here! They’re so good and there’s actually a good amount of garlic on the fries so I’m not disappointed. The place is tiny but they get your order to you quickly so it’s not a long wait at all. I haven’t tried any of their other foods yet, maybe one day

Delicious garlic fries!!! My favorite garlic fries ever! Do note that the fries are extremely garlicky, so be ready for that.

I have to admit I haven’t been here in a while, since I don’t live in the Bay Area anymore, but this place is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO good.
I have been getting food here for over 20 years.
Last time I was in the Bay Area, I did stop and grab myself a cheesesteak from here, and I am not a big red meat eater.
The meat is moist, cheesy and flavorful, I did add hot sauce because, well I put hot sauce on just about everything.
I even bought one for my littles to share, I mean they are 6 but they are plenty big enough for them to share one, as I can’t even finish a whole one to myself.
They absolutely LOOOVVEEDD it.
they ask, are we gonna go to San Francisco again? Can we stop at that place and get that cheesy meat sandwich?

Best curly fries I’ve ever had! It’s hot, crispy, and fresh — what more could you ask for?
The mushroom cheese steak is huge (regular size). There’s plenty of meat in the sandwich and the bread tastes fresh as well. The order comes out pretty fast and there’s a variety of sauces to try too.
Although I felt the small curly fries were overpriced for the amount given, I would come back again! The sandwiches are great.
Note: there’s limited seating so I’d probably get the order to-​go

My girlfriend and I were walking around Telegraph Ave when we happened to spot IB Hoagies. We decided to give it a shot and ordered a large mushroom cheesesteak w/​an order of tater tots. We had asked if it would be possible to have half regular/​half sweet potato tater tots and they were more than happy to do so.
When the food came out, I was somewhat taken aback by the sheer size of the cheesesteak. They were more than generous with their portions and the quality of the food was pretty good. This is not the best cheesesteak I have ever had, but it definitely ranks towards the top. IB Hoagies had a sign hanging that stated that they use grass fed/​organic beef. Customers won’t be able to determine if they really use grass fed/​organic beef, but at least they are hippie/​hipster compliant.
My only complaint about this place is the lack of seating and the quality of seating. They have a few tables out front, but the seats were all wobbly/​prone to breaking. I had to pop a squat to prevent one of the chairs from snapping under my weight.
Overall: Food is good (not greasy), portions are huge, staff is friendly, limited seating.