Rainbow Ranch Cafe

Come here. You won’t regret it. I promise you.
Traci J. even has a special song dedicated to it. The lyrics are «Rainbow Ranch! Rainbow Ranch!» but you elongate the «Ranch» part and pronounce it like a stereotypical Frenchman (except without the «Hahahah!» following it). It sounds like «Ronsh,» but you hold a beat on the N. You’ll get it; you’ll totally get it.

This review is a throwback review from my high school days. I use to go to Berkeley high when attending high school and this place was one of the places that was in walking distance to my high school during lunch hour, so a lot of students would come here during that hour. What I usually got here was a ham and cheese sandwich, which may sound like nothing special but they were oh so very good indeed! The staff that work here were also very kind and quick about making their food and orders come out rather fast (especially for students). There is also a mini indoor seating area which can be rather busy during lunch hours and the place is full of students. There is also a seating area outside which is great to sit out there on a nice day in Berkeley.

Friendly cashier and cute sitting area. Was recommended the rou jia mo, a shredded pork sandwich with cilantro and onions, by my roommate and it didn’t disappoint. Will be back!

I love the turkey melts here! I’ve only had the sandwiches and they are all good but the turkey melt is the best. And they give you a drink with it. Great place to grab and go.

I was irritated to discover that the spaghetti comes only with meat sauce. They have a w/​meatballs option too, so I think the sauce should be vegetarian.
So, know that not everything that they have is actually on the menu. We asked what vegetarian options they had and the person working recommended their vegetable noodle bowl. It was really good. Could have used more vegetables, but was quite tasty and didn’t have the fake flavor that a lot of ramen style bowls have.
My son had the egg salad sandwich on a french roll, and it made me wish I had ordered a sandwich because it looked so good. The bread looks really soft and fresh. The sourdough wasn’t quite as good (a bit too dry). They give a discount if you can pay with cash.
There is basically no room at all to eat inside, but there is plenty of seating outside. There is a bathroom out back. It is tiny and not that clean, but at least they have one.

This place is always right down my house. I see it but i could never really understand what type of food they have. Finally was able to order some food one day one my way to a giants game. I literally didn’t want to get food at the stadium because I didn’t plan well with my budget this month. lol. Anyways I simply asked them: «which sandwich is most popular?» They said the spicy chicken was their best. Ordered it and it took about 8 minutes. Then I ran to bart and eat it before I got on the train. It was actually pretty good. The sauce was very interesting. There was a sense of a creamyness to it. I would recommend for people around the area to try this place out. Its pretty good. They even have a breakfast menu with eggs, bacon, and toast. Pretty good.

Cute little place. Food is fresh (I ordered a breakfast sandwich), you serve your own coffee. Decent sized menu.

Charming and enchanting on the outside and this cottage brews up delicious won ton soup! It was my first time trying this place and I enjoyed myself. The soup was delicious and the service was spot on. There is a cute outdoor area where you can eat.

So cute from the outside, FILTHY on the inside. Seriously, a fly/​knat cemetery in each window sill.bleeeeeeck.

I like the salami sandwich. Also at certain times it comes with a free soda.

Cute, fast with fresh ingredients and cheap lunch. I got the chef salad with turkey so in general it’s a bland salad but the ingredients were fresh: lettuce, corn, avocado, tomato, carrot, hard boiled egg and sliced turkey.
It’s a cute little cottage-​building and I got easy metered parking. Though it’s a 30 min max for parking, it was plenty of time to get your food and eat.
Bathroom situation wasn’t ideal… unisex and no lock on the door. So it’s a roulette whether you are lucky enough to not have someone walk in on you. No soap or towels so I’m not sure servers adhere to the «all employees must wash hands» sign.
Would’ve given it more stars if it weren’t for the restroom facilities. Avoid that and you’ll enjoy your lunch.

Hansel and Gretel, are you in there?
I wonder how many people make this reference when they come in for a bite to eat. Probably everyone; the staff is probably sick of it. I guess I should stop joking about it *every single time* I come in for a sandwich (:
I can’t help it!
Although this place is the polar opposite of the cottage in that surprisingly morbid fairy tale. Stocked with food — something for everyone — and the staff is very nice and prompt when it comes to taking your orders and getting you food. The patio is a great place to have lunch with friends on a sunny day and it’s fairly quiet mid day when the brats, I mean, high schoolers are in class.
Love the spicy chicken sandwich — totally made with Sriracha — and the prices are decent. I’ve been here a number of times and I’ll probably be back next week.
[totally irrelevant to this review but how many of you have *actually* read the story of Hansel and Gretel recently? I looked it up right before I wrote this review. Good God, what the hell is wrong with the Brothers Grimm!?]

a cute little restaurant across from berkeley high school. i was volunteering at a health screening at BHS and wanted to grab something to eat nearby. i think it’s a really good idea to open a place near a high school that sells sandwiches, drinks, hot dogs, cup noodles, etc etc because that’s what most kids eat and what they can afford.
for myself, i got a sriracha chicken sandwich. nothing too fancy but it was really good. i love spicy food and the chicken was tender and it was nice to have a warm sandwich on this particular rainy cold day.
it’s not a place i would come out to just to eat specifically, but its definitely a good place to grab a quick bite if you are in the area. just notice the time because it gets packed quickly when the students are on their lunch break

Ham and cheese croissant sandwich in the morning.

What a disappointment! A place this charming from the outside has no business selling pre-​packaged pastries and cup-​o-​noodle soup alongside rancid iced coffee. I didn’t dare try any of the prepared food, but maybe i missed out on the hidden jewel keeping this dive afloat.

This place is down the street from me, but I rarely eat there. In fact, I usually forget it’s there.
I usually grab a sandwich to go when I’m headed for a long road trip to avoid eating fast food.
I’ve only had the turkey sandwich on sourdough. Now I may be biased because I LOVE sourdough bread, but that sandwich is pretty darned good. I think I might usually request avocado too.
Take note: In order to pay with credit card you need to have a minimum charge, which I believe is $ 4.50. If you add a drink to your sandwich that’ll get you there.

Stopped by to grab a quick lunch before a hair appointment. We weren’t really going to this place, but it was near the salon and having to travel back down University would have been a pain. I must say, we were pleasantly surprised. The sandwiches were good. The bread was toasted, soft and tasty. They aren’t as generous with the meat as Togo’s, but it was flavorful. They have daily specials that you can get which includes chips and a soda for 5.95. Nice workers and good service. You take a seat and they deliver your trays to you. The patio was enjoyable too. Overall, a good place for a sandwhich :)

Stopped by here because of the strange name of the restaurant and the gnomish castle that houses it.
Rainbow Ranch features moderately priced sandwiches served by a very nice owner. I had the bbq roast beef sandwich and was very happy with it. This is a great place for a simple and fast lunch.

Serviceable sandwiches, brusque yet amusing counter staff. A fourth star for their location close to where I live. I do miss Robin’s though … «Extra pickle for you?» Always, Robin. Always.

The replacement for the late, lamented Robin’s Sandwiches. I do miss that place! The Rainbow Ranch Café is a very similar place, a daytime sandwich place. Rainbow Ranch serves Uncommon Grounds (organic?) coffee, and Numi and Stash tea. The sandwiches aren’t dirt cheap, but the daily special with a sandwich, chips, and a can of soda is not bad at $ 6 with tax, and you even get a pickle. I went at 3PM — watch out if you go there around noontime, you are likely to be overrun by Berkeley High students.