The Toaster Oven

I’m not surprised that this place closed: While it was cheap, there wasn’t anything that special about the sandwiches. It was a classic «I could have done this at home.» Toasted on a conveyer belt, sandwiches were warm, but lacking in meat and doused in mayo (or vinaigrette). Meat choices were uninspiring, but the biggest miss was that there was nothing to really tie the sandwich together: If you’re going to toast the whole thing and only offer 4 or 5 types of ham, you need some aioli, be it spicy of garlic. You’re not Genova’s, where you can let the meat/​cheese speak for itself.

Meh. I’ve experienced better.
I ordered a peanut butter and jam (PB and J) on toasted whole wheat bread. The creamy peanut butter was meh. They hardly put any peanut butter on my sandwich. The strawberry jam was actually strawberry jelly that was squeezed out of a nasty-​looking plastic bottle.
The sandwich was below-​average quality. I just wasted 5 bucks. 5 bucks could have bought me 35 HUGE navel oranges at the Boston farmer’s market.

The sandwiches are pretty good/​average, but I’m giving it 4 stars based on the price. They usually have a lot of deals like $ 3 sandwiches on Friday! Super cheap. Also it’s toasted!
My favorites are the piezzano and the chicken one. I had a bite of my friend’s kitchen sink and the meat tasted a little weird. I really like that the bread is really crunchy and warm and it doesn’t get soggy like subway’s bread. I hate soggy sandwiches.

The sandwiches here are pretty mediocre. They make their sandwiches Qualcomm style, but it seems much less sanitary, especially when they put the sandwich on the belt without anything underneath (who knows if they clean that thing??). –1 star.
The workers seem indifferent and not very excited to be there, so service.-1 star. For my sandwich, I got the Italiano, which was really small compared to Montague’s or Sam’s or Subway even. Also, I got avocado for extra and half of my sandwich didn’t have it at all and the other half had way too much of it. Lastly, they aren’t as efficient as they advertise themselves to be. It took be 10 – 15 minutes for my sandwich. –1 star.
I would probably opt for other sandwich places.

I have ordered sandwiches here a few times and this review is long overdue.
I came here when they first opened up and they had a sandwich special for about $ 6 for a sandwich, chips, and soda. I ordered the Italian and I have to say it was one of the best sandwiches I have had around Berkeley-​which is saying a lot! Back then I would have given this place 5 stars.
However, I have since gone back a few times and they took away the special so the same meal is almost $ 8 – 9, which any first year econ student will tell you is not good for business especially with so much competition around.
The sandwiches here have better ingredients than that shop that sells fake Footlong «breadwiches» on the corner of Telegraph and Bancroft.
I am giving the Toaster Oven 4 stars because they have great sandwiches, friendly staff, but not such a great bargain compared to everything else on this street.

This is your typical sandwich place.
Default: So, I have only been here twice and tried their KC Chicken BBQ and the Kitchen Sink.
The Kitchen Sink (hence the name) has different types of meat. The flavors all worked well together. I recommend the peppers as one of your additions. They really liven up the sandwich. KC Chicken BBQ is a messy eat! Bring tons of napkins! Both offer a good amount of fresh vegetables and your other fixin’s.
Location: Conveniently located on Telegraph and a quick walk to/​from campus.
Payment: Accepts Cal Debit!
Service: It’s okay. I usually only see one person working here. Where are the rest of the employees?
It’s a mediocre sandwich place.
P. S. Their bathroom keys are attached to a giant serving utensil. No lie.

Lookin’ for a quick bite to eat, and I came across this place. I hadn’t been in Berkeley for over a year so this place was new to me, looked decent and I wasn’t disappointed.
Can’t go wrong with a turkey sandwich. Like Quiznos, they toast your meat and bun and then add all the other veggies on top. Unlike Quiznos, you can’t see them putting the stuff on your sammie, well at least for me since I’m kind of short. For $ 5 it as a decent amount of food and I’m sure most students around the area wouldn’t mind it since it’s right off campus.
Friendly staff, ample seating for a quick bite. Not bad.

This is your average sandwich job, with smaller portions. As a small 98lb Asian girl
I tend to get full pretty easily, but honestly the sandwich portion is so small that even I didn’t get full =[, AND it takes forever to be ready
I added an extra star because when I went there, service was super friendly :)
Sandwiches $ 4.99
Veggie ones $ 4.59 (3 options only — including pb&j lol)
I got the kitchen, meh …

For those who love sandwiches, this place is… meh at best.
I ordered the BBQ sandwich. I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it tasted like BBQ sauce and that’s it. I can’t even remember what was in it — that was how uninteresting it was. If you want a sandwich that’s more flavorful, exciting, or has a distinct good-​feel to it, I don’t recommend this place. The food is just, okay. Props to it for having pretty friendly staff and iPads, though.
Bottom line:
Toaster Oven, I liked you better when you used to be GameStop.

I was looking for a sandwich place and came here for brunch. It was either here or The Melt, but I was looking for some meat! Pretty good price for a delicious turkey avocado sandwich. Adding avocado is 75 cents, which isn’t that bad for Berkeley. Got exactly what I wanted: italian bread, turkey, lettuce, tomato, and avocado! Usually have to pay about $ 7.59 — $ 8 for this #24 sandwich at Togo’s, but it was less than $ 6 here! Not bad at all. A very large sandwich, too! I was satisfied :)

Sandwiches are solid and the price is nice. Perfect for a quick lunch or dinner, particularly if you’re studying. My personal preference is the Italiano with vinaigrette.
Tip: free drink with Cal ID.

Tasty sandwiches for quick on-​the-​go lunch.
Randomly wandered into this place since I had never seen it before. I ordered the Italian sub (~$ 5). The tortilla soup intrigued me, but I was not that hungry. The sandwich was really well assembled and really nicely toasted. The only minor complaint is that I would have liked a slightly thicker layer of meat, but the sandwich was still delicious.
The strange thing about this place is that they have a decently sized space in a great location, but the place feels very crammed an uncomfortable because of the layout. Sandwiches are made behind a very high counter that takes up most of the restaurant. The only places to sit are a high bench along the walkway where you order the the sandwiches. It is so crammed that they even have a sign telling you to take your backpack off when you are sitting down because it will block the aisle.
I know the intent of this place is for people to grab a quick sandwich to-​go, but I think the layout could be improved to fit in at least a couple of tables. That said, I will definitively be returning for another sandwich and maybe some of that tortilla soup.

This is a great place if you’re craving a sandwich and in a hurry to get to class. Otherwise, I wouldn’t recommend it because there are better sandwiches elsewhere…
But it’s quick and pretty cheap, and has all the basic sandwich combinations you’d like.

I don’t think this place is THAT fast. But it says they are on their door when you walk in. The toaster oven thing takes a little long. especially when you’re hungry and you just remember that they said that they were fast.
Anyways, I still like going here. I’ve gotten the Kitchen Sink (my fav – several different kinds of deli meat) and the one w/​pepperoni and marinara sauce. I really like this place over Subway because it tastes so, so fresh. The servers are always really nice and friendly. THEIR PEPPERS ARE BOMB– I always ask for a lot of peppers. They make it themselves, I think, and they even sell it in a bottle.
TIPS:
–Cal students get a free drink
–Don’t eat in unless you want to sit at a very narrow booth with people squeezing past behind you.

I love the decorations here! The toaster wall is super ridiculously cute (I want to steal it and put it in my room). I went with some friends and I ended up getting the KC BBQ Chicken. After you choose the meat/​cheese combination you end building your sandwich. For a place called toaster oven, they really don’t toast their sandwiches that much. I found my sandwich just a little bit soggy (although I did ask for everything in it). The peppers were tasty and I like how they had pickled carrots along with it. Overall, though I found the sandwich very lacking (but sufficient when you’re starving and only have $ 5 in your pocket). It was sort of sloppy and the BBQ Chicken wasn’t very tender.
Tip: Cal Students don’t forget your IDs. Free drink with sandwich purchase (month of March). They had a stack of the flyers by the cash register.

|| B A C K G R O U N D ||
The Toaster Oven had a promotion today where, from 11 AM — 4 PM, any of their sandwiches were only $ 1.99. I was lucky to have walked by this place the day prior, and I made a mental note to grab one of these before my office hours.
You walk in and make an immediate right turn, which is the start of their line. On the wall, there is a super cool display of chips, $ 0.99 for regular chips, $ 1.39 for gourmet chips. They have soda in a fridge nearby.
When you approach the counter, someone asks you what sandwich you would like, and if you would like white or wheat. The meat and cheese are piled onto the bread and placed in the toaster, which is picked up by someone as you round the corner of the counter. One of the many staff will pick up your meat/​cheese/​bread sandwich and help you pile on your choice of toppings (mayo, mustard, homemade hot peppers, lettuce, onions, pickles, tomatoes, with avocado an extra $ 0.75). You can also opt to replace the mayo with a light vinaigrette. Your complete sandwich is cut into halves, wrapped, stuck into a bag and placed on the counter for you. You walk down to the end, where you pay for your meal and can potentially order soup and salad.
Service is fast: from start to finish, it took about 10 minutes, including the long line of students waiting for $ 2 sandwiches. My sandwich helper was really nice and smiled the whole time, whereas the sandwich helper helping the person next to me looked tired and unhappy to be there (she smacked the finished sandwich on the counter… lol). Then again, they seem to be students, and making sandwiches is not their lifelong passion. Or maybe it is.
|| F O O D ||
KC BBQ CHICKEN: Kansas City style BBQ chicken, provolone cheese, on wheat bread [$ 4.99 | with promo, $ 1.99]
— I ordered all the toppings except for the mustard and the hot peppers. They pile in a lot of lettuce. I asked for extra pickles, but I’m not sure he gave me them…
— They have chopped onions instead of sliced onions! Win! Onions are so much tastier in cute cubes!
— Imagine pulled pork, but instead of pork, it’s chicken. That’s KC BBQ chicken. It was incredibly juicy and moist and mm mm good! It did start softening the bread after some time, but…
— The bread is toasted to the level of genius, AND it retains its crunch! I was only able to eat half of my sandwich before office hours, and even an hour later, the bread was relatively crunchy, despite the BBQ sauce and veggie water.
— Fresh veggies. Good.
|| C L O S U R E ||
The crunch of the bread lessens the sogginess of the sandwich, which makes it better than Subway in this aspect. For $ 5, Subway gives you more food, but the quality of meats is better. Also, the servers here are fast and aim to get you in and out in a jiffy. Subway takes their sweet, sweet time. If you can spare the extra dollars in return for saving a few minutes of waiting, go to Toaster Oven.
Oh, and small thing. The cashier asked me if I wanted a receipt. I said yes. She proceeded to crinkle the receipt and toss it before helping the next customer. When I asked her about my receipt, she looked puzzled, and she then apologized. o_​_​_​o;;

Coming to the toaster oven, I expected their sandwiches to be radically different, but I was extremely disappointed.
I ordered the meatball sandwich, which was 6″ long and came with meatballs, marinara sauce, and lots of cheese. The sandwich basically tastes like Quiznos or a hot one from Subway.
At 730pm on a Friday night, they had run out of the soup of the day. Seeing how the restaurant closes at 10pm, I was unsatisfied.
One cool thing I noticed was the cashiers use iPads instead of registers!

Went to try out this new location of The Toaster Oven. I saw it a bunch of times in SF but never ate there, it’s a chain that’s now in Berkeley near UC Berkeley. It’s a good 10 – 15 min walk from Downtown Berkeley Bart.
Order a sandwich a person gets it started & puts it in the toaster oven, then go up a bit to another person that fills the sandwich with toppings, then pay. Credit cards taken.
I picked Kitchen Sink on wheat $ 4.99. It’s not a big sandwich but they cut it in half, so if you have a friend have them get something else & share a ½. A. got the Piezzano on white $ 4.99. I thought the meat was skimpy in both & drippy. Piezzano was a tiny bit better, but not by much.
Milkshakes are $ 3.29 — I didn’t get.
Seating is counter only. Need a key for the bathroom — I didn’t use it.
Not worth a special trip, but better than Chipotle or Subway, both nearby.
Open Daily: 10:30a-10p
Tip: Cal students w/​ID that buy a sandwich get a FREE fountain drink or bottled water during the month of January 2012!

Toaster Oven is a cute little store with a neat set up. Kinda confusing where to enter the line to order. Like the other reviews, your sandwich rotates down the line. Pretty happy staff are on hand. They get three stars. I had the $ 4.99 meatball sandwich and $ 2 fountain drink which gets one star. Nothing special, but a nice crew with cool hats.
Subway, don’t you worry. The $ 5 footlong is still a winner.

I walked by on Monday for opening day but I came here tonight to grab a sandwich with a co-​worker. The menu is short and simple. If you want chips, they are on the right wall underneath the toasters display but cost additional to the sandwich. The featured daily special sandwich and soup is to the lower right of the main menu board.
To order, just tell the sandwich artist at the front what you want and choose white or wheat bread. Then you move down the conveyor belt and wait at the end of the toaster oven. There, you tell the next sandwich artist the fillings/​toppings you want on your sandwich (complementary: lettuce, tomato, onions, mustard, pickles, mayonnaise or light vinaigrette, hot peppers; extra charge: avocado $.75). Then you pay+tax.
I got the «kitchen sink» (roast beed, turkey, salami, ham, provolone cheese) on whole wheat with everything except mustard and mayo. I have to say, it looks very simple and nothing like a sandwich from Ike’s but the toasted bun makes the whole sandwich awesome. I swapped half of my sandwich with my co-​worker, who ordered the“kc BBQ chicken” (Kansas City-​style BBQ chicken and provolone cheese) on white bread. My sandwich tastes better mainly because it was more crispy from the wheat bun. Both sandwiches are $ 4.99+tax. I wish my sandwich had more meat though, the bread overpowered the meat taste.
If it isn’t busy, a staff member might be passing out coupons for a free fountain beverage or bottled water outside the door. I didn’t know this until I stumbled upon the coupon stack beside the counter when paying. But that’s fine with me since I’m cutting out the high-​fructose corn syrup out of my life. I just refilled my reusable bottle with water instead, no shame in drinking tap water!
I didn’t order a cup of soup but for $ 3+ the price is steep. There are less than 10 stools if you want to dine-​in and it is right next to the toppings area so just beware of people hitting backpacks. Honestly, the way the line is setup is completely wrong but what do I know about business… I guess I will be prepared to hear, «do you want free Toaster Oven sandwiches?» on Sproul this semester instead of «free C.R.E.A.M.».