Tomate Café

Good for breakfast or lunch. The scramble was great. The burrito was also pretty good. I have no complaints.

Went here last month with my sister and uncle. We were looking for a place that was organic and in the east bay to meet in the middle. I think the tomate café is great. Lots of organic food options and we had a nice sitting area outside. I had one of the Benedict’s which I totally recommend. The breakfast burrito looks yummy too (I’ll order that next time lol). I also really appreciated the signs along the road to show where the restaurant is.

One of Berkeley’s brunch gems. It’s a Mexican-​inspired café with a healthy menu (but also less healthy options). You order at the front and then get your food delivered to your table like Panera. Bonus: they serve eggs (aka breakfast) all day!
I got the harvest breakfast, which was 2 eggs, zucchini potato cakes, kale, fried apples, applewood bacon or chicken apple sausage & choice of toast. I chose the bacon and gluten free toast (extra charge); I also got the Persian cucumber shake with Persian cucumbers, Barlean’s green powder, avocado, honey, & ice. The date shake sounded amazing though — would’ve gotten that if I came back another time!
This breakfast was amazing and the service was sweet. At first, the lady was like, «Oops, we don’t have any more zucchini; we can make sweet potato cakes!» and then asked the cook behind her; she smiled and told me, «We’ll give you our last zucchini for your breakfast.»
I really enjoyed the fried apples; the kale not so much. But the bacon was amazing, and so were the zucchini cakes. The shake was really good and filling as well; not too sweet and appropriately cucumber-​y and creamy from the avo.
My boyfriend got the banana strawberry smoothie, which he enjoyed, and the jumpstart breakfast (2 Eggs, 2 applewood bacon or chicken apple sausage, 2 pancakes or french toast), which he also liked.
If I come back to Berkeley, I’ll def be coming back here!
PS dog friendly patio

Hmm I guess it takes more to impress me than others. This place is ok. I guess if the prices were more reasonable I would give more stars. $ 20 plus tip for 2 Breakfast burritos I expect amazing and not just full of too much potatoes.

Came here for brunch and the food was decent! You order and pay first at the cashier, and the food will be delivered to you at whichever table to decide to sit at. I came here for breakfast so I ordered their «Jumpstart Breakfast» and iced coffee.
The Jumpstart includes pancakes, bacon/​sausages, and eggs. You can also add almonds and berries for an additional cost. It was really good and filling; you can’t go wrong with a simple breakfast like this! I definitely recommend ordering that if their extensive menu is too overwhelming for you. However, I don’t recommend their iced coffee… Tasted very cheap and extremely bitter! Sugar and creamer could not save my coffee. :(

Ideal local spot for indoor and outdoor dining. Dog friendly with a water bowl nearby.
The food choices vary with a wide selection of breakfast and lunch items: chicken apple sausage w/​french toast made with cinnamon raisin challah bread! Yum! And my personal favorite, the veggie taco made with black beans, assorted veggies, topped with lettuce, sour cream and added siracha! Double Yum! Plenty of vegetarian options.
The salads are pretty amazing with the house vinegar-​based dressing. Not too tart, and not too much to overwhelm the mixed green salad. Adding tuna is a pleasing experience as well.
They make their granola in-​house and serve it with fruit and a Greek yogurt. Tasty.
Honestly, I have not had anything at Tomate that has not been pleasant and worth ordering again.
Excellent choice for a meal!

Tomate Café is tucked away in West Berkeley, so it’s away from crowds and has plenty of parking, which is a definite plus. There’s quite a bit of interior seating, as well as pet-​friendly outdoor seats.
The menu is varied for breakfast and lunch, and definitely caters towards more healthy options. Prices are pretty good for the area which was a pleasant surprise.
Unfortunately my meal left something to be desired. I ordered the «Jumpstart Breakfast», which included eggs, bacon, and pancakes, and I was disappointed that all three struck out. My eggs were undercooked, my bacon was burnt, and their pancakes are some form of wheat/​whole grain rather than classic pancakes, and this was listed no where on the menu. Had I known, I would’ve ordered something different.
The group I was with had similar issues. Undercooked eggs, and other poorly prepared pieces of their meal. Had the food been requested to be cooked that way, it tasted fine, but we all managed to get stuff we didn’t really enjoy.
I didn’t try the lunch menu, but after my first experience, I’m not sure I’ll return.

One of the hidden breakfast places in West Berkeley. You wouldn’t even know it was there if it weren’t for Unilocal or the two/​three signs on the surrounding streets. So glad we found this place after a failed attempt at finding a place to eat brunch on the overly packed 4^th street. There is plenty of street parking and little to no foot traffic which was nice.
I was surprised to see how busy Tomate Café was. But after seeing some Unilocal photos and some neighboring customers’ plates, I could understand why. They serve breakfast and lunch so they have a pretty big selection, but nothing overwhelming. You can find anything from pancakes and french toast, omelettes and scrambles to burritos and burgers. I’ve only had their breakfast plates, but I assume their lunch is great as well. The only negative experience I’ve had was that my food came out a little cold. Probably because we had a larger group and they were trying to bring everything out at once. Other than that, the food is usually delicious.
Their staff is friendly and professional. You do have to order at the counter which is fine. It also explains the lines that can occur. There is plenty of seating inside as well as a few tables outside. Outside is furry friendly too. Overall, a great place for brunch that embodies the Berkeley vibe.

3.5
Nice place for outdoor or indoor brunch!
My friend an I chose this brunch spot because we had a dog with us. (: Nice shady outdoor seating for a warm weekend. You order inside at the cash resister and grab a number. The staff will bring you your order! They have a pretty decent menu. Portions are on the smaller side. Good for not getting overly stuffed. I got their harvest breakfast which had the zucchini cake, apple sausage, a few pieces of kale, two eggs (over medium of course), cinnamon apples, and sour dough toast.
I really enjoyed their zucchini cake. It was kind of like a fried potato salad pattie. The eggs were cooked just the way I liked. There really want enough kale, but whatever. The cooked apple slices tasted like apple pie! The sausages were flavorful. The toast want burnt. Not much to complain about! Just a bit mediocre is all. I don’t know if I would come back on my own. We’ll see.

Finished my stay in berkeley with breakfast here. It was in walking distance and it’s like a jewel in what feels like the middle of nowhere.
Food: Ordered the Eggs Beatrice and French toast. The eggs were perfectly cooked (love that oozy yolk break). The French Toast was moist and flavored well and topped with fresh fruits. The texture of the French Toast was perfect. +2/​2 stars.
Service: order and pay up front and wait for the food. I have no complaints as it’s their business model. The food came out quickly and as soon as the food was prepared. +1/​1 star.
Ambiance: they have outdoor seating and indoor seating. It’s a quaint location residing on a small street. +1/​1 star.
Would I come back? When im in berkeley again, I will be going back for breakfast. +1/​1 star.
Total: ⁵⁄₅ stars. Great choice for breakfast!

Total neighborhood vibe going on and I totally dig it. I can see why on the weekends the line for this place is out the door. This is country cookin’ in Berkeley, and they have a terrific patio that happens to be pup friendly to boot. I liken this to a sort of diner in Berkeley form. Read: Not a greasy spoon, but rather a healthy, casual place.
I ended up here on a rainy day and couldn’t be happier. Snuggled in a corner table, I ended up going with a date smoothie and a veggie omelet. That date smoothie was delicious. I always knew I loved dates and this smoothie confirmed it. At $ 6, it was a tad bit overpriced, but Berkeley. My veggie omelet was huge, no denying that. It however was kind of boring, flavor wise. I read all about the tomatoes, mushrooms, kale, avocado, green onions & colby jack cheese, and it was all there, but it still need a little je né sais quoi to make it really stand out. My dining partner’s huevos looked super interesting in the most inauthentic way.
The menu is filled with eggs, salads, sandwiches, burritos and so on. They have a ton of veggie and vegan options, so there’s a little something for everyone. A definite win for some casual dining in Berkeley that really nails the neighborhood vibe.
** They also have a kid friendly menu!

The French toast with seasonal berries are everything. The customer service is phenomenal. The atmosphere is warm. The taste is «gourmet homemade», down-​to-​earth excellence.

Been here twice and both times, I got the half order of tofu scramble. It is the only thing that is marked vegan on the menu. Honestly, it is a good deal: around 1.5 measuring cups of tofu scramble + 2 roasted fingerling potatoes + a slice of bread (wheat, sourdough or white) for $ 6.50. I didn’t know if the bread was vegan or not so I gave it to my friend. The tofu scramble isn’t so much «scramble» as cubed tofu with veggies but it was still good. Typical tofu scramble with typical roasted potatoes. Each visit, I left with a full belly.
I think the only con would be that the place fills up quickly around weekend brunch times. Additionally, today some people forgot to bust their own dishes and the workers don’t notice so there were lots of tables «occupied» with dirty dishes and water cups and incoming customers didn’t know the tables were free. I actually didn’t notice myself until a customer (who already was at a clean table) started clearing the dirty tables and wiping them down. It was pretty cool of her (kudos to you if you happen to read this) but she shouldn’t have had to. The customers who didn’t bust their own tables should have and if not them, then the restaurant workers.
3 stars for a good meal but didn’t leave me «wow’d»

Definitely a gem and must come to appreciate the spot for your everyday breakfast and lunch selections. Great outdoor seatings and all seats (in or out) are on a first grab basis. I can see it being a bit of a chaos if place gets packed.
We ordered two jumpstart breakfast plates. One with French toast with a side of berries for an additional $ 3 and the other, just your good old pancakes. Wish I saw the weekend specials for the bacon Benedict tho. Next time!
Simple breakfast plates. Clean and non greasy. Wasn’t a fan of their chicken apple sausage. I’ve had better ones that were more flavorful and juicy.
Also their pancakes seem to be mixed with whole wheat flour. A bit grainy. Still good!
Will come back to enjoy another breakfast plate, their patio seatings and great house coffee when weather gets better.

This place reminds me of comfort. When I think comfort, I think of the South (I’m from ATL). I ordered the sausage omelette and my man ordered the harvest breakfast. Food was cooked perfectly. From the eggs to French toast, and bacon. Having moved back to the west I’ve dabbled in a few breakfast spots and found this café to be my favorite! I def will be back but with my dogs next time around! Definitely a plus that it’s dog friendly :)))

Yes, I do know everyone! Met up with pal, Stephanie Y. only to find my familia there. Juan, formerly of Sconehedge fame, is the on-​the-​line at Tomato! Not only a great reunion, but a delightful breakfast. I rolled with Huevos Rancheros, served up on crispy tortillas and a sauce that creeps up hotter with every bite. Steph had a huge Veggie Omlette. A vast menu of salads and sandwiches as well. Parking is tough, but well worth the hunt!

Tomate Café offers typical selection of brunch food menu’s, but within their own little courtyard. Outdoor and indoor seating is plentiful and staff was very welcoming.
I ordered the avocado BLT, which was very good. Only gripe about it was that it was the sandwich slices themselves were about the size of my palm, quite small for a $ 10+ plate.
My friend who ordered a similar sandwich has much more food for what he paid for. Would come again but do they a look at other Unilocal pictures to see what you are getting.

What a cute little place! Met my girlfriend here for brunch on a Sunday around 11:00 AM.
We walked and they were very busy, which was be be expected.
Some interesting things:
*You pay before you eat
*You order from a counter and they bring you the food to your table.
*The menu is HUGE colorful and on the wall.
*Full coffee bar and reg coffee
* Large variety of teas as well
*Every hot sauce, jelly, ketchup you can imagine.
The food was really good and the place has a great vibe. I had the coffee which was super good, and the lox scramble! I will for sure be back!

We came here around lunch time and I ordered the forage plate while my boyfriend got a chicken dish. He really enjoyed it, liking the black beans it came with. When I got my food, though, it was eggs and tomatoes on toast swimming in pink vinegar sauce. I was utterly confused, pulling over an employee who said that my food was fine, and eventually realized they gave me the totally wrong dish. (Eggs Beatrice instead of forage plate.) By the time I understood that they messed up, I was too tired of the chaotic atmosphere and rude service, so just left. I might give it a second try at some point, but why bother when there are so many better options?

I’ve been here for breakfast before, okay.
I came for lunch and got the chicken sandwich.
The chicken tastes like it was boiled with zero spices, and the potatoes salad tastes like soap.
I will not be going back.

We like the food here. And the people. We come and sit outside with our two small children and enjoy a good meal. But today we got very surprised when we ordered from the «kid’s menu». It was disappointing and such a rip off. They offer for $ 4.95 two items from the following list: eggs, bacon, chicken apple sausage, pancake, French toast.
I asked for eggs and sausage and this is what we got. We got almost nothing!!! For 5 dollars they gave us 1 (one) scrambled egg and one tiny pinky size sausage. On the menu it said ‘eggs’ not egg. I was expecting at least 2 eggs. What a terrible deal. What a disappointment. How on earth can one sad egg and a tiny sausage cost 5 dollars? Tomate café, you should reconsider this.

Terrible breakfast at Tomate on a recent Saturday.
The eggs were undercooked — even the «over-​easy» had whites that were not set — and the «medium» steak was cooked like shoe leather, far beyond a conventional «well-​done». To boot, there were mistakes like having sour cream where we asked for salsa.
It also took a very long time, about 25 minutes for three breakfast plates. I noticed that three different staff members took their breaks during this time, which was probably a major cause of the delay. I don’t begrudge them their breaks but would have expected a schedule in which the breaks were staggered to avoid delays.

If you want to just come and go to get food over here at this café, just make sure to call in because it will take a while for them to get it done to you if you order at the register. You will have to wait for a good amount of time. The food can be lacking in flavor and the portions may not seem worth it, but if you have no choice because you’re hungry and this is the closest place to you, then it definitely can be worth it.

This place is a hidden gem in Berkeley and I’m so excited I finally discovered it.
From approaching the restaurant, you assume it’ll look like any other small, good eatery but you walk in the first door and find a beautiful outdoor patio that leads you to the register and inside seating area. It’s like a hidden mini oasis and I’m bummed the weather did not permit brunching outside when I visited.
Even so, the overall ambience was relaxing and I enjoyed eating indoors. The menu boasts a ton of healthy and hearty options for breakfast and lunch and while I wanted a breakfast burrito, the huevos rancheros, and the french toast, I knew my eyes were way bigger than my stomach as was my desire to try out a little bit of everything at a place I haven’t dined at. So I settled on the main breakfast option at the top of the menu, which consisted of two eggs any style, your choice of bacon or sausage, and french toast or pancakes with berries.
I’m not usually a french toast person but it was cooked to perfection– not overdone and chewy, not coated in too much powdered sugar– and the sweetness of the berries complimented the flavor. The bacon was cooked just right so you get that crispiness with each bite while actually still tasting the meat (many restaurants burn bacon to a crisp where there’s no flavor at all!). I just wish I could have finished my plate because it was that good but sadly, I can only fit so much in my stomach.
There’s options for everyone whether you’re vegan, vegetarian, or a meat eater like me. The service is great, the food tasty, and plenty of condiments to go around as well as self-​serve filtered water. I highly recommend this place for brunch and hope to come back soon.

The food here is pretty good but I come for the Vedic tea. It’s so tasty with nothing added to it. Perfect for chilli Bay Area weather. Comes with fresh apples slices, cardamom and honey.

My little home away from home – I live up the street and eat here two or three times a week. The food is consistently good, simple, fresh and quick, and their breakfast muffins ROCK! The real gem, though, is the staff – so friendly, warm and welcoming.

We came here for brunch on New Years Eve and were expecting to end the year with an awesome breakfast before the resolutions took effect. We walked into the restaurant and were blown away by the amount of options available for both breakfast and lunch. I went with the harvest breakfast and my wife chose the eggs beatrice. Excitement ensued as we drank coffee and mimosas waiting for the breakfast trying to figure out what bar we were going to go to ring in the new year.
Our plates arrived and looked decent. I ordered my eggs scrambled, the eggs on my plate were definitely scrambled however it wasn’t made with care or love. The eggs were just placed on pan and scrambled. As a scrambled eggs aficionado I understand that scrambled eggs should be beaten first and then cooked low and slow with perhaps some dairy or water to fluff them up. Unfortunately the eggs were not made this way which was disappointing. Secondly, both our dishes had kale on the side. The kale was basically inedible and tasted like it was sitting out for a few hours. I think they sautee the kale in bulk and hold it as people order. IE not made fresh and hot. Both our dishes were lukewarm.
All in all it was an underwhelming experience.

I had breakfast at Tomate Café over the summer. I decided to go there purely based on the pictures posted by other Unilocalers.
We got there pretty early on a Friday, before we set out on a morning hike so we were the only customers for most of the time we were in there. I imagine the weekend crowd is a lot heavier. Tomate Café is a casual place: chalk board menu, order at the counter, self serve beverage station.
I had the Huevos Rancheros. It was a huge portion and the corn tortillas and red salsa were so fresh and amazing! I also liked that they included kale on a dish that doesn’t carry the most healthy reputation. My friend had the Harvest Breakfast, I tasted the zucchini potato cakes and was immediately jealous that I didn’t order a side dish of them!

This has been a brunch go to for years. The food is great, reasonably priced and always tasty. It’s been a treat to watch the restaurant get busier over the years. The owner, Jack, is an example of stellar customer service, and his staff are always friendly. We love Tomate!

I’ve always been a pancake girl. On the pancakes vs french toast argument, I’ve always argued that pancakes were far superior, no doubt about it. Tomate Café might be the place to change my mind.
After seeing the many photos here posted on Unilocal,I decided to order the French Toast (with almonds and fruit) as well as a Mimosa. The French Toast was absolutely amazing. It was thick-​cut and fluffy, warm and sweet, and made me a feel a lot of ways. The fruit and almonds that came with it cost a bit extra ($ 1.50 more I believe) but were definitely worth it. If you’re a fan of french toast, or just a fan of sweet carbs to kickstart your morning, I’d definitely recommend getting the french toast here! The Mimosa at Tomate had a higher champagne-​orange juice ratio than most places I’ve been to, but the more I drank, the less I cared about that.
All in all, I had a good experience. Despite coming here on a Sunday morning, we were seated quickly, got our food quickly, and had a really good dining experience. I’ll be back!

Okay… So I frequent the Core Power yoga studio down the street on University, and my favorite class, hot power fusion, has been reduced to so few times a week that weekend mornings are my best bet now. That being said, I usually come to Tomate on weekends. If you check in for the first time, you get a 10% off your order coupon, but it’s only good on Thursdays, so after several check ins I still haven’t been able to redeem it… Just so you know.
Now… I LOVE it here. This is one of my favorite breakfast places. There are many options but not overbearing, and vegetarians and vegans can eat here right alongside the carnivores (there is even a carnivore sandwich… Just sayin). My absolute favorite thing on the menu, though, is their date shake. I mean damn! It’s soooooo good. I literally order it every time I come here, because it’s shake crack. The only reason I don’t rate 5 stars is because of the parking situation. The struggle is real :/​. It’s so worth it, though!

Love this place for breakfast. They have a huge menu and everything I have eaten here has been delicious! Their mimosa’s are amazing. Dog-​friendly patios are THE BEST. Thank you Tomate Café for not only making me a yummy breakfast but for letting me enjoy it with my dog!
Their staff is super friendly too!

Stopped here on the way home from the coast, lee side of traffic, and mostly because it’s posted as a dog friendly stop. I didn’t find it as fantastic as some of the reviews boast but did find it A-​OK. It’s a semi-​self service café serving breakfast and lunch. Indoor and outdoor seating after ordering food at the counter. A bit pricey but good.
IMO, the menu is too much; a rather large board on the wall listing all the sandwiches, salads, breakfast, and other food choices. Simpler is better for me. For $ 25, we had the Grilled Portobello sandwich with green salad, the Carnivore (tri tip) sandwich with potato salad, and 2 iced teas. Her comments were the Grilled Portobello was a bit too goat-​cheese-​ee but good. Salad was dressed nicely. My Carnivore was more bread than necessary and the tri-​tip a bit rubbery. I chose to take apart the sandwich and eat the bread as a side to the tri-​tip. Potato salad was good.
I wouldn’t rave about the place but it was good. Not hard to find and mostly a residential area, it seemed. The tables were wobbly and could have used a good wipe down. There is one uni-​sex bathroom back along side the kitchen.
I’d propably stop again if passing this area with our pup — I’d try the breakfast next time.

I almost feel bad reviewing Tomate, as I have only ordered one menu item. I have ordered it four or five times however. Since we moved to Berkeley, we have visited Tomate for breakfast and lunch. Each time I have ordered the jumpstart breakfast. Two eggs with french toast, berries and bacon. Don’t threaten me with all day breakfast. You’ll get me every time.
The staff is always friendly, the food is always fresh and comes out of the kitchen quickly and piping hot and they have a large dog friendly patio.

Tomate Café is a hidden gem in the midst of Emeryville’s industrial area!
Thank you Unilocal for once again showing me a great place to eat! Fourth street can get pretty packed for brunch on weekends and so Tomate Café was a great alternative find!
Seating: There is both outdoor and indoor seating. The day I went (sunday) there was a live band playing so of course my friend and I sat outside! There is plenty of seating but this place can get packed pretty quickly so have someone save a seat if you’re there with company.
Food: SO many options! There is an entire wall filled with the different types of food offered. It’s difficult to decide what to choose from so asking the person at the front can help narrow your choices.
Veggie benedict: Delicious! The egg was poached on top of an english muffin and then covered in hollandaise sauce. Not the best benedict I’ve had but overall, no complaints!
The Forager: This is one hefty meal! It’s plenty of food but my friend enjoyed it all as well.
I can’t wait to go back here and try something else. I will definitely be returning soon!

Tomate Café is a fine place to get breakfast on a weekend. I go because it’s a nice walk from my place and they have a large dog-​friendly patio.
On my most recent trip, I enjoyed a salmon omelette with generous portions of fish, a couple forkfuls of salad and a few potatoes covered in sour cream. Tasty!
In the few times I’ve been here there’s never been a wait, and there’s also plenty of indoor seating.
The experience and ordering is diner-​style. Order at the register, wait for your order at the table. Coffee and water is self-​serve.

Food is fresh and DELICIOUS! I had the FRENCH TOAST w/​seasonal fresh berries and nuts… beautifully presented! The Orange juice must’ve been fresh squeezed, and that was yummy as well.
Bright, clean atmosphere. The menu is written on a wall as you enter the café. You place your order, get a number and the food is brought to your table. Water and condiments are on a self serve basis.
This place isn’t hard to find but can easily be missed, so keep an eye out for all the signs that point to the café.
Worth checking out!

My new favorite brunch spot in the Bay Area! Why? healthy AND delicious.
I highly recommend the forager plate. I was so impressed that they give you half of an entire yam. This meal was so satisfying and filling that I wasn’t hungry until late at night.
I also tried the southwest chicken salad. Again, huge portions, very healthy and delicious; the amount of dressing was perfect and not overwhelming.
I absolutely can’t wait to come back here when I return to Berkeley again :)!!

Running an errand in Berkeley and found Tomate Café on Unilocal.It’s tucked away in a semi-​industrial part of Berkeley. You order at the counter and get a number for your table. The line was about 8 deep at 1pm on Sunday.
The g/​f got the Veggie Benedict and I went with the Carnivore sandwich.
Veggie Benedict comes with spinach and tomato plus sides of kale and baked potato (
) Decent hollandaise with a sprinkle of paprika. The poached eggs were pretty overcooked like between a medium and hard boil yolk (
). Roasted tomatoes a nice touch. Baked red potato is a healthier alternative to pan-​fried options.
The Carnivore is Tri-​tip with housemade horseradish sauce, red onion, and watercress. I chose a green salad over potato salad (
) Not bad. The lean meat was medium to medium-​well and a little underseasoned (
) The red onion and horseradish were in clumps jarring a couple of bites until I rearranged things. Basic salad was lightly dressed.
Servers seemed a little harried with the constant influx of new diners. Might venture back to see if it’s less crazy for weekday lunches.