Tsunami Dogs

Sometimes, I get frustrated with the Unilocal-​review-​writing rules I have devised for myself. They’re super scientific and super proprietary and super secret. They have changed slightly over the years, but every once in a while, I just want to scrap them and write dozens of reviews over a weekend the way I did when I first started Unilocaling. And then a place like Tsunami Dogs goes and changes its spots – er, learns new tricks, or forgets old tricks, or something like that – and I thank heavens for my Unilocal-​review-​writing rules.
If I had broken my own rules and reviewed Tsunami Dogs after two visits in June 2014, it would be sitting at four stars, maybe five, and it would have taken me many more months and many more visits to drop it down and write an old-​fashioned review update. But I bided my time and gave Tsunami Dogs the chance to show its true colors, and I’m glad I did.
The menu used to be vast, and almost everything could be made vegetarian, if not vegan. The hours used to be longer. There were more sandwich options. The menu on the website approximated the real menu. Tsunami Dogs threatened to unseat Top Dog as my Downtown Berkeley veggie-​dog go-​to place.
But things change.
The website menu was slow to be change, and they eventually gave up updating it altogether. You can no longer order a chutney dog, even though that was one of the best things on the menu. The sandwiches disappeared. The rice bowls disappeared before I had a chance to try any of them. (How difficult is it to have rice?) You can still get a veggie dog with anything, but some of the options aren’t vegetarian, or their vegetarian versions don’t hold up well.
Three stars it is. They could have been and were a contender. The people who work here are nice, and the sauerkraut dog is very good. My office moved and is now closer to Tsunami Dogs, but I still prefer Top Dog, despite its dearth of topping options, and that pretty much says everything you need to know. Sadly.

Whoa! Just reported to Unilocal that Tsunami Dog is now Face to Face. Totally different menu with pot stickers, beef noodle soup and other quick stuff appealing to high school students.
Farewell my beloved wasabi kimchi chicken sandwich… sniff.

You know… I thought the bahn mi’s were amazing. Then they took them away for a while and finally brought them back.
But, you can’t get them with pork anymore, only chicken or veggie. And, it just isn’t the same… sorry to say it, but I think I’m done with this place.
I don’t understand how the owner thinks they’re the same, or why he’s so afraid to charge what they are worth.
Really — why ruin a great thing, especially if everyone is asking for it and willing to pay an extra $.

We just had to run an errand in Berkeley and we saw this little hut. I love hot dogs and just had to try it. Couldn’t help trying a taco too!
Really good dogs and taco — unusual but delicious toppings and will definitely go back again.
Not only was the food tasty but the price is really reasonable!
The two employees inside were helpful and really friendly :)

This place caught my eye as I was walking to the bank and I made it my intension to withdraw cash so I could try it. What caught my eye was the Asian infusion of hot dogs. I likened that it could possibly be as good as JapaDog that I fell in love with in Vancouver. Well, I was not disappointed.
I approached the window around 3pm and had my food in less than 5 minutes. The girl working was super friendly and even suggested future things to try as she was making my food.
I ordered the Banori Dog and a Thai Iced Tea. At first I was worried that the Iced Tea may have had too much milk, but upon my first sip it was perfect. I then opened up the Banori Dog. I am a huge fan of Korean BBQ and wasabi, and both are on this dog! It tasted so good! I wasn’t super impressed with the bun, maybe it could have been toasted, but otherwise I was thoroughly satisfied.
Next time I’m in town I’m going to try the Bahn Mi Sandwich. I hope this place does well (it’s only 9 months old), so they can further develop their menu and continue to provide mind blowing awesome hot dogs.
Thanks Tsunami for a great afternoon meal!

I eat here twice a week. In fact, I just finished a pork Bahn Mi. It burns so good. Place looks like a parking lot attendant, but they use fresh ingredients and add a gourmet flair to hot dogs & tacos.

Perfect place for a quick bite for little money, especially if you live or work nearby. I like the nori dog and the bahn mi :)

This place is so cool! I love the bonito dogs and you guys should try the flavored tea! This is more than just good. This is epic! This can even beat topdog. Two thumbs up! The server is so nice as well! Should goo!

This place is awesome. Delicious tacos — fresh, yummy sauces, quick service. The Kim chi and spicy peanut tacos are DELISH. The sauces are really flavorful, the slaw is always fresh and crunchy, with a nice helping of cilantro. The people here are so nice and add a really great, neighborhood feel to the experience.

I’ve seen this place go from nobody to another owner and now to this! This place was perfect for a before class munchies!
I didn’t expect too much from this place just because I thought it’s another food spot trying to do fusion foods. But oh man this place is off the hook! I got three Asian tacos with the spicy peanut sauce and it was delicious!
It definitely held my munchies over until my break!
Can’t wait to try the rest of the menu!

All around good food for the value. The kimchee tacos taste great, and the hotdogs are big. I tried the seaweed/​sriracha dog — wasn’t a fan, but it’s an interesting experiment.
They have bubble/​boba tea with lots of options for flavors. This was great until they unexpectedly switched from tapioca bubbles to some sort of fruit bubbles. No bueno! I guess I should have specified, although I didn’t know they had different kinds of boba.
Good service, good food, good value.

i tried their seaweed taco today and it was really tasty with a bang of flavor. i also tried their thai chicken sandwich and was disapointed by it because all it had was a bit of tomatoes and lettuce and a bit of mayo like sauce on it. so the four stars is for the taco. i want to try their vietnamese iced coffee next time and a few of their other tacos which looked really delicious on their posters.
the guy working the register was really friendly.
i tried their thai iced coffee and it was really delicious. i think i am going to try their boba or thai iced tea next time.

My go-​to lunch place for when I’m short on time and I don’t want to spend a lot of money (: Their tacos are really good!
My usual order: 3 tacos — 1 traditional and 2 kimchees. This used to cost me $ 4.50 ($ 1.50 each) but they recently upped the price of the specialty tacos to $ 1.75, so now this is $ 5. Still not too shabby.
What I really appreciate is that since the establishment is pretty new, the owners are constantly changing up the menu to try to cater to customers. You can see that they’re learning as they go along and trying to accommodate. It’s kind of fun getting to witness the development of the business.
The guy who’s usually there is the friend of the owner and he’s helping out. Always a nice «hello» when I come around and one time he even gave me a free drink to try out. He was trying to get some ideas about what to offer. Their drinks are so-​so at this point, but I expect it’ll get better with time.
TIPS:
1) Read the paper signs they have posted about their offerings. There’s always a change or something new every time I go. Using 8.5×11 paper might not be the most eye-​pleasing, but it’s pretty smart considering that their menu isn’t set yet.
2) Bring cash and help a small business out (though they do take card)!
3) No seating – be aware! You can loiter in the parking lot and eat though (:

Really good value. I opted for two Asian (chicken and Hoisin) and she opted for two normal (chicken).
I mean, four tacos for 6 dollars even? Fresh, crispy ingredients, properly cooked chicken, good stuff. Let’s face it, how many ways can you mess up a taco? Well, a few major chains come to mind.
This is good stuff at a preposterously low cost.
Highly recommended for a quick bite.
Score.

Right next to work so one star convenience. Two more stars for excellent customer service. The young lady working here had the brightest smile and was so nice! Another star for huge variety… from 10am-​4pm, they serve three different types of tacos, at least 4 types of hot dogs, along with vietnamese coffee, regular coffee, lemonade, and thai iced tea!!!
I paid for the $ 2 tea with a $ 20 and the girl was nice enough to save me a trip to the bank! Needed a lot of dollar bills for a special occassion and she supplied 18 ones! Whoot whoot!
One star down though for the watery thai tea. Not the worst but not the best either. Will come back for tacos and hot dogs!

They sell tacos as well as hotdogs, and this review only covers the said tacos. The Thai and Original tacos were pretty great, and for $ 1.50 each it’s one of the best deals in the area for lunch.

Cheap lively tacos, which is what I ate. I liked all 3 Asian varieties, my coworkers found the Japanese one a little fishy tasting, and liked the traditional the best. And only $ 1.50 a pop! 4 of these saddle-​shaped dynamos make a hearty meal, I had 3 and felt just barely satisfied for lunch.
They have Thai iced tea, and who doesn’t love some of that. It’s all over the place though.
They also have hot dogs (what the previous place in their stead was about), and people say they’re pretty good. I believe them, these guys know what they’re doing.
Great location, right around the corner from downtown Berkeley BART.
Friendly cool guys running the show.
We’ll be adding these folks to our regular rotation for work lunches.

tsuanami dogs isn’t a one trick dog (pony). this dog house also tricks ritual coffee, bagels, quesadillas, tacos (.traditional, japanese, korean or thai), hot dogs, and breakfast.
eats: beef dog (2.5)
–large bog in large toasted bun with usual condiments
–skipped sriracha (.25) and gourmet toppings (wasabi mayo .50)
–dog better than average, juicy,
3,5 stars
poue: regular coffee (sm 1,25)
–smooth, not much body, better than mr. expresso *maybe it is)
foodnotes:
–closed weekends
–many gourmet toppings (, 50) avaukable for dogs.
–friendly, efficient service.