Berlyn’s Eatery

sad news. berlyn has given up this location. gone! dogs here now/

Bought a Unilocal deal here but was shocked to see that the business is closed and replaced with a hotdog place — Larry, what gives? How am I going to spend my $ 20 now? Yikes…

I have to say, this place was damn near impossible to find… but incredibly worth it.
Here’s how it went: we were going to Chinatown that day to shop for furniture and I was in the mood for something different. On Unilocal,they were offering a deal, $ 10 for $ 20, as in, pay $ 10 and get $ 20 worth of food. Hells yes. Unfortunately, I don’t think they have that deal anymore.
So driving, driving, driving further into sketchy areas of Oakland and just when I thought we’d never find it, there it was! It looked like a shop, almost impossible to find unless you were looking for it.
I had thought it was a restaurant, but turned out to be more of a take out place consisting of one counter and the kitchen off in the back. The menu consisted of southerny goodness complete with collard greens, red beans and rice, mac n’ cheese, fried chicken sandwiches, pulled pork, meatloaf, jambalaya, and so much more. Most dishes weren’t over $ 8, very affordable.
I think the girl at the counter wasn’t aware of the Unilocal $ 10 for $ 20 deal because she didn’t know what to do with the coupon but she was helpful while we order the pork belly sandwich, meatloaf sandwich, mac n’ cheese, and jambalaya costing us only an additional $ 3. Oh, what a wonderful world. And then, free lemonade with our meals!
The food, oh goodness the food! So tender, so flavorful, fresh, and so much of it! I must recommend the pork belly sandwich and the mac n’ cheese. The pork was salted to perfection, and juicy to boot. The mac n’ cheese, lots of cheese, crumb topping, so good I almost cried. Lactose intolerant as I may be, I ate the whole container. The lemonade was a bit of an afterthought but you can’t win them all.
So Berlyn’s Eatery will receive 5 stars. Yes, they were hard to find, yes, they’re not the restaurant I had imagined, yes, it’s in a bit of a dangerous area, but the food was so incredibly worth it. Sustainable and delicious in every way, I am in love.

Fantastic pork belly sandwich and meatloaf «Berlyn’s burger.» Ate them so quickly that I almost ran back for more. Great stop while walking around the lake.

i appreciate another eatery in the eastlake neighborhood that opens late.
berlyns is a pretty small place so do not expect to be dining in. they have burgers, sandwiches, and «soul food» dinners available on their menu. so far, i have tried the burger, pulled pork sandwich, meatloaf dinner, and the chicken dinner with mac and cheese and collard greens as sides. the food was good, but it wasnt out of the world tasty and its not yet a place i would rave about. their urbanade is different, but inconsistent on the days ive went. some days its sweeter and i dont really taste the basil. i wish they would serve it with some ice.
service is pretty good, better than others sometimes.

Berlyn’s has fabulous food that must be tasted by anyone in the Lake area of Oakland. Its the perfect stop-​off on your way to the lake for a nice day with the family. I have been there twice this month, and am considering going a third time!!! The pork belly sandwich is to die for and mouth watering. The lemonade was quiet delicious, and even my picky daughter sucked it down within a half block. The prices were completely reasonable and the service was fast and friendly. I walked away totally satisfied and with cash still in my pocket. I highly recommend this place and WILL tell my friends.

super yummy! Had thier Kick Ass Tuna sandwich… full of flavor! Plus, the tuna isn’t canned tuna, its the real deal, made fresh at the eatery (i asked the owner). The staff of younger folks are super friendly and sweet.
Definetly recommend for a nice day to go pick up some sandwiches and walk over to the lake to enjoy them! If i were closer to the east bay, i’d be there at least once a week. Yum yum!

We wont be back.
My boyfriend called in and brought this home. It was pretty bad. Extremely bland Macaroni & Cheese. I like my Mac & Cheese to have a crusty cheese top and some flavor, and this didn’t. The smothered chicken was bland as well. The drink was interesting, not my taste. The pulled pork sandwich I had was okay, but small and unsatisfying. My boyfriend found the service to be good but that doesn’t make up for the food to me. I wanted this to be better :(Im pretty upset about it. We had to throw away half eaten food because it was just so bland and salt & pepper just didn’t help at all.
Maybe you’ll have better luck than me, but I’m just not a fan…

my neighbor brought me the meatloaf burger and it was delicious, sweet and with a kick combined with the mayo which adds a nice ceaminess — DANG it was goooood. and the lemonade is ridiculously good — would go back just for that even. addicting indeed!
the only thing that bugged me is that the orders did not have the bag of chips and we got shorted a sandwich.

Delicious! Had the Berlyn’s Burger (made with meatloaf, as I’m sure you’ve read by now.) It was sooo yummy! The special sauce added a bit of sweet and tangy spice. The weedy lettuce was a bit odd and stringy, but not bothersome enough to give a less-​than-​stellar review. Berlyn herself was working the counter, and she was very pleasant and hospitable while I waited. The Urbanade was very yummy and refreshing, but would be better over ice. I’ll definitely be back to try the pork belly sandwich… if I can resist getting the burger again!

OH YES I DID.
I came here with G to try it, as she was raving about it. And it was so delicious I came back the SAME day to bring some Berlyns Burger lovin’ to my husband.
I tasted the pork belly sandwich and it was so killingmesoftly good! And the meatloaf burger sandwich was tasty and a good portion. The price was good, it came with lemonade. And the bar outside is the only place to stand and eat, but its charming. This is a perfect place to grab a bite before walking the lake. It takes a few minutes, it is made-​to order.
They ran out of chips — I think if they will always run out of stuff they should just take the chips off the menu. And the lemonade batch with basil was tasty at lunch, but when I came back later it was more a too sweet strawberry lemonade with no basil. I prefer the basil version.
I did meet Beryln and she was excited and eager — and I’m eager. More sandwich please. Twice in one day, yes!

Cornbread was good.
Meatloaf unusually salty.
I am sure they are working out the kinks, until then I will just stick with what is tried and true.

I have to admit I’m a little hesitant to write this review. I’d really like to keep this gem all to myself because I love the fact that since it’s still undiscovered I can park right out front and not wait in line. But I also realize that my business alone won’t sustain this place and what’s most important is that this place sticks around – for a very long time. While it may not look like much from the street, the food is seriously tasty – and priced well to boot. They serve the type of fare you’d expect in Temescal or Rockridge for a fraction of the price. First off, the counter staff are totally charming and make me want to come back and support. Today I chose the pork belly sandwich and was frankly stunned at what they were able to pull off for $ 7. I don’t ever want this sandwich to go away. I think I’m heading back for dinner…

They use Niman Ranch pork and beef on the sandwiches that I order here. Finally you can get a quick meat sandwich for a good price knowing the owner is using quality ingredients. I’ve been here several times over the last few months and have been very pleased each time.
Besides sourcing good ingredients, the owner puts in extra labor to make his food stand out. For example, he smokes his pork himself so he control over the flavor from the beginning. Also, his homemade tomato jam is the superior alternative to ketchup. It is smokey, tangy, a bit sweet and full of umami.
I have been trying all the burgers around the lake and Berlyn’s Burger (meatloaf) is by far the best for quality, value and flavor. Quality: they use Niman ranch beef. Value: For $ 6 you get two homestyle size slices of meatloaf on the burger, a bag of chips and a house-​made urbanade (lemonade with basil, etc). Flavor: As they serve it, this sandwich is spicy, tangy and juicy. This sandwich also has that tomato jam which goes perfectly with the burger. The lettuce (not iceberg) and tomato are quite fresh and went well with the rest of sandwich. I will go back for this burger again.
Also I like the smoked pork belly sandwich. The pork belly is crispy on the outside like bacon, the fat is luscious and the meat tender. Again, this sandwich features the tomato jam.
Dontaye’s BBQ Pulled pork was also good.
I had a side of the macaroni and cheese. They combine the cheese sauce with al dente pasta right before they serve it to you so it tasted like it just came out of the oven hot and fresh with good textures.
I also had the waffle with bacon. They put pieces of the smoked pork belly in with the waffle when they make it. Yum! I love that you order a half-​waffle in case you want a small dessert or breakfast.
Best take-​out food counter in Oakland!

This place just opened recently. I was taking a stroll around the lake and noticed the menu in the window. A friendly man stepped outside with a take-​out menu, and offered me the most tasty free urbanade, that’s a basil lemonade. I had to order food, cause if the lemonade is good, I thought the food must be orgasmic. The pulled pork sandwich was fresh, spicy, moist and perfect. I will be back.

I had the most delicious vegan sandwich at Berlyn’s yesterday — very flavorful homemade hummus and roasted, marinaded vegetables on whole-​grain bread. Everyone else there seemed to be going for the pork belly sandwich, but I want to put in a good word for what was a really excellent vegetarian meal. The chef has a special touch, and this sandwich has just the right combination of flavors and textures. The strawberry ‘urbanade’ was also tasty and a generous portion.
It’s well worth the trip to Berlyn’s, which is just a block from the Lake and easy to spot. I wish there were seats here — maybe they’ll put some chairs at the counter inside or out front — because it’s good food to meet friends for, but there’s always the option of a picnic at the Lake. And a big plus for the service — the counter staff are friendly as can be.

Just checked this place out for the first time tonight. It seemed really bumpin’, and the staff were super friendly. Great crowd, was able to chat it up with a few other people.
The menu was small, but boy was it ever good. My wife and I ordered a few different things and shared them.
The jambalaya was very flavorful, but not overly salty as is sometimes the case. Nice flavor to it, and it was served over rice. My wife hogged most of her black bean & tofu stew, so I only got to have one bite. It was really tasty, and quite spicy which I really enjoyed.
The real star here tonight, hands down, was the pork belly BLT. If you like pork, this is an absolute must try. It wasn’t super fatty, which is nice, but had just the right amount left on to give it a deliciously squishy texture. It was melt in your mouth, and tasted like it had been home smoked; some nice wood flavor to it. The sauce was out of this world. Not too sweet, and a flavor that was to die for. Fresh greens and thinly sliced tomato were very fresh, and added a nice layer of crispness to the sandwich. The bun was soft and fresh.
I will definitely come back here again, and have a feeling the pork belly is going to become my new best friend. Having said that, I’m also very excited to try the waffles with bacon and chicken paninis: they looked hot!

I was very lucky to have been able to experience the six course soft opening dinner here and can say that i have never had beautifully cooked, perfectly seasoned, deliciously filling yet light and healthy soul food before. The courses served at Berlyn’s really made me excited for the neighborhood to have such an amazing contribution. Everything that we had there was fresh and really maginified the true clean taste of the food itself and left the body feeling nurished and happy. I’m excited for this place to get started so i can try the different offerings from this amazing chef.

I was lucky enough to get an invitation to one of the tasting dinners that are happening prior to the grand opening and was blown away by the service, the vision and (oh. my. God.) the food. Owner Larry describes the restaurant as a place to get healthy, nutritious, fast food in Oakland. Named for his late mother, Berlyn’s lives up to that promise. Chef Dante’s execution was flawless and the dishes were as tasty as they were creative:
Heirloom tomato salad
Mix field greens with heirloom tomatoes, herb vinaigrette, seasoned ricotta and toasted bread.
Second Course
Smoked turkey and Black eye peas Soup
Black eye peas, summer greens, onions, corn and smoked turkey.
Third Course
Mix Fried «fritto misto»
Okra, eggplant, green beans and sweet potatoes wild arugula basil aioli
Fourth Course
Grilled Watermelon
Grilled watermelon, mint and chili oil
Fifth Course
Slow Roasted Catfish
Catfish, collard greens, garlic, sweet onions and cucumber salad
Sixth Course
«The New» Peach Cobbler
Fresh peaches, served warm with whipped cream.
Once open, their staples will include hot & cold sandwiches, salads, and burgers with recipes focusing on healthy Bay Area soul food. Do yourself a huge favor and buy a bottle or 5 of their homemade bacon BBQ sauce. Berlyn’s is an absolute must for East Bay residents and worth at least a weekly drive over the bridge.