I have friends coming in from out of town for Big Game weekend, and they want to eat at the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants that Oakland and Berkeley have to offer.

They're looking for a Cantonese restaurant, but anything else is fine.

Thanks! GO BEARS!

From another thread but the Brick Pig on Shattuck for barbeque. Good barbeque and a very nice couple who own it.

CGB2813;421711 said:

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I have friends coming in from out of town for Big Game weekend, and they want to eat at the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants that Oakland and Berkeley have to offer.

They're looking for a Cantonese restaurant, but anything else is fine.

Thanks! GO BEARS!

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What Berkeley restaurant isn't a hole in the wall? My go to places when I was at Cal: Steve's BBQ, Japanese Snacks or Yokohama Station (all three in that Durant Square aka Asian Ghetto); Blue Nile; Cafe Intermezzo; Bongo Burger. There was a good Korean place on Telegraph in Oakland called Koryo but not sure if it would still be around. Too bad Flynts BBQ is not around anymore. That was the best.

Looks like Northern Chinese food but good ratings:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-china-restaurant-berkeley

I remember Sun Hong Kong being OK back in the day.

Mexican: Juan's Place. But that's out near the freeway and requires a car.
Pizza: Zach's. Crowded and not exaclty hole in the wall.
Burgers: Barney's.
Thai: Berkeley Thai House. It's near campus!

Viks Chaat Corner also qualifies

freshfunk;421731 said:

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Mexican: Juan's Place. But that's out near the freeway and requires a car.
Pizza: Zach's. Crowded and not exaclty hole in the wall.
Burgers: Barney's.
Thai: Berkeley Thai House. It's near campus!

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Yes, Berkeley Thai House was great.

It wasn't there when I was at Cal, but House of Curries looks delicious:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-curries-berkeley-2

Any place on the southside is basically a hole in the wall. I hear the place below makes a mean Greek salad.

Go to Dopo on Piedmont Ave and walk down the street to Fenton's for dessert.

Bobby G's on University Ave is not bad and close

King Dong on Shattuck Ave should do the trick

Vik's Chaat Corner. Berkeley. Indian.
House of Nanking. SF Financial District. Chinese.
Amba. Montclair. Mediteranian.
BakeSale Betty. Oakland. American.
Bobby G's Pizzeria. Berkeley. Pizza.
Champa Garden. Oakland. Thai.
Great American BBQ. Alameda. BBQ.
La Calaca Loca. Oakland. Taqueria.
Mandarin Garden. Berkelely. Cantonese, Mandarin and Szechuan.
Mariscos La Costa. Oakland. Mexican.
Pho Anh Dao. Oakland. Vietnamese.
TrueBurger. Oakland. Burgers.
Wally's Cafe. Emeryville. Mediteranian. Breakfast and Lunch only.

I love Great China.

KoreAmBear;421722 said:

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There was a good Korean place on Telegraph in Oakland called Koryo but not sure if it would still be around. Too bad Flynts BBQ is not around anymore. That was the best.

Looks like Northern Chinese food but good ratings:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-china-restaurant-berkeley

I remember Sun Hong Kong being OK back in the day.

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Koryo is still around. Which one? Koryo Wooden Charcoal BBQ or Koryo Sushi. They're in the same building.

Sun Hong Kong closed down their Shattuck location. I think the same ownership now operated the combination Sun Hong Kong/Kip's on Durant.

The most holey of hole in the wall places was Arinell Pizza. When they moved next door, it was just to a bigger hole in the wall.

KoreAmBear;421722 said:

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What Berkeley restaurant isn't a hole in the wall? My go to places when I was at Cal: Steve's BBQ, Japanese Snacks or Yokohama Station (all three in that Durant Square aka Asian Ghetto); Blue Nile; Cafe Intermezzo; Bongo Burger. There was a good Korean place on Telegraph in Oakland called Koryo but not sure if it would still be around. Too bad Flynts BBQ is not around anymore. That was the best.

Looks like Northern Chinese food but good ratings:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/great-china-restaurant-berkeley

I remember Sun Hong Kong being OK back in the day.

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Great China is solid, try the "ants climbing on a tree" dish, it's a traditional northeastern chinese noodle and ground meat dish, and it's also very appropriate on Big Game week!

Ahhh! I almost forgot. The Kingfish Pub & Cafe. Oakland. I think they serve food there. It is about as hole-in-the-wall as you'll get.

KoreAmBear;421750 said:

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Yes, Berkeley Thai House was great.

It wasn't there when I was at Cal, but House of Curries looks delicious:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/house-of-curries-berkeley-2

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I can confirm that House of Curries is, in fact, delicious.

As far as pubs go, I'm a fan of Albatross near the freeway. It's a nice, friendly atmosphere.

There's a cambodian place called Phnom Penh in Oakland downtown which I really like. It's an unknown place with a very friendly atmosphere and awesome cambodian food.

If you want the college experience you should just do Top Dog, La Burrita or IB Hoagies. Those 3 never fail me and are must eats on first visits to Berkeley. (These aren't sit down but food to-go kinda places.)

Golden Peacock on Webster between 8th and 9th streets. No msg. Great veggie dishes. Fantastic service.

Check out Zachary's pizza. Two locations. The one on solano avenue is less student-populated. Best pizza ever.

If you want to venture to oakland, check out le cheval. Not a hole in a wall but prices are very reasonable.

Also try Burma superstar in Oakland. Fantastic.

socalbear72;421801 said:

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Also try Burma superstar in Oakland. Fantastic.

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Excellent, but a cut above hole in the wall.

socalbear72;421798 said:

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Check out Zachary's pizza. Two locations. The one on solano avenue is less student-populated. Best pizza ever.

If you want to venture to oakland, check out le cheval. Not a hole in a wall but prices are very reasonable.

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Today's Chron mentioned Le Cheval will be closed, if it's not already shut down. I believe the landlord wanted them out. The owner's son will open a new restaurant down the street with the same menu.

What kind of landlord would kick his tenant out in this economy?

Cal88;421841 said:

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What kind of landlord would kick his tenant out in this economy?

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http://www.eastbayexpress.com/eastbay/monicas-victims/Content?oid=1370910

Ah thanks Clause. The EBE often has some great stories, they did a fantastic long essay about Cal Crew and coach Gladstone in the 90s.

Local 595 is on the ball!

Steve's BBQ
rooling

SonaBear;421771 said:

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I love Great China.

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Absolutely the best Peking Duck around. Double Skin and Sauteed Crab are two of their signature dishes.

Our workgroup cohort of Cal alums were to have our annual Big Game luncheon there today, but we had to move to King Wah (re-opened).

I would have preferred Ba Vo on 13th St (bet. Broadway and Franklin), but I wasn't making the reservations. They have an emphasis on pho.

Shan Dong is a good restaurant in Oakland's Chinatown (10th St bet. Webster and Harrison, about 3 blocks from BART Oakland City Center 12th St Station), but I believe it is Mandarin, not Cantonese. However, it is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

Silver Dragon (Webster bet. 9th and 8th Sts.) is okay...competently prepared food. But it's been 3 or 4 years since I've been there.

Juan's is great but you take your life in hands in that neighborhood!

@JeffCalFan: Statistically, yes. But every time I've gone there (and that's been a good number of times) I've never felt unsafe there.

Get the A La Jesus Quesadillas!

Jodie's - not cantonese, more classic hole in the wall food. Saturday am will have best fried chicken you ever ate. Off Solano Ave by the BART rail.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/jodies-restaurant-albany

http://www.djovida.com/jodie/

Heaven on a plate!

Dont think Kingfish serves food anymore. Kitchen nowhere near code and no one willing to invest in renovating it.
Miss the clam chowder, chili and sandwichs

If you're looking for good cantonese food I think you're better off in Oakland Chinatown. There are a few good dim sum places you can find on Yelp.

DavidDempster;421881 said:

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Our workgroup cohort of Cal alums were to have our annual Big Game luncheon there today, but we had to move to King Wah (re-opened).

I would have preferred Ba Vo on 13th St (bet. Broadway and Franklin), but I wasn't making the reservations. They have an emphasis on pho.

Shan Dong is a good restaurant in Oakland's Chinatown (10th St bet. Webster and Harrison, about 3 blocks from BART Oakland City Center 12th St Station), but I believe it is Mandarin, not Cantonese. However, it is a hole-in-the-wall restaurant.

Silver Dragon (Webster bet. 9th and 8th Sts.) is okay...competently prepared food. But it's been 3 or 4 years since I've been there.

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How do you know about Shan Dong? :p

They make the best dumplings!