Grégoire

It’s about time that I finally write a review. It’s been waaaay too long and overdue.
I go here every so often, but I always find it to be a treat. It’s on north side so it’s more of a trip than other places, but I don’t mind. Definitely on the higher price side for what you get, but I think it’s one of the places you should at least try once in Berkeley.
Ambiance: Super small shop so there’s only room to really order and maybe a few bar seats and outside. Otherwise you’ll need to find somewhere else to enjoy your meal.
Service: Ordering isn’t that big of the deal, but wait time is. I don’d know why but it always takes so long to get my order regardless if there’s a line or not. If there’s a line though be ready to wait at least 30 mins for your food. I’ve developed the habit of ordering ahead if i’m craving since the line isn’t always worth it.
Food:
— Potato puffs — I’ve tried all the flavors — the regular, truffle, parmesan, and garlic/​parsley. Haven’t been disappointed by either of them.
— Chicken Sandwich — my goto whenever I go. Just enjoy the textures of the chicken/​slaw on the bread and to my surprise it holds up pretty well when I save it
I would’ve given it 5 stars if not for the service.

First time in Berkeley, I had to try this place out!
Grégoire is a little french café in a small shack, across the street from Philz and other popular places. There’s only a few small tables right outside, (since it’s takeout food) so it’s best to eat somewhere else.
Fried Buttermilk Chicken Sandwich: ($ 10) It was a pretty large sandwich with a big cut of fried chicken and the perfect amount of spicy coleslaw. Personally, I wasn’t a fan of how heavy it was. I enjoyed it for the first few bites, but when I finished half of it, I couldn’t eat the rest.
Potato Puffs: ($ 6.10) The potato puffs were probably my favorite! These are fried mashed potato balls (10 in each box). They’re crispy and delicious. So many carbs in this meal! I was sharing these with another 2 people and we couldn’t finish these in addition to the sandwiches.
Fries: ($ 6.10) ($ 1.35 for extra garlic and parsley seasoning) Pretty good! I didn’t like the cheese sauce that came with the fries and potato puffs – it was a bit too sour and heavy for me.
Overall, a cool place to visit while in Berkeley. Missing the 5^th star because I personally am not a big fan of heavy foods.

I don’t post on Unilocal anymore but my Sunday experience has resurrected this bad boy.
1. When I asked them if it was possible to get some potatoes puffs for breakfast, I was met with a sassy «no.» That’s a tad bit unfair because someone else walked by and asked me if I waited 20 minutes I could probably get it. Sass-​master flex quickly gave that look of «no, you can’t/that’s a far stretch.»
2. Waited 30 minutes for food, which I normally don’t mind doing, but see point 3
3. They charged me and never placed my order.
4. I didn’t really want to wait longer for my food, so I asked if I could have a refund. They couldn’t give me a refund and made some excuse about how they had to call the owner or upper management or whatever, but that it’s a weekend so he’s unavailable.
5. Figured, I’d make it easy for them and asked them if I could get my food instead. I was told «if we had made your order as originally asked, you’d have it by now.» BRUH, IF YOU HAD MADE MY ORDER WHEN ORIGINALLY PLACED, I’D HAVE HAD IT 10 MINUTES AGO AND WE’D NOT BE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION. Can’t take the moral high ground on this ESPECIALLY when I not harassing you or yelling or blaming. It was a lovely sunday, I wasn’t trying to ruin your day
6. Told to write my name and number and that they’d reach out. This was Sunday. It’s now Wednesday, no call and they charged me. Had to call my credit card to dispute.
You guys are terrible.

Grégoire is an awesome little French café tucked away in an unassuming little shack. There’s not much seating or room for anything in the main building, so you’re probably going to have to go elsewhere to eat.
This review is exclusively for the potato puffs that they sell here. They are awesome and definitely something that I would get here regularly if I was here. I think the only thing that is making me slightly biased about these is that Porto’s in Southern California has something very similar except with ground beef inside of it, and I think that adding that little touch would make these potato puffs reach that elusive five-​star status as well.
Overall though, I would definitely recommend coming here for food here. Service is incredibly quick as well if you’re looking for something to just grab and go as a snack or quick meal!

I cannot stop raving about this restaurant! We initially came here because it was quick but we were handed a trendy box of delicious breakfast food! I ordered the puff pastry breakfast item and it has made it into my top 10 favorite breakfast dishes! The breakfast potatoes were crispy and well seasoned and the coffee was delicious as well! While it’s meant to be a take out restaurant, we sat inside and marveled at the chef’s skill. In was a warm environment and an excellent experience!

Gregoire’s has been a go-​to place for me in Berkeley when I want something casual and quick, but tasty. It is an artisanal takeout restaurant where the menu changes monthly for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The most popular items here are the potato puffs, which are a must try. I suggest getting the one topped with parmesan for a light cheesy flavor (the truffle and garlic options are a little too heavy on top of fried potato).
After visiting Gregoire’s so often, I’ve realized that there is a huge problem with the consistency of quality. Some days, I would give Gregoire’s five stars, but its inconsistent quality brings it down to three stars. Today, I received a steak and brie sandwich with no brie. The bread to my salami entrée was a terrible pairing as it was dry and difficult to eat. The chef also forgot to give us parmesan cheese on top of our potato puffs and forgot to give us the sauce as well. They were also very slow at getting my bread pudding out. Sometimes, there isn’t enough attention paid to the food and the chefs do not bring out the full potential in the menu.
I really love the menu at Gregoire’s and continue to go back because it’s casual and quick, yet high quality food. However, the consistency is awful here and something needs to be fixed with the service.

One of the best restaurants in Berkeley, hands down!
I’ve been coming to this restaurant for over a year, and I absolutely love it. The cashier is always friendly, and I love watching the chef cook (if I am lucky enough to get a seat). It’s located in a very small space with limited parking (meter parking) which can be a huge pain. It’s also located not too far from Philz Coffee and Safeway! For the following order, to put pricing into perspective, with the Soup of the Day, Crispy Potato Puffs, and two Fried Buttermilk Chicken, the total was around $ 36.50 (including tax).
— SOUP OF THE DAY (small — $ 3.45): the soup of the day was a tomato-​based soup with chickpeas. It was just really simple and delicious. If you are a soup lover, you should get the largest size! It’s worth it.
— CRISPY POTATO PUFFS ($ 6.10) with garlic and parsley (additional $ 1.05): I absolutely love the crispy potato puffs. It is just fried mashed potato balls, and there’s 10 of them in each order. I would say that one order of this can satisfy one person (just to be safe). Surely, this order is pretty expensive considering it’s not a main entrée, but it’s just so good to not order it! Also, this is my first time adding a seasoning; although the garlic and parsley seasoning on it was good, I don’t think I would order it again because I prefer the original. It’s just simply delicious.
— FRIED BUTTERMILK CHICKEN ($ 10): this is literally the best fried chicken sandwich. If you don’t order this, you are completely insane. The fried chicken is perfectly cooked; it’s not oily, and the chicken is moist. It’s the star of this show. Paired with the chicken is a «spicy cole slaw»; although it is not spicy, the slaw is tangy, so it goes well with the savory fried chicken. The French roll is the perfect mix for this sandwich; it’s soft and crunchy. This sandwich will make your stomach happy because every time I eat this sandwich, I have the biggest smile on my face.
If you are a first timer, you have to come during lunch and order the Fried Buttermilk Chicken sandwich along with the Crispy Potato Puffs. This exact order will make you keep coming back to Grégoire!

I love gregoires! It’s tasty, quick food, and definitely lives up to the hype. I came here for an early lunch, and got the egg sandwich (w arugula and pickled onion). It was amazing.
Of course, we had to order the famous potato puffs. I especially enjoyed the white truffle essence, and would definitely recommend it.
Overall, I can’t wait to come back!

Safest thing to order at a new location is always their fried chicken and fries if they have it. So I ordered their fried chicken sammich because it was a safe pick and also, I thought it would be good!
I don’t think they salt and pepper their chicken because although it was cooked great, it was very bland.
Very small shop. Only about 2 – 4 people can fit inside while ordering comfortably. They have a few seats outside but they were all full when I came so we had to sneakily sit next door and hope the owners of that establishment didn’t come shoo us away.

Such a small hole in the wall! A very cute French shack in the middle of the streets.
I was shocked to find such a long line in front of thi very very tiny shack! It was really small with two small outdoor tables that would seat about five people.
I was told that they were famous for their fried mashed potato balls! And yes! They were delicious!
We got two orders: one white truffle and one permasean.
My preference: the white truffle !!

Gregoire is a cute little hole in the wall that can easily be overlooked unless you already know about it. There is some seating outside where you can enjoy your meal, but it’s also easy to take the food to go like I did to Indian Rock. The containers are so cute!
The dinner menu is always changing so make sure to check online to see the selection. Quality is always on point, but you’re also paying more for it. A college kid can’t be eating here every day. I would really like to drag myself out there for lunch one day because I heard the sandwiches are great.
To be honest, I don’t understand the hype behind the crispy potato puffs. I even bought it twice on separate occasions to make sure I wasn’t being weird the first time. It’s basically a crispy fried ball with mashed potatoes inside. I’m not denying that it tasted good, but it’s a bit too heavy for my liking. Definitely suggest sharing it with friends!

2 words: POTATO PUFFS.
Gregoire’s potato puffs are yummy and not too crispy on the outside. The inside was pretty much mashed potatoes, and I am a huge fan of mashed potatoes! The potato puffs also come with some kind of sauce. I don’t know what exactly it is but it tastes good. I also love their packaging! This place is more of a take-​out spot, so definitely get it to go.

Basically made my boyfriend come here with me for the crispy potato puffs.
This cute spot is very small and only has 4 small tables outside. It was right by Philz so we got some coffee while we were waiting on our food. And I thought it was pretty cool how they have their own baking mix and organic granola bars for sale.
We ordered the mix greens with baked shrimp, pork patty in pantiofolina, and of course the crispy potato puffs. The salad came with croutons on the side. The shrimps were very fresh and tasty and the dressing was light — just they way I like it. My boyfriend got the pork patty and it came with avocado. I had a bite of it. It was decent but lacked flavor. Nothing special.
But oh my goodness, the crispy potato puffs!!! It’s so crispy on the outside and fluffy on the inside. It was like a deep fried mash potato ball. With the dipping sauce, it was pure perfection. I highly recommend the crispy potato puffs here.

Ahh, what a cute little shop Gregoire is! It’s more of a take out shop, but there are a couple of tables around and I love it’s little setting; too bad I couldn’t stay to eat there.
I stopped by on my way back from SF to try their crispy potato puffs and they did not disappoint! The worker was very helpful and gave me recommendations on which add on would taste better for the crispy potato puffs. In the end, I chose garlic and pesto. They make the crispy potato puffs fresh whenever someone orders, so it’s VERY VERY VERY yummy! The price is reasonable too at a little over $ 7 for a box of 9 puffs. The sauce included in the middle tastes very vinegar-​y, although I’m not sure what it is exactly. However, the other menu items look like they could get pricey. I will definitely be back to try the crispy potato puffs with BBQ seasoning!

We came here at 12:30pm on Sunday, expecting a long line but no, there were a few people on front of us and we were lucky enough to grab the seats at the bar.
I guess the first mistake I made was to preorder. The food was not hot anymore by the time we got it, and started to become soggy. So I ordered the famous potato puffs and fried chicken sandwich. My friend got a roasted veggie wrap with a side of original potato puff. Here are our 2 cents:
Fried chicken sandwich: ³⁄₅. Good and crispy chicken, but the mayo sauce didn’t add enough flavor to the bland chicken taste. Cole slaw was alright. I would say ³⁄₅ as I have had better fried chicken in many other places.
Garlic & white truffle potato puffs: i wish I had had it hot :(it’s crispy in the outside and creamy in the inside as everybody says, but by the 3^rd one it’s not delicious anymore. The aioli was alright… Nothing special. ³⁄₅. Maybe when it’s hot it’ll be ⁴⁄₅ by ya, my fault.
Roasted veggie wrap: ⁴⁄₅. Just ⁴⁄₅.
Well next time I’ll suck up the wait time and get the hot puffs. No more pre order, but again, perhaps there is no more next time.

Gregoires is a definite Berkeley staple, because the food is pure excellence. Their menu changes every month, and no matter what you order, you’re guaranteed a tasty meal prepared well with quality ingredients.
My favorites that you can order any time, all the time:
–potato puffs that instantly dissolve in your mouth, whipped and light and fluffy, served with a tangy mayo sauce (I always ask for extra.)
–nice and clean bread pudding, never a metallic taste that you sometimes get from baking it in a pan, not overly sweet, soft inside and crispy outside. Always a win! The flavors change every month, and I’ve never been disappointed
–buttermilk chicken sandwich on the lunch menu with creamy cole slaw, a hint of spice, crispy outside, juicy meat, and hearty bread
I also love the cooked veggies they serve with dinner menu items, be it well-​seasoned Brussels sprouts, zucchini, or broccolini. Gives me ideas for cooking myself!

Potatoes in all forms are great potatoes nonetheless! My girlfriend and I were on our way to dinner somewhere else and we were passing by Berkeley. I figured since dinner was a few hours away, we couldn’t order any of their delicious sounding sandwiches, but we could at least try out their infamous potato puffs!
We found some street parking around the next block over and made our way over to Gregoire. The shop is tiny. Tiny as in you walk in to order and there is barely enough room for a line to form. With that being said, this is a grab and go type of place unless your lucky to snag the couple of tables in front of the shop. There is a couple more tables a little off to the side on a raised platform (refer to photo). We received our delicious truffle oil potato balls hot and fresh. The outside was crisp and the inside was fluffy and not densely packed. The potato ball went so well with the sauce. I wish I could have ordered their other menu items, but I guess I just have to come back!

This may not be the popular opinion, but I don’t love the potato puffies. If whoever I’m dining with orders them and offers me one, I won’t turn it down, but I just don’t see why deep fried mashed potato balls are so exciting.
Most people seem to recommend Grégoire for lunch since it’s a much better deal than dinner, and I would agree. Their sandwiches are great and while the menu changes, you can’t really go wrong when ordering one unless you choose the only one served on white bread. (I made this mistake once and it was a much smaller sando and, well, on white bread).
If I’m going to get a side, I’ll take the fries (they’re nothing too special, but the seasoned ones are perfectly fine) and split them with someone, assuming they haven’t insisted on getting a box-​o-​puffs.
Bonus points: They have the cutest packaging and ‘silver’ plasticware.
Suggestion: If it’s crowded, take your picnic boxes up to the Berkeley Rose Garden and swallow up a nice view of the Bay with your mushy puffs. You can also call in your order 15 – 20 mins ahead of time to have everything ready upon arrival.

Three words: crispy potato puffs.
This is a small little restaurant nestled in Berkeley, a little out of reach for those who live closer to UCB campus but well worth the trek or bus ride for those who don’t have a car.
The only downside is that there is not much seating available, inside or outside of the restaurant. Luckily this place is pretty used to packaging food for to-​go orders. The food is affordable and generally tasty.
The must try here is the crispy potato puffs — basically they are mashed potatoes battered and fried with an aioli dipping sauce. These are best eaten fresh and don’t preserve too well, so I recommend buying an order to share with friends. They are a treat!

Cute spot on Cedar, near Shattuck. Or, as some Berkeley locals call it, the «Gourmet Ghetto». Never really understood the meaning behind it, or why they named the area that, but there are a lot of gourmet restaurants in the area, just not really ghetto?
Anyways, I like coming here for their buttermilk fried chicken sandwich and potato puffs. It comes on a toasted French roll, with crispy tender chicken breast, and coleslaw. I liked that the chicken wasn’t overly greasy, and the slaw went well with the chicken. IMO, I prefer Gregiore’s chicken sandwich over Bakesale Betty’s.
Their menus change every month, so make sure you check online before coming. But the fried chicken sandwich is usually on there. I always end up coming back to this sandwich.
Also, this location serves breakfast. So grab some Philz and breakfast if you’re in the area! Or come for their chicken sandwich!

Quand j’etais un etudiant a Berkeley, je etudierais souvent mon francais ici, a cette restaurant — chez Gregoire. Les sandwiches sount toujours frais et delicieux — les ingredients etaient interessants et savoureux, et les prix sont raisonnables, particulierement pour la qualite de la nourriture. Tandis que je m’asseyais sur l’exterieur mettez hors jeu, Gregoire (avec la chapeau) m’aiderait avec mon travail francais.
Je vis en San Francisco maintenant, mais quand je retourne a Berkeley, j’essaye toujours de visiter Chez Gregoire.