Lama Beans Cafe

Just tried it out since they have outdoor seating where you can bring your dog. The vegan options were Falafel lavash or Portobello sandwich. I went with the lavash and it was pretty good; next time I’d ask for more tahini sauce since I didn’t get the yogurt. I think it was $ 14 but it was quite a large wrap and comes with fries or a salad. I was there between 4 and 5 and traffic was pretty heavy on the surrounding streets, so the outdoor seating wasn’t as enjoyable as it would otherwise have been. The seating on the 6^th Street side has permanent flower boxes next to it that kind of smelt like pee.

Dropped in waiting for my motorcycle to be fixed. Luckily it was happy hour. Had the $ 5 spicy wings. Got 5 small wings. These aren’t the Frankenstein wings. So that’s a plus.
Great flavor! I could tell they marinated them. Nice, slightly spicy and crispy. I’m guessing they used lard. Comes with a nice ranch sauce to pour on.
Seating outside was nice.
I only wish I lived closer to try their breakfasts.

What are you gonna do when you’re hungry, at the REI in Berkeley, and need a place to eat that isn’t Chipotle? If you don’t mind walking a few blocks (see: 4) down Gilman Street, you’ll hit Lama Beans Café!
They’re your run-​of-​the-​mill diner with a mild Greek twist (there’s shawerma, falafel and lavash available under «house specialties»). I ordered their chorizo sausage scramble and Boyfriend ordered their Mediterranean chicken sandwich. I think he said, after a few bites, that this might be one of the best sandwiches he’s ever had. I know I liked it better than my chorizo scramble! Not that it wasn’t good; there was plenty of chorizo, eggs and potatoes, the sauce trio complemented my food well, and I ate all 3 of the corn (option to get wheat if you want) tortillas that came with my plate… but… it just wasn’t as good as the sandwich! Maybe it was the eggplant.
However you cut it, I definitely would love to come back! On a sunny day, you can even sit outside with your four-​legged buddy :)

Great café! Came in around 12:15 and there was no wait. Lots of tables inside and a decent amount outside for dining with a pup. The service was friendly and welcoming. Food came quickly too.
Street parking was plentiful. Also, right down the street is Fieldwork brewery and the North Face outlet.
Ordered the tuna melt and the portobello sandwich. Both were so good! The sourdough bread wasn’t that sour, but was perfectly toasted and fresh. The fillings were generously portioned as well. The true highlight for me though were the fries: crispy on the outside, not oily.
Our tablemates got the Middle-​Eastern Sampler Platter and Bianca pizza, which they enjoyed as well. I’d definitely come back.

Fantastic brunch and all around great menu. This café has everything you want — coffee, pastries, sandwiches, egg dishes, beer, wine. On weekends it is crowded and social, but during the week when it’s less busy, it’s a great place to work from over a latte.

Kinda weird, but I prefer my corned beef hash kinda mushy. Like when places are super into their homemade corned beef hash, it’s usually kinda stringy and I’m pretty partial to the canned stuff. Lama Beans Café splits the difference with their pleasingly mushy corned beef. The pesto and cream sauce accompaniments are a nice touch.
Also, unlike some slower places (ahem, Homemade Café cough cough) you walk in and order and it all seems to go quickly.

This is the place to go to for breakfast. I tried one of their breakfast burritos and it was honestly one of the best breakfast burritos I have ever had. There was some sort of sauce in it that was just amazing. Perfect hole in the wall place. I definitely recommend. Plus the staff are awesome!

The breakfast sliver dollars are very good.
They have their own techniques of making them. Taste very good. The owner and his family members appear to be there every day to make sure every this operating smoothly. We also came here for the dinner and the fried chicken is good. I think they bake vs fry.
Easy to find location. Will add more later.

Been here a few times now and haven’t had anything I haven’t loved yet; country omelette plate, blueberry pancakes with side chicken sausage and home fries, and lamb sandwich and fries. A little pricey but the food is really good and fresh. The ambience and service is great. Lama the owner takes pride in the credibility and quality of his place which you can tell through taste and service. My only whomp whomp is that the pancakes don’t come with sides and the fruit that it comes with is more of a garnish than an addition.

The ‘Chicken Wings’ are screamin! Also… Lama (The owner) is a very pleasant man and the rest of the staff are extremely friendly and helpful. I’m coming back for the ‘Rib-​eye’… Lord willing and if the creek don’t rise!

Got the short stack pancakes and it was BOMB. So cute! But easily soaks in syrup. I should get another plate next time to evenly distribute the syrup. Pancakes are fluffy and soft to chew with fresh, ripe fruit on the side. The oranges were surpsingly very sweet.
Friend got the florentine? She said it was a bit buttery and overcooked. The home fries were also too crisp but the green sauce was delicious.

Ask a girl who has lived in Jersey about diners and you’ll get raised brows, a smile and a «Oh, I know about diners» response. New Jersey has the most diners per capita than any state. And you may be asking yourself «What does this have to do with Lama Beans Café in Berkeley?» I’d respond back that I’m kind of finding Lama Beans Café to be this new type of diner I’m discovering, the California diner.
Let’s talk about the similarities: it serves breakfast, lunch and dinner pretty much all day. I saw that they have Greekish food like shwerma and falafel (most diners in Jerz are owned by the Greeks), but then of course you can get eggs benedict, silver dollar pancakes, corned beef hash, burgers, sandwiches, grilled sea bass, a pork chop, etc… The list goes on. That’s some diner eating.
Lama Beans doesn’t have the 20 page menu as its NJ counterparts do, but Lama Beans seemingly has a healthier take on life. Prices aren’t cheap, but they aren’t expensive and where the bargain lays is those lunch and dinner options. Where in the world are you getting a fish dinner for $ 20? Lama Beans.
I stuck with brunch and the chorizo scramble was tasty. A spicy chorizo crumble, melted cheddar in an egg scramble topped with some pico and three complimenting sauces that were quite tasty. I opted for a perfectly ripe fruit cup instead of potatoes, and didn’t mess with the side corn tortillas that looked run of the mill. A filling meal that didn’t leave me crippled, says a lot.
The husband’s corned beef hash was good, not great. A corned beef omelet perched on top of a potato pancake. Mash it all up, throw in the sauces and you have quite a decent scramble right there. But not that quintessential corned beef hash that comes to mind.
Brunch for two, no drinks was less than $ 30 with tip. A ton of seats, a nice corner lot with big windows facing the street makes it a cozy spot to enjoy a meal.

Our wonderful hosts graciously and enthusiastically recommended Lama Beans as a dog-​friendly nearby destination, so, why not? Parking was a bit tricky (if you find it on 7^th St, park right away lol), but otherwise fairly easy. Although I was prepared to be told to take my dog outside, I strode in with Roxy after perusing the outside menu so that I could order quickly and give the «sorry, I’m alone with my pup and need to take her with me» shame speech if need be.
No shame in this game! They were totally cool (and, thankfully, so was Roxy) while I ordered my smoked salmon benedict and flavored sparkling water. Just over $ 16. Outstanding! A served, hot meal and beverage for just about $ 1 more than I paid at Point Isabel 24 hours prior.
Waiting outside (and hanging out there in general) was, admittedly, slightly sketchy. At the primo corner of the outside patio were three (and then eventually four) one-​step-​above-​bum lookin dudes. They were initially kinda friendly, but really weren’t ones for smiles or playing nice with Roxy. At one point one of them threw an iced coffee drink onto the sidewalk at projectile speed. Nobody bothered to pick it up. Then they were relatively loud. I’m not one to tell proprietors whom they can and cannot allow as patrons, that’s for sure. But this was kind of a turn-​off, to be certain.
I was served outside, and very quickly, and Roxy was extremely well-​behaved at my feet. And oh! The food. SO GOOD. Eggs perfectly poached, Hollandaise perfectly light, just the perfect amount of fish, potatoes perfectly home fried, and their magical trio of sauces (pesto, smoky aioli, pico de gallo) went perfectly with the food. Fresh, fast, and absolutely delicious! Worth every penny :)
Thank you Lama Beans for being so awesome about my dog and I being attached at the hip :)
Roxy rates it: zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz five paws zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz still tired from the day before.

Always fresh ingredients and creative combinations in their specials. My go to place for lunch. The fish special is always amazing. Either freshly caught salmon or yellowtail usually. Lama and his staff make everyone feel at home.

I absolutely love this place; it’s my favorite breakfast/​brunch spot in the East Bay and has been for years. The service is fast, the staff is friendly, and there’s tons of seating. I love that you can walk in on a weekend, wait in a short line, order your food, and find a table. There’s never any waiting, even though they have tons of customers.
I almost always get the Goat Cheese Scramble, which is so good. Comes with fresh brown bread (tastes like it’s made in house), three yummy kinds of sauces, and my favorite version of homestyle potatoes. The coffee is hot and you can serve yourself as much as you want (the iced coffee is kept in the fridge, but you can also have as much of that as you want).
It’s a good amount of food for the price.
The staff are friendly (at this point they say hi and know who I am/​we are, haha). The space is comfortable — nice chairs and tables, good light, plenty of room so you don’t feel crowded, even on a weekend.
I’ve never been for dinner.

Great breakfast food. I really enjoyed the salmon benedict. They include 3 side sauces, a pesto, a tomato salsa and a chipotle sour cream. Nicely done. Good service. Creative options.

Just had Lama’s Corned beef hash and it’s tasty, but more about the hash then the corned beef. For a self service type place, I was hoping for something a little meatier. If I come back, I’ll just get the eggs.

Very mediocre food. 4 of us had brunch and none of it was particularly good. Potatoes came in a pool of grease. Huevos divorciados was strange, in a soup of refried beans with one egg overcooked. Goat’s cheese scramble was ok but barely tasted of goat’s cheese. Service was quick but there are much better places for brunch. Wouldn’t go back.

My first time here today since meal ticket was closed, and YUM!!! I ordered the mushroom, goat cheese omelette & added sausage $ 12. Delish and a very generous portion. Also ordered a side of corn beef hash $ 7c again SOOO good. A bit pricey but food quality and taste was on point especially with the 3 sauces on the side… completely stuffed :)

My all time favorite breakfast spot. I’ve been coming here since 1998 although called Jimmy Beans back then the food is still fantastic. My favorite is the silver dollar pancakes with a side of eggs with the trio sauces. OMG! Love the trio sauces. The customer service is fantastic as well.

Easy neighborhood café. Good portions for price. The boyfriend had fried chicken & waffles (weekend special) and I had the breakfast pizza. The chicken was crispy & tasty — the boyfriend felt it was on par with Brown Sugar Kitchen. Waffles were average. My breakfast pizza was a 9″ with 2 eggs on top, arugula, bacon, lots of cheese. Only complains were that my pizza dough was slightly underdone and definitely needed salt, black pepper and Tabasco.

This is one of those places that I come here
a lot, yet always Delicious. We know the people who own the place… Very nice. The food is amazing!!! And to the service… Fast, kind and generous.

People are nice from crew to chefs, love how the set up you seeing what they’re preparing for their costumers. The food are delish very homey. Try the mini pancakes and it’s good.

This morning we stopped by here for brunch for the first time. It’s order at the counter for breakfast brunch or lunch and I don’t particularly like that, but their food is good. We had tried Café M and found an hour wait, so we came here. They have outside seating on 6^th and on Gilman, so we could bring Jordin w/​us. They have scrambles, omelets and a variety of other dishes. I smelled fried chicken. I saw a mushroom and goat cheese omelet on the menu posted in the window that looked good. I liked that you could substitute fruit for potatoes at no extra charge. I chose wheat toast from among the options offered and sat outside at a 2 top w/​Jordin while Alan went in and ordered. He had a vegetable scramble w/​the potatoes and wheat toast and iced coffee while I had hot tea.
Alan brought the drinks and a number for the table. Our table was a bit tippy. When the server brought our dishes Alan mentioned it to him. He put down our plates, left and returned w/​something to stabilize the table as he squatted to fix the table he smiled as Jordin went to nuzzle him in greeting. He left again and returned w/​a container of water for her. Very nice. My omelet was terrific. It comes w/​their three sauces, a green one, an aioli and a fresh tomato salsa. All were flavorful and a good addition to the omelet. The toast came two halves of a large slice w/​butter on the side. I like that size portion. No waste. The fruit was melons and grapes, all ripe and sweet. Alan liked his scramble, which came w/​the same three sauces. We agreed that we could add this to our brunch rotation.

Really gave this place a shot, been here on various occasions and most of the time left very unhappy :(when they did get it right, the food and coffee was always great, but unfortunately the poor organization and structure of the café just doesn’t work.
Staff seems overwhelmed and doesn’t seem to care about quality or timeliness. Not expecting five star service, but a little courtesy to customers and their needs is the bare minimum I think. There is tons of competition for bagels and coffee in the Bay Area; step up your game!

This place is a great local spot.
Great service paired with a simple menu that’s seasonal and a very obviously inspired chef.
Affordable.
Walking distance from the U.C. Village.
Lots of locals, good place for socializing.
I see lots of dogs outside, so pooch friendly if your into that.

Friendly service and great selection of food. This is very conveniently located near my work, and they allow me to take the plate in our office where I could eat peacefully. Big servings and breakfast is served all day. Wow! I can always get steak and eggs or bacon and eggs anytime. It’s very Keto-​friendly! Ketorrific!

Got the Lamb Shawerma wrap (Grilled and served In flat bread with tahini sauce, cucumber, tomatoes, red onions, iceberg lettuce and a homemade red bell pepper/​eggplant spread, served with a cucumber yogurt sauce and a mixed green salad) which, at $ 14, is the priciest item on the lunch menu.
Looked pretty good coming out (
), but was light on the lamb vs. the other fillings (
) along with a couple of empty inches on both ends of the wrap (
).
The lamb was tender, but could have been more strongly seasoned. Also, I didn’t taste any «bell pepper /​eggplant spread» (very little or they forgot) and the most disappointing part was the flat bread was somewhat raw and undercooked. .. you can see the translucent cross section of the bread here (
)

I really enjoy this place. They have an awesome menu– with new seasonal addition being worked in all the time, great specials. Cool location, amazing food and great prices.
We have been here a few times now for brunch– it’s never packed but not slow either. I had the traditional eggs Benedict. Very nice. It comes with potatoes and potatoes always come with their medley of 3 sauces– which are delectable. A cilantro pesto, a smokey chipotle aioli and a perfect pico de gallo round out the medley which accompany the potatoes — or anything– very well.
You order at the counter– self serve coffee and water, and get a number for your table for service. Very efficient. We always start with a fresh muffin that’s in their case– a great way to kick off breakfast– with an appetizer.
I’ve seen their board advertising 3 course dinners every night for $ 15, except $ 20 steak on Sunday. I’m gonna try one out. Great place.

Love this corner spot and I absolutely love the food here! I’ve been here PLENTY of times. If you’re looking for a good place after a run, for some AWESOME salads, seriously delicious and crispy fries, tasty breakfast options to satisfy your cravings, try lama bean out :) I still haven’t tried anything off the dinner menu, which is surprising to me, but I will soon! So far, based on their breakfast and lunch — good sized portions & food doesn’t taste heavy at all.
I love the name of this place also!!! Used to be called Jimmy Beans, but the new owner has taken over for awhile now, Lama, and he is very nice and welcoming! Thanks for the great service always!

Had a wonderful brunch! This is my favorite breakfast spot because of their delicious silver dollar pancakes. The portions are large! I really love the cilantro salsa.
The only reason why it didn’t get five stars was because when I got a box to take home leftovers, the containers had black mold. When we returned the containers for the cashiers to see they gave us another one with black mold, and got even more frustrated as though we were in the wrong.

Housemade corned beef hash with two poached eggs, toast, and biscuit will surely make your belly happy. Along with those delicious fluffy silver dollar pancakes on the side will have your waistline expand with no regrets.
I like this place. I hope you give this casual brunch spot a try. Cheers!

I work right around the corner and needed a place to grab a quick lunch. I decided to try Lama Beans for the first time after hearing good things from co-​workers and seeing the positive reviews on Unilocal.
The service here was extremely fast. You order at the counter and take a seat. There was no line at lunch time on Monday, and a lot of seating available. I waited only 5 mins before I got my order — a chicken and bacon caesar wrap. It was very generous, giving not 2 but 3 «halves» and a nice bowl of fresh fruit to go with it. I thought the wrap itself was pretty delicious.
Looking around though, it seemed like everyone was taking advantage of the fact that they serve breakfast all day. I regretted going for the caesar wrap after looking at all the amazing looking egg/​omelette plates around me.
I’ll have to come back and try the breakfast options! Reading the reviews, I would also like to try the dinner!

Lama Beans (previously Jimmy Beans) is one of my favorite places to have breakfast. Its a seat yourself, order at the register, type of restaurant. The service is always friendly.
They are commuted to using local and organic sources.
They have a consistent menu and daily specials. Their corned beef hash is one of my favorites and is consistently excellent when I get it. It’s my brother-in-law’s favorite as well, in fact, he won’t order anything else it’s so good. They have a selection of scrambles and omelets and other breakfast items, such as pancakes. My favorite breakfast special is their chilequiles verde. It comes with carne asada, received black beans, guacamole, chipotle sour cream and Queso fresco.
Needless to say, I’ll be back with new recruits.