Quince Cafe & Grill

I think Quince has my favorite breakfast in west Berkeley. Their salmon is fabulous, the chicken sausage huge, and the service and patrons friendly. No rubbery eggs to be found here. They also have fresh squeezed juice! The dining area is small so if there’s a line out the door you might have to wait a minute. Luckily they’re located on a pretty tree lined street with wide sidewalks where you can lurk in hunger as you wait for someone inside to leave.

I mean, how can I not give this place 5 stars? I come here all the time and it’s always great. Rock on, Quince!

On the weekends it maybe slow but worth it. the spicy ketchup and burger are worth the wait/​money.

I chose wisely for my post-​yoga Sunday lunch while visiting the Bay area for just a day.
Although the omelets and Benedicts the other guests were enjoying looked SO GOOD, I decided that was a heavier meal than I wanted (since I plan in at least 2 more in SF later today). So I asked my server for her favorite sandwich and went with the chicken pesto on sourdough. So much flavor! And just the sandwich with no sides was the perfect portion to satisfy and keep me going for several hours until I’m ready for another culinary adventure in the city by the bay.

Ok, so here goes an honest confession, I have monkey on my back and it’s called a french toast addiction. To satiate my cravings I have walked far and long during el nino rains and harsh sunny afternoons alike; yet was always disappointed. Until I found Quince.
I implore you to try their challah blueberry french toast, it is soaked just the right amount, the sweetness of the blueberry compote is spot on. The portion size is enough to fill you up good but not so much that you hate yourself after the meal.
I’d prefer if their house coffee was a tad stronger but then I’ve been ruined by Oakland/​Berkley specialty coffee places. Big shout out for home made ketchup and strawberry jam, I mean after all we’re in California, it should be against the religion or something for other brunch spots to serve packeted jam/​ketchup.
And if you’re here with a date make sure they’re ok with you stealing from their plate, because if you order french toast, someone has to order hashbrowns. And I swear on those golden hashbrowns, that one bite and you’ll be stealing those delicious forkfuls everytime your date looks away.
So come to Quince and taste a good soulful inexpensive breakfast brunch served with a side of homemade spicy ketchup goodness.

I went here on a date with my boyfriend over two years ago and forgot to write a review– and I don’t remember what I got!
For Celiacs though, I remember my experience was pleasant and no tummy aches after which is important. As far as cooking procedures go, I can’t say that they don’t cross contaminate, but most of their items are GF already. They are friendly and attentive if you tell them about your allergy or celiac ahead of time.

Quince is fantastic – friendly service, delicious food, all in a casual and affordable environment. Classic breakfast/​brunch with some nice extras, like homemade spicy ketchup at the tables, crispy potatoes with savory breakfast dishes, and free refills of good coffee. Some favorites are the pancake roulettes (rolled with yogurt, granola and berries), blueberry (acme) challah french toast and the Jordanian omelette.
Great place, and the owner is always awesomely hospitable!

Blueberry muffin was really good, although I would have enjoyed it more if it was warmed up, the coffee was excellent, and so was the service, although the food was a slight let down. The menu options were small for breakfast, and the hash browns weren’t made very well. It was a pretty good place overall

Quince is the perfect brunch place! Delicious, varied menu, good coffee, and it has a nice relaxing atmosphere. Also the food has kind of a Mediterranean spin on typical Americana breakfast food. Most unique brunch place I’ve found in berkeley!

I love Quince! I’m still all about their breakfast special but i also really like their tuna melt sandwich too! Also every time I come I get a buttermilk pancake… drool!

It is absurd that I haven’t reviewed Quince yet! I’m a savory kind of breakfast person. I like scrambles, omlettes, bagels with lox, and hashbrowns and Quince does all of these items well. The hashbrowns are so crispy and seasoned so well that I almost end up eating them all before I remember to dip them in Quince’s tasty housemade ketchup.
Like I said, I’m a savory breakfast person… except at Quince. Hands down, Quince makes the best pancakes I’ve ever had. The fluffiest, just sweet enough, stacks are the only sweet breakfast foods I ever choose over the savory items on the menu. They come dusted with powdered sugar with an option to upgrade to strawberries or blueberries and whipped cream. They honestly don’t need syrup and butter, but if you’re a maple syrup fiend like my boyfriend, they don’t disintegrate under the weight.
Service is friendly, lattes are foamy, and the wait isn’t too long if you come just before or after peak brunch hours.

Coffee was good; bold and delicious.
Female server was meh; looked like she had a hard time serving 10 café tables. The bus boy was more attentive and friendlier than her.
My partner and I went in for drinks. He stepped out to get a haircut while I waited. I was there for 15 min before the server asked me to leave because there was «a wait» even though two other tables where paying out. I was told that «this isn’t a Starbucks.»
Well, thanks for clarifying that for me. I suppose I’ll just have to take my business to Starbucks then.
Would have been zero stars but the coffee and the bus boy get two.

Adding this to the rotation! Gluten free pancakes super tasty, chicken hash very good. Great staff. Super clean and chill.

Delicious food, great menu selections, cozy atmosphere, friendly waitstaff — what more could you ask for?
Quince is just exactly our kind of breakfast/​brunch place, and we’re regulars. The menu has the usual suspects, eggs in different variations (with salmon, hash, various vegetables), and they’re all excellent. The hash browns are unique — the potato is shredded into thin strips, then the whole pile is flattened and fried with some kind of delicious middle eastern spices. Though we usually try to avoid fried food, we never leave a speck behind of Quince’s hash browns.
The ultimate indies secret: get the blueberry muffin. It’s fabulous! Whole blueberries that look like they were fresh when baked. It’s worth coming here if you just want a blueberry muffin and a coffee.
There’s usually only a single person working the entire room, but she never fails to be attentive, warm, inviting, and sincerely friendly. You feel like family.
We only hope that more people don’t «discover» Quince and ‘ruin’ it by making it too crowded. As it is, the lines and waits at peak times are already too long (30 – 45 minutes). But go at a slightly off hour and have one of the best breakfast’s you can get in Berkeley.

For the price point, location, and quality, this is a five star establishment.
The coffee is really good, and the food is exceptional for such a low price. High quality food and flavor, great, personal customer service.
The hashbrowns are traditional with a twist. They have a sort of spice in them and the result is quite a pleasant surprise.
I’m sold.

I really like coming here for their gluten-​free pancakes! :)

Our new favorite breakfast joint! I’m getting hungry just writing about it. The chicken hash is heaven, the buttermilk pancakes are serious (warm blueberry compote on top is perfection) plus the homemade condiments just make it all special and extra yummy. Service is warm and thoughtful. And the coffee is great! Can’t wait to explore more of the menu… as we were leaving last time I saw someone slathering the homemade spicy ketchup on a burger and decided it’s time to try Quince for lunch!
Regarding accessibility, Quince is great. There’s a bit of a slope up to the front door, but nothing too dramatic. Chairs are sturdy, the bathroom is easily accessible. Fantastic neighborhood gem!

Small, quaint breakfast place just off San Pablo, where my husband and I used to live. We’re always down to try out new breakfast & brunch places, so we came here with my father-​in-​law.
The place was moderately busy on a Sunday morning but we were seated almost immediately. They do have specials but I ordered the Eggs Benedict. The hashbrowns were excellent with the added spices and I was particularly happy with their Hollandaise sauce.

This simple breakfast spot has nothing to do with the Michelin-​starred restaurant in San Francisco. Oh dear, you didn’t know that? You actually thought this was the other Quince. Please, allow me to laugh behind your back. OK, so it’s not $ 195 a person to dine here. Are you truly disappointed? I didn’t think so. If you’re like me… and you should be so lucky, you’re probably looking to have some eggs and coffee to start off your Saturday morning right. That was me as I was feeling peckish after I got my hair cut in Oakland. Deciding to explore San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley a bit, I came upon this Quince rather easily, and it wasn’t too crowded inside (photo:
).
With a Jordanian Omelette and a Mediterranean Scramble on the menu, I could tell there was a little Middle Eastern twist to the dishes here. Neat. I decided to go a bit plain and ordered the $ 8.95 Chicken Hash frankly because they didn’t offer a traditional corned beef one. It was a pretty good alternative treatment with chicken, potatoes, onion, garlic and a variety of Mediterranean spices all padded together and grilled. It was served with two eggs, sunny-​side up, a roasted tomato and sourdough toast (photo:
). Because the chicken was a bit drier, I fortunately ordered a $ 2.75 glass of Freshly Squeezed Orange Juice to wash it all down. It’s a casual spot and you don’t need to make reservations three months in advance or get a second mortgage.
FOOD — 3 stars… chicken hash provides a healthier alternative with a Middle Eastern twist
AMBIANCE — 3 stars… casual eatery that crowds up really fast on a Saturday morning
SERVICE — 3 stars… not chatty, not mean, just right in the middle
TOTAL — 3 stars… Quince has just one dollar sign… oh wait, I’m thinking of the other one

What I ate: Chicken hash, iced soy chai
Visit date: November 16, 2014
First time? Yes.
Brunch without the wait! For realsies.
Quince Café is all about savory goodness. They had sweets for brunch, too, but let me tell you about the chicken hash! At first, I thought it to be a very strange concept because chicken tends to get dry, but I was so curious. To my pleasant surprise, it was moist and tender. The shredded pieces of chicken melted in with the potatoes and the rest, well, the rest is in my tummy. The hash is served with two sunny side up eggs (get that yolk on there!) and a grilled tomato (hey, you need your morning lycopene!).
The chai is made locally and is a definite must-​try. Bonus — After a few sips, the waiter came back to top off my drink. Apparently, she had made too much so was waiting to give me more. How nice!
Great service and quality food at good prices!