Source Mini

Nooooo!!! This was my last place to get a oink burger! Are you guys reopening anywhere? What is going on?

I hadn’t spoken to my ex in months, but he called me the other day specifically to let me know that SOURCE MINI HAD CLOSED :(((Clearly, he understands the depths of my love for this place and is sensitive enough to know that this wasn’t the kind of news he could deliver via text.
I used to live around the corner and loved picking up food here 1−2ce a week. My fave was the avocado oink on a gluten-​free crêpe thingy (the technical term — they always knew what I meant) with fries and a side of Gilroy onion sauce (Ok, THREE sides of Gilroy onion sauce) for dipping. Loved it so much it was the wallpaper on my cell phone for a while.
I hope they are able to re-​open. Or I hope that someone develops an app that automatically generates recipes from pictures of food that you upload — like Shazam for food. That way I could make one of these amazing sandwiches at home.
I’ll miss ya, Source.

THIS PLACE IS NOW CLOSED. I am sooooo sad. I loved their burgers!!!
I hope they reopen at another location later… =(

If you are a vegetarian or vegan YOU HAVE TO TRY IT!
I’m in love! Having great vegan options is common in the bay, but these sandwiches are vegan, creative and they make you full.
I’ve had:
Vegan nacho fries = Hella good = 5 stars
It just has a good, festive combo of beans, pico de gallo and olives. I would have enjoyed maybe the cashew cheese on this or on the side.
Banh mi = Very good = 4 stars
One of the best vegan banh mi’s I’ve had. I would actually prefer something other than the quack meat. Maybe just more veggies versus the fake meat. Going off the freshness of the sandwich… or maybe the kinda thin tofurkey sandwich meat, but homeade Source Mini style would be great. The texture of the quack meat… I don’t really love. Not bad, but I’d prefer something else.
GILROY = HELLA, HELLA GOOD = 5 stars.
Topped with caramelized onions, which are lovely. The raw mozzarella is so so so good… The menu said, «All burgers are made with beets, celery, carrots, lentils, mushrooms, rice, fresh herbs, soy protein.» It’s a perfect blend of all of these items and super filling, yet super light. OMG. I could come here every day.
Service tends to be great & the chef, whenever I sit down and eat there, he’s kind of a magician. Super fast and super artisan like.
Love this spot. Highly recommended for the Bay Veggies.
Local love,
Renee Rises– The Filipina foodie, sometimes vegetarian, but not always because I’m Filipina

Really now Sean? A good rating for Vegan food? What’s the matter with you? You’re the type of person that looks at Lady Gaga’s meat dress and says «YUM!». But believe it or not, Source Mini does enough to make you forget you’re eating plants and tricks your brain into thinking it’s nibbling on a cow.
So I got myself the Peking Quack sandwich. I genuinely forgot I was eating a vegan meal. I thought it was real duck. It tasted like duck. It felt like duck. For all I know, it could have been duck and this place is a sham. But I trust them, and it was so legit. Could have done with a little less hoisin sauce, but other than that it was a super solid meal. My friend got some slices of pizza, and he said they were pretty delish as well.
Source is definitely a good option to have in Berkeley, especially if you’re looking for something slightly healthier to eat, or if you’ve got that random Vegan friend in your group that you gotta work around. Source, I’ll be back!

Gave vegan food a whirl and it was… okay. Decent portion and friendly chef. Why only one star? Well… that’s for the doucheiest douche who took our order. He was a hipster who shouldn’t be working in the service industry to put it frankly. The problem was mostly his attitude we were first timers going out for a team lunch. Never having eaten a vegan burger we asked for a recommendation. From there it went down hill…
He was so bothered that we asked. And when we asked what type of mushroom a «magic mushroom» was (not to be funny or sarcastic… it was an honest question) he got even crankier. We even witnessed his pathetic self talking down to the chef, rudely demanding the chef to open the ketchup tub after he figured out he wasn’t strong enough to do it himself. Haha.
Anyway, go here if you like vegan food and try not to ask any questions. Because you know, it’s not like it’s their job to answer them.

YUM, took my friend who lives in berkeley here who isn’t even vegan and she was blown away. the garlic fries are oily as hell but good. i love the dosadillas! the best

I never thought I’d ever try a vegan place, but honestly, I didn’t even realize it was vegan even midway through my meal until my friend told me. Simply delicious food, and their sauces are incredible.
\\ FOOD/​DRINK QUALITY:
The first time I went, I got the avocado/​oink bits/​mozzarella burger and it was average. I was pretty blown away when I found out the patty wasn’t real meat, though! But when we ordered fries and it came with the jalapeño dip and their super fancy version of ketchup, I was sold. The jalapeño dip is refreshing but a little bit spicy at the same time, and the ketchup is just so fragrant and SO MUCH BETTER than any other ketchup I’ve ever had. It sounds ridiculous, but you have to try it to understand. The next few times I went, I got their dosadillas — I don’t remember exactly which ones I’ve tried, but the Popeyes is my favorite. The filling is warm and has some kick to it, but the avocados and tomatoes clean your palate between each bite. The portions are also huge, which is a definite plus.
\\ SERVICE:
They’re super chill and I can tell that they have vegan regulars that they recognize and chat with. I asked them about the sauce since I was literally raving about it to my friend, and they were happy to tell me all about it.
\\ ENVIRONMENT:
It’s inside Epicurious Garden in Gourmet Ghetto, so it’s surrounded by other food places and there isn’t a ton of seating. We always sat on stools at the bar in front of where they cooked, but if you want a nicer ambiance, you can go up to the garden seating, which is beautiful and romantic and fancy-​looking.
\\ TIPS:
Ask them about the food if you’re a first-​timer and they’re super happy to help and let you try things! And 100% get all the sauces because that’s what keeps me going back.

First stop on the Berkeley self guided food tour! Source Mini is right across from Cheeseboard (my true love, yes I love pizza, but sadly closed on Sunday) and being that I’m a HUGE fan of their mothership spot in SF, I was eager to check this place out. They didn’t have my favorite spinach artichoke dip (tear) but we shared an order of buffalo bytes and I have to say they are not to shabby. I do think Veggie Grill’s BBQ wings are better in my opinion although props to Source Mini for having a gluten free version (which I didn’t try) without any added fee.
You’ll be lucky if you find seats as they only have about 6 – 8 seats via a small wooden eating bar area at the counter. I’d certainly be more enticed to come back if they expanded their menu and seating area.

I used to be a regular customer at Source mini when it open last year… recently the menu has changed, and the food is way different than how it used to be prepared… I’m suspecting they went under new management because now the menu is written out all weird, and some of my favorites on the old menu is nowhere to be seen on the new menu (the rollsas and burger bundles) – on this one visit, since the rollsas were no where to be found, I got the pinole with a dosa shell substitue and the shell was not what it used to be. The dosa, instead of being thin and crispy, was thick like naan.
In addition to the menu changes and the food preparation, prices have gone up! I’m pretty sad about the changes… :(I noticed the buffalo bites and some of the salads are still on the menu, and those are good small snack, but with all the recent changes I’m afraid I won’t be coming back for a while.

I haven’t been to Source Mini in a couple of months. I loved their Bahn Mi sandwich; even though I am not vegan, I would crave this sandwich.
I stopped by yesterday and it seemed like a much different Source Mini. Is it under new management? The menus used to be streamlined and professional — now they look almost amateurish, hand written and difficult to read. I ordered my usual Bahn Mi sandwich and the price was much more, only to find that it now comes with fries. The bread was smaller and doughy, and the portion of th ingredients was at least half. Overall I t totally lacked the freshness and flavor that had been so consistent since I started going last summer.

What I ate: Moo lettuce tacos, Source salad with cluck
Visit date: January 16, 2015
First time? Yes.
YES! Source in the East Bay! First, let me just say I love Source in SF and I wasn’t sure how much I would enjoy Source Mini because of their reduced menu options, BUT… it. is. awesome. I brought my veggie friend here, too, and she is a fan now as well.
We shared the moo lettuce tacos and the Source salad. The tacos were served on a crisp romaine leaf and filled with scrumptious moo («beef»), caramelized onions, tomatoes, and nacho ‘cheese.’ These had a nice spice and were refreshing. There are four tacos per order, perfect to share.
The Source salad is salad to the next level. Mixed greens and spinach, that’s normal. Tri-​color quinoa mixed with roasted beets, another level. Living taco meat (chopped nuts and spices), even another level! The flavor combinations and texture truly made a hearty salad. The house dressing messed with my mind though. It looked like chocolate caramel sauce, but it tasted like a vinaigrette. The cluck is deep fried «chicken.» It wasn’t as tender as I was expecting it to be, but it added protein and it reminded me of chicken nuggets (especially with the thick dressing as a dipping sauce).
I’m definitely coming back!

I loved Source in SF but was happy to see they still had their mini restaurant in berkeley!
The beet patty is really good… I feel they could have been more creative with their «burger» options though. Food wasn’t warm and the fries tasted like they had been sitting out for awhile =(
Don’t fuck with my potatoes! Also I feel they should offer sweet potato fries. that would be awesome…
The garlic sauce is absolutely delicious! Ask for extra. I used it to make the fries tolerable and add more flavor to the burger.
If the food tasted fresh and they hadn’t skimped on the roasted red peppers on my burger I would give them a better review… miss the sf location =(

Source Mini is vegan. ordered anyways. burgers, gluten-​free pizza, sammies, appetitzers, salads, wraps, etc
eats: gluten free pizza, ‘mushroom madness”: (5)
–has crispry mushrooms, tomatoes, balsalmic vinegar?, and truffle oil
–crust not crunchy, like an open face unbaked muffin
–toppings of mushroom and tomatos on top, so so flavor ‚
–pizza crust not to my liking
3 stars
crumbs:
–took about 10 minutes to create.

I never would have thought the food I ate here was vegetarian/​vegan.
First of all, the service here is great! The man at the register saw that it was my first time here and allowed me to try fillings of their dosas before I chose which one I wanted.
I ordered their special for that day, moo dosa, which had «moo» («beef»), cheese, and a blend of spices. A dosa is a traditional south indian dish which is similar to a crêpe. All in all, it was delcious. It was brought out very fast too!
There was so much food! I was very full by the end of it. There’s seating outside or you can sit nearby on stools.
I am so glad this place opened up.
Definitely try their specials! It’s a special for a reason!

I’ve tried Source in SF a couple of times but I have to say I like Source Mini better because everything is vegan and the food is consistent. Every so often my BF and I will have a craving for their tasty burgers. We are not gluten-​free, but we prefer getting the burger in the dosa (gluten-​free wrap) because the burger is huge and having it in a wrap versus thick bread makes it less heavy in the belly. I like the mushroom, onions, and raw mozzarella burger or the avocado, oink bits and raw mozzarella burger — I switch off from those two. Love them!
Yesterday we tried something new on the menu — a carne asada dosarito and it was pretty good. The carne asada was on point and tasted like the meat version from what I remember it tasting like when I ate meat. They also had carne asada fries which we want to try next time we come.
My only complaint is that I wish they had more tables to sit at. They only have a few small tables at the front of Epicurious Garden and the rest is counters. Also, I notice they close at 9pm sharp so if you get your food at 8:55 you’ll have to take it to go. There have been many times that I’ve had to eat my food in the car.
We are hooked on Source Mini and happy for this East Bay location!

This may be a mini version of Source SF, but the portions sure aren’t mini!
Located in my favorite food court, The Imperial Tea Garden, Source Mini is located toward the back, right next to Lush Gelato.
They have bar-​style seating, which was all taken when we got there on a Sunday at 3 p.m. I guess we weren’t the only ones who needed a late afternoon lunch.
**Gluten-​free Alert!** Source is gluten-​free friendly and oh so delicious! Vegans love them too.
Recommendations:
+ Daily Special: Crispy Mushroom Pie — Gluten-​free pizza on thin dosa dough topped with cheese, mushrooms, and balsamic drizzle — MMMMMM!
This is definitely one you can split with a friend, or save the leftovers for meal #2.
+ Cluck Avocado Club Sandwich — HUGE, two-​handed sammie chock full of goodness that my friend LOVED!
+ Side of Truffle Fries — BIG portion of nom-​nom gluten-​free goodness
+ Side Salad — BIG portion of fresh greens, tomatoes, raisins, and pumpkin seeds
+ Cane Cola and Cane Orange Soda — Delicious, natural soda made with sugar cane = no stomach ache :)
Excellent customer service from both the cashier and the chef who were both great about clarifying food allergies and passionate about the food that was being prepped in the open kitchen.
*Tip: Sign up for the Five Stars Loyalty Program! I’m a frequent customer, so I love getting either 10% off or a free order or fries. I just reached enough points for a free burger!
Support local!

Nice; hole in the wall in a food complex at the end of Gourmet Grotto. Parking was a huge PITA (Cal game), but I assume this isn’t normal for Saturday lunchtime in this area.
Places like this, there’s so many things to choose from, I don’t know where, to start, but I ended up with the pulled BBQuack sandwich, which was excellent, although could have done without the piece of onion skin.
It’s not exactly health food, but it’s perhaps better than Nature’s Express. And unlike Source in SoMa, which has real cheese options, this place is 100% vegan. Will definitely be back, now that I know where it is.

Maybe I ordered the wrong items, but I wasn’t a fan. I’m a meat eater who loves vegetables and enjoys trying new things. So, when I met my friend in this area for dinner, we thought we’d give it a try. We were intrigued by their menu variety, and figured «when in Berkeley…»
FOOD:
* Buffalo Bytes, $ 6.50
(Cluck with original buffalo cayenne pepper sauce, served with slaw and vegan ranch dressing)
— The texture was a bit rough and dry. I’ve had better meat substitutes. The vegan ranch dressing was good though.
* Popeyes Dosadilla, $ 9.50
(Spinach, mushrooms, onions, oink bits, beyond cluck, and raw nacho cheese, topped with avocado and tomatoes. Served with cashews, cilantro, and jalapeño chutney)
— I was impressed by the size of the dosa, and there was a healthy amount of sautéed vegetables filling. However, the dish lacked spice and flavor, and it could’ve used more salt.
* Veggie Pizza, Gluten Free
(Sautéed mushrooms, marinara sauce, truffle oil)
— Of all three items, we liked this dish one the best. The crust was thin, similar to that of the dosarilla. The tomato sauce was fresh.
There are good portion sizes and the staff is helpful and friendly. The waiter told me everyone likes the burger, so maybe we should’ve gotten that instead.
My friend described this place as ratchet, saying «I would have preferred to toss my buffalo bytes in the nearby zen steam to see if Vegan floats». While I’m not that extreme, I will say that with so many other good food options in the area, I doubt there’ll be a 2^nd visit.

I’m lazy, therefore, I’m an omnivore. I like to be able to say «yes» to whatever odd ingredients are in the fridge, or the random baked goods that are brought to the office, or the manly meals my husband likes to surprise me with.
Vegans, on the other hand, cannot be lazy. Eveything they eat requires premeditation, energy and intention. I give them props for choosing such a challenging (some might say high-​maintenance) lifestyle, that requires so much veggie-​chopping and menu substitutions.
That said, I love being vegan when someone else does all the work for me. I LOVE vegetables (and cashew cheese), I just don’t love prepping them. Enter Source Mini! Their menu of creative, flavorful offerings could easily fool a non-​vegan palate. Their «burgers» are piled high with avocado, oink bits, and faux-​creamy sauces. Their french fries are the freshest. And, my favorite, the DOSADILLA is the most interesting delicious vegan concoction: a crunchy rice-​flour crêpe filled with squash, mushrooms, and kale, with a spicy cilantro sauce. Huge portion, definite leftovers.
If you like Gracias Madre in SF, Source Mini fills a similar void: vegan food that manages to be comforting, hearty, and full of flavor. Oh yes, afforable too. This location has the added bonus of garden seating in back AND Lush Gelato next door. For a lazy vegetable-​lover like me, Source Mini is all too easy to love.