Cafe Mattina

Went here for the first time after walking by about a thousand times and drooling over the huge salads and sandwiches people were eating. I had the Chef Salad with Turkey and the Poppyseed dressing. It was sooo much food! The veggies were all crisp and had lots of flavor so I didn't have to use hardly any dressing. The bread is awesome and you get a huge piece. This is definitely a great place to go if you are on a tight budget...two people could easily share a salad for about $5. The downside is the place is busy and the staff isn't the nicest. But hey it is Berkeley and everyone knows that Cal kids are always cooler than you are! Pros: Cheap, good and Healthy!! Cons: Busy, staff not so nice. more

this place is amazing. it was definitely one of my fav berkeley restaurants as a student (within walking... more

this place is amazing. it was definitely one of my fav berkeley restaurants as a student (within walking distance of campus, cheap given the portio... more

The salads are made to order and ingredients fresh. Try it with the sweet vinagrette dressing. Delicious.... more

The salads are made to order and ingredients fresh. Try it with the sweet vinagrette dressing. Delicious. Sometimes they give you a thick clice ... more

If you are looking for large portions of healthy, cheap food, then this is the place to go. The sandwiches... more

If you are looking for large portions of healthy, cheap food, then this is the place to go. The sandwiches are jam packed with meat, and comes wit... more

All the campus kiddies come out at the stroke of noon, resulting in a line out the door. If you get there just a few minutes early, you can beat the rush. For $6-7 this place rocks! I had been there a couple times before I started to really like it and I think it was the discovery of the poppy seed dressing. Which, for the record, is much more of a creamy vinaigrette with poppy seeds present. The sandwiches and salads are huge, I've never had a conflict with the staff. (Perhaps due to my pre-rush arrival before they've doubled the number of gray hairs atop their heads!) If you're expecting fancy-schmancy gourmet food at this portion size for the price they charge, you'll be sorely disappointed. Otherwise-- Enjoy! I recommend the 1/2 salad (poppyseed dressing) + 1/2 turkey sandwich. Pros: Value Cons: Crowded at lunch time more

This place has fantastic sandwiches and salads and the value is great. The portions are huge so you always end up with leftovers for later! The long lines only attest to the great food there. The freshly-baked honey wheat bread is delicious and the vegetables are always fresh. I would highly recommend this place, it is delicious! Pros: great food, inexpensive Cons: crowded more

If you're looking for huge portions for a great value, then Intermezzo is thee place to go for great sandwiches. The honey wheat bread is by far the best I've tasted. I recommend trying the combination half sandwich half salad with of course...Poppy Seed Dressing!!! The lines are long and they are always busy, but definitely well worth the wait. I'm from So. California and I go up to the Bay specifically for Intermezzo. I haven't found anything like it yet. Pros: good value, tasty more

As a Berkeley native, I've loved Cafe Intermezzo for year. Yeah, the lines are long, but there's a reason for that - the sandwiches and salads are huge, and the salads are big enough for lunch and dinner. The bread and poppy seed dressing are particularly wonderful. Despite other users' complaints about the service, I've never once had any of the staff be rude to me after going there for years. Pros: cheap, great bread, massive portions Cons: long lines, crowded seating more

I kid you not, three of us share the salad and sometimes we can't finish it! Salad and 1/2 sandwich combination means you'll be taking salad home. All of this for under $10. more