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Cafe Mattina - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Sandwiches Sandwiches [Edit]
2442 Telegraph Ave(between Channing Way & Haste St)
Berkeley, CA 94704
Neighborhoods: Telegraph Ave, UC Campus Area
(510) 849-4592
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
163 reviews for Cafe Mattina
Review Highlights
"I love love LOVE the honey wheat bread."
(in 23 reviews)
"We decided to share a Veggie Delight salad."
(in 11 reviews)
"Mattina will always be Intermezzo to me."
(in 71 reviews)
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163 reviews in English
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Review from Paul G.
Oakland, CA
7/16/2010
The best salad I've ever had came from this restaurant. You know the best thing about it? It's the best, and they make it the same every time. So I can go in there are reliably get the best salad of my life when ever I want. That's something special! I recommend bringing someone to help you eat it, because it's just too big for one person!
The only thing that sucks is the tight and limited seating. The tables are tiny and squished together. Take your salad and eat it on the Berkeley campus lawn and watch the people go by.
Again: Best...Salad...Ever. -
Review from Marc Y.
San Rafael, CA
7/14/2010
I am not a salad person. quite the opposite actually. i like my meat. fried, dipped in oil, lathered in grease...but if there were a place that would make me a vegetarian, or at least start to eat healthier, it would be this place.
they give you a lot of food. seriously. i have the metabolism of an olympic triathlete and the appetite of a horse, but their servings will fill you up. both their chef's salads and sandwiches are made for a king. everything is made in front of you.
the place is small, but very homey. the inside feels like you're outside on a french/italian (take your pick) sidewalk. but decorated like its a hip/modern rooftop backyard. i know what i just wrote does not make sense but trust me, this place rocks. -
Review from Kiki H.
San Diego, CA
3/3/2010
This place used to be called Intermezzo (back in the day when I was around). I'll save you lots of money for silly sandwiches and salads: it's not that great! While the portions are huge, it kind of sickens me to eat that much lettuce and veggies. There are waaaaaaaaaaay too many sprouts on both the salads and the sandwiches. Overall their dishes seemed pretty dry to me. bread was dry...and the huge quantity of salads just was plain and unsettling in my stomach.
Its disappointing to see simple food go for such expensive prices, and I've heard they have hiked up the prices as of late. This is a college town!!
If you want a good salad, good side of cornbread, or a good sandwich, walk 5 minutes to Smart As and have yourself a great meal for less. (their cornbread is amazing, much better than Cafe Mattina's side of "wheat bread" gross!) and if you want an overall more fantastic dining experience, go next door to Marios La Fiesta (see other review). -
Review from Jack H.
San Francisco, CA
6/16/2009
Overall quality has slipped significantly since Intermezzo morphed into Cafe Mattina.
Cafe Mattina is the the former Intermezzo Cafe. When it was Intermezzo, I ate one of the best salads of my entire life here and I gave it 5 stars http://www.yelp.com/us... I've ordered the same salad 3 times after management and name changed to Cafe Mattina, and it is not nearly the same. Weird: they changed the ingredients and the recipes significantly of dishes that are still named the same as when the restaurant was Intermezzo. After giving Mattina 3 chances after it changed from Intermezzo and being disappointed every time, I'm not sure I'll ever be returning here. Kind of sad, because this used to be one of my favorite restaurants. -
Review from Zoey R.
Berkeley, CA
12/8/2009
I wish I knew how to quit you. Cafe Mattina, Cafe Intermezzo -- which ever way you choose to swing, we could have had a real good life together. Now all we have is Brokeback Mountain.
I put up with all of your shenanigans. Cash only? Sure, I'll just go to the ATM. Less than clean tables? It's okay, I'll wipe down my own. Raising your prices 50 cents across the board? Fine, I'll go get more money from the ATM.
Remember that time when you forgot my order and gave me chicken salad instead of tuna salad? Common misunderstanding. Chicken... Chicken of the Sea... Jessica got a little confused on that one too. I forgave you. I even laugh about that one now.
Or those cucumbers that looked more like rubber because you left them out for too long. Those were good times.
I didn't even make a peep when you thought I was getting fat and started slicing my honey wheat bread a little smaller. You didn't say it, but I know that's what you meant.
I mean I loved you. Your salads were just -- well I'll be honest, just so well-endowed. And I mean it's not like I really had to pay much for them either.
But our last date? That was just too far. I stood in line for you for 20 minutes. It was cold. It was raining. I was outside. But I loved you even then. I ordered my usual, the half BLTA and half salad with Bleu Cheese. Remember? I was so happy seeing that fresh bread being sliced, that thick spread of mustard.
Oh wait. Who are you? What are you doing here? Mouse? Cafe Mattina, have you been cheating on me with a mouse? Don't lie, I saw her scamper across my open-faced sandwich, stark naked. That floozy! How dare you! We were involved!
How am I even to look at you? We're through. I'm done. I don't want to ever see you again. Ever.Listed in: Cheap Eats
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Review from Rinky N.
East Bay
6/18/2009
I had the 1/2 sandwich & 1/2 salad combo for $7. I got the veggie sandwich (hummus, sprouts, lettuce,tomato, onions, cucumber)
The salad had romaine lettuce, sprouts, carrots, cherry tomatoes, cucumbers and croutons. I got the poppy seed dressing on the side.
I'm a big eater but I only ate 2/3's of it and had a nice lunch the next day.
No complaints about the food. I didn't go to Cafe Intermezzo often enough to compare the two. -
Review from Kelly B.
San Jose, CA
9/6/2009
A friend of mine came into town and I took her to Berkeley to show her the sights (the bridge was closed). I love this spot, because it has seats at the big glass window. I haven't been here since this was The Cafe Intermezzo, so I wasn't sure if this place had changed.
We ordered a combination, a chicken salad half-sandwich and a bowl of vegetarian chili and a marinated eggplant half-sanwich and a tossed green salad with poppy seed dressing.
I could tell no difference between the food of Cafe Mattina and the food of Cafe Intermezzo. The honey wheat bread of the sandwiches was so very good... you could taste the honey, the grain of the bread. The best sandwich was definitely the marinated eggplant! The chili had about five different beans and was tasty, but not spectacular. The salad was HUGE with ubiquitous sprouts. There were carrot slices and lots of greens. The poppy seed dressing wasn't too sweet and it pooled at the bottom of the bowl.
Portions are huge, maybe even gargantuan. My friend was facing a long ride back to the city via BART due to the bridge closure, so that I got to keep the leftovers. It provided the four of us at home with a good little amount for dinner that evening.
The price point was good... under 17.00 for both lunches and two Calistoga waters. The best part of this place, besides the food is the people watching. It's nice to know that despite the name change, the food has not changed. Although I didn't have one of their coffee mocchas which used to be spectacular, maybe next time! -
Review from Natalie S.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 2/21/2010 1 photo
I was in the area and thought of no better treat than to bring home a delicious meal for myself and my fiance than a veggie salad and sandwich from Cafe Mattina. Fortunately at 5pm there was no line, so up I went and ordered. Love love love their honey wheat bread. Their salad, even in the to-go box was huge that we had a hard time finishing it. Love the poppyseed dressing and their sliver of a pineapple. I also ordered their eggplant sandwich, and it still tasted good after driving back home to SF.
Cash only, but prices are so reasonable, you shouldn't have any problems.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/24/2008 First to Review
Cafe Mattina, which has taken over the immensely popular Intermezzo is just as good as Intermezzo,… Read more »
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Review from Jennifer W.
Berkeley, CA
5/16/2009
Veggie Delight: $6.50 exactly.
Changes since Cafe Intermezzo: Overall, not much.
Details: more plastic wrap, more croutons, more lettuce, less avocado, different tomatoes, different carrot slices... salads are still huge, but not as heavy because they put in more croutons and lettuce.
I hate that they use excessive amounts of plastic wrap. -
Review from Ryan T.
Mountain View, CA
3/23/2009 1 photo
I had never paid a visit to the former Cafe Intermezzo--how charming Cafe Mattina is, with its totally funky Berkeley-esque interior! Love the '60s tableaus and motifs on the walls. I really think it's awesome how they sport so many varieties of coffee and not only that, but they make your coffee to order, brewed right in front of you! Many choices of sandwiches, and some great looking bread. I want to try one at some point. Today, I had a breakfast burrito. And what a lovely idea for a breakfast burrito, when you can have any, up to all the following ingredients in your burrito, for just $4:
- Eggs
- Potato
- Salsa
- Cheese
- Black or pinto beans
- Bacon
- Sausage
- Spinach
- Mushrooms
- Broccoli
- Red pepper
- Carrots (shredded)
What a great deal! For my burrito, I chose eggs, potato, salsa, cheese, black beans, spinach, and red peppers. Very creamy texture with the melted cheese and the juices of the veggies, not to mention so flavorful. But not overly too juicy, and the burrito was wrapped very well despite huge amount of filling.
I hope I get to come back soon to try more menu items--awesome stuff! -
Review from Christine Y.
Berkeley, CA
11/14/2009 3 photos
I lack the words to describe how much I truly love this establishment. To dispel any rumors, Cafe Mattina food is exactly the same great-tasting food as Intermezzo's. I've eaten here about 20,000 times and have always been satisfied and that makes it one of my holy grail places to go!
Everything is pretty much great here, but my FAVE things are the chicken salad sandwich with avocado and onion, the tomato bisque, lentil, and chili soups, and chef salad with turkey, onions, and light poppyseed dressing mixed in. BLTA is great, especially if your bacon happens to be fresh out of the oven. All the bread is baked on premises and are ALL delish, so be brave and try a different one on your sandwich next time! The hummus is amazing, and makes for a great sandwich, or salad topper. Marinated tofu is definitely worth a try. The strawberry fresca is to. die. for. Ohh, and before 11am you can get a good-sized $4 breakfast burrito with your choice of about 10-12 different ingredients in it.
DON'T get the PBHB (you can make this yourself at home), or the roasted eggplant with pepper (some people like this, but it's ick in my book).
Don't be afraid to ask to have things your way here. Turnover rate here is pretty quick, so you might get some variation from visit to visit; sometimes the bread might be a little thinner or thicker, you might get more or less meat, for example. The best way to guarantee your satisfaction is to ask for what you want. LOTS of onions, please! Hold the mayo! Extra cheese! Deli mustard instead of yellow. An extra egg. Make it extra large (and wink)!
I have TRIED to get the people in the back to give me recipes for some of this stuff, and no can do. Sigh. I guess I just have to keep coming here.
For the combination of taste, value, healthiness, and speediness, I can honestly say that Intermezzo food is truly the best! (And if someone wants to argue with me on this I will gladly engage in a verbal WAR. Then stuff your face in a humongous bowl of salad! Rawr!) -
Review from Karen C.
2/19/2010
My 1st 5 stars since 2008!
This is my favorite Sandwich/Salad shop on this side of the Bay or actually... the entire Bay Area.
Great prices, large portions, delicious bread on the side of the salads. Their most popular, and in my opinion, best dressing is the poppyseed dressing. During lunch hours its pretty hard to find seating. You order in a way that reminds me of a school cafeteria line and you clean up after yourself (or you could leave it for the bus boys to come around... eventually. But you can't really because sometimes they're so packed that people are standing around waiting for a seat).
If i had to pick between the sandwiches or salads.. I'd go with salad just cause it's that good. It's always so fresh, love the ingredient options, and I never leave feeling guilty. I always walk out feeling fulfilled and healthy. Best salads ever!! mmm bean sprouts and cherry tomatoes... I want to get one now but too bad it's traffic hour across the bridge. -
Review from Nest C.
Berkeley, CA
7/31/2009
Cafe Mattina? It'll always be Intermezzo to me.
If you're looking for a fresh and healthy, but amazingly satisfying meal, Intermezzo is your best bet. Located just three blocks south of campus, this place is definitely worth the stroll down Telegraph Ave. (By car, you should come later in the evening for street parking, or just park at the Telegraph-Channing Garage.)
Intermezzo has a great selection of salads, sandwiches, and espressos. It's a small and casual, open-space cafe with its own unique look: warm swatches of colors, lots of wood accents, a random set of light fixtures, a large fake tree, and wooden menu boards.
My favorite salad has always been the "Chef's Salad with Chicken Salad and Poppy Seed Dressing," but you really can't go wrong ordering anything with the creamy poppy seed dressing.
From their "Combination" menu, my all-time favorite pick is the Vegetarian 1/2 Sandwich + 1/2 Tossed Green Salad.
The Veggie Sandwich is phenomenal. It consists of thick slices of honey oat bread, a generous spread of cream cheese, buttery avocado slices, Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, fresh lettuce, crunchy sprouts, and tomatoes. I've never been a huge fan of meatless dishes, but the Veggie Sandwich definitely satisfies.
Bring your appetite and bring your cash. There are some things MasterCard can't buy. -
Review from Charles L.
San Francisco, CA
6/20/2009
*SHRUG* Still pretty much the same to me from Intermezzo, save for their sandwiches, which might have gotten slightly smaller.
Most of the time I notice it just depends who makes your salad / sandwich. Luck of the draw so to speak.
I still can't finish one salad by myself. They should really do something like the Fenton's Challenge except it's a Mattina Challenge with salad... -
Review from dawn l.
Millbrae, CA
6/26/2009
WHAT THE HECK HAPPENED TO CAFE INTERMEZZO???
I almost shrieked when I walked into what looked like Intermezzo. The place smelled like it, looked like it, but alas was not Intermezzo. As I started to have a heart attack, fearing that my fave salad joint in the whole wide world had been replaced by this imposter, I asked the salad guy behind the counter what happened to Intermezzo. Changed last December, he said. Damn, I guess I'm a bit behind. I then asked if everything on the menu was pretty much the same. He nodded. *Phew*
So I ordered my usual Chopped Salad with turkey, roast beef, and ham with poppy seed dressing for me and another one for the hubby but with blue cheese dressing. As they made it, I noticed that the salad was considerably smaller (not bulging out of the to-go box as usual) and the piece of bread was a slice instead of the usual chunk. Hm.
When I finally got home and settled in for dinner, I pulled both salads out of the bag and watched to see if my hubby would have a reaction to the portions. He kind of looked at his salad and didn't say much to my annoyance. I helped him a little by saying, don't you think the salads and bread are smaller? He responded by looking at his salad and bread and then answered, yeah you're right about the salad but my bread seems normal. Aaah! Maybe I was being a bit overreactive with the bread but at least he confirmed my suspicions about the salads.
On the whole, the salad tasted the same. I noticed there were no sprouts (hubby loves them), only a quarter slice of avocado (usually half), one half of a hardboiled egg (usually one whole sliced in halves), less croutons to soak up that awesome poppyseed dressing, and considerably less dressing (which might have been my bad because I could have just asked for more dressing and because I love to drown my salad in dressing in general). Also, it seems like the salad was about a buck more than usual?? Even though the portions were smaller, I still couldn't finish the salad. So I guess I don't have much to complain about in terms of reduced portion.
But alas... I still miss Intermezzo so I can only give the not-so-new Cafe M 4 stars. -
Review from Patrick B.
Atlanta, GA
12/16/2009
Let it never be said that the tree sitters are a bunch of unemployed bums with nothing better to do than protest against anything and everything. I'm pretty sure most of them work here.
Once you walk in and endure the painfully long lines, someone with about 8 tattoos, 2 nose rings, and 3 lip piercings takes your order for a nice half-sandwich and salad. Now, I don't usually care what someone looks like, but the problem with this place is that the folks that work here take your order, no matter how clearly you enunciate it, and then proceed to completely screw it up.
Turkey and swiss sandwich with no tomatoes? Extra freaking tomatoes all over it and no cheese.
Garden salad with vinaigrette dressing? I got a chef salad with blue cheese.
And finally, the cleanliness of the place was, shall we say, wanting.
Peace, I'm out. -
Review from Lane W.
Berkeley, CA
3/7/2010 3 Check-ins Here
So a few months ago I came home to find a note posted to my door stating that Hearst (my street) would be closed off next week for the filming of a scene for Parenthood, the new cross-generational NBC dramedy appealing to adults aged 23-57.....set in Berkeley. The location of the scene in question was Oscar's, which was puzzling to me, because I think Mattina (formerly Intermezzo) is more emblematic of Berkeley.
Giant fresh salads, succulent honey wheat bread, a giant indoor tree, great music selection, located on telegraph....if I had to pick one place to eat daily in Berkeley, it would be here. Does Ron Howard read Yelp?
ps if you get the dressing on the side, its easy to amortize that salad over lunch and dinner. -
Review from Saori E.
9/28/2009
I love Intermezzo. Mattina will always be Intermezzo to me. (I must say, I really appreciate the new owner keeping everything exactly the same!)
I love their Veggie Delight salad. It's absolutely ginormous, so I recommend splitting it (or getting it to go). Very fresh veggies-- it always makes me feel good after I eat one. (I sometimes wish it came with onions, but I think it's pretty perfect in itself)
I also like getting the half salad/half sandwich (or soup) deal. Yum.
Their salads come with a pretty big hunk of their homemade honey wheat bread. It is to die for. So dense and so delicious.
You can get a whole loaf for $5.75! I buy them, freeze half, and enjoy several week's worth of great homemade sandwiches. -
Review from Cici T.
10/13/2009
This place will forever be Intermezzo to me.
If you're a Cal student and you haven't eaten here yet.. that's just blasphemous. Do yourself a favor and take a trip down Telegraph!
This place does wonders for my soul.
Try both their salads and their sandwiches. Don't miss out on their honey wheat bread; its moistness, light sweetness, and nuttiness is pure heaven. While it's absolutely delicious served as an accompaniment to the salad, definitely have it as a sandwich. As for the salads, try their poppyseed dressing, which is not quite what you might imagine, such as the poppyseed dressings sold at your local grocery store.
Be forewarned - the portions are huge, and that goes for both the salad and sandwich. I prefer ordering one or the other, which I then share with a friend, but it might be better to get the combo so you get the best of both worlds.
This place captures the atmosphere of the city of Berkeley so well. It's charming, a niche all on its own for Berkeley students, a hole in the wall so to speak. It's not exactly what you would call clean, and the people who make your food are there to do exactly that. -
Review from Jenny W.
1/15/2010
YUM YUM YUM!
I'm still used to calling this place Intermezzo! Some people say it's changed and I do think they skimp on the meat now (although they still give you a lot in your sandwiches...it just used to be even more than that) and use grape tomatoes instead of sliced roma tomatoes, it's still the same ol' place that has delicious salads and sandwiches.
I love love LOVE the honey wheat bread. I can eat that all day long. I heard before, you could get a bag full of the bread ends for a quarter or so, but I'm not sure if they still do that. I usually get the BLTA, which is a BLT with AVOCADO. The bacon is always crispy and never oily, which is amazing considering they make the sandwich as I'm walking through the line. The salads are huge so get the dressing on the side (poppy seed is great) so you can save some of the salad for later. They sometimes skimp on the salad but most of the time, they fill the bowl or plastic to go container up to the brim with spring mix, sprouts, cucumbers, tomatoes and croutons! I love how it also comes with a slice of pineapple sometimes, which is a perfect way to end the meal.
There is usually a very long line, but it moves quickly. The workers are a bit unfriendly sometimes, in both their appearance and attitude. However, the food is always good and they move through the line quickly so I don't want to complain. The main downside for me is that it only takes cash. -
Review from Yelper Y.
Berkeley, CA
6/14/2009
I'm giving up this place as my favorite spot to eat in Berkeley. It just isn't the same from when I first started eating here, about 10 years ago. I know, I know--- that IS a long time. Of course there are going to be some changes. But why is it that the changes are always about cutting corners and saving a buck? I don't see anything that has actually been added or changed for the better.
I ordered a 1/2 salad, 1/2 sandwich-- and at 2:30 pm they had run out of sprouts. At 2:30 pm??? Or did the guy making my sandwich just not want to go and get some more? Either way, that's weak.
Next, the 1/2 salad portion is just lettuce, tomato, croutons. If you want anything else added, they charge you $ .70 per item.
The bread is still the best thing about this place. I wish it were a bakery instead and I could just buy a loaf and make my own sandwiches at home. In fact, I added my own deli meat because the turkey that they now use tastes synthetic and processed. It's rather gross. They skimp on the mustard now and as someone else mentioned, it is not as spicy. It's just regular dijon.
I'm not sure what the best hour to go is because it seems that the last few times I've been there, the tomatos are wilted/soft from being out so long. You'd think that with so many customers, they would be refilling the veggies regularly with fresh ones.
Oh yeah, and they forgot my fruit (pineapple or watermelon) once when I ordered a salad to go. It's like you really have to pay attention to the way they're making your food so that they don't leave things in or out. It's become really hit or miss. But I don't think that is the food quality so much as the employees. And again, can you really blame them? This place is nearly always packed.
Everyone has mentioned the size of the salads. That's a definite star right there.
Still, I paid $ 7.70 for a 1/2 salad, 1/2 sandwich, with only beans added to the salad. My sandwich had no meat. Literally, lit consisted of ettuce, tomato, onion. Same with the salad: lettuce and tomato, plus added beans. I don't understand why others think this place is so cheap.
If you've never tried this place before, you're going to like it, I'm sure. But if you've been in love with it, then know that the honeymoon phase is long over. Now, you're just kind of hanging on and sticking around because it's there and you don't know what else there is to experience.
So for me, it'll still be a good stand-by. But I'm ready to explore other restaurant relationships on Telegraph.
One last thing, why is this place listed under "Italian" category. I don't see anything particularly Italian about it. Just because of the name? IF you want to check out its menu, go to:
http://www.sporq.com/b... -
Review from Katy O.
2/13/2010
I'll always know this place as Intermezzo. Sadly, I don't think it's as good as it used to be. Sure, the portions are the same (i.e. HUGE) but I feel like the veggies aren't as fresh whenever I go. Maybe I'm just unlucky?
Also, I think they might have changed the recipe for my favorite dressing (Herbal Vinaigrette). Not sure what it is, but something doesn't taste the same.
It's still a cozy place to eat but it gets pretty crowded, so I usually take it to go. This place isn't the cleanest joint in Berkeley so if that bothers you, I'd go to Smart Alec's for your salad fix. Personally, it's not a problem.
I still go back every once in a while when I'm jonesing for some greens (the legal, nutritious kind), but I've been disappointed the last few times. Still, I haven't completely given up on this place.Listed in: Student Eats
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Review from Alfred Y.
8/31/2009
I've always been a fan of Intermezzo.... err I mean Cafe Mattina.
I came back here the other day only to find this place changed names, but my usual fare delivered the same awesome taste: a half green salad with poppy seed dressing with a half pastrami sandwich. I don't think I could ever tire myself of this place.
If you separated each out separately, they are ginormous meals within themselves. So if you really wanted, you could share this dish with a friend.
I feel happy knowing that I ate somewhat healthy on a day I didn't go to the gym. -
Review from Judy P.
12/21/2009
The Verdict: "Vegetable salad heaven, wholesome bread and great prices!"
A good friend recommended this place for a delish salad with poppy seed dressing, so I thought "why not?" I wasn't too hungry so a nice healthy salad sounded like the best route to go for a light dinner. We only had to wait in a short line (it was Sunday at 6:45pm) but noticed that they only accepted cash :( Since I hardly ever carry greenbacks with me, my friend and I fished out the little change we had in our purses and managed to find enough to get a veggie delight salad and a hummus sandwich (total $13).
We took it to-go, but noticed a good seating area that wasn't too large or too small. The atmosphere was chill and relaxed. The service was average but efficient.
My favorite part was the salad which had sprouts, half an avocado, lettuce, red cabbage,red beans, garbanzo beans, croutons, boiled/sliced egg, and carrots intermixed with a light creamy poppy seed dressing. This was not only a tasty combination, but also very filling due to the beans, avocado and egg. Next was the hummus salad. I only had a quarter of the sandwich since I was so stuffed. The sandwich had a nice thick spread of hummus, lettuce, tomato and red onions all held together by two slices of honey, wheat, oat bread. The bread was soft and just the right amount of sweet.
Would I Recommend it? Yes! There's not enough places dedicated to making a great salad, so when I find one, I don't forget! This is the place to be.Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from David L.
Updated - 4/16/2010 3 Check-ins Here
Bumping my rating up from 3 stars to 4 stars.
Okay, so I finally came back to try this place again since they changed from Intermezzo to Cafe Mattina, and I must say, the experience was significantly better. I'm not sure if it's because I haven't been back for over a year or if their food really did improve, but I definitely enjoyed the half chicken salad sandwich and tossed green salad I got. Thanks to my friend, Joyce B, who said she wanted to go here.
The chicken salad sandwich was better than I remember it; a bit small in terms of the bread, but it was stuffed with tons of chicken salad. Couldn't really taste the apple though. The salad was also pretty good, better than I remember it, and the poppy seed dressing my friend recommended was very good. The portions were huge like always, and I felt very full after barely finishing everything. And best of all, only $7.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2010
Taste: 3
Value: 3
Service: 5
I came here pretty often for about a month when it was still Intermezzo,… Read more »
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Review from F. F.
Gilroy, CA
10/1/2009
I LOVE THIS PLACE (despite the name change and ownership)!!!! I was going to write a review for the one under Intermezzo but oh well.
1. They have HUGE portions! The half salad is just as big as the regular size salad.
2. Their chicken salad sandwich is AWESOME!
3. POPPYSEED SALAD DRESSING is soooo good!!!
I always tell myself to try their other sandwiches, esp the roasted eggplant one; I never did :( but one day I will return to Berkeley and try it! The chicken salad sandwich is delectable. Every bite is amazing and their bread is super delicious! I like to get the salad and add chicken salad as the meat. SO GOOD. I never finish their food in one sitting so I love having leftovers at home! My favorite about the salad, is the pineapple piece they give us. Sometimes, it's super sweet so it's really good, but other times it can be pretty sour. I really like that they ask if we want the salad dressing mixed in or on the side: always on the side so if I have leftovers, my salad won't be all super soggy. I normally opt to just drink water but I think I've tried one of their Italian sodas and/or lemonades once.
I miss this place!
(oh yeah, this place is a CASH only establishment) -
Review from Cristofer P.
San Francisco, CA
3/4/2009
I went by last week and I noticed a huge Notice of Ownership Change sign out in front. And the Intermezzo sign that hung above the door was gone.
I was getting a little worried at this point (worried might actually be an understatement) because Cafe Intermezzo was one of my favorite places in Berkeley, but I walked inside and I let out of sigh of relief to see that the menu and their delicious honey wheat bread was all still intact. When I asked one of the workers, they said only the name was changing, and that the menu and all the things I loved about Intermezzo would be staying exactly the same.
I got my usual, half BLTA sandwich and half salad with poppy seed dressing mixed in. Mmmmm, so healthy and delicious. And so much bacon-y goodness! After I took that first bite, as the familiar tastiness from my college days washed over me, I finally let out a sigh of relief.
Intermezzo you'll be missed. Viva Cafe Mattina. -
Review from Joey S.
7/20/2009
I will always call this place "Intermezzo".
The name change is lightweight confusing, but DAMN, they have BACON SALADS!!!
I'm a bad Jew. -
Review from Vanessa B.
Berkeley, CA
11/12/2009
This place is stupid. Stupid GOOD!!
Y'know Letterman's big ass ham? This place has big ass salads as big as your friggin' head. I mean, it's a stupid amount of food to give someone.
Vegan and veggie options, great drink selection, soup daily (but the flavor hasn't changed in months--it's been thai noodle for a while now), and the most bitchin', kick ass BLT ever. Homemade bread, sprouts, avocado, lettuce, tomato, onions, bacon. Just stupid. $10 I think, but a half of that sandwich and half of a big ass salad will feed you for lunch and dinner.
Cash only. That is for real stupid, but oh well. B of A down the way. -
Review from Eli D.
San Francisco, CA
2/18/2009
All of these so called foodie yelpers don't know sh*t from shinola (as the saying goes). Cafe Mattina is EXACTLY the same as the Cafe Intermezzo that it replaced. The difference? Due to some shady business the old owner transferred ownership to his 2nd in command. The menu, staff, ingredients, and everything else is identical. It is so similar after recently eating there I didn't even notice until going on yelp that intermezzo "closed." This place has the BEST salads in the Bay Area. My girlfriend and I cross the bridge for these salads. Don't come here for "service" because you can't expect much from undergrads who are getting paid $10/hr to make sandwiches. It's an assembly line for christ sake who cares?.
You come here for cheap food, huge portions, freshness, and because your girlfriend is a vegetarian making this a good compromise to the dog poo they serve at most veggie restaurants. and the breakfast burritos are bomb. -
Review from John M.
4/9/2010
Hungry in Berkeley on a Wednesday night & not wanting to eat anything too guilt inducing, the girlfriend & I resorted to an old standby. Being a Cal alum, the girlfriend was familiar with this place in its previous iteration. She introduced me to Cafe Mattina some time after adopting its new name, though apparently the name may have reverted back to Cafe Intermezzo.
Service is minimal by design. Go to the counter, order your food, pay for your food, pick up your food when it's ready, take your food to wherever you seated yourself. This, along with only accepting cash for payment, keeps costs & prices down. The menu is pretty basic: soups, salads, sandwiches. This focused approached produces impressive dividends. The food is exceptional quality & gigantic portions with fresh ingredients for a truly surprisingly low price.
The gargantuan Chef Salad & mountainous B.L.T.A. sandwich were just the perfect choice for the girlfriend & I. Lots of veggies, very filling & absolutely delicious. We both ate very well & still took home half a sandwich. Having filled up on mostly fresh veggies, healthy & indulgent is not paradoxical at Cafe Mattina. -
Review from Sean T.
Berkeley, CA
11/19/2009
Mattina is not quite as good as Intermezzo once was, but it's still a cut above anything else in the area. The atmosphere, taste, and portions, especially the last one, are all good. With a constant shuffle of people coming in and out, this place is still going strong, and with good reason.
Service is efficient here. You place your order with the next available worker standing in line, and they do a good job of asking what exactly how you want your food made. How friendly and energetic your service is will depend on who happens to make your food, however.
Seating is good, there are lots of tables inside. Sometimes they are a little unclean, since they don't seem to come around and clean up that often, but if you wipe it with a napkin beforehand you're good. The decor is nice, with an old European-ish feel. I wish they would change the menu so that it didn't say Intermezzo anymore, though.
For food I go with the combos, either sandwich/soup or sandwich/salad at $7 each. There are about ten or so sandwiches, which vary primarily in their meat. You get a half sandwich with the combo, but it's filling because of the thick, dense honey wheat bread. I prefer the bread Intermezzo had, though, because it was softer and had more flavor, from what I remember. The sandwich as a whole tastes OK, with a slight lack of flavor but fresh ingredients; the roast beef was better than the baked ham, though this might have been due more to different people making my sandwich.
There are usually three rotating soups to choose from, such as thai chicken noodle or something I can't remember too well that had udon noodles. Again, I think Intermezzo had more flavorful soups, but these are passable in taste (they are a little bland) and fairly large. They go well with the sandwiches.
Salad is a green salad, with lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, alfalfa, croutons, and maybe something else. You have a choice of four or five dressings; I only remember the poppyseed, which was quite sweet but not too much so. There was too much of it put on for my liking, however. The ingredients were fine, but the best thing about the salads is their sheer size; it's really a bit overwhelming to look at them.
Portions are more than enough for what you pay, especially if you get a salad. If you don't eat too much, it's also easy to take the leftovers home for another meal.
If you haven't tried this place before, give it a shot. You might love it or you might just appreciate the portions over the taste, but you won't be dissatisfied. -
Review from Rachel N.
12/14/2009
I'm new to Berkeley, so I never knew Mattina in its previous incarnation, but I have to say, it is a very efficient place to get huge salads and sandwiches, which I am all about, all the time. We arrived in the midst of a lunchtime rush, the the line moved quite quickly and we were eating w/in 5 minutes of arriving.
I for one think that the atmosphere is kind of endearing, I like the tere in the middle, the cheesy paintings on the wall, but yes, it is dirty. That is correct; however, only in terms of what is on the tables, I didn't feel that my food was not well prepared.
Will you have better salads? Yes, the greens are mostly romaine/iceberg. However, it is bountiful and they all come w/ a large slab of honey whole wheat, which just begs to be slathered with butter, and is quite tasty--mmm the texture is the perfect mix of doughiness. For the price you pay, you get a decent amount of food--a sandwich will definitely stuff even the most massive Cal athletes (or myself, after 30 min on the stairmaster...).
I am not a huge cash-inly person, but it's fine, all around. -
Review from H C.
Bay Area
11/21/2009
Too bad... so sad... Cafe Intermezzo is no more and sadly, with the change in ownership, the quality has definitely disappeared.
The salads are okay - not quite hitting the mark like before but at least my beloved poppy seed dressing is still there. However, the biggest difference in taste is in the sandwiches. The bread sucks now (thought we couldn't taste the difference??) and I think the sandwich meat does too. There's something cheap-tasting in the sandwiches overall. Definitely not the Intermezzo I loved during and after college. Oh well.
So, I definitely won't be back. What for? The flies buzzing around? Disgusting! -
Review from Michael P.
Cambridge, MA
6/14/2009
BEST PLACE FOR SALAD AND SANDMICHES!! If you're looking for a healthy meal and willing to walk a little bit further south of campus pass Smart Alec's, come here! It's sooooo worth the extra 2 blocks of walking! (For those who have been to Intermezzo, it's the same great place it used to be, just a name change.)
Here they have overly-generous salad portion sizes served in huge bowls and hefty, healthy sandwiches served on their signature homemade wheat bread (I think you can still pay 25 cents to buy the end slice of their loaf of bread.) They have many options to choose from so there will definitely be something that will satisfy your hunger.
Try out their various salad dressings; vinegarette is always good. Definitely go for the 1/2 sandwich, 1/2 salad deal. If you're taking salad to-go, I recommend having dressing on the side. Simply fantastic place! -
Review from Jay P.
Berkeley, CA
4/24/2010
Amazing!
Even the most primal of carnivores will fall in love with chef salad.
I personally like to eat something off the menu... ahaha
You cant ever go wrong.
If its your first time, try a half sandwich and half salad with poppysead dressing. -
Review from Mike G.
Berkeley, CA
1/16/2010
Great meal for when your family wants to "go out to dinner" and you feel like you've already eaten a weeks worth of calories at that breakfast, lunch, and yogurt park splurge.
Protip: Order salad "for here", dressing on the side so it doesnt get mushy regardless of where you are eating. After I've eaten a full meal from the "for here" salad, I can still fill a to-go box up.
Can be very crowded at lunch time, but if you're willing to wait a seat usually opens up. -
Review from Kira O.
Eugene, OR
9/9/2009
I had the chance to go back to Berkeley on labor day weekend, saw the Cal v. Maryland game and ate a lot! Including a delicious meal from Mattina! [which I still refer to as Intermezzo]
The Chef salad here is amazing. You get a choice of meat, and while I love chicken and turkey, the tofu is amazing!!
The salads are HUGE so if you get one, you might want to share it with someone, I have never been able to finish an entire salad by myself. -
Review from Stephen H.
San Francisco, CA
11/28/2009
Like many other denizens of Berkeley, I have noticed the changes since Cafe Intermezzo became Cafe Mattina. I will admit first though, that I am not too keen on salads. I prefer the sandwich and salad combination.
I honestly don't think that highly of salads. Other than the dressing, there isn't anything special about their salads. They just serve up a huge salad for a reasonable price. Really, what are you going to do with so much salad? They don't even offer grilled chicken breast as a meat option, which I consider to be necessary for a salad with meat. And when they mix in the dressing, they give you too much. But when you ask for it on the side, you don't get enough. I would prefer quality over quantity.
I like their sandwiches because they're quite filling. The honeywheat bread is pretty good. But I would stay away from the soup. It's not worth it. The vegetarian chili is the worst. I don't know what spices they put in it, but it tastes like someone dumped horseradish into it. Finally, the fruit fresca drinks are not as good as those from Bear's Lair.
I know I'm in disagreement with 90% of Yelp reviewers, but I just wanted to let people know that before ordering a salad or sandwich here, please consider that you can make your own awesome salad for half the price and there are other great sandwich places in Berkeley. (Musical Offering Cafe, may I suggest?)
Here's the breakdown of the 3 stars:
1 - Huge salads for around $7
2 - Huge salads (This really deserves two stars)
3 - They offer the sandwich/salad combination. It's the best of both worlds. -
Review from Johnny R.
Berkeley, CA
6/16/2009
I actually set up a Yelp account just to write this review:
I fricking love this place, formerly known as Cafe Intermezzo!
However, I had the worst damn salad that I've ever eaten from there. Long story short the dumb ass that made it put practically no dressing on it when I asked for extra dressing. I'm so pissed about it because I got it around 6pm to take home to have for later that evening and by the time I started to eat it they had just closed and besides that I'm so far from it that it didn't make any difference. I wouldn't have gone all the way back just for a side of dressing.
Is it a coincidence that this happened the first time that I've been here since the new name and ownership???
Fudge! I'm so irked right now. I was so looking forward to this salad too. I had to try to doctor it up with some things I had in the fridge but it just didn't cut it! Argh!!!! Curse that dumb ass bee-otch! Get a frickin clue, it's not rocket science, it's a salad!
What a let down!
