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Café Rouge
Categories: Restaurants American (New) Restaurants Mediterranean American (New), Mediterranean [Edit]
1782 4th St(between Virginia St & Hearst Ave)
Berkeley, CA 94710
Neighborhood: Fourth Street
(510) 525-1440
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
398 reviews for Café Rouge
Review Highlights
"...ate every bite, smothered with red wine and shallot butter."
(in 11 reviews)
"Lynn had the steak frites -- true perfection."
(in 37 reviews)
"The meat market is amazing as well."
(in 22 reviews)
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398 reviews in English
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Review from Lisa S.
Berkeley, CA
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
The food was pretty good. The service was not the quickest but they were nice. The biggest drawback was how packed in everyone was. Don't expect to have any decent conversation on a busy night
Like I said, food was good. My desert (chocolate cake) tasted store bought though. But the apple cobbler was wonderful! -
Review from Nique F.
12/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
It's pretty easy to find yourself luxuriating amid the cozy confines of Cafe Rouge, most likely during a shopping excursion on 4th street, which is destined to leave you a bit frazzled and in desperate need of a vino break, if you ask me.
I've wine'd here a few times (never dined), and have always found it a soothing escape, easy to settle into with it's red-themed decor and casually sensual Euro vibe. Park your caboose at the bistro bar, and you'll soon forget the 40 minutes of your life spent looking for parking, just to return an ill-fitting, ill-priced blouse to Anthro only to spend your newly refunded funds on yet another unnecessary extravagance. Which is where the wine comes in...
By the glass options are limited, but well-chosen with interesting quaffs like Grenache Blanc, Lacrima di Morro d'Alba (SO good, and rare to find BTG), plus a couple bubbles and a very-necessary French Rosé. For $7-12 you can buy yourself an hour of sanity...the best value on 4th street, I'd say.
Service is friendly, in the minimally intrusive Euro sort of way. In fact, I never realized how much I enjoyed Cafe Rouge until I wrote this review. Next time I'll need to partake in these oysters everyone is gaga about, a perfect excuse for an extra glass of vino.Listed in: Red, White, and Drunk all over, Go Solo!, Cocktailin' - Berkeley
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Review from Alena M.
12/21/2011 1 photo
The owner of the company I work for took all of the female employees on a shopping spree yesterday (life is so unfair!) and we stopped at Cafe Rouge mid-way for belly fuel.
The restaurant itself is very cute with a European feel. Our large group sat upstairs which gave us a great view of the cafe.
We started off with complimentary freshly baked bread and my side of the table ordered the Fritto as an appetizer. The plate included breaded and deep-fried haricot vert, onion rings and cremini mushrooms with aioli. The mushrooms were definitely the stand out.
For my salad course I decided on the Kale Caesar and it was pure garlicky goodness.
I went decadent with my entree and opted for the amazing burger complete with every available topping on the menu. WOW is all I have to say.
In addition to the food we all ordered really interesting cocktails and even finished with an Irish coffee.
What a treat for lunch and what a day! -
Review from Julie L.
Berkeley, CA
2/2/2012
We finally returned to Rouge after dropping it for slow and poor service years ago.
I am fine if servers are busy but I get irritated when dropping $250 bucks on lunch and my guests don't receive their oysters in time to enjoy it with the champagne. And mind you this was an entire bottle of champagne not a glass.
I held off writing this post as I shared my feedback with the restaurant. I had hoped for a call or response via open table after all we are locals and you would think they would care enough to reach out. I guess not as this is a spot that receives plenty of walk in's due to the location.
The food was good (when it arrived). The waitress was very pleasant when she had time to attend to us (of course they assigned her way to many tables).
This restaurant is poorly managed. They were out of the champagne, the oysters, and the desert that we initially selected. Clearly the focus is on making money by saving labor cost and just in time food (if we run out who cares :))
The next time I choose a restaurant to treat my guests It won't be Cafe Rouge.
However if you sit at the bar and order a hamburger all is good !! -
Review from Marie D.
Alameda, CA
1/29/2012
We had lunch reservations for a party of four, hostess just looked at us, did not offer a greeting of any kind, granted it was busy and she looked harried, but a simple hello would have been nice, we were seated promptly, the service was mediocre, but my biggest complaint was the food, for the most part it was awful, vegetarian lasagna was inedible, fish entree was not good either, salads were good. Skip this place, not worth the money.
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Review from Jennifer S.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
This place is a happening place on a sat night. There weren't any tables available so we sat at the bar which was actually a really good experience. The bartender was very talented in making different cocktails. I had the red wine and an interesting twist to a champagne drink. The food was decent. We had the appetizers of frittos which was good. I ordered the ahi tuna which ended up not being very good because it was cold and not smoked. The sol was pretty good though.
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Review from Elise A.
Fremont, CA
Updated - 12/21/2011
I received a very thoughtful email from someone at the café, offering me a gift certificate for lunch and a warm cozy spot at Café Rouge.
They're very aware of the heating issues in the winter and apparently they do have central heat - but with the door letting in a breeze and with the place adjoining the Pasta Shop, where the doors are often kept open - it's a real challenge to keep the place warm when the temperature drops.
I do appreciate their getting back with me though. It's relatively rare when I ever hear from anyone on Yelp whom I've written a review for. It shows extra attention to detail and a commitment to customer service that I can really appreciate.
And I do have to say that my lunch there was excellent - as far as the quality of the food is concerned. The salad was especially nice and it was probably one of the best hamburgers I've ever had. It's a bit more pricey - but the location is really great and it's a fun area to visit, especially for when you're looking to buy gifts for the foodie in your life - with the Pasta Shop next door, the meat shop in the back, Sur La Table across the street and all the other cute little shops nearby that sell fine chocolates, coffee, tea, cheeses, interesting kitchen tools, etc.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/12/2011
My lunch today was very nice, though I have to say that for a seemingly posh cafe - it would have… Read more »
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Review from Jill G.
San Pablo, CA
12/2/2011
This place is perfect for you if you enjoy a pretentious atmosphere, mediocre food, and a bigot of a business owner, Marcia M.
I came here for a wedding luncheon to celebrate the marriage of my aunt to her now husband. The marriage had been a long time coming and my family was excited to celebrate the newlyweds and their recent nuptials. The 30 of us occupied the upstairs semi-private area and, yes, I admit my family is pretty social - we like to stand around and talk to each other - especially when we're excited, happy and celebrating an important event.
As a surprise to her new husband, my aunt commissioned a Flamenco/Bossa guitarist & vocalist (we are a family of musicians - so we appreciated this musical treat!) to play some songs - what's a wedding "reception" without a little music? Well, apparently the APPROVED music didn't stand so well with Marcia - perhaps it was because the music was a little too ethnic for her? Perhaps she would have enjoyed some smooth jazz or something a little more cookie cutter? Or maybe you're thinking he was indeed too loud? Well, this was one man with a tiny amp. And Flamenco and Bossa are very colorful genres of music.
Marcia proceeded to stomp from the hostess stand and march up to our, then happy, party and *here comes the unprofessional part* motions and gestures to the musician with her hands to quiet down - she doesn't even walk all the way UP to ask us or say "Hi. Can you please turn down the music a little bit?" No, she hand signals, as if we were too low a person to actually have a conversation with. Now I know what you're thinking - you're thinking, she just did that because she didn't want to disturb and make a scene - perhaps she was trying to be polite ... I do warn you yelpers - she was quite rude.
She stormed up to our party a second time, gesturing again with her hands, fury written across her face, but yet she still had not asked or conversed with anyone from our party to say "I appreciate you choosing our restaurant as a place to celebrate such a wonderful event, but would you please turn the music down just a little bit." We experienced no such thing - just more hand gestures. She even interrupted the LAST DANCE song! These are memories we cannot duplicate. Marcia M. ruined this special moment.
I could see Marcia talking with the host and even from where I was standing could tell she had such distaste with our party. So I went down there and asked for her business card and she ignored me. Luckily I spotted the stack on the hostess stand and told her that she was not making this experience a pleasant one. She barked back and said "We were told only a few songs and people are complaining" - people? There was a 3-top inside the restaurant and 3 people at the bar. Yes. Lots of people. Oh and, dear Marcia, did you not notice that earlier, other patrons of the restaurant were *clapping* for the musician. No, I think you missed that part because you were too busy being angry and unappreciative of our business.
Long story - and if you've read this far thank you for taking the time to do so.
Bottom line:
- the food was mediocre (they messed up our steak orders and everyone got the wrong temperatures they requested)
- the service was fine, albeit pretentious (though the bussers and food runners were pleasant and very patient)
- the banquet coordinator embraces the attitude of Marcia so I wouldn't recommend working with her either
- they are not personable and don't give a SH!T if you're celebrating something special, even something as special as a WEDDING
I encourage you fellow yelpers, to spend your hard earned money at an establishment that values you as a paying customer and welcomes your large parties to celebrate special events. Cafe Rouge is no such establishment. -
Review from Brian J.
Alameda, CA
11/29/2011 Seated via OpenTable
This is the best burger in the east bay.
Excellent cocktails at a zinc bar.
Dollar oysters.
Impeccable fries, too. -
Review from Damon L.
Baltimore, MD
1/16/2012
I was craving a burger so thats what I got and it was good but my moms STEAK...WOW!!!...the red wine and challot butter was PERFECT...!!!
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Review from carter f.
Oakland, CA
12/20/2011
Best Burger?
It was hockey puck. Overcooked. No Fat. Yuk!
Service was awful. Server never checked back to see if all was well. Plates weren't cleared before main course.
Manager could have cared less.
Cold.
Pretentious.
Over-priced. -
Review from Aaron B.
Santa Rosa, CA
11/27/2011
It seemed like all the components of a great bistro were there but they just didn't come together.
The food was fine. Mostly the service was lacking. The food definitely didn't overshine the crappy service.
It's Berkeley for crying out loud! There's no excuse for mediocre food and poor service. Go eat somewhere better. -
Review from C. C.
San Anselmo, CA
11/10/2011
We found this place online, looking for a dog friendly patio.
When we got there today, there was 1 person sitting on the patio. The hostess told us there are no dogs allowed on the patio. We were allowed (!) to tie the dog to their railing, outside the patio, in the stream of foot traffic. We have a small well behaved and calm dog, and we didn't feel comfortable putting him underfoot and in the way of bigger dogs who might not be so friendly. So I told her I didn't care for her attitude and left. I cannot stand snooty staff. -
Review from Jennifer W.
Berkeley, CA
11/6/2011
Came here for brunch with my mom and my brother and we got the steak frites, poached eggs w/smoked salmon, the soup of the day (garbanzo beans & kale i think?), and corned beef hash. My mom also ordered a lemonade. Everything was really good, albiet a bit pricey. Service was also pretty outstanding. It was a pretty busy Sunday brunch time hour but our server was very informative and came often to check up on us. They also refilled our water and our bread.
The seem to have $1 oysters which I'll have to try next time! -
Review from Cindi W.
Eureka, CA
10/4/2011
I loved the host who sat us. He was so funny. We went here for a late lunch. They had a smaller menu after 3 pm but it was good and both of us found good things to eat.
I had a beet salad and Bar Meatballs. Hubby had a hamburger. Very good. Love the area and atmosphere. -
Review from Jennifer Y.
Oakland, CA
10/11/2011
The boyfriend and I come here a LOT for the $1 oysters! I love that it's everyday (with varying times) so I can get my oyster fix whenever I want.
The food here is solid; however, I don't think it's worth the prices that they charge. I usually stick to their soup of the day which is always delicious. The boyfriend usually gets the burger, which is also delicious but it got pretty messed up one time. If you go on the weekend afternoons, there's a blond girl who's a server and she's absolutely terrible. She forgot our order for over 40 minutes and when the burger came out, it was SO rare even though he ordered medium-well. There was blood pooled on the lettuce. The fries were cold, obviously because it'd been sitting there for awhile. Disgusting.
But other than that one time, it's been pretty consistent. I love this place and I've never really had to wait for a table even when the restaurant looked pretty packed. -
Review from jana s.
Rocklin, CA
11/10/2011
There was nothing to complain about at Red Cafe on 4th Street.
We went to meet a friend for dinner and ended up putting this place on our "must return" list.
The restaurant is located in what seems to be a converted warehouse with tall ceilings and an open layout. Predictably, the color theme is overwhelmingly red (thus, the name Cafe Rouge) and the decor is soft and inviting -- which juxtaposes the cavernous warehouse-like building.
I ordered a basic green salad with Point Reyes blue cheese. My tummy was acting up and the salad hit the spot.
For the main course, I ordered Trofie pasta with Rancho Gordo shell beans, sweet peppers, broccoli and walnut pesto. (Side note: Trofie is Ligurian pasta made with flour and water, no eggs. It is rolled by hand into little squiggly shapes).
The dish was fabu! The texture of all the various parts work well together as do the different flavors. And it's a fairly healthy dish. It cost $16,which seems reasonable in this trendy neighborhood.
My partner enjoyed a steak dish of some sort. Not being much of a steak eater, I did not pick off her plate. But the presentation was wonderful.
We ordered the apple tart for dessert -- it was a palate pleaser, but kind of on the small side. Good thing I also ordered the macaroons. The pastry chef knocked these classic cookies out of the ball park. They are chewy and bursting with coconut flavor.
The service, however, was adequate; nothing memorable.
When I return I will focus on the oysters, which start at $1 for the lesser quality and go up to $2.50 (which includes kumomoto).
I'd also like to try the cured meats (which are sold at a counter for take away orders). -
Review from Phan H.
Berkeley, CA
12/15/2011
Slow service is a big pet peeve of mine. They took forever to bring my drinks, food, appetizers, and check. Next, I asked for seedless olives, but they weren't able to accommodate me, what kind of bar doesn't have pitless olives? Anyways, the food was good, but tiny portions. Okay priced, and there is a ridiculous amount of choices for oysters, but not entrees. Maybe concentrate on what's important and less on the not so much important things.
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Review from Jean K.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 12/12/2011
A HUGE fall from our previous meals, especially Jan 2011 which was perfection - literally the best meal we've ever had here out of many. The soup was good, the salad well executed. The goat entree was so much better than the fatty trimmings Prospect/SF served us a few months ago. The ribs (bar menu) were okay, with a nice chipotle BBQ sauce. The burger, normally their best dish, was cooked on point.
So what went wrong?
Every single bakery item was stale. Not slightly stale, but two-days-old, almost too hard to eat stale. We were shocked! In four years of coming here, we've never encountered such a thing. The basket of sliced French was stale. The burger bun, normally wonderful, was terrible, hard and almost inedible. Even the breadsticks with the soup were stale. The pastry for the apple tart was stale!
Now, perhaps Cafe Rouge didn't get their bakery order in that night, and were just making do. But the normally busy-but-cheerful waitstaff were over the edge, literally running in and out of the kitchen, even forgetting to smile, they were so stressed.
I sympathize that in these hard times, business owners need to run lean. But Rouge was at a level where even though the service didn't suffer unduly, the whole atmosphere was not just noisy and cheerful, it was borderline tense.
And that's not a relaxing atmosphere to dine in. Stale bread all the way through, and a stressed waitstaff, knocks off their usual 4-star rating from us.2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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1/26/2011
Cafe Rouge isn't perfect, but it's awfully good, especially for burgers....and with lowered prices… Read more »
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Review from Randall C.
Oakland, CA
1/17/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Fine service, good ambiance, easy to converse. Food was uneven at best, especially considering the prices. Brined duck was a salty lump.
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Review from Sally M.
9/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
Ehhhhh.... they may make a great burger but I've had equally good or better burgers in a better atmosphere.
The place is nice and bright with a lively bar scene around happy hour. Great oyster specials too from what it seemed.
The host was super friendly, but our server was stand offish and disinterested. So we ate our burgers and got out of there as fast we could. -
Review from Ben D.
Carmel, CA
9/26/2011
Can somebody explain to me,how a restaurant can mess up a burger?
Well I think that cafe rouge, just did the unthinkable and ruin a perfectly, juicy,marble beef patty.they pretend to use organic and sustainable produce with fancy names,but in the end,the results are just a pile of bland food in the plate,prices are fair.And to their credit Cafe Rouge has the bomb happy hour and one dollar oysters!!!
Next time I will come just for the happy hour!!!
Service is just O K
Food is So So,nothing remarkable. -
Review from Daniel R.
Los Angeles, CA
8/4/2011
Cafe Rouge has a great burger, I don't even know what anything else tastes like since I always get the same thing haha. It's always cooked perfectly and the fries are wonderful!
I stumbled into this restaurant by chance one night two years ago and now it's kind of become a go-to spot when I'm back in town. -
Review from Thorsten C.
Berkeley, CA
7/7/2011
The meat is fabulous - I have a hard time ordering steak somewhere else now, because this rib-eye with red-wine-shallot-butter sets the standard pretty high. Another regular is the squid risotto, and despite the many complaints on yelp about the little amount of meat I like the bar ribs a lot - great texture and rich flavor, paired with nice sauces.
I always get the home-made sherbet ice creams - they are truly amazing - like the meyer-lemon-fennel one, or the pear one, or all the other ones :)
We always sit outside (hello Caltrains!), but a note on the service: The outside waiters are very friendly and often engage in pleasant conversations (if you're up for it - they also server you quietly if you're in the middle of your intense conversations and food will appear magically ;)). However, the inside personnel and especially the welcome desk is everything but. Other than looking pretty the arrogant and unpleasant and fake smile interactions are awkward - every time. Sad to see, because it adds a lot to the bad vibes and feeling people get around here, I agree. -
Review from angelina m.
South San Francisco, CA
6/10/2011 1 Check-in Here
Stuck up. Over priced. Not very tasty food.
And worst of all poor service. -
Review from Leah C.
San Francisco, CA
10/12/2011 3 Check-ins Here
yays!
$1 oysters everyday (certain time)
friendly staff!
accepts cards!
they have a parking lot!
they have outdoor seatings!
and a bar!!
nays!
other stuff on the menu can be pricey! -
Review from Lana T.
5/28/2011 1 photo
This place has a BOMB oyster happy hour. $1 oysters basically all day every day. There are better happy hours where they offer a greater variety of dollar oysters (I've seen Kumamotos before) but you can't beat being able to hit up this place for dollar bits of tender savory slippery goodness whenever the craving strikes. I used to come to Berkeley just to go to oyster happy hour here, grab pizza at Cheeseboard, and top it off with ice cream from Ici--all under the pretense of "visiting my friends," of course. Good thing they loved all of these places as well and never caught on! *cough*
That being said, Cafe Rouge doesn't have much else going for it. I have to admit that I have literally NEVER ordered anything here other than oysters. However, my less oyster-obsessed friends have sampled the rest of their menu to their peril.
The food here is either average or abysmal. Anytime my friends have ordered a ($6) soup, it always turned out flavorless, watery, and disgusting. Their entrees are average but really overpriced. A tasteless burger for $13?! In-N-Out honestly has better quality for a much lower price. Their menu offers a $36 steak and really, for that price, you should just head to Ruth's Chris. Although I did share a prosciutto and pate platter once with my friend, and it was decent.
Service here is either average or slow. Most of the time you have to flag a waiter down if you need anything. Ambiance is pretty nice, dimly lit to set off the dark red sheer curtains for an ambiguously romantic-friendly vibe. They say oysters are aphrodisiacs... however I wouldn't recommend bringing your lady here unless you only wanted oysters.
6 stars for the oyster happy hour, 1.5 stars for everything else. -
Review from Sharon L.
El Cerrito, CA
11/12/2011 4 Check-ins Here
J and I always can't agree on where to go for dinner but decided on Cafe Rouge especially since one of my girlfriend's works here and mentioned their $1 OYSTERS!
Let me start and say, YUM. Totally hidden and tucked away on the side of fourth street, but lovely ambiance, especially the high ceilings.
My favorite part - let's talk about the food! I brushed off the $1 oysters and got the kumamato oysters for $2.50 a piece. Ate about $30 worth of oysters, but they were delicious! Also ordered the roasted acorn squash, roasted bone marrow and kale caesar salad. SO GOOD. The acorn squash exuded such a rich and creamy flavor and the bone marrow was just such a sinful, guilty pleasure. And last, but not least, the kale caesar salad was amazing. I hate caesar salad, but this is true caesar dressing and refreshingly delightful. J, on the other hand, wanted to order the burger (I wouldn't' allow it hahaha), because he orders burgers everywhere we go... but the couple next to us ordered the burger, and I automatically put my foot in my mouth - it looked so damn good. J got the steak instead with fingerling potatoes and green beans. It was good, but too well-done for my taste. I like my meat to still say "moo".
The only thing I would say irked me was the spacing between the tables. The restaurant was louder and not as cozy as I had originally anticipated and the tables were too close for me - I felt like I was literally close enough to the table next to us that I could easily just stick my fork in their plate for a bite of their food!
Can't wait to come back and pig out on oysters, try everything else on the menu with a bottle of wine. -
Review from Brian J.
Pleasant Hill, CA
Updated - 8/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Yum - excellent white corn and red pepper soup. Braised pork shoulder was tender and flavorful. Chocolate cake with peach ice cream for dessert and a lovely bottle of French Rouge red...(with a friend...I didn't drink it all myself).
Service - again meh...this is the second time it's not been up to par - waited a little too long for the waitress to come to the table, waited a LONG time for her to take our dessert order. It's unfortunate that the lack of attention to service is negatively affecting the experience...because the food is so good.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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6/9/2011
wow - excellent squid risotto and fantastic pork chops. The prochutto appetizer was scrumptious.… Read more »
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Review from John V.
Tiburon, CA
11/20/2011
First time here last night - and it was an exceptionally good experience for us.
Our daughter had a hamburger (medium/well) and it came out perfectly done to her liking, large, obviously hand formed and moist inside (no one was pressing it down for speed on the grill as happens too often - it destroys the juices fast that way). The steak frites tasted like they were whole potatoes 15 minutes before they reached the table and they served Heinz Organic Ketchup (no nasty corn syrup), too.
We shared a few dishes: a couple salads (Spinich/Beet/Bacon and Endive) and they were both good and fresh - it wasn't something to gloat about, but they were very healthy. The Kale/Butter Bean soup dripped in yummy flavors...we liked it so much we got another (note: daughter who doesn't much like veggies as much as we'd like devoured half a bowl).
We also had the Southern Fish Stew with rockfish and aoili and it, too, was superb. Delicately flavored, the leeks were great and the stew was perfect for the cold and rainy night it was.
We're not drinkers so I have no dish on the cocktails, tho the lemonade was not too tart not too sweet. Overall, there seemed to be a LOT of care in the preps here and knowing the the menu changes daily says alot about the place, too. Notable for a restaurant that is now 15 years old - whoever the owner/manager is really seems to care.
Our server, Molley, was engaging, prompt, informative and kind...really, one couldn't ask or hope for better.
We live 30 minutes and a bridge away and we won't hesitate to return again when we are in or near Berkeley (a truly great place to shop on 4th Street) -
Review from Ava C.
Oakland, CA
10/31/2011
The corned beef hash is not what you'd expect...seems to just be slices of corned beef. Nevertheless, the food is cheap and no wait on Sunday during brunch time, so whatever.
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Review from Nat H.
Emeryville, CA
5/23/2011
Meh, to sum it up. Overpriced, barely mediocre food. We came on a Friday and had no trouble getting a seat without a reservation, but our server (who was hauling tail and had too many tables) was not able to get to us for a long time. Then he only had time to take our drink orders when he finally made it over--took us a long time to get drinks because the bar was slammed. The cocktails were good, but not so amazing that I'd return just for drinks. On to food, which was the real disappointment. I don't mind waiting if the grub is worth the time spent.
Got the bar ribs. Hardly any meat, and the meat I could gnaw off was tough and not worth the effort. Sauce was the best part.
Next up was the fried green tomatoes topped with onion rings. Basically a big plate of fried food, so it was hard to go wrong here. This was the best part of the meal, and it was overpriced. Onion rings and three fried tomato slices for 9 bucks?
Had the burger, which I had heard so much about. I was really hoping it was going to be good. Bun was cold, chewy, and too big for the burger. Burger was overpriced with add-ons, cheese and grilled onions and you've hit $14+. The meat was good, but not amazing. The fries were okay, but I'm pretty sure they're frozen and weren't really that remarkable. They weren't even hot.
Would rather have spent my money somewhere else. Won't be back for dining, but willing to give the meat counter a try. -
Review from Amy N.
4/3/2011
Review is for the meat counter in the back.
They need to advertise the meat counter! I've been searching for a place to buy boudin blanc and it's just not that common. Traditional meat counters aren't that common anymore, so it's nice to know there's one here. I got some boudin blanc which turned out to be very tasty. Good with rice. The meat was chunkier than normal boudin blanc, which is usually smoother. That was an impulse buy, though.
What I really came for was the Good Food Awarded Smoked Beef Tongue. They slice it thin and it's delicious. Better for a charcuterie platter than a sandwich, as you'll want to savor each slice. I found myself going into the kitchen to sneak slices between meals.
Looks like the restaurant has a nice happy hour (or just good appetizers). Service at the meat counter was friendly. Restaurant itself has a bar and is dimly lit. The kind of place you'd stop at for drinks or would bring a date. The meat counter closes before the restaurant. Just as well, because walking through a dim but crowded restaurant to go buy meat would be rather... awkward.
Go get beef tongue! -
Review from Kyla G.
East Bay
10/4/2011
I've been craving the Tombo Tuna they serve for dinner for the past week. It's not often I crave a fish dish, but that combo of perfectly seared tuna, pickled chard, and Ligurian herb sauce is amazing. I wish they served it every night.
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Review from Eric G.
Berkeley, CA
Updated - 5/12/2011
Service fails to keep up at lunch time.
I pop in for lunch several times a month and they just can't keep up, especially the servers.
Today for example. I stood at the host stand for a good long time while restaurant staff zoomed past and the hostess was nowhere in sight. Once at the table, it was _Twelve Painful Minutes_ before I saw my server. That's a disgustingly long time for a good place like this.
While I was waiting I entertained myself by watching the hostess flirt with some guy at the bar. He was playing it cool, but I think he had her on the hook. It also explained part of the service problem.
BONUS TIP!
There are two outside tables to the left of the door.
NEVER sit at these tables. It's a black hole and once you enter it, you become invisible. It means you get no water, no drink re-ups, your check and credit card sit on the table forever, etc. Be warned.Listed in: Burger Showdown
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/30/2009
Cafe Rouge's food revolves around and is born of excellent ingredients.
The fine meat and house-made… Read more »
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Review from Summer T.
Oakland, CA
3/19/2011
I've been here twice. The first time I ordered the ribs and fries but ended up eating more of my friend's steak frites, which was delicious. When you order 'rare' it comes rare. So if you really want medium rare but tend to order rare because so many chefs are gun shy about serving a truly rare cut of meat, well, don't worry about that here.
Recently, I went back for lunch and had the kale Cesar salad. This dish is a great idea and fully delicious. I tend to feel avoid ordering a Cesar "salad" because the nutritional value seems to be nil. But Cafe Rouge's take on it is fresh. The kale maintains it's crunch without too much bitterness. The fresh made dressing was perfect. This salad alone makes me a fan.
The service is prompt. The staff is friendly but professional. The decor and ambiance is tasteful and open. Check it out. -
Review from Linda L.
Alameda, CA
7/22/2011
What cute place. The atmosphere, customers, and staff were very friendly and I think Berkley's chic anyway. Our food was good, although my spit-fired chicken was a little on the dry side. My bf ordered the roasted pork belly and that was better than mine, but both were good. I will recommend this place because of the above and the decor is a mixed bag. You have traditional, transitional, and old world in one spot.
The one thing I didn't care for was our appetizer of sauteed squid. Not much there, but plenty of that bitter fresia (sp?). I don't particularly care for that lettuce and I don't care it those tv chefs say "bitter cuts the fat". Honey, fat doesn't bother me at all. Just give me a nice glass of Petite Syrah and all systems will be GO. -
Review from Misa U.
Fairfield, CA
11/7/2011
We came here on a recommendation as good brunch place. The website makes it seem like it may not be a child-friendly place but it is.
Our reservations were made for an 11 a.m. Sunday brunch. Parking is a bit difficult as the restaurant is located in the middle of the 4th Street shopping district but there is a paid parking lot a couple of blocks away. Being located off the street, I didn't see it right away but was pointed in the right direction after asking someone where it was at.
When I walked in, I was amazed at how big the place actually is. It is two stories and the bottom floor has a dining area, bar area, meat counter and separate store area but it didn't seem crowded. The high ceilings made it feel very open.
We had four in our party and all tried something different: the burger, scrambled eggs and chorizo, the turkey sandwich and the pancakes, along with the sparkling rose and bloody Mary. The food was good and my friend felt the bloody Mary was excellent. We were given bread to munch on after we ordered our food but I think it would have been better served with our drinks. They serve dessert but we were too full to try anything.
The only down side is that the service seemed slow. It took awhile to get our drink orders placed, get our drink and order our food. However, the server seemed to appear every time we wondered where he was at and our food was served quickly, so maybe he was just trying to not bother us so much? At least we didn't feel rushed to order or leave.
I can say that I would return to this place to try their dinner and drinks experience. I would recommend it as a brunch place if you are looking for some place to have a nice, leisurely time and are not in a hurry. Despite being slow, the service was still great, the food was good and the menu had enough options that no one in our party (including a vegetarian and an non-red meat eater) felt there wasn't something to choose. -
Review from David W.
3/14/2011
I think...that I *have* to give 5 stars to the place where I learned to love beef. It took me about 18 years to appreciate a good steak, but Cafe Rouge is where the magic happened.
Their **steak frites with shallot butter** is just out of this world delicious. I prefer to come here for lunch though, because it is significantly more pricy at dinner, and I actually like the cut of meat better at lunch than at dinner. At dinner it's a big ribeye steak, which is nice, but I thought that the lunch version was more tender.
But you can't go wrong with it! Also, the burger is delicious, and... well, it's just a solid restaurant in general. Great place for a date as well! -
Review from Anne L.
Berkeley, CA
7/13/2011
I really love my oysters, so I was definitely all over this place when I heard about their $1 oyster happy hours (which they seem to have every day).
Came in after 8 on a Sunday evening with my boyfriend. The lighted candles made the ambience nice and cozy. Our server took a bit to get to us, but was very nice when he finally did. I ordered a shirley temple, my boyfriend ordered the prawns, and we both got 10 oysters each. I took a look at some of their other items and they seemed a bit overpriced.
I thought the wait was a bit long for just some raw oysters (not like there's any cooking involved). The oysters came with two sauces, but they were kind of overwhelming. It's okay because I prefer my oysters with just a bit of lemon anyway. The prawns weren't much bigger than regular shrimps so they weren't worth it (3 for $2). My shirley temple didn't come out until we were almost done, and it was just okay.
Overall, I left pretty satisfied and will come back but just for the oysters.
