Real people. Real reviews. ®

On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.

Mount Everest Restaurant - CLOSED

3.5 star rating
based on 20 reviews

Categories: Indian, Himalayan/Nepalese, Pakistani  [Edit]

Neighborhoods: UC Campus Area, Downtown Berkeley
2011 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704
(510) 665-6035
Price Range:
$$
Accepts Credit Cards:
Yes
Parking:
Street
Attire:
Casual
Good for Groups:
Yes
Good for Kids:
Yes
Delivery:
No
Take-out:
Yes
Waiter Service:
Yes
Outdoor Seating:
No
You Might Also Consider

Cafe Raj

4 star rating
165 reviews
Location:
Albany, CA

"I had to review Cafe Raj, especially if we go there at least once a month... :)  Since we've been there, we have ordered the same entree and…" read more »

20 reviews for Mount Everest Restaurant

Sort by: Yelp Sort | Date | Rating | Elites'
Photo of Helena S.

 

3

20

Helena S.

San Diego, CA

5 star rating
4/6/2008

The first time I came here I ordered the Berkeley Special. I really didn't know what to expect, but what I got was overwhelming in a very good way. There was a lot of food (shrimp, lamb, naan, rice... I can't even remember it all) and it was all really delicious. It is definitely a great bargain at about $16-18, feeding two people to the point of bursting with leftovers.

I definitely recommend this place. And remember to get the Berkeley
Special.

New note (4/22/08):
Unfortunately... I just discovered that this place has been closed down and replaced by an indian/pakistani food place.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of D e v a n.

 

101

65

D e v a n.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
3/14/2007

One of the servers here looks 95% exactly like Gael Garcia Bernal http://www.imdb.com/na.... It makes lunch time extra sexy.

What's also sexy, is how I can stuff my gluttonous ass with tons of delicious Indian food for under $10.

I love the little tapioca pudding-like thing that comes with the lunch special. I like to lick it off my spoon seductively as I look at Gael's twin. He is a total professional though, and pretends not to be disgusted by my gross cougarish antics.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Brian J.

 

48

82

Brian J.

Alameda, CA

4 star rating
10/10/2005

Berkeley is plagued by crappy Indian restaurants.  When
I first moved out here from the east coast, I was like
"Oh shit.  What if there are no good Indian restaurants
out here?"  I've found a few good ones, few enough that
when I find a new one, I get pretty excited.

This is a Nepalese & Indian place.  It's open until 10,
seven days a week!  (Great after a movie.)  Amy and I
loved the Bhutanese Chili Chicken.  Samosas were good
and spicy.  I don't know much about Nepalese food, but
I'll be trying it out here in the future.

Ambiance is like something from a Bruce Sterling novel.
It was originally a Burger King.  Various restaurants
have lived there, leaving an assortment of lights,
plastic grape vines.  Recently paintings of Nepal and
prayer flags have been added.  It feels like the
future.

Service was fast and friendly.  We'll be back!

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Tom L.

 

100

156

Tom L.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
6/4/2007

UDPATE 11/07: The momos are FANTASTIC. If you've never had momos, they are one of the most distinctive and delicious aspects of Nepalese/Tibetan cuisine. They're basically a steamed dumpling with delicious spiced meat or veggies inside, plus an addictive tomato-based dipping sauce. Go try these. The okra dish was also delicious. Prices are extremely reasonable!

Original review:

Under new management by the same guys who founded the 3 Taste of the Himalayas around the bay area. It's no exaggeration to say they were the seeds of the Nepalese community here many years ago, so I expect great things will develop here.

I never visited this place before but I heard it used to be terrible. A *MASSIVE* fan of Nepalese cuisine, I was excited to hear about the change of guard. The TOH's have been pretty good to excellent on many, many repeated visits, so I have high hopes for this place.

It is still early days. They're working out kinks in the kitchen. The space is challenging too. However they have already ripped out the old fast food era seating and put in nice tables. The distinguishing feature of the space is a large stage up front, and they are already putting on cultural shows on weekends. When we were there, we saw a dance performance by a couple of the best Nepalese traditional dancers in the bay area. The owners say they'd love to make the space into a sort of Nepalese cultural center. It's certainly big enough.

The best part of my experience dining at the TOH's has always been the people. It's such a lovely experience. The staff is always exceptionally warm and welcoming, and fellow diners are often in a mellow and gregarious state of mind. We joined a table of 3 women and shared stories over wine. How often does that happen around here? (No worries if you prefer dining alone.. you won't be pressured to join others, and will instead just experience courteous service.)

Lots of potential, and I expect this place will continue its upward trajectory to become another fixture of the Himalayan dining scene.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of josh r.

 

13

44

josh r.

Berkeley, CA

2 star rating
3/16/2007

The mediocre review of this place is not necessarily based on the quality of the food. They have an on-line menu, which is good. However, they radically changed their prices about a month ago and haven't yet changed the on-line menu prices. Creates a little confusion when you order what you expect to be a $30 dinner which turns out to be a $48 dinner. I am not faulting a restaurant for raising their prices. Himalayan food is supposed to be the new hip thing, so why shouldn't they profit. Changing the web site would be a good idea, though.

I have never dined in here. I have only had take out a few times. The first time I went, I ordered from the on line menu and the prices were accurate.  However, I was told the wait for the food would be 45 minutes. A little long, but fine since I knew in advance. The food was ready more than 45 minutes later, but not too much longer.  

The other night, I ordered and was told 15 minutes for the food. It wasn't ready for over 45 minutes. No real apology. 2 instances of 45 minutes for food is simply unacceptable. The place has been open long enough to know how long it takes to make the food.

Long waits aside, the place was a great option at the old menu prices (which are about 2/3 of the new prices). The food wasn't spectacular but it was good and cheap. At the new menu prices, it is overpriced and not worth the money. I would be very disappointed if I dined in because the decor is not very nice (and I'd be super pissed if I had to wait 45 minutes for my food). Taste of the Himalayas just down Shattuck is much better. The food is superior and the decor is much nicer. Everest had the advantage that it was much cheaper. Now the two places are essentially the same price, so Everest gets the boot.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Alexandra B.

 

0

10

Alexandra B.

Burlingame, CA

4 star rating
9/11/2007

I'm not sure about my Indian food expertise, but as far as value and service go - this place is awesome!
It was a little eerie at first walking into a HUGE restaurant with not one other person dining, but eventually a few other diners joined in for the lunch time special.  In no time, and completely against my will, I felt my foot bouncing and twirling along to the cheerful music.
My bill ended up being in the mid five dollar range which is awesome for a mixed vegetable curry, awesome lentil soup, and a whole basket of naan.  I would definitely recommend this place for a good, fast, affordable lunch!

Was this review …?

 

Photo of The Sock S.

 

131

371

The Sock S.

San Francisco, CA

2 star rating
4/30/2007

Eh, nothing great about this place. The food is just ok, nothing special. They're closing for two weeks, so probably made the recent visit that much worse. I'm sure they're not keeping up with the fresh stock, etc. The service is never good, today was even worse. How many people does it take to serve the food? Apparently the answer here is 1 plus another 3 to stand around and do nothing.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Emma K.

 

124

293

Emma K.

Oakland, CA

5 star rating
5/21/2006

Delectable samosas, melt-in-your-mouth dal and curries, fluffy naan, all of these are enough to make me ignore the old fast food floor (you know those tiles that look vaguely like fake wood?) and booths.  I don't know if the dishes we ordered were more on the Indian or Nepalese side of things, but they were god damned delicious!

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Andrew W.

 

127

567

Andrew W.

Los Angeles, CA

5 star rating
1/9/2006

There is a lot of great Indian eats in the Berkeley area but this is one of the best!! The service is very-upscale and the food is perfect but the prices are very reasonable. Stop by if you can.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Andrew Y.

Elite '10

68

926

Andrew Y.

Berkeley, CA

3 star rating
7/16/2006

This Nepalese restaurant has pretty good food. I had this in takeout form and it was very filling. I was quite happy with the result and the price was pretty reasonable.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Rob M.

 

70

594

Rob M.

San Mateo, CA

4 star rating
9/3/2005

Decent Indian food, service was a tad slow (they weren't busy) but the flavors were rich and the price is decent.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Mark P.

 

5

83

Mark P.

San Mateo, CA

3 star rating
7/27/2006

After five visits, I can say this is a pretty decent Tibetan restaurant.  My favorite two dishes were the momos (much better than Caf Tibet's down the street) and the mismas tarkari (a vegetable curry).  I've never had a bad dish here, though often had ones I wouldn't rave about.  Service can be slow.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Jennifer Y.

Elite '10

76

373

Jennifer Y.

San Francisco, CA

4 star rating
5/13/2007

This is a great family owned Nepalese restaurant in Berkeley. A bunch of friends and I came here for dinner on my bf's bday and we ordered the right dishes. I suggest getting the Chicken Tika Boti and the Chicken Biryani (which is one of their best dishes). Good for groups and the usual college crowd. Would come here again most def. Next time i'm odering the samosas for sure.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Su K.

Elite '10

64

181

Su K.

Oakland, CA

3 star rating
9/24/2007

It was ok.  The nan was very doughy. The food was generally not greasy, which we liked.  The flavors were acceptable.  Prices seemed to be a bit on the high side but the quality of the ingredients seemed pretty good. The restaurant has a stage with a piano.  I guess they do live performances.  Among many Indian restaurants in Berkeley, this one didn't stand out as one of the best but didn't disappoint us either. The service was excellent and all dishes come with either nan or rice, which was very nice.  No need to order rice and/or nan for extra $.  They also served us free lentil soup.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Chris M.

 

31

82

Chris M.

Oakland, CA

1 star rating
12/16/2007

We used to go here every couple weeks, all the dishes we had were great and so full of flavor. I even suggested it once as a spot for my former office to order lunch, they did, and everyone enjoyed it. My husband and I went back a few months ago to find increased prices and oversalted food. Our meals were terrible and I recently found out they're under new ownership, that explains a lot. Ok well, it was good while it lasted. (PS - to the reviewer below, it DOES still feel like an old Burger King!)

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Elsa L.

 

7

86

Elsa L.

Oakland, CA

1 star rating
1/1/2007

Definitely an inexpensive restaurant .  However, in a college town filled with inexpensive restaurants, it lacks any uniqueness to its dishes.  The food appeared as if it were heated in a microwave.  The curries lacked any distinct flavors or seasonings.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Amelia I.

 

0

23

Amelia I.

Oakland, CA

1 star rating
11/20/2007

I went to this restaurant with a couple of workmates as one of them said he'd been there before and that it was good. Unfortunately, he's not great with directions, and when we got inside, he realised it was a restaurant on the next block that he'd visited before. I had the chili chicken and my workmates both had a lamb curry, all of which came with a bowl of dhal soup as a starter and a choice of either rice or naan bread. The soup was lukewarm but tasted OK. The main course was very disappointing; my chili chicken looked and tasted more Chinese than Indian, and the chicken itself was definitely of the 'put loads of spices on it to hide the crappy quality' variety. It was also rather bland for a dish which was supposed to be spicy. My workmates expressed a similar dissatisfaction with their food. At least we only wasted $7 each on our meal.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of alex j.

 

0

10

alex j.

Oakland, CA

2 star rating
8/14/2007

Used to be a great place till they got bought out. Now, lamb is blah, chicken is not fresh tasting and our fav desert, Ras Malai is not on the menu.
Bring the old Mnt Everest back!!
Not recommended anymore, unless they improve.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Caroline C.

 

144

550

Caroline C.

San Francisco, CA

5 star rating
10/29/2005

Great value. I think this place is family own/run, and the staff is incredibly kind. The prices are a very good value and the flavors are great and the food is freshly made. This is one of my very favorite places and I go here really often because it's so affordable. The best is week-day lunch because they serve you a huge platter of things--a little potato,curry and pea (cold) mash, a cup of lentil soup (fantastic), your main entree (eg Chicken Tikka Masala), an ENTIRE plain naan to yourself, a small ramican of rice pudding, rice, and more. It's just fantastic. At dinner, it's almost as much of an amazing value. Nothing is overpriced, and there are some fantastic bargins if you look, even at dinner. I've come here many times and had lunch for three with a generous tip for $27, and two-course, fantastic, huge dinner for two for only $23 including tax & tip. This place opened this summer and I really hope they make it, they certainly deserve to.

Was this review …?

 

Photo of Jack D.

 

0

6

Jack D.

Berkeley, CA

4 star rating
12/3/2007

The place could use a bit better atmosphere.  I like the new owners, but I wish they would bring back the Bhutanese Chili Chicken.  I used to go this restaurant just for this dish, and now it is gone.

Was this review …?

 

1 to 20 of 20  
Write a Review

People Who Viewed This Also Viewed...

  • Photo of Cafe Tibet

    Cafe Tibet

    4 star rating
     79 reviews

    Neighborhood: Downtown Berkeley

    Category: Himalayan/Nepalese