Having lived in the Bay Area for many years, this was my first time at the Bowl. It was a fantastic experience, starting with a plethora of any & everything you could want! Their organic produce section is amazing and there are lots of vegan choices throughout the store. Aside from great produce and stories that go with it, the bakery and the make your own burrito window were awesome! The cashiers were energetic and plenty friendly. Definitely will go back next time Im in town.

Really love this market. The staff are consistently and genuinely kind and always very helpful. Their produce here is just excellent and one of the best selections around the area. Best of all, I come here for their fresh and delicious sushi to go. There’s also a cafe right across the market which is fantastic. Cheers!

Lots of parking--even for bicycles. A great to go restaurant (these days). One of the best selections of fruits and vegetables both organic and conventional in Bay Area. Meat and fish market with real butchers who actually cut the meat. Great places for foodies to shop.

Best grocery store in the bay. Loads of hard to find vegetables like drumsticks, Indian Brinjal etc. The fruits are fresh and also have a great wide selection. Oh! They also have several international chip flavors you never get in the American market.Recently saw on Reddit that a couple did their engagement photos at Berkeley bowl and I can totally see why 😁😁 who wouldnt want their favorite place to be in the pictures.Pro tip: if you are new to the place, theres underground parking. Which is not obvious when you get there and start looking for an impossible spot in the tiny parking lot above ground.

To share this information is to my own demise as it already gets very crowded especially on weekends. That said, Berkeley Bowl is the worlds BEST grocery store. Like Disneyland for a chef. You can find any type of meat, fish, mushroom, along with eight varieties of avocado! Go here for rare, exotic, organic foods and bulk dried foods. I always get dried mango, dried papaya, yogurt dipped pretzels, and rice in the bulk section. Have you ever seen this many kinds of tomatoes in one place? Even more berries than the eye can see. If youre doing a special diet, they will help you here. Gluten Free, Whole 30, Halal, Vegan... You name it. They have a variety. Not to mention a fine butcher and seafood department. I feel very lucky to be a customer at Berkeley Bowl since birth. I have even seen some tourists doing photos there recently. Its not where you go for name brand processed foods like Cheerios, but trust me, this place is a blessing. The real jewel Berkeley.

I am on a gluten free diet, and unfortunately Berkeley Bowl has a very serious problem with gluten cross contamination. I have had gluten attacks from eating the following items bought at Berkeley Bowl West:Organic Green BeansOrganic Purple Sweet PotatoesOrganic StrawberriesOrganic Red LentilsOrganic Mung BeansOrganic Green LentilsSwiss CheeseElemental CheeseDrunken Goat CheeseMozzarella CheeseI think the main problems are: 1. the bulk items section which has many gluten containing items is way too close to the organic produce section; and 2. they cut up cheese with the same machine they use to cut up bread.If you are on a gluten free diet, then I recommend that you shop at Berkeley Natural Grocery instead -- I have never had a gluten attack from anything I have bought there.

Incredible selection, high quality. My go to place from produce and prepared foods. Nothing like in all of California.

An old warehouse retrofitted to house a grocery store. Shopping experience is fine but the lines were absolutely ridiculous during the pandemic. 2 stars.

Best place for grocery shopping in this area. Amazing produce, meat, and seafood selection at excellent price. Everything is so fresh and mostly local. It’s my happy place to unwind and get nourished. Highly recommend it 👍P.S. when in doubt ask for a “sample taste”. Staff will be happy to help you make a decision and recommend the best for you!

Extensive variety of fresh produce, dairy, baked goods, meat, and fish!! Much more than your typical peninsula Whole Foods. I was happy spending a couple hours here as were my kids 😊

I order the same burrito everytime....yet I am always charged a different amount 🤔 the burrito is still good though 👍🏾

Best grocery store in the WORLD! I feel so lucky to live close by. Huge organic produce section and the prices are very good and affordable. The store is always clean and very well organized. Keep up the good work!

I love their varieties! They carry so many different vegetables, fruits, milks, beer, cultural foods, plants/ flowers, breads, fresh local pastries and ready to eat foods. They have a lot of LOCAL made products. Its a great place to shop!

This is still one of my all favourite markets to shop in. They have a large variety of just about everything you need - and things you didnt know you needed!

Incredible selection, tasty hot bar, convenient cafe, great bulk and produce sections. Awesome place to get rare, organic, and vegan/vegetarian foods. Do be warned that this location is pretty much ALWAYS bustling! Despite that, parking is easy and plentiful. Choose between the open parking lot or their free garage!

I went in for the first ever (Im new to the Bay Area) and OMG, they have just about everything under the sun. Their bulk selection is off the hook and their produce section you would swear goes for miles. My favorite part, besides the plethora of produce, was the HUGE selection of chocolate. As someone who is vegan/gluten-free/low glycemic they had quite a few chocolate options that I could have compared to most others store which normally just have Hu chocolate for me choose from, if that. I will definitely be back :)

I love the Bowl for produce freshness and prices, with an extensive selection of organics. Its usually overcrowded and even with only a reasonable number of simultaneous shoppers you end up playing shopping cart dodge em in the narrow aisles. I rather miss the dark, cavernous space of the former bowling alley where they got their start...

3-4 years ago, It used to be grocery store with fresh and good quality products. I moved close to the store about 1.5 year ago and noticed how quality going down and they started to be AVERAGE GROCERY STORE (like Safeway or Foodmax). I stopped to buying here. And today I visited store again and find out that Berkley Bowl is a expensive grocery store (like Whole foods) wit average quality and NOT-SO-FRESH products. Greed won here.

Best produce at best prices!

What can I say about Berkeley Bowl. It was everything! From spices to beers from all over. The fish and meat counter is excellent. The fruit is so fresh. The only reason I give it four stars is because its expensive to shop there and it makes me think of all the people who would love to get fresh produce, great meat and fish and spices, but cant afford it.

Edit to add details:This store is absolutely amazing! You can find anything and everything. Its a foodie/cooks paradise. Im sad that I now live in Texas and was only visiting my home state to move my daughter from Berkeley to Texas with me. This place is fantastic and Im so hungry just thinking about all the fabulous meals I could make if I had access to this store.

It’s Berkeley Bowl. It’s the best in the game. Don’t play.

My favorite place to buy fresh fruits! Lots of variety and better quality than other grocery stores in the area.

Best selection of everything. My Italian in-laws wont grocery shop anyplace else when they visit, and they always manage to encounter a fellow Italian in the pasta section. If I ever move away from the Bay Area, Berkeley Bowl would be in the Top 5 of what Id miss the most.

Its just my favorite Bay Area market hands down.

Expensive. But worth it. They have too many options. A million different kinds of fruits & veggies, So of course its addicting. Prefer the original location, but a nice set up inside. Huge long isles of anything you could think of, berkeley stylee. A must see if youre visiting the area. They have coffee that comes in a whiskey flask, veggie jerky, and five dollar cans of kombucha. What else could you want?

This is one of the supermarkets I dont mind spending a few hours at. So much variety of produce, vegetables and bread! The bulk food area was excellent! They even have an adjacent parking lot, something that is very rare in Berkeley!

I am here today to buy fruit and cooked food. The experience is great. The cashier helped me put the watermelon on the shopping cart. Its great.

They have the best fresh fruits and vegetables at a great price!Also, I only shop where there is a restroom available, and theirs is always available and clean.

The best food selection in the East Bay. Period. If you LOVE food this is THE PLACE.

THE grocery store. Tons of selection, ample parking, friendly staff... What else could you ask for!?

Pretty much the best grocery store on the planet. Amazing variety of produce not to mention everything else.

Nice clean non corporate run store. Customers before maximum profits. Bright cheerful interior . Wide selection of foods and produce. Employees have always been helpful whenever Ive asked. There is another store in the area that was bought by a large corporation. I no longer shop at the other store unless absolutely necessary. Comments about another store belong in a separate review...I couldnt resist comparing Berkeley Bowl to its biggest competitor in this review.To borrow a movie reference I prefer not to go to the Dark side . I cant help but compare the difference between Berkeley Bowl and their largest competitor. The rest of my family agrees with me .I rarely give five stars and then only to those who deserve it..

I have been going to the Bowl since I was a little girl and it’s always been an important part of my life. An extensive collection of top shelf produce, fantastic prepared food, delicious local treats, excellent bulk selection, and some of my most trusted butchers and fishmongers in the area. There’s a reason this place is never not busy.

Wonderful place to go grocery shopping for organic, Asian, varieties of fruits and vegetables

I love the produce. The shopping experience can be a little frustrating. I stopped going for a few months after a worker rammed about 15 shopping carts into my ribcage from behind. They didnt apologize, just muttered about me getting in the way and I kept walking since I was carrying 5 bags of food.Ive started to go back but its typical Berkeley - cramped, crowded, and bougie. Im not sure if its going to return to my routine but its still a decent place to shop.

Love the selection of dried/bulk goods. Wide variety of foods with flavors from different cultures. Great produce selection w organic and conventional offerings. Tasty looking baked desserts & deli/pre-made options. It was my first time there, packed and overwhelming, kind of a grocery wonderland.

Love the produce here. I wish there could be more room in the aisles, but who could have imagined the pandemic like this back when the store was laid out? Most customers do their best to maintain social distance despite the difficulties. Masks have been a thing since about April or May of 2020, and these days everyone seems careful about wearing them in the store.I hate grocery shopping, but sometimes its worth going to Berkeley Bowl anyway.

I used to shop only at the shattuck store but this was an eyeopener! So clean, orderly, and a great bargain room!

I have been shopping groceries here for years. It used to be an upscale market with plenty of fresh quality California produce but for the last few years the quality of produce is getting worse and all vegetables are now coming from Mexico which they buy in bulk and they dont look fresh.

The is by far the best grocery store Ive ever visited anywhere. Its the most comprehensive collection of organic produce and regular produce around here. It is almost always crowded but for very good reasons. It is also reasonably priced. Worth a visit if you are anywhere near Berkeley.

Very good selection of high quality goods. Fairly friendly service. Usually quite busy.

Amazing selections especialy in fruits/veg as well as meats /seafood.the place gets busy and lines can be long tho they move rather quickly.the prices are not cheap.a couple of types of mellons ive never even heard of.anb in the far back corner,past the meat/seafood counter there is a room with sale items,mostly fruits that are READY to use.😉

Love this place. Vegetables, spice, protein, drinks as well as hot foods and baked goods are outstanding.Recommend getting their ribs and soups when available.Fantastic place with great staff

Drop into Berkeley Bowl for a great selection of fresh fruit and vegetables. Unique finds here include an assortment of kumquats, horned melon, fresh off the tree tamarind, a huge selection of heirloom tomatoes, fresh coconuts, all kinds of oranges, and much more. The prepared foods also look terrific.Of particular note is the bulk section which abounds with many unique items you’ll not find elsewhere. I go for the almonds. Here you’ll find coated almonds like nowhere else. Be sure to try the coconut macaroon almonds, a little sweet but so good. Others include butter toffee, honey roasted, cinnamon and more. Definitely worth trying them all.On the negative, this store, and frankly other grocers in the Bay Area, need to step up their tonic water game. Virtually no Fever Tree or Fentimans, yet gin and tonic is one of the most popular cocktails these days. It’s a big miss in the store and a disappointment when searching this aisle for good tonics. There is Q tonic, which is also a good choice. But Fentimens and Fever Tree have a great selection of flavor choices, all missing in this store.All in all, an enjoyable shopping experience.

Great selection of a wide range of foods. Many vegan options that are hard to find elsewhere. Local items as well. Enormous produce selection and maybe post covid the bulk bins will be open again? Pricey but not outrageously so

Always crowded, but not as much selection as I remembered. I only got a good deal on purple potatoes, but there wasnt much else I couldnt buy from my local farmers market.

The vibe takes a little while to get used to but this is one of the best super markets for produce variety. Its tight in there and stressful during busy times, usually around 5-8pm.

Love to shop there for my fruit and veggies. Like to know where they were harvested. Like to have international food choices too

Absolutely amazing place. my favourite place in east bay! fresh groceries, really exciting fruits

Lots of variety to asian products that I go for and tasty fruits❤

This store has all your needs. Big selection of foods and produce. Also different kinds of hot foods for a reasonable price.

Love this place, has tons of produce options. Whenever I need hard to find ingredients I always come here

Im a vegetarian so I went in looking for certain things from each section. Their selection of vegetarian options doesnt differ too much from any other grocery store. I did find the BEST strawberries Ive ever had in my LIFE here. They were sweet, and the perfect feel. Not HARD but not soft, perfect. Very crowded, but its an interesting crowd. I didnt mind the crowd knowing that everyone is there for the same reason, to eat better and live longer. Even the parking lot was crowded. They do have a parking garage as well. Seems instead of adding a parking garage they shouldve added more lot spaced and even made the store larger to allow for bigger isles. Dont even bother apologizing to people for bumping into them, youll be apologizing the entire time. And dont expect any either...

They have very good fruits and vegetables. Prices are a bit high but overall its worth it!😊

Their customer svc is outstanding.. I luv this place just wish they had their fast food prepared by 10 am

Spendy AF, but great quality and the produce section is the best youll ever find.Parking needs to be fixed, though. Outer area is crowded and chaotic. However, it wouldnt be so bad if they just prioritize parking in the garage first and then only allow people to park in the outer area for pickups and over flow when needed.

Best selection of fruit, vegetables, and meat, including sushi grade fish.

Huge variety of fresh, local and organic options. So much produce! We no longer have to visit the specialty markets for produce regularly. The staff are always helpful and knowledgeable. Its our grocery spot since weve moved and were pretty excited about it!

Nice market, lots of free parking spaces . Kind of a whole foods, fairfax Good Earth market combine with a normal grocery store. Lots of choices, organic, local and imported

Great place for fresh produce and fruits. Great meat section, varieties of coffee, dry fruits, grains, cheese and just about everything. Reasonably priced. We just love this place

Awesome collection of quirky food stuff, loved it!(Definitely try the Marin Pinot Kombucha)

Unmatched produce section! The only con: A bit crowded usually

One of the best markets in the bay area. The produce and fruit are unparalleled. The meat counter is kindof a nightmare sometimes but otherwise this store is hands down amazing. Check out the new parking area across the street from the cafeteria, its way more convenient than approaching the original parking area.

Great selection of groceries to help cook up whatever dish you have in mind.

Best produce and great family owned business. When you are better than Whole Foods, you are doing something right!

If you have never been here, you dont know what a produce section is supposed to look like. I have found so many foods here that I never knew existed, but now love. If you love food, you shop here regularly. The meat department of excellent, and the selection of foreign/regional staple spices and ingredients is unimaginably vast.

The Original Berkeley Bowl, has an old store, homely feeling.The new one is bigger and has more space.But, both stores offer outstanding selections.

I love this place, its always a treat to shop here. Im into buying bulk spices, international specialty items & fresh international produce (plantains are a staple item for me), Berkeley bowl has it all. The only con I have is the parking situation, it usually takes some patience to find a spot, but Im not going to dock rating points because people like quality food. I recommend going early, or on a random Tuesday afternoon.

Always a bit of a zoo but product selection is top notch

Great selection, nice big clean store.

Great for bargain price produce and your organic needs!

The bounty of California from seasonal fresh and local to European and Asian imports. Bulk foods. Bulk kambucha. Fish monger, butcher, food to go and a nice cafe. A great place. Car and bike parking.

Amazing selection of everything! Visiting from Albuquerque and I will be visiting when I go back. I still have so many rare fruits and mushrooms back at home. Definitely recommend!

Great grocery store, friendly environment, quality products.

Awesome grocery store in the bay area.

After being gone for nearly 20 years from my hometown of the Bay, I was very impressed with BBMs new location. This store is huge and has everything. If you wanna eat great quality and healthy produce, fruit or imported food products from other countries...this should be your first stop off in Berkeley. Theres a restaurant thats connected that makes the best and freshest sushi in the Bay....and full-filling rice bowls. Reasonably priced and Super Awesome customer service. If ever on my bike and in the area...this is my go to spot for goodness all around. Wurrrd Up!

Theres no better grocery shopping experience. A Berkeley institution. Unbelievable variety. Cheese, meats, organics, wines, and many specialties abound. You can be confident that whatever you purchase has been responsibly sourced

An interesting mix of mainstream, gourmet, and health food. Good selection of meats and vegetables especially in the conventionally grown section. It can get very busy here and vegetables tend not to be the freshest (in line with other large grocerys like Whole Foods).

Great variety of fruits and vegetables but seems prices are not as good as they used to be.

Way better than Whole Foods! Better prices as well!

The selection is amazing for most products while the price reflects the bougieness. BuT the chaos is ridiculous. Parking is ridiculous and finding the restroom, yup you guessed it, ridiculous.

I love grocery shopping here, the produce is very fresh and top notch. The meat and seafood counter is always hoppin look for the great deals on lamb. All locally sourced. Its a co-op, so dont expect the workers to be your typical wage slave.

I came here in search of a bathroom🚻🚽off of the freeway. Was blown away of how much variety of veggies especially the mushroom selection they have here🍄. You can literally find anything here. The bathrooms are located a few feet across from the grocery store which is a great granted this is a busy place. The bathrooms are ridiculously clean & not dingy or run down. I was impressed by this as well lol. S/O to the person keeping this place 🚻🚽😷clean & safe for those of us having to use this & share with the public. So many great products here that I can find in other places. Parking kinda sucks or is a bit tight here but spots open up fast.

Unique shopping market. Lots of options, international and otherwise goods. Loved the sushi rolls to go. Even had amazing, local vegan roast beef. Local nut milks were delicious.

I have been a customer of Berkeley Bowl since it began providing excellent Produce in crates assembled in the middle of the converted bowling alley on Shattuck, a short walk from home in the 1970s! At that time, when I checked out, Id often make a request for a new product and soon enough it would be available. Their rapid growth and inevitable expansion through the years is its best advertisement!

I like this place because it has SO MANY choices of foods, vegetables and fruit! I don’t like the fact that it’s only in Berkeley.

I love this store so much. It has so many great things you cant find anywhere. It does get REALLY busy though, so I suggest going early when it opens and/or not on a weekend.

Something was different today in a negative way... I have been coming here for over 5 years and it always used to be a positive experience. However, today’s visit after a couple of months did not have the same vibe. The organic produce section had very limited fruits and veggies selection. The prices overall were a little higher than normal. And the checkout person was curt and not the usual friendly warm type.I want my old BB back please!

Love, love this place...they have everything for all...specialty regular and everything in between!

This place is cool they have a great selection of produce, cheese dairy and mushrooms. Worth a vist

Great selection of produce, good prices on many things. Great selection of international foods, healthy/organic/natural/etc. items, and hard-to find things. Also lots of local breads, dairy products, fermented, and other things.

The best grocery store in the Bay Area, in my experience.

Reasonably priced organic produce and great mushroom variety! Also, love the bakery!

Is a spectacular supermarket. Worth a visit.

A newer extension of a Berkeley institution, with that most important improvement: a parking garage. Even with the garage, the popularity of the grocer makes it slow going in and out of the lot during popular times.The most impressive section is the produce, with huge variety from local and afar, organic or not, all at competitive prices. The bulk section also has a large variety but prices are less competitive compared to a Sprouts.The ethnic section is more limited; youll find more of those variety in their respective markets. Standard staples are also better found at the national chains.There is a separate building for the cafeteria; the prepared section has beverages and food best for a quick lunch.If youre looking for that fresh, special fruit or vegetable you cant go wrong with Berkeley Bowl!

Amazing produce, very poor service from meat and seafood counters. General lack of knowledge and lack of willingness to be helpful especially in seafood.

Large, busy, upscale market place comparable to Whole Foods. Good selection.

Great selection. But I couldnt get any help to find a product.

Replacements picked for out of stock items were terrible! They even gave me spoiled ice cream! Disgusting!