While most students don’t venture to Northside (unless they have class in Soda Hall), we at Spoon often make the trek because of the food. Hearst Ave. is home to the Northside Asian Ghetto, and Euclid Ave. offers an entire street’s worth of cafes and restaurants.
Spoon rounded up four of our favorite food picks on Northside. Be warned– you may become obsessed with these restaurants.
1. Northside Cafe (1878 Euclid Ave.)
Photo by Jessica He
Berkeley has its fair share of cafes, but Northside Cafe is one of our favorites. Half of Northside’s menu is dedicated to brunch. We love the biscuits and gravy, which comes with two buttermilk biscuits smothered in sausage gravy.
Northside Cafe also prides themselves on their extensive range of beverages. Their iced chai latte is subtly sweet and never overpowering, while their peppermint latte gives Starbucks a run for their money. Need a midday caffeine kick? Northside has all the bases covered. We tend to go for their house coffee, which is both inexpensive and mildly roasted, but when finals come around, we can also see ourselves ordering an espresso shot or two.
Above all, service is fast, and prices are low, making Northside Cafe a winning combination for students.
2. Menchies (1862 Euclid Ave.)
Photo by Jessica He
Like it’s competitor, Yogurtland, Menchies is a self-serve frozen yogurt store. Unlike Yogurtland however, Menchies sources its fruit toppings locally from Berkeley Bowl and has over forty toppings, ranging from crumbled Heath Bars to crumbled Girl Scout cookies.
Another plus: Menchies has fourteen flavors, while Yogurtland only has seven. Menchies also has its own frozen yogurt flavor team that’s in charge of creating monthly and seasonal flavors. For the fall, we tried their pumpkin flavor and loved it; if you’re lucky and go into the store on the right day, make sure to try their Red Velvet Royale flavor.
For a tropical treat, mix the fresh shredded coconut flavor with the Dole mango sorbet. Feeling extra indulgent? Try the Cinnabon classic cinnamon roll flavor mixed with cheesecake pieces and marshmallow topping.
3. D’Yar (1866 Euclid Ave.)
Photo by Jessica He
D’Yar is a Mediterranean restaurant that (fun fact!) also has a Southside location on Durant Ave. Its beef and lamb gyro plate is a go-to lunch staple for us at Spoon. Half of the experience is seeing pieces of gyro meat sliced from a larger piece of meat on a spit. The pieces of meat are served with a zesty salad, hummus, pita and a choice of rice or fries.
We also love that D’Yar has plenty of vegetarian options. For a hearty lunch, order the falafel wrap, which comes with four fried chickpea balls wrapped in a piece of pita bread and tzatziki, a tangy cucumber and yogurt sauce.
Above all, we recommend finishing off your meal with a piece of baklava, a Mediterranean dessert that consists of layers of filo pastry and a sweet nut and honey mixture. It’s a unique treat that’s very hard to get right, but D’Yar manages to.
4. Urbann Turbann (1870 Euclid Ave.)
Photo by Mira Nguyen
Urbann Turbann is like an Indian version of Chipotle: order either a rice bowl or a naan wrap, then choose from a roster of proteins (we recommend butter chicken or mushroom matar.) Our favorite part of any Urbann Turbann creation comes at the very end: toppings. While we usually go for the works, we highly suggest the coconut chutney or yogurt sauce, which costs extra but is worth it. The mint and coriander chutney, which is characteristically green, adds a nice kick to your creation. Be sure to finish off your meal with a refreshing glass of mango lassi.