Red Door Eats opened its doors to hungry UC Berkeley students in January 2019, serving up fresh and exciting sandwiches, salads, and sides. Located next to the popular boba shop U-Cha, Red Door derived its name thanks to the bright red door that leads customers into a small but vibrant space. The grey walls adorned with food-inspired pop art and simple wood tables juxtaposed with signature red seats let you know instantly that this sandwich shop will serve some unexpected but exciting food.
Don’t expect Red Door to be your standard “create your own” sandwich shop. The menu is meant to take customers out of their everyday sandwich rut. While each item on the menu has the option to be created into either a sandwich or a salad, the flavor combinations are exhilarating yet incredibly thoughtful and balanced. Red Door also boasts an inclusive menu with offerings that adhere to vegetarian, vegan, Paleo, and even Keto diets.
Intentionally Zero Waste
Red Door Eats is one of the few restaurants that are fully committed to zero waste. One of the things customers might notice straight away is Red Door’s offering of glass bottled drinks as opposed to fountain drinks. Sandwiches served in-house are served on compostable parchment paper while to-go items are wrapped in parchment paper and served in a paper bag. One way to know Red Door practices zero waste is to notice how the trashcans only separate compostable and recyclable waste. With food waste and climate change on the mind of Berkeley students, it’s good to know a restaurant understands the need to go zero waste from the start.
Unlock The Flavor
Each sandwich Red Door makes by hand is served on Semifreddis bread, a Bay Area-based bakery in Alameda. One aspect of Red Door’s process is adding its signature herb mayo on the bread before toasting it in a Turbo Chef. While this may sound odd, this extra step allows the mayo to melt into the toasted slices, resulting in a consistent, unctuous bite. The result is an herbaceous and slightly oniony flavor to enhance any sandwich flavor profile.
While mayo is an essential component of a sandwich, other sauces and condiments can be the difference between a boring and fantastic sandwich. Red Door aims to “unlock the flavor” potential of each of their menu items through their housemade sauces and dressings. Vegans will be happy to know that the majority of Red Door sauces—including their secret sauce— are vegan.
The Crunchy Bird
If you ever added chips to your soft sandwiches as a kid for much-needed crunch, this sandwich is for you. This menu offering is an elevated version of a classic turkey sandwich with slices of crispy, salty bacon and thick Tim’s Chips on Dutch Crunch bread. Layered with tomato slices, red onion, Swiss cheese and lettuce, the flavors are brought together with Red Door’s vegan secret sauce that is slightly spicy and briny. This sandwich is a great option to introduce yourself to Red Door’s style of food.
#SpoonTip: Pick up one of the cookie flavors of the day, especially one of the Chocolate Chunk cookies for a sweet bite. Equal parts buttery, chocolatey, and delightful.
BLAST
If you are traditional bagel and lox fan, the BLAST is right up your alley. Generous portions of sizzling bacon, lettuce, sliced avocado, smoked salmon, tomato slices, and microgreens are layered between slices of toasted French bread to make this colorful and aesthetic sandwich. The beauty of the visuals is on par with a thoughtful balance of flavors in each bite, leaving a kind of satisfaction few sandwiches can reach after you’ve finished your meal.
Tangy Cuban
Red Door also hosts a solid menu of hot sandwiches, including this take on the classic Cubano sandwich. You can find traditional ingredients of sliced ham, pulled pork, pickles, and grainy mustard, but this sandwich has a twist. The addition of Spicy Mango Slaw adds a sweet and spicy complexity and texture to compliment the traditional sour flavors of the Cubano. If you are more for Korean flavors, the Straight Out Of Seoul sandwich with kimchi and spicy Korean BBQ sauce is a delicious option.
#SpoonTip: Order the Spicy Mango Slaw as a side. This side can stand alone with its addicting sweet and spicy flavor.
Steph’s Chicken Salad
While any of the menu options make great salads, Steph’s Chicken tossed salad is an excellent option for those who like sweet and savory salads. The heat of the curry dressing is balanced with bursts of sweet golden raisins, while the almonds slices add texture to the chicken salad. The result is an exciting, satisfying salad that bursts with flavor.
Red Door Eats would be an excellent place to grab picnic food for a fun day at the UC Botanical Garden or a quick lunch between classes. If you want to try out the menu but have no time to walk toward Downtown Berkeley, no worries—Red Door Eats will be serving a sampling of the menu at Sproul Hall on Wednesday, March 13, 2019. No matter why you might have a craving for food, its signature red door is wide open, waiting to serve hungry and adventurous eaters.