Mezzo

Can't say enough good things about this place. Fresh food, delicious food, friendly service, good location, close Berkeley campus.

AMAZING FRESH FOOD. Tip the food prepares well. They work very hard to prepare the orders right in a very fast-paced environment.

Breakfast is great! Salads/Soup/Sanwiches are always amazing value for price. I personally love the combo options.

In general expect a moderate wait for monstrously portioned and pretty decent salads and sandwiches. They are made by a very frazzled staff dealing with a large line that are prone to making mistakes in your order if not carefully watched. Any downsides are redeemed by the exceptional breakfast burrito available till 11 a.m. Soups taste pretty good but are not hearty enough for my taste. Also don't get the PB and banana, it's half a jar of peanut butter with only half a banana.

There is often a long line at noon but the line moves pretty quickly so it never takes too long. Their sandwiches are some of the best in Berkeley. They're huge and I highly recommend the BLAT (bacon lettuce avocado tomato). The prices are about what you'd expect for the quality and the cafe has a nice modern aesthetic.

I hadn't been to Mezzo in over a year. A few days ago I stopped in to pick up a salad. As I was checking out, I noticed the cashier was not wearing a mask. Then I realized none of the employees wore masks. Given the Delta variant which is easily transmissible, it is irresponsible and reckless of management not to require masking for employees and even for customers. I'm sure you serve hundreds of people each day. I will not return to Mezzo until this policy is changed, and I will urge my friends and family to avoid going there. Management, are you waiting for someone to become seriously ill after working or eating there? So unnecessary.

Huge salad portions and delicious coffee at a reasonable price (for the Berkeley area). Extremely popular with both students and locals bring enormous lines that can take up to 30 minutes to get served during peak hours. Comfortable seating both indoors and out make this a great place to post up to get work done or just to hang out.

The line will always be long, but it's entirely worth it. It always has been as far as I can remember. They have a great selection of different sandwiches and salads. Soups are limited, but not why I go there anyway. The sandwiches are made with bread baked fresh daily, right inside. The bread alone is reason enough to stand in line. The salad portion is enough for two meals.

Want a really good, huge salad? Mezzo is your spot. It's clean, efficient, and the value is off the charts. They aren't organic, but at this price, that's to be expected.

The owner did make this a cash free cafe, so bring a credit or debit card. I also didn't like the suggested tip on the checkout register, but given that this is a college town and there are also a lot of foreign visitors that don't understand tipping in the U.S.A., it's understandable.

Sandwiches and vibe are great. Perfect place to go after hiking in the Oakland hills! Their artichoke sourdough is BOMB.