Golden Bear Cafe

The Golden Bear Cafe is your typical quick and easy junk food destination. The food isn't great, but it's quick and efficient. It is a great choice if you are looking to satisfy your greasy food craving, whether it be a burger, Philly cheesesteak sandwich, or some loaded buffalo fries. It can get a little rowdy, especially at peak hours, but you typically get your food within 5 minutes. The dining halls are usually better the majority of the time, in my opinion, but they can easily let you down, whereas at GBC, the food is reliably the same every time, and you know what you're getting.

Only worth it if you have meal swipes. Convenient location near Sather Gate. Bulgogi fries are decent. Serves mostly fast food. For a healthier option I recommend the Ancient Grains Bowl with chicken/tofu.

Incredible hash browns! As a British person I was extremely impressed with the hash browns here. The staff member that I spoken to was really helpful. Unfortunately not a lot of vegan options.

I got the egg burrito which was good (8.5/10) My friend got the ancient grains salmon bowl. The salmon from there was solid, not bad but could be better with some seasoning IMO. They rated the ancient grains bowl a 8/10. The line wasn’t too long in the morning (10am) and it’s a convenient spot to grab breakfast or lunch on campus

Out of all the restaurants around Berkeley that take student meal swipes, Golden Bear Café takes the metaphorical cake for one of the best places to stop by for quality food. With delicious burgers and crisp fries, along with vegan options, the GBC is a nice place to pass by when heading down to Lower Sproul Plaza or going to Dwinelle Hall for a meal. Salads, loaded fries, and a lot of beverages work as great replacements that will get you the most value out of a meal swipe. Additionally, the GBC stocks a bevy of instant ramen, drinks, and a special Peet's Coffee for the early birds that need a sip of coffee to fully wake up. Avoid prime times from 11:00 AM to 1:30 AM on school weekdays, since the line for service tends to be pretty long as students go for their lunch breaks here. Lines can be a little confusing as some of the check-out stations actually double as meal ordering stations, but that really depends on how staffed they are and how much people there is in line. Overall, if you're a student here at Berkeley and hate eating at the dining halls, Golden Bear Café is a nice place to get some grub.