I absolutely love this place. Ive been coming here for about 5 years and it always hits the spot! The bun canh chua is my favorite (tamarind, tomato & pineapple based noodle soup). I get the veggie broth. The veggie pho is ok though I like the other noodle soups better. The rice plates are delicious and you can ask to add veggies/tofu to anything. They are very flexible with modifications. Its also easy on the budget. Shout out to vegans/ vegetarians looking for a delicious Vietnamese spot, give this place a try! It is cash only. There is an atm at Andronicos market, a few blocks down Shattuck.
Great broth. Super nice family run. Pho/Bun Bo Hue/Bun salad all good. Reasonable prices, not loud. Nothing fancy. When you tell people you want to go to Oriental restaurant they look at you like you are out of touch...but it is the name ;)
Ive been eating here for over 20 years and Ive never been anything but delighted! Good, simple food, freshly cooked to order. My allergies were always accommodated. The huge variety on the menu means you can find something for everyone!
This is my go-to for pho. Hands down the best flavored broth in the Berkeley area. Its a totally Ma and Pa operation, be aware it is cash only. A clear favorite of students and locals. Friendly service too.
I eat here at least twice a week. I only order either the crispy ginger tofu, fresh rolls with shrimp, the grilled chicken, or fried fish with no sauce and its so delicious every time! The family that runs it are so friendly and they have been running it for many decades.
Was shown a table on this tiny and dirty place which is cash only. Its busy and probably only because its less expensive than others nearby. I wish that I could report on the food but wasnt ever served. The waitress served others that came in after me and seemed to forget me. In the same amount of time Im one block up and my food just arrived. Happy I left Oriental!
Delicious, inexpensive noodles, friendly owners, fast service!
Went here last night and had Pho. It was fine, but nothing special. The interior isnt so nice, but its cheap so I guess thats what you get. They only take cash and they dont serve alcohol, which isnt great. The place was completely empty on a Thursday night, which may contributed to the odd feeling inside.I probably wouldnt go out of my way to go here, but its on my way home (and my GF loves Pho, so well probably be back).
Ive been going here for 27 years, same simple food, low key decor, same gruff owners (dont let them fool you, they are sweethearts!). I ALWAYS get the crispy shrimp w/ wonton soup dinner with Vietnamese coffee for dessert. Yum! Dont let the decor fool you. Just try it.
Really enjoyed the friendly staff and great bowl of pho. My son also liked his. My wife liked the General Tso chicken. We will be back to try other meals.
Wonderful family business. Healthy, fresh, clean food. Lots of choices. I highly recommend! I have brought my friends and everyone is impressed by the quality of the food. It is a small and simple restaurant. The best in the area!
Amazing food, good service, and best pho in the east bay Ive found. Also great and affordable prices. Worth being cash only. Also try the garlic noodles!
Great Cheep Chinese Food, which actually turn: is Vietnamese!Best PhΓ΅ for your value in many towns compared. This is a hidden treasure of Berkeley. Try any house specials, and youll be back to make your own choices.
Popular mom & pop spot on Shattuck. Busy even on a Monday night.So-so experience here. This really is more like 2.5 stars. My food and my aunts dish were pretty good. I got the bbq chicken dish with rice & steamed veggies and my aunt got the pork bun vermicelli noodle salad. My brother on the other hand got the Hong Kong style noodles and they were a disgusting flavorless mess. First they forgot about his order until we asked where his dish was as my aunt and I were halfway done with our meal and he was still waiting. When it arrived it was soggy and bland. My brother, who will eat just about anything, could even barely even finish 1/4 of it. Id say stay away from ordering that and go for the bun or bbq.
This guy and his family have been feeding Berkeley resident for over four decades. While the name is Oriental, the affordable diner environment food, is international Asian, all fresh, and delicious. Try Marys special
Love this place-- authentic pho (we havent ever ventured beyond the pho, so cant vouch for that)! Love the ambiance, too, Ba and his family are wonderful.
Mom and pop shop serving flavorful food without breaking the bank. The bun bo hue, pho, wonton noodle soup, and claypot fish are all great.
Really tasty steamed fish and tofu in ginger sauce! A go-to dish that my partner and Ive been getting here and it never fails to satisfy!
My favorite place for Pho bc the broth is a delicious. Family run. Very reasonably priced. Great papaya salad.
Lousy response to customer complaint: Ive been coming here for years... today I called because I was not happy with the small amount of broth in the takeout Pho and I did not get Sorry youre not happy, what can we do to make you happy?... instead a LOT of fast talk about how the noodles absorb all the broth.... I saw the soup in the big bowl it was served in right before it got packed to take out and I am sure there wasnt room for all the liquid... instead of putting the rest of the broth in another container they just dumped it and sent me home with a bunch of noodles and almost no broth...CRAPPY CUSTOMER SERVICE
I have been eating here for 20 plus years. Great, clean, tasty, satisfying, family made comfort food. Highly recommended!
Long wait (20mins) for pick up even though we have ordered 30mins ahead. Small portion for all dishes and poorly packing for noodle. Disappointed
This place was a wonderful find. Tasty food, and friendly service. Well be back for sure!
We came here for lunch and enjoyed the great Vietnamese food, soups are delicious. Tip: fresh rolls are very good!
This place was great! Delicious bun salad and super nice employees!
The soups are the highlight. Many varieties including pho and sour. Many things on the menu. Great prices
Veeery price reasonable. They only accept the cash but its not annoying since they do not require tips that much. I absolutely enjoying visiting this place.
Amazing food, at a reasonable price! Sweet family that runs it. One of our favorites!
Great selection of classic dishes The nicest folks run the place too and the prices cannot be beat.
Love this little gem. Have been going for years! Love their soups and the family that runs it.
Great little place for pho bowls and other healthy Vietnamese stuffs.
They should not even get a star, Worst place ever the fact that is hole in a wall the people are not welcoming at all, yet it if it wasnt for us the customer they would not be a business and to top it off they dont even say a thank you .never going there again .
Pho here is not bad, but sometimes the wait is long even when its not very busy
Great selection of Thai food, the mixture of options for the noodle bowl is great
Nice family-run business with solid Vietnamese food at very affordable prices.
Good food, especially the Pho. Cash only, so be aware
Love their BΓΊn BΓ²! Great spot for lunch, awesome value.
Average pho. Selection of sauces limited to sriracha and hoisin
Great vermicelli,and super cheap for Berkeley,but its cash only.
Best Pho in Berkeley. Yam yam
Food is very good... Among the best Ive had.
Food is great! A must try Vietnamese place in Berkeley.
Excellent food, delightful and diligent people, and great value.
Best Pho in Berkeley. The broth is unparalleled!
Had tofu, vegetables, and rice in clay pot. Really tasty
Friendly service. Good, cheap pho.
Cheap and beautiful food - stick to the Vietnamese dishes
I absolutely love the hot and sour soup!
Great value for the price, food is ok.
Our favorite place, clean, cozy comfortable....love it.
GREAT pho. Everything else is merely ok.
Good Foods, reasonable price, friendly
Great yummy food and very inexpensive
Favorite blended Asian spot for the price point. Instant favorite.
Great pho
Great Bowl and Clay Pot.
Best pho in Berkeley
The best pho!!
Very good food.
Lovely family business
Love the pho
Get stake pho
Good service and food
Amazing
Nice price
Great food.
Incredibly authentic
The food is really delicious. The food is truly a work of art. I highly recommend it. I got the wrong picture
Good food excellent service very friendly staff
Total reviews rating 4.5
79 Reviews for Oriental Restaurant 2024:
Review β1
2018-11-20 01:04:11This isnt just my favorite restaurant in Berkeley. Its anywhere. The food is awesome, cooked to order. The people are nice a family run business. Yes its cash only. It helps them keeps prices low. The portions are great and for price of a meal elsewhere, you can buy two here. Favorite dish is crispy tofu. They have a prawn version as well. And please tip. Prices are very reasonable.
Review β2
2018-08-08 01:18:30The place is small but provides cheap and best Vietnamese food! The person who gets the order and serves food is super smiling and friendly at his old age! I liked the soup especially. The quantity is huge for the cost. The only drawback might be is it is cash only place.
Review β3
2023-06-15 20:38:02June 14, 2023 - Temporarily closed : (Theres a sign on the door. No other info besides that. Signage has been there for about 1.5 months now)Under new ownership, I went end of January 2023 and had Marys Special with brown rice. The chicken is just as good as before, so very happy about that. The shrimp were almost as good - not sure what it was missing but it just didnt have that lil oomph. Dont get me wrong, it was fine - Ill still order this meal. The fried veggie eggroll was too sweet so wouldnt get that again. Ill try their chicken eggroll next time if they have it. The place is updated, looks nice inside and they accept credit card now. No outdoor seating. No masks worn. Green tea and water with or without ice is offered. Id definitely and will be coming back! πBefore new ownership - Food has not changed, still delicious as ever. Definitely my top favorite fast tasty reasonably priced restaurants. Im so glad theyre back open for take out. If you do order your food to go, you may want to double check its correct because sometimes a few things are incorrect. Not sure if its the communication, the ordering process, server not writing down order, the chef or combo of things that my order would be inaccurate. You may want to reiterate when ordering & have them repeat back your order before paying in cash.There was at least one or two tables for anyone interested in eating there. There was one table inside by the entrance that was occupied too. If they were closer, Id go here at least once a week! Seriously, try their food!
Review β4
2019-10-23 09:12:37I tried the bun bo hue and I was really disappointed. The pho looks as bland as its taste and egg crepe was decent. Probably the only Vietnamese restaurant in the area. I have tried at least 10 different Vietnamese restaurant in the Bay Area and this place is probably the lowest in my list.
Review β5
2020-10-23 03:04:57My favorite restaurant in the east bay! My partner and I have been going here for 3+ years now almost monthly and weve ordered the same thing each time - BΓΊn BΓ² HuαΊΏ or BΓΊn canh chua and Crispy Ginger rice with tofu.Theres vegetarian broth available for all the soups and tons of vegan options if you ask. Price is very cheap and cash only.Family owned. Owner is super nice, and gave us a free coconut today.Call them and do pick up! Itll save both of you money, and itll be super fast. 15 minutes from when I call, its always ready.Will continue to be a weekly customer for years.
Review β6
2022-12-08 15:15:12Love this place! Try Marys special rice plate. This is the old owners recipe filled with BBQ chicken and prawns. The combo Pho is out of this world tasty too. The new owners are super sweet. A must try!
Review β7
2022-09-26 22:13:05If a restaurant changes ownership and does not serve the same full menu of the previous owner, is it expedient for the new owner keep the same name to draw in past regulars? Oriental used to be my fav pho restaurant in Berkeley. So many options of Vietnamese food. So when I had two new friends moving to Berkeley, I invited them to lunch at Berkeley after confirming that the restaurant still opened post-pandemic. When we showed up, the first thing that I noticed was the presence of Square as a payment option. Previously, cash was the only option. The servers looked different but I chalked it up to the difficulty of finding servers post-pandemic. Then I opened the menu, and to my surprise, it was not all Vietnamese menu any more. Instead, pho was one of the many options that included instant Korean noodle served with meats. I ordered the Korean noodle soup. It was definitely not the same Oriental bowl of noodle soup. The chicken was too dry. My teenage college kid could serve a lot more delicious instant noodle soup. I was embarrassed for inviting my guests after hyping the restaurant as one of my fav restaurants. My guests were understanding. I would not go back!
Review β8
2018-04-14 03:09:51Really delicious food although service is a bit slow. Really inexpensive but they only take cash!
Review β9
2018-03-01 05:27:54Love this place. I have been eating here for 25 years and i have never had a bad meal. The claypot dishes are super . The pho is very good. They will make anything you want, customized to your order...I am treated like family and look forward to seeing old friends who are also customers. The soups are great and they know saute.
Review β10
2021-04-22 05:30:58One of the best places to get Pho or a Bun bowl in Berkeley. Their pho broth is very flavorful and they give a good amount of noodles and meat. The staff at oriental restaurant is also super friendly. Another plus is that they require one to sanitize their hands before using any of their sauces.