Presentation on Map Reviews Nearby

Simply Bowl in Berkeley

4.4 (138) 2156 University Ave, Berkeley, CA 94704, United States

Categories

Poke bar
Asian fusion restaurant
Japanese restaurant

Location on the map

Berkeley, Alameda County, California, US

Phone: +1 510-647-9494
Site: https://order.online/business/si...

Opening hours

Monday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Tuesday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Wednesday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Thursday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Friday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Saturday:11 AM–3:30 PM
Sunday:11 AM–3:30 PM

Edit info

Total reviews rating 4.4

138 Reviews for Simply Bowl 2024:

Review №1

2023-11-19 02:34:04

I really like their desert rose poke with fried tofu and seaweed. The rice is also slightly warm, perfect for a cold rainy day.

Review №2

2023-11-07 23:15:37

Had the salmon mango bowl I liked it and yes it was a bit simple kinda small but it was still good. Maybe a bit more protein and toppings preferred. I also don’t know if they offer half salad-half rice for bowls, just was asked white or brown. Lady was very kind upon me entering store and with suggestions on what’s popular. Place seems chill to sit down busy university avenue, pay for parking. Was worth a shot! Something light. Although I have had a bit more fulfilling poke before this was alright.

Review №3

2023-10-13 02:21:23

Yum! My husband and I split a Ying Yang bowl with extra protein and they were nice enough to put it in two bowls! The poke was delicious and the rice was super sticky.Im giving this place a huge thumbs up because they were so nice and everything tasted delicious!

Review №4

2023-07-05 02:22:44

Affordable quick delicious food. Usually I come here when I dont bring lunch. Prices are reasonable. Portions are decent and the service is quick. Peak lunch time they can take 10-20 min but usually its around 10. The fastest was about 5 min.Great vegetarian options too. Their tofu teriyaki and curry bowl is really good.

Review №5

2021-06-29 02:37:39

I have ordered from this restaurant quite a few times, food is always fresh and tasty. They have a very easy pickup process and they have an amazing selection of beverages! Comfortable waiting space too! Every-time I have eaten at Simply Bowl the food never disappoints, the service is also helpful and friendly. I always get positive vibes here. :) Will always be a favorite. Would 1000% recommend. 💗

Review №6

2021-08-28 15:44:57

Looking for a place to have a late lunch with my daughter Friday. Restaurant was extremely clean. Our food was freshly prepared. Everything we ordered was good. Customer service excellent. The Bowls are packed with goodness and you have enough to share or save some for later. Yep yall already know, im definitely going back💯Thank you Simply Bowl

Review №7

2023-11-27 03:06:00

Ive been coming here for years and its still great and reasonably priced! Highly recommended

Review №8

2022-07-11 14:07:08

Excellent place very flavorful, came piping hot, this is the runaway unagi good in flavor but the description said runny egg with unagi over rice maybe the description is wrong . Still would come here to try other things

Review №9

2019-03-01 03:27:17

Compared to the poke venue in Telegraph, the quality cannot be rated as better. The place is clean, staffs are kind, thats good but could not find some specialty in their menu. Honestly, I have tried just Ahi poke so please consider the three stars as a rating for the poke menu only. Ill update this review as I try other dishes too. At least, the ahi pike was not that recommendable for several reasons. First, vegetable is not sufficient considering its price I guess. Second, pieces of cucumber were connected, which was annoying for mixing rice and other ingredients.The price was about 10.95 without tax but I think it should have been 9.5 ish.

Review №10

2023-08-27 18:36:59

Really good poke, but it’s a small portion for the price.

Review №11

2022-12-23 20:01:11

This spot has become one of my favorite places for a quick bite. The flavor is always great and the portions are filling. My only complaint is the hot and specialty bowls tend to be a bit too oily.

Review №12

2021-11-12 19:16:53

The food was tasty. I ordered Mango Salmon Poke BowlSalmon tossed with fresh mango chunks, wakame, cilantro, and green onions. Comes with imitation crab, cucumber and is topped with masago, and Teri Mayo. Served over your choice of rice or salad. fresh made quickly and served by friendly staff. This was my first time eating there.

Review №13

2017-11-30 23:40:13

Greatly priced poke bowl place. Their frequent visitor points system is also great and you can rack up enough points to get things like a free drink or appetizer. Their fish is pretty fresh and of good portions. Their curry bowl is also very filling for only $8!

Review №14

2018-05-04 02:19:36

Good combo of poke and Japanese food options. The menu is fixed but the servers are friendly and helpful, so you can still get the bowl the way you like it within reason. Prices are OK, the interior is nice. This is a good spot for low-carb dining.

Review №15

2017-11-23 17:12:45

Simply bowl is nice for basic poke bowls and warm bowls (beef and teriyaki). Ive never had bad food here but its nothing special. I usually get the desert rose poke, because I dont enjoy all of the add-ins from other poke bowls (crab meat and seaweed salad). Its nice that they have a point/award system here. Be sure to get here early because the wait can be longer than you think!

Review №16

2022-04-30 15:01:42

Great flavors (ordered ahi poke bowl and spicy poke bowl), generous portions (especially for the price), and quick service. Only downside was that the restroom was dingy and neglected.

Review №17

2021-08-03 11:45:32

Super duper tasty! Im crazy about Japanese food, of course its not authentic but totally worth to go try it out. Nice location(nearby the campus), friendly staff and reasonable prices.

Review №18

2020-06-27 23:50:03

I love the bowls here. I would order them for my entire family once a week. Now they dont deliver, only pick up. You would think they would want business during this difficult time. Many people rely on delivery. Its too bad. I wont be having these until they deliver again.

Review №19

2023-03-22 20:14:15

Absolutely delicious and should definitely try!! Staff is super nice too!

Review №20

2021-07-29 02:32:31

THIS RESTAURANT DOES NOT LIST IMITATION CRAB AS A STANDARD COMPONENT OF THEIR BOWLS!I got the lava bowl, which the menu listed as “squid, spicy salmon (or tuna, don’t remember which), egg, and wakame”. I assumed the other toppings would be veggies typical of a poke bowl. Imitation crab was NOT listed as one of their proteins. It was also NOT visible from the top of their bowl. I have a moderate allergy to shellfish, enough so that even imitation crab which does contain small amounts of real crab will cause an allergic reaction. I ended up eating a bite of it before realizing it was in the bowl and am currently trying to control an allergic reaction. Not how I was hoping my night would go. It is simply irresponsible in this day and age for a restaurant not to list a big 8 allergen in their food.

Review №21

2022-03-14 22:52:43

Food was fresh and eatable. The amount of rice they give is a bit on the lower side (compared to other shops), so be mindful of that if you decide to come here.

Review №22

2015-12-13 15:08:26

Prices here are a bit inflated for what you get... but the foods good. :) Give it a try! Its nice to see poke served in NorCal. I found the bowls well-mixed (Ive gotten tremendous mouthfuls of ginger or wasabi at some other places Ive been to, but fortunately thats NOT the case here!), simple, and tasty. The portions are okay (I wasnt too hungry when I went), and the food quality tastes fine (read: pretty fresh). There isnt anything super fancy about this place, but its cute and clean... and definitely a nicer option than grabbing subpar sushi at some other places! Id like to go back and try their gyuudon (beef bowl) sometime~P.S. Also tried their potato croquettes and am NOT a fan. D: It had a nice texture but was just a fried potato puff with nothing special inside or out...

Review №23

2018-05-12 05:43:05

Honestly pretty meh. It took about 15 minutes to get two poke bowls to go (with no hot ingredients) and when we asked to have it over lettuce instead of rice they gave us the salad option which includes dried cranberries and almonds. Does anyone want poke with dried cranberries and almonds? If so this is the place for you!

Review №24

2016-07-08 06:51:17

Super delicious food. The seared tuna is excellent. The food quality is that of a nice sit-down restaurant. This place is very laid back and is a very nice study spot. Expect to pay $7-12 for a meal.

Review №25

2017-06-24 03:45:20

Simple good food and a fair price. Ambiance could be improved and perhaps the usage of metal cutlery instead of plastic. Flavors were just right, tuna was fresh as were the other ingredients.

Review №26

2017-02-05 07:39:59

Pretty meh--I ordered a mango salmon poke bowl and added avocado to be delivered via Eat24 because I didnt want to leave my house. The portion was pretty small, mostly rice, and the fish was fishy and rather brown for chunks of fresh salmon.I think Ill pass next time. Id rather put on some pants and drive to #Poki on Telegraph when I have a poke craving!

Review №27

2019-06-10 02:39:18

I ordered the curry beef bowl. Taste good, and I added one pack of wasabi in the curry. Then it taste great. You should try it. Of course, you can eat spicy.

Review №28

2015-06-25 06:58:07

Simply bowl is very clean and the atmosphere is indeed good. The service is great and its always nice when restaurants put some kind of fruit or vegetable in their free water, cucumbers here.Odered the 5 pieces of takoyaki for 3 dollars. The takoyaki is really good. Not overpowering or salty and the texture is good. I wish it was 6 pieces but thats just me being greedy.Dont forget to check-in on Yelp to get your free soup (miso soup). The miso soup was pretty good to be honest. Dont know how it was made, but atleast it wasnt too bland or too salty like most restaurant miso soups Ive tried.

Review №29

2020-03-22 07:48:16

I love the poke here - my go-to order is the spicy ahi tuna. I come here quite frequently, and I can confidently say that if you love poke, give the spicy ahi bowl a try.

Review №30

2021-08-16 20:49:02

The food was tasty, fresh made quickly and served by friendly staff. This was my second time eating here and I will definitely go again.

Review №31

2022-09-13 15:34:05

We all loved it so much! Everyone got something different (6) and it was all amazing! Great prices and quality

Review №32

2015-11-12 20:00:38

Great poke bowls with generous servings and lots of seating. Perfect to satisfy raw fish or teriyaki cravings. The cucumber water is also a nice touch.

Review №33

2016-10-31 21:39:15

My favorite place to grab some quick but quality food. They have great poke and good cooked bowls for those not into raw fish.

Review №34

2017-02-03 22:11:18

Very tasty food and I love the option for a poached or fried egg! Pricing is good, employees are very friendly, and their good poke bowls keep me coming back.

Review №35

2022-09-20 20:16:13

Great favor and portion for reasonable price .Super friendly service and clean dining spot!

Review №36

2017-10-02 20:10:56

Reasonably priced poke or hot bowls ($10-15 for a meal thats a good size for lunch or dinner); very tasty. personally, I like their salmon and mango poke bowl or their unagi (teriyaki eel) bowl

Review №37

2016-09-09 19:39:38

They have a nice selection of poke dishes. For those that dont like raw fish, they do offer some other entrees such as teriyaki.

Review №38

2015-06-09 22:58:55

I just had Chicken Teriyaki at Simply Bowl. It was great and the owner is very friendly, he reminded me and my friend of a free soup that we could get even though we had forgotten about that.

Review №39

2016-01-04 05:37:52

The next time you find yourself craving some Japanese food on the west side of the UC Berkeley campus, but are unwilling to part with too much money, Simply Bowl is your destination. In terms of quality, Simply Bowl does nothing to stand out from the plethora of Berkeley Japanese food places, but in the end, the price is right!

Review №40

2021-04-27 01:28:15

They have awesome food first time in my life to see an experience as I have just had with this place I am fully satisfied thank you

Review №41

2016-09-30 12:47:32

The island salad is healthy and hearty. You can even make it into two meals since its so big and delicious.

Review №42

2017-11-26 01:49:34

This place has really good poke for not too much money. The wait times arent too bad usually and the food is really good!

Review №43

2018-11-07 07:27:36

Its good. Not as good as other poke bowl places but the price is lower than others. Ill be going back.

Review №44

2018-08-22 03:40:37

I ordered thru Caviar a rice with kimchi, the kimchi had at least 6 flies that could be seen before opening the container. It was really bad.

Review №45

2016-05-21 01:12:51

The poke bowls are fresh, filling, and delicious! Make a pit stop here if you want to grab a quick bite.

Review №46

2019-12-04 21:55:57

A staple for when Im in Berkeley for work. Great poke bowls and low-key environment. Plus now they have Wi-Fi!

Review №47

2018-05-15 02:14:53

Nice location, decent menu but they dont offer the ability to build a bowl with different types of pokes.

Review №48

2016-08-28 09:26:20

A little but on the small side but comforting. Waitresses are very nice and willing to go a little further to give customers extra service, i.e. brining your order to your table

Review №49

2019-09-07 21:59:37

Massive portions of rice and small amount of meat in a chicken teriyaki bowl. Chicken was dry and didnt have much flavor.

Review №50

2017-10-25 06:22:36

Prices are alright; there are cheaper options but this is pretty good poke for the price. Get FiveStar for occasional coupons to make it worth a trip!

Review №51

2021-11-19 22:20:51

Our favorite local poke spot! So consistent and yummy.

Review №52

2018-03-02 04:15:54

Great food, highly recommend the chicken teriyaki bowl or the curry bowl. Relatively reasonable price for Berkeley.

Review №53

2022-04-07 15:31:03

Good quality ingredients, large portion size. Perfectly sauced.

Review №54

2020-12-16 21:47:10

The food was okay. Maybe you guys could consider switching out the takeout bowls? I cut 4 fingers on the plastic.

Review №55

2019-08-08 15:11:30

Nice food in a relaxed ambiance. Super clean. Wonderful Poke Bowls.

Review №56

2017-10-28 23:08:42

Love the food here. Im from Southern California and cant wait to eat here whenever I am town.

Review №57

2016-10-29 07:47:07

Was a little more expensive than what I was expecting for the amount of food served but the poke bowls were delicious even if they were every so slightly on the small side.

Review №58

2016-05-08 03:46:25

I loved my bowl of noodles & chicken. The complimentary flavored water was great as well:-)

Review №59

2022-11-26 19:14:31

Great service and tastes very fresh!

Review №60

2016-07-30 23:31:03

The ingredient and was fresh, but when we walked in there is a fishy smell in the air that diminish the mood.

Review №61

2016-09-04 22:59:06

Inexpensive poke restaurant, but you dont get much fish with your rice bowl.

Review №62

2016-03-02 19:48:36

Some of the best poke bowls I have ever had, and for good prices too!

Review №63

2015-07-14 03:36:05

Awesome spot for lunch and dinner. Great Poke with an interesting twist, and at reasonable prices

Review №64

2016-08-04 22:35:05

Hours are weird, no soda fountain so drinks are pricey. Not generous on the food

Review №65

2019-07-12 20:00:35

They have a more straighforward poke bowl approach which is nice if youre indecisive. The menu isnt very complex.

Review №66

2021-08-02 19:51:11

Their firecracker gyoza is so amazing! I loved my food!

Review №67

2019-02-19 00:28:58

Quick, cheap, quality. Not a fancy place but its reliably good and reasonably healthy.

Review №68

2018-02-11 00:07:59

Very good

Review №69

2018-11-09 22:04:10

Great food and fast Service. My colleagues and I eat here almost every time we visit Berkeley

Review №70

2020-09-20 17:24:39

Food is always delicious! My go to is the Shrimp Surfer

Review №71

2020-12-25 00:23:33

The Lava bowl and salmon are so good and customer service is A1.

Review №72

2020-08-02 19:38:10

This restaurant is awesome now called bay chefs kitchen indian food 2160 university

Review №73

2017-07-22 03:22:32

Delicious poke, Reasonable prices. Portions have been shrinking recently.

Review №74

2017-09-20 01:31:12

Great Food. Polite staff....prices r cheap esp for Berkeley

Review №75

2016-09-03 07:34:09

Great poke! Stop here for a great lunch, or even order online.

Review №76

2018-05-28 01:56:30

I could eat the Spicy Ahi Bowl every day. Great quality!

Review №77

2023-06-22 14:55:18

Delicious and quick!

Review №78

2017-08-13 22:30:31

Good food for the price, good staffs and the selection is good enough for me

Review №79

2017-10-08 08:46:53

Mango poke bowl with brown rice is always my favourite! Really miss it!

Review №80

2017-03-06 18:58:59

Really good Poke. Always enjoy eating here.

Review №81

2016-08-04 15:21:32

Great lunch option, but they are very slow

Review №82

2016-08-15 22:20:31

Excellent and creative. Lava bowl and octopus balls are my favorite

Review №83

2019-04-18 04:15:16

Great vegetarian dishes. Delicious Vegetable Tofu!

Review №84

2016-10-30 19:52:20

Good sushi bow place, very conscience for short lunch break.

Review №85

2016-04-22 21:14:12

Convenient location, and offers something you might not easily find elsewhere. Slightly pricey

Review №86

2020-12-08 08:11:49

Awesome customer service and food is really good.

Review №87

2016-07-21 20:23:02

Tasty bowl with good portion. Fast service.

Review №88

2017-12-07 14:40:44

Its a good poke place for lunch!

Review №89

2019-05-22 23:50:14

Love this place! Food and staff are great!

Review №90

2021-05-31 16:24:44

Get the brown rice when its offered. So good.

Review №91

2016-08-10 03:04:48

Good portions. The fish is fresh.

Review №92

2017-10-19 00:45:20

Very simple dishes they do well

Review №93

2015-06-09 22:55:12

Amazing! So cheap, its a steal.People are friendly, too.

Review №94

2018-02-17 21:17:23

Good customer service and amazing food!

Review №95

2016-09-02 08:31:25

So far, all bowl options are great.

Review №96

2018-07-22 19:43:09

Good poke balls and similar cuisine.

Review №97

2017-02-07 19:53:54

Good bowls! They make some solid poke.

Review №98

2018-03-19 00:54:23

Fast service, excellent poke, not crowded

Review №99

2019-10-24 00:47:19

Woo!

Review №100

2017-05-02 00:50:31

Long wait but nice food

Review №101

2017-11-21 19:40:21

Name says it all.... very tasty too :)

Review №102

2017-02-23 09:20:15

Great! Very refreshing food

Review №103

2019-08-24 07:39:51

Palatable taste, reasonable price

Review №104

2017-12-02 11:26:49

One of my favorite Restaurants.

Review №105

2018-04-19 02:41:20

Enjoy the mango salmon poke and gyudon bowls

Review №106

2016-11-01 16:49:36

Nice Poke Bowls in a cozy restaurant.

Review №107

2018-12-05 04:53:44

Excellent food with friendly staff

Review №108

2017-04-28 21:01:52

Great food and great value.

Review №109

2016-11-06 15:45:05

Fine but better options in the neighbourhood

Review №110

2018-02-11 21:18:06

So good but so cheap.

Review №111

2016-10-06 21:44:37

Love the Shoyu Ahi Poke.

Review №112

2021-08-31 18:44:35

Great bowls, great croquettes

Review №113

2016-06-11 06:32:46

Very good poke bowls

Review №114

2018-12-16 09:12:35

Delicious poke, inexpensive

Review №115

2016-11-03 22:08:20

Fresh poke bowls for cheap

Review №116

2019-07-30 16:01:35

The curry chicken Bowl is great

Review №117

2017-05-29 17:46:45

Loved the bowls we got!

Review №118

2016-03-08 14:53:24

Long wait time for food. Standard fare.

Review №119

2022-04-24 17:58:03

Tasty.

Review №120

2017-11-18 00:51:32

The poke is high quality!

Review №121

2017-02-09 23:30:51

Tuna bowl pretty good

Review №122

2018-01-17 20:35:24

Taste good comfort place.

Review №123

2016-07-26 18:04:19

Good poke

Review №124

2017-08-01 01:10:26

Absolutely love this place!

Review №125

2017-11-22 02:16:56

Just really good :)

Review №126

2017-10-05 06:33:44

BG always

Review №127

2019-03-09 17:30:32

Their fusion bowls are so so.

Review №128

2016-06-21 06:19:05

Fresh salmon and ahi!

Review №129

2018-05-05 22:54:37

Great place to eat

Review №130

2022-03-08 18:55:29

Its average+.

Review №131

2018-09-29 06:23:58

Love it

Review №132

2017-05-30 22:10:12

Delicious poke!

Review №133

2019-08-20 21:37:14

Great Takoyaki!

Review №134

2017-06-30 14:48:14

Review №135

2020-08-19 21:00:43

Food is yummy 😋

Review №136

2018-08-22 02:57:40

Simply the best

Review №137

2018-03-16 05:57:33

Bowl is good

Review №138

2018-08-09 19:53:06

Good bowl of gyudong