Bongo Burger

I like this restaurant a lot. I had lunch here for the first time last week and really enjoyed their falafel with the avocado. Kept me full for hours, so it was totally worth it, and it was delicious. The staff are all really friendly and I already recommended the place to a few of my friends. I work in Berkeley so I’ll definitely be coming back!

The food is tolerable, and mostly affordable. Take note: the fries are more or less just like styrofoam. If you’re just looking for a ketchup delivery device and nothing more, then these fries should foot the bill. Otherwise, save yourself some cash and skip ‘em.
On the other hand, the woman who always seems to manning the cash register when I go there is just a hair shy of being openly hostile. While being awful for absolutely no reason at all is totally in line with the general Berkeley vibe (Progress! Keep reaching for the stars, Berkeley!), some of us don’t care for it.

The burgers here are good but definitely not the best I’ve ever tried. The size of the patty and buns is HUGE in terms of surface area — a much wider/​flatter burger than most chain restaurants will give you. But the patty was kind of chewy and basic and the toppings just mediocre. I asked for mushrooms as a topping, but it also came with the basics — mayo, processed cheese (not swiss like I was expecting…), lettuce, tomato, onion. The toppings were definitely skimpy; I only had a few pieces of mushroom and one tomato slice.
Bongo Burger’s selling point is its affordable pricing. I wouldn’t willingly choose to spend my money at this place again, given the other options Berkeley can offer (and not being a huge burger fan to begin with…) but if I was really craving a burger, was short on cash, and didn’t have my car, I’d come here. The location is super convenient, just a block off North Gate (and another location on Southside also), and the prices are super cheap for a quick eat.
If you have the resources, I’d recommend Fuddruckers or In n Out instead (equally as cheap, but farther away) or even Eureka or Burger Meister (more expensive, but equally as close).

A tremendous burger. The best I’ve had in East Bay.

I go here often. I appreciate the consistency of the burgers and the neatness. I am however sad that their breakfast prices went up dramatically.

I am vegetarian so don’t know about their actual burgers, but mushroom and cheese is a great value, falafel is alright, and fries at least at this location are often way too salty.

This place is the best. No frills, fast, good food. I love the American or bacon burger, and their breakfast combos cannot be beat. Plus when you’re in the mood for lighter fare they have falafel and fresh carrot or orange juice. The french fries aren’t the best I’ve had, but they’re always crispy which is a plus.

Whenever I eat a burger I always compare it to In-​n-​Out and nothing really matches that. In-​n-​Out, unfortunately, is a long drive from Berkeley so what can I get for a burger as a substitute? Bongo Burger!
They offer a wide variety of different burgers and from my experience they all taste pretty good. I personally like it simple and get the #3 (cheeseburger with fries + a drink). You get to choose what type of cheese you want.
The burger bun is pretty toasted which makes it nice and slightly crunchy. There’s a lot of flavor to the burger and I find myself never getting bored of the burger midway through unlike a lot of other burgers out there. Their fries are excellent.
One thing I recommend is you eat there as if you get it takeout the fries do get soggy and the burger is best enjoyed hot.
I’ve had the one on South Side and they are both relatively similar. The one on North Side doesn’t usually have too long of a wait and there’s a lot of tables.

This place is great for quick and tasty food. I didn’t give it 5 stars because we’ve had some trouble with the service being good, but the food is delicious. I love the mushroom burger and the black bean burger. Fries are good too!

I’m not much for Black Bean burgers in general but theirs is top notch! When I want a veggie burger in town, I go here. Affordable, fast, and delicious!

One of the most convenient places on the north side. Opening every day from early in the morning. I almost always get an «All-​American» burger and it never let me down.

Still the best falafel sandwich I have ever had! Been coming here for 30 years! And have had felafel all over the country, and in Israel! And a great price, at $ 6.00. Highly recommended.

Came in here for brunch and loved it! The food prices are really reasonable and their portions are good. U can go in and order 2 eggs and they come with potatoes and toast for $ 4. The food is good and i love the price! I also tried the all american burger and it was yummy

It’s funny how I’ve lived next to this Bongo Burger and never ate here until now. I guess the fact that I can smell Bongo Burger every time I open my apartment windows, led me to never care to eat there.
However, I came here on a Sunday night because all the other restaurants on Northside were closed. I always assumed Bongo Burger mainly served burgers, so I never knew they also sold Mediterranean food too! I got the Mediterranean plate and it came with falafels, hummus, tabolueh, lettuce, lots of pita bread, and a big fat block of feta cheese. I sure wiped up all the hummus up with the pita, and happily chomped on my feta & falafels. The falafels however, are on the small size, and oddly shaped. Some of my falafels were oblong and some very very small. The plate literally comes on a papaer plate and cost $ 8.71 after tax.
In addition to Mediterranean plates, there are also chicken kebab plates, sandwiches, burgers (of course), fries, hummus, etc a la carte. I’d come here for a quick Mediterranean stop and to try their burgers (as it IS in the their name) sometimes again!

Of all three Bongo Burger locations (South, North, West), this is the best one in terms of quality of food and service (West side is probably the worst).
The chicken kabob plate with a side salad and tabouleh is a dish I always order for just under $ 10. The meat is incredibly juicy and tender. it is fire-​grilled and compared to the other locations, this one is able to execute the meat the best. All plates are served with pita bread.
Breakfast plate (California Omelet): Their omelet is really good and definitely would order again! The cheese is placed in the middle (have the options of swiss, american, and cheddar) and thankfully they put just the right amount. It comes with a side of potatoes and toast. The potatoes are made ahead of time (you can see it on the grill) and are not warmed again before it is served to you.
This Bongo Burger also has the friendliest service which actually makes me want to eat here. The west side location has terrible service so it’s a unpleasant atmosphere to eat a meal.
Just be careful during lunch hour (12 – 1:30PM); it gets EXTREMELY busy!

Mer. I come here once in a while since it’s one of the convenient fast food places on the north side of campus, but it’s not my favorite (and definitely not up there anymore). The food’s decent enough, but meh. I’d knock it down from a 3.5 to a 2.5 just based on my most recent experience.
\\ FOOD/​DRINK QUALITY:
I usually always get the mushroom burger, since I love mushrooms (I’m a fun guy har har). I always thought it was a little overpriced (but I’m a spoiled California girl who lives her In-​n-​Out). Sometimes I got the combo with the fries and drink, but I’ve been passing on it recently since the burger’s pretty filling (and unhealthy) by itself. The burger is all right, pretty average, and I always slather it with ketchup and ranch, which says something about the flavor of the burger by itself. The fries are also nothing special. All in all, I’m usually relatively pleased with the food, but today I got a weird stomachache immediately afterward — not sure if I can completely attribute that to the burger, though. I wasn’t pleased with the service, and there was a hole at the bottom of my bun which made my eating experience extra messy.
\\ SERVICE:
Sigh. Usually, it’s just normal fast food-​style, where the cashiers are pretty aloof and not extremely friendly, but whatever, as long as the food’s fast. But today, I was starving and the food took over 20 minutes to come («fast» food?!), and it wasn’t even crowded. My friend ordered right before me and got his food 10 minutes before me, while I waited impatiently and hungrily. People who ordered after me got their food first! I was super annoyed, and when I got my burger, I thought, «This better be a damn good burger if it took that long!» Which is why I was not pleased that my bun had a hole in it that spilled the sauces everywhere, and the rest of the burger was just average as usual.
\\ ENVIRONMENT:
It has tables, since it’s one of the bigger restaurants on that particular street, and it’s good for a quick bite. There’s sometimes a line but it moves pretty fast.

I hadn’t has lamb in a while so I ordered the Persian burger with a aide of fries. The place wasn’t too crowded and the area is nice to walk around. Price-​wise, it’s decent, especially for the name. I expected the burger to be tougher but it was really tender and the fries were fresh and crispy. Funny thing, the sandwich is pretty long so I thought it would be heavier. Don’t get me wrong, it was plenty filling, but I wasn’t as full as Id like when i left. Would eat again!

Bongo Burger is like the Dodo bird (pre-1600’s) and Berkeley is its Mauritius. Currently, Bongo has no natural predators in the North Campus area. There are so many restaurants on Euclid and even south of campus, but none of them are fast food burger joints. As a result, Bongo has been able to survive in spite of selling burgers that are mediocre at best. If a Wendy’s arrived in Berkeley much like the Dutch pulling up to shore on the beaches of Mauritius, Bongo would be extinct in no time.
The burgers at Bongo are often overcooked to the point of being really dry and sometimes even burnt. A combo meals costs between $ 8-​$ 9, and it can take a while to get the food during lunch rush. These are not good qualities for a fast food place. On the plus side, I like the sesame seed bun and the vegetables are fresh. Also, I really enjoy the crinkle fries. However, this bird is still flightless and not that bright.
If Berkeley could get some decent fast food burger places, I wouldn’t mind if Bongo went the way of the Dodo.

There’s a hierarchy of burger joints in my mind, with In-​N-​Out sitting at the top and McDonald’s on the bottom. I’d say Bongo sits right in the middle.
I always get the Turkey Burger and I’m always pretty happy with it; it’s pretty juicy, has a lot of stuff in it, and tastes great. The fries are kind of hit and miss: on rare occasions they are soggy and not actually fried adequately, but most of the time they’re OK. Service-​wise, they’re pretty fast and you’ll get your burger in about 5 – 10 minutes. Décor-​wise, the place doesn’t really give off a «clean» vibe, but it’s not bad.

Un bon bacon burger, simple et efficace.
Frites pas mal aussi.

My sister friend was in town and wanted to get together for visiting her alma mater and my new school in two weeks’ time – University of California at Berkeley. And we would be meeting up with two of her family members who are also Cal alumni, her sister and her brother-​in-​law. It was the brother-​in-​law who suggested we eat lunch here – more like he insisted we have lunch here. Fortunately for me, my friend paid for my lunch – since her brother-​in-​law really, really wanted us to eat at Bongo Burger.
They had the plate lunches. Her sister and her husband shared the chicken plate which was served with pita bread and hummus along with quinoa and tomato shredded lettuce salad. My sister-​friend had the Mediterranean plate which was served nearly the same with chicken and apple sausages. Both dishes looked really good and colorful!
This was my first time at Bongo Burger. I ordered the Mushroom Burger combo with French Fries and a bottled water. It was made with Nieman Ranch beef with the same shredded lettuce as my friends’ salads. However, the mushrooms tasted like they were canned. And I took a peek – they were canned mushrooms. Bongo Burger would have fared better if they have used fresh mushrooms. The fries were crispy but lukewarm – would have appreciated if they were piping hot!
All in all, Bongo Burger hit and killed the hunger pangs for us. My sister-friend’s brother-​in-​law was quite happy as well as her sister. I would not recommend the mushroom burger unless they start using fresh mushrooms. I would give this Bongo Burger another opportunity for myself to try their other offerings.