Clark Kerr Dining Commons

Talk about lame…
This evening I attended a dinner here at the Clark Kerr Dining Commons. As I had to leave to teach a class for an hour, I asked two friends to save me a plate. One did and when I returned he went to the staff and asked for it. After several minutes, no one arrived with the food. He went again, and they told him that they had tossed it out. I left to find dinner, seeing the thoughtless clod who did the deed. I asked him why he tossed my dinner, to which he said «yeah.» He matched this with a dumb look on his face, and no defense.
This place has a portrait of a chef with a gold medal for something hung in the lobby. Apparently its not for training his staff well. Clueless and misleading. By the way, the quality has declined. I have been coming here for several years.

I worked here for. Although it certainly is still one of the best restaurants Cal Dining offers, I probably wouldn’t eat here either. Great place to work though!

5 stars because I wish I could eat like this everyday!
I came here when visiting my brother and I can’t believe the easy access he has to food! He swiped us in throughout Cal’s Family Weekend. They had a themed night were most of the food was Asian food and the other days was your classic dining food. They. Had. Dumplings.
They do a great job of serving healthy food — I would totally get the Freshman 15 if I came here everyday! Loved the desserts.
Clark Kerr doesn’t serve food during lunch so you have to go somewhere else on campus.
Go Bears!

I absolutely love this place. Clark Kerr is easily the freshest, most unique, and delicious dining hall at UC Berkeley.
They always have something unique going on here. Whether it’s serving chicken shawarma and Mediterranean food, a Harry Potter Hogwarts themed night, or a fresh burrito bar clark Kerr dining never ceases to impress me.
You never leave this place feeling in satisfied. Unlike crossroads and foothill where the food is greasy, mass produced, bland, and soaked in fatty oils, the food here tastes fresh and made with special attention to detail. Not to mention the staff and the head chef Daniel are always very friendly and accommodating. Save yourself the meal points from crossroads and foothill and have dinner here.

Service: Does not get very busy except on specialty days. Open from 5:30 — 8:30 every night. They start cleaning up at 8:00 so don’t get in their way. You sit in this huge Hogwarts-​esque hallway with dozens of tables. You can sit in their patio area which transports you to a relaxing Greek resort.
Food: Generally good considering other dining common foods. Smaller selection than Crossroads, so if you’re picky, check the menu beforehand. Their desserts are BOMB. Their salad bar is lacking.
Atmosphere: Very chill place to relax and eat. CK can definitely be converted into a fancy hotel. Good for groups of students or solo eaters.

OMG, this place looks like Harry Potter! If they combine all the tables and chairs and put them in a row, i’m sure its a perfect set for the next harry potter youtube parody with a million hits,
Well onto the food. All the food is bunched up, not spread out like foot hill and definitely not as far apart as crossroads. Food quality is good, but I think the flavor is lacking at times. They do run out of food as it gets closer in the evening and the selection seems to be smaller here than at the other dining commons.
Dining common food however, has increasingly been increasing in quality. However, there are still DISGUSTING food options like today’s chicken mole or bland cheap options like herb roasted chicken.
Prices are steep, especially on herb roasted chicken days at 9 bucks (9 meal points)
so make sure to check the menu online prior to coming to this place.
They don’t serve lunch so if you live in Clark Kerr and you want a great meal at noon, you’re SOL because there arn’t any food options anywhere nearby.

Since I’m only here for the summer, this review is solely based on the current summer menu. CKC has its days where it’s really good but for the most part, the food is just not up to par. The selection is very limited compare to Crossroads and the staff does not seem to like their job very much (especially the women cashiers, it would help if they can smile for once in a while). I give CKC 3 stars because of it’s convenience and seating area. I love how there are two outside patios where you can sit whenever the weather is nice outside. Overall, this place is just OK.

i only came here twice before but they have free food so w/​e i dont understand why hobos dont just go here or like crossroads for food seriously all u need is a card lol no money needed

Not as many choices compared to other dining commons

Got the rare opportunity to tour the kitchen and…
…it was spotless! The chefs were all really friendly and eager to show off their fancy kitchen. And again… absolutely spotless! Still blown away by that fact.

As DCs go at Berkeley, I’d have to say this is one of the better ones, at least in recent years, in terms of food, atmosphere and overall in general. The only thing is this place is pretty far away from everything else in Berkeley, so if you’re walking, be ready for a longer-​ish walk. Otherwise, it’s not that crowded, the food is pretty good for DCs, and the dining hall itself is large and almost Harry Potter-​esque.

Very convenient place to come if you A) Leave nearby and B) Have a friend that will swipe you in. I’ve come here several times and have enjoyed the food and company here. I don’t know if I would eat here everyday though. As far as ambiance though, much better than the other dining commons.

Taste: 2
Value: 3
Service: 3
When I was still living in the dorms three years ago, I came here twice to try out their food since one of my friends lived at CK. After all the hype about how it’s supposedly the best DC, I was a bit disappointed. The food was sub-​par, and I honestly would have rather gone to Crossroads. They didn’t have much variety either, and I prefer the open atmosphere of Crossroads.

The best dorm food at UC Berkeley. It seems like more effort is made into making the food here compared to the other dining commons. The maple tables and chairs add a nice touch. The wide variety of food includes German, Asian, Indian, and even British food. The fish and chips are damn good. Weekend brunch is good as well. Especially their French Toast. I think I ate almost ten once. Unlike the other dining commons they also seem to have nice desserts. The other dining commons suck compared to CKC. Even on its own, CKC stands as a fine eating establishment.

don’t get me wrong. after living in the boonies of clark kerr for a semester i definitely learned to cherish the dining common. however, familiarity breeds contempt in some ways. the run of the mill salad bar and pizza is a stand by when their other fare is a little too experimental. their vegan chocolate pudding is N-​A-​S-​T-​Y and their vegetarian fare is disgraceful.
on the flip side their weekend brunch is seriously mac. they have everything you need to indulge in the million calorie breakfast of your dreams including a make your own waffle station.
as for the hall itself, it is really quite beautiful and hogwartsesque with catherine wheel looking chandeliers and big sturdy wooden seating. the outdoor patio is also really pleasant on nice days. in terms of cuisine CKC could take a lesson from crossroads, but the ambiance is unrivaled.

Definitely the best dining hall at UCB, the food seems to be more creative or personally cooked than the others. They offer more exciting dishes and everything within the beautiful Spanish-​style architecture. Even the food that they have in common with other dining halls tastes better here. Brunch on weekends is excellent.

The Clark Kerr DC serves the best lunch. It is small and intimate and there are no lines. The Great Hall actually looks a bit like the Great Hall from Harry Potter, which is nice. Very pretty.
Sometimes the cooks can be kind of odd. One of them likes to talk to my roommate a lot. The brunch is always boring, sometimes dinner can be good.
It is better than Crossroads and Foothill at least. Yay! Too bad they’re shutting it down for lunch next year because of renovations.