Digs Bistro

I am so saddened by the news I just read. Unfortunately, it seems i am 7 months too late. It always seemed like you were open when we drove by. I would have come in more had I been able to afford it, but times have been tight for us all.
Heidi, Justin, & Jesse,
Thank you for letting me be a part of your opening staff. It was an honor to be included. I loved working with all 3 of you and Michael.

There’s a familiarity walking into Digs that reminds me of Lavash, my favorite restaurant for Persian food. It could be the yellow walls, the warm fireplace and cozy ambiance that makes you feel you’re visiting your favorite Aunt’s house. Whatever it is, I take it in with every inch of my being and just exhale to the sound of a sigh which expresses that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.
To my sadness upon writing this review I read that this place is closing. It’s too bad, because I totally dug Digs.

It was so good that we dined here twice last week… we had a Bloomspot coupon which wasn’t an issue, they happily honored it (sorry Aaron) which we used on Tuesday night. We enjoyed it so much we wanted to return before they closed so we took some friends on Thursday night. Both nights were great and the three servers and Chef Heidi were awesome. Even though the place was in «shut down mode» (menu changes, limited wine selection– the last night was ¹²⁄₃₁) they still were very professional and the kitchen was putting out some amazing food. I loved the fireplace in the small dining room. It gave it a nice warm feel as we were enjoying the delicious food.
I’m truly sorry to see this place go especially since we just found out about it… besides the fact that two of the 3 partners decided to pull out, I think that misfortune as well as the economy and location are to blame. The food, prices and service certainly stand up.
Best of luck to the entire staff and Chef Heidi– I wish you all the best and it was a please to dine in your wonderful establishment… yum.

WARNING: DO NOT BUY COUPONS /​CERTIFICATES FOR DIGS!!!
Which were still on sale via Unilocal to
, and sadly for me, from Bloomspot as of last month.
Digs is busted, going out of business and when I called to either get a refund or to have a meal there before they shut the doors this weekend I could not get anyone to answer a call or call back.
Unilocal webmasters /​foodie-​overlords of our protection, you should really take down links to those types of «deals» as anyone who is not in the know is going to be out of pocket for some useless Digs’ Scripts. Well, not useless if you are into the papier mache arts…

Trying to update my review to have it show up. Somehow the first one isn’t showing!
In short the food quality was good, portions tiny, and service terrible = never go here again.

Our dinner here was fantastic. I would give 5 stars to every dish we had:
cremini mushroom soup
crab cake
fried chicken
apple cobbler
The dishes are priced as are most local, organic ingredients/​artisanal food in the bay area-​entrees between $ 15 – 28, but unlike many other local organic foodie places, at Digs, everything seems to be spot on delicious. This is unusual. I thought the quality of the food and craftsmanship of menu was similar to LaLimes on Gilman in Berkeley. That is saying a lot.

I’m so sorry to say that Digs really disappointed me. I was so looking forward to a wonderful meal after my friend Kavita S. gave it a 5-​star rating.
My boyfriend and I decided last minute to eat here on a Saturday night. We called at around 7:30PM for an 8:15 reservation but they said they didn’t have any tables open until 8:30. However, when we arrived at 8:20, there were at least 4 tables open! The restaurant is extremely small and probably only holds about 10 tables max.
Everything went down hill from then on. A waitress told us she needed time to set up our table so we sat at the bar and waited. And waited. And waited. 10 minutes later she sat us down at a table that was already set up! A table that she wasn’t even setting up for the past 10 minutes! I was shocked that they made us wait that long!
Trying to ignore the boisterous old people behind us, we decided to order the crab cakes as an appetizer and a bottle of wine to start. The crab cakes arrived fairly quickly but, as a disclaimer, it’s just ONE crab cake… Even though they advertise it as crab cakeS. Our waiter mentioned it to us beforehand so that was a good warning. The crab cake was extremely salty and could have done without that extra few pinches of salt.
After waiting another 15 – 20 minutes, our entrees came but still no wine! I was floored at the slow service. Our waiter was clearly not busy because he was chatting it up with the table next to us and walking around. He must have an extremely short attention or memory span. We had to ask another waitress about our wine and by then, our entrees had arrived! We decided to just get a glass each instead. As another Unilocaler mentioned, the glasses are more like half-​glasses at any other restaurant.
The fried chicken was delicious and juicy, although again a bit too salty. The mashed potatoes and biscuit that came with it was not hot when my plate arrived so that was disappointing. My boyfriend had the pot roast which was tender and delicious but the keel that came with it was not very appealing.
For dessert, we had the chocolate boudin that ended our night on a good note. It was extremely hot and came with a big, delicious dollop of whipped cream. Extremely chocolate-​y for chocolate-​lovers out there. Not too sweet either!
In summary:
* Service = extremely poor and slow. I’ve had better waiters at Olive Garden that could balance 10 tables on their own without fault.
* Food = too generous with the salt and not a good value for the quality and amount of food you get.
* Wine = Pricey for the amount they consider «a glass»
Overall, I would not be coming back unfortunately.

Our company has had our holiday party here for the past two years, so I’ve only tried the prix fixe menus. I don’t remember much of what I ate last year, but i can say that the food was delicious and the service was great. (But warning: We sat in the alcove and it was a little cold.)
This year, the charcuterie plate was the star of the night. The duck ham and housemade cured bacon were AMAZING. 5 stars just for those two. Cheeses were good, other cold cuts were good, and the sharp cheddar quiche was tasty. As for the actual dinner, we had this creamy mushroom soup that had the most amazing woodsy mushroom flavor.
After that soup, I had the crab cake with frisee salad (crab cake was unfortunately way too salty. Without all the salt, it would’ve been delicious). For my entrée, I had the pot roast with roasted kale and spicy potatoes. It was just okay – the pot roast was a bit dry and everything was also a teeny bit salty. Maybe it was because we had people talking in between each dish, so it wasn’t served immediately (so this wasn’t their error at all).
For dessert I had the chocolate budin – yummy! Hot, crispy top layer, and soft inside. Perfect flavor!
All in all, I’ve had good experiences here. I was a little bit disappointed by the crab cake and the entrée this year, but everything else was really good. If I lived in this area or had a car to get here conveniently, I’d definitely come back to try their other things.
And seriously, try the bacon and the duck.

It’s rare to find a restaurant that will impress you from beginning to end. These are the ones I reserve my 5-​star ratings for!
Located in a residential area, this restaurant will give you a homey feel on the inside as well. The restaurant has an intimate feel, but because of the small size, you may feel a little cramped depending on where you are seated.
The menu is small, dishes may be simple, but everything is so well-​prepared. The ½ chicken was juicy and the pork chop was so flavorful! Entrees are complemented well by their sides. The menu seems to change seasonally, so you will be impressed with new items each time! If you get a chance to try the goat cheese squash blossoms, I highly recommend.
Just discovered the
coupons– can’t wait to go back!

As many others have mentioned, I actually found out about Digs through
. My brother and I dropped by before a concert at the Greek Theater just before 6pm on a Saturday. From reading the reviews online, I could tell that it was a nicer restaurant, but I was intimidated when we got there and I thought I saw white tablecloths through the window. We said «what the heck», and went in (hopefully we didn’t look to scrubby in jeans/​t-​shirt). :-/​
We were lucky that we showed up soon after they opened (at 5:30pm) because we were the only party that they could seat (w/​o reservations). Every group that came after us had reservations. Seemed like most people were either celebrating an occasion or on a date. One group actually drove all the way out from Palo Alto. Kind of crazy, but I understand the willingness to drive for food!
Their menu has a great variety. We started with the goat cheese stuff squash blossoms. My friend attempted to make squash blossoms last week and t hey didn’t turn out. Overall these were tasty, however the batter was a little too heavy and dark. For some reason I thought of those jalapeño poppers. For our main courses my brother ordered hanger steak with fried tomatoes and avocado. He said it was really good. I got fried chicken with coleslaw, mashed potatoes and a biscuit. Sort of an adult KFC if you will. I enjoyed the coleslaw the best… it did not have mayonnaise (my preference) and had several types of vegetables (other than just cabbage).
Our server was friendly and made small conversation which is always appreciated. He even explained the history behind Digs and the building. I believe it used to be a speakeasy back in the day. If it weren’t for the atmosphere and service, I probably would rate Digs Bistro closer to 3.5 stars as the food wasn’t knock-​your-​socks-​off-​good IMHO. I did say I’d stop back for peach cobbler at some point though.

A few months ago, I scanned
and found a place that I had always wanted to try, Digs Bistro in Berkeley. I had hopes it could be my neighborhood joint, and after my visit, I wasn’t disappointed.
We walked in around 7:30 p.m. on a Thursday without a reservation and had no difficulty being seated. The space is tiny and quaint, decorated like a European cottage, which makes sense since Digs started as an underground supper club in an Oakland home. The dining room is intimate and small enough that only one waiter was working when we went. The clientele skews older, forties and up, which reflects Digs sensibility of comfort over trend.
I started with the fried stuffed squash blossoms, which were tempura-​like puffs of batter filled with goat cheese, arugula, mango chutney and almonds. The dish was rich but nonetheless delicious.
Next was the roasted Rocky Jr. chicken, which I was hesitant to get because chicken is something I can easily make at home. I ultimately ordered it because nothing else sounded as appetizing. Once I saw the waiter bringing a plate with a thin layer of chicken juices, I knew I wouldn’t be disappointed. The roasted chicken was amazing, juicy, tender and piping hot. It came with a side of couscous and vegetables that were only made the better by the excess liquid rolling around the plate. Digs probably serves one of the best roast chickens I’ve had in the Bay Area.
The boyfriend had the flatbread appetizer and the steak. He said both were good, which I believe since he didn’t share.
We skipped dessert because we were stuffed and it was closing time, though our waiter did not rush us out the door. We lingered 20 minutes or so finishing our bottle of wine, which is half-​off on Thursdays, and the staff did not mind.
My only caveat is that the menu is limited with about five appetizers and five entrees, but everything is probably delicious.

Great food from the starter to the dessert. This is a hidden gem and a super quaint restaurant. The best procuitto and bacon! They serve up fresh Acme bread and they have bumble berry on their menu. How cute is that? I don’t get the excitement about the black and tan ice cream sundae. Try the chocolate cake instead.
Average service for a slow night.

I took my boyfriend to Digs for his birthday. We came right when the place opened. The place was empty, but the manager came and happily helped us. He seated us immediately and gave us menus and such. However, I must question the seats he gave us, because I later realized that we were right next to the restroom, which i thought was strange because the place was empty and there were plenty of seats around us. Nevertheless it was still a pleasant experience.
The restaurant itself is really small and appears to be part of a house. The décor is set up to make it look like we’re outside, and it was just a really warm and quaint atmosphere.
We ordered the flatbread with wild mushroom, roasted rocky jr. half chicken, and frilled lamb loin chops. The flatbread was delicious! It’s basically a small mushroom pizza topped with salad. My chicken was smaller than thought it would be, but it was still yummy and filling! The boyfriend’s lamb was also good but a little raw, and his artichokes were too bitter for my tastes. Afterwards, we ordered the mango and blood orange sorbet, and they gave us a little candle for my boyfriend!
Overall, dinner at Digs Bistro was a really nice experience, and i highly recommend giving it a try!

House-​made bacon, duck prosciutto, Iowa corn-​fed pig prosciutto, spicy salami, cornichons, whole-​grain mustard, and the most amazing apricot chutney ever — Digs Bistro has a consistently solid charcuterie plate.
The mixed lettuces with pine nuts, radishes, pita chips, and cucumbers with dressing hit it out of the park. I’m constantly amazed by how Digs Bistro can take something seemingly ordinary and make it so that you relish every single bite. My dinner companion absolutely loved his strawberry-​rhubarb tart for dessert, which I politely refused because I had stuffed myself with the amazing lamb chops for dinner.
The first Mondays of each month feature a $ 25 fixed 3-​course menu that I’m dying to bring my more budget-​conscious friends to try. Because that mini Digs black-​and-​tan sundae is calling my name…

This is about as good as it gets for us common folk in Berkeley. Digs makes delicious, earnest food that not only puts emphasis on the quality of the ingredients they use but also champions the accessibility of said quality. From the ashes of its former speakeasy-​type beginnings seems to have arisen an egalitarian philosophy that tries to shed the stuffy, exclusively upper-​class connotations associated with fine dining.
On a Monday night I could feel a cold coming on, so I determined to have a last meal before all of my senses went on death row. We used a $ 50
gift certificate among the four of us to take advantage of the Monday night prix-​fixe meals that we’d been hearing about. With three people ordering the prix-​fixe as was– the braised lamb shanks with saffron risotto for the main– and a veggie substitution of filled cannelloni at $ 25 a head, plus a few glasses of wine, our meal, with tax and tip, came to less than $ 20 per person.
The price is right for any decent, filling 3-​course meal, and for what we had at Digs, it is extraordinary. Our lamb was succulent and tender, and the risotto was a delicate but assertive accompaniment to the meat, with still perfectly al dente grains of rice. What we were all stunned by, though, was the unassuming kale that came with the aforementioned items. Roasted and then finished in the pan with chicken stock and a little butter, this stuff is addictive– one of the best ways to chomp down on the superfood that is kale. Lemon pound cake with poached quince and cardamom ice cream finished the meal in a slightly sweet, cleansing and refreshing note.
Food aside, the dining experience at Digs is worthy of mention. The décor is sublimely simple but still elegant and special (the former house is now transformed into a romantic cave of culinary delights), and the limited seating in the restaurant contributes to the intimate atmosphere. Service is enthusiastic and laid-​back but still respectful of the calm that the atmosphere brings about.
I loved everything at Digs! I think the most cherished experiences of dining out happen when you can really feel the presence of the people in the product they have made, and this little unknown (but rapidly growing) gem has that in spades. The location is quite unassuming near San Pablo, away from the Chez Panisses and the Rivolis. Go on a Monday to treat yourself for the long week to come, and go soon! With the way Digs’s reputation is growing, this place is bound to fill up in no time.

Wow, I had not had high expectations at all of Digs Bistro, given its location and its firm planting in the ‘relatively unknown’ category. Or I have been living in a cave… but a MAN cave, baby! Either way, after being accosted with «Can I ask you a question!!! CAN I ASK YOU A QUESTION!!!» by the neighborhood vagrant as we walked turning the corner onto Dwight, it was more than a pleasant surprise to happen upon the door of Digs, with its cozy interior, complete with fireplace, ten or so tables, and softening, warm-​toned fabrics. OK, OK, I may be going a little Queer Mouth for the Straight Mouth, sorry. My WIFE really liked the interior.
On to food… My WIFE and I decided to order the flatbreads and the Dungeness crab and asparagus salad for appetizers. The flatbreads were a perfect combination of crispy and chewy, with a not-​overly-​tangy tomato sauce, mushrooms and shredded vegetation. The Dungeness crab salad, was a really delicately balanced combination of flavors — sweet crabmeat with savory chopped hard boiled egg (sans yolk, which I appreciate), and the slight bitterness of asparagus and red cabbage. We would definitely order both again.
For the main course, my WIFE and I shared the roast leg of lamb and the mahi mahi. I must say that the presentation of both these dishes was pretty standard, but done really, really well. The lamb was tender with a gentle au jus, which we definitely could have a bit more of, but oh-​so-​tasty. The mahi-​mahi was a decent portion of tender and flavorful filet atop mashed potatoes and a generous portion of sauteed spinach. Again, you’d see these dishes in a lot of places, but we really enjoyed Digs’ dig of them.
We ordered the molten chocolate cake for dessert, which again was somewhat standard. It was nicely done. It is hard to not like something like this. But once you’ve jumped the warm chocolate shark, its really hard to go anywhere after that.
Wait staff was pleasant, and our waitress was able to exercise some French 101 on us with a «Bön Appetit» for the entrees, a «Voila» for dessert, and a «Merci» on the bill.
Despite the lingering ‘standardness’ of some of the dishes, I am giving 5 stars based on 1) my WIFE and I ate everything, 2) We would go there again, and 3) We would recommend Digs to our friends and family.

New Years Eve dinner w/​friends. What a comfortable setting, like sitting at a friend’s nice house with the fireplace going. Now if you also had a friend who could cook kickass food who didn’t charge you very reasonable prices, you could always go to your friend’s house. But if you don’t have a friend who can tickle your tastebuds with well executed Cal-​American cuisine, then definitely go to Digs Bistro.
Though, we were disappointed that they weren’t serving the pot roast that was on their online menu, we got past the disappointment once we heard the description of the braised lamb shoulder. Our table also gave rave reviews of the flatbread with fra’mani salametto picante and the stuffed piquillo peppers was stuffed with very flavorful dungeness crab. Three of us also share a huge bowl of the Riverdog Farm Carrot Soup, which was lightly sweet and savory, but all comforting, even for those of us who didn’t like carrots.
Between the 5 of us, we tried all 4 of the main entrees available. Though, I would say the biggest winner was the Braised Lamb, the succulent, fall of the bone duck was a close 2^nd in my book with it’s bed of polenta, braised cabbage, sausage and dandelion greens winning out over the lamb dish.
We each had plans for dessert elsewhere afterwards, but they certainly looked good going to other tables. There will definitely be a return to Digs in my future and the Monday night pre-​fixe looks very tempting. Service was very good and prompt all night and as my friend commented, the space is very intimate, perfect for a romantic dinner.

Thanks to
, I bought a nifty little gift certificate for this place ($ 25 off a minimum $ 35 purchase).
As Ada stated earlier, it really is tucked in a somewhat home neighborhood area. The restaurant has a really homey vibe with about 6 tables. There’s a fireplace which adds to the feel.
My date and I started off with the charcuterie plate ($ 9), a plate mixed with cooked and air-​dried meats. The prosciutto was absolutely amazing, as well as the bacon on the plate.
I had the pot roast (around $ 19) and it was SUPERB. The pot roast was served with horseradish cream drizzled on top, on a bed of collard greens and some sort of mashed vegetable. The texture and tenderness of the pot roast was perfection.
My date had the catfish (I believe…). His dish was amazing also, but I still think mine was better. :) He didn’t enjoy the mashed sweet potato, but he’s not really a fan of sweet potato. His dish was also served with something else, but I can’t quite remember… Anyway, yum yum dish.
Pleaseeeee try this place. You won’t regret it.

That’s 4 ½ stars. We couldn’t decide whether it was 4.49 or 4.51, so we’re just saying 4 ½. This charming space, which was originally a house on Dwight Way just below Sacramento, used to be home to A La Carte. I ate there before I even met Alan and he thinks the last time we ate there was 30 years ago, when we moved into our first house. I’m not sure about that. But it’s been about that long since we were there, just because it’s sort of «out of sight, out of mind».
The main dining room has a small, rustic fireplace. The small windows have diamond shaped divided lites and they open out. The look is homey and wonderful. There is one bathroom, as befits a house of that era. The restaurant is small, but tables are well spaced, so you don’t feel as if you’re sitting w/​strangers. As you enter the restaurant the bar w/​about 4 stools is in front of you. The back room is to the right as you enter. I had never noticed it before. Tonight it held a large group, about 9 people.
Digs has been on our list of places to try since it opened. Our neighbors ate there during last year’s Dine About Town and raved about it. Today is our 27^th wedding anniversary and we decided to come here for dinner. The menu changes every 3 – 4 weeks and features seasonal, locally sourced items. There were several tempting dishes amongst the appetizers and an equally tempting number amongst the mains. We were served a plate of delicious, heavy bread whose provenance I didn’t recognize, and butter. Although the charcuterie plate was tempting, I went for the Early Girl tomato soup, which came w/​tiny cheddar chive biscuits. Alan ordered the stuffed piquillo peppers w/​Dungeness crab, brandade, aioli, and parsley pesto over baby greens. My soup sang w/​freshness. It was bright and perfectly cooked. Alan’s peppers were equally tasty. It was a scrumptious dish. For my main I debated between the roasted half chicken and the grilled smoked pork chop and chose that latter. Alan debated between the Brentwood corn ravioli and the lamb burger. When he learned the ravioli were rich he decided on the lamb. My pork chop came accompanied by mashed potatoes and creamy spinach. The pork was magical, smokey and delicious. The potatoes were good and the spinach was excellent. Alan liked it so much he ordered a side of it for himself after tasting mine. His lamb was very tasty and so were the potatoes that accompanied it. I had a glass of a Pinot Blanc that was good and Alan had a Boont Amber. Service was professional, correct and attentive. It was a very pleasant dinner and I can assure you it won’t be another 30 years before we return.

I came here for dinner and immediately felt more at home than I did at Olivia, which operated at this location before Digs. The décor is more inviting and the room seems less claustrophobic. I went immediately for the charcuterie plate, which had been praised by others, and ordered the roast half chicken as my main dish.
The server was a bit of a pain. He insisted on telling me that he was delivering a «superb» charcuterie plate and that my half chicken had been «roasted to perfection.» On the other hand, he behaved like a nice enough guy when he didn’t seem to be auditioning for an American remake of the French film «Aile ou la cuisse». Not only that, I have to confess that my chicken was indeed roasted to perfection. I liked it as well as the accompanying chard and polenta. As for the charcuterie plate, the best word to describe it is probably «superb.» It was truly excellent, although there’s a lot of very good bacon and salumi floating around Berkeley these days.
As for the wine, we got three glasses: a Samur blanc, made by people who are used to making sparkling wine with their chenin blanc but may have discovered that there’s no longer much of a market for that kind of stuff nowadays; a Costieres de Nimes blanc, which I really liked a lot; and a Chinon, which complemented the chicken to perfection.
Conclusion: this is a very good place, and I hope to return with a fair-​sized group some time soon.