Saul's Restaurant & Deli

10/27/09

how the mighty have fallen

by exTexasruby at Citysearch

saul's has been my favorite deli above l.a. for some time.

every time i'm in the bay area we head directly to saul's for the hot pastrami. alas the sandwich has shrunk to about the size of a grilled cheese but not in price. it breaks my heart to see an institution go down the drain, but if saul's keeps going in the direction it going it will be strictly for the unknowing.

also had to ask twice for the complimentary pickles and when they finaly arrived they were literally thrown at the table......sorry to be such a pain in the ass but i came for service as the food arrived before the pickles. also no doctor brown's sodas. who ever heard of no dr. brown's in a real jewish deli?

• Pros: good rye bread
• Cons: the incredible shrinking pastrami sandwich

01/02/09

Best food away from home in Berkeley, CA: Saul's Restaurant & Delicatessen

by marionjr at Citysearch

Saul's is in many ways, and to many in the East Bay of the San

Francisco Bay area, is "home away from home." It is so homey

and friendly that I once walked out and forgot to pay. They were

very nice and phoned me, and I rushed down to correct this.

People from all walks of life, all ethnic origins, all food tastes can

enjoy Saul's. Sure, it is sort of a New York style deli and restaurant,

but although the food is kosher, organic, natural, no one forces anything

on one.. The sky is the limit and the menu includes traditional foods

and dishes and also a range of Eastern Mediterranean foods as well.

The coffee is real; the half and half is real; the tea is real, and the beef

is divine, as is the fish. And the new manager is a true host; his name

is Kelan. The service is excellent, and if, heaven forbid, one might be

dissatisfied, a replacement is offered without cost! Saul's is my favorite

restaurant in the entire San Francisco Bay Area. Not if you want Thai

food, but otherwise just superb. The deserts are good, and there is a

bakery and a huge pickle barrel. What more could one ask? I specifically

recommend the Salmon on the special dinner menu and the Organic

Chicken as well, and there is always that old one from childhood: Liver,

with mashed potatoes, and all the vegetables are beautifully cooked.

They even offer fresh, cut fruit, and will rescue the diabetic in low glucose

crisis!

Marion Rojas

• Pros: Great service; friendly yet competent staff; great owners, Peter and Karen
• Cons: often too crowded to even get in; though waiting is allowed

06/18/08

I really WANT to like it, but ....

by owlivia at Citysearch

I've been here countless times, and lately, every time I leave, I wonder why I bothered. The "hostess" is almost invariably unpleasant -- sometimes downright hostile. The waitstaff are competent, generally, and most are pleasant. The food is just OK, and the prices continue to climb. Really, I don't remember the last good meal I had there. At my most recent visit, the Daily Special supposedly included ricotta cheese and a cherry and apricot compote. The cheese was a 1/2 tsp that had melted into the pancakes, and the "compote" was composed of a couple of "fruit cocktail" style cherries and GRAPEFRUIT. The concoction was so sour I couldn't eat it. Ick. Come on, you guys, I *know* you can do better! For the same price and MUCH better food, I recommend Cafe Gratitude, just a little bit south on Shattuck.

• Pros: Kosher.
• Cons: Taste, preparation, price.