10/11/05

Affectionately dubbed "the stroll" by loyal shoppers, this popular marketplace is a budget-conscious organic shopper's oasis.

by Contributor

The Scene
Simply stated, Berkeley Bowl is one of the Bay Area's most beautiful grocery stores. The modern building provides ample light from a wide, well-placed, western-facing skylight. The long, clean rows--stacked with the best organic goods and standard commercial products--are easy to maneuver. Aside from the half-hour lines that can clog up the front of the store (particularly on Mondays), Berkeley Bowl is shopping nirvana.

The Goods
Not only does Berkeley Bowl boast the largest produce department in all of Northern California (be careful, you could get trapped among the citrus and legumes for hours), it also has one of the best international sections. In fact, you'll save yourself a long trip to Chinatown or Japantown in search of Pocky Sticks if you shop here first.

08/04/03

Get your elbows ready

by rbschulman

It's a great store -- best produce section for good prices I've ever seen. Just get ready to spend a solid hour to pick up even a few things. Parking, the aisles, the lines -- everything is a hassle. But you won't find rabbit at $4.99 / lb anywhere else.

• Pros: variety, quality, prices
• Cons: parking, crowds, lines

12/03/02

Fun store!

by tomtomtomtom

Great tasting fresh variety of fruits/vegitables w/ competitive prices. Although the grocery workers are not top class, the choices of produce is very overwhelming.

• Pros: taste, fun
• Cons: crowded, shoving, loud

05/31/02

Produce Nirvana!

by SRosenbaum

Ever wonder why you moved to California? The answer is right here in the produce aisles. 20 kinds of oranges, 15 different varieties of plums...the list goes on and on! Not so yuppified as Whole Foods, the BB is an East Bay institution, even in its new spiffed-up incarnation.