Cafe Intermezzo (Berkeley, CA, USA, Earth)
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
It doesn't get much more Berkeley than this.
Come see the place that turned healthy hippie eating into a profitable enterprise. The salads are great, they're big, and they're pretty damn cheap. You can even get bottled beer for $1.75!
A Note on the People and Culture of Berkeley
Berkeley has long been known for its hippies. While most of them have either sold out, moved on, or retired by now, part of their spirit lives on in Cafe Intermezzo.
"Intermezzo", as it's known to the locals, is famous for its salads. They're big, they're cheap, and, as part of their "combo" deal with a (big) half-sandwich, they're an essential part of every student diet in Berkeley.
The staff are relaxed, friendly and eager-to-please, so long as you do nothing to remind them that they are, in fact, fast food staff. Smile when you order, and everything will be fine.
How to Find This Place
Intermezzo isn't hard to find at all. It's a short walk from any point in Berkeley's Southside neighborhood.1
Telegraph Avenue is the epicenter of Southside. The north end of the road dead-ends near the center of the University's southern border, at a street called Bancroft Avenue. Moving south from the University, you will cross Durant, then Channing. The next street is Haste. Raleigh's is on Telegraph between Channing and Haste, on the west side of the street. Look for the sign with the giant chicken.2 That will be Raleigh's. Intermezzo is right next door.
As you may know, parking in Berkeley is very difficult to find.3 Driving there isn't really in the spirit of the place, so walk to avoid bad karma.
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What to Order
Intermezzo does three things: soups, salads, and sandwiches. All of them are very good. If the food seems familiar, you've probably been to Raleigh's.4
While you can get a plain salad for something like $3.50, for the classic experience it's all about the salad/sandwich combo. $5.25 gets you more food than you probably want. They have a number of different sandwich choices, and, while you only get half of one, they're pretty thick, so it's not a rip-off. When you order, watch out for the mustard -- it is VERY SPICY and they put it on thick if you don't say anything.
For your salad, their house specialty poppy seed dressing is worth a try. The rest of them are all fine, but the poppy seed is unique. Some people don't like it, so you may want to ask for a taste.
SANDWICHES
I really like the baked ham with swiss, especially with no mayo. The super-hot mustard seems to go very well with the smoke-cured ham. Also good is the turkey with jack.5 That's what I get when I don't want ham.
NOTE: The really adventurous should try some of their vegan menu. Tofu, eggplant, and PBHB ("An Elvis favorite!") are all just waiting for a daredevil like you.
SALADS
If you're getting a combo, you get the regular salad. They also offer others, like a Chef salad, but I usually just get the sandwich if I want some meat.
SOUPS
On those days when I'm not up for eating half my body-weight in salad, I get the sandwich/soup combo. It costs the same, and it doesn't seem like as good of a deal, so I generally don't.
Nonetheless, their soups are pretty good. I particularly recommend the split pea and the navy bean with ham.
How to Eat
OK, one thing I may not have warned you about: Intermezzo salads are BIG.
I mean BIG. I mean, most-people-don't-finish-it BIG. I mean don't-kid-yourself-you'll-hurt-something BIG. I mean ricky-don't-be-a-hero BIG. These salads are best tackled on an empty stomach. If you do not have an empty stomach, plan to share. By the time you finish your sandwich, that last dozen bites will be torturous.
The pace at Intermezzo can be pretty frenetic. Around lunch and dinner peak hours, there is usually a line stretching out the door. The seating area isn't very big, and the place is very popular, so about half of their business is in to-go orders. You'll get plenty of time to look at the menu before your turn at the counter, so BE PREPARED. The mob can be dangerous.
If you're going to be eating there, and plan on sticking around for a while, you should try to take advantage of the cheapest beers in town. They serve Bass for $2/bottle and a couple of other name labels for $1.75 each. Intermezzo is not an establishment oriented around drinking, however, so if that's what you're after, head next door to Raleigh's.6
Near closing, they sometimes run out of salad, so don't bother heading here after 8:30 PM, unless you feel lucky.
Share and enjoy!
