The Berkeley Boathouse

Review summary

1. J

   John Paul

   San Francisco

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We are Berkeley locals and The Boathouse is one of our favorite places to dine.
   

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2. R

   Roy

   San Francisco

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 3

   Worst meal I’ve had in a long time, took 40 minutes to get any food, over cooked steak, fish, 4 tiny scallops for over 40 bucks and they’re directly from the freezer
   

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3. K

   Kenya

   VIP

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   2.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   We chose the Boathouse for our Christmas dinner based on our past experiences of dining there. Somehow we managed to get the worst server on staff that night. We were checked on by other servers and they were fantastic. I ordered the Gimlet, but asked them to make it with vodka (as I always do). Everything we asked for, the server said that we couldn’t have it but that she would ask. It was pretty bad, but fortunately my drinks (made with vodka!) were absolutely delicious. She even made a big deal of me asking for a higher end vodka. Like, ma’am! You don’t want your tip to be bigger? I got an extra shot instead of making a fuss. My mom’s chowder was ice cold (I’m not exaggerating. It was COLD cold) so she sent it back. The flank steak was tough as leather. The scallop dinner (4 tiny scallops) was Barbie sized but tasty. My Chilean sea bass was delicious. I asked to substitute the risotto for the mashed potatoes because I’ve had their risotto before and it’s not great. She said there were no substitutions due to it being a holiday. The restaurant had 9 tables at the time and so you’d think they’d happily have the time to exchange one scoop for another scoop. But no. She got the manager who approved the substitution. The meal was delicious and I literally ate every bite on my plate which is rare. The Brussels sprouts were divine. Overall good meal except for a few issues, but the server was abysmal. Merry Christmas.
   

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4. P

   Peter

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   3.0

   11 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We went to the Boathouse for Xmas dinner because we'd had an excellent Thanksgiving dinner at the Boathouse. The food was decent but mediocre compared to the Thanksgiving dinner. The server seemed to be a stand-in for a regular server. She tried to serve our entrees shortly after delivering the salad. When we pointed out that the entrees would be cold by the time we'd eaten our salad, she apologized, took the entrees away, and sad she'd bring new entrees after we'd eaten our salad. Laster, when we asked for the bill she presented us with a bill to be charged to a room at the hotel-- this led to more muddle that I'll skip describing.
   

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5. A

   Andrew

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   3.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 3

   The service was very good, but the food and drinks were lacking. I ordered an $18 glass of wine and the taste was flat. It seemed like the bottle had been open for too long. We also ordered the $26 charcuterie and were not impressed with the quality. The meat was not great and the cheese was average. The entree was better, but we felt the prices were generally too high for the quality.
   

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6. U

   ULTIMA

   San Francisco

   1 review

   2.0

   1 review

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 1
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Hostess was nice and greeted us immediately We were seated quickly Waitress was friendly and efficient Issue was that all the food came out cold Steak and eggs were cold and steak was not made as ordered we asked for medium well and received medium rare Waffles also cold Food presentation is looks amazing but again food was cold Prices are kinda high $44 for steak n eggs $18 for avocado toast $23 waffles
   

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7. B

   Bel

   New York City

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   We drove down last year for their Christmas menu and despite a delayed wait til they finally opened the restaurant, the food and ambiance was pretty good. we wanted to give them a 2nd chance this Christmas and booked our reservation for 12:30 this year since they opened earlier. As we sat down, we learned they're only serving brunch to our dismay. No where on the website does it say what hours the "christmas special" is served or that its apparently a dinner only menu. This shouldve been made clear on the site as there were other guests also inquiring. The brunch menu was your typical/basic brunch - not even a few Christmasy items to choose from. The Christmas special menu should've been available starting after noon. Don't think we'll be back again next year - this place seems a bit disorganized in general.
   

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8. D

   Dayna

   Los Angeles

   33 reviews

   3.0

   33 reviews

   Dined on November 30, 2024

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   The boathouse is a great location that has fallen into a bit of disrepair. Menu was limited, food a bit over seasoned but good. Quite expensive. You’re paying for the convenience of the location at the hotel I suppose. Evening service was good. Breakfast was less than good. Seemed they over burdened the servers.
   

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9. P

   Peter

   San Francisco

   11 reviews

   5.0

   11 reviews

   Dined on November 29, 2024

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The food was delicious, the staff was friendly and helpful, the dining room was comfortable and well designed. Nothing to complain about.
   

   The Berkeley BoathouseResponded on December 9, 2024

   Dear Peter, Thank you for your kind words! We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed your meal and found our staff to be friendly and helpful. We strive to create a comfortable and enjoyable dining atmosphere for all our guests. We appreciate your feedback and look forward to serving you again soon at The Berkeley Boathouse.
   

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10. D

    Deborah

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 29, 2024

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4

    One of my guest was a vegan and sent her selection back. It was one of her favorite vegan dishes but wasn’t cooked properly. One of my guest and I had the traditional Thanksgiving turkey it was cold, We sent it back and it was returned slightly warmer. It was good when i warmed it at home but cold turkey and mashed potatoes was difficult to try to eat. Others who had Fish and chips raved about it.
    

    The Berkeley BoathouseResponded on December 9, 2024

    Dear Deborah, thank you for taking the time to share your experience at The Berkeley Boathouse. We're sorry to hear that your visit didn't meet your expectations. We always aim to deliver a great experience, and we're disappointed to hear that we fell short this time. We appreciate your feedback about the meal. We always strive to deliver the best quality food, and your comments will help us improve. We hope to have the opportunity to serve you again and provide a better dining experience.
    

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