Bette's Oceanview Diner - American, Berkeley

1807 4th St, Berkeley CA 94710
(510) 644-3230
Parking: street parking, paid parking lots nearby
Hours: Mon - Thu: 6:30am - 2:30pm, Fri - Sun: 6:30am - 4:00pm
http://www.worldpantry.com/bettes/home.html

Last Visited: July 24, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Price: $ to $$$

Bette’s Diner is located in Berkeley amongst the trendy shops of 4th Street. The restaurant is decorated like a 40s or 50s diner down to the checkerboard patterns around the restaurant, the counter and swivel stools on the right side of the restaurant, and the mini-jukeboxes sitting on top of the counter. There is chrome galore, but it fits the atmosphere just perfectly. Above your head when you enter the restaurant is a huge slice of pie hanging from the ceiling.

The restaurant is extremely busy. A typical wait on a Saturday mid morning is anywhere from half an hour to an hour. It’s first come first serve. You may want to bring a good book or just hang around talking to friends while you wait.

Norman recommended Bette’s with great reviews about their strawberry soufflé pancake.

- Blueberry Pancakes – Available in a stack of two or three, pancakes filled with large blueberries are served with maple syrup on the side. In a bite, you may find hot blueberry bursting its juices in your mouth. These pancakes were fluffy and light. Nice.

- Waffle – A waffle is cooked until golden brown and topped with fresh seasonal fruit. Maple syrup is served on the side. Today’s waffle was topped with sliced bananas, sliced strawberries, and blueberries. The fruit is indeed fresh, and the waffle is nicely done. I prefer slightly thicker waffles, but there was a bit of crunch on the outside of these, but not overly crunchy. The inside was soft, but not soggy. Very good. There are also other waffle specials available. This was the perfect portion for me. Not too much, not too little.

- French Toast – Four pieces of French toast are served with maple syrup on the side. This hearty portion is quite filling. The French toast is softer than I prefer, but not undercooked or soggy. It was still nicely soaked with egg and cooked through, but not quite to my preference developed at home. Good.

- Home Fries – We ordered a side of home fries and received a heaping dish of potatoes and onions topped with a dollop of sour cream. Fresh parsley is sprinkled on top. The potatoes and onions weren’t oily, but just right in terms of not being too dry or too oily. Some of the potatoes had been cooked until the sides were golden and crusted for those who like home fries a little crispy. Some of the potatoes were soft and just the right mushy. Texture was very good. The only thing missing was additional salt. A slight addition of salt would have made them just right. Good.

There are so many tables, and so much going on, that you’re sure to be entertained. However, you may also feel neglected by the staff. They are very kind and apologetic about the wait, but it often seemed that it was very difficult to get the staff’s attention.

As for the food, you can’t go wrong at Bette’s. The food quality is good. You may need to season your dish a little, and it may not be exactly to how expect (in my mind, this happens because sometimes you have a preference for how your mom used to make it), but overall, it’s still quite good. Fruit is extremely fresh. There are so many patrons, that the turnover for the food is excellent. It’s bound to be fresh. The portions are very good. Try out Bette’s.