IB's Hoagies & Cheesesteaks
2513 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA
American$
4.2•10 reviews
Halal summary
The staff of this restaurant has verbally confirmed halal status. All food at this restaurant is certified halal.
Partial Halal
None
2513 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA
The staff of this restaurant has verbally confirmed halal status. All food at this restaurant is certified halal.
A family owned and operated small business. The Anderer and Baba families have been dedicated to providing just good, fresh food at a reasonable price for 20 years. The first IB's opened in Berkeley in 1990 just a block from the UC campus. Just a small hole in the wall, the students and alumni of Berkeley come back year after year to visit. IB's next opened in downtown Oakland. The I.B.'s Hoagies on San Pablo Avenue is directly across the street from the Oakland city hall. There is nothing "Philly" about our cheesesteaks, we cook each sandwich individually with fresh Angus beef, we don't use frozen or formed meat. We also add vegetables to our sandwiches that are sliced fresh daily. Our rolls are delivered fresh every morning from a local small bakery and are made to our specifications. We cook our fries in 100% canola oil. Salads are delivered fresh daily from our sister store, The Lunch Box, which is just blocks away from the IB's on San Pablo Avenue.
2513 Durant Avenue, Berkeley, CA
The only things listed halal are Goat and Lamb. I confirmed with the owner as well as he said they might have halal Beef and chicken in the future, but there is nothing right now. I had the Lamb cheese steak sandwich. It was ok. I will probably try their burgers next time as well.
When I went to this place, I did not see any signs that said halal. I asked the staff if it was halal and they said yes. I ordered a steak and mushroom. It wrenched my colon to the ground. I will not be going back because A) I get a strange feeling like it might not be halal, B) I didn't like the feeling of my colon getting beat down. It tasted decent because it was greasy and the meat was soft. The bread was big and spongy- not so fresh.
Okay, here is the thing. They do sell bacon. You will see bacon in the menu. But they cook it separate and I made sure when I went there. Please do ask the person before ordering. But they do sell halal chicken and beef. Food was good and affordable. The only thing is they don't have much space for you to eat there. It's more like for take out.
I came here based on the reviews describing its halal. On my first impression I almost left seeing they serve bacon. So I asked and they told me all beef and chickens are halal, and that they prepare the food separately from bacon. Honestly I haven't had better cheese stake sandwitch anywhere else. My wife and I had the chicken and beef mushroom cheesestake sandwitch, garlic fries. I will come back to try other stuff in the menu . Alhamdulillah its exciting to have various halal food options, on top of that such exceptional quality.
Really awesome cheesesteaks mA. Also, try the nachos with steak; it's amazing!
We had a wonderful experience here. The owner was so wonderfully nice. He explained to us the two menu items that were not halal (the pastrami and corned beef I believe), and also told us the bacon is not grilled on the same grill. He was even nice enough to give us a free nachos with steak on top order because we couldn't decide what to get! Anyway, the cheesesteaks were so good and great quality, and also the fries were were wonderful--they are made in a nice quality oil (I forgot what kind he said it was) so they don't feel fried at all. Overall would very much recommend.
Absolutely the best food in Berkeley! The nachos are hands down the best nachos I've ever had! I recommend this place for anyone who is looking for a memorable delicious meal!
The first time we ate here the food is UNBELIEVABLE. I couldn't remember the last time a cheesesteak and fries felt so good. We went back a few weeks later and the prices had gone up as well as smaller portions. Hopefully they are making enough money to stay open. Awesome cheesesteaks, but make sure you ask for the veggies on the side.
Six years after graduating from UC Berkeley, I came here and had my first halal IB Hoagies cheesesteak. I opted for the garlic steak with a side of garlic fries (I likes me garlic). The sandwich was everything I had hoped for and more. The sandwich was served on a warm, delicious bun, with a generous portion of thinly-sliced meat and cheese. The vegetables were a nice touch, although next time I will get mine without ketchup, pickles, or mayo. The owner assured us that all the beef and chicken items were halal and that he gets meat from Indus Foods on San Pablo Ave. He said that he considered raising the prices after switching some of the menu items to halal, but decided against it because he wanted more students to eat there. If I were still a student, I'd eat at IB Hoagies at least twice a week.