What is UQBAR?

UQBAR is a brand new neighborhood cafe in Berkeley, CA that invites patrons in for a welcoming atmosphere and a fresh, Mediterranean menu emphasizing local, seasonal ingredients. For breakfast and lunch, guests can enjoy a delicious menu of sandwiches, soups, salads, and house-baked treats, along with UQBAR signatures like our hummus (made fresh daily!) and buckwheat flatbread. For Friday evening events and occasional private dinners, we light candles and serve shareable mezze and rice platters for an intimate, lively experience. Our beverage service includes sustainably sourced coffee and tea, fresh juices, local beers on tap, and a curated selection of Mediterranean and Californian wines. Our menu appeals to people with all tastes and can be tailored to accommodate most allergies and dietary restrictions.

Entering UQBAR feels like discovering a secret oasis. Plants climb the gate and hang from the rafters, offering an escape from the world outside. Guests sit at tables and booths in convivial groups, enjoying our lofty dining room and secluded courtyard. From our open kitchen wafts the delicious smell of fresh baked goods or warmly spiced roasts. We’re passionate about sharing our love of food, friendly service, and a welcoming space with the community!

Founded by husband-wife team Benji and Jennie Smith, UQBAR combines Benji’s decade of restaurant experience as a cook and chef with Jennie’s expertise in front-of-house operations and entrepreneurship. A deep-rooted connection to Berkeley, as Jennie’s hometown, strengthens UQBAR’s commitment to creating a welcoming space that reflects both our passion for good food and a sense of home.

About Our Food

We cook from scratch, right here in our tiny kitchen! We prioritize locally-made, California-grown, and organic ingredients. Everything we make is a labor of love, made without shortcuts.

We use “Mediterranean” to describe ourselves for three reasons: Our cooking embraces the Mediterranean diet — the best researched diet for health and longevity. Our menu is full of vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and lean proteins—all cooked with plenty of olive oil. Secondly, we are inspired by the Mediterranean climate we enjoy here in California — our warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters mean year-round abundance! We make full use of it by partnering with local producers and cooking with the seasons. And finally, we honor the Mediterranean Sea itself—a region famous for its food and hospitality. As a cradle of civilization, it is home to so many amazing cultures, cuisines, histories, and mythologies that inspire what we do here at UQBAR in Berkeley, CA.

A Few Featured Farmers + Suppliers:

  • Organic fruits and veggies from FEED Sonoma, a cooperative of farmers in the North Bay. Right now, we’re loving Chicories + Salad Mix from Zarate Family Farm, Harvest Moon Potatoes from Winter Sister Farm, and Citrus from Blossom Bluff Orchards.

  • Organic + fair trade coffee and espresso from Mr. Espresso in Oakland, CA, where beans have been roasting over oak wood fires for 50 years!

  • Ghee from Ancient Organics, just two blocks away from us in West Berkeley. Makes our buckwheat flatbread and English muffins extra delicious!

  • Gluten-free crackers from Cult Crackers, woman-owned and proudly produced in Berkeley!

  • Local beers on tap from our friends at Alameda Brewing and Humble Sea Brewing

About Us…

  • owner-operator

    Born and raised in Berkeley, Jennie fell in love with the hospitality industry while bartending in college. After years of working for environmental non-profits, Jennie decided to follow her passion for hospitality and service. She earned an MBA from the University of Chicago, focusing on restaurant entrepreneurship and is so excited to serve her hometown.

  • chef-owner

    Benji Smith has a decade of restaurant industry experience, ranging from modern Korean, to Chinese fine dining, to casual Scandinavian. He is passionate about the ways restaurants can support health, strengthen communities, and bring to life brighter futures.

But what does “UQBAR” mean?

Pronounced “ook-bar,” our name references a short story by Jorge Luis Borges, “Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius.” No spoilers here, but Uqbar is a fictional land somewhere in Asia Minor with a rich mythology and literary history. The story explores the idea of subjective idealism (the philosophical idea that reality is a construct of our consciousness) which struck us as an interesting way to think about how personal food is and to have fun making the food we love.