Red Onion

Simple, clean, and very tasty cheeseburger. Decent fries, and all very friendly and efficient. It's a small restaurant but there's a brisk takeaway business too. A great find whether you're on the road nearby or just needs something good in your belly.

My colleague and I are in town for work and on our last day wanted something quick but good. On our first day, we needed some items from Home Depot, and I remember noticing The Red Onion across the street. It had that vintage grease kitchen look, and I thought, "That place has to be good." Sure enough, it was delicious! I ordered a cheeseburger and added pickles, bacon, and jalapeños. Amazing! The staff was also very kind and accommodating. I highly recommend the Red Onion for a great meal made by great people.

This place is a hamburger joint right out of your Dad (or Grandad's) dreams. Friendly counter, a few small tables, excellent french fries, and absolutely amazing burgers. Simple, fresh, hot and tasty. Oh, and the shakes are SO thick. Nothing about this place is fancy, but everything about it is good. Old school delicious. I will be back.

Traditional diner experience! To-go orders only right now, so no dine-in. Cash preferred, otherwise there is a 4% charge for credit card. Really good food. Family run, this place is always great. Small parking lot, but it is only a few blocks from the Del Norte BART station. You can call in your order in advance. Milkshakes are awesome. Breakfast served 7am-11am.

We miss this place a lot. We had three meals there - in two days - and we loved all of it: The amazing staff, the awesome food, the authentic atmosphere. Never tasted a better Bacon Cheeseburger. Enjoyed the delicious pancakes, too! We would love to come back anytime - wouldn't The Red Onion not be this far away from Germany!

I thoroughly enjoyed the bacon cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke, and the meal was absolutely delicious. I would certainly recommend The Red Onion!

Grew up in the area and this place has always been legit good food. Fresh and tasty, simple but elegant. The vibes are relaxed, the price is right.

The Red Onion has been a staple in this community for FOREVER. Delicious CLASSIC Burger joint with a family feel. They serve a variety of menu options. I had a bacon Cheeseburger with fries, Strawberry Shake and a side of chili.

Very small little lunch counter in a random spot off San Pablo Ave. I wanted to go to Nathan's but my uncle told me they fell off and took us here instead. The burger was shockingly good and inexpensive. The San Pablo Ave corridor in El Cerrito/ Albany should really be recognized for all the great food spots.

The Red Onion serves a solid cheeseburger burger with all the fixings - lettuce, tomato and onion. Cooked rare as desired. Note a 4% fee is charged for credit or debit card usage.

The best food in the area. Typical breakfast and lunch joint. I stop by for a burger and shake every time I am in town. Family owned and friendly. Fair prices and quality service. Check it out.

Super friendly service. The chocolate milkshake was excellent, rich and creamy. The ham and cheese on sour sourdough was terrific. There was lots of cheese and the sourdough had a good tang. The fries were hot. I had a lettuce wrapped burger. The burger fit the lettuce. It was not too drippy. The restruant is small but they have tables and counters to sit at. Everything seemed clean. They have a regular customer base and a popular.

Got a bacon cheese burger and fries a few days ago. Friendly service when I paid/picked up. I couldn't help myself so I started eating in the car. Fries were crispy with a good amount of salt. The burger wasn't pretty but it was heavy and tasty! Maybe a 1/3 or 1/2lb patty. Tons of cheese and a couple slices of crispy bacon. I'll definitely be back.

Service and hospitality is great but the food isn't good. I've tried this spot three or four times in a span of two and half years. Well here's the final review Chilli cheese fries. - Garbage. Chilli tasted canned. But the worst is the cheese that they grilled on the hot grill trying to melt it for my fries lmao. A complete joke. Also the pricing on the wall doesn't match what they

Love this place. One of my go-tos growing up. I always enjoy the simplicity of their menu and what they make. The place itself is pretty small, but they do have a small parking lot. There seems to be many regulars that come here which is nice to see. Customer service is always welcoming as well, I could see why people become regulars here. Since the place is pretty small, the ambience is very casual. Most people take their orders to-go. I always get their cheeseburger with grilled onions, fries, and a shake. The burgers are always cooked juicy and they never skimp out on any ingredients which I appreciate. The portion sizes are large and very filling for me. I will be back!

Was on vacation in San Francisco stayed in an air bnb up the street was craving a burger didn't want to eat and at those commercial burger joints like carls , Jack , in and out found this cute lil mom and pop burger joint old school vibes the server took care of us right away the food was delicious and huge portions it was a traditional burger meat was Flavored veggies were fresh highly recommended this place if you ever in the area hard to find places like this nowadays happy I did

Best burger in the East Bay...maybe of all time. Staff is always friendly and the food is made with love. French fries are also delicious

Enjoyed my burger and fries. Very unpretentious working class place. Zero hipster vibes. The potatoes were cut by hand and delicious.

I wish i could leave this restaurant 10000 stars! They are amazing and we need more places like this to remain open. Woman owned, the owner is always there and is always so pleasant, personable and fast. The grill where your food is prepared is always so clean and organized. This has everything you want and expect from a burger dinner. The bacon cheeseburger literally has me in a chokehold and I dream about it at least once a week, exactly how burgers should be done. I highly suggest you come try this spot out!

The food is always hot delicious and on point friendly staff they got to know me so good they be laughing at me and my shake per week that I get

Cheeseburger was great. Fries were awesome as well. This is an old school diner with great customer service. Will be back again soon.

I've tried their cheeseburger, turkey burger and chicken sandwich and they are delicious! Don't forget an order of the fries!

Sorry, food was fine, but weaselyness and ripping off the customer is a pet peeve of mine, and drops you right down to one star in my book. I was overcharged, seemingly purposely. How interesting that someone else here mentioned the prices on the menu board are not what they charge you. Prices on menu board: Cheeseburger 8.99. Fries 3.99. Small soda 1.85. Total of these would be: $14.83. 10% tax adds: 1.48. Grand total should have been: 16.31. I WAS CHARGED 17.98. That's a $1.67 overcharge (more than 10% over) that they tried to sneak by me (I hadn't done the math in my head but I sensed this was too much; when I asked for a receipt, they only gave me the credit card receipt which was not itemized, so I couldn't do the math until after I left. Otherwise I would have pointed it out on the spot). Even if they charge more for using credit (which is also a problem because they have no signs notifying us of this), 10% is too much. The couldn't have charged me for a medium soda instead, because they did bring me a small soda (also the price of a medium wouldn't be that much extra, and anyway that too would still have been overcharging). Red Onion, if you are reading this, the lesson is simple: DO NOT CHEAT YOUR CUSTOMERS. Post accurate prices and charge people correctly. Sure, most people won't notice you are overcharging them, but some might. Either way, it is unscrupulous. I will not return, or if I do, I will use a calculator at the register and call you out on your deception on the spot next time.

Food was excellent we stopped by it twice on way to Home Depot and each time the burger and onion rings were excellent.

This place is very small, but they have great food and friendly staff. There's parking on the property which is good. Try this place out! You won't regret it!

Food is alright, but you cant place an oder because they never answer there phone, go to nations instead

Found a bunch of hair on my burger, like it was done on purpose. No reason for them to do it- I was polite and didn't have conflict with them.

I've always had a good experience here. Super friendly service and one of the best burgers I've ever had. If you want to taste what an Iconic American burger is, this is the place to go. It's simple and delicious. the beef is fresh and tasty. Dare I say, better than In n Out. I was gonna share my Oreo shake but ended up finishing most of it, it was so good. It wasn't too sweet. One thing I wasn't into was their fries. It was kinda meh. Just had to ketchup it. Still gets a five star for me, especially their service.

Simple no-frills burger spot. Everyone there is so nice! Although I didn't ask for it, it seems like they can do custom burgers, within reason of course. Will gladly come again!

Delicious Classic! Great customer service. Definitely coming back! Clean kitchen beautiful to see.

Love this place. They work hard to get your order right and it is consistently delicious. Adorable little diner with cute tables and friendly staff. A real El Cerrito gem.

Very good burgers, cooked to order. Service at present is strictly to-go, lots of regulars, only 3 folks run the whole place: one on the fryer, one at the grill, one doing *everything* else. Carry out process is super efficient. I plan a burger here whenever I come to the Home Depot.

I love this place! So simple, so good. Whether you get a burger, chicken sandwich or just some fries you will not be dissapointed. Simple ingredients a bit of attention to detail, quick service and fair pricing makes this a local gem. I canenwith quite a few people as our other plans fell through (6 people to be exact) and they served us while filling call in orders as well. Call in your order if you can that seems to be the fastest way to get served!

The food here at The Red Onion was freshly prepared and seasoned very well. This was my first visit here as I ordered two cheeseburgers, fries, onion rings, a vanilla & pineapple milkshake. The burgers were both delicious & filling. The onion rings were lightly battered and fresh fries were tasty. Both milkshakes were thick and flavorful. The owner was nice and greeted me well upon entering the business establishment. I love patronizing small businesses, and I recommend The Red Onion for freshly prepared food in a small Mom & Pops cozy environment.

solid. just ask for what you want - they will give it to you via flattop. love you RO - but please stop with the price hikes! it's getting kinda crazy. i want to always support y'all, and i get inflation and wage increases - but be kind.

Great burger! Fresh & juicy! Grilled onions a plus! Crispy fries!!! Friendly staff. A diner!

Excellent staff & food. Also cheerful and professional. Best burgers in the Bay Area. Also on time for pick up!

The burgers here are pretty good but the service is not. I stopped because my daughter and grandson were going to join me but found out they are still take out only. They have no kid size burgers so had to buy a regular burger for him. In total I spent almost $50 for 3 burgers and a fry. The burgers were soggy and way too big. I don't need or eat 1/2 lb of meat ever. I did like the taste but I won't be back.

I always support the local guy. The Red Onion is a great example of the local guy. Good, simple food at reasonable prices. A burger, fries, and a soft drink for under $20.00 (Nov. 2023) just can't be beat.

The Red Onion is a family owned and operated small business that is a fixture in El Cerrito. If you want a burger done "your way" give them a try. Dining in is not their long suit but they deliver on food quality and friendly service. Even dining in gives you the American small diner vibe.

Great little "hole in a wall", super busy with regular customers who placed their orders ahead of time but I wanted to ask what was good. There was a young man with who appeared to be his parents working in a frantic pace to meet the needs of the customers. I was told that the chili dog was good, so I ordered that; ordered a bacon cheeseburger for my love because he loves raw red onions. He was in heaven and I was starving so it was decent, there was nothing out of the ordinary with the chili but it satisfied my hunger.

Currently you cannot sit inside. Take out only. Definitely, not the place to go for a bite to eat. Maybe if they were the only place at the end of the Apocalypse, but it's still a strong maybe. There's nothing special just your basic frozen patties warmed on a grill. Frozen fries and standard fountain drinks. Any add on's are an extra charge. I asked what kind of cheese they have and she said yellow and swiss. YELLOW?!? She could have said American or Cheddar, no she literally called the cheese by its color. I asked for avocado on my turkey burger and I did not get it. Sucks I could not find that out until after I am out of the area and already eating. Very bland with the turkey burger and fries. I think you probably had to tell them to add salt to your food and then charge you for it. Located near an underpass. If you did not know it was there you should pass it. The parking lot is uneven and small. Located I guess in the El Cerrito area where they're trying to make more shopping plaza-ish.

They took such good care of me and my son so we could go home nice full and happy. Food was excellent and we will be back soon. Been going here since I was in high school and it's still the best!

Arturo and Angie make an awesome team! Their location is super clean and very cozy! I love how good the hygiene is at this location! Gloves are always changed after cashiering! They are very fast and efficient! I will definitely recommend my friends and family here! We love it! And my 49ers friend sitting here next to me agrees completely!

If you ever want to feel like you're in a small town even though you're in a city, come here because this is the cutest greasy spoon type diner with friendly service and fresh hot fast food that I've come across since moving back to El Cerrito. Finally, a worthy replacement for Oscar's, which closed down in Berkeley years ago and left a burger-shaped hole in my heart. I went in for a regular cheeseburger and fries to go. The greeter rang me up right away, and I watched as the fries went straight from the scooper into my to-go bag. If that's not fresh, hot, and juicy I don't know what is.

This is one of those hole in the wall places that you pray never get too big because often times it means the yumminess just goes downhill quickly. We love this place, the service, the food esp the cheeseburgers and onion rings and the fact that you can see them cooking the food right in front of you. Thank you, please don't change !

Food smells great and portions were huge . However was not all that tasty , to greasy and not very attentive and or friendly.

This review is long overdue. Every single item on their menu is absolutely amazing. From the cooks to the staff, you just feel immediately at home when you walk in. Every item is cooked to order, so be patient. You won't be disappointed. It's my daughter's favorite place to go to after school and I'm so happy that she can make memories with her friends at this local joint.

Great place for burgers. Thus is not a fancy place at all. In fact it has changed little since it opened. They have added ootions like veggie burgers with whole wheat buns, but the burgers fries and shakes have been made the same way for decades. You won't find fancy elk or ostrich burgers with artisanal cheese, but we don't come here for that kind of food. This is comfort food at its best.

This place is a classic in the Richmond / El Cerrito area. This family-owned business has been around for as long as I can remember. The family who runs the place is delightful. Their staples are burgers, fries and shakes. All of which are fantastic. They will meticulously take down your order and always make it right. My new discovery recently at the Red Onion was that they also have breakfast! Tried it out and it was fantastic. Ordered an eggs and hashbrowns, requesting the hashbrowns crispy and the eggs scrambled soft. Both came out perfectly. It also came with some toast. Great morning starter. See you soon, Red Onion.

The food is really good but terrible customer service by the older Hispanic lady taking the food orders. She discriminates against Hispanics (her own kind) she is rude and unfriendly. La comida esta buena pero esta una señora mayor latina tomando ordenes que es grosera y tiene muy mal modo especialmente contra la gente latina. No es la culpa de los clientes que se ponga de mal humor por que estan ocupados.

Over priced cheese burger. Wasn't that good at all, fries were mediocre at best. Would've been better off with "in n out"

YELP 100 CHALLENGE 2018 - 86/100. Just dropped off Hubbers at the El Cerrito Del Norte BART station early one morning when this sudden taste for a mushroom burger kicked in. (Yes, for breakfast. Apparently, my stomach never cares what time it is.) I'm not really familiar with this area, so once again, Yelp was to the rescue! Who knew I would end up just right around the corner! It has a lot of parking for a small place. It's very dive-like, can probably accommodate no more than 20 people, maybe. I asked for a burger with mushrooms, no pickles, no mustard, everything else is okay. "To go, please?" Everything is made to order. I took a seat at the bar and noticed 3 tickets ahead of mine, and with only one cook on the flat top, I knew it was gonna take a minute. Nope. She cooked everything almost simultaneously. She used almost every inch of that flat top grill to get orders out as fast as possible. I watched her make my burger from beginning to end. And I was in the car headed home in no-time. Busted that burger diaper open soon as I settled in and took a bite. Whoa, it was the exact taste my palate was looking for! Burger was seasoned and cooked to a juicy medium, mushrooms were seasoned perfect and the veggies were done fresh! It was DELISH!!! Mushroom burger for breakfast done right. I was basking in satisfaction. I'd definitely do it again, and if I find myself around this area, this would be my go-to for exactly just that.

Super delicious Es un buen tamaño y todo sabe muy rico . Lo único malo es que no tienen combos

their BLT is so bomb every time. I like adding jalapeños. I also love the waffle fries & of course the onion rings. ORDERING: my bf & I always call ahead of time so that the food is pretty much ready when we get there. we never have any problems ordering & it doesn't take too long for the food to be ready. 10/10 would recommend

They serve up a REALLY good cheeseburger. I got mine with grilled onions and all the fixings. It reminded me of Hodad's...my favorite burger in San Diego. The burger doesn't come with fries, you have to order them separately. I opted for onion rings. The onion rings were ok. They were nice and crisp but pretty greasy. I'm not sure I would order them again. I would probably get the fries....and maybe order the fries "crispy" as they seemed a little light in color for my liking. I didn't try a shake/malt. I would like to try that next time, for sure. Overall, I would definitely comeback here again when I'm in the area. The only reason for the 4 stars and not 5 is because of the noise level. The fan over the grill is SUPER loud. And the place is really small. The sound of the grill-fan really takes over the entire place.

I love the Red Onion's burgers and cannot wait for them to re-open for indoor dining (hopefully they are planning on it!). I check at least every other weekend to see if they have yet. I don't drive and it's a good walk for me to get up here, so I only eat my lunches out at spots that I can eat at. Fortunately the area is not short on excellent choices. I will be back in as soon as I see that "take-out" only sign has been taken down!