Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.
Jamba Berkeley
The Jamba smoothie and juice chain, nee Jamba Juice, has permanently closed its busy Bancroft storefront across from UC Berkeley’s campus. Though the shop is marked temporarily closed on Yelp, the physical space has been fully emptied and signage has vanished. Jamba was at 2514 Bancroft Way in Berkeley.
Souvenir Coffee (Old Oakland)
Local coffee company Souvenir’s pretty Swan’s Market coffee shop in Old Oakland will close after service on July 31, as announced on the busy group’s Instagram. According to the post, the closure comes before an upcoming new location, more details to come. (Souvenir also has locations remaining in Albany, Berkeley and San Francisco.) Souvenir Coffee was at 917 Washington St. in Oakland.
Tacos El Ultimo Baile (Fruitvale)
Dominic Prado’s Tacos El Ultimo Baile Fruitvale Public Market storefront has closed after two years, but catering remains an option for fans of the immensely popular taqueria that began business as a taco stand and then food truck. (Note: The community-minded Oakland chef cooks frequently at local collaborations and events, is active on Instagram and is also running for Oakland City Council.) Tacos El Ultimo Baile is closed at 3340 E. 12th St. (Fruitvale Public Market) in Oakland, but remains available for catering.
Turkish Kitchen
It appears Berkeley’s venerable Turkish Kitchen has quietly closed, part of the ever-shifting landscape of downtown Berkeley. Though Nosh could not reach management for details (or possible future reopening?), black window coverings fill the high Shattuck Avenue restaurant windows, the neon signs seem dark for good, and the restaurant’s phone and web presences are both down. As locals might recall, the popular restaurant from A La Turca’s George Baylar first opened in 2007, adding vibrant, specifically Turkish specialties to Berkeley’s dining scene; a second location, Turkish Kitchen Express, was opened on Telegraph Avenue in 2012, but closed after one year. Turkish Kitchen was at 1986 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
