Cheap Eats: The Mixing Bowl

Buck and a quarter buys a lot at this Temescal eatery.

If the line at Bakesale Betty is stretching just a little bit long—even for one of those famous fried chicken sandwiches—you might consider ducking into The Mixing Bowl this weekend to take advantage of their Buck and a Quarter promotion.

Located just a couple doors down from Betty on Telegraph Ave. in Oakland's hip Temescal district, The Mixing Bowl's promotion is a true Cheap Eats find: 12 brunch items for just $1.25 each. And this isn't just cole slaw you're getting—menu items include two eggs scrambled, chicken sausages, mac and cheese, and french toast.

What's the catch? Well, this is the last weekend of a month-long promotion designed to finalize the breakfast and lunch spot's new weekend brunch menu, according to owner Grace Lee, who says patronage has tripled since word got out about the $1.25 menu.

"I can't afford to pay for market research so I just decided to have this sample menu and let the people vote, so to speak—we already know that the home fries are making the cut," Lee says. "It's funny, we've definitely been getting a different demographic, more of the Twitter generation—younger and hipper kids who are looking for a bargain."

Even if you don't make it this weekend, Lee says her new brunch menu starting the following Saturday will still be very affordable, consisting of plated meals priced between $5 and $8.

 The Mixing Bowl, 4920 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, (510) 655-5630, mixingbowloakland.com. Hours: Mon–Fri 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sat–Sun 8 a.m.–5 p.m.

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