The Station, a tiny corner eatery in South Berkeley that still carries the bones of a 1930s service station, has quietly turned into the kind of spot neighbors plan their week around. What started as Pizzaiolo’s pandemic pop-up is now a permanent smashburger stand where every main item stays under $14 and tickets move fast. Between the garden, the fire pit and a short, dependable menu, the little building at Russell and Claremont has become one of the East Bay’s buzziest quick stops.
The building opened as a Shell station in 1932 and pumped gas until 1969, and the current owners bought the property in December before rolling out a full menu in June 2025, as reported by SFGATE. After the purchase, they refreshed the outdoor seating, added music and a fire pit, and on warm nights the line often spills onto the sidewalk. The SFGATE profile also notes that the operation holds a tight eight-minute ticket time even when the place is slammed.
Menu Built for Speed and Under-$14 Prices
The Station’s menu stays deliberately short and affordable. The Original Back Alley Burger runs about $10.95 for a double, the Saigon Smash chicken sandwich starts under $13, and sides like fries are $4.95, according to the restaurant’s posted menu. Hand-spun shakes and a chocolate-dipped Straus soft-serve cone round out a lineup where every main item stays below $14, per The Station. That focus on simple builds and quick cooking is a big part of how the crew keeps tickets coming out in roughly eight minutes, customers say.
Who Is Behind the Counter
The Station was launched by Donna Insalaco and chef Charlie Hallowell, best known for running Pizzaiolo in Oakland, who folded the pop-up’s recipes into a permanent spot. Hallowell’s return to the dining scene has been controversial. Reporting in The San Francisco Standard details accusations from 2017 and notes that Hallowell later issued a public apology along with a plan for accountability. That coverage also points out that the owners say they are emphasizing a reworked management culture and hiring practices as they run the new shop.
Why People Keep Coming Back…