A restaurant inspired by the gastronomy of the Bay Area’s Indigenous Ohlone people will soon open high in the Berkeley Hills.
Located inside the Lawrence Hall of Science, the ‘ammatka Cafe is scheduled to debut for lunch service on Jan. 7, 2026. It’s the latest project from Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, who also run the seasonal restaurant ‘oṭṭoytak on the UC Berkeley campus, which reopens this spring. (Both eateries fall under their “Cafe Ohlone” label.)
“‘ammatka means ‘the dining hall’ in Chochenyo, the first language spoken in the East Bay,” according to the science museum. “The cafe offers a variety of options to satisfy different tastes. Our menu features beverages, snacks and entrees inspired by traditional Ohlone flavors and ingredients. Try a brownie made from pattih (pah-tee, chia) flour or a salad with šalkiič (sahl-keech, watercress). Young scientists can also enjoy Ohlone tater tots, ‘dino bites’ (chicken nuggets) and more kid-friendly options.”
The menu will highlight food important in Ohlone culture, with an emphasis on seasonality and local resources. A smoked-duck sandwich with Mt. Tam Triple Cream cheese is served with rose-hip jam, for instance. Black-sage tea is harvested from the museum’s nature lab, and a watercress pesto-ricotta wrap features produce grown at an Indigenous community-learning garden.
Admission to the Lawrence Hall of Science is not required to visit ‘ammatka Cafe. Seating is first-come, first-served with no reservations.
A restaurant inspired by the cuisine of the Bay Area’s Indigenous Ohlone people, called ‘ammatka Cafe, will open in January 2026 in Berkeley. It is located inside the Lawrence Hall of Science. Vincent Medina (left) and Louis Trevino are the founders of Cafe Ohlone and leaders of the ‘ottoy Initiative. (Courtesy of Lawrence Hall of Science)
“We want to show the richness and sophistication of Ohlone foods to children and adults alike, from elderflower grown in the hills to sage for the tea that’s grown in the Outdoor Nature Lab at the Lawrence,” Medina said in a statement. “Building up a respect for the food and traditions goes a long way to building up respect for Ohlone people.”
The ‘ammatka Cafe is part of a UC Berkeley program called the ‘ottoy Initiative, which seeks to mend the relationship between the university and the Berkeley’s original inhabitants. (The word ‘ottoy means “repair” in Chochenyo.)
In addition to the new cafe, the science museum has built a demonstration garden with information written in Chochenyo, and is debuting a planetarium show about Indigenous astronomy called “Traditions of the Winter Sky.”
Details: Open for lunch beginning on Jan. 7, 2026, from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Wednesday-Sunday at 1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley; lawrencehallofscience.org
A sample menu shows what’s planned for ‘ammatka Cafe, a restaurant inspired by the cuisine of the Bay Area’s Indigenous Ohlone people, which will open in January 2026 inside the Lawrence Hall of Science in Berkeley. (Courtesy of Lawrence Hall of Science)