Overview
El Cerrito is just north of Albany in the inner East Bay in California.
3 sights · 1 things to do · 4 places to eat · 1 bars & cafés · 1 places to stay
Updated from Wikivoyage on 1 October 2026 · Something wrong or missing? Improve it on Wikivoyage
Best things about El Cerrito
Metallica House
This non-descript house housed the members of heavy metal band Metallica from 1983-1986. In the house and garage they wrote and rehearsed the songs for 'Ride the Lightning' and 'Master of Puppets.'
Ray Nelson House
This home long belonged to the science-fiction writer Ray Nelson, inventor of the propeller beanie, where he held the Thursday's Child writing workshop offering mentorship to writers including Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursu…
Fogerty House
The childhood home the Fogerty brothers. The home's garage was the early practicing location of their band, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The Cerrito Theater
Catch a movie and dine in style at this lovingly restored Art Deco theater, which is operated by the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito. The Cerrito Theater features pub grub and beer, which you can polish off while you watch your m…
Plan your trip
Best time to visit & weather
Most comfortable: Mar–Nov. Summer highs reach about 76°F; winter lows dip to about 43°F. Wettest: Dec and Feb. (climate data from nearby Berkeley)
Blue bars: average daily high and low (°F). Purple columns: average monthly rain and melted snow (inches).
Getting there
- From you: to see whether to drive or fly, and how long it takes.
- OAK Oakland San Francisco Bay Airport, Oakland — 14 mi away (major hub). Directions
- CCR Buchanan Field, Concord — 15 mi away. Directions
Oakland International Airport (OAK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) have Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations. Take the Richmond Line to the El Cerrito Plaza Station or El Cerrito Del Norte station. If traveling by car, take the Central Avenue exit from Interstate 80 or Interstate 580.
Full “Get in” guide ↓Budget & where to stay
No prices are listed for this place yet. See the Sleep guide ↓ for options.
Sample 1-day itinerary
Day 1
- Morning Metallica House, The Cerrito Theater
- Lunch New Dumpling
- Afternoon Ray Nelson House, Fogerty House
- Dinner Nation's Giant Hamburgers
- Evening Elevation 66 Brewing Company
Stops are grouped by area so each day needs little backtracking. Check opening hours before you go.
Food for you
Cuisine (tap to filter)
What to ask about, for your diet
Diet labels come from each listing's description and cuisine; “likely” means the cuisine usually has good choices, not a promise. Check with the restaurant. Open the food finder
Photos
Map
Every listing with a location. Tap a pin for its Google Maps link.
Get in
Oakland International Airport (OAK) and San Francisco International Airport (SFO) have Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) stations. Take the Richmond Line to the El Cerrito Plaza Station or El Cerrito Del Norte station. If traveling by car, take the Central Avenue exit from Interstate 80 or Interstate 580.
Del Norte BART station is something of a hub for regional buses. Golden Gate Transit bus 580 runs once an hour from San Rafael in Marin County across the bay, WestCAT buses run about twice an hour from Pinole, AC Transit comes from nearby parts of the inner East Bay, and other buses come from Solano County (SolTrans) and Napa County (Vine).
Because the cities and towns on the eastern shore of the San Francisco Bay all butt up against each other and function as one large metro area, it's likely that you will also visit El Cerrito's neighboring East Bay towns, such as Berkeley, Emeryville, Albany, and Richmond, so much of the information about getting to those places also applies to getting to El Cerrito.
See
See Metallica House
This non-descript house housed the members of heavy metal band Metallica from 1983-1986. In the house and garage they wrote and rehearsed the songs for 'Ride the Lightning' and 'Master of Puppets.'
See Ray Nelson House
This home long belonged to the science-fiction writer Ray Nelson, inventor of the propeller beanie, where he held the Thursday's Child writing workshop offering mentorship to writers including Marion Zimmer Bradley, Ursula le Guin, Chelsea Quin Yarbro, and Anne Rice. Other writer friends such as Philip Dick made occasional appearances.
See Fogerty House
The childhood home the Fogerty brothers. The home's garage was the early practicing location of their band, Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Do
Do The Cerrito Theater (Rialto Cinemas Cerrito)
Catch a movie and dine in style at this lovingly restored Art Deco theater, which is operated by the Rialto Cinemas Cerrito. The Cerrito Theater features pub grub and beer, which you can polish off while you watch your movie, and has couches, tables, and traditional theater seating. In addition to the latest blockbusters, The Cerrito features classic films, and hosts special events. There are also special baby and toddler friendly screening times.
Buy
Shop El Cerrito Plaza
Standard American outdoor shopping mall, including Marshalls, Ross, Barnes and Noble, Trader Joe's, Lucky, CVS, the Japanese dollar store Daiso, and a handful of restaurants.
Eat
Eat Fat Apple's Restaurant & Bakery
Fat Apples is a local tradition, serving typical breakfast staple items, such as waffles, buttermilk pancakes, and home fries, as well as few unusual ones (the pumpkin pancakes are delicious). The lunch and dinner menus are full of homey family fare, such as cheese burgers, onion rings, spaghetti, tuna melts, and salads. But the main attraction is the baked goods and desserts. The on-site bakery, which supplies the Berkeley Fat Apples restaurant, serves up delicious pies, cakes, cookies, cheese puffs, and all sorts of other baked items fresh from the oven. The El Cerrito Fat Apples is in a converted grocery store space, which won a prize for its deconstructed interior, and the focal point of the restaurant is the huge, red bakery oven sitting in the center of an open kitchen.
Eat Nation's Giant Hamburgers
El Cerrito is the headquarters of the famous Northern California hamburger chain. Nation's is often voted "best burger" in local newspaper polls. The flagship store on the corner of Central and San Pablo serves up monster burgers, fries, and shakes, as well as breakfast all day (and night), and fresh pies. Vegetarians can gobble "Harvester" meatless burgers and scarf down excellent hashbrowns.
Eat Yoshio Sushi
One of the most well-respected local Japanese restaurants in the East Bay north of Oakland. Well-decorated without being flashy or overwhelming inside. The tonkatsu, gyoza, and various nigiri sushi are deserved favorites here.
Eat New Dumpling (新水餃)
Small family-run restaurant serving excellent, authentic Chinese dumplings and an array of sides.
Drink
Drink Elevation 66 Brewing Company
The brewery features six beers that are crafted on site and a rotating selection of guest taps from other California microbreweries. With twelve beers available at all times at the brewery, the portfolio of beers should be broad enough to satisfy almost all preferences of style.
Sleep
Nearby
Albany
City / town · 13 listings · 2 mi away
Richmond
City / town · 22 listings · 2 mi away
Berkeley
City / town · 94 listings · 3 mi away
Emeryville
City / town · 21 listings · 5 mi away
Pinole
City / town · 10 listings · 6 mi away
Orinda
City / town · 8 listings · 7 mi away
Angel Island
Park · 5 listings · 8 mi away
Tiburon
City / town · 14 listings · 8 mi away
My experience
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