Rio California

The jerk chicken at Rio California is easily one of my top 5 chicken dishes, of any style or type, of all time. The spiciness and flavor and tenderness of the jerk chicken is perfect. The owner is always so friendly and helpful. I tend to get four or five chicken dishes at a time and then my wife and I eat them for several days in a row. I love how the restaurant is quaintly situated in the cute Preservation Park. A delightful experience every time!

This is one of our go to spots whenever we have people visiting from out of town. They didn't have my favorite on the menu today so got the fish tacos. They were okay. Fish was excellent quality but needed some sauce or something. We sat in the little room towards the front of the building which was nice and sunny. This restaurant is located in a historic Victorian house. The owner (?) sometimes gets a bad rap but he's always been nice to us.

Great jerk chicken and fish tacos. True Brazilian food make sure to try their signature drink there Guarana the Brazilian original.

Delicious food- jerk chicken was great. Good portion sizes and well priced. Overlooking garden in Preservation park.

I can't get enough of this place bc of the food & the owner, Nathan who has a true passion of serving great food.I always come for the Jerk Chicken, consistently moist & infused with herbs. The next dish was Coxinha(not pictured)which is a popular Brazilian street food & I can see why. The light & crispy croquette filled with chicken meat was perfectly fried & had enough moistness inside that one can only beg for more. Although 3 Coxinha's come on the plate, don't be deceived at how filling it can make you. What I also appreciate is the generous amount of salad that is included, with only the freshest of ingredients.The last dish we ordered was the Creamy Lemon Seafood Risotto. The only thing I wish for is for them to be closer to my home.

Rio California never fails! With a packed house and only the owner taking orders and serving plates...the food remains AMAZING. It remained flavorful with big portions. Must try the Jerk Chicken Plate.

My partner and I have been wanting to go to Rio for a long time and I am so happy we finally went. He found it tucked away in a handsome building in Oakland's Preservation Park and was dying to go because he has a fascination with places that are somewhat tucked away. While it looks small, the restaurant had nice indoor and outdoor seating. The food was absolutely delicious and filling. He had the feijoada and cleaned his (substantial) plate, saying the black beans were cooked to perfection and the combination of collard greens and yucca flour really made for a unique and delicious dish. I had the jerk chicken burrito, which was very good (albeit huge). The chicken was moist and the salsa was a really flavorful complement to the burrito.There is table service after ordering at the counter. I suspect the cashier was the owner, as he had extensive knowledge of all the dishes and offered up a few Brazilian cultural tidbits. He was very nice and accommodating to my request to hold the pico de gallo due to a food allergy.I highly recommend this spot if you can make it during the time it is open. While the menu is chicken heavy, there are fish and veggie options.

If you're looking for a little adventure for lunch, try this place out. It's located in Preservation Park, a beautiful and unique setting in Downtown Oakland. The food is tropical with a Brazilian accent. I ordered the Feijoada, a Brazilian stew of sausage, pork and black beans. The first picture is how it arrived at our table, then I was told told mix everything up on the plate. When I did, the dish came to life and it was delicious! I will definitely order this again. She got the fish tacos but although there was a nice piece of fish on each taco, they weren't very well seasoned. She did love the salad, especially the dressing. We'll be back!

Great service and food. Enjoying the hidden romantic location and the warmth environment. Upon entering, you will always received a tenderness greeting. Favorite dish is the Creamy Chipotle Mole Shrimp. Mixing the chipotle sauce with white steamed rice. The side of salad comes with cilantro dressing. It is so delicious.

Super high quality Brazilian food, definitely give this place a try! Food came in huge portions and dishes were so flavorful! Atmosphere was super cozy and nice, with lots of seating. Workers were also so friendly and kind. If you're in the bay, I highly recommend trying this out!