The Most Delectable Comfort Food in Oakland

Cinema Grill

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (263) • $$

"The service was five stars The drinks 5 stars The food was 2 stars. Mismatch opportunities as well as mismatch level of service. Ordered the sidecar drink which was very delicious and my father ordered a beer. He ordered fish and chips and when he asked for tartar sauce they didn't have any. So what's the whole point of fish and chips? I ordered the Snow White Pizza. It was served lukewarm and not fully cooked. You can tell they cooked the dough and the sauce and then added lukewarm toppings on top. Not sure what the white chunky cheese was. This is very basic pub food in general and does not meet the expectations of a higher bar that they provide. This was a mistake coming here for dinner."

Cam Huong Cafe Deli

★★★★☆ 4.1 (596) • $

"Quality/Quantity - Special Combo with Pork Roll Slices - Good, my usual go to item.BBQ Chicken with Mayo - Got this for my wife, her usual go to item.Large Chow Mein - Been craving noodles...All of which were good. Nothing special, but good. Good solid food for reasonable prices.Also available are drinks, snacks, prepared foods, etc. See pictures.Also available are soups, rice plates, lunch specials.Catering is also available. I saw a separate line for catering pick up, and it was busy!Atmosphere - Good size location; it looks like they are expanding into next door...? See pictures. No restrooms; they had signs posted everywhere throughout. They must get asked this often.Street parking, good luck.Open 7 days a week from 7am to 6pm.Service - Again, nothing special. Good, not bad. Efficient, not friendly, but not rude.It was busy prime lunch time, but they were fairly organized. I also felt that most, if not all, of their customers were regulars, they all seemed to know where to stand and get in line, especially because they had minimum signage/directions.Price - $20.50, inexpensive in my opinion.2.8% charge to use a credit card. I paid cash.Owner Comment - Congrats on your success since 1985 and with your two locations."

Sons of Liberty Alehouse

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"I can't say enough about this place and I'm trying very hard not to gush. But when you have a cocktail named 'An Italian, a Frenchman and a Filipino Walk Into a Bar' and there's calamansi juice in it--game over. Pretty and refreshing, I could've downed another two. Their lime Sriracha wings were amazing and the burger with blue cheese crumbles, equally delicious served with the crunchiest, most well seasoned fries I've had in a long time. Props to our cute and friendly server, Bee. She said "like Bumble" and because I'm old and crusty, I wanted to say, "like Aunt.""

Rudy's Can't Fail Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.4 • $$

"Rudy's is aptly named--it can't fail! Staff is friendly and helpful, the food is plentiful and tasty, with a good variety for vegans and vegetarians. Comfy ambiance too."

Berevino

★★★★☆ 3.7 (686) • $$

"Wonderful dinner here tonight. Wife had the chicken parm, I had the short rib papperdelle and son had the Meatza pizza. The food was outstanding. Really really good. Drinks were good as well. Service (Antonio?) was really attentive and good. Kills me that they are changing to become a kebab place. That's tragic!! Oh well. Glad we went before the change."

Southside Station

★★★★★ 4.6 (311) • $$

"I can't believe I've never been to Southside Station before for their fried chicken sandwiches ~ 2025 is the year of discovery and I'm so happy I made it into this super cute and cozy spot on Shattuck. After reading several reviews and recs about the wings, sandwiches, and creative food fusions here, I was in the area and had to swing through. I will say the fried chicken sandwich is noteworthy and a top contender for East Bay. I know there are so many places that have amazing fried chicken sammies these days after the craze hit, but give this one a try if you're near or around the area.The meat is clean, juicy, and for the value, great portions (insta-worthy portions). The buns are made in-house, topped with pickled papaya and a Sriracha sauce of some kind. Delish! I also had a Thai Palmer (an Arnold Palmer x Thai Tea hybrid), and it did the trick! The chef and co-owner is so kind and cool, a husband/wife duo I believe. Would love to come back and try the Chicken Satay Tacos (how fun!). Catering/Party trays available and a kiddo menu as well. Parking can be tricky on Shattuck, but where this spot is located, you can get lucky! Metered parking, but totally worth it!"

Carnitas El Rincon - Hayward

★★★★☆ 3.6 (83) • $$

"Best carnitas I've ever had outside of Mexico. You HAVE to get the combos. That's the best bang for your buck, also get the carnitas MIXTAS. Straight fire. Their house salsa is so good too. Estás carnitas son las carnitas más deliciosas que e comido fuera de México. Vivo en San Francisco y vengo hasta Hayward a comprar estas carnitas mixtas."

Tin & Pig - Kang Tong Degi

★★★★☆ 4.1 (445) • $$

"First timer, Tin & Pig is def serving up some authentic Korean food. The ambiance was great the meals are extremely hearty but also pretty pricy which is why I took a star away - not saying it's not worth it but it could be a tab then again what's not now a day's. I'm a huge fan of Kimchi Stew this one had pork in it, very rich & comforting on a rainy night served with a side of rice. Def enjoyed it. Got the sweet & spicy wings & the plain wing's I wanted the sauce on the side but it's $3 to have the sauce on the side which kinda confused me? Regardless packed with flavor and fried to perfection. The bulgogi w/rice & egg which is semi pictured could honestly be skipped on. It was good but it didn't stand out to me. Def wanna try hot pot going back.Over all the customer service was great, the gentleman who served us was very personable & he checked in but also gave enough space for us to have a conversation. Hopefully you guys enjoy this place & try it out :)"

Mama’s Papas

★★★★★ 4.8 (35)

"The food here is amazing!They have a physical location at Birdhaus for a few months, and it's highly worth your time to stop by.I popped in just to try out a new place, and I already know I'll be coming back.The kalua pork quesataco is incredible. Unlike most kalua pork dishes I've had at other places, this pork was tender, juicy, flavorful.It's 100% a must-try!"

Elios Family Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.5 (806) • $$

"We all need more restaurants like Elios. When I ate here, I felt that sense of nostalgia for diners and family restaurants serving an eclectic array of dishes. There's also the clientele of these types of places that warms the heart sometimes: Like, older couples, eating dinner before 5pm, looking for that blue plate special, families, and working class regulars who sit at the counter. Then there's the regular staff who are known by everyone and know everyone. Elios seems to have it all as far as that nostalgic dining experience I'm talking about. The food I've tried has been pretty good and I hope to go back to taste their specials. I recently had the fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and was very pleased it was a big portion served with garlic bread and soup--the sauce was not an afterthought, it was very creamy and I could taste the flavors of parmesan and garlic. We also ordered the pork chop and cheeseburger. Though I didn't eat either dish I was told they were good. I was impressed by their carrot cake too; I ate it so fast I forgot to take a picture (I forgot to ask if they make it in-house). I have a feeling I'll be coming back again soon."

Baltic Kiss

★★★★☆ 3.9 (65) • $$

"this is the most underrated/unknown amazing restaurant. The food here is AMAZING - never hand anything less than delicious tho my standard go-to is the shrimp 'n' grits. it's a lovely place to eat outside on their patio and listen to some live music in the most uniquely beautiful art-garden of a space. it's hard to know that it's even a restaurant and you'll probably have to tell someone that you're there for food, since it's mostly a bar and hangout for music. went here for a party once and Chef Tony cooked up the most incredible cajun FEAST. Also the BBQ truck out in the back parking lot kicks ass.GO HERE. TIP THE BAND. TIP YOUR SERVER."

DesiLicious

★★★★★ 4.7 (18)

"I ordered a rice and lentils for just $5.50 a week or two ago through the "Too Good To Go" app, which is a tool to try to help combat food waste and introduce people to new businesses. They had the food ready to go (no pun intended) when I arrived within the 4-9pm pickup window. I probably wouldnt have ventured that way anytime soon without the app. It looked warm and inviting inside but I did not stay or try anything else yet. I am a big fan of Middle Eastern food though and am glad this place exists - authentic Pakistani food. Some of the drinks (non-alcoholic of course) on the menu looked really good. Would go back to try some, like the mint/lemonade."

Roll & Bowl

★★★★☆ 4.2 (155) • $$

"I ordered brownie with banana & chocolate syrup. It was absolutely delicious! So happy to know that there's an ice cream rolls shop that does not disappoint in the East Bay! They have a great variety of flavors. I'd advocate for more toppings such as gummy bears :) but not a deal breaker. Will certainly be having this again!"

Sailing Goat Restaurant

★★★★☆ 3.7 (166) • $$

"I LOVE THIS PLACE! This was my second time here and I'm already looking forward to coming back and I just finished my food. The ambience of the surroundings really makes this place a special stop to get some amazing quality food. It's located right in the water tucked back pretty far from the main roads but the 10 minute detour to get here is a stunning drive and the destination is a beautiful little cove where the restaurant is tucked in. The service is always very fast, even if they are busy. The fish and chips is probably some of the best I've ever had in my life and they are gluten-free, which is a huge plus for people with dietary restriction! Check this place out!"

YAYOI

★★★★☆ 3.7 (883) • $$

"I didn't know what to expect of this restaurant as I walked here from my hotel. But I was impressed. It seemed very traditional Japanese in the menu. I ordered the Katsu Curry, a salad and a side of Salmon Sashimi. I also had an iced matcha green tea.Everything met or exceeded my expectations. Service was quick and helpful. The ordering is done through a tableside tablet. That was easy.All in all it was a great choice."

Chang Thai

★★★★☆ 4.1 (198) • $

"This place is delicious. Can't wait to come back and try other things on the menu. This is definitely an unassuming mom and pop shop. Definitely worth a visit. When we came there were no other customers but don't let that fool you. Everything we ordered was so full of flavor leaving our tastebuds tantalized Coming back for sure if we're in the area"

Burdell

★★★★☆ 3.8 (210)

"Trying to ignore the hype, my friends and I and headed over on a Friday night. We were greeted warmly by staff who seated us in the clean, uncluttered space. We then proceeded to order drinks and a few starters, including the beet salad, the shrimp, and rice grits. Holy wow, Batman. The dishes were not just beautifully crafted and plated, but were exceptionally tasty and all very unique in their own way. I enjoyed how everything was served in homestyle dishware similar to the type I grew up with. For entrées, we ordered the mushrooms and brussels, the cod, the duck, and the cornbread on the side. If there was any weak point of the meal, it was the cod: it was probably the least least "punchy"-- good fish, by all means, but the rest of the dishes were so unique, this one felt the most standard and expected. Also, as someone who has not had great experiences with duck, I was blown away by the duck dish. It was an amazing texture and was I was done perfectly. I would come back and eat that duck every week if I could afford it. Moreover, the staff was very friendly when I didn't enjoy one of the cocktails and continued to provide impeccable service all night. I will definitely be back when I need a night of indulgence."

Homeroom Berkeley

★★★★☆ 4.2 (181) • $$

"Was welcomed as soon as I entered. Seated immediately. Service was fair. Stronger at the start, but once I received my ordered, I was left unattended. The plates are a whopping portion size. The gluten free elbows are tiny, and the vegan cheese sauce was a bit runny so eating with fork didn't quite cut it, when I finally flagged someone down and requested a spoon, I was able to dig in. I added broccoli, spinach, jalapeños and tomato. The added veggies were pretty scarce, especially the jalapeño.The dish was piping hot, and I really enjoyed the flavor or the cheese sauce for a vegan version. Hoping service is a bit better next time, and now I know to order dbl or triple veggies in order to get my dish to my exact desires.Happy I stopped in and will return. It's great to have a place to enjoy vegan + gluten food. Huge dining room and big bar. Prices are fair."

Napa Valley Bistro

★★★★☆ 4.1 (837) • $$

"Napa Valley Bistro was incredible. It is kind of outside of downtown Napa so the area is fairly quiet. We were surprised that for a Saturday lunch, there were not a lot of people there. I brought my friends here to celebrate someone's 21st birthday. The inside had a beautiful long painting of the mountains and there were wooden tables that had wine glasses set up. They're truly living in the "wine culture."I wish I remembered the server's name but she was such a lovely lady. She was very nice and was able to provide a sweet cake surprise for my friend turning 21. The cake piece was too big for everyone and everyone's dishes were given at quite a generous portion.I bought the Summer Spring Vegetable Risotto. I love how the risotto just melts when you eat it. The seasonal vegetables were extremely well done for the taste and I couldn't have asked a better way to celebrate my friend's 21st birthday.There is a spot where you can make reservations, but for the most part, walking in should be fine."

Break Your Fast

★★★★☆ 3.8 • $$

"This place is a hidden gem. The service was great, food was delicious and ambience was very cozy. Our fav was the patty melt! I'll be back again."

Red Chili Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4.1 (524) • $$

"Man of man! I truly only have positive things to say about this restaurant! I had heard that they have really good wings and as a wing enthusiast, I had to give it a try! Some people may be a bit hesitant at the sound of fish sauce wings but these are truly the best wings i've ever had. They came out perfectly crispy and sauced. They even top them with I think are fried garlic chips to give it an additional crunch! This place is a 10/10 without a shadow of a doubt!"

Maggie's Restaurant

★★★★☆ 4 (192) • $

"Had a great breakfast here. Small-town diner experience and the food was delicious. I recommend ordering your pancakes "crispy!"Joe's Special Scramble was also delicious, creatively combining eggs and hamburger meat for the best of both worlds.Thanks for reading and have a nice rest of your day."

Boltiful Fresh Kitchen

★★★★★ 4.7 (227) • $$

"What a cute name.. Boltiful! I found this spot nearby me on Yelp, and I got takeout from there twice so far. Both times I got the terriyaki bowl, which was very yummy, big portions, and a good mix of things. You got the protein, vegetables, and carbs. I love the spicy chili mayo sauce. Staff is friendly and fast. The place looks clean and vibrant. I definitely would come here again when I want a yummy and pretty healthy lunch. :)"

Homeroom

★★★★☆ 4.1 • $$

"In honor of Homeroom's #GoldenBirthday, I'll share my very favorite Homeroom memory: getting the restaurant featured on Check, Please! Bay Area and being a guest on the show.It was 2018 and I'd been submitting applications for Check, Please! from time to time, though I'd been trying to get a different restaurant featured on the show. After discovering Homeroom and falling in love with the food, I submitted yet another application to be on the show, but this time my restaurant of choice was Homeroom.I got a call from a PBS employee working on the show, who asked if they could talk to me about my application. They were intrigued by Homeroom and said that a mac and cheese restaurant "filled a hole" they needed to fill, as they'd never before featured a mac-and-cheese-focused restaurant on Check, Please! They called me into the studio, gave me a screening, and asked me to just start talking about the restaurant as though I was one of the guests on the show. I spoke on the fly for a short while before one of the producers stopped me, told me that was great, and said they wanted me on the show.They told me they'd have to get into contact with the owners of Homeroom to see if they'd be willing to be featured and let their camera crews into the restaurant. Sure enough, they were, and the rest was history. I went into the studio in May to film the episode with the two other guests and got my first behind-the-scenes experience of how TV shows get made. (In my case, lots of reapplications of face powder for my oily skin were a necessity to eliminate the shine on camera.)When the episode first aired in October, my family and I all got plates of Homeroom to go and ate them at my grandma's house in Oakland while we all watched together. My grandma passed away in 2020 and my mom passed away last year, so I cherish that memory: all of us eating Homeroom, which I love and introduced to them, being blown away seeing me on this show we'd all been watching my entire life, hyping up an Oakland restaurant with pride. My dad's side is from East Oakland and he's always been a proud Oaklander, so it was cool getting to show the city some love on TV while giving some much-deserved praise to some of the best mac and cheese I've ever eaten. My mom also LOVED mac and cheese, so whenever I eat it, I think of her.Absolutely not just one of my favorite Homeroom memories, but one of my favorite experiences of my life."

The Fink

★★★★★ 4.5 (54) • $$

"Well, our 10 day trip throughout Oregon all the way down to California was mostly based around family and kids. We shook them loose and took an hour to go grab some fancy drinks in what looked like a super cool little speakeasy.I really wanted something that was different and unique compared to all of the places we used to and looking through the photos this place just looks so fun with the ambience and the overall aesthetics Now I'm not a big drinker and I am a big light weight as it comes so I just looked at what could be the earliest drink in realized why I probably don't go out drinking because man people spend a lot of money on cocktails . Granted a place like this everything is so unique and not just slowly thrown together alcohols and mixer so it's much more understandable than the five dollar water I bought the following day at Universal Studios Hollywood.We got a total of three drinks, and to be perfectly honest I just pointed out the pictures on yelp and told him that's what I wanted. Just about everything here has made from scratch and it's a great opportunity to dress up a little and go out and just vibe. Not a big user of that word but when you come in here and grab a little table, that's exactly what you're doing your Vibin.Come on down and grab some drinks and bring the crew"

Mercantile Social and Terrace

★★★★☆ 4.2 (50) • $$

"Sequentially, this was going to be my 400th review--but it's getting bumped thanks to a certain pup at a new brewery in Suisun City.Probably not the smartest last hop as everyone else was trying to get it in before 1am. I think that's probably the curfew in this town because the streets were pretty bare for a weekend.That said, we were flyin' high by the end of the night. So high, I had ordered four Fernet 'with' Cokes instead of ending on a Fernet n chase note. That pushed our limit pretty good.Mercantile's at the base of the Andaz hotel. Attracts a more speakeasy/artisinal crowd who enjoy their whiskies and flashy spirits with no real regard to price.More of a bar to leave first impressions with than the drink itself. Not really our style but by all means if you have slacks and dress shoes on = go for it."

Thayir Sadam

★★★★★ 4.7 (17)

"Such a delicious vegetarian thali experience! They have all you can eat thali which they refill at table side, along with different starches and dessert including mango lassi. The restaurant is clean and tidy, with excellent service. My favorite dishes was a curry with edamame that was super flavorful as well as the rice porridge. Will happily go back again!"

Rise Woodfire Pizza & Rotisserie

★★★★★ 4.5 (93) • $$

"Eyes on the RiseThe sister restaurant to Burlingame's Rise Pizzeria, Rise Woodfire is a mom-and-pop done good story. It all began with by a local couple who had a passion for making pies the proper way, using a wood-fired oven. Housed in the former Piatta Italian location, they've renovated it from white tablecloth Italian, to a rustic local neighborhood joint that just happens to sling wood-fired pizzas and also happens to have a killer bar. This The Good:*Reservations via OpenTable *Great service*Not only do they use their wood oven for Pizzas, but they also use it to cook several other items like Prime Rib and Beef Ribs--both of which aren't available until after 4 p.m. Next time, Gadget!*Full bar with local craft brews on-tap*Grass-fed Beef Meatball app was superb. The marinara was delicious and the meatballs were cooked to perfection. *Pizza was delicious. The dough had a nice chew, the ingredients were distributed well, and the crust had a nice char from the oven. They make a damn fine pie. *I don't recall much about the Kazbah bowl other than Carissa enjoyed it. I'd ask her for more details but she's hurrying me along right now so we can eat dinner. (:The Meh:*No outdoor seating for the time being but it looks like it's in the works. *Located in a large outdoor shopping center so there's plenty of parking abound, but this center can get quite busy and turn parking into "quite the tenses." If you don't mind walking, I recommend parking by the library/park. The Ugly:*They don't have a BYOP (Build-Your-Own-Pizza) option on the menu, so if you're building a pie for a picky teenager then you have to pick one of their presets that has the closest toppings and then add and subtract accordingly. But, as it's SoP in her pizza world, taking off an ingredient doesn't save you money but adding them on will cost you. And adding on a few things can inflate the price of the pizza well-over 50% very quickly.Conclusion: Tasty pies in a great ambiance. I'll be back for the Prime Rib! :)"

Touch of Soul

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (743) • $$

"I have been enjoying Touch of Soul for several years, at the former San Pablo location. I finally made it to Touch of Soul at the new(ish) location on Adeline in Emeryville. It was excellent! The food was spot on with all dishes cooked with aplomb. It seemed better than ever. Had the 1/2 fried chicken and it is always sooo good. They do not rely on the batter to make it tasty as too many others do. Their chicken is battened perfectly but it is not the only gem. Skin is always super crispy and the meat cooked to perfection. Big flavor, juicy meat, and really not greasy. My sides were the mac, brussel sprouts and dressing with gravy. Last night the dressing was the stand out. They make it with noticeable sweetness which is the best match with their rich and savory gravy. My only issue with TOS (a personal pet peeve) is they never returned to real plates and actual silverware. All you can get even for dine-in are plastic utensils. However This is meaningless when the food is just that dam goodTOS has always been a delightful group of people and that continues to be the case. They are always so kind and welcoming. I will go eat at places where staff treats me like crap if the food is real good. But at TOS this is never an issue. Just wonderful to eat outstanding fare while feeling like you are with family. (Well, at least with the parts of the family that are chilI, not the ones that are all fucked up and crazy.)TOS FTW!!"

Q'S Halal Pizza

★★★★★ 4.6 (207) • $

"This place is open for dining in. Not super fancy place, but pretty good.I have had chicken wrap with fries. Meat was super delicious and there were only fresh veggies in the wrap. Also I really liked the fries.Come check this place out if you are looking for a good halal place."

Vault Cafe

★★★☆☆ 3.4 (381) • $$

"Wow, the service has REALLY fallen off, I mean seriously. And some of the food items were not nearly as good as they used to be. Hard to tell if they are trying to go out of business?"