Smelly's Creole & Soul Food Catering

My goodness, y'all better bring an appetite if you plan on coming here and putting on a feedbag. Jamie W and I came here quite spontaneously after a stop at Thee Stork Club nearby. Without a reservation, I thought for sure we were up the creek without a paddle since it was pretty packed with a lot of ravenous diners. The hostess, however, was kind enough to seat us at a window counter with hardly enough room for our plates.Hey, I'm not complaining. We were happy just perusing all their Land and Sea options and decided to wear our life vests as we focused on the seafood. In fact, Jamie ordered the $38 3-Way Seafood Combo with Snapper, Prawns & Oyster. It came in hefty deep-fried chunks with sides of their house specialties Crack & Cheese and Garlicky Green Beans (photo: https://yelp.to/TvXXtDIqhy). It was crunchy-good, and portion size was not an issue especially if you're obsessed with Southern-fried gluttony.I went with the $40 Blackened Prawns over Garlic Noodles. There were eight small garlic-freckled prawns on two skewers laid on top of a huge mound of thick noodles saturated in butter and garlic (photo: https://yelp.to/mn6TZ5q9ce). Honestly the carbs overwhelmed me, and there was no way I could make much of a dent into that pasta bowl. At the same time, the prawns were pretty flavorful. We also shared the $6 loaf of Garlic Bread, which while expectedly tasty, was just more carbs for me (photo: https://yelp.to/klsOUu_tV3).FOOD - 4 stars...pricey though quantity was generous here with solid Creole flavorsAMBIANCE - 3.5 stars...tight squeeze in hereSERVICE - 4 stars...attentive considering all the distractions of a busy restaurant TOTAL - 4 stars...we'll make a reservation next timeRELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's my collection of places I've visited and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

********BLACKED OWNED BUSINESS ALERT***************I was tasked at the last minute to make brunch accommodations for 4. I saw where Chef Smelly had some time slots available and went for it. I have been hearing mixed reviews and decided to check it out for myself. Full transparency, I had to change the time on the reservations because the other party was stuck in traffic and still was about 15 minutes late. Yikes! However, we got there right before the table was given up and we were seated right away. Shout out to Sydney. We sit down and wait to get some menus, which took about 30 minutes. The place was packed. The hostess advised someone from the bar would come around. Sure enough a very nice young lady came over and took our drink orders and even created a mock-tail for my cousin- delicious! Thank you. Our server finally comes over and gives us menus. A very nice and patient server. Hey John. We noticed right away that the service was very, very, very slow. Some folks were told that it would take 45+ minutes to get their meal and some were not told anything, like us. However, we were there to support and visit with each other. We ordered appetizers and drinks because of the wait. The server came back 40 minutes later to take our order, we saw a table across from us had been sitting when we sat down and they still didn't have their meal. So we put in an order for a couple more appetizers. The appetizers came out and we have drinks all while we see 3 sets of people get up and leave because no one approached them to take their orders and some were there prior to us sitting down. Mind you, we have been seated now for over 2 hours and still no entrees. However, Adrian from the bar was on it and she was really pleasant. She kept our cups filled with hot water since we were sitting at the table right in front of the doors as well as the beers and drinks. That is what held us until we got our meals. We ordered some of everything. Crab Po' boy, fried chicken wings, chili prawns, corn (that wasn't cut into ribs as stated but still good), catfish, yams, mashed potatoes etc, etc. There were a couple of items that were sent back due to them being cold, charred, and too fishy.All in all, the food was tasty, a packed restaurant, and the service was showing up. They have a great staff. Much appreciated. Now where the 3 stars come in, I believe it was said that she was the owner, Tiffany? However, I guess she left and came back and we were still there and she didn't understand why we were still there. Really? You don't know? You know and you know that it is ridiculous for that service to be that slow, since you want to take our money with unjustifiable fees and kick us out. The entire time I was there, I saw her looking around with a scowl on her face and not really helping to make the experience better. She began to talk to the hostess where we could hear her and advised that she needed to tell us to look at the menu where it shows a 90 minute limit. We understand what your policies are but it took our table over 2 hours to get our food, so why would we think to leave? Oh, our 90 minutes are up; gotta go. Yeah no. I want my food. Not to mention we were still waiting on more drinks and food. It is her establishment and how she manages it is her deal, but she really should've pulled the hostess aside and had that discussion. In return the hostess could've addressed the table and we would have told her what was going on, as if they couldn't see. People were getting up and leaving, in which the hostess tried to have a conversation with some that left. Not her fault. It was unprofessional and not a good example as the owner or whatever capacity she is involved. Her customer service game is so not there and probably won't ever be there. Looking at the reviews this is what she does. Honestly with all of those fees and an 18% gratuity included starting at a party of one tells me she doesn't care because she is going to get her money no matter what. Look here I am happy to pay what you're charging for the experience and service. I will always support Us By Us establishments, but don't do that; don't have a chip on your shoulder and be rude. You haven't quite made it yet. Keep in mind, you're never too good to fail. We wanted dessert. Guess not, we were way past our time limit. I will still say go show support and try for yourself. No Doubt the food is cooked fresh to order and overall good with some hits and misses. They just need to figure out an efficiency system for the kitchen and the front of the house. Also, keep all owners in the back unseen if they're not going to add to the overall vibe. With some adjustments, I am sure it will come with time. Cheers!PS. Dear Business Owner. If you are setting a 90 minute maximum, your service has to run like they know that the patrons have to leave in 90 minutes. That is a reflection of how the owner runs the business or not.

Delightful gem that I never knew about but the creole was incredible!TVs on deck to watch Sunday Night Football while enjoying date night, along with all our jams playing to set the mood right. We had plenty to go that made my lobster Mac & cheese that much more bomb!Parking can be tricky but luckily we barely fit on street parking.

Owner wife horrible disrespectful, she do not have any customer service. The owner with needs to take a lost in life so she can fall off her high horse. She has zero respect for the public. She is the one at cash register before she disrespect ed me she disrespected the male before me. She is going to be the owner the chief downfall. I heard he is a good guy, I know its he'll being with such a ugly soul.

This review absolutely deserves five . I feel there is always room for improvement for any business, so for me five stars would indicate Everything is perfect all the time. On this visit I chose the 16oz bone in ribeye, green beans and garlic mashed potatoes. How do you cook a steak so well that even the darn bone is tasty (sorry fido). Well thats what Chef Smelly does with his ribeyes and the mashed potatoes and garlicky green beans are delicious too and I dont even like green beans that much. The service this day was special because I had the pleasure of being attended to by the host and queen Mrs. Wooley. She has thee most beautiful smile and extremely skilled at multitasking the running of the establishment. She followed thru on promises and was very attentive, even at the busiest moments of customer requests and walk-ins, and being seated. I would return again and again and again for this type of service and steak. I may never return to Ruths Chris and they do have a pretty good steak. Chef Smelly has something wonderful going on and soon if not now, he will need a bigger location to house all the folks waiting patiently to sample "A Taste of Oakland". Give him a try and tell him "nosweetnoodle" sent cha!!

Great flavors that really popped! However, I need to ding a star on price. I ordered their "Seafood 3 Way," which comes with fried snapper (or catfish), prawns, and oysters, plus two sides. The menu price was $38, and they add a 4% "admin fee" to the bill, on top of the sales tax. All in with tip we are talking a $50 meal. That's a lot, even in inflationary times. I feel they could have remedied the high price with a few extra prawns or oysters (you only get two of each), and it makes it feel like they are really pinching pennies. That said, the flavors were all on point, everything was seasoned well. The snapper was flaky and not dry, the batter was light and not greasy, everything you want from a fried fish dish. The collard greens were also a standout; they tasted fresh, and not overly salty. I would come back if I'm really craving soul food, however I would not go out of my way because of the high price tag. Also, just a nitpick--I saw them advertise this dish on their social media, and the portion definitely looked bigger than what I got. I also thought I heard them say $30 special, but maybe that was only for a limited time (a few days prior to my visit ‍). Not suggesting anything one way or the other, just pointing out some observations.

This is a great go to, casual date night spot! Saturday night, walked in late evening with no reservation. Parking is a bit tight around that area. There is a casual &enjoyable vibe. Music plays in the background adding to the vibe as well. We were offered a seat at the stools by the windows . We accepted. We had a delightful young man as our waiter. He was attentive and gracious. We ordered garlic mashed, yams, salad (I'm vegetarian) and my fiancé ordered fried chicken, Mac and cheese and garlic string beans. All food items were delicious. However it took quite some time for the food to come out. That was the only slight complaint for the night. The pricing was fair as well. Give it a try but make a reservation.

The shrimp & grits were quite possibly the absolute best I've ever had! Trust me, I've had my share.

Great atmosphere, lively music, great attentive staff, decent food... nice Friday dinner. Ordered catfish with mac & greens. All was good, but two pieces of fish would have been better. I enjoyed the Mac & cheese..... Restaurant great vibe with attentive staff.

Delicious black owned restaurant, I ordered the 16 oz Ribeye with a side of crack n cheese, and garlic noodles ($58). We also ordered some Rockefeller Oysters ($30 for 6 oysters), and my mom ordered their deep fried catfish and shrimp. Out of all of the food I tried, I would say the catfish was the best, it absolutely melts in your mouth, good seasoning and a nice crust. The crack n cheese was also seasoned well, but my steak came out raw so I had to send it back. Thankfully the server and cook were really sweet and apologetic, great service. Can't wait to come back, the vibes here are immaculate.