Where to eat in Oakland

66 independent restaurants, bakeries and food spots in Oakland. Chains are left out.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first. Showing the top 40 of 66.

Eat
Ahn's Quarter Pound Burger
Very no-frills burger stop that has all the basics and its own parking lot.
Daily 8AM-9PMUnder $10
Eat
Arizmendi
A worker-owned bakery well-known for cheap and delicious baked goods and pizza. Pizza is made daily, with only one set of toppings available on a given day. Thankfully, they're all good.
Tue-Fri 7AM-8PM, Sat-Sun 8AM-6PMUnder $15
Eat
Asmara Restaurant
Eritrean cuisine served by friendly staff. Tasty vegan options.
Eat
Baja Taqueria
An avenue institution with lines sometimes out the doors for their great and innovative Baja style seafood and other Mexican food. The fish tacos are legendary and the lobster burritos hit home like nothing else. The portions are big and the prices are reasonable. Try the agua frescas too.
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM$15-30
Eat
Barney's Gourmet Hamburgers
Barney's is a restaurant specializing in every kind of burger, from the simple to the exotic. They have more than just the simple neapolitan trio of flavors for shakes as well, and the same can be said of their fries. Vegetarian, too! Catering services available. Online ordering.
Seasonal hours, see website$15-25
Eat
Battambang Restaurant
Delicious Cambodian food in a quiet, clean, casual room with white tablecloths.
Mon-Sat 11AM-8PM$15-30
Eat
Burma Superstar
A cozy restaurant that does proper Burmese cuisine, as well as several Chinese and Thai dishes. Vegan/vegetarian-friendly, no reservations. Catering available.
Daily 11:30AM-3PM, Sun-Thu 5-10PM, Fri Sat 5-10:30PM$20-30
Eat
Cactus Taqueria
A family-friendly Mexican restaurant dedicated to freshness and sustainability while maintaining traditional flavors. Everything at Cactus Taqueria is made from scratch with no artificial ingredients or fillers. Top your taco, burrito, quesadilla, or enchilada with one of the multiple house-made salsas, and cool your mouth with a delicious glass of horchata.
Daily 11AM-8PM
Eat
Cafe Colucci
Ethiopian food served traditionally on injera, with an excellent selection of vegetarian dishes, friendly wait staff and excellent decor. Try the mitten shuro. Full catering services available. Online ordering. Third party online delivery.
Daily 10:45AM–10PM$15-30
Eat
Cafe Eritrea D'Afrique
Delicious Eritrean and Ethiopian food with a couple of twists. Good vegetarian options. Try the honey wine. Reservations recommended.
Wed–Mon 11AM–10PM, closed Tue
Eat
Champa Garden
It's in a residential neighborhood. This cozy restaurant that has a flair of Southern Asia flavors. The mix of Vietnamese, Lao, Thai and Mien cuisine makes this restaurant a unique one. Make sure to get an order of Pad Thai.
Daily 11AM-3PM, 5PM-9PM (Closed 3rd Monday of month)
Eat
Cholita Linda
Friendly little place well-known for their fish tacos and mix and match frescas.
Sun-Thu 11AM-9:15PM, Fri 11AM-9:30PMUnder $15
Eat
Commis
Swanky, cramped spot well-known for their sommelier service and often-incredible combination of flavors. Online reservations.
Wed-Sat 5:30-9:30PM, Sun 5-9PM$60 and up
Eat
Delage
A small Japanese spot that does nightly omakase (chef's choice) with seasonal local ingredients. Reservations recommended. Online reservations.
Wed-Sat 5:30-9:30PM$70 prix fixe
Eat
Doña
Formerly Doña Tomás
A relocated and newly-themed Mexican place with a polished modern look and a decidedly polished and modern menu. Take-out is available, but from a different door (both are clearly marked).
Sun-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri Sat 11AM-9PM$20-40
Eat
Enssaro
Come for the Wot and Ye Tibs, stay for the honey wine. Try the combo platters. Vegetarian-friendly. Online ordering. Delivery available.
Mon Wed Thu Sun 11:30AM-10PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-11PM$10-20
Eat
Fentons Creamery and Restaurant
This hundred-year-old ice cream parlor is a cornerstone of Oakland culture—one of those places that East Bay folks point to as making the region special. The parlor is mentioned in the 2009 Pixar film Up. Huge bowls of ice cream and sundaes of various sorts are served in this always-crowded eatery. Sugar-amped kids roam the aisles all day and into the evening, and although the place attracts a cannabis-enhanced college crowd towards the end of the night, it always has a sweet and wholesome atmosphere. An expensive treat, but the servings are huge. Online reservations. Private parties and full catering available.
Mon-Thu 11AM-11PM, Fri Sat 11AM-midnight$5-15 large sundae or entree
Eat
Forma Bakery
Local bakery started by a father-son duo with roots in Guadalajara, serving a mix of French viennoiseries and Mexican sweet breads. Conchas meet croissants, including some with fun fillings like mushrooms or pistachios, depending on what's in season. Plenty of plant-based options. Also makes tea and coffee drinks, some with a Mexican twist.
8AM–2:30PM daily (may close early if sold out)
Eat
Golden Lotus Vegan Restaurant
A Vietnamese restaurant that does its best to serve 100% vegan and organically-grown dishes on a budget. Online ordering.
Tue-Sun 11AM-8PMUnder $20
Eat
Guadalajara
This Fruitvale landmark is a full-service Mexican spot that serves from a gigantic menu that covers everything from simple salads to large seafood platters. There is on-site parking, a full tequila bar, vegetarian-friendly dishes and they even cater. If visiting during the later hours, be judicious.
Daily 7AM-11PM$10-25
Eat
Hanshin Pocha
Nice, modern Korean pub, best remembered for their bulgogi and chicken feet.
$30-50
Eat
Homeroom
Popular and well-known local restaurant specializing in macaroni and cheese. You can get a classic, plain mac 'n' cheese or try creative additions like truffles, crab, or jalapeño poppers. Vegan and/or gluten-free mac and cheese is available too. And if not everyone in your group is into the theme, there are also various salads and sides on the menu.
11AM–10PM daily$15–30
Eat
Huangcheng Noodle House
Delicious and authentic no-fuss Chinese food. Good Sichuan-style dishes among others. Come for chewy noodles and tingly-spicy flavors – the specialty is the Chongqing Street Noodle. Like in China, pay when you order, not after you eat.
Wed–Mon 10AM-9PM, closed Tue
Eat
Jong Ga House
A large menu of Korean delights and excellent service, good if you want noodles or marinated meat or want to do all you can eat. Online reservations. Local parking problematic. Cheaper lunch specials.
Mon-Sat 11AM-11PM, Sun noon-11PM$15-30
Eat
Judoku Sushi
A small, simple venue with dim lights and exceptionally friendly and attentive service. Look for the daily specials on sushi and drinks.
Mon-Fri 11:30AM-2:30PM, 5-10PM; Sat-Sun noon-10PM$30–50
Eat
Kansai
Extensive sushi menu and good service. Has their own private parking lot - a rare sight in Oakland. Online ordering.
Mon-Thu 11:30AM-10:30PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-12:30AM, Sun 11:30AM-11:30PM
Eat
La Farine Bakery
A classic French bakery, La Farine is rich in crusty sourdough, flavorful sweet bread, tarts and numerous sweet treats. The sour batard, rustic baguette and morning buns are highly recommended for a first survey of their offerings.
Daily 7AM-6PM
Eat
Lake Chalet
Elegant dining room overlooking Lake Merritt. When the weather is warm you can have lunch or happy hour outside on the pier. The food itself (seafood and steaks) is mediocre. The wine list is rather generic, but they do have their own local beer. You can also take a gondola ride around the lake. Online reservations. Space for private parties.
Mon-Thu 11AM-8PM, Fri 11AM-9PM, Sat 10AM-9PM, Sun 10AM-8PM$15-35
Eat
Lin Jia Asian Kitchen
A nice, well-decorated little Chinese spot that's good for lunch or dinner. Online ordering.
Mon Wed-Sun 11:30AM-9PM$10-20
Eat
Los Cocos Salvadorean Restaurant
A little hole-in-the-wall that serves up authentic Salvadorean food at excellent prices.
Tue,Thu 10:30AM-7:30PM, Wed 10AM-6:30PM, Fri-Sun 10AM-8:30PMUnder $10
Eat
Mariscos La Costa
A small, outdoor patio restaurant that features seafood but has the regular fare of typical Mexican restaurants. Authentically spicy, so make sure you request no salsa or jalapeños if that is your preference. A former burger joint turned-taqueria, this eatery is good for lunch and best enjoyed in fair weather with a refreshing agua fresca, as tables are exclusively on the outdoor patio.
Mon-Sat 8:30AM-7:30PM$5 or less
Eat
Mijori
One of the best Japanese restaurants in the Bay Area. Usually a long wait for a table on the weekend.
Lunch: Mon-Sat 11:30AM-2:30PM; dinner: Mon-Thu 5-9:30PM, Fri 5-10PM, Sat 5-9PM
Eat
Miss Saigon
Great family-run Vietnamese restaurant with good food at good prices, and a ridiculously good beer selection. Local delivery, but it's always better fresh out of the kitchen. Online ordering.
Mon-Tue Thu-Sun 11AM-11PM
Eat
Monster Phở
Delicious and affordable Vietnamese cuisine. Some dishes are served by robots.
Wed-Sun 11AM-8PMUnder $20
Eat
Mua
A restaurant to see and be seen. In an old warehouse, it's decorated in funky contemporary art and features a live DJ performing while you enjoy dinner on the weekends. Make a reservation, this place gets out of control busy on the weekends. A mix of small and large plates. Highlights include the ahi tuna sashimi and their house made veggie burger. Online reservations. Space for large parties. Online ordering.
Tue-Sun 5PM-10PM
Eat
Neecha Thai
A spacious, quiet spot with low lights and good service. Vegetarian-friendly. Catering. No substitutions. Online reservations.
Daily 11:30AM-3PM, 5PM-9:30PM$11-30
Eat
New Gold Medal
Decent to great Cantonese food with fast service, open late. A reasonable option after a late show or club night if you're already downtown. If you like duck, make sure to get some roast duck, and their BBQ pork is equally good. Excellent lobster, too.
Daily 10AM-3AMSeasonal pricing - check menu
Eat
Pho 84
Some of the best Vietnamese food in town, served in a subdued atmosphere. The pho bo and carpaccio are definitely worth trying.
Mon-Sat 11AM-2:30PM, 5PM-8:30PM-$15-30
Eat
Pizza Ponte
Cheap pizza that boasts a delivery area that includes Oakland, Alameda, Emeryville and Albany. Online ordering and delivery.
Sun–Thu 11AM–10PM, Fri 11AM–12:45AM, Sat 11AM–midnight
Eat
Plank
An unusual mixture of bowling alley, bocce court, pizza and sandwich restaurant and cocktail bar, all rolled into one.
Daily 11AM-midnight (age 21+ after 9PM)$30-40

Browse all 162 places in Oakland

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Oakland (CC BY-SA 4.0).