50 Best American Restaurants in Oakland

“I walked in with high hopes and with my group of friends. I walked out thinking the food was pretty good and the service was not great. Our server was gruff, condescending, and very inflexible when it came to splitting checks. The food was tasty and not as special as I was expecting. I'm not sure if I'll be going back.“

“I loved everything about this place. The food was just the right amount and so creative.“

“Always an interesting experience and fun treat. Classic cocktails in a classic atmosphere. Service is on point! Food is innovative yet still comforting and familiar. Never disappointed.“

“Chef Horn, is something special💯“

“good drinks, good food, friendly service, outdoor dining, i'll be back“

“Tummy comfort food in great post-industrial space. Friendly service, craft cocktails. Good menu options and specials. Outdoor tables also available.“

“Outstanding restaurant, we have dined at Wood Tavern more times than I can recollect . We we rather disappointed recently when we called to make reservations for 4 for lunch on 2/25/2022 and were informed they only take reservations for 5 or more. Is this true ? If so they should so state on their web site.“

“Loved my birthday dinner tonight! Portions small for the prices in our opinion. A scallops main dish with 3 scallops is small. Drinks were amazing, decor fabulous and great service. My son had to go eat more food afterwards as he was still hungry. Bigger portions would be good. Loved everything else! Great choices, appetizers, main dishes and creative drinks were delicious. Kind of surprised knowing they knew it was my birthday that they didn't offer me a birthday "something" to make it special. For these prices I would expect something.“

“This little “hole-in-the-wall” has potential to be a truly fantastic restaurant.

First off, the restaurant is a cool, funky space that definitely has “Parisian” vibes, but not in a traditional sense. The bar is beautifully back lit with green lights and has cool Polynesian themed frescos.

The service was good and attentive. We sat at the bar and had great conversations with the bartender. She was a great conversationalist!

The food was great.. we started with half a dozen Beau Soliel Oysters which came with a horseradish mignonette. We followed that with the smoked trout pate which was probably my favorite dish. My wife and I both ordered the Crab Salad for our mains as they ran out of the Smoked Petrale Sole. It was good but the portion was tiny and at $39 I was hoping for more… it was more portioned like an appetizer. We finished off with the chocolate tart which was also delicious.

This place is close to receiving 5 Stars, but portion size needs to be addressed. Plus, having only three entrees and running out of one limits what can be ordered.“

“This is my favorite restaurant in Oakland! The food is amazing and so are the cocktails. The vive is is unreal!!!“

“Og lunch box fan here, I always got 2 hot plates with salads on the side. (Guess who). Anyway this menu features the world's best meatloaf that was available at the lunch box at one time.Always do delivery with dinnerhouse, huge portions and killer to go plates that are totally reusable.Had the spaghetti as well sauce was to die for.Impossible to go wrong here.“

“Loved our lunch today ! Bison stew with fry bread and bison meatballs. Hibiscus tea was awesome. Staff was so incredible. Busy and very full today. Great atmosphere.“

“a ton of food options, check new shops like Rov's Craft Kitchen“

“Get it to go or take a ride share there. DO NOT PARK ANYWHERE near there. Every car got a busted window and stuff stolen the day we were there. Food was REALLY delicious!“

“Great go-to destination in Uptown!“

“Good food fantastic drinks.. love this place highly recommended!!“

“My wife and I stopped by here before a show at the fox. I loved the vibe. The staff was so attentive to us and gave great recommendations! I wanted to have every cocktail on the menu! I was really impressed with how imaginative they were. The food was great too! Will definitely be back with friends or bride another show!!!“

“Ended up here because our first choice was booked. Glad we did. The manager was gracious and steered us away from ordering too much food. We started with Brussels and Mussels. Both were excellent and cravable. They brought extra grilled toast to soak up the broth from the mussels. That’s service. Nice selection of some reasonably priced glasses of wine that are food friendly. Meatballs are fine comfort food and recommend for the main. Do not sleep on this place.“

“Overall, the food is very good and well-deserved Michelin star rating. But I was not a fan of all 10 courses. I recommend oyster parfait, Shima aji, chilled mussels, black cod (best) duck, and wagu beef. Was not a fan of the eel, poached egg and rice dishes, nor the sour drink. The deserts were superb. I feel it's a bit pricey, too.“

“They're always so nice to me here! Mama loves the craft cocktails and the book curations. We live nearby so it's a favorite neighborhood hang, and we appreciate all the thought that went into the menus.“

“what a cool place. the amount of community that is instilled here is awesome! great great food!“

“Love eating on the Sun porch and the refills on the ice tea!“

“Screens at the entrance to place your order or a live person will take your order at the register. These screens were the easiest to use that I've ever found.

(On occasion I've given up trying to order at McDonalds and Habit because I found their screens too difficult).

I got cesar salad with chicken and avocado added, dressing is served on the side so it doesn't overpower the salad. Crisp fresh lettuce with no wilted bits. I ate about half at the restaurant and the rest at home. Sweet potato fries were very good. I ate all of those later as well. A friend got a basic grilled cheese and it appeared to me that it was prepared correctly.

Chairs make an absurd loud noise. Staff exceptionally professional, got me a bag and to-go lid instantly.

Make sure you TIP THE STAFF. They are hardworking and fast. You can tip on the screens and later, if you find the service to be exceptional (I did) then you can add additional cash to tip jar at the register on your way out

Plenty of clean, easy to use trash cans around. Very bright lights.

Wheelchair accessibility: Floor is smooth cement. I think it would be easy to enter using a wheelchair.“

“Been coming here since 1977. Always great food and adult beverages. Best is fried zucchini!!!!“

“Mama’s is always fabulous! Great food, great people. What more can you ask for??“

“Z Cafe is a wonderful restaurant. The food is basic and delicious. what a joy to read a menu without having to pull out my phone to look up every other word. Portions are generous and reasonably priced. The kitchen is willing to accommodate special requests. The staff is warm, friendly and attentive without being overbearing or obsequious. Last night I have the Cattle Burger, which included a side of fries. The fries were crispy and the burger prepared as I requested. In my book, Z Cafe gets a 10 out of 10.“

“we love the vibe, service and menu at GLK on Grand and have been going there for years. On our last visit we were surprised by how salty the food was. I think the cooks are overly generous with salt. Both our brussel sprouts and the scallops were really over salted. Next visit we will be sure to order low/no salt, and send back anything that's too salty.“

“Food was excellent, unfortunately the service that are waitress give us was not good at all, she take are order and after that she never went back to check if everything was ok r if we need anything all’s, we wait for are dessert 🍮 like 30 mints until I ask another person for it 🤷‍♀️. But otherwise it was excellent place and good We just had bad luck with the person that was in charge ford are table“

“Great local eatery with delicious beers and wonderful taps. Joe, the owner, is one of the most sweetest guys you’ll ever meet. Highly recommend!“

“I hardly ever leave reviews, nevertheless I couldn’t help but to notice I agreed with a lot if not most of the reviews. First and foremost it is a great local bar the atmosphere and the vibes are great. You always feel comfortable and welcome by anyone ever there. I do have to acknowledge, however that the service sometimes can be slow and sometimes it takes me a good 5 to 10 minutes to be acknowledged while at the bar for a drink. I think this would be my only complaint. for some reason service sometimes for a drink can be a little slow. I must admit the bartenders here are some of the best. The cocktails are always tasty and delicious and I like the attitude they all greet me with every time I come. My favorite bartenders here happen to be JOSE and ERIC 👌🏾👌🏾“

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“we love the vibe, service and menu at GLK on Grand and have been going there for years. On our last visit we were surprised by how salty the food was. I think the cooks are overly generous with salt. Both our brussel sprouts and the scallops were really over salted. Next visit we will be sure to order low/no salt, and send back anything that's too salty.“

“food was great atmosphere was nice recommend going there“

“The Diggery Inn is great. I love this breakfast and lunch spot. I have been coming here for 18 years. I always get one of their hearty scramble plates when I come for breakfast. They have great burgers here too. The meals are all good sized portions. There is indoor and outdoor seating. It’s a family owned restaurant with Paula on the grill and Nary out front waiting on customers.They are great people and very friendly. I Highly recommend the Diggery Inn.“

“Ive been to the food truck & the storefront. The food consistency is the same at both! The meats are flavorful and they have a nice menu selection. Definitely recommend the steak & shrimp fries & also the cheesesteak egg rolls. The steak hoagie is also good (taste similar to the egg roll so cant go wrong).“

“Love this pub for its food and drinks, be it for a quick pint or a large group event, like what we did last weekend for a special occasion! I had only been for quick visits before and had a great birthday party with ~20 guests in a private room.“

“Oh my!!!. One of the best Bacon Cheeseburgers myself has had in a long while!. Love this Emil's Burger & Breakfast!!!. GO!!! JALAPENOS!!!.“

“my friend and I enjoyed our brunch on the outside patio. food service was fast“

“Great local place to grab a scrumptious meal and really delicious chai latte with their personal chai made on-site. My friend had the totachiles and vowed to come back with others to have more.Sidewalk and side patio seating for those with pups. Inside are tables and booths. Acoustics make it a bit loud, but most folks were quiet. If nouse is an issue, avoid weekends when the place is spilling over with mostly loud kids. It's not fun unless you have one of those kids. You always have the outdoor option as well.Friendly service. Not always the quickest, so go with time on your hands, especially on the weekend.“

“I'm not a big ramen gal but went because my daughter loved the place. I love it now!
The ramen was super yummy!
We got fried rice and my daughter said she'd get that again, too. Never had rice so flavorful and hearty!
Pricey, but worth it.“

“delicious ice cream and everything“

“Ordered from this wonderful place several times on our recent visit. The food is always delicious. The best paleo and AIP compliant fried chicken I've ever had! And for those that have dietary needs or preferences, they also have complete information for you!“

“One Of My Favorite Spots To Eat At �“

“We went on Wednesday Jazz - enjoyed bonus music in the background. Had a great time with 5 chatty gals who good easily talk and share an assortment of plates. The brussel sprouts were devine as were all our other samplings - and we really sampled.“

“This place absolutely rocks. It’s exactly the kind of neighborhood spot you hope to find - super high quality food but with a totally casual vibe and excellent price point. Jerk Salmon was exceptional. Owner was hella nice too. So glad we found our new fav spot!“

“Hotel clean. I seen more housekeepers here then I have even seen at any hotels recently. Everyone was beyond helpful. The courtyard and pool area was clean, quiet, and safe. Fencing is around entire area of the hotel. Beds super comfy, great air conditioning.Only downfall was we traveled with a disabled adult and few times we noticed handicap parking was being used by someone that did not have a handicap permit in/on their car.“

“There food is delicious. Called my order in 25 min early and It just took five min to wrap and give me enough sauce to eat it with. I had snapper and catfish combo it was Smackin. Great food does take time. I like to get my food in 10-15 min but at least it's fresh. The restaurant didn't have many people dining in, they were stopping in to order and coming back to pick it up though. There deserts were amazing looking and the workers at Jjs were really nice and called me sweetheart.“

“Clean, pleasant restaurant with old-fashioned decor, fairly-priced food, and good service.This is located inside Oakland Airport Executive Hotel. The full menu is available from opening to closing. There was only one person working to take orders, cook, and serve food and drinks. One person seemed to be enough though; it's not a popular place. There were only two customers when I visited this place in the evening, including myself. Everything on the menu sounded good, and the one other customer who was there was complimenting the food after every other bite, exclaiming that the eggs were just how he liked them and that the sandwich was perfect.I only wanted a little bit of food, because I had eaten before coming to this hotel. I ordered a side of fries to-go so that I could take it to my room. I was expecting a small container, but after five minutes of waiting, I received a full-size to-go box of fries that came with plenty of napkins and ketchup. My total was $6.62 including tax. The receipt said the fries were $6, but the menu said $5. I didn't bring it up because I got a large portion, but remember to check your receipt.This restaurant is the best part of this hotel, which isn't saying much, but I recommend checking this place out before you open a food delivery app, if you're staying at this hotel.

Vegetarian options: Salads and drinks available, most breakfast options contain no meat, check menu

Dietary restrictions: Food is made to order, ask for more information

Parking: Hotel parking area

Kid-friendliness: Not sure if high chairs are available, no kids' menu

Wheelchair accessibility: Door way is wide enough, the tables are low enough“