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“

“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.“

“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.“

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

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

“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.“

“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.“

“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!“

“food was great atmosphere was nice recommend going there“

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

“Great go-to destination in Uptown!“

“been here a few times but recently came for happy hour! so good!

got the tomato beef cocktail (their signature & most popular), their crispy chicken wings (DELISHHH) and their spicy cucumbers all for about $40! which in oakland is a wonderful price especially since i had leftovers which i ate the next day.

i came solo with a book on a saturday around 5pm and it was such a lovely date to take myself on. nobody bothered me. music was vibey. lighting was sensual. 10/10 would recommend :)“

“Great food and friendly service make this our go to for Sunday brunch! Javi crushes the whole delicious menu. It’s so hard to choose. Best hash in town. Breakfast burrito is hard to beat. Sweet corn and chile oil soup was outstanding last week. I’ve been getting the shrimp poboy of late but If his enchiladas are on the menu, grab’em!“

“Superlative. I cannot think when I’ve had a better time dining; staff was very friendly and engaging and informative. The food is simply amazing, and I personally absolutely love the bar dining experience. Came here with a good friend, cannot wait to come back and bring the wife.“

“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!“

“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.“

“The melt just might be my new fav in Oakland! The food was outstanding, everything was fresh. the burgers were juicy even without mayo and I love mayo.. spicy melt sauce sooo good! and can we please not forget about the service 10 out of 10 babyyyyy Shay is that girl! She definitely made us feel welcomed and well taken care of. The staff is amazing thank you again!“

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

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

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

“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.“

“A truly amazing burger. I've tried several options on the menu and they're all great. The place is definitely homey and warm but it feels a little gritty and grizzled as well. The price is a little high for a burger that may actually be worth it but, it's an important consideration. Oh yeah, they have beers too.“

“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.“

“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 👌🏾👌🏾“

“All fresh ingredients are so good.Noce Customer Service #BLM“

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“I have had this place bookmarked probably for as long as they have been opened. Finally went and just Wowsers. I ordered everything: Caesar salad, chicken and shrimp fried rice, dumplings, veggie ramen, and the most amazing Pandan Cake. I would eat that cake everyday.

Service was attentive, so kind, and helpful. I had 3 different people check in on me and I literally just got take out. Baddies.

Great staff, great food, and great vibes. Don’t have pics bc I ate it all.“

“The Good:

This place has excellent food! The tuna sandwich was phenomenal and the eggs benny were pretty good! The coffee is fresh, hot, and delicious. Service was quick, and the food came out exactly on time. The ambiance is pretty good, with decent decor and clean surfaces.

The bad:

The service is... mixed. The waitstaff are not very outgoing but that's hardly a concern. They do check to make sure things are in stock and that means a lot.

The ugly:

Breakfast ran $50 for 2, so it's not cheap eats. But for a special treat, totally worth it!“

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

“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“

“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).“

“Absolutely delicious! The steak with mushroom gravy melted in my mouth, and the mashed potatoes were perfectly creamy. Special thanks to our amazing waiter — the guy with the eyebrow piercing — he was on point: friendly, fast, and just awesome!“

“delicious ice cream and everything“

“One Of My Favorite Spots To Eat At �“

“We had a good time here. The cocktails were tasty and the food was pretty ok. Wife liked her fish entree and the olives appetizer. I found my burger (and the bun) to be a little dry and not especially flavorful but not terrible. I enjoyed the ice cream with olive oil and sea salt, it was one of those surprisingly good combinations.“

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

“If you are staying at the Marriott the best part of your stay will be Iron and Oak. The drinks are made to perfection, and are honestly a work of art! My friend had the blue lemon drop which is instagram ready, but do not miss out on the old fashioned! It’s one of the best you will ever have and if you request it from bartender Derrick it will arrive in a style unique to San Francisco/Oakland.The drinks are second to only the service from the staff who are educated and make fantastic recommendations.Cheers!“

“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.“

“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!“

“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!“

“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“

“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.“