50 Best American Restaurants in Oakland

“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.“

“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.“

“This is everything I want from a deli, nothing more nothing less. My son loves the pastrami sandwich and always asks to come here. The Dutch Crunch is on a different level here… feels like a free upgrade to every sandwich tbh! In addition to the pastrami, I also love the Italian and the Ultimate Veggie sandwich. Haven’t tried the panini options but they seem popular bc people are always ordering it when I’m waiting for my order. Oh and huge chip selection is also a plus!“

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

“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.“

“Quite possibly one of the best cheeseburgers I've had in a long long time. If they ask you how you'd like that meat done -- don't bother. It's all medium. I don't know why they ask. Still juicy though. 4 on food just because of that. A little pink would have made that a 5“

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

“This location is conveniently located in the middle of downtown Oakland. I regularly get the fries and grilled cheese sandwich. I love the milkshakes and strawberry lemonade. They also have nice staff and good service. Shout out to the store manager and the person helping me at the register, Jerome! I will be back for my usual.“

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

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

“Walking by, I always thought this place was abandoned. It’s not, it just opens 4-8. After 2 years I finally went to try their food. My burger was delicious. Service was good, family own/run. A good amount of customers for a Thursday evening. Will be back when Im craving bar-ey food.“

“We come by almost every Friday and have lunch at Cato's. The staff is extremely friendly and the service is top notch! It's always rejuvenating to be at Cato's and start our weekend with good food, tasty beverages and a few good laughs with the welcoming folks that work and patronize the Ale House.“

“Having dinner at Commis is an incredible experience. The food was delicious and uniquely prepared. Our servers were wonderful and provide us with descriptions of what was in each dish and gave us information on background and color. Thank you for a wonderful culinary experience. We will be back again.“

“I love Zs cafe. Its like going to Cheers. The staff is warm and friendly. The food is great and so are the cocktails. Big shout out to Pia who makes the best drinks in town! The owner of Zs, Medhi has created a little piece of heaven in Oaklad.“

“We had such a great night at Burdell. The food was delicious - comforting and satisfying, but still thoughtful and really well done. We especially loved the pork strip steak, ham salad and cornbread. Great cocktails, super friendly service, and just an all-around fun dinner. Definitely a place we’ll come back to.“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“delicious ice cream and everything“

“My experience at D.Monaghans on the hill was very good I must say! The brunch we had for mother's day was great!!! Oh my plate I had an omelette that you can build your own omelette menu I put all vegetables in my omelette with a side of turkey sausage any black cup of coffee also I had a bowl of shrimp and grits they were delicious so don't sleep on this place. Also my family enjoyed the food as much as I did even my grandson couldn't stop eating the great food. The dinner menu have a vast amount of great meals on it and there a great bar with good drinks and IPA!!!“

“All the food was incredible, I had the potato hash and delighted in every bite. The sweet potato pancakes were delicious and the candied bacon (made on site) were exquisite.
Even the drinks went above expectations we tried the blueberry lemonade and sorrell and both were amazing.
The staff are super friendly and I would definitely recommend Cafe Noir to others.“

“The decor was festive and abundant in the best way possible, and the cocktails looked unique and curiosity-piquing. I narrowed my choices down to a Cafe Sua Daddy and the Soy Sauce Old Fashioned.

I love a savory drink and the sweet caffeinated espresso martini-esque drink had a thick blanket of just-salty-enough foam reminiscent of the salt cream that tops a boba drink. The Soy Sauce Old Fashioned catapulted me back to my childhood, eating slabs of tofu drenched in shoyu at my grandma's house. I loved the custom soy bottle presentation, it was just strong enough to tolerate being poured over a large rock while maintaining its flavor.

My partner had the Umami Tots and Mapo Tofu. I couldn't resist the siren song of some crispy potatoes dunked in chili oil cream, but managed to hold myself back on the tofu- even though it smelled amazing.

Can't wait to return and try the new seasonal drinks, along with more snacks.“

“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’ve recently cut out all dairy and pretty much all meat, although I will make an exception for special occasions and eat meat seldomly. anyway the options here are delicious if you’re a vegan! Their menu is full of tasty choices. U couldn’t be happier with my recent door dash orders“

“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.“

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“Treated my parents to a lovely dinner from Kiana for their 50 th wedding anniversary!!! Everything was delicious!“

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

“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“

“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.“

“One Of My Favorite Spots To Eat At �“

“I’ve recently cut out all dairy and pretty much all meat, although I will make an exception for special occasions and eat meat seldomly. anyway the options here are delicious if you’re a vegan! Their menu is full of tasty choices. U couldn’t be happier with my recent door dash orders“

“It's the best for niggaz like me“

“food was great atmosphere was nice recommend going there“

“I have been stopping by the restaurant at least once a week for breakfast since 2023. all the breakfast menu items are great. you will be pleased with what ever you select.“

“Delicious food and cocktails.“

“Great go-to destination in Uptown!“

“The Diggery Inn looks like a modest cafe, but actually it is quite exceptional. The service was great, and our breakfast was perfect. In particular, the blueberry pancakes were superb. And as a final delight, at checkout, KitKat bars are a take-away gift! It's really a great find.“

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

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

“This is a wonderful restaurant with a fantastic venue. It’s a very refreshing menu for the area.
I hope they’re open September 5 for dinner service(?). There will be a sold out Cal game and I, among others, want a meatball sandwich pregame.“

“I had Christmas Eve Dinner with a few friends. I ordered the spare ribs, which were excellent. I also loved the mashed potatoes and veggies. Please know that they are not traditional spare ribs. It seemed more like a big hunk of pot roast, but the seasonings were quite good. The service was very good overall. I would highly recommend.🩷“

“I had the jerk chicken, amazing flavors and super tender. Large servings, excellent food and a great atmosphere. Definitely going back!“

“First class operation“

“My husband and I went last night. First time going. Restaurant was packed but I had reservations for outside table. The food was amazing and we had excellent service. We will be back again! Next time will try to sit inside. Looks like a beautiful restaurant with wonderful ambiance.“

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

“The MOCHI DONUTS!! Enough said“

“I'm a dialysis patient nearby and happened to be passing after treatment. Stopped in and MAAAAN. What you get for the price! The taste, atmosphere and customer service were on POINT. Will be back as soon as this treatment ends... TOWN “

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

“Excellent food and owners! Always fresh.“