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.“

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

“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!“

“Beeryland is absolutely fantastic. I've been coming here for the star trek trivia for almost two years. The adult slushies are yummy, and so is most of the food. I don't know if the kimchi grilled cheese is still on the menu, but it's a divisive item. My friends like it but I despise it. Use caution. As you can see by the state of my AmInal Fries (yes the spelling is correct), I am one happy customer. Four stars on the atmosphere because the bathroom could use a facelift, but it is a bar. Cheers!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“Hands down best food, their tomato soup is to die for and their grilled sandwiches pair perfectly. They also have amazing sweet potato fries. We had amazing service from Larisha. I would recommend this to any one in the mood for a delicious meal!“

“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.“

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

“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.“

“My only prior experience with Commis' culinary output was tracking their takeout format during the pandemic, making this my first opportunity to witness the menu executed in its native environment.

Arrived slightly behind schedule due to a minor orientation error on approach from the west. The prominent exterior 'Commis' signage is actually positioned over a secondary doorway—blocked by a rope and obscured by a black curtain—which I mistakenly flagged as the threshold. After waiting until 5:06 PM, I stepped further east down the sidewalk to discover the actual entrance. Once inside, check-in was seamless. I was engineered into a stunning table boasting an uncompromised, direct line of sight into the kitchen —an ideal vantage point for observation. For those driving, district parking is highly efficient; there is an open lot a three-minute walk away completely integrated with the ParkMobile app.

The dining room operates with high aesthetic intent. The table setting is beautifully minimalist, accented by fresh floral arrangements. Ambient audio consists of low-profile, rhythmic electronic beats without discernible tracking, allowing the focus to remain on the room’s acoustics. Notable property asset: the restroom features neatly folded, reusable linen cloths, a detail I always inspect and appreciate.

The beverage program opened strong with a well-balanced cocktail featuring a flawless, hyper-clarified ice block cleanly monogrammed with the house branding.

Plating geometry across the board was visually stunning. Certain courses were deployed using a strict three-point presentation matrix on the table, showing deliberate service choreography.

The clear peak of the engineering here is their legendary signature dish: the slow-poached egg yolk resting in a malted cream base with smoked dates and crisp alliums. It is a brilliant study in texture—velvety, rich, and profoundly comforting. This singular dish justifies the entire booking.

From an operational standpoint, the pacing of this meal was exceptional—easily ranking in the top five dining experiences I have tracked globally. The kitchen and floor staff maintained a hyper-focused, synchronized posture throughout the multi-hour window. Service movements were fluid, deliberate, and entirely free of friction.

Crucially, the clearing of empty plates was immediate, and successive courses materialized without a single dead gap. Staff check-ins were frequent but entirely non-invasive. This baseline pace never wavered, holding perfectly steady even as the dining room reached peak capacity later in the evening. A masterfully managed system.“

“Outstanding in every possible way. Best fried fish I’ve ever eaten, and everything on the tasting menu was excellent: the corn bread, salad, boiled peanuts, shishito peppers, hushpuppies and beans and rice. So much care has been put into the details, from the food to the atmosphere to the lighting.“

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

“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!“

“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.“

“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.“

“⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
D.Monaghans On The Hill delivers an exceptional dining experience with hearty, flavorful dishes, generous portions, and a welcoming atmosphere that feels like a true local favorite. Every meal is well-prepared, satisfying, and consistently delicious.
The ambiance is warm, relaxed, and full of character—perfect for a casual night out, meeting friends, or enjoying a comfortable meal in a friendly setting. It has that classic neighborhood charm that keeps guests coming back.
The staff is friendly, attentive, and efficient, ensuring smooth service and a pleasant experience from start to finish. Their hospitality adds to the overall enjoyment of the visit.
If you’re looking for great food, a cozy atmosphere, and reliable service, D.Monaghans On The Hill is a fantastic choice. Highly recommended and well deserving of five stars! 🌟🍽️✨“

“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.“

“delicious ice cream and everything“

“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.“

“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“

“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“

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“Delicious food and cocktails.“

“One Of My Favorite Spots To Eat At �“

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

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

“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“

“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.“

“It's the best for niggaz like me“

“Great go-to destination in Uptown!“

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

“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.“

“The MOCHI DONUTS!! Enough said“

“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.“

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

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

“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.🩷“

“Had the Italian style sandwich here..... Really solid sandwich. What really got me though is the cook gave me this fantastic in-house made habanero sauce then I just ended up dunking over every bite I was absolutely in love with it. Really cool to sit at the counter and watch them cook, chef was such a friendly dude and the server as well! Really enjoyed the vibe of just hanging out and eating my meal“

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

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

“First class operation“

“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 “