Izakaya Restaurants near Oakland, CA

“We arrived on a Friday at 5:30 PM. There was a short line, but the place was already packed. There is an outdoor seating area and indoor sitting area. The food came out pretty quickly. My favorite dish is actually the sashimi appetizer because the fish was super fresh and delicious. Other dishes we got was the tamago, the hot soba with the shrimp tempura and the hot soba with the duck. Everything was extremely delicious. A little pricey, but expected for Bay Area prices. Food was good overall so I would come again! No parking lot but street parking was easy to find.“

“Great fried chicken, and my friends food truck is there!“

“The food is fabulous, the staff is fabulous. It was a wonderful experience. If I lived here I would go back.“

“Pretty good food. I think we will go back“

“I was craving something warm to eat close to midnight and I found this place. I was with my Japanese roommate, and he himself said this place did give off an Izakaya vibe. Most of the food items offered here I've tried elsewhere, so I ended up getting the sukiyaki, which was to my liking.

We did feel a little out of place, as the servers seemed primarily focused on a larger group, who they appeared to be friends with. So we felt a little forgotten throughout most of our time there, also considering that it was not that busy as we did leave a little before they closed.“

“We had a wonderful dinner here. The food was varied and inventive. We had a variety of dishes. The rolls were more interesting than the shared plates, but all were good. We especially liked the Ewa and Pacifica specialty rolls. The desserts were fabulous - Yuzu Cheesecake, Mixed Berry Cheesecake and Pistachio Ice Cream. Gluten containing dishes were clearly marked.“

“I can’t believe I never wrote a review for this place. Walked in you just feel like you went back to Japan. The decoration inside is so cute. The service was very fast attentive. The food came really fast too, and you can tell that they are fried chicken were freshly fried. We also got a cup of drink and it was also pretty good. They have a good selection of Japanese wine too. The sesame dessert we got at the end was so cool and we really loved it. It truly feels like you went back in Japan and go to Izakaya. I would definitely recommend here.“

“We stopped by after a graduation ceremony and had a wonderful experience. From the moment we walked in, we felt genuinely welcomed. The food was absolutely fabulous—flavorful, fresh, and beautifully presented. We also appreciated the selection of alcohol-free mocktails, which were creative and delicious. The atmosphere was warm, calm, and peaceful—a perfect setting to relax and celebrate. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a welcoming and serene dining experience.“

“Super delicious 👍 I never eat Japan food super good like this before.“

“My family has been dining here every couple weeks since it opened 3 years ago. The owner Paul always greets us and does some special things for the kids: salmon sashimi in bite sized pieces and steamed tofu. Our favorites are negima, the local halibut nigiri, agedashi tofu (I would argue best in the city), grilled butter fish, and okra. All washed down with Echigo lager and our favorite sake Drunken Whale. Highly recommend for a casual but delicious meal“

“Overall it was normal food.
I had high expectations because of the good ratings, but it was a bit more disappointing than I expected. However, when I revisited it, it was different.
I think it’s worth looking forward to the different types of food~^^“

“We had the most wonderful dinner tonight at Noren Izakaya! Everything was fantastic from start to finish! From the service to the cocktails to the variety of food, to the dessert! Japanese yakitori and grilled street food and even sashimi! My new favorite! A must if you live or are visiting San Francisco! Oh! And tonight is not the night to skip dessert! 😘“

“very good salmon and gyoza. the sashimi were very fresh“

“Bento boxes were great, so many options to chose from. Would definitely go back.“

“Ippuku is my favorite restaurant in Berkeley.
I have been coming here for 12+ years and the squid ink rice is amazing my kids love it.
The karaage is wonderful.
The plum wine is delicious.
I tried all their menu and recently I tried the potatoes salad is exquisite.
The service is excellent. I will always come back here. Mása and staff do a great job on welcoming me“

“Good ramen is easy to find. Great ramen is harder. And finding excellent ramen at reasonable prices in downtown San Francisco is a rarity.

This is the ideal spot for lunch or dinner and a hot bowl of noodles. The pork was deliciously juicy, the egg was cooked to perfection, and the Tonkotsu broth was very flavorful.

Service was quite good and attentive in both the upper and lower levels. Can recommend.“

“在美國的日本味道，這是算不錯的“

“Great place with delicious food and a nice interior. There weren’t many people (lunchtime), and only a few tables were occupied. We had a reservation, but for some reason, we still had to wait about 20 minutes while our table sat empty—kind of strange. Other than that, everything was great!“