Iranian Restaurants near Oakland, CA

“Calabash is an absolute gem in Oakland, serving up bold and flavorful Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican dishes that leave a lasting impression. I had the 10-hour braised pulled beef sandwich, and it was nothing short of incredible—tender, rich, and melt-in-your-mouth like butter. Every bite was packed with deep, savory flavor.

I also tried the jerk chicken sandwich, which was equally delicious and came topped with perfectly fried plantains—adding the perfect touch of sweetness and crunch. Speaking of plantains, I ordered them as a side too, and they were crispy, golden, and addictive.

Calabash truly brings the taste of international comfort food to the Bay Area. If you’re craving a hearty, soulful meal with Caribbean flair, this spot is a must-visit. I’ll definitely be back to explore more of the menu!“

“I have eaten here every day for the last 5 days, twice today - something I have never done anywhere else in my life, and I'm almost 73. The food is delicious and nourishing, and the owner and the people who work here are warm and delightful.“

“What a fantastically amazing dinner we had while celebrating our 35th anniversary of being together.

The staff were kind, courteous and attentive. We had a reservation for a table but upon arrival decided we would prefer to sit at the bar. Our hostess said that would be no problem and we were welcome to choose any seat we wanted in the restaurant.

The bartender immediately asked us if we would like some water while we were looking over the menu. He brought two large glasses of ice water and to our surprise and delight it was cucumber water, my personal favorite.

There were so many interesting items on the menu we had a difficult time deciding what to order. Our bartender was able to offer us some of his favorites as well as some of the most popular items ordered by other guests. We ordered about half of his suggestions and were not disappointed by any of them.

Starting with our cocktails. I has a drink called Cara de Rosas. It was presented in a beautiful glass with a rose shaped ice cube. My husband enjoyed a gin and soda made with one of Hendrick's Neptune specialty gin he had not had before. My second drink was one of there speciality drinks called Leon y Sol. A deliciously light Tequila drink with round saffron ice cubes. The attention to detail on every level heightened our experience.

The entire top shelf of the bar was filled with Mezcal & the lower shelf was all Tequila. Plenty of choices.

Moving right along to our food selections. We decided to go the small plates route so we could try more items. Our first choice was chips, salsa & guacamole. I know that sounds boring but it wasn't. There were multiple choices of salsa, we chose the pomegranate one & guacamole as our second item. You were allowed to pick 2 to go with your chips from a list of several choices. The chips were different types, one was the standard tortilla chip & the other was listed as a lovash chip which had a tasty sprinkling of spices on it. Both were light & super crispy.

Next we had the pomegranate chicken wings. This was a much larger portion than we expected. It had 4 full wings. They were succulent & had a delicious sauce generously covering every wing not just the top ones. Plenty of pomegranate seeds were sprinkled on top. I would highly recommend ordering these, they were our favorite amongst everything we ordered.

Another must try item were the corn ribs. Small pieces of corn on the cob with the tiniest part of the cob attached so the corn held together. Once again seasoned perfectly and a sauce to add on top that made this dish irresistible!

On the recommendation of our bartender we tried the fish tacos and the filet mignon tacos. The fish was light and fluffy, it melted in your mouth. The filet was amazing. Tender and juicy. You could defitely tell it was a filet cut you were having. Each order had 2 tacos which made sharing perfect.

My husband had never had bone marrow so we gave that a try. It was served with a pomegranate chutney and seeded bread. The combination was outstanding.

The only item we had that wasn't beyond spectacular was the dessert. We ordered the churros. Crunchy on the outside & creamy on the inside. Too much cinnamon sugar coating for my taste & served with a very heavy chocolate sauce that overwhelmed the taste of the churros. This dish would have been better with a light powered sugar dusting, which would have melted onto the hot churros, and served with a thick Mexican hot chocolate to dip them in.

There was a long banquet that ran the length of the main dining area with several very small & short cocktail sized tables with round, short, stool like chairs that had barely any back on them. Taller patrons would find this seating to be a challenge.

We will definitely be back. Great place to bring friends.“

“From the moment we walked into the fire light set tables with the giant Persian art on the walls it was great. Very nice ambiance. Greeters were helpful and the food amazing. We are vegan and they had a special vegan menu.. They were so helpful. We plan on telling our friends and going back as much as we can.“

“Today was my second time eating here and it was even better than the first time. I brought two well traveled friends who also appreciate good food and they both were impressed with the food.
The staff has always been very friendly and professional.
The portions are plenty for a single plate meal for people who like to eat.
The lamb is perfect and falls off the bone.
Try the turkish coffee with desert if you have never had any.“

“We had the chicken and ground beef kabobs and they were about the best I've ever had! The extremely nice owner insisted on trying the tea which was lovely.
Come here for your Mediterranean takeout. There are a few seating places in this food court if you stay.“

“Stuff member was so nice.the food was delicious 😋“