Where to Eat in Oakland, California

Chicken & waffles. Steamed dumplings. Spongy injera bread. Sizzling Korean bulgogi. The tastes of Oakland represent its culture and history. -and, like Oakland itself, are totally different from its neighbor across the Bay. Oakland has its own distinct history, sounds, art, social movements, and yes – food. And y’all, the food in Oakland is amazing.

The flavors of Oakland reflect the complexity and diversity of Oakland’s history, and to truly appreciate Oakland, it’s helpful to have some context for Oakland’s story. Oakland’s food scene can be traced back to the 1850’s, to Chinese immigrants (Oakland has one of the largest and oldest Chinatowns in the US – read more), Latino laborers immigrated north from Mexico as part of the Bracero program, and Oakland’s Black community who brought with them Southern cooking and African ingredients as they migrated from the south in search of freedom.

Their stories are woven into the fabric of Oakland’s history as well as the tapestry of its food scene. (We dive much further into the history of Oakland in our post about things to do in Oakland.)

So, if you haven’t explored Oakland’s food scene yet (I see you, people who only come to Oakland for Warrior’s games), here’s a list of our favorite restaurants in Oakland to get you started on your next trip to the Bay Area!

• Editor’s Note: Oakland is huge, its culture runs deep, and its history is complicated. We’ve lived in Oakland for about a decade now, but as transplants, we are still learning about Oakland. Although we haven’t earned the right to be considered “experts” about Oakland, or to call ourselves locals, we strive to treat it (and its residents) with the respect it deserves – and we hope that visitors like you will do the same while you’re here.

Psst: We have a bunch of other content about the San Francisco Bay Area! Take a look:

• 29 Things Nobody Tells You About Oakland, California
• 26 Awesome Things to Do in Oakland, California
• The Ultimate Self-Guided Walking Tour of San Francisco
• The 10 Best Coffee Shops in San Francisco

Hey, looking for help planning your trip to San Francisco Bay Area? Sign up below and we’ll send you a printable version of our self-guided walking tour, plus our favorite tips for visiting!

The Best Restaurants in Oakland

• Grand Lake Kitchen | 576 Grand Avenue, Oakland (Grand Lake)

Sick of boring old traditional brunch food staples? Time to visit Grand Lake Kitchen! From their savory french toast with wild mushrooms, parmesan, and arugula to braised pork belly and polenta to “reuben fries” to a pastrami and rye eggs benedict, Grand Lake Kitchen turns everything you thought you knew about brunch on its head.

Arrive early to avoid a long wait on the weekend, or plan to spend some time meandering around Lake Merritt while you wait for a table. Or, visit Grand Lake Kitchen’s second location in Dimond!

• Brown Sugar Kitchen |  2295 Broadway, Oakland

Chicken & waffles. Creole shrimp & grits. Buttermilk biscuits. Pulled BBQ pork. Brown Sugar Kitchen serves up phenomenal southern soul food, and is one of the most famous restaurants in Oakland – for good reason.

The young French-trained chef, Tanya Holland, has created a staple in Oakland that gives back to the community in spades. You’ve probably seen her cookbook on the shelves of many other well-known restaurants throughout the country, or perhaps caught her on TV. 

• Aunt Mary’s Cafe | 4640 Telegraph Ave (Temescal)

Aunt Mary’s in Temescal serves up delicious, gourmet Cajun-style southern food. Think French toast baguettes soaked in a whiskey custard and served with red and white wine compote and fruit. Cajun shrimp & grits. Fried oyster po’boys. Buttermilk biscuits with sage gravy. Is your mouth watering yet?!

Korean Restaurants in Oakland

• Gogi Time | 2600 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (Uptown)

There’s Korean BBQ, and then there’s Gogi Time. Gogi Time is on another level. You’ll be seated at a table with a grill and your food choices will be brought to your table, raw. Throw them on the grill (or in a giant bowl of hot pot broth) and ask for more.

There’s a 2-hour limit with a set price for you to eat as much as you possibly can. Trust us, you’ll use the whole 2 hours. Tip: You might want to fast all day to prepare yourself for this feast. Our favorites are the spicy pork and savory pancakes!

• Pyeongchang Tofu House | 4701 Telegraph Ave Oakland (Temescal)

Ever had tofu soup? I hadn’t before moving to Oakland, and now I literally crave it weekly. Tofu soup is a delicious traditional Korean soup with soft, silken tofu served in a steaming hot bowl with crunchy grilled rice. It’s flavorful and incredibly filling (not to mention you get a zillion delicious sides with it) so it makes a great budget-friendly meal.

If tofu isn’t your favorite, the cabbage and short rib soup is freaking incredible. Bring a friend to slurp your soup and share your side dishes with. Oh, and order a kimchi pancake (don’t try to eat one on your own, they’re enormous).

• Bowl’d BBQ |4869 Telegraph Ave Oakland (Temescal)

Bulgogi, bibimbop, jhap chae, and the works: Bowl’d BBQ is fantastic Korean food. Located just down Telegraph from several of Oakland’s other Korean restaurants, Bowl’d is delicious for anyone looking to stuff themselves on a budget.

Ethiopian Food in Oakland

• Abesha Ethiopian Cuisine  | 4929 Shattuck Ave, Oakland (Temescal)

Choose your own combo platters to mix and match every dish that you’ve ever wanted to try! I love DIY combo plates. You can get vegan and gluten free platters, but for the rest of you, don’t miss out on the beef wot.

• Asmara Restaurant | 5020 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland (Temescal)

Asmara serves up classic Ethiopian & Eritrean cuisine. I’ve never left Asmara still hungry. If you don’t know where to start, get one each of the Vegetarian and Meat combo platters. My fave Ethiopian dishes at Asmara are fitfit, doro watt, tikil gomen, and ye-beg alicha.

The other must-try at Asmara restaurant? Their honey wine! Try a glass … or upgrade to a carafe, you saucy minx.

Pizza in Oakland

• Nick’s Pizza & Bakery | 6400 Shattuck Ave, Oakland (Bushrod)

Nick’s serves what they call “Oakland-style pizza,” hand tossed thin organic sourdough crust topped with locally sourced and organic produce, and meats and cheeses which are made in-house. Nick’s founder and Chef has  a culinary background at some of the most well-known restaurants in both the Bay and the country.

Try fresh pizza staples made the Oakland way, or expirament with pies like the Popeye, made from Salted Meyer Lemon, Walnuts, Ricotta, and Shallots.

• Zachary’s | 5801 College Ave, Oakland (Rockridge)

Zachary’s is a famous East Bay deep dish pizza place. I know there’s that whole New York versus Chicago deep dish pizza rivalry, but Zachary’s is Oakland’s claim to fame (also, it’s Chicago style. Just FYI).

The pizza is as thick as a pie, covered with sauce and deliciously cheesy. Order one of Zachary’s classic flavors  – or their delicious weekly special – or make your own creation. Come see why Oakland will defend their deep dish pizza forever.

PS: Zachary’s was founded by a guy named Zach Zachowski. How great is that?!

Burgers in Oakland

• True Burger | 146 Grand Ave and 4101 Broadway, Oakland (Uptown and Temescal)

San Franciscans will fight us for this, but we’re gonna say it anyway: True Burger is better than Super Duper Burger (that’s the City’s best burger). But it IS!

True Burger is seriously delicious. They have amazingly satisfying burgers, awesome shakes, delicious fresh pickles, weirdly good ketchup, and delicious garlicky fries. If you’re craving a burger in Oakland, you gotta hit up True Burger!

• Sobo Ramen | 988 Franklin St #186, Oakland

Sobo Ramen is delicious, whether you’ve had real ramen before or still think that ramen refers to the 25 cent packs of college dorm food they sell at Safeway (you poor thing). People will tell you that there is better ramen in Oakland, but you’ll have to wait longer and pay twice as much. Sobo Ramen is more worth your time and money. We love the black garlic Tonkotsu ramen with extra chashu and quail eggs!

• Homeroom | 400 40th St, Oakland (Temescal) | $$

Homeroom should really be listed as “best mac & cheese in the world” because it really is. This famous East Bay restaurant offers all kinds of unique flavors of insanely good mac and cheese. Like, that’s what they serve. If you don’t want mac and cheese, go somewhere else.

We’ve tried almost every kind of the menu, and they’re all good, but the seasonal pick is usually the best bet. Some of our favorite flavors: jalapeno popper mac & cheese, french onion soup mac & cheese, pesto mac & cheese, buffalo chicken mac & cheese, and Hawaiian mac & cheese.

Also, you definitely need to try their buttermilk biscuits with honey butter (as if you needed more carbs, right?). Chase your mac & cheese down with a beer and some dessert too. Oh, and don’t worry, there are plenty of gluten free & vegan options!

• Cholita Linda|4923 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (Temescal) | $

Cholita Linda serves up delicious Latin Food, from tacos to platos to Cubanos to yucca fries. We’ve traveled all over Latin America and we still think Cholita Linda is some of the best Latin food we’ve ever had.

Their fish tacos are heaven sent, their cubano is the best in the Bay, and the picadillo is phenomenal. Prepare yourself for a line, and try to sit outside on the patio in the back if you can!

• Tacos Sinaloa |2138 International Blvd, Oakland  (Fruitvale)

Freshly made with just a few, perfect ingredients, Oakland’s favorite taco truck is home to the best street tacos in Oakland. Between Jeremy’s Mexican heritage and backpacking our way through Mexico, we both spend a lot of time back at home in Oakland craving authentic Mexican food. And Tacos Sinaloa serves up street tacos that take us right back to Puebla.

Tip: After your tacos, head across the street to the Fruitvale BART station to grab a refreshing mangonada at Nieves Cinco de Mayo in the Fruitvale Market and a stuffed churro at the Churros Mexicanos cart for dessert!

Ice Cream in Oakland

• Tara’s Organic Ice Cream | 4731 Telegraph, Oakland (Temescal) | $

Taras serves fresh and unusual flavors that actually actually taste exactly like their ingredients. You’ll find quirky flavors like Chinese 5 Spice, Bay Leaf, Lime Curd, Garam Masala, and Adzuki Bean & Sesame mingled among more “ordinary” fare like Strawberry & Basil or Salted Caramel. And of course, everything is fresh and organic. For vegans, Tara’s also offers delicious sorbets. 

Fun Irrelevant Fact: Tara’s was one of the stops on the extravagant Scavenger Hunt I sent Jeremy on for our first Valentine’s Day together. The hint? A bunch of people named Tara. Anyway, that’s a whole other, mushier story.

• Fenton’s Creamery | 4226 Piedmont Ave, Oakland (Piedmont) | $

Fenton’s Creamery is an institution, serving up incredibly fresh ice cream since 1894. Fenton’s is a classic old school style soda fountain shoppe, with both classic & modern ice cream flavors. It also famously appeared in a scene in the Pixar movie Up!

When you arrive at Fenton’s, there’s a good chance that a line of people will be snaking out the door. We recommend walking right past that line and sitting down inside. You can ask your server to deliver ice cream samples to you at your table while you peruse your menu in peace.

Order a “Black & Tan” sundae, a milkshake, or literally any other ice cream creation, and make sure to bring someone to share it with because portions here are ENORMOUS beyond all possible comprehension. 

• Note: East Bay locals might point out that Fenton’s is actually located in Piedmont, which – although surrounded on all sides by Oakland – is technically not in Oakland, due to some backwards-a** paperwork somebody didn’t file properly like, 100 years ago. There are houses in Piedmont that are also half in Oakland. Wtf? It’s another one of those weird things nobody tells you about Oakland.

• Curbside Creamery |  482 49th St, Oakland (Temescal)

Tucked inside Temescal Alley (aka Hipster Alley), Curbside Creamery scopps. upup delicious flavors like Bourbon Vanilla or Thai Iced Tea along with vegan offerings (made from cashew milk, which is a lot like actual milk only ca-chewier, GET IT?!), at Curbside Creamery you can also make your flavor of choice into a delicious ice cream sandwich on a selection of fresh cookies. Yum!

Vegan Food in Oakland

•  Souley Vegan | 301 Broadway, Oakland (Jack London)

With staples like fried okra, smothered potatoes, and blueberry pancakes, Souley Vegan dishes up food that’s not just good for vegan food, but good in general. I promise you won’t miss the meat, and you’ll never leave hungry!

• Hella Vegan Eats | 411 26th St, Oakland (Uptown)

With a name like “Hella Vegan Eats,” you know this is gonna be legit food. And this queer-run food truck turned restaurant and beer garden is totally Oakland.

True to form, you’ll find vegan versions of delicious dishes like pecan pie donuts, chicken & waffles, avocado toast, and french toast soaked in apple compote and blackberry maple syrup.

• Shangri-La Vegan  | 4905 Telegraph Ave, Oakland (Temescal)

Organic, macro-biotic, super budget-friendly, and so good. Shangri-La is simple, wholesome vegan food at affordable prices. Each day there are 2 set menus. You don’t get to choose what you want to eat, but instead, how much of it you’d like.

For an insanely reasonable price, you’ll get a selection of all of the day’s vegan offerings, from lentil soup to collard greens to baked yams. For dessert, try some raw vegan pie: strawberry pie, chocolate pie, key lime pie, you name it. You’ll leave stuffed – and hydrated by the free unlimited tea!

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I hope this list of where to eat in Oakland had your mouth watering!

One thing to note: If you’re finding yourself wondering “where the heck are [restaurant I read about in an online foodie magazine] and [restaurant that won a bunch of prestigious awards] and [restaurant with a famous San Francisco chef], well, you can find those spots in similar articles about restaurants in Oakland from local Bay Area magazines like 7×7, but I find that most of their recommendations are more on the fancy/expensive side. I tried not to stick to the same list of places that you’ll see on “best restaurants in Oakland” lists. In fact, I actively excluded some of the most well-known foodie spots. Why? Because after a while they all start to feel like different versions of the same restaurants that you can also find in San Francisco. If you’re going out to eat in Oakland, I encourage you to seek out Oakland flavors. But hey, if you think something should be included, please leave us a comment and let us know!

Psst: We have a bunch of other content about the San Francisco Bay Area! Take a look:

• 29 Things Nobody Tells You About Oakland, California
• 26 Awesome Things to Do in Oakland, California
• Chocolate & Booze: The Ultra San Francisco Chocolate Tour!
• The 10 Best Coffee Shops in San Francisco: A Local Barista’s Guide
• What to Pack for San Francisco (& what NOT to)

What Oakland food are you dying to try? Leave us a comment below!

Feature photo credit: Larissa Cleveland via Grand Lake Kitchen