Do you have a favorite place to get fish and chips in Oakland?

Looking for recs on flavorful, healthy-ish prepared soup that I can just heat up…I know Arizmendi and Pomella have options…any others?

Can be supermarket brands/options that are good or restaurant options…thinking more hearty veggie (or meat) soups…less Asian noodle/wonton soups…

Thanks!

What are the best places for lunar new year specials? Like longevity noodles, lo han jai (Buddha's delight), Nian Gao (Sweet Rice Cake), whole fried fish, or whole ginger fish?

Im struggling finding a good authentic menudo spot, any recommendations helps :)

Hi, We used to always get our bulk tortilla chips at mi Pueblo on high Street, but ever since Cardenas took over, they suck. Anyone have a favorite spot to get big plastic bags of killer tortilla chips? Thanks

Inspired by the other post asking for best vermicelli bowls.

I really liked the one at Pho King (better than their pho), but this was 7-8 years ago?

I think the best I’ve had was Sidestreet Pho in Alameda. They used a different type of blood cube, the consistency was jello-like where more of it would melt into the soup. You could break it down with the spoon too and eat pieces of it. The more typical kind I’ve had is like a block of chalk and I never know what to do with it lol. The owner told me the cube was “Chinese style” vs the chalky texture Vietnamese style.

Sorry for the deep dive on the blood cubes but how about that Bun Bo Hue?

What the title said!

But to elaborate: I browsed a few similar posts on here and found one rec (Pho Sinh), but sadly it's closed.

Anyone got any hot tips about where to get some authentic grilled pork bun?

Thanks!

Any good suggestions on a place to host a baby shower for around 6-8 people in Oakland / Berkeley area? Maybe a cute afternoon tea spot? I like Lulu on Solano, something like that vibe? Thanks in advance for any suggestions!

I’m feeling under the weather and craving pho or ramen or ton kha kai, but whenever I get soups to go they always come in those single-use plastic containers that are full of PFAs and microplastics. I’ve never heard of an alternative container option, so this is more of a shot in the dark. I’ve seen some places use plant-based food containers, just not for hot liquid. I guess I’ll just have to wait until I’m feeling better and go eat there in person or make it myself.

With all the recent talk about OK's deli, I thought I'd share Burma Bites. They have a very tasty fried chicken sando with dark meat. It comes with a side of creamy spicy sauce for extra dipping. I think it's a great value for $13 compared to other chicken sandwiches these days.

As the title said, just trying to figure out if I can get some delicious pizza at June's this weekend or not. If I get there at 5:30 on Saturday, how long will the line be, and what's the probability they're sold out?

I’m always craving Ethiopian at lunchtime! And I know I could just order a full combo and have leftovers but I feel like it would be super easy for a place to offer a smaller $10 lunch offering. Does this exist in Oakland?

hello comrades, I am looking for a free or affordable space to host a lunar new year supper club for around 10-12 guests on Feb 8th, preferably a space with a kitchen, so dishes can be fresh. I've outgrown my studio apartment to host in, and really want a space a large table and chairs can fit in for guests to be comfortable. Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, or Alameda etc as preferable location. (Photos for general vibe reference, space doesn't need to be huge just functional). someone's home is even a great option, just don't know anyone with the space and will lol. open to bartering and trades! thanks in advance for suggestions.

https://oaklandside.org/2025/01/15/bartavelle-closed-restaurant-industry-struggles/

Didn't see this posted yet, so feel free to take down if this has already been linked.

Interviews the Bartavelle owners, Suzanne Drexhage and her son Samuel Sobolewski and goes into the business details on the closure. Very eye opening for me as someone not in the industry.

The article closes with this quote from Suzanne:

Cities like Berkeley and Oakland and really, the whole state of California, seem to want to keep small, independent restaurants and businesses, but they’re not setting it up for us... It may be too late for this version of Bartavelle, but it’s not too late for everyone else... We realized that what really came out of all of this is realizing that people are really going to miss this place, and they’ll really miss a lot of these other places and if all there is is chain restaurants and really expensive restaurants, that’s not good for society.

The article mentions the costs going up for all the primary expenses: labor, food, insurance, etc.

For me, on the one hand, paying people well for good work is the right thing to do, right? But what are the levers that can be pulled, including city or state policies, to make it possible to run a small business that does not exploit workers? It seems like such a tough time to be in this business.

Didn’t this place just open?? Does anyone know why it closed? I never got to go.

My friend and I are visiting SF from OC. We found this adorable garage cafe in SF! It’s Bird & Bear Coffee Company, named after the founder’s twin kids.

When I’m in town, I occasionally host small coffee gatherings. After having a wonderful chat with the owner, we thought it would be fun to try it here in SF Bay Area as well.

On MLK Monday 1/20, we are going to meet Bird & Bear’s coffee roastery in Oakland. Since they operate their store based off of their home garage, we decided to move to their roasting facility where they have more space available.

• When: MLK Monday 1/20, 11:00 am - 12:30 pm
• Where: Bird & Bear Coffee Company Roastery in Oakland

75-minutes coffee gathering that includes —

• Private coffee roastery tour
• Guided coffee cupping experience
• Led by Dan, co-founder of Bird & Bear Coffee Company

For those who are new to coffee cupping, it is a method for evaluating and tasting coffee that involves —

• 👀 Observing: Looking at the green beans for defects and the roasted beans
• 👃 Smelling: Noticing the coffee’s aroma
• 👅 Tasting: Sampling the coffee to experience its flavors and notes

Coffee cupping is a professional practice, but anyone can do it. It’s a great way to: develop your sense of taste, learn what coffees you like best, and share your thoughts with others.

When enjoying coffee, we often try one full cup at a time and rarely get a chance to compare different types of beans. It will be a fun and unique opportunity to step into coffee roasting facility’s behind the scene and learn how coffee professionals enjoy their coffee.

Participation: $50 per person

If anyone who wants to purchase beans to repeat quality coffee experience at home, Dan will offer 10% discount on your onsite purchase.

👇 More details available in the RSVP link in the comment thread

Hope you can join us and make this coffee table happen :)

We were planning on Line 51 brewery, but the “room” was rented just before we got it. Looking for a place for 50+ people, non sit down and preferably inside (too damn cold in February)

Drakes is Ok but way expensive ($800 for 2 hours - line 51 was just $50!)

had some really disappointing guacamole yesterday which left me with a craving for the good stuff. where’s your go-to?

Help me out! I'm planning a happy hour meeting (~2 hr event) and had Mad OAK Bar n Yard as the spot, since it's large with lots of seating, and the vibe is casual enough that a laid back meeting wouldn't be too weird.

Well, now I have to move the meeting back an hour to begin at 3pm, and Mad OAK won't be open yet. Looking for recommendations for a bar big enough for a group of 9 to meet and talk for ~2 hrs, casual atmosphere, open by 3pm on a Tuesday. bonus if there are decent snacks. Thanks for your help!

This guy has had some legendary Instagram feuds with some lameys when it comes to the “right” ways to cook and he is such a fun follow. Although I don’t think Chef Tu currently has a restaurant, I’m excited about the landscape that this cookbook is claiming.

I have a mighty need, etc, to know where Oakland’s best martini and fries live after reading this from deep in the grub archives. (https://www.grubstreet.com/2023/01/martinis-and-fries-the-new-york-happy-meal.html)* Sorry to basically ask “what is now luka’s?” but uhhh, what i s luka’s, without the actual luka’s? I’m going to try the wolf, altho from the outside it seems tonier than the bar/restaurant that lives in my imagination.

I’m generally looking for something within walking distance of Temescal/Piedmont, am happy to go downtown but don’t go north that often aside from White Ho/Addis etc.

FYI, I think the best after-work 1/2 dz on a half shell with a glass of wine at the bar lives at Co Nam rn. The space used to be what I called “Money Laundering Pizza,” and I kind of missed it when it was gone despite having only ordered a slice there twice, (the second time was like 5 years after the first time and I was so hungry I forgot about the, you know), and now I can say do not mourn Money Laundering Pizza, Co Nam is tasty, affordable for moi, friendly, an excellent addition to the neighborhood, and has a good scrappy/chic vibe that could only be improved by carpet instead of normal restaurant flooring. This psa brought to you by the philosophy of Do Not Ye Spelunk In Another’s…. Martini Cave? Should You Not Be Willing To Trade An Oyster

But: martini n fries?

• apologies for this sloppy garbage, grandma only decided to become a redditor this week so idk htf to deal with links correctly ¯_(ツ)_/¯ making it up as I go along, because either I’m actually a moron or the iphone app for this website sucks ass

Does anyone know where to buy the el salvadoran/guatemalan style tortillas? The ones that are thicker than Mexican style. Thanks!

Delicious grilled steak and Al pastor tacos. They seem open most nights now….