Guidebook for Oakland

Alissa
Guidebook for Oakland

Food Scene

The PIZZA! The BREAD! The BAKED GOODS!
198 locals recommend
Arizmendi Bakery
3265 Lakeshore Ave
198 locals recommend
The PIZZA! The BREAD! The BAKED GOODS!
Their DEEP DISH pizza is our fav. The rest of their food is also really good, especially the green goddess salad.
64 locals recommend
The Star on Grand
3425 Grand Ave
64 locals recommend
Their DEEP DISH pizza is our fav. The rest of their food is also really good, especially the green goddess salad.
Sunday Salsa! Gets super crowded, a totally fun scene. The food is pretty good too.
54 locals recommend
CAÑA Cuban Parlor & Cafe
530 Lake Park Ave
54 locals recommend
Sunday Salsa! Gets super crowded, a totally fun scene. The food is pretty good too.
Best indie coffee shop. They serve great coffee, have outdoor seating, wifi, and also pastries and empanadas.
30 locals recommend
Haddon Hill Cafe
504 Wesley Ave
30 locals recommend
Best indie coffee shop. They serve great coffee, have outdoor seating, wifi, and also pastries and empanadas.
BRUNCH! Get there early or make a reservation. Their savory french toast is the best. They have gluten-free bread but most of their dishes are pretty bread-heavy. Also doubles as a deli.
117 locals recommend
Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt
576 Grand Ave
117 locals recommend
BRUNCH! Get there early or make a reservation. Their savory french toast is the best. They have gluten-free bread but most of their dishes are pretty bread-heavy. Also doubles as a deli.
Great mexican food, good quality meat and ingredients. They have a little nightclub and bar that is right next door.
La Estrellita
446 E 12th St
Great mexican food, good quality meat and ingredients. They have a little nightclub and bar that is right next door.
Great DRINKS, and BRUNCH. They have outdoor seating in back.
15 locals recommend
The Grand Tavern
3601 Grand Ave
15 locals recommend
Great DRINKS, and BRUNCH. They have outdoor seating in back.
Their ingredients taste super fresh.
16 locals recommend
Monster Phở
360 Broadway
16 locals recommend
Their ingredients taste super fresh.
Good, basic all around cafe with a snazzy laundromat next door and a mini parking lot.
38 locals recommend
Wally's Cafe (Emeryville)
3900 San Pablo Ave
38 locals recommend
Good, basic all around cafe with a snazzy laundromat next door and a mini parking lot.
Delicious fare, wide range of beer on tap, awesome outdoor patio facing the lake.
105 locals recommend
Portal Oakland
1611 2nd Ave
105 locals recommend
Delicious fare, wide range of beer on tap, awesome outdoor patio facing the lake.
It's a BEER GARDEN! The food is good (German inspired, and really excellent eggs benedict options). Sometimes the service is a little slow. It's right on the water, literally. Indoor and outdoor seating. Cornhole available on sunny days ;)
21 locals recommend
Brotzeit Lokal | German Restaurant & Waterfront Biergarten
1000 Embarcadero
21 locals recommend
It's a BEER GARDEN! The food is good (German inspired, and really excellent eggs benedict options). Sometimes the service is a little slow. It's right on the water, literally. Indoor and outdoor seating. Cornhole available on sunny days ;)
The drinks AND the food--so good. Also the kitchen is open pretty late and the bar menu is plentiful and delish.
36 locals recommend
Plum Cocktail Bar
2216 Broadway
36 locals recommend
The drinks AND the food--so good. Also the kitchen is open pretty late and the bar menu is plentiful and delish.
Super yummy Israeli/Middle Eastern food. Very fresh.
8 locals recommend
Ba-Bite
3905 Piedmont Avenue
8 locals recommend
Super yummy Israeli/Middle Eastern food. Very fresh.
If you need to work, eat, enjoy fresh air, good coffee, and get wifi, this is your place. Limited menu but very good lunch items.
15 locals recommend
BAR 41 OAKLAND
308 41st St
15 locals recommend
If you need to work, eat, enjoy fresh air, good coffee, and get wifi, this is your place. Limited menu but very good lunch items.
Full bar, food, sometimes live music during the day.
165 locals recommend
Drake's Dealership
2325 Broadway
165 locals recommend
Full bar, food, sometimes live music during the day.
28 locals recommend
Neecha Thai Cuisine
3236 Grand Ave
28 locals recommend
SO good!!
76 locals recommend
Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant
357-A Grand Ave
76 locals recommend
SO good!!
I'm not usually WOWed by Chinese Food. Unless I'm eating here. Lots of meat that falls apart in your mouth full of strongly spiced deliciousness. Only downside is that there's not that many vegetarian dishes. Everything I've tried here is superb.
8 locals recommend
Osmanthus
6048 College Ave
8 locals recommend
I'm not usually WOWed by Chinese Food. Unless I'm eating here. Lots of meat that falls apart in your mouth full of strongly spiced deliciousness. Only downside is that there's not that many vegetarian dishes. Everything I've tried here is superb.
Good food, decent prices. They have a good posole (considering it is not homemade).
41 locals recommend
Xolo
1916 Telegraph Ave
41 locals recommend
Good food, decent prices. They have a good posole (considering it is not homemade).
Classic local taco truck. Pretty good, there's almost always a line.
23 locals recommend
Tacos Mi Rancho
1434 1st Ave
23 locals recommend
Classic local taco truck. Pretty good, there's almost always a line.
They have the best simple mexican food, clean environment, fresh fresh fresh. MUST have the horchata-coffee beverage.
Aztecali
They have the best simple mexican food, clean environment, fresh fresh fresh. MUST have the horchata-coffee beverage.
I'll try almost any decently recommended Korean Food joint, but this is my all time favorite from anywhere I've been.
21 locals recommend
Ohgane
3915 Broadway
21 locals recommend
I'll try almost any decently recommended Korean Food joint, but this is my all time favorite from anywhere I've been.

Entertainment & Activities

Excellent yoga, beautiful studio off the beaten path and very down to earth.
7 locals recommend
Loka Yoga
2701 MacArthur Blvd
7 locals recommend
Excellent yoga, beautiful studio off the beaten path and very down to earth.
Typically crowded, heated, but good and challenging Ashtanga.
Monkey Yoga Shala
3215 Lakeshore Ave
Typically crowded, heated, but good and challenging Ashtanga.

Arts & Culture

Sometimes you just need a spontaneous tattoo. Not that they could fit you in, but this would be the first place I stop to see awesome industrial/tribal/hiphop front-of-house art, jewelry, and tats.
Old Crow Tattoo and Art Gallery
5251 Broadway
Sometimes you just need a spontaneous tattoo. Not that they could fit you in, but this would be the first place I stop to see awesome industrial/tribal/hiphop front-of-house art, jewelry, and tats.

Essentials

Terrible for fresh produce. Great for everything else including ready-made salads and lunchy items.
582 locals recommend
Trader Joe's
3250 Lakeshore Ave
582 locals recommend
Terrible for fresh produce. Great for everything else including ready-made salads and lunchy items.
Great for produce and also any other grocery item, with some specialty items too.
230 locals recommend
Farmer Joe's Marketplace
3501 MacArthur Blvd
230 locals recommend
Great for produce and also any other grocery item, with some specialty items too.
You should call ahead and make a reservation. I've only been dissatisfied once in something like 3 or 4 years of mani-pedis here.
6 locals recommend
Simply Green Day Spa
630 Grand Ave
6 locals recommend
You should call ahead and make a reservation. I've only been dissatisfied once in something like 3 or 4 years of mani-pedis here.
It's a small store stocked with all those natural supplements that maybe you forgot at home.
7 locals recommend
Lakeshore Natural Foods
3321 Lakeshore Ave
7 locals recommend
It's a small store stocked with all those natural supplements that maybe you forgot at home.

Drinks & Nightlife

Unpretentious, but modern and damn good drinks. Kinda spacious too.
86 locals recommend
Prizefighter
6702 Hollis St
86 locals recommend
Unpretentious, but modern and damn good drinks. Kinda spacious too.
Best thing about this place is their drinks and their backyard patio with the two huge redwoods.
34 locals recommend
The Double Standard
2424 Telegraph Ave
34 locals recommend
Best thing about this place is their drinks and their backyard patio with the two huge redwoods.

Parks & Nature

Hiking, frisbee, picnics. Stays pretty shady.
373 locals recommend
Redwood Regional Park
7867 Redwood Road
373 locals recommend
Hiking, frisbee, picnics. Stays pretty shady.
Hiking
214 locals recommend
Joaquin Miller Park
3300 Joaquin Miller Rd
214 locals recommend
Hiking
Public pool, playground, picnics, creek.
43 locals recommend
Dimond park
3860 Hanly Rd
43 locals recommend
Public pool, playground, picnics, creek.
It's so close and so great.
751 locals recommend
Lake Merritt Amphitheater
Lake Merritt Boulevard
751 locals recommend
It's so close and so great.