The sides are a solid five stars especially the tater tots and wasabi Cole slaw. The chicken is just ok. Maybe the oil was too cold because they were so busy but ours was not crispy and delicious as I'd hoped. I'd give it one more try. Definitely go for their sides though and the place has a cool punk rock vibe! The staff is very nice too. read more

We were going to eat at Lion Dance, which is 2 doors down but it was packed so we came here -- what a treat! Aburaya is super casual but the food is probably some of the best Japanese izakaya style I've had. The chicken was crisp and juicy and extremely flavorful. The portions were ginormous and we had so many leftovers. This is a counter service restaurant. I do think it would be nice if they could keep the cleanliness maintained through dinner service -- I saw trashed napkins and other stuff in the corners by out table. read more

I'm lucky that I live right around the corner from Aburaya, meaning they're a great takeout option on a casual Tuesday evening. Fried chicken, rice, and greens (their go-to order) may seem a bit simple, but Aburaya hits it right out of the park. In all the times I've ordered from here, the chicken has been perfectly juicy. Obviously, the miso ranch dressing on the side is fantastic and you absolutely need to buy one of the jars that they sell. I walk my dog past Aburaya every night and the atmosphere is always fantastic; people sitting inside and outside, eating their chicken plates, while rock music plays inside. Truly a downtown Oakland gem. read more

Had a craving for fried chicken at lunchtime and searched Yelp for a place. I never heard of this place before even though I worked in the area for a few years and frequent restaurants on the same block. I ordered the fried chicken with the dry rub, and opted for an extra piece of chicken and rice. I'll say this meal was huge. While I paid a little extra, the value is there. You could probably split this lunch between two people. It was probably too much for a work day lunch. I'm a huge fan of dry rubs. I like the spices and seasonings, and don't want to get splattered on with sauces especially at work. This dry rub was very good and left a slight zesty tingle on my tongue while eating it. This is complemented well by the cabbage and rice too. What I didn't like was how it was applied to the chicken. It wasn't evenly applied to all sides - it almost looked as if it were dumped in on one side only. So some bites had little dry rub, and other bites were too overpowering. Also, two of the 5 pieces of chicken were super dry, at least for my tastes. I don't know if this is normal for them, but it was too dry when served with the dry rub rather than a sauce. I would go back and make modifications- no extra chicken and try a sauce instead. Maybe it'll be a better experience and I'll update my review. read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

I love this place and loved it since the first day I've tried it. Now a days I just order the 4 piece fried chicken and make it into a meal that comes with a side salad, rice, and what they don't tell you in the description is a hunk of cabbage with some ranch style dressing to go with it. The 4 piece fried chicken you can pick a seasoning for it. My go to is the umami but I know their most popular is miso garlic. They give huge pieces of fried chicken (imagine two boneless thighs) for the 4 pieces. They have a huge fried chicken sandwich where you get four pieces of the fried chicken on thick slices of Texan toast and a side salad. I think it would be great if they can cut it or you can ask them to cut it in half because it's so big. It's definitely a messy one. They also have other options if you don't want fried chicken like an meatless option, poke bowl, salads and so forth. Ordering online is easy enough and pay or you can phone in your order and pay when you pick up. Parking is hard to come by so be wary if you drive. read more

Aburaya - Huge pieces of chicken! - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

Super great fried chicken place that was highly recommended to me! Can get really busy during lunch time even on weekdays so come here if you have time. But prices are super affordable and you get a lot of food! Ambiance gives bar vibes! read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

I ordered the 4-piece miso garlic chicken with rice and miso ranch! I order it to go, and it was well packaged and was very generous portions of chicken, rice and salad. The chicken itself wasn't super saucey so the sauce on the side is great. I liked the miso ranch sauce but would like to try the other sauce next time. My friend also ordered the Cole slaw, which was delicious! It has a light mayo/creaminess and a bit a tang from the wasabi. I will definitely be ordering my own next time. read more

Aburaya is the best. I love Japanese fried chicken. They have dry and wet rubs. I got around to trying their bbq wet rub and their sansho dry rub. The bbq was so flavorful while the sansho had a tingling kick to your mouth that came unexpectedly. I recommend ordering extra miso ranch as well. I'm excited to try their other flavors for sure. One of the coolest things is they play punk rock music and sell lots of booze. ;) read more

Aburaya - shochu + mixers set - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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I am completely blown away that Aburaya makes fried chicken exactly the way I like it! Big chunks of marinated DARK MEAT. Deep fried with a light batter. Then coated with a tasty sauce or dry rub. In my case, spicy BBQ sauce. I know they offer other items, but I just ordered the 8-pcs of chicken. The chicken is juicy, tender, and the BBQ sauce had a spicy kick to it. I will try other sauces and rubs in my next order. Delivery by Caviar was on time. (I heard the place was busy for takeout) Everyone needs to try japanese fried chicken at Aburaya! read more

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On the positive side, our order was extremely affordable and portions were generous. The sauce on the tater tots is also delicious. I hate to not leave a positive review, but I've tried Aburaya twice. The first time, my chicken was really dry but I wanted to give it a second chance because people rave about this spot. But I ordered again last night and my chicken was dry again :( I wouldn't recommend it. read more

In an attempt to blunt the crippling economic effects of Covid-19, Oakland Chinatown's Chamber of Commerce launched Streetfest Fridays, encouraging prospective patrons to order take-out from nearby restaurants and eat at outdoor seating set up in a blocked-off city street. I decided to participate by getting Aburaya's 4-piece fried chicken rice bowl ($11), which comes with a salad, a cabbage wedge, and a miso ranch sauce. The salad uses a savory-sweet sesame dressing, which I particularly like. I do not like standard salad dressing (e.g. Caesar, Thousand Island) as i find them too oily and greasy. The cabbage, dipped in the miso ranch, tasted creamy, savory, and decadent. Any opportunity to make a vegetable unhealthy is an automatic thumbs up from me. I decided to garnish the fried chicken with a dry sansho spice rub. It provided a numbing sensation, much like that of sichuan peppercorns, though the spice rub tasted lemony instead of spicy. Even in normal times, getting all of this for $11 is quite a bargain. read more

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Came by after seeing this on Instagram reels, what a hit. Very causal and simple place but the chicken is fried perfectly. No bone and they are big pieces. We got the $20 eight piece with all the included sides (rice, cabbage, and some greens). Super juicy and the flavors were great! We got half and half garlic dry rub and Japanese bbq! 10/10 would try again. read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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Don't let flies deter All the spices do a dance With rice for balance Err Rev is Hai Ku read more

Aburaya - Soy garlic and schichimi chick ov'r rice - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

I have bookmarked this place for a while and I finally got a chance to try it! I ordered their fried chicken and picked umami salt and karashi honey seasoning. On the first bite, I knew I would be coming back. Even after I got home, the chicken was still crispy on the outside with juicy and tender meat. Both seasonings were so good that I cannot decide which one is better. Although it was almost impossible to find a parking space in downtown oakland, it won't stop me from coming! read more

Aburaya - Umami salt and karashi honey fried chicken - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

This place was just alright. It was a bit confusing at first in the sense that, you can see a kitchen, but then as you approach the counter to order, there's a bunch of products to buy. "Is it a market? A store? An eatery? Kind of a curveball. What I didn't like was the girls lack of desire to help with guiding us through the menu. Maybe she was having a bad day, who knows? But it wasn't exactly a warm reception, felt like she was being bothered to answer questions. She deterred ordering the spicy chicken, which was interesting. The tofu appetizer had a yummy tangy wasabi sauce, so good. Chicken was decent, just weird vibe. Felt like if hot topic were made for Asians who like fried chicken, then this was the place to be. read more

Got an order of their 8 piece fried chicken order with 2 sauces( rock and roll barbecue and orange honey aioli sauce). Paid for a bowl of rice, but there was no rice of any sort inside my order. Very disappointed. Raw cabbage was not helping the taste due to their dry stale taste. Secondly what kind of order comes with a ranch with no lid on. Ranch spilled all over the food. The main course was fried chicken. Outside skin was very mildly crispy with certain areas of the skin tasting very hard. Meat is fried for too long resulting in chicken losing their juice and becoming very dry. Orange honey aioli sauce was definitely not like the title claimed. There was no orange taste, and the strong cream texture reminded me of mayonnaise on my chicken. Rick and Roll BBQ is just plain BBQ sauce that states it has a bit of spicy texture, but all the taste I had in my tongue was smoky BBQ with a hint of sweetness. read more

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Amazing celiac safe spot! So delicious and also a fun place to hang out! Definitely more of an adult hang out spot but food is kid friendly and it works well for older kids who are down with the loud music. read more

Been wanting to try this place and finally was able to with mom and hubby - super friendly service and good vibes coming in x We ordered the fried tofu and the fried chicken curry bowls - both can with a side of salad - Curry was flavorful and both the tofu and chicken were perfectly cooked - hubby got the fried chicken salad - nice portion and he added some hot sauce - this will definitely be on our Oakland rotation x read more

Aburaya - Mom ready to enjoy her fried tofu curry bowl - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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I've never dined in so I can't speak to the experience of sitting down inside the restaurant itself. Overall this place has few tables and it feels a tiny bit crowded to be an actual sit down place. The food however is absolutely delicious and the prices are so good! I always get the 4 pieces of fried chicken with the cabbage side salad and rice. Pro tip -- get the spicy Mayo sauce read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

This is a cute small restaurant in walking distance from my apartment in Oakland. The chicken and side dishes are delicious here and I enjoyed the ability to choose from many types of flavors. The staff was helpful when my friends and I were deciding on which flavors to get and gave input on which were their favorite. read more

Been coming here for over 10+ years. Adachi, the owner, has done well for himself starting from pop-up. Taste is just as good as I remembered it. Now with COVID, there are only 2 standing tables inside and a random folding table outside. No seats! The fried chicken Sando on Texas toast is my favorite but really difficult to eat. My fiancé rips the bread apart and eats everything like a salad. read more

I will have to have it again, because I believe it should have been good, but that fried chicken sandwich was very hard to eat. Hard to get a handle on, messy, way too gooped up by overly sweet sauce. Next time I'll just go with the chicken. That looked good. read more

A unique Japanese Fries Chicken specialty restaurant located in uptown Oakland near 19th BART. Upon entering the restaurant, the entrance area is a relatively wide, open space. The walls are lined with store merchandise and tons of Japanese sake, American beers (cans & bottles), and bottles of the restaurant's sauces; all for sale. The ambiance is a homey feeling with the warm lighting and tons of decor that gives Aburaya its identity. This place also has some fun elements; for example on Wednesdays you can play Rock, Paper, Scissors against the cashier and if you win, they give you a free drink or side ($7-$10 value). They have one cashier at the front. In my experience the line can move quickly. I have ordered a few times from here including a rice bowl with 4 pieces chicken, their "Oyako Sando", and skirt steak rice bowl. The chicken rice bowl didn't come with quite enough sauce so admittedly I think it could have been better since the sauce was most of the flavor. The Oyako Sando however was very flavorful as it was fried chicken and egg salad doused in sauce (I subbed the spicy sauce for their orange aioli) in between two pieces of Texas toast garlic bread. I was very satisfied with that order and definitely plan to get it again. One of the major downsides of this place is that it doesn't have enough seating. There is some seating in the entrance area but it's sparse and the tables are very close together and cramped. There is actually a separate room just for seating/ dining, but there are only about 7 tables. There are maybe 3 high top tables outside as well. Don't be surprised if you go here and have nowhere to sit! I have had to take my food to-go before because of lack of seating. Overall, this place is definitely worth the visit for a different take on fried chicken. Prices are very cheap for what you get, and the food is flavorful. It's a fun spot to drop into but depending on time of day, you may not be lucky enough to eat in house. read more

I am giving this place a rating of 4.5/5.0 stars. Service and food here was great. The reason for my 4.5 stars is because some of the dishes were a hit and miss for me personally. I feel like ultimately, it's all about preference on how you like your fried chicken. I'm more of a sticky wings and fried chicken kinda girl, so, I feel like this didn't hit the spot (but that's just me). I know my friends loved most of their chicken. Food: My friends and I ordered multiple types of fried chicken, the sauces that we chose were Garlic miso, Japanese curry, Umami salt (my favorite), shichimi, and bbq. We also ordered Side dish: - Aburaya tatie tots (fireeee) - okonommiyaki (veggie pancake with aoili & bbq)- this I was okie Tips: - this is in the business area, downtown-Ish but closer to lake Merritt side of town, a lot of one way streets so be careful for driving on the wrong side of the road). - parking is hard to find - dining in might be a challenge for because there isn't enough seats especially if you're a large group. Overall, I still highly recommend trying this place if you're a fried chicken type of person. read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

This is hands down one of my favorite places to eat in Oakland or when my boss allows us to order a free lunch for the day. My friend introduced me to this place in 2017 and I've been a loyal customer ever since. My go-to order is the BBQ 4 piece with only rice with extra miso ranch. I love how sweet and savory the BBQ sauce is, especially when dipped in the miso ranch... and eating it with the BBQ-covered rice too (chefs kiss). My coworkers always order the Garlic Miso, which I have yet to try but the fact that 6+ of them consistently order it every time we place an order must be a good thing. I'm hoping to try more items in the future and I really wish that they had a wing flight so I could try more flavors without committing to a whole meal of the one flavor. The store and the music have always been really cool to me. Staff is always friendly and orders are completely on time. The parking in this area isn't super available but it doesn't have heavy traffic so you can kinda just put your hazards on and pick up your food real quick. My only grievance is that I wish there was more miso ranch in the container given instead of having to always order extra. It usually also spills over into the to-go container because there's no lid. Secondly, the to-go container itself is tall so when I'm cutting the chicken and then eating out of it, my hand grazes the steamy container and gets wet from the droplets. BUT those things aren't going to ever stop me from coming back and don't need to change. Anyway! I adore Aburaya and I will continue to introduce my friends and family to them when I get the chance. read more

I love this Japanese fried chicken spot! I always get the four piece with garlic miso, rice and greens. Highly recommend adding on a side of a umami salt. The food is always good but giving four stars because sometimes a piece of chicken can be a bit overcooked and dry. I typically order ahead to beat the line. They have an online app that you can order from and get points in the process! A typical meal is around 15 bucks and depending on how hungry you are it can last for two meals. Highly recommend hitting the spot for a quick and delicious lunch or dinner! Food 4/5 Service 4/5 Price $ read more

This place is more of a 4.7 for me. Abruya was featured on KQED Check Please. Search out the video as well as fellow yelpers to figure out what to order. Check Please guests RAVED about the food as did a guy in a corner table raving about the rice with another customer waiting for a take out order. Very few tables, one inside and was there one outside? So be prepared to do a take out.At times, apparently there are lines so we decided to do a pick up at 4. For us located in San Francisco, this involves a bus and BART. Not being close by adds to the total cost. To offset it, we ordered 2 of the 8 piece chicken. Researching led me to these choices. BBQ + Karashi Honey Orange Honey Aioli + Garlic Miso  Wasabi Slaw Hubby doesnt like Wasabi so I was a little worried about the slaw and the karashi. I needn't be. There was just a slight punch to add interest. Each box contained a very small container of miso sauce, so good that I licked the tiny container. (I do wish they put a piece of foil over the sauce because one container spilled on the way home.) There was a big chunk of fresh cabbage in each box. Not being big eaters (remember we ordered 16 pieces intending to freeze and air fry later) we took one of each and cut them in half. I expected the chicken to be more crispy but perhaps eating it 2 hours later would have something to do with it. I liked all of it and with the fresh cabbage felt satisfied and not weighted down I liked the slaw but wished for a little more wasabi punch. If I find myself in Oakland, I certainly will return. Will I make a special trip. Yes but I will order enough to offset the transportation cost. I will get exactly what I ordered this time and the rice the guy couldn't stop talking about. Very patient, friendly service and you can order online through the restaurant. And it is VERY close to 19th street BART. read more

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If you love fried chicken, Aburaya is a must visit. I've been to Aburaya a handful of times and each time I leave full, with enough leftovers for another meal, and a promise to myself to come again soon. They offer karage by the piece or in a rice bowl. My go to order is a habenero miso four piece rice bowl. The meal comes with their housemade miso ranch that is the perfect dipping sauce for any occasion. The habenero miso sauce provides a flavorful heat that is balanced but still provides a tasteful kick to the sinuses. They have indoor seating with a fun punk ambiance or you can take the food to go and enjoy your meal by lake merritt. Highly recommend! read more

Aaaah, the app is not great. I ordered the family meal and thought I was adding vegan wings but by checking the box I substituted my chicken for vegan. Me and all of my non-vegan guests were subjected to eating vegan which was not enjoyable. read more

I really liked the vegan ranch sauce. It was served with some raw cabbage. I don't recall eating a quarter head of raw cabbage before, but it was ok with the ranch. The vegan chicken was those drumsticks from Layonna veg or similar purveyor which was fried in some seasoning of your choice. $13 was a bit pricey for four little drumsticks, but it was filling for one person. The cauliflower appetizer was ok- cooked in the same seasoning as the drumsticks. The order was done in a timely manner, and the staff was really friendly. read more

Aburaya - Four drumsticks and a quarter head of cabbage - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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Recently decided to check out this spot off the recommendation of a friend. He had been getting Groupon offers and seen good reviews from Yelp. So decided to check it out on my off day. I tried out their Aburaya Tator Totz, Fried Chicken Sando and Fried Chicken w/ BBQ sauce. Aburaya Tatot Totz - I am a huge fan of tator tots, so anytime I see them on a food menu I instantly order them. Nice size portion of tots, their spin loaded tator tots. Topped with BBQ sauce, Aioli, katsuo bushi and nori. The combination of all the items mixed together was nice blend. Not bad I was little skeptical at first but the item was very good. Next time I'd probably ask for no katsuo or nori but for a first time experience gotta get them the way its prepared. 4 out 5 rating Fried Chicken - So not reading the menu i expected fried chicken pieces on the bone seasoned well. But I was surprised when I saw that the chicken was boneless chicken thighs chopped up. Pieces were nicely cooked and tender. The BBQ sauce was tangy and sweet. Only thing I would have wanted for the chicken to be spicy as im a fan of spicy food. Maybe in the future they can add a spicy rub or sauce to the menu as currently its not offered. But outside of that chicken was great. 4 out 5. Fried Chicken Sando - So the fried chicken sandwich was extremely messy and had to many fixings on the sandwich. Id probably would have preferred if u had only slaw or greens & tomatoe on the sandwich but didn't need both in my opinion. Chicken side was small and is hidden with all the toppings. Chicken by itself was good, I liked that you guys use Texas Toast. Its a good bread selection. Next time I'd probably have them not to add the fixings or maybe go light on slaw. I also would like to see a spicy sauce option in the future. 3.5 out 5. Overall experience 4 out 5, I wanna come back and try some of their other fried chicken flavors. read more

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Now I know why this place on my block is always busy. We got a few flavors of the three-piece fried chicken and rice with wasabi slaw and whewwwww it's good. They're really careful about trimming the pieces well so there aren't any chewy/fatty bits--that's the kind of love and attention we're dealing with. I really enjoyed the sweet/spicy sauce but there's a bunch of flavors to try for next time. The wasabi slaw is the perfect thing to pair with the fried flavor; such a nice hit of freshness. Really appreciate them putting in some high quality salad with the chicken too. read more

Aburaya - Spices bagged up illicitly. - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

Friendly workers, great chicken. Not too salty. 4 pieces is enough...don't make the wonderful mistake I did going for 8 pieces. Even more fun: they sell Japanese and local beers to go as well. 4 packs, 6 packs. Great. read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

Wanted to try this place during one of our work lunches. We work not too far from the 12th street BART station. This is a bit of a walk from this area, but its manageable. We came during lunch, so it was pretty busy. The line went up to the door, and all of the seats were taken. While we waited for our food, we had to be pretty spry to grab a seat as they opened up. I had the fried chicken rice bowl (garlic miso) and a craft brew IPA. I was really looking forward to this, as I love karaage at most restaurants. I wished that the skin was more crunchy, but it was a bit soft compared to my expectations. The garlic miso is one of their dry flavorings, and I didnt get much of the taste. I think I probably would have preferred a wet flavoring. The salad was okay, it came with a ranch sauce that was suuppppeer cheesey. I think I might need to try a different order before I decide if I should recommend this or not. The place is pretty small for how popular it is. If you try it, make sure to go when it isn't usually busy. read more

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Not one to actively seek out meat, it took me two years of living near Aburaya to try it. A friend finally convinced me, and wowza I'm glad he did. The taste of chicken is normally gross to me, but I relished in every bite at Aburaya. Ironically, I found out the friend who invited me comes for the tofu. Apparently it's even better than the chicken. Or so he says. Will have to test the theory and come try it soon. The line was out the door on a Friday night. You order at the counter and your name gets called to pick up the food. The line took a while itself, and the wait for them to prepare the order took even longer. It seemed an unusually long wait to me, but given how busy they are and the quality of the food, it's easily forgivable. I ordered the smaller bowl option and it was super filling. Probably wouldn't order the bigger one except to share. We ordered a side of tots and only ate a fee before surrendering and taking it to go. Two entrees and a side were roughly $30, not bad at all. Especially give how full we left. Plus, the chicken with umami salt is the deal. Crunchy, salty, and juicy. 11/10 would eat again. Also worth noting, Aburaya is one of the only establishments in this neck of the woods with a schedule that caters to residents and not just business traffic (i.e. is actually open at night). It's also close to lots of bars, offices, and BART, and has bike parking right out front, making it very convenient. Given the cost, convenience, and quality, this is a great choice for a casual dinner or lunch! read more

Aburaya - Four piece with umami - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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BOMB.com don't sleep on this place. It is my go to comfort food. Small but cozy atmosphere. I like the punk rock theme going on, makes me feel at home. This place is poppin so it can be busy and get crowded at times. The staff are very friendly and there's quick service. My fav/go to is their garlic miso fried chicken read more

I came here after I thought it was another Japanese fried chicken place that I'd passed on another day, but realized was wrong about when I got there. I was in for a great treat regardless of the mistake. I was pleasantly surprised to try some of the chicken and be delighted with its taste. The garlic and miso went well together (it was like a powdery seasoning in the marinated chicken). There was also a sauce on the side that came with it and salad dressing on the salad that all paired well together. There was so much chicken though and easily for two meals (however the chicken was much better the first time around). The chicken was very salty but still very satisfying and not as heavy as most fried chicken because the batter is so thin. But overall for $12 it wasn't a bad deal since the bowl could be two meals. I want to come back in the evening, since it's the only time you can order their roasted beets. read more

Aburaya - Garlic miso chicken - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

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I used to LOVE Aburaya. Favorite part was the fresh chunks of cabbage. My last few orders over the last few months have had scraps of cabbage. Not sure what happened, shrinkflation? Please bring back the cabbage! read more

Aburaya - Izakaya Near Me - Oakland, California

Awesome karaaage but tots get soggy real fast. Owner used to oblige my son playing bass in his band and hosting first Friday concerts downtown. read more

Everything was Dry. Definitely more sauces for the cabbage and chicken. I like the big chicken tenders and the vibe of the restaurant is nice.. read more