Visited on a Wednesday with a friend around 6pm, restaurant had a few other guest but plenty of open spots. We were seated at a table near the bar. As the evening progressed restaurant definitely filled up so probably a good idea to book a table if you want to dine here during peak hours. Drinks: grabbed a glass of rose which was pleasant, light, crisp, chilled and refreshing Food: Smoked Pork Jowl with Fig - served chilled, pork was super thinly sliced with a rich smokey flavor, this paired really well with the sweet jammy ripe figs, a small and light starter Fried Green Tomato Salad - great, tart, tangy and bright, tomatoes had a nice crisp breading, the creamy green goddess like dressing added some richness topped little shrimp made this a heartier starter, and herbs which added some additional freshness really enjoyed this one Chicken liver and Waffle - very rich and fatty but pretty tasty overall, cornmeal waffle had a nice crisp interior, great bite a chew, the chicken liver puree was tangy and bright with a bit of fruity sweetness, topped with lovely crunchy pieces McRib - delicious, soft plush bun with a well seasoned BBQ pork patty and a creamy aioli that added extra richness and contrast in flavor, definitely a favorite bite Greens - savory, brothy, and well seasoned, with a hint of meaty smokey flavor, greens were tender and really flavorful, wish we had bread or rice to soak up the broth. Service was good, very attentive, well paced. Water was refilled regularly and staff was warm and friendly with great familiarity of the menu and excellent recommendations. Overall really enjoyed our meal at Burdell, the menu is a fun seasonal and southern inspired. The ambiance of the restaurant is cozy and retro with really lovely warm tones that feels almost like a 1970's living room in the best way. read more

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Underwhelming. This place seemed very hyped on a bunch of different lists like Eater and Infatuation, but it just didn't cut it. Bland, unexciting. Very typical popular "this is where hip hop comes from" music that you'd hear in a college dorm of a kid first discovering old school r and b. Under seasoned. It seemed like "hey rich tech kids, here is soul food for a price but we made it boring". The wine pairing with the family style menu was nice. The key lime panacotta was excellent. Our server was very nice and attentive, he should probably work at a better restaurant. Not coming back. Would not recommend. read more

I was really excited to try out a new Soul Food restaurant that has gotten a Michelin nod. I've been to Michelin restaurants (Akoko, Ikoyi, Le Comptoir at Bar Crenn) and I'd definitely not consider what I ordered at Burdell Michelin level cooking. I had the Broccoli Croquettes, BBQ Shrimp w/ Rice Grits, Hash Browns and Beignets. None of these items were BAD just not amazing. It's the food you'd get at a fairly good B restaurant like Pacific Catch, only way more expensive. On a positive note, my server Vicki was a star and was very attentive and professional. However, the staff responsible for bussing my table weren't as professional. I had to ask for a plate for my appetizer and plates weren't cleared away once I was done with them. It's funny that another Yelper mentioned that most of the people at Burdell were cashing in their Chase Reserve dining credit before it expired. That was me!! LoLOL read more

We ate here tonight because it is the only "elite" restaurant eligible on the Chase reserve card with a dining credit in the East Bay. The interior was more dismal than in the professional photos in ads. The indoor/outdoor rug inside looked shopworn and unsanitary. There was a small grouping of old photographs bunched up isolated on an expansive bare wall that made me kind of sad. It was also the highlight of the visit. Music from the 70's is arguably some of the best that's ever come out of this country. It was so very loud i asked for tissue for my ears. A waitress turned it down for about 20 minutes. i didn't recognize a single songs. We could hear the next table shouting to hear themselves . Sparkling water was served in a bottle and refilled from a carbonated tap which is okay i guess, but i wondered how many unwashed hands touched that same bottle at our table without cleaning it. The $14 family size cornbread was unrecognizable - two inch squares of medium dark cake with a spoon of something sour churned with butter the staff could not identify. Don't ask for bread plates. You're expected to transfer cornbread from the community plate to your own dinner plate southern family style. I asked a waiter the provenance of the butter but he didn't know. He came back with a description of the process instead. We mix something sour with the butter... The pork was small and way too chewy and the beans were very dry as though they had been left evaporated to the point of sticking in the pot overnight. The sole was a 2 stick portion the size of medium size bandaids with a total weight of 3 ounces. I guess it was two pieces on account of the family share you're supposed to do. It was very salty and i was happy to share with my husband. i complained to the waitress that the fish was oversalted and she asked if i wanted it taken away. On the plus side the greens were good what little there was. I wanted to try the $100 hush puppies but they could not be sold separately from the caviar. They were four tiny hush puppies. Half the size of Angeline's. Worst meal in 25 years so i won't come back. On a good note I complained to the manager about the oversalted fish and requested a five percent discount for the waitress (15% to show my evaluation of the service). She abandoned us after I complained about the salt. The manager offered to comp the meal. I vigorously refused but she insisted. Her fellow manager said the 20% service fee is automatic and management does not have the tools/training to reverse a $5 from a transaction. On the bottom of the guest check is a lengthy political statement about historically bad tipping and their attempt to remedy that through a service fee of 20% on all checks. I agree in principle so long as they take on the corresponding responsibility to provide a level of food and service that justifies that policy. I will contact Chase Reserve about their choice of the "elite" dining experience of Burdell in the Bay Area. And, fun fact, you can't get chicken and waffles with the gross liver mousse on the side. Sole the fish is not typical soul food. $100 Caviar is not typical soul food. Authentic Sole food is super-tasty southern carribean invented and reinvented and refined by poor people. You're not fooling anyone with caviar on a hush puppy. That's not elevated. It's a lazy way to jack the price. The grocery bill for ingredients for all our dishes combined was under $10. The bill with water was about $100. Popeyes is better than Burdell on every metric - food, service, ambience. Angeline's 1/2 as loud with nice service nice decor and costs half the price. Get your pork and beans and rice and bbq shrimp and catfish and greens and a la cart hush puppies there. You don't have to reserve with a card or have a time limit at your table and if you're a few minutes late or early they won't make a fuss or charge you a huge cancellation fee. Lois' Pies have authentic joyful photographs on the wall that make you happy. Great Soul Food from fried chicken mac and cheese grits to pies of every description. Great prices, lively atmosphere but chill. Teriffic service. A meeting place for locals. No table will time out. No credit card reservations. Staff are attentive and smiling and they are tipped well because they are beloved. read more

Burdell - Receipt for overpriced "soul food" and diatribe about how they don't tolerate unfair tipping. - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Had a reservation on a Saturday night and the place was happening, which was a good sign. As we are not familiar with southern/soul food other than the garlic chicken one of my colleagues brought to a potluck over 20 years ago, my limited experience is Popeyes chicken... So we went for the family set for 4 ppl and 2 add on wine parings. I had high hopes. The boiled peanuts were interesting. The gravy was very flavorful, just messy to eat. We got this small bowl for the 4 of us. I was expecting another one but that was it. The tomato salad was DELISH!! fresh and crunchy. The dressing with dill was so good I wanted to lick the plate. The pork chop was tasty as well but I wish the gravy was on the side instead of poured all over, which made the crunchy batter mushy. The gravy was good , just my personal preference it would be better if on the side. The greens and rice ... the green I assume was collard greens but they were cooked to the point was almost black. Again personal preference I like my veggies remain close to its natural color and texture. It was very sour as expected as it was cooked in vinegar. The rice - I had one small bite and that was enough. No other comment. I was excited when the cornbread arrived as I love cornbread, and I got the end pieces!! But it was very dry and no amount of butter made it better. Felt like it had been left out for too long, but I don't know if that is the southern thing. The dessert was strawberry shortcake. The jam was yummy, the strawberries were fresh. The candied biscuits didn't hit the mark for me... I felt like I got the leftover piece as it was tough and dry. The paring were decent but each serving was about 2 sips. Overall the unmatched utensils and the serving plates/bowls and presentation gave the feeling of eating a casual and last minute meal at grandma's house ( not my grandma, she would not have unmatched utensils). The service was okay. The gap between food was long... very long. So be prepared to sip water while you wait or order more wine. Maybe that is the tactic? As I mentioned before I am no expert on soul food but I was expecting richness and in your face flavoring from my recollection of the darn good garlic chicken 20 years ago. Therefore my high hopes were not exactly met. Maybe I would have done better with a La carte instead of family style. I would think family style is a good entry way for beginning soul food tasters like us, the offering choices would be to hook us to crave for more, but this time it didn't do the job. read more

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What a phenomenal experience! I made dinner reservations for 4 people tonight after attending a Giants game. We felt a bit underdressed coming straight from the game, but the staff made us feel comfortable and welcomed. Let me start off by saying that the interior and decor were so homey and nostalgic. I loved every bit of it - from the silverware to the family photos on the wall when you first walk in. You can tell how much thought, effort and love was poured into not only the interior, but the food. We were also seated in the back and I loved having a view of the kitchen. The food...holy moly. We went with the Family Dinner option, but also added on the BBQ Whole Shrimp. The Family Dinner came with Boiled Peanuts, Savoy Cabbage Salad, Smothered Pork Chops, Whipped Potatoes, Greens, Cornbread and also Strawberry Shortcake. Everything was uh-mazing! I've never had boiled peanuts before and the dressing and whole herbs in the salad -- chef's kiss! Don't even get me started on the best Greens I've ever had and the homemade butter that came with the cornbread. Everything was just so so good! You can also add drink pairings to go along with the Family Dinner for an additional charge. They also do Brunch on Sundays! The staff and all around service was top notch. They do an amazing job of taking care of you and giving great recommendations. Do yourself a favor and check out Burdell. I promise you will not be disappointed! I cannot say enough great things! This is one of the best meals I've had in a long time and I will be counting down the days until we return! read more

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I really wanted to like this place as Oakland was representing for Food & Wine's #1 and SF Chronicle's #1 restaurant. However, the portions are SO small for what you're paying for and nothing really stood out to me flavor wise. We got the family dinner menu which included clams and pimento cheese crackers as an appetizer. It was criminal to have only ONE quarter sized clam and ONE cracker per person. Might as well not have it on the menu for its disappointing portion size or at least give out two more of each per person? Entrees were a good sized portion but flavors were pretty standard. It's comfort food but I was expecting something different to make it stand out considering the awards. Dinner was $90 each + 20% mandatory tip so came out to about $238 with tax for 2 people. It is really steep for a chicken meal. Overall, the restaurant isn't bad but does not live up to the hype. It's expensive for what you get. I would go to support but the overall meals need something else to take it over the edge with its price point. read more

Burdell - Bar area - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Burdell is 1000% soul food. Let the haters hate. Every detail from the decor, to the music and obviously the food, is a vision, and it all clicked for me. We had the Family Dinner and it was a great value for the amount of food we got (we have leftovers). The food reminded me of my Southern favorites (boiled peanuts, pimento cheese, stewed cabbage, hoppin' John, banana puddin') while being new and exciting. Service was friendly and warm - from welcoming GM Erica, to Vicky and her Mothership Ferments kombucha (wow). Hoping to become a regular here now that we live so close! read more

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Beautiful space, feels like someone's home. Good service, and friendly staff. The dessert was delicious, cocktail yummy. All our dishes were way over salted, and I love salt. read more

Burdell - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Burdell has accolades that made me very excited to go to the restaurant. I took my friend for her birthday and unfortunately it was a very bad experience because of the poor service. Our server was Seth C. who was basically a ghost. He arrived without smiling, no eye contact and not even a hello. In fact, I don't believe he even spoke to us, other than to pull out his paper to take our order and to say "no" to any asks of assurance that there wouldn't be anything raw on the plate for my pregnant friend. The food took 1 hour (literally) to arrive after ordering. We sat at 12:45 and got our food at 2PM. Another server came to give us some water, and I had to waive Seth over to ask if our food was given to another table. There was no apology or care. I then had to get up after waiting some time to also ask for the check from the hostess who rang up our final bill. To top it off, we are forced to tip 20%, but he wasn't even there to help us. My friends' omelette was overflowing with way too much melted cheese. My pork and biscuit was good and crispy. I didn't realize how this type of experience can cause tension in the body. When I left the restaurant I immediately gave a huge sigh of relief. I finally let out my irritation that I had to sit there for hours being neglected. I didn't realize I was holding my breath throughout the experience. I will never return again. read more

These haters are high! Beyond the service, I judge the quality of a restaurant first and foremost on its cuisine. Is it delicious? Burdells reinterpretation of soul food is incredibly delicious. People's preconceived notions of what this cuisine should embody is way too personal. Leave your mommas and grand mammas cooking out of it. This is the chefs vision of what high quality ingredients sourced for flavor and nutritional value, can do to enhance a culinary tradition rooted in sustenance and economy. He's trying to feed y'all better chicken and waffles. Better tasting. Better for you. Stop tripping and be grateful we got something special in Oakland that's not a Canes. Give this restaurant your support. read more

Summary: Excellent ambiance, excellent food, just definitely on the pricier end. I came here twice - once for a friend meet up back in the Summer and once during the spring for Oakland Restaurant Week 2025. This review primarily covers the dishes for Restaurant Week. We started off with the fried broccoli and cauliflower dish which is pretty much what you expected. It's a great dish and the veggies are perfectly crisp with nice seasoning. Dill ranch is a flavor bomb of happiness but it's worth trying the veggies plain just because they're already so well-seasoned. For the mains we got the Sonoma Duck and Smothered Pork Chop. Both were stunning, as the Duck had a nice crispy skin and tender meat. The Cara Cara marmalade added a nice fruity sweetness, and the rice, as many have said, was flavorful and phenomenal. The Restaurant Week 2025 special was the Smothered Pork Chop, which Chef Davis poured the gravy table side for us which was pretty awesome. Excellent crisp on the fried pork chop, and the bacon gravy was fatty in the best way possible without being too heavy. The pork chop had no carb source, so I chased down the meatiness with the cornbread and found myself drowning in soulful goodness. Ended the meal with the Ritz Cracker plate, which is house made. I find it hilarious that no one ordered this or has any documentation of it, because who would be psychotic enough to get a cheese plate for dessert (aka me.) Curiosity got the better of me and you get what you get - a fine charcuterie board. It's odd to have it for dessert, but it was surprisingly a nice and whimsical way to end the meal. Last time I got the Hummingbird Cake and found it just ok. Wasn't terrible, just not worth getting. I found that dessert seems to be the weak point of Burdell besides high pricing, but I was still pleased with the Ritz Cracker plate that no one seems to get. Try it! read more

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***** BLACK OWNED BUSINESS ALERT***** This was a cute place to have a nice Sunday brunch. I read really great reviews about Burdell's and couldn't wait to try this restaurant. My guy got the shrimp and grits and I got the rib eye po boy-esque sandwich. All tasty. I would make a point to go back once I make my rounds to other restaurants on my list but everyone should try this place at least once. read more

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We came for Oakland Restaurant Week but boy am I glad my group overrode my vote to go with the prix fixe menu to order a la carte and try more of the menu - though the fried chicken looked and smelled out of this world as it came out to every table around us. I was quite worried when we walked in and the restaurant seemed small, but relieved to be led to a back area that was actually quite charming - and had a good view of the kitchen. Service was excellent, with every person we interacted with gracious about checking in on us and taking the time to remind us of each dish composition as they brought it out. We of course started with boiled peanuts, which were an elevated and well-executed classic. I was afraid the blistered brussel sprouts and crispy pig's ears would be too greasy, but it was just enough oil so that it didn't stick when charred. Chicken liver and waffle was rich but just the right amount that you don't get overwhelmed. I do wish there was more vinaigrette, maybe a little dish of it on the side, to add to taste if they didn't want the waffle to get soggy because the dish needed it to cut through the dense flavor of the liver and cornmeal. The pork neck was my favorite main. You can see the juiciness in the photo! The fresh mustard seed was a brilliant move to give it some bite. The other mains - fried catfish, guinea hen, and bone marrow stew - were all extremely well done, just paled in comparison slightly to the pork neck. I can absolutely see why Chef Davis has risen so quickly and am glad he's making people pay attention to the Oakland food scene! read more

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Service was a bit surly. Food was served a tad cold. Not what we expected after reading the Food & Wine write up. Aside from the cornbread and the fried chicken the rest of the dishes were unremarkable. But truly it was the terrible waitstaff that prompts a no repeat on this restaurant. read more

Trying to ignore the hype, my friends and I and headed over on a Friday night. We were greeted warmly by staff who seated us in the clean, uncluttered space. We then proceeded to order drinks and a few starters, including the beet salad, the shrimp, and rice grits. Holy wow, Batman. The dishes were not just beautifully crafted and plated, but were exceptionally tasty and all very unique in their own way. I enjoyed how everything was served in homestyle dishware similar to the type I grew up with. For entrées, we ordered the mushrooms and brussels, the cod, the duck, and the cornbread on the side. If there was any weak point of the meal, it was the cod: it was probably the least least "punchy"-- good fish, by all means, but the rest of the dishes were so unique, this one felt the most standard and expected. Also, as someone who has not had great experiences with duck, I was blown away by the duck dish. It was an amazing texture and was I was done perfectly. I would come back and eat that duck every week if I could afford it. Moreover, the staff was very friendly when I didn't enjoy one of the cocktails and continued to provide impeccable service all night. I will definitely be back when I need a night of indulgence. read more

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tl;dr: Rustic, warm, & timeless, Geoff Davis' spin on soul food is a statement worth expeiencing yourself, especially if you are unfamiliar with that style of cooking. While I think there are definitely highs and lows here that can be ironed out, the overall expression of the food is both powerful & unique in the Bay Area's food scene. So admittedly having spent plenty of time in places like Atlanta, New Orleans, and Houston, I know good soul food. Even growing up in Kalamazoo, MI, we had some pretty damn good places out there that pair homestyle cooking with farm-to-table flavor. Burdell got a lot of publicity when Davis got F&W's Restaurant of the Year, then in April snagging Chronicle's "#1 Restaurant". That's a lot of pressure, so I think people coming in here are expecting it to go toe-to-toe with big names. I absolutely think that's not exactly fair, because I believe a lot of recognition came from the expression of the food. A lot of other elements are still in development. The interior is great, absolutely was transported to some of the better cafes in Orleans, right down to the covers on the windows showering the bar in a warm amber hue that bathes you in nostalgia amongst his family photos, classic throwback decor, all of it. We ordered off both the bar menu and the dinner menu (which is a little confusing, is bar menu only for high-tops?), with a couple cocktails. They brought it out gradually. First up, giardiniera + olives: warm, delicious, rustic flavor. I order this everywhere and theirs was above average, especially the pickles. Next was the $85 Burdell Reserve Caviar + 6 Piece Chicken Nuggets. Haha, loved it, definitely a playful dish. You get a bite of the honey mustard, caviar, fresh chives, all in one go and it's magic. My wife loved the mayo with fresh egg. It's all very indulgent, but it works well. Next up: BBQ whole shrimp and the chicken liver + waffle. The former was solid, well cooked and warm. Not french quarter level, but good, could use a little spice. The chicken liver waffle was extremely good and unique. The slightly sweet waffle pairs well with sweetly spiced vinaigrette over the liver with chicken skin for crunch. My wife loves liver and skin, so she was in heaven. I thought it was a very good dish as well. At some point Davis' came to deliver a plate, and I tell you friend he's all business, lol. I'd see him give people these looks as he was delivering plates, it might be his personality but he's an intense guy in an almost funny way. Love it. While this was all happening I sipped on a Rosana, a unique cocktail with snap pea sake + olive vermouth. It was standout, great balance, worth mentioning. The Beverly I had later was sweet on sweet, almost like an italian soda. Not a cocktail really, needs work. My wife's Charlie Sifford was fantastic. Cheers to offering so many delicious non-alcoholic alternatives. Last course was the well-known cornbread, greens, and a special: cheeseburger po-boy. To this day the best cornbread I ever had was in juvenile detention (long story), but this would stack up with it. It's not fresh out the oven (which I think is important), you can tell they make large batches. For this reason it's just not as good as everyone says, unfortunately. They just have never had decent cornbread, it's rare out here. But those greens.... DIFF STORY. Has to be some of the best collard greens I've ever had. Absolute respect on those, perfectly cooked, absolutely rocking on all levels with that ham hock. Anyone not trying these is missing out, big time. That, is real soul food. The Po Boy was probably the best thing we had, absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious brisket on soft hoagie, the taste was excquisite. You gotta keep that on the menu friends, you'd sell a ton of them. For dessert, we had the peach cobbler and this is where I have to give some shit, because that cannot be what you think is good cobbler. No warm sweet notes, it was practically savory. Overly tart, heavy, salty, almost like they got the balance of sugar wrong. The ice cream barely cut through the heaviness, it was one of the worst peach cobblers I've ever had. I absolutely know you can do better there, seemed like a kitchen error. Again, highs and lows. Service is an area I've seen many people comment negatively on. While I can see the inexperience, we didn't have any issues. Everything came out slightly behind (5 minutes or so), but nothing that'd cause any concern. We were however the very first party seated in the restaurant at 5pm. Overall, this soul food has a real soul, and it's expressed in an uncompromising way. This type of food has never been full of itself and it's never "on-the-clock" which makes elevating it difficult. I think Davis has done a great job here. If he wants to reach the same level people are hoisting him up to, service and consistency is what's needed at this point. Many thanks to the team, was a delicious meal. Keep banging it out. read more

Decent food but the server forgot one of our entrees. This might not have happened if he repeated our order back to us but he didn't. He made no attempts to apologize. Waited 1.5 hours for all of our food to come out. read more

A lot of the 3-star reviews for this restaurant were spot on and we came in with low expectations. We decided to dine here for the Chase Sapphire Reserve $150 credit for this restaurant and it was easy for us to get to in the East Bay. Highly priced average food. Long wait time between Appetizer to Entrees - we waited 45 minutes. Service was okay - Automatic 20% service charge. Fried Chicken - As noted by others, this lacked flavor and tasted only salty on the exterior, despite having a nice crunch. Cornbread and Brussel Sprouts: These two side dishes were good I wouldn't come back unless we had to use the CSR dining credit again last minute. read more

10 stars if possible. Best meal I've had all year and I've been all over. Me and my SO got the family meal and the drink pairing. Everything was so good, unpretentious and delicious. The restaurant is also pure vibes. Go now before you can't get a reservation. Also - don't sweat the menu, I didn't think I would like it but it was absolutely deliciously executed. read more

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My partner took me on a date to Burdell for our first relationship anniversary. He'd learned about Burrdell in a magazine renowned for its reviews of the top restaurants across the United States. Despite its low overall rating on Yelp, Burdell was ranked number one among restaurants of its kind in the United States in this magazine. Dinner at Burdell for our anniversary was a wonderful choice! From the beginning and throughout our visit, service staff were gracious, attentive but not hovering and genuinely knowledgeable about menu items. It's evident with the interior design that a tremendous amount of heart, attention to details and impeccable design were part of the owner's vision. The color palette is composed of warm and inviting colors, portraits that celebrate Black families and the spirit of soul food. The furniture, dishware and silverware all reference a grandmother's 1970s home with a modern twist. The delicious food tasted like an unconventional, elevated version of a home-cooked soul food meal. I had the Country Rib Chop (Berkshire pork roast) with bacon cherry jam and radishes. My partner had a hearty but light split pea soup. We LOVED the corn bread: topped with salted butter, warm, soft and with a hint honey sweetness. For dessert, we both couldn't get enough of the cast iron peach/blueberry cobbler with buttermilk! Another note: Burdell has adopted a system of forgoing tips---in favor of minimum gratuity that intentionally offers wait staff more equitable wages. I look forward to returning soon. exploring what's offered for brunch and what may come in the next menu rotation. read more

What a disappointment. I honestly do not understand what basis these "best restaurant" awards are given because this restaurant was sub par in all ways. Starting out with the biggest disappointment of the night: SERVICE While the staff was kind, the dining experience was extremely slow. The server required we put our whole table order at one time, but every single one of our dishes was served at a painfully slow rate. We had hoped to get our cornbread first so we could use it to dip in the extra sauces from the various dishes, but it took an hour and 15 minutes for the bread to arrive. Additionally, we had to wave down servers to refill the water jug, we asked for extra butter and had to ask 3 different people to bring it, that took 15 minutes to arrive. FOOD: it was ok. Probably would have tasted better if we weren't so upset about the service, but it really proves how a whole experience can be ruined by bad service. It totally overshadowed every thing else. From what we can remember. The cucumber cheese was good but far too small. The plum salad was good but again too small. The shrimp was just ok but again WAY TOO SMALL. Even the images online showed more than 4 shrimps on the plate. AMBIANCE: cute but nothing to write home about. Music was too loud though. Overall. For $400 it was a total rip off. It was a huge disappointment. It should not be rated best ANYTHING. read more

I really wanted to like this place, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. Before I begin, my sincere apologies to the chef and owner, but when your prices are this high, you open yourself to a different level of scrutiny. I don't mind paying for innovation or quality, but Burdell presented neither. I was with a party of four, and we all ordered the prefix meal at $90 a person plus a 20% gratuity which was automatically applied. For that price and the cost of ingredients, I expected a feast. It was not. The first dish was boiled peanuts. My dad, originally from North Carolina, always used to boil peanuts as a kid. It was an effortless, inexpensive treat. The following "course" was a cracker with some sort of spread, which could've just as well been cheese wiz. Two tiny salads followed, which the four of us were expected share. I'm starting to see a pattern here - very cheap ingredients at a high price. I'm thinking that's why cabbage is sometimes served instead of collard greens. You can get an enormous cabbage for a dollar or less, but collard greens are expensive and more difficult to prepare. I suspect the goal was to elevate a familiar cuisine while adding complexity and sophistication to justify the exorbitant cost, but this missed the mark. Oh, the cornbread was good, but it's just cornbread. The smothered whole hen was ok, but parts of it were chewy and hard to remove meat, which leads me to believe it was poorly sourced. I'm just a home chef, but I'm sure I could make every dish on the menu better with superior ingredients. Are they just giving Michelin stars away these days? P.S. I miss Aunt Mary's BB read more

TLDR: just ok--not really worth the cost. Willing to try again, maybe. Too bad :/ (I'm not even usually very picky, or a review-writer, for that matter) Went to Burdell with my partner for our anniversary. In our neighborhood and we've heard the hype. Had an 8pm reservation. It was busy when we walked in, but we were told that our table was ready, just had to be set up. We waited another 20 min; even after we could see our available table, multiple employees passed by us without checking in or seating us. I will say, the person who checked us in (who seemed to be manager or owner) was doing her best to stay on top of her staff. Greeted us, asked multiple employees to seat us--the rest of the staff seemed totally uninterested. The restaurant was loud and crowded, though it was a Saturday night at 8pm and I'm not really faulting anyone for this. It was also almost unbearably hot--again, this wouldn't keep me from going back, but it did affect the experience--we didn't stay for dessert bc it felt like we'd a sauna and after a couple hours I needed out. The food was mixed: 1. You have to order your appetizers and mains at the same time (is this a rule anywhere else?) When we decided to add an extra app, they did accommodate us, but the waitress had to "ask if it was ok." Weird. 2. Appetizers: Ordered the pluot salad (pretty good--herbs overwhelmed the fruit a bit), the cucumber salad (just ok--too many reasons to list), boiled peanuts (EXCELLENT), and fried green tomatoes (pretty darn good!) 3. Main: We ordered the steak for two with the broccoli and cornbread. The steak was $82 for two people. A decent sized portion, not huge. However it was definitely overcooked. Medium to medium well. They put down the broccoli and said "broccoli and cauliflower," which it was not--was romanesco and broccoli (not bad, very garlicky, which I don't mind ;). The cornbread was delicious--sweet, but perfect texture (yuuuum). I'd like to try again on a night when it's not quite so busy in the hopes that I'll be able to hear the wait-staff, won't have to wait 20 min after res to be seated, and kitchen isn't quite so busy (perhaps I'll be able to get my meat cooked how I like). Drinks were pretty good. Design was delightful. Oh, they also need to print more menus--they kept insisting on taking ours, saying they'd "bring it back" if we wanted to see the drinks again. Solid C, given the cost... read more

I have been waiting for the opportunity to visit Burdell but I am completely disappointed. I gave one star and that is because our server Persell, was very attentive and a delightful person. I hope I spelled his name close enough, but this restaurant knows who he is, the only one with the great personality. I am a Black woman, lived all of my 78 years in this wonderful city and wanted to enjoy my experience at this downtown establishment. My reservation was for five o'clock and myself and my two sisters were there at 5. We were led through the whole empty restaurant to a cold back room with three tables right outside the kitchen service window, and the kitchen door the servers use to go in and out. I should have asked to be moved but no one wanted to make a fuss, so we didn't. But why am I in a back room in the first place, when we were the first patrons in the restaurant??? I will not discuss the underwhelming overpriced food, it's not worth my time to discuss the food. I will not be returning to this restaurant that has received accolades from various outlets as the place to try. It is not!!! As we left I noticed we were the only Black patrons in the whole restaurant!!! That blew me away. I guess my reservations were for the servants quarter's, and I was not young, hipster, techie, or White. Thank you to our delightful server who was the only bright star on this night. read more

We were excited to try out this new restaurant, and came with a group of six on a Friday night. Our reservation was at 7:30 and we arrived about 10 minutes early and checked in. They let us know that our table would be ready at 7:30 and there wasn't any room at the bar so we should go wait outside after about 20 minutes past, we went back in to check on the table and they said that it still wasn't ready. It wasn't a great start to the night to be waiting on the street in the cold without anyone checking in to let us know what was going on. When we finally did sit down, our server was great and helping us pick out a la carte items from the menu instead of doing the prefix. Few of the stand out items where the pork jowl and the fried oyster salad. The food was good, but for the price point of over $100 per person we didn't think that it was worth it. We also would've expected a better front of house experience, and at least an offered a drink or an update as to when our table would be ready. Glad we came and checked it out, but won't be rushing to go back. read more

The pimento cheese omelette was tasty, but I would not return just for that. Most of the food was unmemorable, but the worst part was how understaffed and due to that how slow and mistake prone they were. Honestly if you don't have enough staff to handle the patrons just turn them away. They were notably friendly and took the charge off of an item they forgot which was nice. read more

EDIT: the owner is petty and will block you on social media instead of addressing poor service. I left a comment on their IG because they do not respond to Yelp and they blocked me. This establishment does not understand good service and does not care to learn. Original: What a massive disappointment. I've been waiting over a year to come in for a special occasion. Our waitress seemed too stoned to function - she chastised my table for having a "small order" and then went on to tell us that it would affect the flow of the kitchen as they got busy (it was only 5:30pm); we tried to ask her what the portion size of our dishes would be and she went on to describe a dish we didn't even order. Then the food runner brought us the waffle and liver dish (which was both greasy and bland) but told us to remove our phones from the table despite having lots of room for the singular plate he brought over?? We then waited for two simple sides which took forever to come out and tasted like something I could have easily made better at home. At that point we were so disappointed we just closed out and left. This was a complete waste of money. read more

Burdell - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Delicious food and friendly service, just not a Michelin experience. The menu was interesting (in the best way!), the food was fantastic, and the wine pairing inspired. But the little missteps made a big difference in the overall experience. Examples of the little things that (for me) dropped it from award-winning to "just" a great night of food: We were served boiled peanuts to eat with your hands. The table next to us was given warm towels to clean our very messy fingers, but no such luck for us. No butter knife was available to get the butter onto your plate for the corn bread, the duck was served in an odd 3 portions for the family dinner (when most groups sharing the plate are 2 or 4 people). Even the sauce for the duck is poured tableside onto the main plate with no way to then get it onto each person's plate with their portion of duck. Finally, the building is really let them down. We had lights blinking on and off the entire night- super distracting and unpleasant. On the flip side- if you're ok w the prices for exceptional food then you're in for a treat. The cabbage and clementine salad is remarkable, and the cornbread is an unusual blend that is delightful. In fact, there was something fabulous in every component of their family dinner. The wine pairings were also really well done. Surprises in both of the options that took the dish to another level. Great night out- but don't expect it to be a Michelin experience. read more

I'd like to start this review saying that the food poisoning I got from eating here did not ultimately lead to my death, which is why I'm offering this one star. I'd also like to add that my family's experience here was so bad that we refer to the night we dined as "Burdellgate". I'll bypass the restaurant's creepy ambiance and go ahead and review the food. Upon reading other reviews, I saw that most people found issue with the "cuisine" being referred to as soul food. Judging by the chef's responses to reviews and inability to handle criticism, this really struck a nerve. However my issue isn't that we're calling this "soul food." My issue is that we're calling it food at all. Our first red flag upon arriving here was the instant realization that the place does not smell like a restaurant at all. There are no familiar smells that you experience when dining somewhere, ESPECIALLY a place boasting great soul food... So. Here we go. THE BOILED PEANUTS - as a peanut lover, I was excited about this dish, never in my wildest nightmares did I think that peanuts were even capable of being ruined.. the overcooked peanuts came out in a bowl of slimey, lukewarm liquid reminiscent of bath water. THE SHRIMP- the shrimp was rubbery and came out cold with giant pieces of white bread on top. THE GREENS - the greens came out in tiny bowl and if I had to guess how they were prepared, I'd assume they were cooked for 30 days straight in the same bath water used for the boiled peanuts adjacent to a bottle of vinegar. the SEA BASS - the only palatable portion of the meal was the sea bass (not the surrounding mush) which came out cold. the SUCCOTASH - a mixture of overcooked and undercooked veggies with the bath water base. the PORKCHOPS- (SUSPECT #1 for my food poisoning) came out still RAW in some places and was soaked in a gelatinous coating. There was mostly fat attached to the poor quality meat. TOMATO SALAD - odd name considering it a regular green salad with a very small amount of tomatoes... the dressing was great, however! THE LAMB CHOPS - I have nothing to say other than, that lamb died for nothing... Overall, everything tasted as if it was cooked a few days prior and then microwaved and brought out. Each dish had a similar, unremarkable flavor of bland broths, unsavory textures, overwhelming amounts of apple cider vinegar, (apple cider vinegar in EVERYTHING, including the butter for the hockey pucks they called biscuits), and a strange, helatinous slime coating each dish. The presentation of the food was just as disappointing as the taste. It's unfortunate that a place as vibrant, and colorful as Oakland is losing its spark due to the closing of so many of our gems. It's more unfortunate that those gems are being replaced with places like this. I really wanted to like Burdell, but all it offered was an overpriced menu with disappointing results. read more

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Really bad service and mediocre food. We waited an eternity to be seated and served. The people who came in after us, got their food long before us. There were four of us in our party. Two of the people in our party got their food about an hour before the second two people in our party were served. The food was so so. I did not feel that the wait staff were particularly warm or welcoming to us or apologetic. read more

Made a reservation because I had to use my reserve credit before the end of the year. I should've known why there was still availability left. I didn't think much of it as the credit needed to be used. Also thought to myself, how can you make bad soul food. Well...I was wrong. Parking: can be rough but if you are patient enough, you will do just fine. You will most likely find parking in the neighborhood area. Service: quick to get seated. Majority of the servers are attentive, except for one. I got his attention since I had a question about the menu. He said he would be right back. Waited for 5 minutes and he never came back to our table. I was able to get help from another server instead. Same waiter...I asked for the check but the he decided to take order from another table instead and had to ask another server for the check. Food: Overpriced. Long wait between courses. Ordered squash ring 3/5: think of it as an onion ring but squash inside. Order bbq whole shrimp 3/5: sauce was good. Shrimp was 90% cooked which is good for this type of dish. However, when the food got to the table, it was cold. The bread provided was good to dip the sauce in. Order Petrale sole 1/5: this dish will send your sodium level through the roof. I had to brush off the seasoning to eat the fish. Honestly, I only ate it because I didn't want to waste food and I'm paying for it. Order Jidori chicken 2/5: the chicken itself doesn't have any taste at all. You will have to dip it in the sauce on the dish. Chicken was dry. The fried chicken batter wasn't bad but it was not worth the price. Order cornbread: 5/5 I would only get cornbread if I have to come back. Order Charlie Sifford 1/5: basically an Arnold Palmer but on the sour side. I would imagine a $7 dollar cup would've given you more than 6sips Would I go again? No Would you go again even with the credit? No I am glad the restaurant was busy but I imagine it was because of everyone needing to use the dining credit since I saw a lot of reserve card usage. I understand it's supposed to be on the "expensive" side but in return I expect a certain level of service and food quality to justify it. Unfortunately this place is not it. Seated at 6p and finished around 8p; two appetizers, two entrees and cornbread It does seem like they have a better lunch menu based on the reviews on here. Maybe if you must, give lunch a try instead. I had soul food before but this one is probably at the bottom of my list. read more

We ordered the pre fixed meal (4 course meal). The initial appetizer are boiled peanuts, next is a salad, then rice/beans, cornbread, meat, cabbage and dessert was I believe an ice cream with pink lemonade shaved ice on top. I was a little underwhelmed by the peanuts, but they do have a good flavor (and leave the remaining sauce if you want it for the meat portion of your meal). The salad has a very herby taste and the avocado added extra flavor. The cornbread was the best cornbread I have ever tried in my life lol and with that flavored butter it is amazing! The meats/rice/beans/cabbage were also very good and thought all the flavors blended in nicely. I loved the pink lemonade shaved ice on the ice cream, I thought it added a nice kick. This place is pretty pricey and the portions are a little on the smaller side. The ambiance is very "homey" like, with several photos on the wall and cute themed colors. The servers are super kind and try their best to get you seated quickly, but this is a super popular restaurant so even with a reservation there might be a bit of a wait. Parking around the area can be challenging so might want to come a little earlier to account for that. read more

Loved the bbq whole shrimp! Such a lovely starter. The mushroom dirty rice and pork neck roast did not disappoint - every bite was delicious. The greens were also delectable. Paired with Cheerwine and apple cheddar Brown Betty for dessert. Such a wonderful meal! Definitely recommend making reservations in this beautiful restaurant with amazing food and great staff. read more

Burdell - Shrimp and cheerwine - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Quite good though a maybe a little too salty on a few things. I loved my duck and dirty rice dish. The cornmeal waffle mousse thing and boiled peanuts were great too. Something about the cornbread was citrusy in a way that didn't totally work for me but your mileage may vary. read more

I really wanted to love this place. We all did. But the portions are really small for the price, the service is atrocious, we waited over 40 min between our appetizer and mains, during which time we were totally ignored. The server forgot one of our party's drink, which finally arrived an hour into the meal when we asked what was going on, and then he was given a teeny, tiny cocktail for the price of a normal one. But the thing that really killed it: the so called coconut banana pudding. It was a weird, yogurt thing that was not any kind of pudding or any kind of flavors that meshed. It was like a bowl of disappointment topped with regret. We wanted to support everything going on here, but when the goal is a fine dining experience and you're the so called "Best Restaurant in the USA" you better bring your *A Game*. They brought an A Game at Burdell, and the A was for amateur. I hope the pain points are solved, but I wouldn't go back when there's so many options where we won't be left sitting for 40mins and having to deal with a bitchy server who's not great at their job on top of everything else, where the menu feels ready for prime time instead of weirdly experimental. Oh yeah and my BFF had half of his meal boxed up and the server never brought it back. We had been there so long at that point that he decided to say fuck it and we left without the box. All in all, a huge disappointment. read more

My husband and I were just here for the NYE dinner they had. We were excited since this was the first time we've experienced Burdell and because my husband is Black and of course Soul Food is an integral part of his life. We were curious about what an elevated take on Soul Food would be like and what the experience would be like especially for a place that's been recommended on the Michelin Guide, and to support a Black owned business and a Black Chef. Unfortunately the experience fell short, and we're likely not going to come back to try different parts of the menu. First, we were sat in the back near the kitchen, where they had 4 tables and the lights kept flickering in and out. Seems like an easy fix to change the light bulb. Second, we were serviced after a couple who and came after us. We sat and waited and were only provided water initially before the server actually came over to speak to us. When he did come over he said we were going to have chips on the way out and asked if we had questions. We did not actually have this, I added the caviar to the experience in the initial booking, so I was thrown off by that. I get it there's lots to remember, but I think with him going to the other couple before us left an initial sour taste where this then seemed to ding the experience. Third, the food overall. The best part of the entire meal was the heirloom bean hopping' John. The fried chicken was fried too hard to the point where someone could break a tooth. The skin quite literally broke apart all over my plate. The greens just didn't hit the spot. It seemed overcooked and a bit vinegary. We did really like the fried pickles that came with the chicken. Fourth, they have a speaker right in that corner and the music was too loud. I'm not sure if they have speakers elsewhere but to have 4 tables right next to it doesn't seem ideal. I was often times hearing the music over my husband speaking. There was a cute ice cream set up they had at the end, but again the experience. They have maybe 3 tables where you can enjoy the sundae, but one table was dirty and wasn't cleared so we were literally standing at the bar while others were at the tables enjoy their ice cream. It was just blatantly clear that our experience was different. Lastly, we spent over $300 on this meal and that's why we're giving it 2 stars. We would've done 2.5. But doesn't have the option here. We spent a lot for such a mediocre experience and mediocre food. Maybe it just wasn't a good night for the type of dinner, but you would assume that if you have a preset dinner that the items you're serving would be great, especially the entree. read more

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Service was slow and we kept having to ask other servers walking past for help, the interior was really cute and the plates were nice, but the food was bland and could have been seasoned better. tasted good, but wouldn't go again. read more

Burdell - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Overpriced, underwhelmed, rude service. Like oks like something amiss with this place. The reviews with four stars must be your friends because this restaurant is mediocre at best. How do you justify charging $42 for a chicken dish that's not even organic? I can buy a whole organic locally sourced chicken for $20 at WF! And $18 for a salad? Won't be returning. read more

Beautiful space and the people who serve are gracious and generous. Good energy and vibes here. Throw back with the decor, mismatched silverware, Corelle dinnerware - like a really tasteful selection from an antique fair. Music ranged from gospel to the Fugees. Order the skin-contact orange wine on the menu. The proteins were fantastic, generous, unctuous and tender. Especially loved the lamb ribs. Collards - beautifully cooked, not too soggy, or salty. The biscuits, moist, slight crumble and hefty, we each ate one and could not bear to eat another bite, had to box most of the pork and a bit of the lamb. Seasonal and produce driven, you can see that in the presentation of the proteins. Haricot vert - sliced razor thin, lengthwise! Celery greens, unexpected and such a flavor pop. I would skip the oysters next time around - not the freshest. Look forward to returning, trying out more of the entrees and leaving room for dessert. Beautiful to see this eatery reinterpreting traditional and family foods to share with the rest of us. read more

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