I can understand why some of the reviews mention that Elizabeth comes across as blunt or even abrasive. She has strong convictions about pet nutrition and pets and isn't someone who filters every thought or sugarcoats her opinions. If you only meet her once, I can see how that could be off-putting. That said, my experience has been very different over the past 8 months. She's helped me many times, has always been generous with her knowledge, and it's clear her heart is in helping people feed their pets the best possible diet-- high quality raw foods, treats and supplements (that I find aren't commonly available in the East Bay). She isn't polished or sales-oriented; I'd say she's an educator first. Once you get to know her, she's actually a very kind person. As a POC myself, I've also never experienced anything resembling the discrimination described in a few reviews. Everyone has their own experience, but I wanted to share mine because I think her expertise and genuine commitment to animal health are well worth looking beyond maybe an occasional blunt communication style. read more

Visit Date: 12/23/2025 Purchased: Bags of various dog treats for Christmas gifts. Pros: Where in the area can you purchase dried rabbit hearts, rabbit ears, chicken feet, chicken livers, etc. for your furry family member?! Just to walk into the store is a cool oddity adventure to spy the various interesting doggy treats! Thoughts: I enjoy going into Marin Raw to pickup "interesting" dog treats. Elizabeth showed me all the various dog treats for sale and told me the nutritional value of certain dog treats. Had a great and lengthy conversation with the owner, Elizabeth, about her background and how her two beautiful well-behaved dogs ended up as part of her family. A previous Yelp review mentioned that Marin Raw was not POC friendly. I completely disagree with that reviewer! The time that Elizabeth spent chatting with me (a POC'er) must have been painful for her if she (or any of her employees) were anti-POC. Stop playing the race card just because a Marin Raw employee didn't drop everything to help you. Would I Return: DEFINITELY! read more

Marin Raw - Oakland - Best dog treat gift bags! A mix of legs, ears, minnows, etc. - Pet Stores Near Me - Oakland, California

The owner is rude and condescending. Apparently if you are a breeder you are "the dregs of society" regardless of your ethics, involvement with rescue etc...while her dog wanders around off leash in and out of the store. read more

If your dog is suffering from endless licking and scratching, you need to visit Marin Raw. We had been dealing with our dog's severe skin issues for years and felt like we had tried absolutely everything. Our vet had us on Apoquel first, and then we switched to Cytopoint shots. Nothing provided lasting relief, and we frequently had to put a cone on our dog just to stop him from tearing up his skin. Then we met Elizabeth, and everything changed. Elizabeth is incredibly honest, knowledgeable, and extremely result-oriented. Some people might find her direct approach a bit strict, but it's because she has years of experience and is absolutely sure of what works. She told us right away that we needed to follow her advice exactly, or it wouldn't work. She explained that the entire foundation of the treatment is structured around diet, and nothing else would help if we didn't fix the food first. What I appreciate most about Elizabeth is her integrity. She insisted on taking things one step at a time so we could actually see what was working. She wouldn't even allow us to add any topicals or supplements at first. We changed his food as instructed and saw immediate relief. Because she made us wait, we didn't even need to move on to the second step, which saved us a load of money. She could have easily sold us $100 worth of specialty shampoos and creams that day, but she didn't. She isn't interested in just selling products or slapping a bandaid on the problem; she goes straight to the root of the issue. We are so grateful to have a happy, comfortable dog again. We cannot recommend Elizabeth and Marin Raw enough! read more

I am so thankful to have Marin Raw in the Bay Area! Elizabeth, the owner, has a wealth of knowledge and loves to help where she can. It's important to remind folks that the owner is not a veterinarian, so while her knowledge and insight can drastically help the quality of life your pooch has, it's not fair to impose heavy expectations on her or the business. The same can be said for stock, as supply chains often get compromised (especially in this political climate, and for a multitude of other reasons), so when something is available pick it up and learn about alternatives you can turn to when something isn't around. Protein variety is key! My dog really loves the duck feet and other healthy snacks from here. I'm continuing to learn more about raw foods for my dog and gradually commit to more for his health and wellbeing. Customer service is hit or miss anywhere you go. I've always had good experiences here -- and people, in the end, are people. It's important to do your own research and come in with a specific shopping list if you want to have maximum impact! Thank you, Marin Raw! read more

Marin Raw - Oakland - My dog gets lots of energy and remains happy after Marin Raw snacks! - Pet Stores Near Me - Oakland, California

WOW and WOW. I was considering being a regular customer since my pup now enjoys raw food. I decided I would read reviews to make sure it's a business that I would be proud to support for years to come. I questioned the idea since my two prior experiences left me with the ick. I didn't want to think it at the time but after reading more recent reviews my feelings feel validated after all. My experiences were at the Saturday's Farmer's Market at Lake Merritt and in their shop on College Ave. in Oakland. 2022/2024. It was early in the morning and they were all set up for business it was me and two other people. Long story short she was rude, arrogant and had me wait a long time to pay while she chatted with two wyt women. I had 3 bags of treats ready to pay, I was her first customer and she willfully ignored me. The second occasion was at their store on College Ave. I walked in with my newly adopted second pup and she immediately made fun of me for having a bag for my dog. It was super weird and I responded, that I already had the bag from my previous dog who passed away. From there she was quiet, didn't ask me any questions, I strolled her store trying to familiarize myself with their products. A few minutes pass another woman who happens to be wyt walks in and instantly she's asking her questions, giving her a tour, asking about her dog and giving her suggestions. Wild. I did end up buying some raw food to test out but only because I had limited time and couldn't get to another store in time. Glad I read the reviews. My experiences have led me to believe they are not POC friendly. read more

Here to support every other one star reviewer--the owner of this establishment is not interested in retaining customers through kindness--let alone training staff on what a Raw diet is. Do not waste time or energy here! read more

Each of my many experiences at the farmers market and two brick and mortar stores have been great. Very attentive staff, happy to share information like the processes of the products and other helpful information. Important to me because I was still new to raw food for my pup. I'm grateful for their expertise and friendly attitudes whenever I pass by. Thanks, Marin Raw!! read more

Disappointing Service & Constant Stock Issues I used to shop here regularly because I appreciate the focus on raw feeding, but after multiple disappointing visits I've permanently switched to ordering online. First, the owner, Elizabeth, is consistently rude--she seems uninterested in helping customers. When she isn't working, the rest of the staff has almost zero knowledge of raw diets, which defeats the purpose of coming in-store. On top of that, they're frequently out of stock on the very items I came for, despite rising prices across the board. It's frustrating to make the trip only to find half the shelves empty or to get conflicting advice from uninformed staff members. Between the poor customer service, constant shortages, and price hikes, I don't see this place surviving long--nor will I spend another dime here. I highly recommend ordering online instead; at least you'll know your order will ship, and you won't have to deal with the attitude and confusion in-store. read more

The product is exceptional. I'm not sure what I would do without this place. I don't know of another place where I could get many of these products that have been so carefully curated for quality. I encourage those who are rubbed the wrong way on a personal level to go back. I sincerely hope one star reviews don't hurt this business. read more

Excellent high-quality products that my dog loves. Owner is knowledgeable and will only sell me on what I need. Great local business, highly recommended. read more

I had been going to a place closer to my home in Berkeley for Green Tripe for my aging dog. But parking was always a big problem and I decided I had to search for another place. Now Rockridge is not where you think Oh easy parking on College. But both times I've gone there I have found a place within 3 doors of Marin Raw. And although the first time I got their last chub, the store person was wonderful and I liked the austerity. I decided it was early enough, I'd drive to the Marin Raw in San Anselmo to get more. To me driving is nothing, parking is everything. I called over and was told she had more Green Tripe BUT if I would wait until the next day, she would bring it to the Oakland store. Holy cow, are you kidding me, you'd do that? She did and she was Elizabeth and I fell in love with her work ethic and ambitions and her addictive energy not to mention knowledge. I'm a fan! Worth the drive across town. And PS I am a person of color. I'm sorry I had to include that. read more

On my first visit, the staff had very little knowledge about the products or how to transition a dog to a raw diet. I gave the store a second chance hoping to speak with someone more educated, but the owner was unfriendly and condescending when I mentioned feeding treats or non-raw food. Overall, it felt judgmental rather than helpful. read more

The customer service is terrible, specifically the owner. I was very excited to try this new pet place and find treats for my cats. I went in and I believe the owner/manager helped me. She was very rude, short tempered, and didn't want to help me when I asked for recommendations for my kitties who can sometimes be picky. It almost seemed as though it was an inconvenience that I was even in the store. Some of the other workers she has there are better with customer service but i won't shop here if the owner/manager is working. read more

Highly recommend for quality pet food/health care products for dedicated dog parents. Can't rave enough about this place, I'm so glad i stumbled across them! read more

Edit: for some reason yelp is hiding a bunch of good reviews for this place on mobile. Weird This place is simply amazing, I'm so happy it opened and made a diverse array of raw food available in Oakland. The owner and her adorable dogs are wonderful. My golden retriever puppy and 16 yo dog both love to visit with the owner and her shop dogs and I get disappointed when they aren't there (like today, apparently they don't come on weekends!). The selection of food is amazing and the price point is phenomenal for high quality raw food. The owner is knowledgable, very kind and clearly passionate about bring raw food to the masses. Highly recommend and hope this business continues expanding! read more

Love this place. You get genuine insight from real people who love dogs. I cannot recommend this place enough.

People seriously think my pup is a puppy and he's 12 years old. Take my advice and treat your fur baby to some Marin Raw chow. It will save you on vet bills bc the quality is superior. read more

My dog is raw fed and I'm in this neighborhood all the time so of course I was excited when this spot opened. Today I went by there for the second time and had a terrible experience. (The first time was fine, not great service but not terrible either). There were two poorly behaved off leash dogs who harassed my leashed and thankfully patient dog, running up at her and barking. I have no problem with well behaved dogs being off leash but if you know your dogs have behavior issues why would you do that at your workplace? It's obnoxious and dangerous. And someone named Elizabeth who was the only person working there was extremely rude to me and condescending when I asked questions about pricing (the freezer sections were inaccurately labeled and I asked about some prices). When I mentioned it some other people of color they shared that they've also been treated badly by Elizabeth. Very disappointing. Rockridge deserves better. I won't be giving this store my hard earned money or risking my dogs' well being by taking her in there. read more

The owner keeps her dogs unleashed either in the store or out front and my leashed dog was not too happy about that and had a small interaction the owner could care less not worth even coming in the store go someplace else read more

Great selection of dog treats, possibly awful customer service. The first time I visited I really liked the store, it had recently opened and the business owner was kind, patient with my questions, and I was impressed with the selection of food. The next time I visited the store a few months later, I needed to clarify that my dog was having allergies and her birthday was coming up, I wanted to get her something fun without causing her allergies to flare. The business owner was curt and obviously irritated. At one point she told me I should leave and go to another dog food store down the street because they'd have "the processed food you're looking for, I don't carry that stuff here." She was exasperated and dismissive, reiterating several times that my dog probably had leaky gut that she couldn't diagnose from afar and that I should buy a book she sells in her store because I needed to educate myself. I got the feeling that she's trying to sell a lifestyle for dogs and since I was only interested in picking up a treat, I wasn't worth her time. Ended up buying some beef neck, my pup loved it and she was very happy on her birthday. read more

Have been here many times since opening. I was switching my dogs food from SF Raw to what she offers. As any dog owner knows switching your dogs food can be tough because they will have diarrhea and stomach issues. Through the whole process the owner has been helpful offering different solutions till they finally got use to the new food. read more

My mom went in a while back and had a bad experience here and I have noticed an ongoing issue that saddens me. We liked how close it was to our house which is only a couple blocks away and were interested in continuing to support a new small business on the block. She had come into the shop with her small skittish dog to possibly get a free consultation they advertise. Mishka is very friendly with all dogs despite being very skittish but was approached by what seemed to be the owner's dog running straight towards her, off leash barking loudly and jumping all over Mishka and my mom. The owner seemed to not care since she just sat there smiling and did nothing to keep her dog away. The dog eventually backed off but as soon as my mom paid for her treats, the same dog followed her outside onto the sidewalk with Mishka visibly shaking and seeking cover. We've lived here in this neighborhood our whole lives and have never felt scared to walk down certain storefronts up and down college. Some of my neighbors have told me that they see the shop dogs hanging out on the sidewalk and have had the same experience with the off leash barking when walking their dogs. read more