Great bar service and amazing food. Bartender was awesome in creating us Coquito when not on menu for the holidays! read more

Great food for a family and friend lunch. We did family style and all of the dishes were spot on with a balance of savory and salty. We had dishes of all type, stew, rice, pork shoulder salad and the beef patties. The sangria was also excellent and the best I have had in a restaurant. read more

Average place for group dinner. My group enjoyed the oxtail and steak. We expected the Paella to be serving slightly more generous portions as we thought it was meant to be shared. We made a reservation prior to arrival and were seated promptly. Good service, attentive staff. read more

Made a reservation but unfortunately it wasn't captured on the restaurant's end, but we were still accommodated and thankfully we were because this visit was worth the hour drive. First impression: Oyo takes you to the Caribbean with the music selection, decor and overall vibe. The service was quick and efficient. We ordered and waited no more than 5 mins and the food was still hot and tasty. The pickle welcome appetizer is sweet, tart, and delicious. Food/drink: The sangria is delicious and so is the Caipirinha, which can be be ordered in a few different flavors (i.e. guava, strawberry). - The beef patty reminds me stuffed pastry or muffin but it's flavorful with a little bit of spice. - The run down fish is buttery, creamy and just fantastic. It's nice and light as well so you don't feel like you're over doing it. - The banana bread pudding is creamy, moist and has bursts of coconut flavor. The consistency is what you'd expect of a bread pudding but the flavor elevates this dish. It's topped with a plantain chip which is cool. Chef Maurice came out and welcomed us and we felt his love for cooking, his grandma Oyo, his heritage and are so thankful we got to experience this restaurant and can't wait to visit again. read more

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The food was tasty, lovely to look at, service excellent!! A totally wonderful treat for your palate! The restaurant was pleasing to look at and be in! Staff welcoming and eager to please! Our party of 8 thoroughly enjoyed our meal!! Beverages delightful! Unfortunately, we did not have room for dessert! We'll be back! THANK YOU!! read more

Wonderful, tasty paella in a charming atmosphere with great waiters. I would definitely go back.

Great ambiance, friendly service, and great location. Some of us have not tried this Carribean style cuisine before, and some of us have little experience with it. We had a large group for a birthday so we dined here on a Sunday lunch. The food here were just not our cup of tea. I'd say half of us felt this way, while the other half enjoyed it. We tried a variety of food including paella, jerk chicken, goat curry, ceviche, tacos, etc. The paella was not that great to be honest. We couldn't finish the squid ink one, it had an odd taste to it and the noodles texture just didn't go with the flavors. The tacos looked massive, but most were left unfinished. The ceviche was alright. The best part of the meal in my opinion would have to be either the fried or grilled plantains. They were delicious! Wished we got more of that. The beef patties tasted good, and one of the bread we got had a strong Indian flavor taste. The tamarind curry I heard just didn't go well (tamarind + curry). The flavors seemed like a mix of Carribean, Indian, etc influence. We got variety of drinks from cocktails to non-alcoholic. I opted for cappuccino which was just OK. The foam looked deflated, so it was probably sitting out for awhile. The jerk chicken tasted very burnt and dry, confused if this is the style of cooking they were going for. Overall it was an experience to try different flavors. read more

I enjoyed the seafood paella and the outdoor dining. We were able to bring our dog. Would definitely return soon!

Delicious cocktails, inconsistent food. Oyo is a fun restaurant downtown serving Latin and Caribbean food. The atmosphere is vibrant and great for a date or a small group dinner. The bartender was rocking, as the drinks were all really tasty. Food was hit or miss, not just between dishes, but even within elements of a dish. The ceviche was particularly disappointing, the beef patties were just ok, the dessert I tried had some tasty elements and some that didn't help bring the whole dish together. Surprisingly, the Guyanese rice cook-up was really delicious. I was worried about this dish given it's comfort food nature, but it was nicely executed. The rice was nicely flavored and perfectly cooked, the pork was yummy. These seasoned rice dishes are not always easy to execute, but they have this dish nailed and I now want to try making it. Overall though, I was expected the food to be better, especially at those prices. Definitely worth coming for drinks. If you want food, don't expect perfection. read more

This is a must go for flavor I had the lomo Saltado it was delicious it's definitely a famous chef working there this place is is amazing and it's perfect for date nights I took my wife here and she loved it we'll definitely be back soon this place is one of a kind I can't wait to try more read more

I have not much more to say than you HAVE to go here ASAP. Truly some of the best pork Ive ever had and the flavors melded well across the board. Also, not only was the food amazing it was also fresh. I am gonna recommend Oyo to everyone. read more

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Great food and good service. Came on a Wednesday evening and it was pretty busy but we were seated right away. Restaurant is pretty big and nicely decorated. We ordered the seafood paella, sizzling jerk shrimp and i got the prickly pear margarita. The paella was AMAZING. Super flavorful. The star of the show was definitely the jerk shrimp. The seasoning on it was to die for. Me and my best friend scooped up some of the sauce and put it on the paella for a bit more flavor. The drink was good as well. Not super sweet and not too strong either. Would definitely come back again and try different items. read more

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I've been wanting to try Oyo for a long time, and now that I went, I want to keep going back!! The food was amazing!! Plus there are more things I'd like to try. The beef Pattie's were the best I've ever tasted. The octopus salad was delicious as well. Mac and cheese could have used a tiny bit more salt but it as good. The plantains were great as well. The ceviche was so good, I wish the portion was larger. Loved everything!! As we were walking out we saw they sell their pickles for $8 to go, so I went back and ordered some. read more

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We visited on a Saturday afternoon and were seated right away! We got the corner table outside and it was surrounded by beautiful plants! We ordered family style and the pumpkin soup was out of this world!! They spilt it up into two cups for us so that we could share! The jackfruit doubles and the jerk tofu were amazing, both cooked to perfection! The guava lemonade was super refreshing as well! So many vegetarian items to choose from! Definitely recommend! read more

We came for happy hour to avoid the crowd, and we now understand why it's packed to the brim when we walk by on the weekends. I definitely want to come back to try their brunch menu, the paella, and aaaaaall their happy hour drinks. Pholourie: I've never eaten anything like this before - I expected something like a falafel but it was so different in terms of texture and spices! Chicken street food double: didn't wow me but still good - the bara pocket at the bottom was new to me and I like it! Beef patty: this one was my favorite. That pastry was so buttery and flaky, paired well with the tasty insides :) I will be ordering this again. Oxtail stew: the plantains on top are just as much the star of the show as the oxtail. They give you a lot, and the meat/fats are fall-off-the-bone tender. I'm used to having oxtail in soups so this was a really cool different way of eating it! Very saucy and a little too salty for me so the rice accompaniment was perfect. We always need that meat to rice ratio! Sangria: we severely underestimated the size of the pitcher...for two people. :') more worth it for at least 3 peeps but we loved it! read more

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I came here for my friends birthday recently and I did really enjoy the food and drinks. However, I didn't love the ambience and I thought it was slightly too quiet in there. The service was nice and quick which was appreciated but we were also the only ones in there. However we were here on a random weekday -- I did hear it gets very crowded on the weekends so I would recommend making a reservation. I did really love the paella though and would genuinely go back just to have it again. It also is located centrally in downtown pleasanton which is nice if you want to get a little drink or dessert after! read more

Oyo - Paella Oyo - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I legit loved EVERYTHING about this spot! Was looking for a place to eat after taking our kids to Sky Zone. The Caribbean/South American menu appealed to my NY roots! Food was delicious and the service we received was top notch. We ordered jerk chicken doubles, pholourie, Mac n cheese, jerk pork shoulder, cast iron skillet bread, sweet plantains, peas and rice, roti and other stuff I can't remember. Such authentic flavors!! Because my mom insists on complimenting the chef, we had the opportunity to meet the founder Maurice as well as his two sons! I've already began to spread the good word about this gem and will certainly be back! read more

Bomb flavors!! Normally would not be in this part of the town, but I went to another Yelp Event prior and remembered bookmarking this place. Totally didn't disappoint. Restaurant maybe 80% full on Wednesday night so no real need to make a resy beforehand. Really glad we got to try this spot right on the downtown strip. There's street parking available and a public parking lot just a few shops down. Greeted quickly by one of the servers, we chose to sit outside on this warmer day. Staff are masked and they give paper menus, also you can scan a QR code for menu if you wish to remain contactless. Servers are friendly and will check in from time to time to make sure all is good. The fish was in a lovely pronounced coconut sauce. Some may describe it as drowning but I loved the flavors and would go well with a side of rice but I don't have an especially large appetite (and maybe save some room for dessert). The hubby got the steak + crab; also good flavors but found the crab meat more on the dry side. Got the banana bread for dessert, no regrets there! Will come back to try other menu items. read more

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Oyo is a great addition to the area offering a modern take on traditional South American, Caribbean, Jamaican and Eastern Asian cuisine. Food has some bold flavors, wonderful drinks with outdoor seating which is one of the first things i (still) look for. I had Oyo bookmarked so when a friend asked for a recommendation for something different (in the area) I said "try out Oyo for me!". Of course, they were skeptical as these friends aren't open to trying anything different unless it comes in a Combo meal....lets just say they were pleasantly surprised by the food! For my first visit, and their second: TAPAS SAMPLER * Pholourie - spiced, split-pea fried dough. Crispy, light and fluffy inside but a little too subtle on the seasoning. It was a mixed bag of "it's good" to "kind of bland" but that's why they have dipping sauces * Street Doubles - reminded me of a samosa chaat - familiar flavors of Indian spices - fried flatbread (bara) with stewed channa, pieces of jerk chicken and mango chutney and tamarind dipping sauce. This was the popular dish for the table * Beef Patty - my fave sampler item as it had the strongest flavors. delicious curry-flavored beef in a flaky pastry with some kick ADDED * Fried plantains - it was okay and wouldn't order again. HOUSE SPECIALTIES * Oyo Pepper Pot - Braised short rib and skillet bread - *** the DISH to get *** tender short rib accompanied with plenty of thick, spiced (cinnamon, allspice, cloves) sauce of cassava juice - DELICIOUS and flavorful but the sauce was almost too sweet (preference) and a tad salty after the 3rd bite as if it reduced too much...my friend said the last time he had it it wasn't as thick or sweet. Still a Repeat item! * Oxtail Stew - Oxtail, butter beans, dumplings topped with caramelized plantains - another tender dish and more sweet than savory with literally, 3 butterbeans. Totally forgot about the dumplings as it wasn't very visible and only realized there was ONE (size of a TABLESPOON) when i took a bite and then spit out something that was dense and chewy....was not a fan!! Still a Repeat item! * Habanero Cherry Dried Barbequed St. Louis Ribs - friend said it was good with that sweet and spicy * Paella Oyo - a rice dish (or bread) is definitely a must with the above dishes as they're saucy. Caribbean-style - Paella with chicken, pork sausage, shrimp, bell peppers, fresh corn, roasted bell peppers, peas - good but will opt for a seafood one next time. Everything ala carte, pricing on the higher end with no sides Service was friendly and efficient. Overall, a wonderful (3.5 - 4 stars) first dining experience at Oyo and would return again for the braised short rib, oxtail stew, try a different paella and finish off with some dessert. Plenty of drink options but the mojitos and red sangria are so good! I recommend going for Happy Hour: Everyday - 3:30PM to 5:30PM, Friday to Saturday, 9:00PM to 10:00PM for the tapas and drinks. Dined there on a Sunday at 5pm, with plenty of outdoor seating, street parking...place started getting busy by 6:30. Outdoor seating is nicely shaded with misters to make dining comfortable during those hot days. Average pp: $65 with appetizer, entree, 2 drinks, tax and tip. read more

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Great food and drinks with friendly speedy service. One of our favorite spots for Caribbean food in Pleasanton.

Somewhere b/t 3 and 4 on this one, some of the dishes we had were amazinggggg!! Some weren't my favs. Parking: street parking, depending on when you go, can be tough . Staff: Super friendly!! Reservations: We made our reservations online, they had our table ready on time when we arrived. It does get busy sometimes, so if you're going on a weekend around dinner time, be ready to wait. Drinks: Capirinha's all around! Guava - I asked for some extra guava juice, it is a sweeter drink for sure! My friends got the Blackberry and Passionfruit and they loved the tartness of it to balance out the sweet. Food: Oyo Pepper Pot: Wow this is super rich but really good!! we opted to share this one! Paella Oyo: loved the texture of the rice, but some of the meat in it was a little dry tbh Pholourie: this was prob my least fav dish, it is more like a flavored bread. Prob won't order that one again. Grilled Octopus: the octopus lovers will love this one! The greens that come with go well with the dish Ceviche: order this one! Balance of seafood variety and the citrus, mm my mouth is watering for it again!! Friend Green Plaintains: this is a finger food for sure. They are mashed and extra crispy, wish it was a tad softer but still tasty. All in all we had a good experience, and I def will be back again to try more dishes. :) read more

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Great food, friendly service. Our server recommended the dobles and they were delicious. Dog friendly patio seating available with a heater in the winter. They have a Tapas happy hour that we will be back for! read more

Dishes ordered: - Oxtail stew: one of the better dishes! I loved the sweet plantains that came with it. Meat was tender and fatty. Stew was good but salty -- I wish there was some rice or bread included with this entree. - Oyo pepper pot (braised short ribs): bad.. would not recommend. Meat was super dry and the dish overall was extremely salty. Bread wasn't that great either. - Calypso ceviche: this was ok. I've had better deep fried plantains. Didn't think it was worth it. - Pholourie: if you have to order an appetizer, get this one! Flavor was good and also came with complementary dipping sauces. Not picture: - Oyo paella: I didn't get to try this dish but saw that there was barely any meat in my friend's entree. It looked sad. Friend said flavor wasn't bad but wasn't amazed. - Jerk Chicken: didn't try this one either. Big portion, but the meat was dry and the flavor was boring according to my other friend. Overall, since only 2 out of 6 dishes we ordered were decent, I couldn't give Oyo a higher rating. Service was very slow as well. We waited a while for our food, and another party next to us got their food first even though they ordered the same thing I did. Staff was really nice though, and the chef/owner came out and spoke to us which made it personal. read more

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I came on a friday night and this restaurant was very lively, can get pretty loud. I noticed a lot of people come here for their birthday, I probably heard them sing Happy Birthday at least 5x times when I came. What I tried: -Octopus -Seafood Paella -Oxtail -Bread -Margarita Food: I didn't think anything was extraordinary, it was all good though. The drinks were ok, but they do have a large selection on alcohol. They had great service, but everything can get pretty pricey. I think there are other Caribbean restaurants in the Bay Area that do better at a better price point. It is good to try! Overall, I would probably recommend for a night out for drinks, and maybe some shareables with a group of people. read more

Really tasty food in the heart of downtown Pleasanton! We had the paella OYO style, ceviche and fried plantains for lunch and it was all great. They offer a nice variety of lunches and dinner offerings for any appetite. There is a very large outdoor seating area as well the main dining area looks to seat around 80+/- they also have a really nice size bar. Drinks options are plentiful - I had an Arnold Palmer - free refills was nice. The staff was really nice! read more

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I've been so disappointed with trying new restaurants these days that I was so happy that everything we at at PTO was delicious. My husband is not adventurous and he had the oyo breakfast and he loved it. My son had the rice dish All the meats were tender and the rice spices were very interesting. We like be trying new things. My mom and I split the goat curry and tropical salad. The salad was clean and fresh. The only thing a little out of place were the olives. The goat curry was the star. I wish it came with the roti as others had. Mine came with rice and the sauce is so deep that I ish the rice wasn't sitting in the sauce. Service was good and the space was cute. I'm definitely coming back. read more

Ordered half a jerk chicken! Tasty and flavorful - not what I was expecting. I've tried my share of jerk anything. Chicken cooked well. Not over cooked and juicy. Just I think the seasoning of jerk was just a lil different from what I'm used too. Overall, tasty and would come back to try other items. read more

Oyo - Half jerk chicken - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

This place was amazing, food was great service from our server axel was great. He recommended basically everything we ordered and it was all 10/10. I would order everything we got again. Highly recommend this place for a date night without the kids like we did. And i would say if its a nice night out to be seated outside read more

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Still. So. Good Oxtail stew 5* Jerk pork shoulder 4.5* Octopus salad 4.5* Oyo paella 5* Service was friendly and attentive. Cocktails are creative and tasty. Inside is fun but noisy. Patio is better for conversation but can be hot on sunny days. read more

Probably my new favorite dining spot in downtown Pleasanton. Made a 7 pm reservation last Saturday for the missus and I - specifically asking for an outdoor table under the misters so we could stay cool. We parked a couple of blocks away and arrived on time. Our table under the misters was waiting. We started with cocktails - Pisco Sour for her, Caipirinha for me. Both took about 15 minutes but were perfect. Then our appetizer and entrée arrived - sweet plantains and seafood paella - the former warm, creamy, and sweet, the latter sizzling, flavorful and filling. I especially enjoyed the clams in the paella, much better than the usual shrimp they crowd it with. We were quite full by this time but pushed through and ordered bread pudding for dessert at the recommendation of our charming and attentive server Señor Zenaido. This was an inspired choice - the pudding was warm and soft on the inside, crusty on the outside. Paired with coconut ice cream and a giant plantain chip, which we crushed and added to each bite for texture, this was the perfect way to end a memorable meal. read more

Oyo - Pisco Sour for her, Caipirinha for me. Both were perfect. - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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Haven't been back for over a year and glad to be back again. Sometimes I just want to taste something different and delicious, this place is definitely the place too. read more

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OYO Guayanan cuisine discovered in downtown Pleasanton. Outdoor seating in these pandemic times with live music made it feel like a street party was going. We ordered appetizers- the Pholouri (lentil deep fried balls), beef patties (pies) and jerk shrimp which was da bomb. Followed by the main course which was the non- seafood paella ( they have the seafood option too) and goat curry with dahlpuri (stuffed bread). The waiters were very attentive, friendly and caring (we had a dog who was well-looked after) and provided some good recommendations for dessert. Wonderful experience and oh, the pitcher of red Sangria was refreshing too, not to mention the wine berry icecream which we all loved. read more

The most delicious food ever!! The Paella is delicious well everything on the menu is yummy! The owner and his son are so personable and nice! This is turning into be a usual place for me! read more

As a Guyanese descendant, I was thrilled to find this place and it is authentic! Food was good, service good and ambience felt like a bit like being in Guyana. For the first visit we had doubles, the salmon plate, and pholourie. Will definitely go back to try other dishes, just wish it wasn't so far, but worth it! read more

I was so excited to dine at Oyo, only to be let down. After all, it looks beautiful from the pics, and the owners/family seem lovely. Due to the fricken pandemic (yes, I always refer to it as that), Main street is closed off and available parking is very scarce on a Friday night at 745pm. But a positive, Oyo has built 3-4 rows of tables into the closed off Main street (actually, that's cool). People-watching while dining is so Europe, and one of my favorite pastimes. The menu is filled with interesting things, and very fruity. Items with mango, cherry, coconut -- even pumpkin. They say "South American", but it's more Caribbean, Jamaican, Trinidadian, and Guyanese. Things with Jerk, You won't find pupusas, tortillas, or Flank Steak with Chimichurri Sauce...mmmmm. Apparently, it's not that "Latin American" as it's billed. So I went for a fruit "trio": ====================== 1. Habanero Cherry Dried Barbequed St. Louis Ribs [$38, 4.0 stars] -- nice presentation, very tender, and saucy. A little bland, needed salt. Comes with no sides, for that price? 2. Sweet Plantains [$10, 5.0 stars] -- perfection, sliced thin lengthwise. $3 too much for 1 plantain. Served with homemade citrus mayonnaise. 3. Coconut Rice [$7, 2.0 stars] -- seriously, what the heck. No coconut flavor at all. Brown rice? Did I get the wrong order? $2-3 too high. I sent it back, and ordered... 4. Black Beans and Rice [$7, 2.5 stars] -- slightly better, but I don't think rice is there thing, or they lost the desire. Basically, mush, and zero flavor. $2-3 too high, too. Service, and it's the kicker (to the curb): ================================= After sitting down, I waited 12-15 mins for service. Ordered, and waiting 15-18 mins for my beer. After someone else brought out my food, no one checked on me. I needed salt, and didn't at all like my coconut rice -- and seriously, had to flag someone else down after 15 MINS. Very nice, but awful. Other: ======= * All american beers? Really? Give me at least a Red Stripe. * Oh, and they had "live" music. A 2 person band, and the singer was not good. In the end: ========== Sorry, no. read more

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Oyo, in my opinion, is overpriced for its food. Dishes are not only aggressively average but also expensive. Since it's located in Downtown Pleasanton, the prices make sense. However, there are plenty of great restaurants that are not only even more expensive but also of great quality and taste. The paella tastes like something you could get in Trader Joe's. I got a few appetizers that I forgot the name of but those were pretty decent. Overall, great place for good service and Happy Hour but not worth your time for an actual meal. read more

Starting with our server, Axel, through our Craft cocktails, Tapas and Entrées - everything was great! First time visit. Axel walked us through the menu and had great suggestions. We had the Drunken Fish - great flavor and perfectly prepared. Jerk shrimp was spot on. And the pumpkin soup was an excellent starter. Along with seafood ceviche served with plantain banana chips. For desert, we finished with a gluten free, vegan cava root cake - cassava coconut pone. Awesome! And we took home Oxtail Stew for our son. read more

Oyo - Cassava Coconut Pone - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

We decided to sit outside which had smaller tables and we ordered three dishes that barely fit. The oxtail and paella are the best dishes. Total was a little more than $100 which was pricey and we split the bill on two cards. They charged the wrong amount on each card. Never seen that before. 3 stars because I was always shooing some flies away even though they had a little candle I assume to keep them away. If I come here again, I'd probably just sit inside knowing this now. read more

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Pleasanton you really out did yourself! This place was an absolute kicker ! Decided to go here on a Saturday night and was able to get a seat right away. It was so packed and smelled so good had such great music which created a fantastic ambience. It is definitely worth a try. Now to talk about the food I ordered almost everything I could fit on the table from that place and nothing disappointed. The drinks were so well mixed I had to have a few. I would recommend this place if you are interested in trying Caribbean food in the Pleasanton area you will not be disappointed. read more

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Took a friend here for early dinner. Incredible and diverse menu. We had the octopus salad and ceviche and both were tasty and flavorful. Then i had the Paella Oyo and she had the Jerk Pork. Both looked beautifully served and were strong in flavor. Serving size were nice and the mixed drinks awesome. Service was good and eating outside was cozy. A gem of a spot for Caribbean/ South American food. Definitely a place worth going for awesome food. read more

Oyo - Paella Oyo and Jerk Shoulder! - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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