First timer, was recommended to us by a friend, can't thank her enough. Amazing food, great portions, supper affordable. So yummy. Loved the Beet salad! The cheese stuffed falafel! The Tagine! Lamb Sirloin! The eggplant! Yes, we ordered lots and loved everything. Thank you. Also looks like a great place to order a takeout. read more

Overpriced, bland and small portions of food. Nice location and patio but just not worth the money for the blah food.

Just No. I've been here or ordered from them at least 5-6 times and all have been lackluster but this last experience ensured I won't be back. I will say the food mostly tastes good but it is insanely overpriced for what you get. for $17 you get a rice bowl with 4 cups of plain rice and approx. 1/2 cup of meat and vegetables combined! My dish literally had the equivalent of 2 chicken nuggets on it and then they smother it in sauce trying to hide ripping you off! Oh you want hot sauce? That'll be $5 extra and we even put it in to go containers so you can take your overpriced hot sauce with you. Byeeee Felicia. read more

Ordered the hummus to start. It was really good hummus. Ordered the Kefta with Saffron rice and vegetables. The Kefta wasn't bad, but I was really disappointed with the lack of flavor. Perhaps I had the wrong expectation, but I am accustomed to Kefta being much spicier in flavor. At least it was cooked properly. Had the almond paste baklava which was pretty good. I like other baklavas better, but like hummus, it's never worse than good. I probably won't order again from Pomella because the price point is pretty high, and the food in my view wasn't better than other middle eastern places I've been to. The other people I was with liked their food more than I liked mine to be fair (Lamb, Soup, Fruit Crisp, Panne Cotta) Definitely a more ambitious menu than others. I ordered from Door Dash so perhaps I'll give it a second shot in person sometime if someone else wanted to go. read more

We got a big, multi-course Chanukah dinner and were pretty underwhelmed overall. The salad was mostly greens but the apples in it were very nicely spiced and cinnamon-y and the blue cheese vinaigrette dressing was nice. The matzah ball soup broth was good, but the matzah balls were only fair and had way too much herb flavors in them. The root vegetable salad was not great and the brisket was OK but quite fatty. The latkes were the highlight of the meal but they were nothing too special (though the applesauce on the side did taste like cinnamon apple pie filling which was tasty). read more

Pomella's food is always fresh and absolutely delicious. Since the days of Ba-Bite I've been obsessed with the their salads -- the beet and feta is my favorite. A newer offering the Grilled Moorish Chicken Thigh with Saffron Aioli is my current go to. Their protein rich house-made hummus and Harissa chicken salad are both scrumptious options. I could write much about Mica's desserts. I've had most of them. (Absolutely, no shame!) I love them all. My latest obsession is the buttermilk Panna cotta and the classic Baklava. You can also also order a veggie/fruit box for weekly pick up, ad well as many beloved staples for home prep. I love this place! read more

Food here is always awesome. Service is good but nothing spectacular. Ambiance can be dé cependant

Thank goodness Mica is back! When Ba-Bite closed down, we were devastated. Ba-Bite was one of our favorites restaurant. By true surprise, though, I stumbled upon Pomella during the shelter-in-place. The vibrancy of the food is all the same and we are elated to know we can enjoy Mica's food once again. The majadra and fesenjan are our favorites, but you can never go wrong with the tagine! All the mezze and salads are delicious and we especially love the sauce options, particularly the schug -- it adds a nice spice to any dish. read more

I was really disappointed by this place. The dishes are way overpriced, and they are stingy on the portions. If you're hungry, don't order the $17 chicken hummus plate, which came with about 2-3 oz of chicken. The hummus was creamy, but lacked flavor...no garlic, olive oil, and not well salted. It was just a really underwhelming experience for a counter service joint that serves small $16-18 entrees. If you want good middle eastern food, go to Shawarjami. Their sandwiches/wraps are incredible, and very fairly priced. You'll leave satisfied and not disappointed as I felt after Pomella. read more

Overpriced and bland. Definitely not your typical nor traditional middle eastern fare.

Excellent service doesn't mask flavorless food. Food is overpriced and had little to no flavor. Humus was unsalted. The lamb sirloin was well cooked. Lamb wrap literally had no salt/spice. The harissa sauce which was a $4 extra tasted like they forgot the red chillies. The service was excellent, I was happy to see that they checked vaccine status before letting people sit indoors. read more

Service friendly Good very good Ambiance is nice. Cleanliness is good. One big big problem. The meters in their parking lot were not clearly marked when they are enforced. The sign on the wall says. Monitored 9-12. But is that monitored or enforced? I'll not pay for a meter in their parking lot. What's next? Pet food express charging? Wells Fargo? read more

very disappointing lunch today, I ordered their lamb Shawarma wrap priced at $19 approximately, they were literally only three or four small pieces of lamb in this wrap which was 90% shredded lettuce. I would not go back again to this restaurant. when they were at their previous location the food and the service was much higher quality. Over the years and probably in there six or seven times this will probably be the last read more

I've been to Pomella three times and ordered lots of the small plates. The food is mostly okay, but I've had a couple of dishes that were very disappointing. I'm not likely to go back. There are better middle eastern restaurants in the East Bay. read more

Super cute but casual spot in Piedmont/Oakland area. Would highly recommend for a bit to eat for lunch. I loved that everything was very tasty, yet healthy. I used to live in LA and I feel like it's hard to come across really tasty, yet healthy meals. However, this restaurant reminded me of the meals I would have in LA. I got the salmon salad and my parents enjoyed the falafel wrap. We also ordered the cheese stuffed falafel's. Those were really good and tasty. They weren't too salty too. I was afraid the cheese would be overpowering but it was still somewhat subtle. Definitely would come back again when I'm craving something healthy. read more

Was very sad when Ba Bite closed down, so was really looking forward to this new restaurant. Obviously opening up during a pandemic may not seem like the smartest move, but this has been a regular weekly stop for us over the last couple of months. First of all, a big shout out to their amazing hummus. Great creamy flavors, especially when you throw in their homemade pita chips. Our favorite meal has been the Moorish chicken thigh with saffron aïoli. So flavorful, I think we've ordered it almost every week. And make sure to check out their desserts. They often change depending on what's fresh, but everything we've had has been terrific. Looks like they will be adding some outdoor seating starting this week, so perhaps we will try eating there. read more

My boyfriend and I went for lunch and both feel it was best meal we have had in a while. We had the butternut squash with quinoa and arugula salad with added chicken and it delicious. We also shared cheese filled falfel, which was also good, but a little rich. The red cabbage and fig salad was so inventive and excellent. read more

Middle East food at its best. Cooked dishes. Great food. Great value. Cozy & friendly. Try the majadra with lamb cufta, but we shared with other dishes and all were great. read more

This food is amazing! And reasonable prices. Also everyone who works here is kind and helpful. Highly recommend!

Wanted to like this place. Food descriptions sounded appetizing. Lamb kefte was a disaster -- cold saffron rice tasted like old steam, there was almost no meat and it was not high-quality lamb, veggies were sparse. Shashlik wrap was ok chicken but mushy and bland and bread was nothing to write home about. Mint lemonade was too sweet, by half. Maybe a $9 an entree this would be acceptable fast food but it is not what it purports to be. Food also came out 10 minutes apart. read more

Everything is fresh and interesting. The salads for example - at Pomella, they are not just salads but "compositions". Ingredients are carefully chosen for contrast and flavor. I have always loved falafel and Pomella makes it best - super crispy and delicious. When I am not in the mood for a salad or pita sandwich, I order the Tagine or one of the many interesting soups. There is nothing bland or boring on the menu. Even the house-made pickles are special! Everything was packed perfectly for curbside pickup. Great food; great service. read more

Great experience. Staff were welcoming, happy to explain the menu and offer suggestions, and they also brought us a few free samples of appetizers and desserts. The food was super tasty, and the cauliflower was a notable hit. The sauces and meats were delicious, and it was nice that they had their own parking lot, and a decent option of beers and drinks. I'll be back! read more

The $13 salads were disappointing. They did not come dressed or tossed and the amount of ingredients was underwhelming. I've heard great things about this restaurant and today's lunch was a disappointment. read more

I've ordered from Pomella a few times, and everything has been amazing. I've had their prepared dishes, frozen/fresh pantry items (the marinated lamb was AMAZING), and a fresh baked strawberry rhubarb pie. All were really tasty and fresh. The curbside pickup was super easy. I'm really grateful they were able to open in a safe way during the shutdown. read more

I have been coming to Pomello since before the pandemic. My favorite has been the butternut squash quinoa salad with added salmon. The salmon is always cooked perfectly. Unfortunately the size of salmon they give has drastically decreased in size since the pandemic. Paying almost $23 for a salad with a thin, tiny piece of salmon is disappointing. read more

Always fresh Always delicious Love their butternut squash, arugula, quinoa salad Love their pita Love their vegetable tagine Love their their hot sauce (Schug) Picking up during the pandemic is really easy. read more

I'd been wanting to try this Israeli spot, so we grabbed cheese-stuffed falafel, falafel lafa wrap, chicken tagine, plum panna cotta, and spiced coffee. - I especially enjoyed (1) the wrap, because it didn't skimp on veggies/non-falafel components and (2) the cooked plums in the panna cotta, which were so sweet they tasted like candy. - I expected more veggies in the tagine, but I suppose I should have gotten the veggie one for that; the chicken amount was generous. - I didn't really understand the large quantity of whipped cream (milky?) atop the panna cotta, but that's just me, since I don't like whipped cream. - It's not cheap, but I thought prices were close to what other (non-kebab) places charge nearby. - I like that they seem to have some specials they add to their menu based on what's in season. We won't be regulars, but we'll be back to try out more items. read more

Not the best tasting middle eastern food I've had. We ordered the falafel (3/5), lamb sirloin (3/5), Brussels sprouts (4/5), and lemon saffron shrimp with rice (3/5)...all were under seasoned. The shrimp was bland and overcooked. The Brussels sprouts was the only dish that had the most flavor but still pretty underwhelming. read more

Meh. Bland, overpriced, and overrated. Plus, for take out it is an automatic 20 percent tip, unless you specifically change it. That's excessive for klutzy counter service. read more

Hummus was bland, falafel balls ground too fine, poorly seasoned and cremated! Passover offerings we're no better: fatty, overcooked meat, tough artichoke bottoms; all overpriced. What happened since Ba Bites where the food was authentic, delicious? Feels like there is no supervision or quality control of prep and production of food at Pomella. read more

3.5 stars actually, but rounded up to 4 because the food does taste quite good. We've been going to here and the predecessor for years, but lately have been disappointed. Smaller portions, higher prices, 20% gratuity tacked onto the to-go bill, which must be de-selected if one doesn't agree that's reasonable, and now the Dispatch Goods tins are a royal pain (plus an additional 5% added to the bill). The boxes are actually worse for the environment than compostable to-go boxes! Why? We don't live in the immediate vicinity and had to schedule a pick-up. Ants got into the boxes, though we used water - in a drought - to clean them out immediately after use. It took more than 24 hours after request for the tins to be picked up - and who picked them up? A woman driving a full-sized gas SUV miles to get to our house in the hills. The tins will then be washed - using more water and energy to sterilize, and then presumably more gas to return them to the restaurant - whereas boxes can be easily composted. Suffering ants, having to schedule a pickup, and pay 5% surcharge for these tins means we won't be ordering from Pomella unless we're desperate - the hassle means it's hardly worthwhile anymore, which makes me sad, for this was one of the few places we regularly enjoyed ordering from. This is from someone who can leave the tins outside the door, but it would be a huge hassle to have to coordinate pickup in a locked apartment building, as another reviewer mentioned. I love the felafels, pickles, baklava, and the lentil salad (these could be 5 stars), though there were a lot fewer lentils atop the spinach than in the past. The other entrees were good, but not amazingly good, not enough to justify the expense and hassle of to-go, as in-person usually doesn't work with our schedules. If Pomella would switch back to compostable to-go boxes, lower their prices or increase portion size, and stop adding a 20% gratuity for to-go orders we'd order more often again. read more

Been wanting to try this place for a while especially since my dad is Israeli and loves this kind of food. We came on a Monday and the place was busy which is always a good sign. The patio is cute and plenty of places for shade x My dad spoke to the owner/chef in Hebrew so he was chuffed x We split the falafel and hummus plate and as suggested by the chef ordered an extra pita...YUM! The pita was warm and fluffy, the hummus was smooth and delicious The falafel were perfectly cooked with a crunchy outside and warm soft inside. So good! Friendly service, great outdoor seating, and delicious food x Great lunch date with dad x Oh and the pickled veggies - so good We ordered a baklava and rugelach to take home x My dad says "Their hummus is very authentic" x He was happy read more

Pomella - Falafel with Tahini Hummus Plate - Middle Eastern Near Me - Oakland, California

My new go-to place! The atmosphere is so vibrant, and the food is absolutely incredible packed full of flavor. The wrap with chicken is juicy stuffed to the brim with wonderfully paired creamy hummus and fresh, crunchy vegetables. Would highly recommend you swing by and sample their assortment of lovingly crafted dishes. read more

Starting with the positive--the pomegranate eggplant is one of the most delicious eggplant dishes I've ever eaten. Tender, flavorful, and in a tahini sauce that is outstanding. The woman who brought out my food was friendly and delightful, bringing me a takeout container right away when I saw the quantity of food she put on my table. I had really high hopes for this place but ended up pretty disappointed. I ordered hummus with chicken shicklik and found the dish very bland. I went back in to ask for hot sauce, as every Middle Eastern eatery offers. I was SHOCKED when I was told I had to PURCHASE it and at a ridiculous price--$2 for a 1 oz plastic cup! I was so furious, but I was so hungry and couldn't eat it without adding some spice and flavor. The ordering process could use an easy fix. There is no menu posted inside, so you don't get to see a menu until it is your turn to order. There are paper menus laying on the counter next to the register which you don't notice as you wait in line. Obviously that holds up the line and is frustrating to the customer ordering. Apparently there is a menu posted outside the exit door, but that is nowhere near the entrance door and it is not at all obvious. Wanted to love this place, but I won't be back. read more

What a disappointment, we had such high hopes for the place. As soon as we walked in (the place was empty) the staff was neither welcoming nor friendly. The food was ok but the prices... just an example: one pita for $2 and when you order a big plate of hummus you have to order each pita a la cart. The prices are outrageously high. We will not be back. read more

Good kitchen. Satisfactory menu. Lovely flavors. They do a very nice job, whether dining in or takeaway. Neighborhood favorite.

It's really hard to find authentically delicious Israeli food in the east bay - I was SO happy when Pomella opened. It transports me back and is the ultimate comfort. The owner is such a sweetheart and the staff is always kind. We love it read more

Overpriced and food nothing to write home about. When you spend $200 for 4 people you'd at least hope to have had an excellent meal. Underwhelming. Will not return. read more

Pomella is not bad honestly some tweak here and there and they would be a 5 star. First off they are heavy on the hummus which is flavorless and just cases most food to become soggy and second is the tizik or tahini sauce which often floods their rice dishes which turns it into a porridge also the sauce is flavorless read more

High quality food with great outdoor space. Loved the craft beer selection and drinks/desserts as well. We got a mix of a hummus plate, rice plate, and a wrap and all were excellent. The fried cauliflower with tahini was also excellent. The salmon was perfectly cooked (for me) and the chicken was tender. Highly recommend and look forward to coming back. read more