I love Quinns, and I'm bummed they closed permanently today! I have stopped in many days to sit at the bar and chop it up with the bartenders. Great food, drinks, and location. Positioned right on the scenic Oakland estuary. The absence of Quinns will definitely leave a void in the area. I wish the employees all the best moving forward! Long live Quinns!! read more

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Ah always delicious when we come here. Honestly the server was mediocre meh... but with this beautiful view eh... who cares!! On nice days the deck is beautiful!! Love the shrimp cocktail yummy!! read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Shrimp cocktail - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

I hadn't been to Quinns lighthouse since before the pandemic. At that time it was busy. People in the lower dining room, the upstairs bar, outside and the upper eating area full. Last week we were in the area and I told my husband we should go and eat. We should have turned around and walked out when we seen that it was dead. Dining room not opened. 2 couples out side having drinks, 1 couple at bar watching game and us, "4". Order consisted of 2 overly cooked hamburgers, 1 pork belly sandwich which my husband said there was hardly any meat. My fish & chips were just okay although the fish was not as firm as it should have been. I thought it was going to be a fish restaurant although they seem to have more Vietnamese food on the menu. Won't be going back. read more

What can improve? Everything!!!! Over priced barely edible food, poor service, and cold cold dining area. Ordered a chicken Cesar salad because frankly everything else on menu was way over priced. Chicken was not chicken, but Vietnamese flavored pork. Asked the size of salad because it was $18 so I thought good hardy salad she would not say, just said 3x's..."that's enough for you" Nope, barley edible like I said. The pork (supposed to be chicken) had a fish flavor... asked for diet coke, so she brought cans...that's fine $5.00 was the charge, never did they say we had a choice for can or fountain ($3) not any place on menu. We just wanted to pay and get the heck out of that cold place....had to literally yell for someone to come and charge us, because no one brought us our check. Needless to say NEVER AGAIN DO NOT RECOMMEND!!! read more

I ordered basic fish and chips. I received 2 medium sized pieces of fish and a small handful of fries. $25 out the door. They taste good but you'll still be hungry afterwards. Oh and these are British style and they don't offer malted vinegar, Just tartar sauce. read more

Finally Quinn's has capable ownership. Immediate vibe change from last time I was here and new menu with new owners. Came here for a quick banh mi to go. Super attentive staff (unlike past), saw them doing a birthday slice for a family sitting down (doubt old owners would ever do that). Place is much cleaner and it feels safe to eat here finally. Grilled pork banh mi hit the spot. Excited to try some of the new seafood things on the menu and actually bring people here. Kudos to new staff and ownership. I will be back. read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Grilled pork banh mi - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

I was hoping for better at the rebranding and reopening of this place. It opened up last March under new management within more of a Vietnamese style while keeping some of the traditional dishes. Came on a Wednesday evening around 7:00 p.m. there are two other diners however, there were six people at the bar extremely loud/ rowdy and drunk which caused the done-in experience to be not that great. I ordered the prawn fettuccine alfredo and that was good, not delicious. Ordered the jambalaya and that was good. And my friend ordered seafood pasta special. She said it was just okay. This was once enough to know that we don't need to go back. At least the drinks in the bar were delicious. Tried the lychee Martini. read more

I decided to go by Quinn's Lighthouse for an after work drink and appetizer and I'm grateful I did. First off the restaurant is super cute with phenomenal views. I walked in to 80's music and knew I found the right spot. I LOVE 80's music!!! Even though there was music and a lot of people talking, my experience felt peaceful. I ordered the wings and was surprised over how fast they came out. Normally, that concerns me because I like my food freshly prepared and I know that takes time, but the wings were incredible. Just the right spice and good texture. The were just delicious! The wine was good and the service was excellent. My server was pleasant, very nice and efficient. I can't tell whether I liked the vibe or view more. I honestly felt like I was in a multicultural Cheers, which makes me want to return. I'm looking forward going back for a full meal. read more

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Great food. Vietnamese sandwiches are delicious. People are really nice but can be understaffed if they're really busy but worth the wait. Really good oysters. read more

Food was good. Service was a little slow especially when it was a slow time, The ambiance was typical waterfront style. Views of the boats docked and seagulls squawking. read more

It could use a face lift. We had reservations and they looked surprised, even though there were no customers. The food was ok.

I really liked this place. I loved sitting on the deck enjoying the water views. The service was great! The food was very good. I had fish and chips, which was light and flakey and very tasty. It was strange meshing of Asian and American food, but this worked out well for our group. One person had garlic noodles, which were awesome, another had a cheeseburger that looked delicious and the third had a curried chicken sandwich. We all got what we wanted. read more

First off, the location is great, right off the water, with as good of a view of the area as you can get in Oakland. The service was five star. Helpful, pleasant, and efficient. My dish was the Curried Chicken Sandwich. It was fine until I bit into the jalapeño. Please, remove the pith and the seeds before slicing them up and putting them haphazardly into the sandwich. The heat, which I usually like was way too spicy. It ruined what would have been a decent sandwich. Aside from that, it is a nice place to have a meal, just beware of the jalapeño's read more

I am beyond impressed with the food! No one is here?! How is this place not busy on a Friday night is a mystery that remains to me because this food is top tier! Walk in and go upstairs for service. We ordered steak bites as an appetizer for 2, huge mistake, these were so unbelievably good we should have ordered one for each of us! We also had calamari which was great and came over a salad which we also shared and was just a cute appetizing portion. They got me with the Lobster Ravioli dish, I have no choice, I will be back. The only advice I can give is to be a bit more tentative to customers dining, but really the food was so good I can't even knock them a star and that's saying something for how long I had to wait for a refill! read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - 67. Seafood Ravioli - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

The location is great we had a lovely view quite enough to actually have a conversation i hadn't been there for years so i was pleased it's still there new menu new owners the food i was not memorable and arrived cold drinks fine server overwhelmed i hope they are successful but they will need to shorten their menu upgrade service and hire a cook that knows what a caesar salad its... the place feels scattered trying hard to do everything but missing some important things food and service for starters little things like napkins read more

They are very Vietnamese.. Just to let you know... Some dishes I was not enjoy it. But, the fact of they are dogs friendly will lead me there any days if I am close by. Good view. Not much happening there Overall, we enjoyed there for 2-3 hours, dogs too :0) read more

Quinns is an Oakland institution and if you were to ask where to take an out of town guest this place is always on the top of my list. On the first and third Thursday of the month there is a sea shanty band that plays here, which is an absolute delight that you can't help but join in and sing. The drinks and food are also delicious. My friends enjoyed their banh mi sandwiches and I ordered the fresh spring rolls. So fortunate that this place is still around, I will be back. read more

I had no idea there was a change in ownership. Once a thriving, vibrant restaurant found me and my guest the only patrons. Loud music no one would turn down. A menu with pictures. Gads. I knew something was off. We left. I Googled and found, after 40 years, Quins is no more. Sad. Won't return. read more

Ok first of all I want to say I was in Oakland on business for the week and this place was close to my room so we decided to check it out, first time I had gumbo and a beer and my friend had ravioli and cheese bread!! Food was really good and the guy that served us was so great we told him we'd be back the next day!! So we did come back and both of us had the rib-eye with mushrooms and asparagus omg!! Very good!! This place ambiance was good and quite a bit of people!!! If you are in area come check it out!! We will be back!! I will put picks up!! read more

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I don't want to bash this place because I know they are struggling but I went in here with my wife at 8:30 pm on Friday, October 4, 2024. It was DEAD. So DEAD. There was a table of 2 inside and a table of 5 outside. That was it. It's Friday night so no idea what happened to this place. Here is the kicker, not a single person was working though. No one was behind the bar. No one was hosting. No one was serving. No one was cooking in the kitchen. The place was an absolute ghost town. I asked the table if 2 if anyone was working and they said "not really" so we left and went to Alameda where everything was lively. Probably won't be back. read more

Today my food was average. Caesar salad was bland; fried oysters slightly over-cooked (I'm being kind). Fries were excellent - crispy. Service was "leisurely". Been here at least a few times before and will go back. I thought I enjoyed Caesar last time. I know for sure the fish-n-chips is spot on!! Great location; chill atmosphere. Mixture of all kinds of East Bay types. read more

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We always have a nice time. The deck is very enjoyable in the mid day sun. Fish n chips is also very good

Quinn's hosted a large group lunch for a retirement party. Communication with Nathan and Nick via email was excellent leading up to the event. Service was great with Viet during the lunch. We ordered off the menu and all our the guests were happy with their meals. I had a burger, and it was good. Food did come out periodically, as we were over 20 people, so cool food (fries in my case) was expected. Overall, all our expectations were exceeded, especially with a large group. I highly recommend Quinn's for any occasion. I'll be back for sure. They made my coworker's retirement extra special. read more

This place used to be amazing! Over the pandemic, quite a few of their classics disappeared from the menu. Peanuts no longer covered the floor & the patio attendance dwindled. New ownership took over recently and its Vietnamese food with very few items from the old regime. The food & drinks I had there last month were no bueno & most of the old staff was gone. The charm of the place is still there, just not the quality or vibe. Below is a sticky chewy tuna appetizer with a bland foam & cilantro on top of a stale tortilla chip. There are so many better options for a waterfront meal or Vietnamese food in the area! read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Questionable Ahi Tuna Nachos - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Quinn's has been in Oakland a long time. The lighthouse was built in 1890; the restaurant was established in 1984. They have been around for a long time, they must be doing things right to stay a popular destination. There was a time when I went here often but that was long before Yelp. Downstairs there is a quiet dining room; the upstairs is more a pub that usually has a floor covered in peanut shells. The deck and patio are both great places to enjoy the views; My most recent visit was for a Christmas lunch with friends. We started the meal with poppers and a bottle of Chloe Pinot Grigio and poppers while I took my time to decide on what I wanted. I usually order an appetizer for my main course. After vacillating between mussels and crab cakes, the waiter suggested the crab cakes. So I went ahead and ordered them. I had the mussels that last time I was here but that was several years ago. The crabs were great they were full of crab and very little, if any, filler. My complaint is not about the food. They brought me a dinner with rice and salad. Which was more expensive and more food than I could eat. I had told the waiter I would have the appetizer as my main. I am not sure how the disconnect happened, I wasn't pleased. Happily, the food was good the next day and I enjoyed my meal again. My friends ordered a hamburger and a Caprese sandwich. These were both served with fries and a small salad. They were happy with their choices. I had a wonderful time: the food was good, the location is great, and best of all was spending time with friends. It was a wonderful day. read more

Staff was very friendly and welcoming. Tried the Crepe tacos and could taste all the amazing flavors and crispiness of the shell. Will definitely return to try the Clam Chowder among a long list of options, looking forward to enjoying. The amenities and view at night are great. I will be inquiring about having functions there over the summer. read more

Hope they survive so here a few suggestions. Make fish and chips a meal instead of an appetizer The fries were cold and not homemade. Rather have fast food fries. Serve the meals together so one person doesn't have to wait. Hire professional staff and not just family- experience matters There is so much on the menu that has a TGI Friday look to it. So she got nothing special and probably not fresh. We'll give it at least six months and try again. Really hope you can make it work. read more

Bill our waiter is the man! We can appreciate when customer service is full on shining like Bill! He was so honest, friendly efficient and just on top of Everything! He even took awesome pictures of our group of 7. Bill has been here for 19 years and he still is so enthusiastic gotta love it! Wow, never knew Quinn's serves up mostly fresh seafood except a few items like calamari and something else. Most of us ordered fish and chips and fish sandwiches which were deelish! This is such a nostalgic place on the water where you can watch a nice sunset which we did! The homemade coleslaw and warm bread they serve is yummy as well. Bill let me sample their clam chowder which is pretty good as well. We stayed a few hours since my family came to visit from out of town and never felt rushed. Such a hidden gem we cant to return! read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

I have loved Quinn's Lighthouse for over 20 years and have many wonderful memories there of meals shared with friends, studying for grad school on the back deck, game nights, and even meetings with colleagues. I've given the current owners/chefs a fair try, but I won't be back as the current food is such poor quality and lacking in any good flavor. A friend I used to often enjoy going there joined me at Quinn's recently and upon leaving we agreed that it was a goodbye visit as neither of us enjoyed our meals and the service was poor. RIP Quinn's. read more

I'm so excited to see Quinn's lighthouse return as a lovely Vietnamese restaurant. The location is beautiful with great views of the estuary. Our service was excellent and the food was delicious. Definitely go give it a try. They have retained one of the chefs from the old Quinns so some of the favorites are still on the menu. read more

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I made reservations for my birthday dinner and have eaten here many times in the past. I was a fan and even order to go during the pandemic. However this experience was far under what I'd come to expect. There where fruit flies and regular flies everywhere. The tables felt sticky. The waitress didn't know what a champagne cocktail was and didn't offer to as the bartender for a substitute. She didn't mention any special for the day. The food was was not good. The calamari was too oily, the clam chowder was super thick and lukewarm, the salad was sent back with bugs, the cheese on the garlic cheese bread was not fully melted and the paella, seafood ravioli, and the prawn boogaloo or something like that was very bland.and flavorless. Sorry, I didn't take pictures of all the $260 worth of food we purchased. The only thing we enjoyed was the bday cake. Not sure that I will ever give it another try. read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Paella Valenciana - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Quinn's wins on location. They sit above a small marina overlooking the back side of Coast Guard Island. You can dinghy there from nearby marinas, which makes it ideal for boaters. It seems like Quinn's was a cool place in its heyday. The decor is fun and irreverent. A bit like a pirate's cove. Even the parking lot has a nautical feel, and the dozen or so feral cats outside give this place a neighborhood vibe. The back balcony is definitely where to be. Inside is pretty dark and a bit drab. Sadly, the food is meh. We've given Quinn's a try both pre and post COVID, and each time, we've been disappointed in the food quality as well as value for money. We want to like Quinn's, but the kitchen needs a reboot. The rice is like Uncle Ben's from a packet. The veggies seem rushed and lack seasoning. The Parmesan cheese sprinkled on the Caesar salad is that stuff that looks like off white sprinkles on ice cream. And who puts a fistful of capers in a Caesar salad? The crab cakes were just ok. It's the one dish my dining companion orders every time they're on a restaurant menu, so there's plenty to compare to. Overall, we want very much to like Quinn's but at $23, a Caesar with a protein at lunchtime should be exceptionally good. As locals, we'll surely forget that the food is meh and try again, in the hopes that the chef finds their passion and their pride in authentically scratch cooked foods and doesn't rely so heavily on frozen stuff that can be dropped into the fryer or packet rice and sauces. read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Neighborhood goose - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

The food was nice but the service was pretty terrible. They acted like the wheelchair lift was broken but when I entered by the stairs (leaving my mobility aid outside) there was a person in a wheelchair inside.... so I'm confused... I would have bought more food but because I went outside to sit I felt like I was completely neglected. By the way, the place was by no means busy at all. Disappointed since the location is a gem of a spot. read more

I was craving the jambalaya at Quinn's I placed an online order , I picked it up and noticed the restaurant was empty during lunch hours ?. When I tried the jambalaya it was so disappointing. It no longer tastes the same it tasted like sweet tomatoe rice in a way ? The shrimp didn't taste fresh . It's just not the same anymore . read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Jambalaya - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Eat upstairs on the small deck and enjoy the peaceful breeze and view of the estuary on a sunny day and you won't miss the peanut shells on the floor. Some of the standbys like clam chowder and meaty hamburger is still available but the new owners have added Vietnamese dishes that will make you forget the former menu items. Servings were generous. The fried calamari and fried egg rolls are served with Viet dipping sauces was a great start and enough to eat with a cold beer or cocktail (a full bar). Great for light eaters. The meals come with rice and house salad. The fried whole fish plate and the BBQ pork were delicious (with dipping sauces) and large enough to share. In fact I recommend sharing family style to enjoy multiple dishes. The BBQ pork is pork belly with a crispy, crunchy skin (could pass as Filipino lechon). But meat was still juicy. I'll be back to explore more of the new menu. read more

I'm so glad Quinn's is in good hands. All the old ambiance is there, along with the friendly and relaxed atmosphere. A perfect place to sit outside on the balcony on a sunny day. We met the new owner and she was out there working away serving the lunch crowd. The food was a little greasy but I'll be back to try it out again, I like the variety of the menu items. read more

Review: The charm is still there, and the new owners are trying hard to establish themselves. I love being able to sit outside or at the bar. I'm going there today with my daughter and plan to sit outside and enjoy the sun and the water. Their clam chowder and fish and chips are crispy and delicious. We need to support our Oakland restaurants. read more

Quinn's Lighthouse turned out to be a good choice after popping into Scolaris on the point where they were out of food. We hadn't been here in ages. The main dining room was closed when we were there but the bar and casual dining in the bar and on the patio were open. It was a beautiful day and the wind that was whipping up at the point was blocked by the estuary, thank goodness. We grabbed a table on the patio overlooking the boats and estuary. The sun was shining, the waitress was friendly. We ordered Fish & Chips and a burger and beer. The menu was very small & not many choices. We were pretty impressed by the bar food it was tasty. Although it was expensive my husband's burger was amazing, my fish was frozen but the slaw & fries were very good. Inside the bar baseball was on all the TV's. The beer & cocktails were flowing, masks were off nearly every one of the customers and everyone looked like they were having fun! Pro tip for the handicapped~ This place was built in the 1800's there is a lot of stairs and no elevator. There is handicap parking next to the front door though for your convenience. read more

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I've been here about 12 dozen times because I totally love this place and today I had the fish sandwich for the first time and it was amazing. Excellent service The Fish Sandwich combination of flavors was amazing on my pallet. The housemaid tartar sauce was excellent. My table mates had the Seabass and jambalaya as well as the signature Fish and chips, all five star amazing. If you have not, tried this hidden secret, please do. read more

I have been raving about this place for months now to my son who loves fish and chips. So we finally took him to my favorite seafood restaurant yesterday. Quite frankly it was one huge disappointment. Quinn's has always been a favorite destination for us when we travel to the Bay Area. Being a Bay Area native I am well aware of how legendary Quinn's is. Known for their amazing food, atmosphere and service. However the last two visits this past year were disappointing. I mean from the service to the food being just ok. Not living up to the boasts I make about this place. We ate here yesterday with much excitement and expectation. My son has heard me go on and on about how great the food is. Only to have the expectation not live up to the hype. We go upstairs and kind of just standing there waiting to be seated. Plenty of servers in the area. No one seemed to care. So one finally walked up. Barely spoke English. So we motioned towards a table that was fine for us. We were seated and brought menus. We thanked him. No response. The place wasn't really crowded. So they weren't too busy. By the time a server came to our table we were ready to order our drinks and food. My son and I ordered fish and chips. I added a small bowl of clam chowder to my order. My wife ordered the calamari and a small bowl of clam chowder. Our food seemed to come pretty quickly. Which made me wonder did they just warm the food up? Was it premade? It all looked great. But as I dug in I noticed the chips (which are just French fries). Weren't hot. Sort of warm I guess. But definitely not crispy as they should be. I thought the fish was ok. No flavor that really stood out. The coleslaw was pretty good. My chowder wasn't very hot either. I eagerly awaited my son's opinion on the food I been bragging about. He tried to be positive bcz I wanted him to enjoy what I've been bragging about. But I could see he was experiencing my same issues. The food was just ok. Not bad. Just like meh. We literally had to asked for silverware and napkins. I mean really? I noticed my wife wasn't exactly enjoying her food either. So I asked her what's up? Her clam chowder was pretty much cold and the calamari tasted old. I thought no way. So I tried the calamari and man it tasted like they used old oil to fry it. It tasted old. It definitely had an aftertaste. Before trying her calamari. Another server offered to get a fresh bowl of chowder for my wife which was nice. So that sort of made up for things. But by the time we were all done eating we just looked at each other agreed this visit was not a good one. I am not one to totally trash a business. Bcz the restaurant business is tough and it's hard to please everyone. I also will not say don't ever go here to eat. Bcz again this was just our visit. So other people might have had a great experience. However a restaurant on the level of Quinn's? This was such a let down. To spend 111$ plus a 20$ tip. This should have been an excellent experience. I honestly don't know if we will be back. Bcz I seem to remember it being just so so last year when we came through. read more

Quinn's Lighthouse - Calamari that had a noticeable aftertaste and tasted old. Yuk. Would you eat this? - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

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