Loved this spot: the food, ambiance and service was all there. There was a wait but most good spots have a wait cos everyone wants to dine there. Super friendly servers, delicious food. Quick turn around on our meals. Everything was seasoned deliciously. Great little diner spot! read more

The food was terrific, everything made in-house, including the rye bread. Had the beet hash with eggs and creme fresh. Eggs are so light and fluffy. Be prepared, though. You will pay (and be taxed on) about 6.00 in-service fees and something else. Food was good enough to go back, even with the fees, but not often The 4 stars are because of the extra fees read more

Had breakfast at this diner this morning for the first time. We tried several dishes and all were excellent! The waffle was the best any of us had ever had!!! Lucy helped us and she was super friendly and nice! This may be our new favorite breakfast spot. read more

Mostly good food and service . My omelet with with fresh morels and Parmigiana reggiano was tasty but the eggs were a bit brown and not as fluffy as I would like them. Tasty biscuit and homemade strawberry jam were good. Hash browns crispy but a little on the dry side. My wife had a patty melt. The burger was over cooked and would have been nicer spread over the bread. The onions were under cooked a bit and the whole sandwich could have used a bit more grilling on the bread. Amiable atmosphere and service. Will go back and try something different next time. read more

Always love this place Andrew. Jaz is a treasure up front Healthy dishes. My family comes to town & eat at Sequoia. So you guys keep the good work. Always a cool hang Engineergregg read more

Cute little spot on MacArthur that is bustling even on a weekday for brunch. We were able to be seated right away, but do know that service is on the slower side (probably got our food 30 mins after ordering) and as mentioned in other reviews prices are on the higher side (with added 20% to all bills - 19% for workers, 1% donated). The drinks and food though are absolutely delicious! I got the coconut Thai iced tea which was well flavored and not too sweet though creamy and yummy. The goat cheese and herb omelette was great and came with delicious potatoes (mix of hash like and pieces of potato) and nice toast. My friends loved their shakshukas which were flavorful and protein rich with garbanzos! Will probably be back - they have a very veggie friendly menu - but will be sure to allot a few hours for the visit. read more

Sequoia Diner - Goat cheese & herb omelette Shakshuka - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

First time here with family after church , it was time to feed the tummy after feeding the soul. The wait was a bit long but the food was well worth it!!! On Mac Arthur Blv near School st, this place is small but mighty , like Goliath, great food , good music, the waitresses were really nice . It didn't take long to get our food n we all clean our plates. Definitely will go back. Oakland gets a bad rap, because of a few bad apples. Try this place you won't be disappointed. Pray for Oakland read more

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Great place to get an excellent breakfast or lunch. They offer pick up or dine in. You might have a little wait depending on the time that you get there. Off street parking is usually pretty easy to find. There's also a bar area so if you're alone you should ask for availability especially if there's a line. I have tried almost everything on the menu and everything is delicious and fresh. The specialty drinks are a definite must try as well. The staff is really friendly especially Jazmine who's bubbly energy lights up the place. The bathroom is always clean. I recommend Sequoia's for small groups and they're kid friendly. read more

Sequoia Diner - Hotty Toddy - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Nice spot for breakfast. Not a real bargain, but worth it for the quality. Get there early to beat the long lines.

Amazing service! Great atmosphere! Fantastic food! This place has it all and I'm sure everyone will enjoy their visit! I've been coming here for years and it's always been consistent and amazingly tasty. Personal preference: sticky bun!!!!! read more

Sequoia Diner - Pecan Sticky Bun - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great good food! Best fresh eggs good biscuits. The greens are good vegetables and eggs very nice dish. Love Jaziame awesome to see her smiling face. read more

Great diner. We had breakfast, absolutely delicious. Can't wait to try the lunch menu. We sat at the counter, staff is so attentive. A must go!! read more

I went here about a month ago on a Sunday morning. We had to wait over a half hour to get a table, which was expected. However, I did not expect to wait over a half hour to get our food. I had to get up and find a waitress since nobody was coming to check in on us. I was told they were short-staffed that day, which is understandable but they should still check in on us and apologize for the wait. Anyway, I asked for a side of bacon to at least hold us off until we got our meal. We got the bacon quickly but then when our food came, my son said it wasn't worth the wait. I was expecting not to see the bacon on our bill since they were pretty late with the food and I had to ask about it...but it was there and no apologies for the lateness of our meals. They really need to improve the service here. The food was good, not great. Safe to say I probably won't be back here anytime soon. read more

Got the chicken and waffles here which I wasn't overly enthused about but we went on a busy mothers days with lots of wonderful people who were willing to help us serve our mothers. The American breakfast was good , hash browns nice and crunchy and the drinks are delicious and refreshing. I do enjoy that everything was hospitable accommodating and clean . The ambiance was buzz buzz busy ! And parking can be stressful . Pack your patience forsure in this spot ! They work hard but it's packed at all times and rightfully so - until next read more

I've come several times to see what all the yelp hype is about. The food is average and they force a 20% tip. I guess paying in cash is better maybe they don't force that much tip. But honestly I don't know if I'll go back. For $65 for two for breakfast food I'd like to see some really interesting recipes and flavors. Not something I can cook at home! read more

Sequoia is the BEST place for breakfast in the Laurel! I love everything about this place - the decor, the food, the service. They have all your favorite classic diner foods but elevated in every way. Everything I've ordered so far has been delicious, even their coffee. I couldn't recommend this place enough and I'm so glad they're part of our community. It gets busy so I recommend coming early! read more

We paid $55 for 2 sandwiches and a biscuit this morning and I was shocked when I opened the box. Gross blobs of mustard instead of aioli, no fresh greens, just a single sad piece of wilted, greasy lettuce that had brown, squishy rotten spots in the middle. It's not like it's a busy day or near closing and they are situated between 2 fresh produce markets. They were just phoning it in and feeding us leftover scraps for the same price as the pretty food with lots of fresh veggies in the pictures. At least if I'm getting greasy fried potatoes at the KFC across the street, they will be as advertised. read more

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Impressive. We were visiting from out of town and our friends suggested we go here. The wait can be long (45-1.5 hours), but they will text you when your table is ready. Nice. We ordered several dishes. All of them were excellent. The dishes had a beautiful presentation, food was delicious, and the prices were competitive. Above all of that was their excellent service. This place is popular; which is well deserved. We hope to return to CA soon and will definitely go here. read more

TLDR: a lot of great things about this diner, but enough cons to not make this a regular spot for me. As I wrote this, my review went from 4 to 3 stars. Overall, I look forward to returning and having a more pleasantly memorable and flavorful experience. The ambiance of this place is typical poppin brunch spot, noisy! The decorations are contemporary but classic and clean, to a warm and bright effect. Me and my friend got there on a busy Saturday morning around 10 am. Pro 1 we were seated immediately. Con 1 took 45 min to get our food. Couple right next to us was seated at the same time at the bar as well. The server took our order not at the same time tho, we waited at least 10 min to put in our order. Pro 2. Food was good and well cooked. Con 2. I ordered my eggs over medium (cooked egg white, runny yolk); my friend ordered a Sunny side up egg. We both got over easy....if I wouldn't have had to wait a crazy long time to have that fixed then I would have asked for it to be remade the way I asked, but I didn't want to risk everything getting cold. Over all the food could have been more flavorful, I ended up having to add salt to my whole plate. The caramel apple cider was good, but a bit too buttery and lacking in complexity. Autumn spice latte didn't really taste like anything. The servers were all kind and they put out fresh flowers. Also I would recommend NOT sitting at the first seat at the bar if you get cold, the vent/ AC is directly above that seat and I was shivering the whole time. read more

Giving Sequoia Diner 5 stars because I can't really think of what they can do better. Everything we had was above expectations. I ordered the goat cheese & fennel omelette and my husband went for bacon & cheddar omelette. Both were excellent. Food: 5/5 Coffee: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Ambiance: 5/5 We were going hiking afterwards and we both commented how we were full and satisfied, without feeling overly stuffed. This is going to be our new spot for eating before or after our hikes at Joaquin Miller park. read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Such a cute little spot for breakfast. Showed up on a Sunday morning about a half an hour after they opened and the wait was already 45 minutes for a table for four, which wasn't cute. I overheard someone say that there was a line waiting before they even opened; we'd attempted to have brunch the day before, sometime around 11, and the wait was 45-50 minutes. (We went somewhere else instead, so I guess unless you're willing to get up early and stand in line before they're even open, expect a wait.) I went with the huevos verdes ($15, plus $2.50 for chorizo) and a pecan sticky bun ($4.25). The sticky bun came out first and was hot and fresh. Definitely super sticky and delicious, sprinkled with plenty of pecans and just the right balance of dense, soft, and chewy. The huevos verdes was a really good plate. The tortillas in huevos rancheros/verdes tend to be on the oily side (too oily for my taste), but I really liked that the tortillas in this dish weren't oily at all. Loved the flavor of the tomatillo salsa and the beans were good, but I didn't really care for the chorizo. The links were a little hard and dry, not at all like the chorizo I've grown up with and love eating. I'd get this dish again but wouldn't pay the extra couple of bucks to add on the chorizo. Service was pretty fast once we were seated and our waitress was friendly. But despite that and the great food, I do think my plate was a little overpriced for what it was (beans, a couple of eggs over easy, tortillas, and salsa is one of the cheapest breakfasts you could make for yourself at home). I'm also so over long waits for any place that's remotely cute or trendy in the Bay Area, no matter how good the food. Come if you have some time to kill, but definitely go expecting a wait. read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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This diner is very cute and after seeing it reviewed on Check Please Bay Area, I really wanted to love it. What was good: the biscuit was light and flaky with a crisp edge, the poached eggs were cooked perfectly, the greens were tender and flavorful. What wasn't so good: the greens were overly salty and the country gravy was very bland- no salt or pepper at all. The potatoes looked good, but were cold, dry and chewy. Maybe coming in just before closing time made the difference. If I do come back, I'll try the waffle or the red flannel hash. read more

What's not to like? Very good food, interesting, friendly staff, fast service, fun atmosphere.

Upon arrival the place was packed. We were seated fairly quickly. The restaurant was a little crowded and lively. We were given waters then waited a bit for our order to be taken. The staff was extremely busy so the wait was a bit lengthy. I ordered the Goat cheese asparagus omelet. It was accompanied by arugula with a vinaigrette, hashbrowns /chunks of potatoes and 1/2 piece of sourdough toast. When our order finally arrived the eggs were a bit rubbery and the goat cheese was not discovered until 1/4 way into the omelet. The potatoes and toast were cold. Not sure if this was a kitchen or service issue. I brought this to the attention of a waitress walking by. She took the potatoes and quickly replaced them with hot. This is a very small neighborhood establishment and I will return during the week to give them another try. Maybe it will be less busy and I'll give the chilaquiles a try. Beware they charge a service fee. read more

My husband grew up right down the street in '80s from here and we were happy to see the neighborhood improve especially with a delicious place like this. My cousin is a regular here and it seems pretty popular with the locals. We were lucky to get a seat. The boys loved the waffle. I liked the breakfast sandwich the bread was delicious. My cousin is lucky to eat here every Saturday. The place is very cozy. But it's bright and clean. Lots of big parties so the wait can be long. The service was so homey and super nice. Coffee was great! You really can't go wrong. read more

Sequoia Diner - Yummy! - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Today's special was Porcini Cappelleti with cream and spinach. All housemade and all delicious. Chef came to grate fresh parmesan. The plate was beautiful and the browned trumpet mushrooms were a great touch. I will definitely have this again. Service was welcoming and friendly. read more

Sequoia Diner - Today's special. Porcini Cappelletti with spinach and cream. All housemade and so delicious. - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing service. Great food. No need to say more but the Yelp gods make you these days.

Amen for a nice cappuccino and american breakfast with potatoes, over easy eggs and pork sausage. It's all made fresh here, As discussed earlier, diner food is comforting, and filling. This place hits the mark on so many levels, from the slow saxophone based jazz, flowing to the perfect cappuccino and the nuanced potatoes and sausage. It is definitely the best place I've dined all month. As I sat at the counter, I witnessed the fastidious hand washing of the staff. So happy to see that they're so clean! A simple breakfast menu with a wide variety of cocktails, will make a return visit an easy choice. read more

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Friday was my second visit to Sequoia! One of my best friends had highly recommended it and went to high school with the owner, so once we moved to East Oakland, you know I had to check it out. The first time I came was with my husband. We grabbed some coffees from across the street at World Ground while we waited to be seated. We really enjoyed all the food! This was a while ago, but I'll write about how Friday was for this review. It was in the middle of the day and we didn't make a reservation. Even though it was fairly busy, we were seated quickly. I'll almost always order something with lavender in it, so my friend and I ordered the lavender lemonade ($4.5 each). We both ordered the Red Flannel Hash (beets, yams, potatoes, fennel, and onions, topped with two poached eggs and came with sourdough toast). The dish is $17, but I added a side of bacon for $3. The menu said it came with crème fraiche. Ours didn't come with crème fraiche, but it did come with pickled cabbage and radish. I asked for extra cabbage and they brought it right over. To end our meal, my friend ordered the vanilla bean latte and I ordered the lavender latte. All of the food was very tasty -- and honestly, it was hard to choose what to even eat because all of the dishes sounded amazing. They were very attentive and checked in often to see if we needed anything. The ambiance is bright and lovely and I'll definitely be back again! read more

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One of my favorites in Oakland! Love that they make their own bacon and breakfast meats. When I used to go more often I'd get there early and sit at the barista bar. Also recommend getting a waffle on the side. Yum! read more

Pre pandemic, I would have dismissed this place. It was always too crowded, line out the door for such a small space. Recently, I've come back for a to go order (which they don't do online or over the phone any more :( *sad face*) and I rediscovered my love for this quaint breakfast joint. Entrees are veggie/vegan friendly, pastries are amazing, and their mixed drinks are a plus for brunch!! Sequoia diner is a homey, comfort food oasis. Everything is delicious and the servers are polite and friendly. They also have great recommendations on the menu - I was able to try the eggs Benedict and fried chicken / waffles. I came by myself and felt like I had friends at the counter by the end of the meal. Eggs Benedict was made on a house made English muffin. The hollandaise sauce was one of the best I've tried. I would go back just for the potatoes alone. Chicken and waffle was just as good with a thin crispy waffle and perfectly seasoned crispy fried chicken. I also have to call out their biscuits that come with season jam! The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The coffee is piping hot. The Food is worth the wait. read more

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We stopped by on a Monday around 11:15. They said a 15 to 20 minute wait, we said okay and waited. It didn't seem very busy, and we were seated in about 10 to 12 minutes. Not bad at all. Our service was slow. real slow. The waitress brought us water and said she would be back. we waited. They were out of the cinnamon morning buns. She said they were also down to 2 cookies. We got the coffee cake, it was good. warm. I ordered coffee. It didn't come, but she said she would return with drink orders as the wife ordered a drink. We waited more. The food came and again she said she would return with out drinks. Another server brought the drink, and I had to ask for the coffee again. We were pretty much done by then. We got the breakfast sandwich, it was okay, and a country breakfast. Both were okay, but we wouldn't go again as it was just okay. No need to wait so long for okay. definitely not worth the wait, wait for a table, wait for service, wait for food, wait for check, wait. I guess im the waiter now...... read more

Ditto what Knowledge says in their review. Just OK with very long wait to get food, inattentive service (20% tip automatically added), small portions and high prices. read more

This is some of the best breakfast food in Oakland. The goat cheese omelet with hash browns is the stuff of dreams. The folks that work there are also super sweet. read more

Sequoia Diner blends in to the shadows on this street but when you step inside, it's lively with their bright pops of teal and fun vintage decor. They don't have a super big selection on their menu but many of the options sound great. I wanted to try one of their hash plates but I was looking for a lighter breakfast, so I ordered the American breakfast with poached eggs. It was tasty and the food came out quickly. I tried a bite of the fish toast and wished I had ordered it for myself. However the star of the brunch - the pecan sticky bun! We ordered one for the table to share but I could've probably eaten a dozen by myself. It was delicious! Service was good, and quick! However I did order a cold matcha latte and she brought me a hot latte instead. It was still tasty though, despite the mistake, so I didn't bother bringing it up. Still a solid brunch option here in Oakland, but come early on weekends! read more

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Let's get this out of the way: The food was good, no complaints, I had a bacon omelette and it was pretty tasty. I liked the house made bread and the hash browns that came with it as well. Service was pretty lacking, it felt like they were super slammed with a wait list, in the middle of the morning on a Monday. A wait list isn't a problem, but lack of attention and very slow service kind of is. Maybe there was a staffing issue? The main reason I'm writing this review is the restaurant's tipping policy. They charge 20% on top of the listed menu price, which puts the price for most of their plates over $20, and they explain on the menu that 19% of the added fee goes to the staff, and 1% to a local charity. Great. What I really didn't like was after we paid and got the receipt, there was an additional line for leaving a tip, and if we weren't paying attention and hadn't noticed the 20% fee added already we would have double tipped. This is a predatory practice and should be frowned upon. My coffee wasn't refilled until we were ready to pay, and service was very slow. I would have happily tipped 15% but a forced 20%, and then the request for a double tip left a very sour taste in my mouth. also for god's sake please get some acoustic foam or something, the noise levels were deafening and I found myself literally yelling for my father to hear me. I wont be returning unless they change the tipping policy and work on something to address noise levels. read more

Such a cute diner with an amazing staff. My go to is the hash which is so delicious. You cannot leave this establishment without getting a pastry. The sticky buns are go to, but you can't go wrong with any of them. I would also highly recommend their bloody Mary's delicious read more

really good little diner, wait can be long but food is tasty and portions are well sized

I've heard great reviews about this place so had to try them out. I was disappointed they didn't have pancakes and didn't want waffles so I ordered the American Breakfast with bacon. It was honestly just okay. Coffee was good. They do get an A+ for service. Even though it was quite a wait, everyone was amazing. read more

Sequoia Diner - Decaf Coffee with Honey - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Great food great service. Good place to hang out with friends. The biscuit and sourdough bread were delicious. Will return. read more

Sequoia Diner - Breakfast - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California