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

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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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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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My first favorite restaurant after the incident that happened.. a cockroach and hair on my food first it was a half a cockroach mixed in with my mushrooms and scrambled eggs who knows where the other half went next was a hair on my soup they refuse to give my money back and try to brush it off like it was fine the owner did not bother to say a word to me.i had to go to the hospital and get checked out after that incident.i do NOT recommend or want anybody to get food poisoning from this restaurant and plus pay attention to the front Cooks they do not wash their hands not one time after touching her faces and hair no respect on "vegan friendly people" (good luck eat at your own risk) read more

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

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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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

While the food is excellent, if you make the mistake of arriving on a Sunday at 10 am, be prepared to wait over and hour to be seated, and then for molasses slow service to give your order and another hour before food arrives. It's Hangry Time. Was a regular customer but this was pretty bad. read more

This is one time I wish it were possible to give a place an extra half star. A three star rating feels unjust, but a four star feels too high. The food here is clearly very high-quality in terms of its ingredients, the presentation is nice, and the service is excellent. But if you're a vegetarian, I recommend you go someplace else. I had the corn hash, which was good but not extraordinary, and a side of mushrooms that would've fit in my palm, but which nonetheless cost $4.50. Besides corn, the hash included some other lovely vegetables, and two poached eggs. I found myself wanting toast, or potatoes, but I was too afraid of what those side items would cost to even look. Two hours and around $30 later, I was starved. I came home and had cheese and crackers. read more

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

My daughter and I had breakfast here at Sequoia Diner early Saturday morning August 16th. As we waited for our server to take our order, this one Latina female server passed right by us & she proceeded to take the breakfast order from two other patrons who were seated far after after my daughter & I. This was rude. This same server approached us with complete hesitation as if we were not welcomed. I started to leave, but we remained. Two other Latina females who brought us our beverages & food were very kind & attentive. I appreciate them for being kind. The food here was average, the ambiance was ok. However, when I requested our bill, to my surprise it was explained to me that a 20% gratuity would be added to our bill as a required charge. I found this to be very odd. I typically tip for good service that I receive. The initial server should not receive a gratuity on my $80 plus dollar tab for being disrespectful. Patrons should be advised of this fee well in advance of their final bill & as a patron, I should have the option of paying a gratuity or not, especially if I haven't received good service. 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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Pretty good food and nice size portions. Service was great. Pleasant atmosphere and people, including customers are friendly. Nice spot in the Laurel District! read more

Went here today with my girlfriend to try a new spot somewhat close to our house and we were both very disappointed! The food tasted like everything was overly cooked, seasoned, and way OVERPRICED!! There's no reason to charge over $60 to get a couple of breakfast plates with tea. None of the food tasted good and/or was bland or dry/boring. And all made to look pretty on a plate. And yes they put arugula next to everything lol. Basically, another overrated hipster spot. The bill was $65 for two basic breakfast plates & 2 hot teas!! AND... After looking at the bill, there was a 20% service fee!!!!!! As if we are all not getting hit with enough after Covid with all of these high food prices & a non-optionAl service fee??!! What happened to a decent 15% tip?! You don't tell us to pay a 20% guarantee after we eat. Definitely, not going here again. Couldn't believe the entire experience to be honest. I guess, make sure you read the fine print which is probably posted somewhere but we/& most people would never see it or go for this reason if they did. This is not San Francisco.. This is Oakland and most of us here are struggling. You are on MacArthur, not Market Street. The only positive thing we have to say is that our waitress was nice. She better be, with those prices! Be ready to spend way too much money, wait long, eat crappy food. and then pay an over-priced 20% service fee!! No thanks. We already tip just fine btw, there's no reason for making us tip to your liking. It's not worth 20%, there you go. After leaving the place I felt like I just lost $100 bill. So many places to eat a better breakfast in Oakland for 2 people & beverages for easily under $40. read more

Food was excellent as always. Loved this place when I worked near by years ago. Got the biscuit and gravy combo. Biscuit was hard. Had to scrap the bottom of the top part of the biscuit. The biscuit seems to have left out for a while. Rotate or make biscuits when you are low on biscuits. Service was slow. Didn't get a refill on water. Several patrons were given refills on their water and coffee. Asked by the waitress if I wanted a refill on my hot tea after I finished both my food and tea. The waitress for my table took forever to bring me my receipt. Why the 2 stars on this adorable restaurant? Because they forced a gratuity/service fee on my bill that was to be split with the staff. I'm all about supporting people with disadvantages. This fee should be asked of people, not forced onto their bill. 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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OMG, where is Sequoia? She won't let this happen, the sweet bun was not even set from the oven at 9am while it was served to us this past Saturday. I live in Laurel and witnessed the perfect breakfast Sequoia at Sequoia Cafe brought to all of us. Where is she? read more

I came here one day for brunch after getting a haircut. It was a small busy diner, a great place to meet up with friends. It was great to see a vegan option on the menu. I ordered the tofu scramble with hash browns and toast. The hash browns were perfectly cooked and seasoned and it paired perfectly with the toast and greens. I also ordered a seasonal latte which was so delicious. The service was just okay and be aware that they automatically add 20% gratuity on the bill! read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food was good, I had the breakfast sandwich on sour dough bread, toasted perfectly, not stingy with the avocado and the egg was cooked perfectly. Definitely would recommend to others. read more

This place is tripping. They charge a 19% service fee for take out, no matter how you order it. They didn't want to hire someone to do this job and they clearly don't want to offer take out because why do I have to pay a $10 fee for two breakfast dishes from a diner. This is highway robbery and insane. This is a service most restaurants offer, people come in a get the take out and no fee is charged. The service fee for delivery apps is understandable but if I'm ordering take out and picking it up even the delivery apps aren't charging me a fee. I will avoid on the principle that they charge such an outrageous fee for ordering take out. read more

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

Cute, little neighborhood place that's definitely the buzz on MacArthur Blvd (Laurel District). Arrived to meet my buddy, David N for breakfast around 9am on a Sunday with about a 15 min wait...you can grab coffee (while you wait) using one of their mugs with a $5 deposit...I guess people snag them so thought it funny. Breakfast is usually not my favorite meal of the day because I find it pretty basic and bland...you got toast, you have some eggs, and some sausage/bacon... Zzzzz....So when I saw Sequoia Diner had some homemade and composed breakfast like chicken and waffles I knew I was getting that! The chicken was simple yet tasty - quarter of chicken with a thin waffle which was like a cross between a pizzelle and a waffle...different but was expecting a fluffier waffle. The star is probably there pecan-sticky bun which we ordered to go....and of course it was perfect and hit the spot: moist, soft bun with plenty of cinnamon and caramelized glazed tossed with pecans. Overall, great meal and place runs efficiently to get diners and the lines moving. Next time is the house-made beef hash! read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Delicious creative take on standard breakfast fare. You can sit at a table, the bar or in a booth. Superior gourmet quality food and great service. I love this place but they service fees that are added to the bill that are very hard for me to digest. They should pay their employees what they need and leave customers out of it. Raise the prices if needed. read more

I had two or three great experiences here but it was a few years ago, and also prior to Covid. Not sure what is simmering under the surface, but it wasn't the same quality that I remembered fondly. Issues with the preparation and quality of the food, the service was poor even though the employees seemed sincere. The prices had drifted into the exorbitant zone and in the end, not at all commensurate with the quality of the food. I know that the restaurant business is extremely difficult but I sincerely hope they make an effort to tighten things up. read more

First off, I am so stoked this diner serves cold brew coffee, since that is not always the case with diners. Also, the food is delicious. I had the beef hash that came with arugula salad and pickled carrots and it was so good and flavorful. read more

Sequoia Diner - Beef hash - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

If y'all don't come here for the pecan sticky bun (which you should!), come here for the amazing staff! My boyfriend and I come here every few weeks for a nice weekend brunch and it always hits. Every. Single. Time. we've come in there is always an amazing woman busting her butt and being the most hospitable person. Today, I finally got to snag her and ask her name and show my appreciation. Jasmine, you are the absolute epitome of hospitality and care. Every time we've come in we see you greeting guests with love, moving through the restaurant constantly checking on how to help, and just over all a QUEENz Location - street parking not usually hard to find. Menu/Pricing - menu constantly changes, but there is always a small selection of delicious pastries (GET THE STICKY BUN BEFORE THEY RUN OUT), a selection for lunch, and a nice breakfast/brunch menu. They do add a 20% gratuity (19% for staff and 1% for the community) Recommendations - sticky bun (if ya haven't guessed yet), chilaquiles (not super traditional, but delicious flavor), waffle and fried chicken, and their lattes. Again, the menu constantly changes but there's definitely a dish for everyone! read more

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

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So disappointed with Sequoia!! Ordered latte and spring salad To-go. And the spring salad says it includes Asparagus, radish, carrots, snap peas, kennel, and lettuce for $16 and $6 plus chicken. I do not see any asparagus nor peas. Few strips of carrots and radish with a Romain lettuce. And a few strips of chicken for $6 extra. They also charge auto 19% tips, and I even added 7% more tips to it. I do not mind it because I expected a great food as before. I guess I will not order from there again. So disappointed. read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Worked a 110 hour six days this week and set out to sleep in. However, my son wanted to treat me to breakfast to congratulate me for my hard work. I couldn't say no. And definitely to the Sequoia Diner! A 10:30 AM Sunday arrival was met with a 30 minute wait. With a sunny day, sure - no problem. We had a great booth and an equally fabulous server. In fact, the entire staff we encountered were delightful. Eggs Benedict with my first choice. I asked for my English Muffins to be on the side so I wouldn't have to struggle cutting through the ham. Our server suggested the Buttermilk Biscuits as an option. It was one of the best meals I ever had. Perfect poached eggs, delicious ham, with a Bernaise sauce that soaked up in the biscuits. My son had the Country Breakfast with Fried Chicken. He gave me the perfect bite with the crispy chicken skin. Whoa! Definitely tasty. Even the coffee was delicious. The house mugs are so darling. Patrons even steal them. Not me. I bought one. Ran into a board member from my agency who I saw just last evening. My work never ends! read more

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This is one of those super hipster expensive restaurants with subpar service that automatically charges a 20% gratuity no matter if you're dining alone or in a group. I don't like leaving negative reviews but I live nearby and have given this place so many chances. Broke down and visited again recently after writing this place off years ago. Not busy, no line, sat right down. Took 15 minutes before a server approached. Another 15 to 20 before food arrived, which we don't mind waiting, but it arrived cold. Coffee arrived 5 AFTER that. Coffee should be the first thing sat in front of you at a breakfast diner! Dirty dishes never cleared despite the server walking past empty handed several times. $60 later for two of us, still hungry, and unsatisfied. Nothing changed from the years before. Super bummed. The diner itself is cute. People like cute stuff, so I guess it has that going for it. read more