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    T'chaka

    4.6 (178 reviews)
    Open 11:30 am - 3:30 pm, 5:00 PM - 10:00 PM

    Order T'chaka Takeout or Delivery

    T'chaka Photos

    T'CHAKA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - T'chaka

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    Ernest G.

    My Haitian friend just moved to the bay. We searched and found her SPOT! Family owned - casual feel - owner went out of her way to make us a fresh batch of "pikliz" (spicy pickled cabbage). We tried the Legumes with Chicken - Griot (pork) and Oxtail. What a great tasting menu. Awesome spices with plantains / beans & rice compliments. This might be in our monthly rotation :)

    Oxtails Rice and Beans Fried Plantains
    Chris C.

    Finally got a chance to slide up in here. The vibe is on point. The service was good. And the food was amazing. I'm a big fan of oxtails, and this serving was perfect. Meat falling off the bone, seasoned just right. Spicy but not over powering. Just a hint of that caribbean heat. So good and the gravy flavor was an extra bonus .. The rice & kidney beans, perfect.. I cleaned my plate .. T'chaka was all that...

    Griot
    Kabuki J.

    I have been in search of good Haitain cuisine since i departed South Florida and Tchaka is definitely it. I had the griot rice n peas for lunch. The meal was absolutely amazing. The griot was perfectly seasoned crunchy on the outside moist and tender on the inside. The pikliz is one of the best I have ever tasted with the amazing pickled and spicy flavor. The peas n rice and plantain did not disappoint at all. I will definitely be back!!!

    Akra
    Adrienne H.

    I love me some haitian food down. This place has been on my list so glad I stopped by. I came on a Thursday evening there was no wait. They have indoor and outdoor seating and an amazing vibe. To start I tried the ginger sorrel which was perfect paired with the food. I tried akra I never had before and it was such a great starter. To eat I had the jerk shrimp the flavors paired with rice and plantain soooo good. The red snapper was perfectly seasoned and amazing as well. The customer service was amazing the chef even checked in with us and put away the leftovers. I'll definitely be back.

    Salad with shrimp and glass of sorrel
    Julia V.

    Great lunch experience! I hadn't realized we had a Haitian restaurant in this space now. A friend asked if I wanted to meet here for lunch. Sure! We were greeted warmly and seated. The place is really cute. We both ordered the salad with shrimp and a ginger sorrel. The salad was the perfect portion, very fresh, with beets in it and plantain on the side. The dish was well plated. The salad dressing had a high heat note that could have been a little better balanced but it was still really good. We both ate everything. The sorrel was delicious, not too sweet. The table next to us ordered oxtail and it smelled incredible but I knew I couldnt have eaten a lot that day. Our server was able to split the check. I'd be back.

    A close up picture of the soupy veggies the owner lied and said they don't have.
    Lynnell C.

    UPDATED REVIEW: Your response as the owner is extremely unprofessional and disrespectful. Instead of addressing the issues with my order, you chose to insult a paying customer and make accusations about my "DNA," which is completely inappropriate. Everything I wrote in my review was based on my actual experience. I specifically asked for only rice and oxtails, yet my plate still came with watery, runny vegetables that made the whole meal messy. As you can see in the PHOTOS, that is clearly slaw sitting in watery liquid. Slaw is made of cabbage and carrots, which are vegetables. So either you're being dishonest about it, or you genuinely don't know what vegetables are. The oxtails were mostly bone and fat with very little meat and almost no flavor, and the rice was dry and hard. On top of that, I asked for flats only with my jerk wings and still received drumsticks. Those are simple instructions that were not followed. Customers are allowed to share honest experiences. Attacking people personally instead of responding professionally only makes your business look worse. A respectful response and willingness to improve would go much further than insults. The PHOTOS speak for themselves. Original review: Tried Tchaka Food Restaurant and had a very disappointing experience. I ordered the oxtails with rice and plantains and specifically asked for only rice and oxtails, but they still added vegetables to the plate. The vegetables were watery and runny like soup, which made the whole plate messy. The oxtails were horrible! Mostly bone and fat with barely any meat, and they had almost no flavor. The rice was just as bad. It was dry, hard, and tasted like nothing. I also ordered jerk wings and asked for flats only, but they still gave me drumsticks. Overall the food quality was very poor and they didn't follow simple instructions on the order. I definitely wouldn't order from here again.

    Griot ( Pork )bites
    Loyal C.

    As a Haitian food connoisseur I went to visit this restaurant not once but twice so I can give it a fair shot and review. I initially didn't expect much since every Haitian restaurant on the west coast seems to flop pretty bad except for the one in Moreno Valley, CA. However, I was pleasantly surprised. Things to consider about Haitian food. Oxtails and anything jerked (jerk chicken) are NOT typical Haitian dishes. Leave those to the Jamaicans that's their specialty. I would NOT order that at a Haitian restaurant. If you order these we know you don't know anything about that culture. Now that we got this out of way. I've ordered the legume (stewed veg with no meat), fritay griot (fried pork shoulder) akra, fried green plantain, kremas, pikliz to go. Pros: Located in a vibrant part of Oakland this restaurant is very cleaned and spacious with arts displayed throughout showcasing the Haitian culture and spirt. There's even a huge outdoor seating. The service was fast and I am not talking by islands standards. Before i can blink was food was in front of me. To my surprise, I really enjoyed my food and ordered some to go. I thought to myself maybe I was really hungry hence the reason it tasted so good. So I went back a 2nd time the very next day, you could tell the food is made fresh because they don't have the same thing on the menu. Oh boy was I surprised again about how delicious the food was. Subsequently, I am giving this restaurant a 5 Cons: There's only street parkings which can be hard to find and it's not the restaurant's fault. I agree with some of the comments that the greeting might need some improvement. Then again this is a family owned business, where their young son is in charge of greeting & seating folks down. He may not have an inviting smile but he was not rude per se. Overall: I have travelled to over 65 countries there are certain things you can't except from people. Not every business is ran based on American expectations. This is a small family owned business with delicious & authentic Haitian dishes. What people want to know is "does the food taste good?" Yes or no. Also, while I was eating there I saw many Ubereats and/or Doordash couriers coming in and out, that might be an option for those who don't want to dine in. I would absolutely go back whenever I am in the Bay area. Lovely family and I wish them the best. I hope they open a restaurant here in Los Angeles.

    Oxtails
    Farhana M.

    This place was nearly empty on a sunday evening. We ordered the plaintain basket and empanadas, both gluten free! The empanadas use a corn wrapping. The server warned me that the cabbage that comes with the empanadas will be spicy, but it wasn't at all. Maybe they missed the spice. For the plantain basket, it's not a basket but a plate of 4 fried plantains. There was barbecue sauce on top of it, and a ton of not-deveined mini shrimps. The barbecue sauce was really unnecessary. I just wanted some dry, salted fried green plantains to pair with my saucy grits, or my partner's stewed oxtails. I got the shrimp and grits and didn't know there would be a sweet, orange sauce on top. It was a bit much. The grits is savory and salty, which was great. But the sauce on top over powered it. The shrimp was plentiful and big. Maybe i got the wrong dishes. The service is quick, the place is nice inside and the passionfruit juice was delicious. I would try other dishes, definitely would not try the plantains again though.

    Griot (Pork Bites )

    Amazing food! Every single dish I've tried here has been incredible but I keep coming back for the griot! The sauce that the oxtails are cooked in is just phenomenal as well.

    Seating area
    Jawana M.

    I happened upon this place while attending the farmers market. It was almost closing for most restaurants, but this one had no crowd, the outdoor seating was nice, and it looked pleasant. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to sit at the wooden benches outside (because it's for a party of 3 or more), despite the place being completely empty. Ordered: oxtail creole dish. This meal comes with two types of plantain, beans and rice, and slaw. The food presentation was phenomenal. Unfortunately, the oxtail was super fatty and gelatinous. in addition to the oxtail pieces being super tiny, there was hardly any edible meat. I will say the meat came off the bone easily, but it was just gummy. I didn't even care to take photos. The rice and beans were decent. It was just super cold. The only thing worth noting (in my opinion), was the yellow plantain. It was warm and cooked perfectly. The green plantain was not as palatable. The service was OK, although the server was a bit awkward and seemed uninterested in working for the day. Perhaps it was that the location was about to close shortly. Sadly, I left and ordered another meal from across the street after leaving this place. Would not return or be my recommendation based on this experience.

    Jerk shrimp
    Olivia C.

    YUMMM. I came back twice in two days. The crispy fish is sooo flavorful and crispy and absolutely to die for, and the pikilis (not sure I spelled that right but it's a spicy pickled cabbage slaw) had the perfect amount of heat and paired well with the crispy fish. I love that they give you tostones and platanos maduros like yassss gimmie plantain in all forms. The jerk shrimp was savory and tasty, and reminded me a little bit the creamy creole shrimp down in New Orleans as opposed to a Jamaican style Jerk. The only thing I will note is that the fish seemed quite a bit smaller when I came back the second time, and it is a set price as opposed to being priced by the pound. So the portion size might be inconsistent. I'm still gonna come back and get more fish though hahah can't stop wont stop!!!

    Jerk Combo (Chicken and Shrimp)
    Krupa T.

    My fiancé said it was the best jerk chicken he's ever had and he has eaten it in the Caribbean! The food was delicious all around. The taro fritters were incredibly crispy! The legume stew was hearty! The service was attentive! It felt like a family run place that Haitian locals would frequent. We would definitely go back!

    Ginger Sorrel
    Mika B.

    Tchaka Haitian Cuisine? Whew. That food hit like a grandma's blessing and a Sunday nap -- all at once. We came through for a birthday celebration, arranged by two of our special friends who clearly knew where the soul food magic was tucked away. Greatest choice ever. The oxtails? Fall-apart tender like they slow-danced with the pot. The red snapper? Flaky, seasoned, and singing spirituals. The legume stew? Soft, mild, and comforting -- like that one cousin who always brings peace to the family BBQ. And the ginger sorrel? Listen -- that drink brought my taste buds to church, revival, and an afterparty. The vibe? Warm and real. The energy? Rooted and right. The photos? Just finished plates. That should tell you everything you need to know. We're definitely coming back -- like Erykah Badu sang, "on and on..." Tchaka, y'all did it with love, and we tasted every bit of it.

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    Photo of Alex W.
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    2 years ago

    The food is good and flavorful. The customer service is good as well. Overall it makes for a good atmosphere.

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    3 years ago

    Terrific new spot! Ordered the goat curry and oxtails and will definitely be back. Very friendly staff and a cute patio too.

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    2 years ago

    Best Haitian food in the Bay. Wife is Haitian, 100% approves. Service was fast, and environment was great.

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    3 years ago

    Jerk wings were fall-off the bone tender & delicious. Passion fruit juice was perfectly tart. Service was great.

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    Page 5 of 5

    Ask the Community - T'chaka

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