Absolutely fabulous experience. Great customer service. Epic food. Anyone who doesn't like homeroom…read morejust don't appreciate good food, especially cheese Loved Bailey and Sandra. Ambience is awesome and music is on point

TLDR: 50 minute wait between sitting down to getting your food. Don't visit thinking this is a…read morequick drop by kind of place. While this visit was in between the lunch and dinner rush, unfortunately I think they are understaffed because at the time we sat down there was only 1 person who was busing tables and taking orders. As a result, it took a while for them to be able to stop by our table and provide water, take our order, etc. There was quite a long wait between sitting down to ordering to actually receiving our food. By the time we had actually received our food, almost an hour had passed. While we were waiting, a few other servers eventually joined, but service was still pretty bare for us and we never received refills on water or plates to eat off of when we received our food. I understand that staffing and a backup in the kitchen are out of the staff's control, but it would've definitely helped for us to know in advance how long to expect to wait to align our expectations and arrange our plans for the day. Would advise giving customers a quick heads up/warning because that on its own would've made a big difference. As for the actual food, we ordered the mac trio with elote mac, chicken pot pie mac, and kogi short rib mac (for an extra fee). The elote mac was the best and most flavorful, the short rib mac was okay but not amazing or worth the extra money, and the chicken pot pie mac was very bland/flavorless and didn't have much chicken in it. The food didn't feel like it warranted the wait time and because of that I would not return.

Brenda's is easily one of my favorite places for a good brunch. I've been to the San Francisco…read morelocation several times, and the Oakland location is also great--and quite a bit bigger. The food is consistently good. I especially love their fried chicken. We've tried several different dishes, and there really hasn't been much that I didn't enjoy. My daughter absolutely loved the chicken tenders. They're not your typical heavily breaded chicken strips--they have their own style and flavor that makes them stand out. The everything is also excellent, the biscuits are fantastic, and I really enjoyed the cornbread. And, of course, you can't go to Brenda's without trying the beignets. Those alone are worth ordering. Overall, Brenda's is just an awesome place to have brunch. Great Southern-style comfort food, plenty of choices, and food that actually lives up to the reputation. I've also been to Brenda's Meat & Three, and that's another really good spot. Highly recommended. If you're looking for a great brunch, Brenda's should definitely be on your list.

Brenda's runs a right ship, serving delicious New Orelans-inspired fare in an elevated yet…read morewelcoming atmosphere. The Kale salad with grilled tofu was way over my expectations and was enough for two meals ez.

Not quite what I expected to find in Downtown Oakland--and I mean that in the best possible way. I…read moredefinitely expected the vibe, but it's nice when the food actually matches it! Lately, Oakland has been giving us plenty of misses, but this one is clearly a HIT. Everything we tried was on point, and now I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the fish sandwich. Although I was told they don't get their fish delivery on weekends--which seems odd for most places, but then again... this is Oakland. The OG burger was perfectly prepared even with the impossible burger substitute. Definitely adding this one to the return-visit list! BB

i have been here once and my burger was fresh and crisp not sloppy,ugly,badly handled like it was…read morepulled out the trash bin and wraped up to resale . i orderd an og burger and a drive thu burger and 2 sides to go and in less than 5 minutes it was ready clearly a red flag. second we only live 2or 3 minutes away by the time we got home the only thing that was fresh out the fryer were the 2 sides we orderd with our burgers fries and hush puppies ,the 2 burgers on the other hand were soggy,and mushed in like a dieper it looked like someone was very upset or drunk making our burgers . watever the case was it felt personal. if this is how employees and cooks show you how they realy feel handing out 2 burgers that were cleary sitting in place and soggy mushy messy i get the message and i will never spend a dime at this place again. and for the clients that get praised and get served a well elaborated burger i dont know how you do it but for us with this sloppy mess they handed us in our bag we were basicly told to F off!

Came in with my mom and sister for my birthday. We had a lovely time. The Bangus and Talong are…read morealways my favorite. My mom even loved it! So hard to get her to eat out, especially at a Filipino spot! She's from the phillipines and she loved the food and cocktails. Diego was our server and he was very sweet! I even got a candle on my halo-halo! Thanks Diego!

I'm making my way through my list of Bib Gourmand restaurants, and FOB Kitchen is up. They are…read morecertainly worthy of this honor, for their food, service, and ambiance. They are located in the Temescal area of Oakland, and they share a building with a Mexican restaurant. There's a parking lot that's shared with a pawn broker, produce market, and check cashing service. Their vibe is urban, with a rainbow flag on their front door, and assortment of plants inside. Other reviewers had mentioned a line upon opening, so we made sure to arrive 15 minutes before they open, but on this Friday morning, there was no one else but us. Our server was friendly, polite, and soft spoken. Their menu is quite small, which I appreciate. There's appetizers, sides, brunch, and dinner -- all on 1 page. Their food was outstanding, with rich flavors and beautifully presented with sauces and pickled radishes. We ordered... + Shanghai Lumpia - these were long, crispy, and properly filled + Daing Na Bangus Silog - deep fried milkfish with salad, garlic rice, and sunny egg. One of our favorites. + Fried Chicken (4-piece) - perfectly crispy and juicy. There's some warm spices in the batter, maybe all-spice. + Adobo fried rice - the pork was so tender, it shreds on your fork. This had a good amount of tanginess that was so good. + Pancit Sotanghon - not your typical pancit. The chopped veggies in this had an almost charred flavor that made the dish so interesting. There was not a bad dish. I definitely recommend this for elevated Filipino food that's not pretentious, with a modern, hip vibe.

Oh the fish and grits is to cry for, so tasty and delicious. The grits are flavored through and…read morethrough. Thick with a great consistency, I want the recipe. The savor of flavor in those grits, they are thick but thin. I have taste none other no where. Then the fish, battered just right crispy on the outside but soft and savory inside. I saved some fish for later because the portion can make 2 meals. This meal made me so happy I am going back a few more times. Definitely a repeat, stop by eat and grab a seat. You will be happy you did.

Updated review: I was hype when I seen Momma Lynch's…read moreSpecial back on the menu at Rob Ben's Restaurant. I'm not going to lie, I been checking the site waiting for them to bring it back lol. Soon as I saw it, I had to order through DoorDash, and it did NOT disappoint. This plate is a whole feast for real. You get 3 party wings, 3 pieces of fish, 2 pork chops, plus green beans and mac & cheese. Everything came hot, fresh, and smelling good as soon as I opened it. The fish was crispy and seasoned right, not greasy at all. The wings were juicy and full of flavor, and them pork chops? Tender, seasoned all the way through, and cooked just right. Now the sides? Just as fire. The green beans had flavor, not bland like some places be doing, and that mac & cheese was creamy, cheesy, and hitting for real. You can tell they put love into this food. Portions is solid too. They not being stingy at all. Definitely worth the money. I'm glad they brought this back because yeah... I'm running this order back again real soon.

Extremely flavorful chicken pho noodle soup, I can see why! They have outdoor seating and I am so…read moreglad I sat outside. It was extremely busy inside. I will be back with my family! I ate my fresh shrimp spring rolls so fast, it was so good but I was also really hungry lol I had to order the mini shrimp pancakes because it looked like it's a "must" order... The waitresses were super friendly and quick with taking my order! To the owner(s): Please do not change your ingredients in your food menu! Thank you for offering delicious pho!

This was our first time here. We started off with a simple cup of Napa cabbage soup just to see…read morewhat it was since it was only $5 and there were no pics. It was tasty. Pretty underwhelming but, it had a nice seafood forward broth and it was very hot with tiny pieces of shrimp and lots of cabbage. I'd get it again. Then we got the chicken salad. Delicious. Shrimp chips were fun and the dressing had a great balance of sweet, and vinegary flavor with lots of chicken and fresh veg. Pork bahn mi was just okay. I've definitely had better. Bread was good. Meat was pretty sparse and the pickled veg could have had more flavor. Probably would order the pho next time. Everyone seemed to have that on their tables. And the sizzling beef looked great. Service was quick and courteous. I'll be back to try more

Yelp actually led me to this sandwich shop. I searched for sandwiches in my area, and this was one…read moreof the few places that popped up. I'm forever grateful for that recommendation because they make some of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I've tried a few items on the menu, but the one I always recommend is the Hot Italian. Everything about this sandwich is incredible. It's packed with flavor, and you can honestly tell it was made with care. I usually pair it with a bag of chips, and the total comes to around $18. It's absolutely worth every penny and always leaves me full and satisfied. The shop is consistently clean, and the customer service is always friendly and welcoming. I find myself going back over and over again, then telling myself I need to take a break--only to end up back there a few weeks later. That's how good it is. A couple of things to keep in mind before you visit: there's only limited street parking, so you may have to circle the block to find a spot. There's also not much room to wait inside, although they do have a bench or two where you can sit while your sandwich is being prepared. In my experience, the wait is usually around 15 minutes. I've honestly never been here when it wasn't busy, so expect a crowd. But once you take that first bite, you'll understand why. Great food, great atmosphere, and great customer service. I highly recommend checking this place out!

Sandwich wasn't the worst I've ever had but it wasn't the best as the reviews are claiming…read more I ordered via a delivery service and also received a "snickers bar" as the "rocky road desert" I don't eat snicker bars lol , no where does the $3.99 rocky road desert would be a snickers bar lol , I tried calling the restaurant to get an answer or help and no one answered the phone. I don't think I'll be coming back for a sandwich here

Sideshow Kitchen has crispy wings, garlic fries, and surprisingly reasonable prices…read more What I ordered: Lemon Pepper Wings Hyphy Hot Wings Garlic Fries Overall: 8.5/10. If you're going, I'd definitely recommend the lemon pepper, they had the best balance of seasoning and crunch. Service was great and fast. It was such a vibe to watch the soccer game :)

3.5 stars (Review…read morebased on delivery) $19.30+tx Sideshow Burger with bacon add: large, sloppy, pretty darn good. $5.50+tx cheese fries: a beautiful mess $7.15+tx vanilla shake: yup. Tastes like a shake. I'd say I'm getting my $ worth.

Xingones is exactly what the neighborhood needed. There's ample seating and good bartenders if you…read morewant to dine in, though I usually end up getting their food to go. My go-tos are the Cali-style burrito with asada and the Xingones nachos (with extra cheese). Good quality ingredients and portions that are generous enough that I almost always have leftovers. Plus, the prices are fair for what you get.

Never made it to their former location but they just moved like a mile away, just on the other side…read moreof 880, so now on the fringe of Jack London. The old space is still under the same owners, almost the same food but maybe more concentrated on the Mexican fare. I'd call this a hipster pub. No table service, gotta order up front and food brought out. Can't start a tab so if you want multiple drinks or food items better order it all at once, or keep getting up to order and re-pay (which I dislike). If you sit at the bar top, they can run you a tab there. But it's usually pretty packed there. Beer n a Shot ($11/4*) the beer is a domestic lager (Miller Hi Life) and you can choose between 3 shots. I chose Fernet as I can use it post meal, while I have the beer with the meal. Don't love the beer but for the price ya just can't beat it. 6 Wings ($13/3.5*) Wings are a big focus on their menu. You can pick from lots of sauces/rubs; different quantities to fit your group/appetite; ranch or blue cheese; you can customize flats, drummies or mixed. They even asked how crisp we wanted the fry, which rarely is ever asked. I dug their thoroughness in the wing game. We chose basic buffalo sauce and I found it to be just average. Quite salty meaning it is mostly Franks Hot Sauce, I like ones that are more balanced with other ingredients. I did like their blue cheese dressing as they add a scoop of blue crumbles to the ramekin itself so it is very chunky which I like. Fish Taco ($5/4.5*) I chose a fried version but you can also get grilled fish. Perfectly fried strips of battered fish. Appropriate accouterments of shredded cabbage, cilantro and sour cream. 2 delicious pureed salsas come with as well that are requisite to use. Cobb Salad ($19/4.5*) Solid entree sized salad. Love how you pick between shrimp or chicken then grilled or fried. You will literally change the dynamics with each choice. The lettuce was fresh spring mix. Topped with crisp bacon bits, grape tomatoes, blue crumbles, avo slices, which is why I am fond of Cobb Salads. So many varying textures and flavors keeping things interesting. They use smaller shrimps but at least they have a nice meaty texture. They season it pretty aggressively and sear it on a hot flat top. Not sure if they cooked it next to some carne asada or if they use beef tallow to cook with, but my shrimp bites totally tasted like steak. I love surf n turf so this totally worked for me. Just don't know if it was deliberate or not. Nice add to the neighborhood and I'm sure I'll be back. Still want to try their nachos and possibly chicken n waffles. Good chance I could do both at the same time as not too often you can. Swoop in when ya can amirite!

Located in Au, two establishments are run here for Chef Smelly's and the bar. So orders at the bar…read moreare separate. It was quite crowded and I just sat on the counters looking out onto the street, which was fine. It kind of took awhile to get the food, but it was worth it. Platters were big and sharable. Got the combo plate with fried chicken, fish, fried oysters, and Garlic noodles. All really good, seasoned well, and not too salty. Service was friendly. I hear the oxtails on the weekend are really good. Will try to come back then.

Very rude customer service. Also never has a few seafood items in stock. It says at the front door…read moreto wait to be seated and there was no server in sight. Since I have sat at the bar before I sat myself at the bar and grabbed my own menu. There was a gentleman sitting next to me wrapping up his meal and the restaurant was half full and I finally saw the server running tables and I still patiently waited since I saw she was the only server working. The older lady server preceded to acknowledge every other customer including the gentleman next to me and when a customer came in for a pick up she looked past me to acknowledge him and never once told me she would be right with me. After 15 minutes I ended up leaving the restaurant and going down the street to Y's Choice which has great service and plenty of items in stock on their menu. Would not recommend it here!