Been going here for years. The new management / ownership is phenomenal. The place is still the same yet somehow a little better. The chicken and churros brunch is absolutely the best meal I've ever had and continues to be my #1 fried chicken experience. read more

The Well - Chicken & Churros - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Went by last night (Tues May 13 2025) for their great jazz jam, only to find a sign saying The Well is CLOSED PERMANENTLY!?

Went here for brunch and upon entering I was already discriminated against, still decided to follow through with the reservation because maybe it was just the one person. Unfortunately, it wasn't just him, the service was mediocre. All tables around us were being catered to, while we waited over 30 minutes just for our juices, I do understand it was a busy time but tables that arrived after us received their drinks way before us. It came down to the point we had to ask our server about the drinks. Another 25 minutes or so after that, we finally received our meals. The food was decent but not worth the price or wait. Overall, the ambiance is weird, I don't recommend this place at all, there's definitely better food spots in the area. read more

Small plate share place, Mediterranean style foods, unique cocktails that could stand for more fine tuning, busy loud, and crowded place, and a bit pricey for what you get. Let me break it down for you: Small plate share place - perfect place for a foursome, order around one to two plates from each section and you'll be set.. Mediterranean style food - what's that? Squid Ink anything, Marinated Olives, Grilled Octopus, Seafood Paella,...you get it! The food was all tasty; the dishes are just enough for four, don't expect an extra bite if you liked something a lot. The paella however is large enough for four and seconds since it's filling and is a bit al dente. We liked the Mushroom Toast and Lamb Keftka the best. Pass on the Brussels sprouts. Octopus was ok. Cocktails - some of the drinks read well on description but really don't go down well, the "Sangria" was too watery for our taste with not enough fruit and bite to the drink, the "High Ryes" tasted too savory - almost gravy like, while the "Door #3" was the best of the three drinks but our guest didn't even finish it....what's that tell you? Need some rethinking or fine tuning on the cocktails. If you list the drink as a house specialty - it better be darn good! Busy, Loud, and Crowded - Good that it's busy, bad that you sometimes can't hear the person across from the table and tables are crowded for foursomes. A bit Pricey - four drinks, two appetizer openers, one veggie side, two mids, one paella, were around $60 per person with tax and tip. read more

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The food was okay. I had scrambled egg whites and fruit. I have food allergies and restaurants tend to not cater to our needs. The setting however was very nice. read more

Seriously Shakewell, you're killing it. If Yelp let me use the fire emoji it would go right here! I've been twice for brunch (and once for dinner at the bar) recently and each time has been better than the last. From the exceptional fish tacos, to the savory shrimp and grits, and the light and airy beignets, Shakewell is officially my new brunch go to. I love that they take reservations, and that the vibe manages to work for families with kids as well as those seeking an adults only midday meal. read more

Wonderful neighborhood spot. Good food and drinks. Welcoming environment. Live music some nights. Jazz on Tuesdays!

Food was delicious Service was hospitable and professional Ambiance is fun, inviting read more

We live right around the corner from Shakewell but literally never go because it is always so busy. We decided to go check out Happy Hour before it started to get too busy and it did not disappoint. Everything we had was delicious, one thing that was a little off but still good was the papas bravas, they were overly salty for some reason but otherwise had good flavor. The happy hour pricing is amazing as well! We ordered 1. Rose Sangria 2. Agua Fresca 3. Papas Bravas 4. Flat Bread 5. Marinated Olives 6. Red Lettuce Salad All of that was less than $40! You can't beat it! If you haven't visited them, it is definitely worth the visit. In addition to the happy hour they offer a full menu including paella. There is something for everyone! read more

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The choice of your own meat for the risotto is by far the best. Great place for a date because it is upbeat, quality of food and price is on point, portions are so large you can share-romantic. Make a reservation because it is a popular local dive fine dining. Yes, that's odd but it's awesome. Bartenders make signature custom orders. Amazing waiters and food comes out roaring hot and delicious. You'll have enough for next day. I enjoy sitting at the bar with my date because it's quiet yet noisy enough to cuddle in with your sweetheart. Definitely worth recommending to people that don't understand that Oakland has amazing restaurants that we locals keep to ourselves. Just dress in jeans and be comfortable. Everyone is super nice and I have never had a bad experience in 8 years??? read more

The Well - Manhattan - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Shakewell restaurant is closed as of 31 August. Oakland's Shakewell restaurant announced its upcoming closure on social media over the weekend. The Lakeshore eatery will shutter after service on August 31. However, the excellent bar is still open. read more

Do NOT listen to the hours listed online as you will find yourself arriving for happy hour right when it ends as listed as opening at 530 pm! We found ourselves running, literally out the door at 515 pm to make it to happy hour. Literally running across the street after we seriously lucked out on some great parking across the street. When we made it in the door (out of breath) the hostess was more than happy to seat us and honor the happy hour with 8 mins to spare. Remember when you double fisted drinks back in the day, well this was needed to make the happy hour prices ;) We ordered 4 drinks total to start- 1 beer, 2 wine, 1 whisky & Coke. $1 oysters, coquettes, falafel and these amazing "loaded potato wedges"- don't remember the correct name. Everything was yummy- no complaints. Service was amazing. We had about 3 different servers checking in on us and our main server was so nice and attentive. I wrote his name down for the review but somehow lost it. (He was a slim Caucasian gentleman with an accent). You are awesome! Even though we stayed much longer past happy hour, and ordered more, they still honored it. The vibe is great here and you feel comfortable yet sophisticated. Let me tell you I left feeling completely satisfied with the food, drinks, service and tipsy (always a plus). I cannot wait to shake it back to Shakewell! read more

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Very solid find in Oakland. As a vegetarian, tapas can be very hit or miss, but they have more than enough options. The flatbread is quite good. Watermelon salad was light. Vegetarian paella was actually really good, coming from someone who does not fancy paellas much. The churros though were the best. Lively environment, overall great place. We also loved the bottle that their house sangria comes in. read more

The Well - Just churros - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

The well is a wonderful restaurant with great service and cocktails. I highly recommend the wings, salmon burger and the pizzas. Their Tuesday jazz night is wonderful too. read more

I have never had a dish here that I didn't love. Their small bites are delicious, especially the jamon croquetas and papas bravas. Their fried chicken is a staple and the sauce and herbs give it a unique Mediterranean taste. The Nero paella looks beautiful and the flavors are well balanced. For dessert, get the churros. Their cocktails have unique flavors and are delicious. It is a great date spot, overall 10/10. read more

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Met up with a friend at Shakewell on a Thursday night and had a great time! We didn't order any mains. We each had a glass of wine and nibbled on marinated olives. And we couldn't have wine without dessert so we split the churros. Phenomenal. The dipping sauce--perfection. The outdoor seating is nice but note there are no heat lamps. It was a cool night but with our sweaters we were more than fine. I'll need to return for a proper dinner or brunch experience. If you're looking for a low key spot to enjoy a drink, this place is it. read more

The Well - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Staff was welcoming, attentive and friendly. We had the grilled veggies, hummus, Jamon Croquetas, Papas Bravas, paella Nera, the steak and for desert we had churros and the chocolate cake. Food was okay, but won't crave it after leaving. It was well cooked and seasoned properly, but all together it felt like I was eating my own home-cooked meal. Deserts tasted like the ones you find at the Safeway... It was a warm ambiance to catch up with friends. Also, while not their fault, my car was broken into right by the restaurant door. So considering the unsafe parking and ok food, I won't be coming back. read more

I came here for my friend's birthday last night & was super underwhelmed with the food. I hate giving a 2 star review, especially when the service was pretty immaculate. But we pretty much tried everything on the menu, and everything was drenched in sauce. Don't get me wrong I LOVE SAUCE, but at nicer restaurants, drenching things in sauce is such a cop out. And it's THE SAME SAUCE on a lot of their dishes. We tried the following: Falafel: tasted pretty basic, and came with a creamy red sauce Papas bravas: the potatoes weren't crispy and came with the same creamy red sauce from the falafel & also a white aioli sauce Tempura cauliflower: this was actually the best fish we had. It also came with the same creamy red sauce. Or white sauce? I'm forgetting now. Fried chicken: solid, crispy and flavorful. But it was also drenched in the red and white sauces Classic paella: this was the worst dish. There was sauce ON THE PAELLA Vegetable paella: I thought this was better than the classic, It didn't come drenched in sauce. Roasted beets: really solid, didn't have sauce which we were happy about! Loved the generous portions of avocado Salad: forgettable. It was a simple salad with manchego shreds & tangerine We also had dessert. The churros were fluffy & paired well with the chocolate. I enjoyed these! There was 7 of us total and we all ordered drinks. Came to about $70 per person. I don't mind paying $70 for a good meal but I really felt gross after this meal because of all the sauce. read more

The Well - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I was very excited to come and eat here based on the reviews but overall the experience was okay. It wasn't bad. It was just okay. We were welcomed warmly by hostess who was so happy when we arrived. Then our waitress started out fine but seemed a bit perturbed when we put in our drink order. We had questions about the cocktails and we couldn't decide. That's when things went downhill for me. The drinks arrived. They were delicious and strong. The food arrived. We ordered many dishes and the pacing was perfect. All were flavorful and beautifully plated but nothing seemed memorable. Perhaps because I was turned off by the waitress's energy. I don't know. read more

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We went to Shakewell because it is a Michelin Plate restaurant, with meals running $25-50. It also has the Michelin rating of being a comfortable restaurant. Since Michelin inspectors are trained professionals and eat out about 300 meals a year, in various localities, we were expecting an exceptionally good meal. Shakewell is not currrently taking reservations for a Saturday lunch. We walked from the BART 19th Street Station on an unusually hot day - about 78 degrees, which took about 40 minutes. When we arrived, we were told that there was a 30 to 45 minute wait for indoor dining and there was immediate outdoor seating available. We decided to wait for indoor dining and were told that we could sit and wait inside. They brought us ice water to drink while we were waiting. It's a small, quiet, restful restaurant, and we were comfortable. However, it was not even 5 minutes before the staff improvised a way to create additional seating. The menu is accessed by scanning the code with the phone and ordering from the phone. We paid at the time of the order. If two parties at the same table order at the same time, the bill will go onto one ticket, which the waitress offered to spit. However, we decided to have one party complete and close their order then the second party ordered. This worked perfectly. We paid, with the tip, at the same time we placed the order. The level of service continued through our visit and a cold bottle of water was kept on the table at all times. However, Michelin status is not based on good service - it's solely based on, as Michelin describes it, "good eating". Three people ordered the grilled sea bass filet ($23) and one the vegetable paella ($29). The table shared the chips and black truffle dip ($5) and the churros with chocolate sauce ($12). The chips were fresh and perfectly crisp without being greasy. The dip was in a refreshing yogurt or sour cream base. There was a sufficient quantity for four of us to share. A person that ordered the sea bass said it was the best he has ever eaten. The other two also enjoyed it. I tasted it and it was flaky and moist. It was accompanied with lemon agrumato oi, capers, herbs, and piquillo pepper sauce. All of us tasted and enjoyed the paella which was toasted on top and had a topping sauce. Roasted mushrooms, asparagus, peas, peppers, and castelvetrano olives were tucked inside of it. The smoky paprika added to the flavor, none of the spices were overly dominate, and the vegetables and rice worked in harmony. Each of the vegetables were cooked until done. Neither the rice nor morsels were overcooked or mushy. It comes with a 'mayonnaise" type sauce that I suggest requesting be on the side. I would like to be able to duplicate the paella at home. The churros had a light donuty texture and a spiced bittersweet chocolate dipping sauce that neither as sweet as a standard milk chocolate nor as bitter as a dark chocolate. The atmosphere remained pleasant through out the meal and it was quiet enough that we enjoyed our conversation. When we were preparing to leave the waitress offered to fill up our water container. I agree with the Michelin inspectors that Shakewell is a comfortable restaurant with exceptionally good food. It is a restaurant that we want to return to. read more

The Well - Vegetable Paella - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Just had a dinner with some colleagues and a client where I organized everything. I have only tried Shakewell through delivery before, but it left quite the impression so I suggested it. The atmosphere was really nice, great interior and lighting. I had a few minutes to soak everything in before everyone else arrived. The smell throughout the restaurant was amazing, the staff was attentive and fun, and the menu was simple and diverse. We had a mix of cocktails, small plates and the fried chicken. Everything was amazing. The flavors were unique and complementary. Towards the end, everyone mentioned that this suggestion was excellent, so it was a complete hit. After taking a few bites, you instantly realize how detail oriented they must be because it is really easy to overpower dishes with the types of spices they were using. The hit for me was the fried chicken, intensely spiced but mellowed out with the fenugreek yogurt. Since I was on a work dinner, I didn't want to take photos, but everything also looked great. The staff was on point tonight and brought everything out at just the right time. I will come back for sure. read more

Tuesday night jazz so much fun! Never know who's going to drop by and sit in.Streamlined menu with delicious options. Excellent service.

Five stars for great service, four for the food. We came about 6:15 on a Friday with a party of two adults and one child. The menu is not child friendly but he ate some shrimp and a ham croquette. We split fried chicken, potatoes bravas, and street corn with churros for dessert. All together our check came to about $70 without drinks. Drinks - 1 beer, 1 cocktail, and 1 Sprite, were another $30 with tip. The food is good and there was enough leftovers to bring home two big pieces of chicken, a bunch of potatoes and a bit of corn. All of it was delicious though the chicken could use some sauce. It's breast meat so a bit dry. The ambiance is a bit loud, very casual, with a decent bar. The hostess gets supreme kudos for first finding us a table before our drinks even came, and then finding an inside table when the outside got really cold. Major thanks! read more

The Well - Fried chicken - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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We both agreed as we walked back to our car that this was one of the best complete dinners that we've had in quite a while! So often, a restaurant will have one or two standout dishes in a meal. At Shakewell, we rated every dish we tasted worthy of being rated 5 stars each. After visiting our accountant for tax season, we decided to eat locally so we wouldn't be dining too late. Shakewell was on our list of places to try and right around the corner so we headed over. We arrived at 5:47, missing Happy Hour by 17-minutes. Upon entering, we were greeted by the hostess and seated right away. Menus were presented including the Tuesday Tangine Dinner for Two which featured Lamb Shoulder. But no, not for us. We were here for Paella! Our waiter, Benjamin, come by and asked if we had any questions about the menu. Nope, we were ready to order. Bacon Wrapped Medjool Dates - Just enough sweet and heat to be a delicious starter. Papa Bravas - nope. Didn't get them. Benjamin suggested that these would be too heavy since we were ordering a Paella. Grilled Asparagus with Tzatiki - A much better choice than the Papa Bravas because this was some of the best asparagus we'd ever experienced anywhere. Just enough char and wood smoke flavor to let you know this wasn't simply steamed asparagus. Classic Paella - You get to choose from five proteins. We selected the White Gulf Prawns and Spanish Chorizo. Manila Clams, Rockfish and Mediteranean Chicken rounded out the other choices. This was one of the best and most flavorful paellas that we remember eating. Churros with Bittersweet Dark Chocolate Dipping Sauce. These Churros looked either like mini zeppelins or fat madelines. Crispy on the outside, warm and tasty on the inside. Not at all greasy. The chocolate was fantastic! Three scoops of Caramel Gelato with a couple of Shortbread were a gift from Benjamin. It was a pleasure ot dip the gelato into the Dark Chocolate for an even better taste treat. Service from Benjamin and the rest of the team was very well done. Efficient without being overbearing. Used plates and flatware were picked up and replaced with fresh ones constantly. Our water was kept filled even though there was a bottle on our table. We'll definitely be back. read more

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I cannot believe we lucked out on a table immediately walking up for brunch, but am ever so grateful we did. If you do experience a wait, our plan was to put our name in and then walk around the Grand Lake Farmer's Market (Saturday mornings) and/or the cute shops along Lakeshore until it was time. We were promptly and warmly greeted and seated. Since we were on the parklet out front, we didn't have to show proof of vaccination but I was impressed they asked everyone who wanted to dine inside. The tables outside are very widely spaced apart as well, which was great for not only covid concerns but also to have comfortable conversation and not feel on top of each other with dogs or large parties. I hadn't brought my dog, but love that they are dog friendly outside. Ordering through Toast (Tab?) was seamless, and even with the distancing, I didn't feel like service was lacking or impersonal. Servers and even the manager checked up on us if we needed anything, or even just to ask how we were enjoying things. It felt unintrusive and sincere. Food came out at a good pace - although we didn't do tapas style, and if you are doing that outside of brunch, order it in the order and spaced apart as you would like. We got both a brunch and lunch/all day item, so I can attest that both menus are strong and delicious. The burrata over greens was beautifully presented and not over-dressed. I was initially skeptical of my shakshuka because I saw that it seemed like it might be heavy on chickpeas, unconventionally, but it was perfect and a creative take. I didn't try my partner's Shakewell wrap because I wasn't hungry enough, but he said it was deliciously spiced and composed. I balked at the price of the mains at first, but the portioning and high quality ingredients absolutely justify it. I saw many reviews recommending the brunch, but I can't wait to come back for dinner to try tapas to start and then the paella as a main. Their strengths are in chicken and seafood, with beautiful Mediterranean and Moroccan flavors. For now, they aren't taking reservations, but boy is this food and service worth any wait. read more

The Well - Burrata over beets and arugula, Shakewell wrap with Moroccan spiced chicken, and shakshuka - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Everything on the happy hours menu were 50% off. Drinks were reasonablly priced.So many delicious dishes to try, but the tummy cannot take it all at once. So definitely need to return trying out other dishes. Service is impeccable with friendly atmosphere. Hippy pub with older crowds like me who fits well. Looks like there were many regulars. When my coworker and I got there around 5pm, the happy hours service area was packed. Hostess were kind enough to allow us to sit in the dining area with the happy hour menu. Oh yes, oysters were $1 each. We ordered 5. It was not disappointed, oysters were fresh, you can dip it with the zesty lemon juice with minced onion. It was a perfect start. The paras bravas, "purple" potatoes with pepper sauce aioli rosemary sea salt was excellent. Potatoes were grilled crispy burnt skin and soft buttery inside top with a hint of heat with the pepper sauces. The fried chicken was moist and portion size was right for appetizers. Will return to try other wholesome good read more

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The setting is lively, urban chic with long tables which were great for larger groups. We shared nearly every item on the focused menu. Drinks- better than most places and really tailors well to what you're in the mood for. Sangria was tasty. Burrata - delicious mix of salty, sweet, creamy, fresh. Your taste buds will be happy. Sea bass - I may be partial to fish but this was my must-have. 5/5 for the crispy charred skin while not overcooking the inside. It was seasoned perfectly- nothing overwhelmed the subtlety of the fish. Chicken & churros - fried chicken was A+ with all the right textures. Churros appear large but are quite hollowed out inside making them fun to eat. Who knew churros could taste this good? Pork belly - Overall balanced but meat could be dry in parts with less fat. My least favorite of the 3. Paella - disappointing, lacking the vibrancy I would expect. Shrimp did not taste fresh. Service was excellent. They attended to our party of 8 with care and will go the extra mile for special celebrations. Bar staff applauded after singing happy birthday and they took the time to clear the table and set new plates and utensils for the cake. Overall impressive. We were all excited and pleased by the culinary experience here as a top chef restaurant. read more

The Well - Pork belly and sea bass - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

The shakshukka was a bit dry but churro waffles were descent. great service overall and has outdoor seating as well! read more

The Well - Chicken & churros, shashukka - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great food; great drink; great bartending (and other) staff... Solid ownership and management with Soroush (sp?) and Michael. I'm there about 5 times a week so I know... I patronized and loved the old ownership (Tim) and management and serving staff and so on--I loved them all. But now it's a new cast of characters (e.g., Beatrice, Aaron, Michael, Soroush, Jamie (dates back to old "regime"), Re (sp?), and so on... you won't regret it. Open M-Sat, so pretty amazing that way. Happy hour 4:30-6pm for 5 of those days. Great setting. Wow. read more

Shakewell is so yummy - I've dined here for dinner a few times before and one time for brunch. The quality, service, and ambiance in general deserves 5 stars. Just had brunch on a rainy Saturday morning and came right when it opened. 7 minutes in, the tables were practically full. Dining hall was full as we didn't make a reservation but we were lucky enough that the window seats and bar were open seating. Our server was very attentive and offered us some recommendations: chicken and churros, shakshuka, and the breakfast sandwich. I had to go with the chicken and churros after reading the reviews and seeing the mouth watering pics. Plus, I like to compare brunch spot "chicken and waffle" type dishes. My bf is more traditional and got the avocado toast and the 2 egg special. Food came out promptly and holy toledo the chicken and churros plate was a mountain! (A scrumptious one of course). I was so excited to try it that I went straight for churro. Wow- my fellow yelpers were spot on. For such a huge looking churro, one bite of the crispy, light, pillowy texture was heaven. The chicken breast strips were nicely seasoned. I ended up eating most of it! My bf's meal was yummy too- I couldn't stop sampling his potatoes and vowed to get a side of them next time. Also, the avo toast was delightful. The bread was crispy, yet tender and the fresh avocado was topped off with sea salt, smoked paprika, and a dash of olive oil. I wanted more. The service and staff were excellent and can't wait to return! read more

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Asked to leave while waiting for dessert to be served. First time ever in my 59 years to have someone ask for me and my party to leave before the restaurant had even served the dessert. Nope, we weren't slow, we weren't being rude, we weren't being bad customers, we were just told that they needed us to hurry up our meal as they had other reservations coming in soon. While this lady informed of of this need I looked around to see a couple open tables near us. Food was great, our servers were great, we paid our $400 tab but the message that we needed to leave left a sour taste. Not sure what position this woman her at the restaurant but their owner/management need to know. read more

Love this place! Ambiance is nice, friendly staff, and most importantly the food is yummy!!

The value just isn't there. Their wrap for example has two kofte meatballs which are totally unbalanced with true rest of the wrap. It's all cabbage anf then you get a meatball in a bite. It's just not that good.... Go somewhere else that has higher quality Mediterranean food without the guise of being higher end and prices that simply don't line up with the dishes read more

The Well - It's really a cabbage roll..... overpriced kofte meatball wrap. Hard to eat and unbalanced. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Fantastic grits (which can be done sans shrimp), patatas bravas and broccolini options here at Shakewell. Would love to see a red-sangria offered in addition to the white one, and mushroom croquettes as well. read more

Tried this place for dinner on a Saturday night (came around 4:30 so we beat the dinner rush). Everything was very tasty and the service was good as well. My table ordered the marcona almonds, marinated olives and flatbread as a starter. Then we had the fried chicken, radicchio salad, and broccolini. Finished the night off with their chocolate cake. I'm not a big fan of chocolate but this was definitely worth the try. read more

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I love the chicken and churros and the baked grits (without the shrimp). Shakewell is my go to on a free Saturday or Sunday for brunch.

Delicious dinner before a movie, lovely service, great happy hour menu. Of course it all looked so good we way over ordered, but everything was delicious. read more

Nice place! Great service! Came here to get some cocktails and loved every single one. Their papas bravas is a must! I thought it would be just regular potatoes or fries but the sauces and seasonings makes it soooo good! read more

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The ambiance and the drinks sold me. The food kept me, my good girlfriend recommended this lil spot. Now I was skeptical because her taste in food is normally a hit and miss. But she hit a home run on this one. The staff are Friendly and welcoming and every dish we had was delicious. The salad , seafood Paella , we had some appetizers I can't remember everything because it was a couple of weeks back. But one thing I won't forget is good food and outstanding customer service. I recommend u give this little lakeshore gem a try you won't be disappointed. read more

The Well - Dirty martini. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Delicious! Chicken was perfectly crispy & drizzle some caramel sauce on the churros and enjoy the perfeevery bite! Papas bravas have a nice kick. read more

The Well - Papas Bravas & Chicken & churros - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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