London Bar and Grill at the SpringHill Suites on Hegenberger, hotel restaurant that operates way…read moreabove hotel restaurant expectations. Rosemary garlic lamb chops with red wine demi-glace over mashed potatoes was the standout, three chops cooked exactly right, the sauce was rich and not an afterthought. Ribeye with the aged spice rub was also solid, good char and came out the right temp. Cocktail program is legit for a hotel bar, terrace seating outside works well if the weather is good. Clean space, attentive service, easy parking. 5 stars, don't let the hotel lobby location fool you, this one earns it on the food alone

I brought my friend here for a lunch after picking her up from the airport. The name "London Bar…read moreand Grill" suggests an upscale, classy place. When we entered, I was taken aback to see a diner atmosphere. Not what I expected at all, but hey - give it a try. I had read some good reviews of the food. We sat down, and there was no waitstaff in view - only a couple of fellows at the bar, watching the World Cup game. When the waitress did appear, I ordered a salad with salmon, usually a reliable choice. The salad itself was fine, but the salmon was insanely salty. I couldn't eat it. Who puts that much salt on salmon? I do not recommend, except maybe that they change their name to Hegenberger Diner or something similar.

I've been here twice in the last month (March 2026) and everything has been excellent: the food,…read morethe service, the vibe inside, from the artwork to the music to the comfy couches along the side where you can just chill over dinner with a friend or a lover;-). The bar is substantial if you are alone and just hanging out. We had a party of 7 people last week - celebrating the sale of my sister's Oakland condo - and had to reconfigure our seating for the friend who came last minute, which was done cheerfully. The set up of Calabash allows for large groups easily. We came early (5:30pm) so we had the place to ourselves for the first half hour. Their specialty cocktails are very nice. Unfortunately the wine selection is limited (I think they'd run out of some and hadn't restocked) but we were happy with the cocktails, which include non-alcoholic options. For Vegans, there are a few great items: there's a roasted brussel sprouts & cauliflower combo that is delicious (might be a little spicy for some, but not for me!); plantain; rice & peas. And for non-meat eaters, the salmon dish and the shrimp dish (an appetizer) are both excellent. I can already tell that Calabash will be my go-to spot in Oakland. I live in San Francisco, which has no authentic Caribbean dining spot, unless you count Meski (Warriors' Draymon Green's new spot), which technically is "Ethiopian-Dominican fusion". Also the price point of Calabash is much more budget-friendly than Meski. One final note is that it is black-owned, so if you care about supporting our community of Black-owned businesses, this is a no-brainer. I'm just sayin'...

Have come here before and ordered different dishes/appetizers before but tonight, I was craving the…read moreoxtail. There was a party going on and it was busier than usual for a weekday. Part of my group was already there when I arrived and it wasn't an issue to find street parking. I ordered the Kingston Sunset for my "cocktail". Comes with Prosecco, Sorrel, and Bitters. Had to keep it fairly light for a work night. It tasted delicious and perfect for what I needed for the evening. Their drinks are really good and they don't skimp on the liquor when I usually order cocktails with liquor it in it, so if that's what you're going for, you won't be disappointed. I ordered the oxtail entree with rice and plantains. My oxtail was cooked perfectly like it usually is. Can never go wrong with ordering this dish. It's my go to when I come here, though I've had other dishes here, it's my favorite. They didn't have the scotch bonnet pepper hot sauce which goes really well with it. If you know, you know! I opted to try the crystal hot sauce just so I had something. It was better than nothing. The oxtail is already good without it, but I love the extra kick! One of the owners/investors happened to be sitting down with the private party/event at the table near ours and came to see if we needed anything which was really nice of him. Love the food/drink, music and vibes here. Come and check them out if you get a chance!

Man they gave out warm towels for your hands when we finished our meal. Player type ishh!…read moreDefinitely coming back.

What are you waiting for?! Just book the reservation! 10/10!!!!…read more Stopped in to try Samara's Southern Creations while in town for the weekend visiting the Black Food and Wine Experience. Of course me and the bestie had to grab brunch before we headed home. Was a bit thrown off when booking via OpenTable as it comes up as Haus of Chefs, but when I got the concept of hosting local chefs and rotating menus all was smooth. We got a few shareables and entrees and everything was so good. S/o to tik tok for putting us on to some amazing food. We ordered the boudin balls, crab stuffed shrimp, peach cobbler waffle, and catfish/ grits. For drinks, we had the brown sugar mint julep and madame butterfly. My fav items had to be the boudin balls, catfish / grits, and brown sugar mint julep. Presentation was so cute. Add a flower or herb to my drink or plate and I'm yours. Everything was so flavorful, paired nicely together , and wasn't too much. Portion sizes were on point and no need for condiments because sis seasoned the hell out that food! The ambiance is definitely brunch vibes. You can tell it's a local favorite as people were so chill about coming in and just enjoying their meal. Seating includes table and bar seating but no matter your area the service was on point almost little to no waiting and everything was freshly served ! Did I mention they had the jams in rotation. Again, who was on the aux because I need the playlist?! Prices for menu items were reasonable and worth it. I had a little moment when I realized the chef herself served us our plates and checked into see how everything was going. Like come on how cool was that! Overall, great experience and yes I'll be back for a dozen boudin balls. Big S/o to our servers/ bartenders Ashlee and Kia for the hospitality and customer service. Keep up the good work! If you in the Oakland neighborhood stop by and try!

Lucy blue was a vibe…read more Me and my gurls walked down to Lucy blues after leaving the paramount.. it was a vibe.. grown sexy vibes .both levels were a vibe.. we ordered a few drinks at the bar .. it was busy but it didn't take long to get our order.. we were able to find seats to enjoy our drinks before heading to dinner .. the drinks were so perfect

I think this location is a good fit for a crowd in their 20s to 40s, especially if you enjoy a…read morelively downstairs atmosphere. If you're a little older or prefer a more relaxed setting, you might enjoy the upstairs area more. There's plenty of seating, with a modern Swedish-inspired furniture style that gives the space a more sophisticated feel. Walking in, you'll find a good vibe, good music, and a welcoming greeter. The security staff is also present and ready to assist, which makes the experience feel organized and comfortable. The menu consists of small, shareable plates with some interesting combinations. Nothing on the menu stood out to me as particularly outstanding when I looked at the individual ingredients, but once everything came together, the dishes worked well. Overall, it's a good spot for a social night out, especially if you're looking for good music, a lively atmosphere, and food meant to be shared.

*Top tier ambiance, perfect cozy and clean cabin setting with a great homage to Mexican farmer…read moreculture, art and music **Selection of dishes is so diverse and hard to make a choice. Which makes it best to return *** Big plus that the music and staff are all very friendly and welcoming Mexicans from all ways of life **** Tacos, sauces and drinks are all delicious and legit *****I used to think Alameda didn't have good Mexican food. I'm glad I was wrong

Came back and was not disappointed! This time around it was just a friend and I and we didn't have…read morereservations, but despite it being busy on a Sunday evening we only waited about 5min to get a table. Started with a hibiscus margarita and a tamarindo margarita. The chamoy rim was put on thick and complimented the margarita well. The hibiscus margarita was little on the sweet side and probably need a little more lime. The tamarindo margarita was well balanced. Had to get the Chamorro Al Pastor again and the flavor of the marinate was on point and the meat was so tender it easily fell off the bone. The pineapple chunks balanced it out. I can't recommend this dish enough! We also tried the Tetelas which were 3 handmade crispy masa triangles filled with Oaxacan cheese and veggies. They were topped with avocado salsa & shredded cabbage. We did feel it needed a better veggie filling ratio to the cheese. We also needed either more avocado salsa or another side of salsa, but flavors were all there. We got 2 orders of the papas bravas, an esquite, and a nopal side. All very flavorful and cooked perfectly. The chimichurri-macha salsa on the potatoes continues to be my favorite. The esquite was perfect and not too dry. The nopales sautéed with the veggies were incredible. I do wish they offered more for desserts. They have a buñuelo or capirotada (bread pudding) as options. Went with the buñuelo again because this time it came with local strawberry garrafa icecream. The actual buñuelo was golden crispy and the mixed berries were fresh. Service was amazing and they were very attentive despite the dinner rush. Our waters kept being refilled by different staff, which was great. They now offer brunch and I will be back to check that out!

Came here for lunch after a recommendation from someone. We're not from here, drove here from…read moreSonoma County on a Friday afternoon. It was a little hard to find because the bldg had a sign that says "AU" and not the actual name of the restaurant. We were greeted as soon as we got to the front and were seated right away. The ambiance was nice. The place was clean. We opted to get the hot honey chili prawns for an appetizer and it was pretty good. Hubby got his fried catfish w/ collard greens and yams. I got the fried red snapper w/ the mac n cheese and yams for our main entree. The food came pretty fast and hot. Pretty big servings also which made it ok since they priced each at $31. The fish tasted great, the only problem was they switched our fish. The yams were good and collards were ok. Mac n cheese we didn't really care for. Excellent service and I would say the food was ok. **I ordered the red snapper w/ mac n cheese n yams and my husband ordered catfish w/ collards n yams. I ended up w/ the catfish and he was given the snapper. We were halfway w/ our meal when he said I think u have my catfish. Not saying anything bad about the restaurant, it's just our fish was not with the correct sides and we had it mixed up. ** Both fish were cooked to perfection and tasted great. Just the sides were just ok.

Chef Smelly's delivered on the one thing that matters most: the food…read more My wife ordered the fried corn, collard greens, mac and cheese, half crab, and blackened shrimp. I had the salmon, fried prawns, mac and cheese, and cabbage. Everything we tried was flavorful, fresh, and cooked with care. The standout items were the blackened shrimp and the crab. The butter sauce covering the crab was absolutely delicious and packed with flavor. The salmon was cooked exactly the way salmon should be--moist, flaky, and tender. Too many restaurants overcook salmon and dry it out in the center, but Chef Smelly's got it right. The fried prawns paired perfectly with their sweet chili sauce, which was a nice change from the usual tartar sauce. The sides held their own. The mac and cheese was creamy with great texture, and while I won't call it the best I've ever had, it was very good. The cabbage was excellent, but the collard greens were the real surprise. They reminded me of my mother's homemade greens, and that's not a compliment I give lightly. If you're from the South, you know how hard it is to find greens that taste like they came from someone's family kitchen. The service was attentive, friendly, and hospitable throughout the meal. More importantly, the food was consistently good from start to finish. Bottom line: Chef Smelly's is worth the visit. Great flavor, quality ingredients, and food that feels like it was made with pride. We'll definitely be back and would gladly recommend it to others.

Both times I've visited, had tasty drinks at a reasonable price. Bonus points for the happy hour…read morethat was going on a Friday night, that ends right before 10pm However the bartending service can be hit or miss. If they're slow, you'll have a chill night. If it's a high volume night...bring your patience with you.

I came here with some friends for a late-night bite, and it was definitely worth it. The menu isn't…read morevery large, but everything they offer is full of flavor. We ordered the salmon croquettes, the garlic shrimp (I think that was the name), and the jerk lamb chops , which were my favorite. The staff was incredibly friendly, and the restaurant had a welcoming, laid-back atmosphere. The only downside was that there weren't any tables available for customers who wanted to eat their food. Luckily, we were able to grab seats at the bar. We arrived around 11 p.m., so that may have been part of the reason. Next time, I'd like to visit during the daytime to get the full experience.

The food was good and service was great…read more Empanads were amazing So much food with lots of leftovers

Amazing food, service and location. Lots of vegetarian options and all the tacos and empanadas are…read moredelicious! We go every week to try something new and have not been disappointed!