How have I missed going there until now? Nice airy cafe with inviting interior and relaxing exterior dinning. The food was way better than expected and is now on our list of a place to become a regular at. Good bar where we tried the Obama Mamma drink ..yum! And the staff was what you hope to have: friendly, attentive, respectful and considerate. A New Favorite Place! (Ok if I had to knock them on one thing it was the large tvs playing. I know its also a high end bar, but the tvs took away from the experience.) read more

I am so obsessed with this café. I work roughly 5 minutes away from the establishment. One of my coworkers was eating their crab salad sandwich and when I tell you, the entire office was hypnotized by how delicious it looked. I had to give it a try on my own. I chose to dine in for the full experience. Upon entry I was greeted by amazing hosts; everyone was so friendly. Additionally, I noticed a full bar and spacious seating for in restaurant dining. If you prefer dress are, they also have outdoor seating. Which is perfect for enjoyable weather and if you prefer to keep a close eye on your car. We know how Oakland can get. So far I've had the crab salad sandwich, onion rings, ribs, crabcakes and lobster ravioli. My goal is to work through the entire menu yes truly that is my goal because everything has been so delectable in my book. This place is a 10 out of 10. read more

Of course the food is great, or why give a positive review? I don't eat beef but my bestie does and we're both happy here. The service is FANTASTIC! When Mona sees us coming she goes and pours our favorite - ice tea! There are just little things the staff always knows to bring us or do for us. They're like family. Guess what! The bathrooms are always CLEAN! I see the owner, Mehdi, circulating and greeting all the other customers. It feels like a second home for everyone there. read more

Z Cafe & Bar - I don't like kale so I order my 'regular' which is the kale salad made with lettuce. LOVE IT! No problem to ask for an adjustment. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This was the perfect place to have dinner with grandma. They had space for her walker. Ada parking out front. Great wines and even better food. I had the blackened chicken alfredo pasta and it was so good. Grandma enjoyed the weekly special of sole and shrimp. The staff was very sweet. I'll be back! read more

Z Cafe & Bar - Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

A Café & Bar is a nice neighborhood spot. The Chicken Piccata is always a great choice. The staff is welcoming and the laid back atmosphere make for an enjoyable evening. read more

I was a little hesitant about this place because the menu is very big. We walk in and their only two tables occupied,,, I start to wonder if this place is any good. Once we look at the menu I really get concerned, Typically a restaurant wirh a BIG Menu may struggle. This place is amazing the food was fast , hot and delicious. The bartender was great too Very Well Done read more

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The food and service is always great when we dine here with friends. Today my friends and I ordered the mussels appetizer without the chili as we don't like spicy food so we enjoyed the delicious mussels in butter sauce with foccacia bread. For dessert we ordered a key lime pie to share which was moist and light read more

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Roasted beef dish was stringy, gravy consisted of beef buillon, chocolate cake for birthday was dry an very old. Only thing fresh was companions crab cake. The exception was, Waitress was very nice. read more

The happy hour had good pricing for good food and good drinks. Staff was friendly and glad to see you.

3-Star Review I visited Z Café today, January 23, 2026, around 11:30 AM. I was seated immediately and ordered a Bloody Mary and the crab cakes. The Bloody Mary took about 10 minutes to arrive. I specifically asked for it to be spicy, and unfortunately, it was not. When I order a spicy Bloody Mary, I expect heat built into the drink--not something that requires adding Tabasco at the table. It also lacked horseradish, which is a key component for depth and bite in a well-balanced Bloody Mary. Overall, the drink was mild and short on vodka presence, leaving it underwhelming given the expectations set by past reviews. The crab cakes had a nice sear, which was a positive, but the flavor fell short. Based on the description and overall vibe, I was expecting more Southern or Louisiana-style seasoning--bold, savory, and well-layered. Instead, the crab cakes lacked seasoning, salt, and overall character. The aioli could have used more flavor and seasoning as well, as it did little to elevate the dish. The result was a plate that looked good but did not deliver the Southern-inspired flavor profile I was anticipating. On the positive side, the restaurant was very clean, including the tables and floors, and guests were greeted as they entered. The space started to fill up as it moved into the lunch hour, and the atmosphere was welcoming and comfortable. This was my first visit. One thing worth noting: many of the Bloody Mary reviews I read appear to be quite dated, so expectations may need to be reset or updated. The televisions in the restaurant added to the casual brunch environment. Overall, the service and cleanliness were solid, but the food and drink lacked the bold seasoning and spice I was expecting. With stronger Southern flavor profiles and a truly spicy Bloody Mary, this could be a much stronger experience. read more

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This place is definitely a hidden gem with their massive happy hour options and generous time frame 3-9pm. They are kid friendly with coloring pages, crayons, and a good kids menu. My kids have enjoyed the clam chowder soup (Fridays only), Mac and cheese here and we enjoyed the salads, chicken piccata, and rigatoni bolognese on separate occasions. Staff are friendly and attentive with water refills, checking up on tables, and to go boxes and the check. Several large TV screens with sports on for your entertainment and a nice bar area. read more

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I've been coming to this place for many years .Great service good food an Oakland mainstay good food choices. Always a vibe and a good time if you want lunch or dinner. read more

Been meaning to try this place for 20 years (amazing it's been here so long!) and even on a random weekday afternoon we had a great lunch. Elevated comfort food and everything was delish... Mac and cheese, burger, turkey panini and the Jambalaya special all checked the boxes. Next time we'll try dinner and check out that bar! read more

Packed house on a Friday night. We arrived with a group. It took a while for them to get us settled but they honored the time we arrived and allowed a round of happy hour drinks. Nearby was another big party. The server was in fine form, cracking jokes, checking on us. The kale salad with blackened chicken was delicious. So was the yummy rummy cocktail. Shared some lobster ravioli and that was good too with sizeable chunks of lobster. Someone else ordered the black bean burger and loved that and others ordered the capellini pasta. So many good choices. I'd definitely return. read more

Hadn't been there in a while and the consistency is the same. Good food and good drinks!

I have been coming here for years with my husband. I finally decided to post this five star review because the cappellini with tilapia was to live for. The flavors were amazing. The tilapia was a perfect texture and deliciously moist. The shrimp were succulent and not overcooked. I will definitely order this again. My husband had the steak topped with shrimp, mashed potatoes and gravy. I tried his steak just for this review. And it did not disappoint. The steak was delicious, seasoned well, moist not overcooked. It's a family style restaurant and the service here is always amazing. The wait staff is attentive and they treat us like family every time we come!! Highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner. It's never crowded here and you'll always get a table. read more

My friends and I had tix for October London concert at the Paramount theater. We made reservations to eat before the concert. Service was excellent! Our waiter took our order (without a note pad) and he did it perfectly. We enjoyed the atmosphere and most certainly the food! We will be back!!! Thank you for a wonderful evening. read more

The blackened catfish was spicy and cooked to be perfectly flaky. I really enjoyed the creamy garlic mashed potatoes served on the side.

The chicken Alfredo wasn't great at all, a tad bit sour sauce and pasta overcooked not as al dente as should be. $24 before tax a rip off! Won't be back for this dish, stick to the crab sandwich it's a better value! It use to be good probably a new cook just not great, for that price eat at HOME read more

So I'm sad to say we have been sleeping in this place over the last 6 years! Had no clue it even really existed although I drove past it plenty of times! I honestly thought it was a new establishment until I found out it's been here for a long time! One of my favorite parts of this place was the interior architecture. You can tell from all the crown molding this building has history and has been around a long time! I love it! To me it has a story and I wish I knew what it was. The food is also delicious. I wish I would have known sooner plus they have a super good happy hour menu! We will be back to try that soon. The service was top notch however, we did come when they had literally just unlocked the doors so it was just the two of us. We will have to go back during busier hours and see if it's still as good. All in all definitely worth a try! read more

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My wife, son and I were in the area but had no idea what was nearby for lunch. This place was a pleasant surprise. Staff was very welcoming and service was top notch. And the food was excellent! I had the Blackened Chicken with Fettucine Alfredo and it was the best I've ever had. The portions were generous and everyone loved their meals. My wife had the Blackened Tilapia and my son had the Cattle Burger with Parmesan fries. We highly recommend this place and will be back the next time we're in town. read more

We had THEEEE worst service tonight. The absolute worst service ever. Got there at 5:30, and it was packed. We get it. Place is busy, but it took 15 minutes to get waters sent to our table. First issue. Then the server took another 15 to come by and take our order. I was absolutely blown away. I ordered sushi, my husband ordered a Hawaiian dish, and my daughter ordered a burger. That took a long time to come out. They brought the Hawaiian dish and the burger out, but didn't have the sushi rolls. Our server NEVER came by the table to check in once food was delivered. He disappeared into thin air. For like, 20+ minutes. So my family is eating and I'm just sitting there. My husband had to flag down the busser to get more water and napkins. Our server, know where to be found. Finally I'm pissed and point at him to come to the table. We have now been sitting there for over an hour. My husband and kid are both done eating and still no sushi. I tell him to cancel it and bring the check. 10 minutes later he comes by with sushi, apologizing because you guys have some stupid new system. Whatever. Sounds like a bunch of BS to me. I have him box my food up and tell him to bring the check. I have him WAIT AT THE TABLE because he has disappeared all night, I give him a $25 gift card and my debit card. He freaking comes back MANY minutes later to tell us, "uhhhh due to the new system, we can't take and process your gift card. I spoke to my manager and ummm, yeah. We can't take this. yOu wiLL hAvE tO uSE iT nExT tImE..."I am absolutely never going back to this place. The service is crap and the food isn't even that good. We never go out because it's expensive, so it's a treat when we can do it. You need to get your sh** together, people. This is not a good look. Whatever bullsh** system you have going is terrible. read more

I wanted to get some takeout for lunch, so I ordered ahead via Grubhub for a mushroom risotto and sweet potato fries. While it's named a cafe, it has a pretty large food selection, and is really more of a full service restaurant, not just a place that sells coffee/tea and sandwiches or pastries. My order was ready 15 minutes earlier than my scheduled pick up time according to the text I received. Once I got there, it was a brief wait and then I was smoothly handed over my order, which was packaged in sealed boxes to help prevent food from spilling. The sweet potato fries were pretty good, I just wish they were slightly crispier since the moisture in the box made them get less hard while I was carrying them home. As for the risotto, it was quite yummy, I haven't often seen it and it satisfied my craving for it. It's decently savory but also has a slight sour kick. read more

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Holly Smokes! Wow! I legit been passing this place up for seriously a year plus now. Finally decided to try it and OMG the blackened chicken Alfredo pasta is out of this world! I ordered it for the first time last week, came back today and ordered it again. Not only was it better than the first time, it is legit the best Pasta I've tried in this entire area! Must try 10/10! Can't wait to try the rest of their menu! read more

Z Cafe & Bar - Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Amazing food and service. What would make it better if the bread they served was toasted haha read more

Z Cafe & Bar - Blackened Chicken Alfredo Pasta - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

One of our go-to restaurants for many years. Excellent food, fantastic service and great atmosphere.

$21 for a bacon cheeseburger that was so plain-tasting!! They also charged $2 for a side of ranch. Those are insane prices. The insanity spurred me to write my first Yelp review. On the plus side, the bathrooms were clean and they refilled our waters quite frequently. read more

I wanted to eat here after my wedding and the owner provided a room for my wedding party with beautiful decor! The food and drinks were delicious! Thank you so much read more

Z Cafe & Bar - The Bride enjoying the cocktails - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Our waiter was so friendly. Food was very prompt and delicious. Great vibe and great drinks

Street parking Happy hour from 5 to 9 includes drink n food service are polite and friendly food are ok I ordered the slider pork it's not fresh my next order fried chicken n fries looks appetizing read more

Z Cafe & Bar - Fried chicken - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Food Service and Ambiance was amazing The chef, Victor, made an amazing vegetarian gnocchi. When I say perfect deliousus bite I meant it. read more

Z Cafe & Bar - VEGETARIAN GNOOCH. - Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my third time here. If I lived in Oakland, this would be my SPOT!! The last time I came up from LA, I came here two days in a row. The first time, I got the mushroom risotto and sat at the bar absolutely gobbling up the bread and butter . The vibes were AMAZING. I didn't talk to anyone, but everyone around me seemed to know each other. All the patrons. All the bartenders and waitstaff. Everyone was talking and laughing, and it felt so familiar, some how. I grew up as an only child to a single parent, so I'm not sure why being surrounded by all these people felt like home, but it did. The next night, I just ordered garlic fries to go. Tonight, grilled cheese and garlic fries. My 20 second interaction with the man who handed me my food was just...so...peaceful. I don't know how else to explain it. He just had a calm energy. This whole place has good energy. I am a HOMEBODY who just likes to be at home, by myself, no people. I never go out. But there's something about this place. (Oh, annnd the food is delicious, which is important too.) read more

Stopped by Z Cafe & Bar for dinner with a friend and it was a nice experience. We initially considered the happy hour menu, but it had limited food options. We both ordered the chicken piccata, and it was pretty good and the portion size was great too. Customer service was great, although the restaurant was quite busy. Parking was a bit of a challenge for me, but there is street parking available nearby. read more

A Hidden Gem in Downtown Oakland! Stopped by this cute little restaurant on 28th and Broadway and had such a wonderful experience! My girlfriends and I made a 2 p.m. Friday reservation for three, and everything went perfectly. Parking was easy, the seating was comfortable, and the atmosphere was just right for a relaxing afternoon. Our server Mona was super attentive and made sure we had everything we needed the whole time. The clam chowder was rich, creamy, and absolutely delicious, and the kale salad was fresh and full of flavor. The food was top-notch, and the service couldn't have been better. This place is truly a little hidden gem -- great food, great people, and a great vibe. Highly recommend! -- 99 read more

This place is a hidden gem & for some reason not many people know about it but the food is amazing, the service is fantastic and you can also do events there. Don't miss out on the spot! Once again the food is amazing, almost anything your order is going to be fantastic! Kudos to the owner for knowing what he's doing and the cooks and the great people of service here. Very friendly atmosphere! read more

Classy - beautiful bar, restaurant and building - safe - welcoming- outstanding drinks, food and top shelf service. These are some of the best qualities I think of when I think of Z's or describe the location to others. This is a hometown-classy, relaxed bar that is just beautifully decorated inside, from top to bottom. Elegant and welcoming. The staff is just as welcoming and remember your name and drink! There are plenty of seats throughout the restaurant and even some outside. Any drink you can think of, they will make it and BOOM, it'll be amazing too! Their bartenders are good mixologists. Refreshing and delicious. Now; their food....ohhhhh weeeee, all of it is delicious! Their wings are always on point and the sliders too! The good thing is on different days, they have different deals so you can try everything on their menu. Their bread and butter is always fresh! Literally. I would see them drop the bread off fresh every morning to the restaurant. They offer their restaurant and services for venues and events and I HIGHLY encourage you to have your future parties held at Z's. Whether you just want to get away for a drink or two and sit while people watching or involved in a conversation or just relaxing you will want to come hang at Z's and I promise this will be your new hangout. Easily located on the corner of 28th and Broadway, there is plenty of parking on both 28th and 27th, but just as anywhere in the Bay Area, please be mindful and lock your cars and do not leave valuables in your car. There is ADA seating and restrooms. read more

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Great staff , great comfort food , great architecture and beautiful chill sultry decor . Mona and team was a great host and took care of us and prepared our meals ahead of time as we had to make it to the comedy show next door . Thank you , such a great experience ! Personable , friendly and most yummy food read more

Portions small and not exciting Service is nice and friendly No real ambiance, restaurant is clean and well manicured read more

The food was great...the burger and sweet potato fries were the best! The salad was yummy. The service was friendly and the over feel of the place was comfortable. It was also convenient to park read more

Let's start by saying that Mehdi and his staff are the best My niece was looking for a place to have her wedding reception, mind you with zero days to spare, and Mehdi was very gracious and accommodating for such short notice. I got the impression that that's who he is as a person. Everything was set up in a private room and on time. I was told that the pot roast, ribs and lobster ravioli were seasoned well and tasted delish! We were able to enjoy ourselves without feeling rushed. Thanks again, Mehdi, Mona and crew for helping us make the bride and groom's day a little more special. read more