Good customer service. Today was my second time getting take out. Fish and chips both times, and the tamarind agua fresca. Same quality and taste as the first time. It's all about the batter! and they have nailed it :) You get 2 LARGE pieces of fish: it definitely can be split between 2 people. Thanks to Berkeleyside for the write up during Lent! Just what I needed for Fish Fridays during Lent :) read more

I really wanted to like this place because we need a good oyster spot in this neighborhood. Here's a quick breakdown: Came here for Mother's Day to try some place new. Walked in. No one greeted us. Wasn't sure where to go. Went to the register. Waited a minute for someone to come out. Ordered the clam chowder, dozen oysters and fish & chips with a glass of mystery orange wine. Decided to sit outside in the back patio. Table was dirty from previous guest which usually doesn't bother me be ut little things started adding up. Service took a while. Oysters came out first. 20 min. They were fresh and delicious. Just enough to get the palette opened up. $46 though? Way overpriced but was willing to overlook since it is Mother's Day. Next up - clam chowder, 10 min after they took the tray for the oysters. Smallest bowl I ever saw. Flavor was good. Temperature was luke warm. Broth was thin. $10. Not worth it. Last was the fish and chips. 10 min after picking up the chowder bowl. Portion looked good enough to make up for the small clam chowder, except it was under seasoned. Fish texture was a bit dry too. Fries were meh. Between the overall vibe...the overpriced items...the time between dishes...and the lack of flavor, I will continue my search for an oyster spot in this neighborhood. read more

My friends and I stopped by Ace Seafood on a Saturday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. for a late lunch. Because it was a beautiful sunny day, our party of eight decided to sit outside in the back patio. If you're sensitive to sun, definitely come with a hat, as there is very little shade. Since I visited with a large group, I was able to try out a decent spread of items on the menu, including the a fried fish sandwich, fish and chips, oysters, a caesar salad, a chicory citrus salad, fries and clam chowder. Of the items we ordered, the fried fish sandwich was by far my favorite. I really enjoyed the soft bread they used. The balance of flavor between the slice of American cheese, tomato, shredded lettuce and tartar sauce was perfect. The fish itself was super crispy, not oily, and the outer crust held up to the sauce without problems. The oysters we ordered were on the sweet side. If I were to guess, I would wager they were Kumamoto oysters. Although the oysters themselves tasted great, the shucking could have been improved: one of the oysters I had had quite a large piece of shell in it, and with another one, the muscle of the oyster hadn't been cut from the shell. I believe the kitchen staff is quite small, so if you're coming on a busy day and you have a large group, I would definitely bring your patience, as food and beverages may take a while to get to you. Although a hazy IPA would've been the perfect complement to my meal, paying $12 felt a bit much for me, and my wallet told me to pass and enjoy a beer at home instead. Overall, I had a pretty solid experience at Ace Seafood -- minus sitting in the scorching sun in the uncovered back patio. read more

See all

My friend and I came here on a Sunday afternoon. We were sat outside, which was lovely on a warm day! Things we ordered: *I got the spritz and quite honestly I didn't love it. Something was off with the taste. *Pickled oyster - I tried this and while interesting, I wouldn't recommend. *Oysters - we got 3 of each, and we both disliked the beau Soleil which tasted fishy. But the other three were delicious! *Tuna crudo - this was delicious! I'd never had tuna with strawberries and would have never even thought to pair them, but this was delicious! *Aguachile de camaraon - delicious *Crab roll - also delicious Overall, we really enjoyed our meal and I would come back for a (different) drink and apps or oysters, but I will also say that it was over $200 for what felt like several appetizers and two drinks, which feels like a lot. read more

See all

Nice service, but tiny portions. Clam chowder is really thin with more potatoes and other stuff than clams. The fish sandwich was more bread than fish. A glass of overpriced wine came to over $40 bucks? Too much but not ENOUGH for me. I'm good read more

Nestled amongst other restaurants along Telegraph Ave, Small Change Oyster Bar is the perfect casual dining spot that makes you feel like your family. The inside is all bar seating and the staff is friendly and inviting. My friend and I ended up ordering some oysters, a salad, an app & a main to share, and we sat outside in the back patio. The food was expectedly delicious and fresh! This is a perfect spot to catch up with a close friend or two. read more

See all

Had some excellent oysters, fish and chips and cold gruner veltliner on the sunny patio. Great, friendly staff who all seem happy to be there. Impeccable Oakland vibes! read more

I wanted to like this place, but from the start it was off off. It's like they forgot This is Oakland, and we are community. i wasn't greeted by the hostess (who was also the waitress), she seemed over it and it showed. My friend and i were sat at the bar. We already knew what we wanted so we were ready. We gave our drink and food order simultaneously. We got our drinks but people who arrived after us kept getting items we ordered before us. weird. We got the caesar 8/10 (best thing we had), oysters 4/10 (not clean hard rocks, not tasty, or fresh), clam chowder 6/10 (literally nothing special), fish and chips had no salt or flavor. Fries were just ok. Our waitress kept the same stank attitude as she did from the start the whole time. Honestly it could have been better if she had good energy but nah, won't be back. Temescal on this strip gives snobby and i'm not sure why they act that way. This is Oakland! read more

Ace Seafood - caesar salad - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Absolutely amazing service, Super fresh oysters, and Louie salad. The focaccia and catfish hush puppies were specials tonight and they knocked it out the park 10 out of 10. Easily one of my new favorite places. I cannot wait to go back. read more

Ace Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Love the food here! The oysters were great, nice beer and wine selection, crisp and succulent fish and chips, cool outdoor seating (that poppy's bagels uses in the mornings). This is a very "fancy casual" spot by virtue of being an oyster bar but also being counter service. The only real issue was that tip was clearly expected despite being counter service and asking patrons to bus their own tables. Given the prices and tipping 20% being asked to bus my own table feels honestly ridiculous. The containers to put your dirty dishes were then more or less full already and hard to fit the plates in. read more

This place was amazing, I ate way too much fried food and indulged in too much wine. The chillable red is a must-have on a warm summer night and the fish and chips are divine. read more

Fish and chips. Fish and chips. The fish and chips!! I had to share mine with my spouse so I was glad I got some oysters to help compensate me for the loss. read more

Incredible addition to the Temescal neighborhood. Truly thoughtful seafood selection - both raw and cooked so something for everyone. They know how to balance the raw dishes with amazing complementary flavors (e.g., citrus, Szechuan) while also not overpowering the creaminess of fish! It's Snail Bar vibes but i think less wine options. Huge pro is that they have partnered with Broc winery in a lot of their wines, such as their house chenin blanc. Indoor seating is mostly bar stool vibes and they have some seating outside in the back patio (next to Pizzaiolo) read more

The restaurant itself is postage stamp sized, but the back courtyard is huge and darling!! Service was fast and efficient. Their oysters are fresh and they have a variety of broiled oysters. Alas, their fresh raw oysters are still the best. Their bartender pour TALL drinks. I was impressed that the waitress didn't spill a drop!! read more

See all

Great new shop in Temescal that is serving up some tasty plates! I stopped by at the opening hours and the crowd was already gathering. There's seating inside that is bar style and a large outdoor patio in the back (highly recommend this seating). It's nestled away from the busy street traffic and feels really intimate in a busy side of town. The staff were really polite, informative and kept our dishes coming out in a timely manner. I have only ever tried local oysters so our waitress did a great job answering our questions all throughout our service. We ordered: - Ceviche- 4/5. I really liked the freshness of the seafood in this. I would've enjoyed more acidity and heat from the jalapeños on this just that is just a personal preference. - Rockefeller Broiled Oysters- 5/5. I really enjoyed this as a single bite. I've never had an oyster served broiled style so this was an absolute treat. It's creamy, it pairs well with the breadcrumbs topping. I'd order these again. Full Dozen Day's Selection- 4/5. We ordered six New Brunswick and six Tómales Bay sourced oysters. I was most impressed with the New Brunswick (Canadian) oysters. Some of the most creamy oysters I've had. Paired with hot sauce and the mignonette, it was the perfect bite. In general, I was expecting larger oysters for the raw servings but this might be influenced by timing of season, etc I would recommend ending with the New Brunswick oysters! Perfect final bites to end a trip to Small Change. Location/Ambiance- 5/5 Staff/Service/ 5/5 Food- 4/5 read more

See all

This place is fucking good. Haha. The seafood michelada is $20 but it is pretty big. It was actually really good. They also use the pebble ice and I love that kind of ice, hehe. That was probably my favorite thing. We got a dozen oysters and they were super fresh. And the ceviche and that was very flavorful. Would definitely come back! read more

See all

Libby our server was super friendly and helpful. We have been wanting to come here without our kids and finally made it out. The interior looked clean when we walked through to their patio which was also clean and has heat lamps and benches. The raw and broiled oysters did not disappoint. The Kumamoto and Beau Soleil varieties were both delicious and shucked well. The broiled Calabrian chili and lime oysters were so good, we ordered two. I have gotten this at Hog Island in Larkspur and SF so I'm grateful to have a local spot now where I can satisfy my broiled oyster craving for this Calabrian Chili and lime flavor. The crab Louie salad is presented in a deconstructed fashion. Libby didn't miss a beat when we asked if we could order it with the lemon thyme vinaigrette instead of the Louie dressing, which we appreciated. My husband doesn't like creamy dressings so I always try to accommodate when there is another option. I tried their Halibut tostada and that was really delicious, especially when paired with the French Domaine Coteaux Des Margots white wine I ordered. The one negative is that at 7pm they were playing hard core rap with explicit language that would not have been appropriate with small children or if my mother or in laws were around. I'm not crotchety but the lyrics for one song were not just curse words but misogynistic and offensive to women. When we arrived there were several tables in the patio area with babies and toddlers but they had left before the hard core rap songs came on. I definitely would not bring my kids with that music playing loudly so I would definitely encourage staff and management to be aware of the content of the music that is played and consider eliminating hard core music that puts women down. My husband says I'm going to come across as "old" but I don't hate rap and the lyrics in the song were really inappropriate. It was something outside of what I've ever heard before, especially in a restaurant setting: gunshots, f bombs, and one line stood out because it was really anti woman & I'm kicking myself for not remembering exactly what it was. It's trendy to play edgy music but it might be good to vet the list. read more

See all

Because it's a an oyster spot I feel weird giving it a 3, so here's a 4. Non oyster and wine stuff was not worth the belly space or the wallet space tbh. Their raw oysters are great and have tasty broiled flavors that are essentially seasonal. The tomato broiled oysters were about to go away so we had to try it, and it was tasty but I regret not getting the garlic butter. I would say I enjoyed salty pearl's oysters more but it's hard to compare since we went with the tomato one. Great wine selection. It wasn't busy but the bartender was helping us order food and when we finally decided on the lobster roll, he didn't understand that we had ultimately decided. So we waited way too long. The balls that were recommended were not good. I didn't even want to finish the plate. The lobster roll was completely underwhelming in every way. $38 for a super small roll and it was alright. Better off waiting to to the wharf or Pacifica to be honest. You can look at the pictures and see balls in the background and decide the size of this lobster roll. Also, check out the oysters compared to this plate as well. All trays are the same size. Best thing was their michelada mix. I'm Mexican, it was pretty good! read more

See all

Wow had such high expectations on this place. Arrived after having such wonderful experiences in the neighborhood that we had worked up and appetite. When we arrived, there was no hostess, within a minute Tay appeared in which she wasn't welcoming or bubbly and by the looks of the other customers, we probably didn't fit in. We opted to sit at the bar and watch the guy shuck the oysters. When she came back, she didn't make recommendations, was bothered we asked to split the check, was bothered as where I'm from its natural to call people hun. Let me say for what you pay for the crab and lobster roll and the service you receive, I rather scout Cousins Main Lobster Food truck and give them my business. She didn't check on us and it was the female runner/hostess who was friendly and engaged candid conversation with us. When it was time to pay she hovered over us to see if we would leave a tip or rate the visit. She didn't let us proceed to do the survey which was unfair. I guess there's a certain group that they cater to and us of POC we didnt fit that mold read more

See all

Great staff & food (oysters, wings, shrimp po' boy!). The shucker is a joy to watch! A real pro! We the patio!

If this was my neighborhood, then I'd probably come consistently. With that said , the food is nothing to write home about, but the service and vibes are everything! Fair menu with food options for the non-oyster eater. Nice selection of bubbles, whites and rosé wines. Best of all, fair prices. Nice quaint minimalist counter set up inside with good sized patio in the back. Patio is not heated, so be prepared with a little hoodie if dining at night. My sister and I popped in on a Thursday evening bout 7:30pm, waited maybe 10 minutes for a counter seat. The hosted was polite giving us updates. Our bar tender/server the cutie p'tootie Grandé was friendly, did a wonderful job walking us through the menu making recommendations, and great fun conversation. Tell him Robbin I said "Heeeey". The restrooms could use a little TLC (they may be shared with other businesses), parking is tricky in that neighborhood so be prepared to walk a block or two. THE FOOD: we opted for the specials over the regular menu items. Figured we can always go back to try the regular items. Plus the chef staff were way too excited about the specials, so we got excited. Clam Chowder - not ya typical clam chowder. It was a broth situation not a "chowder " very bacony for you bacon lovers. The little toast that came with it was hitting. Cod B's? Somebody's Bs...either way, something like a crab cake but made with cod fish and potatoes. They refer to it as a poor man's cab cake...that's exactly what it was lol. It was good with the mustardnaise and greens. I would have of liked a specialty seasoning blend to make it hit since cod and potatoes are both naturally bland foods. Broiled Oysters w/ a special tomato based sauce. I liked them. You could still enjoy and taste the oyster with that bit of smoky tomato flavor the sauce had going. It was a bit oily, but not enough to bother me. Definitely eat them fresh out. Local Raw Oysters- pretty solid. Not as creamy or salty as I like, but good with one-two dashes of that Crystal's hot sauce and lemon. Aye, can't remember the bubbles I had but it was the highest priced one and quite delicious! read more

See all

Came on a week night. Was not busy. Weather was cold. Sat outside. They turned on the heat lamps, which helped a little but still a little cold. Ambiance was good but would have been great if it was warm. Ordered mixed dozen oysters (yes it's off menu), fish and chips, lobster roll and fish ceviche. The food was only ok. The ceviche was bland. Nothing special and nothing really stood out. The oysters were fresh. Had their house bubbles and that was good and refreshing. Server was good. However, I think they forgot about our lobster roll because there was a very long gap between the other food and the last dish which was the lobster roll. Would we go back? Probably not. Should we try it once? Yes. read more

See all

Friday night dinner on Telegraph. If you are brave you can eat outside on the patio with your dog. I restaurant has likely 20ish seats majority of them surrounding the bar so you can see your food being prepared. Most of the uncooked food comes out in 10 minutes or less, the fish and chips took over 25 minutes it felt like. The waitress were very sweet and attentive. They offered my daughter a Mr Potato to play with. Very helpful to have her calm down and sit while the group was eating. We ordered almost everything on the menu -- ceviche , oysters, Rockefeller oysters, fish and chips, and hush puppies. The oysters were fresh and the fish and chips fried to perfection yet a little over salted. 5 stars for service and 3 stars for food. read more

See all

This place is a big YES! My friends and I had two kinds of oysters, shrimp cocktail, halibut crudo and, of course, some sparkling wine to wash it down. The oysters were fresh and delicious. The shrimp was perfectly cooked and the crudo had a nice touch of stone fruit to go along with it. The service is friendly and attentive and the outdoor patio is delightful with the tables offering plenty of space (not too close together) and space heaters when the air turns cold. I'll definitely return soon!!! read more

The food is delicious! The service is really great. The back patio is super cute and cozy. read more

Ace Seafood - Oysters - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Happy Hour Food- -Hamachi crudo - was only ok. Seemed like too many flavors overwhelming the hamachi -Oysters-chose the surprise choice. Can't rember the varieties but they were delicious. -Halibut tendies - disappointing. Coated w cornmeal crust emulating a buffalo wing. Didn't work for us. Service- Casual, alouf. The quality of the fish was good but flavors were confusing. We love supporting the Temescal, will try again and order the fish n chips next time. read more

5 stars for the food The small menu is carefully crafted and you know everything will be delicious. I wanted to order the salmon mousse but when we looked around at other tables everyone was ordering ceviche but not the mousse. I looked on yelp and there was no photo. We rolled the dice and ordered it. It was delicious! Our table liked it even better than the ceviche. And I added a photo below. Even my friends who didn't want to order the salmon mousse all said how much they liked it. My other favorites included the shrimp po boy and the corn gazpacho with crab. 4 stars for service. The restaurant went from a food truck to a full restaurant so there are some things they need to work out. For example our waitress had never tried the salmon mousse and couldn't comment on it. Most restaurants have the servers try all the food so they can comment and describe it. We also ordered a bottle of wine and it came uncorked/open to our table and t didn't even ask if we wanted to try it. Usually to confirm it's a new bottle you open it at the table. Nevertheless I am definitely coming back again as they can work out these small service issues and the food is amazing! read more

Ace Seafood - Salmon Mousse - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Small Change Oyster Bar is my new go-to in Temescal. Super fresh oysters, creative dishes,, and the friendliest staff around. The vibe outback is laid-back but special--perfect spot for seafood lovers and hanging out with friends read more

Hella good food. Cool patio to have a beer (or wine), and eat some wings, oysters, fish and chips, or whatever. :)

Fair prices, flavorful dishes and cold beer! Perfect friendly service and great atmosphere

Excellent crab Louise piled high with crab, a mix of raw oysters ( East and West Coast) and oysters Rockefeller with butter and herbs. Portions aren't tiny, just enough, but you will have room for dessert! read more

Such a cute little find. What a great little oyster bar. Claw chowder was fabulous but I wish it included more bread. Can't wait to come back! read more

Ace Seafood - Happy hour - $2 oysters and $2 off house sparkling wine. - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Great oysters and one of the few places in Oakland with a patio. Pretty pricy though and staff isn't the most attentive

best spot in temescal for a summer night on the heated patio! You won't find better oysters than these ANYWHERE, but the real star is all the dinner options new to the menu from chef Peter (highly recommend the branzino, salad, and the crab roll). Wine selection is awesome too-- great spot to try something new! One of those spots where you can tell that everyone who works there is super close-- service is great and feels like hanging out with old friends who want to cook for you! PROTIP: snag a rez on resy to beat the lines-- this spot has gotten super popular lately for a reason! read more

Stopped in to have dinner on a rainy Sunday night. Service was great from start to finish. They have a super cute covered patio. The picnic tables outside have comfy pillows on the benches. We ordered a couple of Temescal beers and relaxed. We got some super fresh and plump Miyagis, roasted oysters with allium butter, oysters Rockefeller, and oysters with a seva achaar. All the oysters were fab in their own ways and super complimentary to the others. We got the fish and chips and some chowder too! The chowder came out with lots of fresh herbs on top. The cup was full of clams, potatoes, bacon, and hella black pepper (in the best way). Both the fish and the chips were crispy and seasoned well. Nice and flaky fish with a couple of shakes of malt vinegar and a swipe of tartar sauce was perfect. Thanks for a great meal, Small Change. PS get the bread and house cultured butter, it goes with everything! read more

I love this place so much! The vibes, the food, the wine. It's the perfect hang out spot in temescal that really captures the essence of the neighborhood. You can't go wrong with any of the oysters, the crab salad (pictured) and be sure to get the michelada. read more

Ace Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

The food is ok, nothing special. Especially not for the prices. We got a dozen oysters, bread, yellowtail crudo, fish and chips, calamari, a curry and fish broth, and salad. It was all pretty average; the oysters were the best part. Ambiance was great outside and the vibe was really nice. Employees were nice, but service was just ok. Overall, most of the dishes are overpriced and not that amazing. read more

Ace Seafood - Oysters & yellowtail crudo - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

Came in early on a Friday. Friendly service, nice patio and the Fried Shrimp Po Boy was very good. read more

Ace Seafood - Friendly service, nice patio, and the Shrimp Po' Boy was very good. - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

Can't say enough good things. The ambiance, food and staff are all fantastic. A can't miss. read more

Ace Seafood - Seafood Near Me - Oakland, California

4/5 Food - the oysters are fresh and delicious. (ask for hot sauce). We ordered: 2 Swim Good Albarino $34.00 - a white natural wine. Pretty light and refreshing. Just make sure you don't have the last pour or you'll have stuff in your glass and they don't seem to care. 1 Oysters (6) Half Miyagi $18.00 - not bad, but I wouldn't order them again. 1 Oyster (6) Beau Soleil $24.00 - these I would definitely order again. Highly recommend even though they are a little pricier. 2 Clam Chowder $24.00 - has bacon (not mentioned on the menu) but was super delicious. More on the runny side for a chowder, but amazing flavor and paired perfectly with the toasted, buttered sourdough. (I added hot sauce to mine and it was chef's kiss). 2.5/5 Service - my sister got there at 7 pm and put her number down to wait for a table or seats for us (party of 2). She was told it would take 10-15 minutes and she would receive a text. She stood outside in front of the window (clearly visible to the host). By the time I got there it was 7:15 pm. No text still. We see people get seated and we should be next since they do not take reservations and we know the people left came after us and saw the host to put their numbers down also. We patiently wait. By 7:40 pm we see the people who were technically behind us get seated first. Still no text at this time. We glance at the seating iPad and do not see ourselves on there. I ask the host, and she also has no record of us or my sister's number. She asks for my sister's number again and tells us it will be a 10-15 wait (AGAIN?!). So I ask to look in the back and if there is any place to sit since we have already been waiting for 40 minutes. She said probably not, but she can check in the back. I ask if I could also go back and look (since it is outside I wanted to make sure it wouldn't be too cold for us in case they didn't have heating lamps). There were 4 tables opening up. Thankfully she said we would be next to be seated. No apology from her this entire time about the wait or mix up. When we finally sit down, delayed table service. No waters and no menus since I had one in my hand from the front but we should have had at least 3 at the table (2 food & 1 drink). I had to ask for menus after we were sitting there for 10 minutes. We did meet the owner so that's why my rating is at a 2 at the least. He is kind, local, attentive, and very personable. I also understand the waitress was trying her best too, but this was just too much at once for us. Finally, we ordered the Albariño (white wine). Mine had a lot of uncomfortable hard bits at the bottom. They had the texture and integrity of oyster shell bits and very clearly visible in my glass. I asked the waitress about it, she asked the bartender and he said that it is crystallized honey since we ordered a natural wine. But no apology, no empathy, nothing. A very "deal with it" attitude. By the time we finished everything I was literally dying for my experience there to be over. 3.5/5 Ambiance - beautiful place inside and out. Very pleasing on the eyes. The outdoor area has lights so it's very cozy, just cold. Would be a fun hang out spot if you have patience and don't mind the sub-par service. Takeaways: - Make sure you double check your number with the host. - You may sit outside so dress accordingly since they don't have space heaters. - There is bacon in the clam chowder which would be helpful to know and be noted on the ingredients list on the menu for the pescatarian crowd. - The pricey oysters are worth it. read more