Latin Flair Month Continues for me ...Quaint Location - great open space restaurant with lively Latin music in the background. Son in Law & I started our evening with Camarones Criollos (Shrimp) - Sourdough Bread w/ Guava Margaritas. Generous Strong Pour! He ordered the Whole Fried Fish and an all time favorite of mine = Ox Tail!! Meat fell right off the bone. Highly recommend and a great place to try new dishes. read more

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Holy moly, worked next door for the last 4 years. How did I not come here before. This place is AWESOME!!!! So good. Nice family run, service on point. I order the pork rib with rice and beans. Every bite was full of flavor. Can't wait to come back read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

This is my second time here and specifically came for Oakland Restaurant Week. Started with a slider and shrimp ceviche- both were delicious and a great start to the meal. BUT the stars of the show were the entrees- mofongo topped with oxtails and a chicken leg with the most delectable pickled cabbage and rice and beans- literally couldn't pick a favorite. I liked the mofongo from one entree and the chicken leg from the other. Both entrees were on the smaller side in terms of protein, but may have just been the restaurant week special or maybe we got smaller dishes. BUT they were packed with flavor nonetheless. Ended the meal with a tres leches cake and sorbet. Sorbet could be skipped but we didn't need our own piece of cake so it worked out well. Will DEFINITELY be back for the mofongo and to try other proteins! read more

I tried their spaghetti at an event outside Oakland Oracle Arena for SuperBowl, and it made it want to visit the restaurant. I'm glad I did! Food is delicious w heart servings. Not to mention the casual, inviting vibes of the venue itself w decor celebrating DR's culture. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - The bar - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

The braised oxtail rice bowl was delicious! I came for lunch and I think almost everyone around me ordered the same thing. The server was attentive and humorous. A great spot! read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Out front - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Really enjoyed everything about AlaMar Dominican Restaurant! I came for a friends birthday and had never had Dominican food. We ordered several apps - the wings, the ribs, and some type of sausages. All the meat was so tender and delicious - I knew from that point on this place was a winner. For my drink I ordered the manajuana (sp?) very rum forward but also sweet and sippable. No wonder people love them! I got the oxtails as my entree given that it was the numero uno and they did not disappoint. 4 large pieces that felt right off the bone with rice. The restaurant itself is very small but it's super cutely decorated. Our server was super nice. Parking isn't too bad because there's a parking garage walking distance. I don't go to Oakland often but if I did I'd definitely come back! read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Interior - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

My wife and I went to an amazing Afro-Caribbean restaurant in downtown Oakland after a wonderful performance from Comedian Michelle Buteau at the legendary Fox Theatre! After the show ended, we discussed what to eat. I usually suggest Ramen because that's my go to, but the wifey wanted something with soul. So we then perused through Yelp when we took at Alamar. We acknowledged that we've only had Cuban and Jamaican cuisine in the Caribbean and it was an opportunity to try Dominican cuisine for the first time. So we walked several blocks to the 'Mar, and as we got closer to the restaurant, we heard sounds of a party going on, and when we arrived it was raver with food! After several minutes of acquainting ourselves, we found an outdoor table and the Queen and took a look at the menu and ordered our food. We ordered a half dozen wings, crispy plantains called Tostones (Twice Fried Plantains), Dominican Mofongo (mashed Plantain with Chicken Au Jus), Yellow Carribean Rice, El Barrio Picadero (Pork Chicharrones) and Braised Mustard Greens. Man it was FANTASTIC! Everything was delicious and the wings might be the best we've ever had! The Tostones and Mofongo are Devine! The food, service and atmosphere are top notch! We ARE definitely returning! read more

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Oh my gosh, can we talk about how much I love this place?! I've officially found my new favorite spot in Oakland. Chef Nelson German (yes, the Top Chef alum) is doing something special here . The service is friendly, the plantains are sweet and perfect, and the vibes are immaculate. Do not sleep on alaMar! read more

Love this place ! It's so delicious!! Whenever I miss NY Dominican food I come here to get my habichuelas, arroz con frijoles negros!! This time I also ordered the shrimp appetizer and the 1/2 chicken!! Both were so flavorful !!! Like finger-licking slurp on the sauce taste!! The server w the Afro was so attentive and nice- he was swamped that day but he made sure to apologize (none needed) for the wait. The drinks are kinda pricey but they taste good. And the chicken had little bones I had to dig out of stew but that kept me from slurping it down- the fear of choking on a chicken bone lol The music and the noise level was a little loud but normal for a Sat night. But the tables were very close together so you could overhear the other conversations. read more

Food and drink were amazing. Enjoyed the experience during Oakland Restaurant Week. Customer service was great other than the waitress taking a little long bringing the check read more

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What a gem of a place! My friends and I decided to eat here before a concert at the Paramount and it did not disappoint. The decor and music was so inviting I wish I could give Alamar 4.5 stars instead of 4 cause it was that good! We started out with glasses of wine and the republic 75 cocktail. The cocktail was well balanced and refreshing. For food, we ordered the Pernil, the sancocho and the ox tail. The Pernil and ox tail were so tender and the sancocho was filling. Everything was flavorful and seasoned to perfection. For sides, we ordered the Caribbean rice, tostones, and mofongo. The rice was sooo good tasted like it was made with love. The tostones were bomb, the dipping sauce it comes with just elevates the flavor. The only miss for us was the mofongo. It was dry and definitely needed the sauce it came with. Our server was a delight, knowledgeable about the menu and answered all our questions. I will definitely be coming back to try more. read more

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Friendly, clean colorful and delicious! Sometimes you need a plate of comfort food in a time of great unrest. A good plate of history of resistance piled on a plate that comes from the love of a people. Dominican food is just that ! Lunch time ushered me to this spot and it did not disappoint ! Plato bandera with choice of protein including a guava bbq fried goat and a choice of plantain of course I'm always a sucker for the Maduros !! From the perfectly cooked beans and rice to the tender pork Pernil to the sweet slices of plantain perfectly carmelized ! This place makes me feel like I'm eating at a friends house or grandmas ! Def a winner ! I'll be back to try the mofongo !!! read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Plato Bandera / pork pernil/ maduros - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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We were greeted and sat immediately. The environment and music was great. It's rare to come across a Dominican restaurant in California and we had to try it. We were so happy we did. The service was great, very attentive and personable. The mamajuana cocktail was delicious and hit the spot. The Latin fries were so addicting. Perfect amount of seasoning. The Dominicano sandwich was delicious. Tons of flavor with the pernil and very tender... melt in your mouth. Can't wait to go back. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Dominicano sandwich, tostones, and Latin Fries - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came here a couple of times and I really liked their service and food. I especially like their plantains. This time I tried the Dominican garlic noodles. It was too salty for my taste but otherwise it was perfect. read more

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Came here to celebrate alaMar's 11th anniversary and check out the specials, get together with friends we haven't gone out with in months and support our Brazilian dance group Ginga Brasil, who was performing for the anniversary! The atmosphere was lively and I had made reservations on Open Table. There were 6 of us and we decided to share and have a taste of many dishes: Dominican salad, braised oxtail encendido, guava bbq sauce chicken wings, tostones, Dominican pork ribs, yellow Caribbean rice, Habichuelas stewed Dominican red beans, a stew that had all kinds of meats in it, not sure of the name but it was hearty, Dominican garlic udon noodles, chicharron de pollo, and empanadas! Everything was so tasty! I especially liked the stew and oxtail and ribs, so yummy! I had a Lion Dance Ale which was refreshing. Service was attentive and we had a blast! Great company, great food, great service, and great entertainment! read more

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First time eating Dominican style food and I was really impressed. The interior definitely gave you that Caribbean vibe. Super casual place to eat...long tables to accommodate larger parties or even sharing, communal style. There were also smaller tables for individual seating/smaller parties. The staff were friendly and nice. Our server in particular was amazing... when asked for recommendations he gave us his personal favorites. He was very attentive too. We ordered the fried goat with the maduros (sweet fried plantains) and the pollo guisado with the tostones. it was so good. My goat was so flavorful and I love the sweet plantains with it. It did not disappoint. I can't wait to return. Only downside is parking--limited to the street and can be challenging, but it does exist and it's worth the hassle. Check this place out, it's so good and you won't be disappointed! read more

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Food: Loved it! Let's get right into it. So I ordered the oxtails and they were nothing short of delicious. The portion size was excellent. Now the oxtails were small and sliced thin but meaty enough to be filling. It did not come with rice or a carb so I ordered a side of the yellow Caribbean rice. I was in hog heaven. The hubby had the Dominican slow roasted pork ribs which were tender and quite tasty. It's not an entree but an appetizer. While the food was amazing the only disappointment was we went on a Saturday night and they were out of most of the entrees such as the 1/2 chicken, the garlic noodles and the whole snapper. Hated it! That said I guess it gives me something to look forward to next time. Ambiance: The small dining room is very quaint, and decorated to ever so slightly transport you to the Dominican. Service: The servers were really nice and the service was great. The staff was friendly and did their best to make our experience a good one. Parking: It's downtown Oakland so take your chances. Overall: If you're looking for a delicious meal with great ambiance, good service and portion sizes then this is for you! I'm putting it in rotation!!!! read more

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The food was delicious and the atmosphere was very nice. The service was really good.

The sancocho and oxtail are delightful!! Good portions, great music and vibe and the staff is happy and helpful.

Wow. Dominican food at its finest. I had the plate with pork and it was delicious. Amazing blend of flavors. Sweet, savory, good acidity and well seasoned. Nothing overpowering and good portion sizes. Service was great. The waiter was super attentive and asks how things were going throughout the meal. We also got seated right away. The decor and ambiance of the restaurant has bright colors and good upbeat latin music. Great place for younger adults or friends. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

We came here for lunch and sat outside because it was such a beautiful day! They had 3 tables outside, and several tables and counter seating inside. Paul served us and was super friendly & enthusiastic. Great service, and made our Thursday 1000x better. We got the lunch plates; salad with chicken, rice bowl with pork, and mofongo. All the food was full of flavors, and we left no crumbs. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Visited on a Wednesday night with a friend around 6:30pm. Restaurant had several other guests but plenty of open tables so pretty easy walking in. Food: Tostones - good, well fried, nice and crispy without being greasy, dipped in the spicy mayo this made for a nice bite to start the meal, serving size felt generous Dominican Slow Roasted Pork Ribs - very good, meat was tender and easy to eat off the bone without being too soft, really loved the guava glaze almost like a tropical BBQ sauce, the slaw added a bit of freshness and the avocado mousse added creamy richness Braised greens - tender and so flavorful, a hearty stew of greens and beans in sofritas, served in a savory broth and topped with pickled onions, layered Dominican spices Yellow rice - good, light and fluffy plump kernels of yellow rice that soaked up all the sauces nicely Mofungo - chunky mashed plantains with a cup of garlic miso sofrito broth/butter, mofungo itself was plain and neutral in flavor making it a great starchy vehicle for the savory buttery sauce Pernil - very good, pork was tender and easy to shred with crispy bits here and there, served in a delicious brothy citrus garlic butter sofrito sauce, topped with chunks of sweet potatoes which creamy sweet pops and and tangy pickles onions, along with cilantro lime aioli which added richness, lots of textures in flavors, generous portion Service was good, good came out super quick once we ordered. Water was refilled throughout our meal and staff checked in periodically. Overall really enjoyed Alamar, the Dominican/ Caribbean flavor with a California twist were fantastic. Menu felt like it had something for everyone, all the dishes weordered went well together but we're also solid stand alone. Reasonably priced, would love to come back and try more, great spot for a group to try a much of dishes. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Dominican Slow Roasted Pork Ribs - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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It's my first time trying Dominican food, and I was so impressed that I found myself returning for two consecutive days to explore more of their dishes! For both visits, I placed a pickup order. The restaurant had my food ready when I arrived, and I appreciated that they sealed their takeout bags for security. From their Lunch Combo menu, I tried two delicious dishes. The Dominican Rice Bowl, featuring Slow Roasted Pork Pernil and Tostones (Fried Green Plantain), was an absolute delight. The roasted pork was incredibly tender and juicy, making it effortless to pull apart, while the tostones added a delightful crunch. The other dish I tried was The New Dominicano sandwich, which comes with braised oxtail, pork pernil, butter pickles, Swiss cheese, sofrito lime mayo, nisi Philly roll, and tostones. This sandwich was bursting with flavor, delicious, and extremely fulfilling. read more

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Got the pernil, ribs, noodles, and plantains. Everything was just okay. The drinks were terrible however. Ribs were probably the highlights but nothing special. read more

At the office, we have a meal program called "fooda" which partners with local businesses and I love trying new places and foods. As I'm trying to get more vegetarianish, my meal today was delicious! Plantains, corn, sweet potatoes, beans and rice in flavor filled sauces. It is definitely a meal because I'm saving the plantains my dessert. If you are watching carbs, this isn't for you but try it anyways!! I will definitely order this again and look forward to going to the restaurant. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Veggie entree - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

What an excellent experience to dine here! First timers to the Dominican cuisine and we were soooo happy! The interior is pretty open and loud with bright colors and music. The place was buzzing on a Sunday evening. Our party was seated and our server, Jess, was right on it. Jess was the bomb! The four of us ordered quite a bit, and it was all exceptional in flavor and overall presentation. Nothing fancy mind you, but exciting! Top winners for us was the Dominican salad - bright, spicy and super flavorful. the Pernil roasted pork - OMG so so good! the braised oxtail - I did not get to try this dish, BUT let me tell you, the two that hoarded it were in heaven. Couldn't get it away from them! Stewed Dominican red beans were just awesome. You get the idea that we had a really great time here? you would be right. WE WILL BE BACK SOON. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Dominican salad and salchichon longaniza sausages - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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We sat outside since it was a nice summer day but the inside is super cute and has cute ambient lights. Waiters were super friendly, gave great recommendations when we were ordering. Food was DELICIOUS! Our group agreed everything we tried was yummy. The salad was not at all what we were expecting but a very pleasant surprise, one of my fav dishes. Great reliable spot to eat, would def recommend and return. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Empanadas, Dominican Spring Salad, "Pernil" Roast Pork, Dominican "Garlic Udon Noodles", Dominican Pork Ribs, Chicken Chicharron, Maduros - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Absolutely love this place. Beautifully decorated. The food is by far some of the best food I've had in the Bay Area The staff is extremely friendly and personable The place is a bit small so definitely plan ahead for large groups read more

My dine-in experience mid-year was a 5 star while my takeout was more of a 3. Dine-in - Although out of the smothered crispy red snapper and the Dominican mofongo I wanted for the dine-in, I still left satisfied after starting with the popular Dominican street food, fritura de chivo (fried goat), followed by braised angus oxtail "encendido" and the slow roasted pork pernil. I didn't even need the additional sauce but what it came in was perfect to dip my twice fried green plantain tostones. I loved every dish so much, I was back within weeks for takeout for my parents since they don't go out much. Take-out - I really wanted to try the smothered crispy snapper and mofongo but didn't see either on their online order. I called hoping to see whether it was available but you only get a message saying that they don't answer the phone but to text them. I texted them to ask about the fish availability but got no response until they were closing 4 hours later. In the meantime, I ended up going in person so I can talk to someone and place my order. Luckily it wasn't a waste as they did have the smothered fish but was still out of the mofongo and also the tostones. Because I ordered in person at the bar vs. being able to do so over the phone, I had to wait over 30 minutes at the bar for my order. The whole time I was at the bar, the workers at the bar were just standing around doing nothing which makes no sense why they can't have them answer the phones. To top it off, they charge an automatic 20% gratuity on takeout orders. I can understand an automatic 10% gratuity but 20% with no table service was so absurd since they are open for dine-in now and the reason I haven't been back as often as I had planned. I hope the lack of phone communications and automatic 20% gratuity for takeout has been discontinued since this was a few months ago, but something to be aware. read more

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This wonderful restaurant has a happy atmosphere, vibrant decor, bachata & merengue playing in the background, an open kitchen and some seriously flavorful food to enjoy. Traditional Dominican recipes feature a unique element to make it new and exciting. My sancocho vegetarariano took a bit longer to arrive compared to my husbands sancochito but that was fine since I was just about stuffed from the succulent slightly spicy sweet pork ribs and chili glazed maduros appetizers. Unfortunately they were out of both pernil and oxtail during this visit but we hope to come back and try it next time. We ended the meal sharing their Dominican style bread pudding. Our awesome waiter Jesus was very nice & efficient and the charming Chef Nelson came by to check on us. So glad he decided to stick it out despite their recent hardships. Oaktown needs places like this to thrive. read more

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Huge fan of Chef Nelson. He really doesn't miss when it comes to food. My husband and I came to Alamar for the first time on a Sunday evening for my birthday and I loved it. Good service, lively ambiance, delicious food! We ordered the Chile Glazed Sweet Plantains, Braised Angus Oxtail Encendido, Smothered Whole Crispy Branzino, and Yellow Caribbean Rice. Everything single item was really well made and rich in flavor. I'm obsessed with the plantains (would literally go back just for that lol). We were also surprised with a slice of amazing cheesecake for dessert, candle and all! That's the kind of thoughtful service I love and that keeps me coming back. read more

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Great service. The food was delicious and we weren't served oversized portions. We took our food to go at lunch time on a Wednesday. I was pleasantly surprised and will return. read more

Do y'all know how hard it is to find good Spanish. Food in northern Cali. No I'm not talking about Mexican Peruvian Columbian. I mean Dominican Puerto Rican Cuban. That Caribbean Latin food . Most of the places are just down right horrible. Alamar feels like a NYC fancier Spanish restaurant. I love love love that you can smell their food from outside before even walking in. Yeah let the smell seduce me into walking in. I ordered the oxtails rices and plantains. The plantain were friended perfectly ripe sweet golden brown. The yellow rice had good flavor notes. It was grainy but not dry. Now to the star Oxtails. Definitely they give you a decent amount per order . It's fork tender seasoned and has an assortment of great flavors. My one issue were the olives yes I feel like Spanish people do add olives to dishes like rice and Gandules stew goat and oxtails. The issue is in these dishes they use whole not sliced olives and they don't use an abundance of them either. It felt with every bite of meat and sauce a damn olive oil got in there. I wished i was Moses parting the olives from the sauce. Like damn I really gotta use my fork. Overall Alamar is a solid Yes. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - The bar - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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2nd time coming to eat here and the food tasted better the 2nd time. The 1st time I ordered their bistec encaballado and the meat was hard, almost burnt and hard to chew. Today I ordered the pernil and I was pretty satisfied, but I wish it came with a side of rice or beans. Portions are also pretty small. The food is decent in taste but they need waaaayyyy better time management in their kitchen. I came with a party of 6 and by the time the last person was served the first person had finished eating despite waiting for a while. We also asked for an order of tostones and maduros when we ordered our main course but they forgot about them so we just ended up having to cancelling both orders. Drinks are pretty good tho. I really wish I could give them a better review but their time management is ridiculously slow. Most likely will be my last time coming for food here. read more

Alamar Dominican Kitchen - Comfort Food Near Me - Oakland, California

I stumbled onto this place one evening and oh my goodness... I couldn't get enough! I wanted to order everything on the menu! I'm definitely choosing this place over and over again. So delicious, this Puerto-Rican thanks you. read more

Please bring back some of the pre-Covid menu items! You all had a super extensive menu pre-Covid and it's hard to forget some of those great dishes. My personal request is the calamari with that chick-fil-a type of sauce! read more

Such an authentic, amazing experience here. Found this little gem on Yelp! and we're so glad. We had the whole fish entree and a few sides. The cook was tremendous and the seasoning was so unique and flavorful. We were traveling and don't get the chance to stop in this neighborhood very often, but we'll definitely come back if we're ever in town again. Server was really nice and kind, it was quiet in the restaurant. Great for dates, small groups, lunch, dinner. read more

AlaMar Dominican Kitchen serves up modern Dominican flavors with a casual, laid-back vibe. The food? Pretty solid. What I Ate: Dominican Mixed Green Salad w/ Chicken Thigh - The chicken thigh was juicy and well-seasoned, a good protein choice for the fresh greens. The sofrito vinaigrette added a nice touch, and the avocado was fresh--always a win. Platos Banderas w/ Fish - The fish was melted into the sauce, giving the dish deep, savory flavor, though I wouldn't have minded some actual chunks of fish for texture. The yellow rice, beans, and plantains rounded it out nicely. Drinks? Cocktails were a highlight--the Mamajuana packed a spiced, rum-heavy punch, and the Chinola Spritz was light, tropical, and refreshing. Final Thoughts: AlaMar delivers bold, comforting flavors with a modern touch. While I would've liked a little more textural contrast in the fish dish, the flavors were on point. Definitely a spot worth checking out, especially for drinks and small plates. read more

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As a New Yorker on the west coast, I've been yearning for good Caribbean Latin food. After coming back from a recent trip to NYC and trying Alamar, I have a deeper appreciation for the restaurant. This is as close to good Dominican food that you're going to get in the Bay Area without having a Dominican family member to cook for you. The food is delicious! The salad was amazing as was the rice and beans and bacalao. Tostones were cooked to perfection. The vibes are perfect and the service was great. There is nothing I can find wrong with this place and I'm not mad at all! I'm so glad this spot is in our neighborhood and can't wait to come back. read more

I cannot say enough good things about this restaurant. I am just sad that I've gone so long without trying it! Usually, my reviews are detailed to support a score. But in these rare instances, all I can say is: Go. Try It. Fall in love with Dominican food that is masterfully crafted. The location is nicely decorated, the service staff from the front of the house to the kitchen are so kind and attentive. And the best bachata tracks are playing to set the mood while you devour all the goodness. They have found a routine patron in me now! read more

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