Absolute worst service I've ever encountered, and we didn't even stay to eat! We walked in and were treated extremely dismissively by three staff members. The place smells off too. I'm sure the food may be good but I'd never pay to be treated so poorly. read more

Sigh. Really wanted to love this place. It's a cute nostalgic vibe in here. With the aesthetics I was easily impressed. It just took way too long for food to come out. Like I'm talking 25-30 mins between courses. Just too much. I was tired and wanted to go home after 2 appetizers came out and we hadn't even received our entree yet. Food was fine. Nothing to complain about or write home about. 20% service charge to top it all off. We were just a table of 2 lol. read more

One of my favorite episodes of Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations was in Rome. In that episode Tony goes to a restaurant where he has an amazing meal and doesn't want to tell anyone the name of the restaurant because he didn't want it to get mobbed by tourists. The night I first went to Burdell I had that moment. I didn't want to tell anyone about this place because I loved it so much at first sight. However, there is no way you could keep this place a secret because it is just that good. The food, service and ambiance are all noteworthy and each gives you a reason to come back again and again. When you walk in it's a bright and open restaurant but as you look around you see little details that remind you (if you were alive) of a welcoming home from the 70s/80s. Whether it's the pictures on the walls, the dishes, the colored glass windowpanes, to the vintage stove near the bathrooms. There is something that reminds you of an innocent time in life when people used to invite you over for a meal as a kid. OK maybe everyone won't feel this way but I certainly did. Just like visiting a neighbor's home for a home cooked meal you are greeted warmly by everyone, and I do mean everyone. I have never had so much positive eye contact with a staff the first time in a restaurant. Everyone we spoke with was warm and full of personality. They did a wonderful job of putting together a team that makes you feel like you were invited and not there for a dinner reservation. Already, with the ambiance and the service I was sold. The food however was truly the unassuming star. It was food that made you feel good about what makes food great. My favorite points of our meal were the chicken liver mousse and waffles and the slow cooked lamb ribs. These were two of the best renditions of these ingredients I've ever had but what really hit me was how approachable these dishes were. What I mean is if I was with someone who wasn't into or hadn't tried chicken liver mousse or lamb that this would be a perfect introduction to them. They were hard not to love for anyone, for me personally I could have eaten both dishes twice over. Everything we had was fantastic, but these were notable for those reasons. If you haven't pieced it together yet, Burdell is one of my new favorite restaurants. It already has a special place in my heart because it hit all the notes that all my other favorite restaurants have hit. I look forward to many more returns and I wish the team at Burdell all the success in the world. read more

This place is getting a lot of hype, and I think it's mostly well deserved. Definitely an elevated take on soul food, really interesting to see how Chef Davis is interpreting traditional recipes through his training. Standouts to me were the shrimp, chicken and waffles and the bass, which came with some fantastic grits. The melon and ham was delicious but the portions were really stingy for the price. The collard greens were wonderfully spiced. Biscuits were dry and crumbling, which was disappointing. read more

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I have been 4 times and every time find something new that is unique creative and so well balanced.

Was excited to come here for my birthday after reading the food and wine article. I thought the bbq shrimp were great, and the wine list was also solid. Lots of sauce in the shrimp. The greens also had a great flavor to them. We also had a fried oyster and tomato salad which was cooked perfectly. However, the roux in the gumbo was burnt and the service was extraordinarily slow. We didn't see any food for an hour after we got to see. Good music but overall a mixed bag of an experience. read more

Nothing like going to a restaurant and feeling like you are at grandma's house. I grew up in East Africa and I was lucky to have my grandma living a few hours from us. I looked forward to going to Abaye's place. One of the plates that had the ham and pears reminded me of Abaye's house. She had the same plates! My experience at Burdell was exceptional. The drinks were great! I had a coconut milk washed one called "Margaret" and it was delicious. Then I tried the "Stella" and I ended up having 3 of them. We may have ordered everything on the menu and it's hard to say which ones were my favorite. But I would definitely recommend you order all the sides (you can skip the biscuits if you want to have room for the others but I enjoyed them). The cheesy grits, chefs kiss. The mushroom dirty rice and pork neck roast, also chefs kiss. The ambiance is chill and the music is great. Oh and we also ordered everything from the appetizer/for the table except the shrimp barbecue. read more

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This was a dining experience! The atmosphere and decor was so enjoyable. Minimalist, curated with love, beautiful. Service was so warm and attentive, really personable and clearly thrilled to be there. Food was extremely creative and well made. We had succotash, blackened cod, pork neck and biscuits. Succotash was cooked exactly right, fresh vegetables still had perfect flavor and bite. Blackened cod was so creamy. Tomato sauce was the only single downside of the meal - just not the right pair for us. Pork neck was rich, delicious and biscuits were nutty and buttery. Two desserts: pie and chocolate cake. I don't like chocolate cake, but this changed my mind. All the parts of the restaurant were good, but the whole was greater than the sum. Felt like dropping into another era, another world...a little vacation. Can't wait to come back. read more

We arrive at 7:45 Pm on Wednesday night and were seated immediately. We ordered the fried green tomatoes. The owner arrived with the appetizer at our table and made us aware that you make a wrap with the lettuce leaf , shaved, pork jowl, and sauce. Yummy! I ordered the lamb chop and my husband order the chicken for entrees. The lamb chop arrived rare. It was almost as if it had not been cooked. I asked our kind and courteous waitress to ask that it be taken and left on the grill longer for medium well. She took it to Geoff ,the owner, and he refused my request twice. The waitress suggested the blackened cod instead, since my husband had already received his plate. It was tasty, however I prepared blackened fish the night before at my home, so I had not planned to have fish two nights in a row. My husband stated that he would not order the chicken again. We will not be returning to Burdell as the chef is unable to accommodate our needs. By the way, Geoff was not in the kitchen. He was standing at a counter waiting for the dishes to come out so he could deliver the plates to the table, even though there was ample wait staff to do that. He never bothered to walk around and introduce himself to the patrons or check to see if they were enjoying their food. Geoff is full of himself and I will be surprised if Burdell is still around a year from now unless he changes his business model. read more

Went to check out after being voted the best resturant by food and wine magazine. Boy were we disappointed. It started off good with attentive service and tasty appetizers. Then it went progressively downhill. Our server completely abandoned us midway through our meal. Did not check on us not even after we paid the bill. I had to flag another server to get our bill and was asked how was everything. We expressed our thoughts and that a few dishes were very salty, and she didn't even acknowledge. If you are not going to acknowledge why ask. We had the following starters-NOLA beignets, smoked salmon croquettes, and asparagus salad -all were good. For entrees we had biscuits and gravy-gravy was a weird texture not good, beef hash-beef was overcooked and salty, hangtown fry toast-this dish did not come together well epic fail, BBQ shrimp and grits- the biggest disappointment no flavor just salt with little shrimp. This is not what I would consider soul food. There were 3 generations in our party and we all were gravely disappointed. I don't recommend. Burdell you need to get it together. Customer service is key! Keep the food simple and delicious. read more

My friend wanted to go here because he was enamored by the amount of press this restaurant had gotten on its launch. I glanced at the menu online prior and was skeptical. The menu isn't particularly expansive and nothing on the menu really jumped out to me but I suspended my skepticism in hopes that there would be some pleasant surprises. The first issue was the service. A lot of the reviews mentioned how warm and inviting the service was here so I was looking forward to experiencing this. I'm not a fine dining snob and I don't need servers / hosts enthusiastically greeting me for me to deem service as good. I typically think of service for casual dining spots as something that you only notice if it's particularly good or bad and unfortunately in this case it was the latter. We had a reservation at 7pm on a weekday and we showed up right on time. The host said our table would be ready shortly and invited us to wait on the couches for a few minutes which we did. We noticed a few couples arriving after us that were seated before us. We didn't think much of it until it kept happening. Ultimately we weren't seated until 7:30pm which is annoying but not the end of the world. The disappointing thing was the lack of updates or acknowledgement from the host. Not once during the entire wait did the host check in on us and apologize for the delay. Even when he told us our table was ready, he didn't apologize for the wait. Not a great way to start off a dining experience but I'm willing to chalk it up to maybe the host here was having a bad day or maybe he's just not the friendliest person but nothing great food cant make up for. The food at Burdell is the main issue. From reviews and press, you would think this place had reinvented new american / soul food but in reality it's a very average menu with nothing that really stood out to me. We ordered: Miso Peanuts ($8) - these were fine and nothing special. it tasted like peanuts boiled in miso soup which some folks thought was amazing and novel but they were just literally that. would recommend skipping this. Chicken Liver & Waffle ($18) - this was actually quite good. the waffles had a nice dense umami flavor and the liver was very rich and really liked the crunchy corn flake type addition. would def recommend BBQ Whole Shrimp ($24) - not really sure what the hype around this dish was, flavor profile of this just tasted sort of bland and salty. it didn't have the depth of flavor especially considering it was supposed to be brown butter Mushroom Dirty Rice ($31) - I was shocked by how little food this dish had. i know mushrooms aren't cheap but again, overly salty and tasted like mush. there wasnt any sort of brightness or balance to this dish through texture or flavor Pork Neck Roast ($41) - a very underwhelming dish. it looked like a piece of pork loin with some garnish on it. the texture of the meat was sort of stringy and lacked any type of meaningful structure. the sauce was also nothing memorable. this was especially disappointing because pork neck is incredibly flavorful but this dish didn't messed it up. Sourdough Biscuits ($11 for 2) - this was comparably ok - a little dry, dense, and salty, but they tasted decent. another example of service lacking here where we asked for 3 because we had 3 ppl and the server informed us that they could only do 2 or 4. Normally restaurants say sure and just charge us half the price for an extra one but thought it was odd that they wouldn't do that here. It was just as well as we were pretty underwhelmed by the food and glad we didn't have to eat more. Glazed Carrots ($13) - fairly standard carrots. a little undercooked and just a bit too firm. All in all this meal cost us $220 for 3 people (mandatory 20% service fee which was definitely undeserved) and reasonable people can agree or disagree if this was "worth it" but we didn't feel it was. I say this very aware that running a restaurant in the bay area is expensive and restaurants are going to charge what theyre going to charge but as a consumer you can make your own decisions as to what is worth it to you based on what you value and this wasn't it for me. It was less the absolute cost of this meal but rather that we didn't feel like there was anything particularly noteworthy for the amount of money we spent. We were still hungry afterwards and seriously contemplated going to mcdonalds after. I think Burdell is a bit of a victim of it's own marketing. Had the hype of this place not been so high, I would just chalk this restaurant up to another example of everything wrong with bay area dining - things are expensive and range from not very good to ok. But with the press and accolades, I don't see the appeal. I don't think there's anything particularly bad or wrong about this place, i just didn't see what the hype was. I wouldn't go out of my way to try this place. If you like trying new restaurants as a hobby, go for it but it's nothing to write home about. read more

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To the person who said this is not soul food: This is exactly what real soul food should taste like - regardless of how traditional or eclectic it is. An expression of impeccable skill and creativity, made by someone who genuinely gives a damn. Food that makes you want to dig in, share, and smile after each bite. Food that makes you feel warm and welcome. Food that nourishes body and soul with a generous sprinkling of nostalgia. The chicken & waffle as well as the cod were spectacular. The peach cobbler pie was outstanding. Drinks were creative and on point. I cannot wait to come back. read more

If you are looking for SOUL food this ain't it! I think they should market it as a soul food fusion restaurant! The only think nostalgic were the dishes and maybe the dinner trays in the corner. There is no need for me to describe the boiled peanuts, Angela below described it best! The pickle brined chicken was seasoned well, however, the pickle flavor was a bit overwhelming for my taste. And I Love pickles! The whipped potatoes were decent but underwhelming. When you say something is candied, I expect it to be sweet! The candied butternut squash should be named mandarin glaze butternut squash. The sole was over seasoned and is described to be served with Dungeness crab remoulade, which is supposed to be similar to tartar sauce, but this was not! Furthermore, Dungeness where?? Disclaimer...... I am a dessert snob! The pineapple upside down loaf, as I will refer to it, was extremely dense and saturated in the sauce, the pineapple was good though. Finally, the POUND CAKE, we had one bite! The sauce overpowered that cake and was not flavorful. In conclusion, I eat out regularly as I am a foodie, a true lover of food. I have never tasted soul food prepared this way in any state I've been! I hope they have success with their target demographic! read more

Absolutely delicious Sunday brunch with my family. Service and vibes are great too! It's no wonder this place is winning awards.

Incredible, incredible meal. We ordered the whole menu (minus the fish) and every single dish was just. so. damn. delicious. You can't even list menu highlights because everything is killer. Bangin' wine list (small, focused, accessible, but with some real deep cuts for the nerds). Friendly professional servers who know their stuff and know how to take care of you. Whole experience is like a warm hug. Immediately telling everyone I know to come eat here read more

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Such a great experience. Food, decor, and service were amazing. Loved all the food we got Cant wait to come back read more

Oakland's food scene is so joyfully exciting right now, and this place is what I mean by that. This restaurant was a whole experience. I love it when a restaurant has a story to tell, and they let you in on it. We ordered the albacore tartare on a hot day, and it was heaven; I will remember that green tomato shaved ice for a long time. The pork neck was divine, so many complex, subtle, bold flavors--how did they do that? I always associate blackened meat as dry, but the blackened cod was melt-in-your-mouth. I wasn't so thrilled about the tomato sauce, but maybe just a preference thing. Vegetables were perfectly cooked; you can tell everything is ridiculously fresh. We got 2 desserts, a decadent chocolate cake and a peach pie that might have had rosemary and cardamom in it? Both excellent. What really made the experience were the staff. They look like they really love what they do and want to share that with you. It makes the vibe of the whole place great, and you can tell the people at the neighboring tables are having a lovely time too. That is way more than I could have asked for in a last-minute dinner out on a weeknight! read more

Okay Burdell! Fancyyyy I came here with 2 other friends and I liked a few things about how the restaurant runs: 1) the way they explained that everything is family style, so they'll make sure everything fits together when they present the food 2) included service (and a little blurb on tips) 3) the plates are so old school and the aprons are cute!! I enjoyed the food and the drinks as well! My minor beef is that if it's really family style with our group in mind, I would have somehow made the plates more easily divisible by 3. You really can't come here unless you're in even numbers. Also the drinks are kind of tiny for the price. Cute ambiance and I loved watching this restaurant grow to fruition. I'm sad Aunt Mary's is closed (Burdell took over their spot)... But the people here are really cool and on top of their game Also, I'd Uber here.. on the way here I saw 2 cars on different streets getting their windows busted for no reason. Okay food hot takes: Their take on chicken and waffles: super rich Their bbq shrimp starter: ample and so flavorful; a little skimpy on the bread LOVED the cod Lamb ribs were hard to split and some of the meat was mainly skin and fat, which was kind of sad. But the greens it comes with is amazing Biscuits were good but nothing to write home about Glad I came and would definitely come again for special occasions! But probably best suited for pairs rather than groups. read more

DELICIOUS and so cozy! All the staff was lovely too, what a wonderful vibe. Can't wait to go back for brunch.

It was fine! The food was probably twice the price for what you get, but really enjoyed some things. For food-- 4 stars. The staff was very condescending. I am from the South, so I was sooo excited for some good soul food. Wish that the server didn't laugh at me when I asked about the boiled peanuts or make fun of me for looking at photos of dishes on my phone to help me decide ( because he couldn't give any recs). He made my husband and I very uncomfortable the entire meal and I dreaded every time he came close. read more

Overpriced, not that great. Went for a friend's birthday, and the five of us (including two chefs) were not impressed. I'm glad this place exists: the concept is great, decor is on point. But it's really all about the food for me, and they did not deliver. read more

Not good. automatic service fee tacked onto very expensive prices. The Fried chicken and grits was mid for the price charged. Honestly my favorite part was the bathroom decor. Willing to return if the service fee is discontinued read more

Burdell is a cut above. The ambiance is impeccable the service is great and the meal was super delicious. So glad we finally got ourselves out to Oakland, we'll be back! read more

Burdell - The Family dinner option. The mashed potatoes were so freakin good, heck it was all good. - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

The food was excellent, not too heavy, very fresh and well executed. Servers were attentive and friendly and I really appreciate how the service charge means no tipping. This restaurant could change the world but also it's super delicious! Danny read more

My Mima was excited to try the new up-and-coming "soul-food" restaurant for her birthday, which fell on Easter this year. I want to start by saying this is a critique more than a witch hunt, but I must clarify my points. We arrived before our reservation time and sat at the bar as we waited for the rest of our party. This was their Sunday brunch menu, which was underwhelming, to say the least. I brought my young son in tow, who I knew would not want anything offered on the menu that day, but I was pleasantly surprised at the option of chicken and waffles. As our party arrived, we sat down and, due to our lack of eating prior and our assumption of eating something tasty, were ready to roll. We started with the doughnut holes, which were surprisingly good. Then, we were left to die; it took the waiter and kitchen almost an hour to present us with the option to order our main courses. Once we had ordered and devoured our doughnut holes (my son did not like them), we had to order more so we would not perish in hunger. Then the clock stopped, it was like we were in the twilight zone. As they cleaned our space and left no plates, our second order of doughnut holes arrived. By this time, 1.5 hours had passed and our main food should have been here. Here's the kicker: We asked for more plates to eat our second helping of holes and were told No, and that our food would be here any minute. 30-40 minutes later, with a doughnut hole sprinkled mess everywhere, the food arrived. Rude much. We ALL had chicken and waffles and one shrimp and grits. They looked good, but a sauteed roach looked at this point - we were all starving. Watching the ships roll in... As they brought each plate, we slowly looked around to ask where the syrup was. The waiter eloquently said, "This is it., no syrup." Do you mean in the world or in the back house? What are you saying? We have to eat dry-ass fried chicken on top of a dry-ass waffle. Blasphemy. We all ate the chicken and packed the waffles to go, which we ultimately threw away--who wants soggy leftover waffles? I think they were going for "savory," but you need the sweet in this case. The waiter should have said something, apologized or questioned as he saw five plates of waffles being packed and some left. Clue?? We sang Happy Birthday to my Mima twice, and not one person from their staff acknowledged our presence or reason for being there. I always try to support black-owned businesses and wanted to support Burdell, too. But this was a "grand opening" and "grand closing" experience for my family and me, who are huge foodies and would have loved to return. We shall not... read more

My wife and I tried Burdell this past weekend, had a great experience!! We did the tasting menu and had fun trying some things we wouldn't normally order (I've never had a boiled/soaked peanut before), but it was all fantastic. The BBQ Shrimp and the grits were especially good. Only thing I'd mention is we did the wine pairing and for each wine the waiter would only say "Merlot" instead of describing appellation/vintage/etc. I'm guessing this might be by design but for me I do like knowing that stuff without needing to ask. But overall, service was wonderful! read more

Very thoughtful recipes. Each bite left me wanting more. The salads are out of this world flavorful. Smothered pork chops could have used a little more salt for my taste, but the crunch was spot on. Chanterelle shallot gravy was nice- I think one should have the option of on or off the meat but definitely order it. Mother big surprise for me was the cornbread! Made with a red bloody butcher corn- so sweet and complex. I don't know how they get the crunch on the sides- magnificent. The dining room is clean and no fuss. Nice music. Please note this is not a fast food experience in any way. Don't even think you can stop here for a bite before the theater- it won't work. Make a reservation when dining is all you have to do for a few hours. You won't regret it! read more

Worst service. Really made what should have been a nice night out a miserable experience. The wait staff member started by being condescending at the start. she only came back once, to deliver the meals after one and a half hours of ordering. I know there is a laissez faire style of serving , but this wasn't it. For over $100 a person, I expect more. the duck was good but it coupled with the service was not a pleasant dining experience. overrated. read more

Had a res but still had to wait 30min. Nice decor but music was slightly too loud. Lame small print on menu: mandatory 20% tip and don't use your phone in the restaurant. I wasn't going to, but that's heavy handed. Food wise, mixed bag: -pluot and bacon was solid. fresh and rich -heirloom tomatoes and fried oysters was on the salty side but ingredients tasted premium -corn bread was too dense; bordered on bland, even slathered with their tangy butter -liver and waffles was not good for me. liver had a foul aftertaste imo. waffles used the same dense mix as the corn bread. -collard greens was pretty good. could've been less tangy and more hearty, but depends how you like your greens. wouldn't go back. semi forced to go here by gf who saw it on a top 10 list of some sort. not restaurant's fault obviously but came back to my car with smashed in windows. park somewhere upstanding (like not in oakland..) if you're gonna go here. read more

I had to come here after reading the SF Chronicle's 100 Best restaurants. As I scrolled down to number 1, I said to myself, it CAN'T be Burdell. It was. I don't get it. My husband and I went for our anniversary in April and $400 later I was quite underwhelmed. The vinegar in the chicken liver and waffle dish made it taste like bile. The rest was only OK. I think the best thing was the cornbread and that ain't enough. I don't understand how this place is the best restaurant in America or SF. Not that good. read more

What an amazing meal we had. We have made brunch reservations to enjoy this delicious find with friends. Is everything food and wine said it is. Thank you for having this restaurant so close to home. The ambience is amazing. I feel like I'm back in grandma's kitchen. read more

I heard all the good reviews about this "soul food" restaurant and wanted to try it while in San Francisco for my birthday. The vibe is the restaurant is nice. It gives retro granny house but on an elevated level. The staff were very kind and attentive. This is were things go wrong. Let me preface this that I was born and raised in the south. I know what soul food is and I didn't even review the menu because I know what soul food is comprised of and those items were not on the menu. I don't think you can truly be considered solid food without fried chicken on the menu; you just can't. I came expecting friend chicken, sweet potatoes(candied yams) macaroni and cheese, collard greens etc. none of which were in the menu. Instead there was braised beets and avacados, duck, sausage and I'm sure they are very delicious, I don't like any of those so I was stuck with sides. I ordered hopping John, turnips ,which I thought were turnip greens, but were actual turnips and cornbread. What I ordered was flavored well, great temperature and presentation but when you have your heart set on a certain meal and you don't get that it can still be disappointing. I will say that the cornbread, the one soul food item, was dry which was unfortunate. I was hoping dessert would save things. But that was a let down as well. There was some frozen pomegranate number, apple pie, and one other dish that I think has rice in it. I chose the apple pie even though I'm not really a fan but wanted something sweet. I ordered the pie to go. Once I got back to my hotel, I discovered that the crust of the pie was burnt and it was dry as well. This was not a cheap meal. For the three sides , drink and a slice of pie, I paid $114. I wouldn't have minded if I enjoyed my meal as it was a special occasion. I hate to leave this review, especially for a black owned business but I feel people need to know before they go what they are getting into. read more

Loved everything!!! Asparagus salad, corn bread, shrimp. Yum!! Celebrated my birthday and had the best time. Ambiance so vintage chic and cozy. Service was great! A must try! read more

Finally got a chance to give Burdell a try, and boy did it exceed my expectations. The minute you walk in, you get a full sense of the vibe that chef Davis has created. The music is cool, the dining room feels classy but also home-y, and the staff is welcoming. I'm from the south and was thrilled to see a lot of the ingredients I grew up on (boiled peanuts, collards, okra, etc) but was pleasantly surprised to see just how Burdell celebrated those ingredients by elevating dishes with them without being stuffy. The boiled peanuts for example were in a delectable miso broth that we kept on the table the whole meal to dip various other items in. Even the simple tomato dish had a dill ranch dressing that I'm still dreaming about. The mocktails were stellar as was the Rooibos sweet tea. We had to leave a bit early to make it to a show, so we didn't even get to try the dessert. Next time I'm bringing friends back to do the family style option and to make sure I get to dive into one of the tasty-looking dessert options. read more

I am the friend who was visiting who begged to go here and try Burdell after seeing the Food and Wine article, in the 1-star review referenced below. Not great food aside, as ahe metioned, the poor service was most memorable and all the wrong ways. Our server was cold and clearly and visibly biased towards us. The experience was cringey, especially coming from another Black woman. I don't usually get too bothered by poor service and certainly won't make a scene, but this felt personal. We arrived early, made no demands, smiled, sat where we told, etc. Requested suggestions and received cold replies, "our menu is complete," "everything is good," and the kicker, "I can not help you." Only to witness her engage in friend treatment and discussion with couples at tables to our left and right. We're inches away from those tables, so it was easy to see and hear the differences, including warm check-ins, refreshed drinks, etc. I guess our biggest mistake was showing up, period. Prior to visiting the area, I was told that this type of thing happens in OAK, where Black people potentially treat other Black people poorly for whatever history or what has happened in the city. It was an amazingly awful, jaw-dropping experience. Upon leaving, I blurted out a cathartic, "Wtf was that just now!?!" The experience was hella saddening and flat out gross and is now one of those core "mistreatment" memories; I'll never forget it. I came to visit my friend for respite while I'm unemployed... and I begged her to let me pay the $220 bill because I somehow felt the experience was my fault for asking to go here. We won't be back. Burdell 'nem will be fine, cook on... All the best. Black people... approach with caution, cause skin folk... read more

Just ate here for my boyfriend's birthday!I recommend getting the pre fix dinner! it was soooo good. left feeling well fed but not overstuffed. this place is so cute! the perfect place for a date night or a family dinner! don't listen to the haters and losers who know NOTHING. the service was perfect. the food was perfect. the mood and ambiance was perfect. we are lucky to have Burdell read more

This place is "soul food" inspired, but kicks it up to a higher level. The sauces and details of execution make a world of difference. My favorites include the cornbread which came with "butter" that tasted sort of sour-cream like -- divine! We had two sets for the table and wound up ordering a third it was so scrumptious. I would have been happy with just that and my white wine. Another favorite was the crispy onion and mushroom dish. I thought this was going to be like a typical tempura dish based on the looks of it, but the accompanying sauce is what made all the difference. It is some sort of maple and mustardy concoction -- sounds odd but it was heavenly. Like the butter that came with the cornbread, I would eat this sauce with anything. We also had the boiled peanuts, and again it is the tasty stew in which these are served that makes them next level. It's a mess to eat, but worth it. The Hoppin John red-eyed peas were also delicious, and I had the chicken for the entree. We probably ordered too much but there were so many small plates we wanted to share. By the time I got the entree, I was already satisfied, but that did not stop me from eating every last bite of the chicken, which had a very original presentation and excellent carrot sides. I suspect the desserts here are outstanding, but we were already stuffed, so that will have to wait for another occasion. I wish there was a way to rate them between good and great. This is definitely above "good" , but I dinged them a star for service because there was an unusual slowness (even to getting our waters) and a forgotten drink order, but they comped us the drink which goes a long way in my book in terms of acknowledging mistakes. The wait staff were all very nice and ultimately attentive, but it does seem like there was some room for improvement in that area. I was concerned I would be underwhelmed with serving size because I had read critical reviews about this, but I am not sure what people are talking about. Maybe the connotation of soul food increases expectation of piles of food, but this was not exactly minimalist. This is "soul food" in the way that Cala is Mexican food or Mr. Jiu's is Chinese food, and I think people get in the habit of expecting enormous quantity and average quality with certain kinds of cuisines. All I know is I would go back here (many other things on the menu I'd like to try), and that says a lot for someone who is always interested in trying a new place. read more

I had high expectations for Burdell, but was sadly quite disappointed. We had a reservation for 6:15pm and upon arriving it took about 15 minutes to get a table. Took another 10 minutes to have a server come for a drink. The bar is pretty minimal which is fine, but the $17 cocktail (the "Leah" I believe) was pretty weak. I would have happily paid less as it still tasted fine, just not worth $17. Regarding the food, it was all pretty bland. I really like the idea of taking recipes from a home kitchen and turning them into something special. Unfortunately, Burdell did not hit the mark here. Everything had the same bland type of flavor. We had the tomatoes and fried oyster salad, the sausage plate and the eggplant dish. The salad was ok, the sausage was dry and mostly just fennel and the eggplant came in a dark gravy that didn't have much flavor except for some mild spice. We skipped the dessert. As for the ambiance, I love the decor there. What knocked the whole experience down further is that the music was ridiculously loud. Everyone was yelling just to make conversation. Fortunately, it was just two of us, but a larger party would have been impossible to hear across the table. Out the door our bill was $205. That was with 1 cocktail and 2 beers plus the food listed above. If this had been a $100 dinner I suppose it would have been more palatable and an interesting vibe, but for $200 I expect MUCH more. I hope it was just an off night as I love the idea, it was just poorly executed on our visit. read more

The Nashville fried rabbit was so good. We also loved the BBQ shrimp. Boiled peanuts were so good but I wasn't sure if I was eating them properly and I felt like the staff was kind of watching me with amusement. Overall the waitstaff is friendly and the prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the ingredients. The interior is mostly cute but the sun shines right in your eyes if you sit at the high tops in the bar area. The only sad part was the chef refused to take a photo with us after he delivered several of the dishes we ordered to our table. Maybe he's shy? read more

We had a 4 person, Saturday evening reservation. Our table was more or less ready on time. Having looked at the menu prior to dining I knew it wasn't typical soul food. Some might say it's not even really "elevated" soul food. We did however find everything that we had to be very tasty: boiled peanuts (messy, but worth a try), cornbread (on point and the honey butter is a nice touch), young beet & winter citrus salad (refreshing), chicken liver & waffle (yum, favorite app), bbq whole shrimp (so many rich flavors), salmon (I didn't personally try this one, but the 2 folks that did liked it), sonoma duck (the dirty rice was delish and the duck was cooked perfectly) and beef cheek pot roast (lovely and fairly generous portion). The desserts looked like an afterthought so we didn't bother to try any of those. The cocktail menu is minimal. The wine menu layout is confusing. Service was fine - they did refresh the waters very often, but we could have used new plates between certain apps so the flavors didn't blend. Having read other reviews I think that in some ways this spot is falling victim to the very high expectations that come with lots of critical acclaim and possible overexposure. read more