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

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

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Went for Samara's Soul Creations pop up on Sunday. The food is absolutely amazing but unfortunately the service didn't match the food. Our food server was pretty attentive for the most part. But we were told we had to order drinks separately which was fine since I'm sure it's set up that way cause of the pop up. Waited about 10 mins before order food no drink order taken. About another 10 mins after ordering food still no drink no drink order taken. I kept looking at the bar every staff member was doing everything else but being attentive to guests. Like it wasn't even busy! I had to get up and order my drinks twice. Cause obviously no one was going to take our drink order. Unfortunately the front of house staff was lacking in its customer service. This review doesn't reflect on Samara's Soul Creations at all the foos is great. Customer service of Calabash seriously needs help. From one hospitality person to another... Do Better! read more

Grabbed dinner here while attending the Oakland Comedy Festival this past weekend. The setting was bright and modern, with lovely plant decor creating an inviting space. A great venue for special events and live performances. Got the sauteed green beans, and jerk chicken wings with sweet bell peppers, along with the oakland drop (that was one sweet lemon drop cocktail, just a tad tart). The wings dish came with three large pieces which were saucy and heavy on the bbq flavor, nice and juicy as well. Surprisingly, it's the green beans that hit me with the spice, they were so tasty that I couldn't stop eating them despite the heat. It took about 20 minutes for the food to be ready (my drink was faster), everything served to guests at their tables. Staff was working hard on this busy evening with a full house in attendance for the event. They were friendly and professional too. And paying through my phone by scanning a QR code on the restaurant bill was convenient. Nothing but a night filled with laughter and good eats. read more

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Overall an enjoyable meal. The spot is close to me and I have always wanted to try it. A rainy day in Oakland seemed like the perfect excuse to stop in. Corn Bread was good. I didn't care for the agave syrup, it had raspberries. Jerk Chicken sandwich was one of the best chicken sandwiches I've had in Oakland if not the best. Sweet, Savory, a little spicy, smoky. Just all around awesome. Short rib sandwich was just okay. Just too heavily sauced for the meat to shine. Fries on both were good. Mix of regular potatoes and sweet potatoes. Sautéed green beans looked excellent and had a very good cook on them. For me they were just overpowered by a vinegar flavor. I would probably try to order them without the vinegar if possible, they had a little spice to them which I like. read more

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This review is long overdue. I've eaten here many times for date night, girlfriends brunch, and birthday celebrations. The feel is always warm and welcoming, the food is delicious, and the drinks are strong. Personal favorites: oxtail and plantain. Recently, the wine club I belong to had a pick up party at Calabash. It's an Oakland gem and I'm happy to continue introducing every one I know to it. read more

We hosted an event here and they refused to honor the agreed payout despite a packed house. They profited from the crowd we brought in and then acted like they didn't. Food was mid to say the least. Unprofessional and dishonest. read more

The restaurant was clean, had good decor inside and out. The waitress did a good job. The food is Jamaican and it tasted good. I had oxtails. They were good. You do get a small portion but it was tasty. read more

Calabash - The business sign and front door on 23&Valdez, Oakland. - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I really wanted to like Calabash, went in with an open perspective despite negative reviews I've seen online - unfortunately for me, Calabash lived up to their reputation and provided a lackluster experience to say the least ! If I could give them zero stars, I would. This place has become infamous for all the wrong reasons -- poor service, low-quality food, and completely unprofessional management. My friends recently hosted an event here; providing not only the crowd of ample patrons but also music and vibes; the result - a terrible experience from start to finish. The food came out inconsistently, had no flavor, and the kitchen clearly couldn't get it together. The service was slow, scattered, and almost felt like an afterthought. But the real issue? MANAGEMENT. Instead of running the business, ensuring customer needs were met, the owners spent the night talking loudly over the music and cutting in on the DJ set with announcements to push bar sales. Meanwhile, they completely ignored the guests and the people who actually brought them business. To make matters worse, Calabash has a pattern of not paying content creators, promoters, and DJs what they are owed. In our case, management literally said they would "just take the hit" of people blasting them online rather than honor their agreement. That is wild!! They did the same thing to others -- there are screenshots floating around online because this isn't a one-off situation. This place is untrustworthy, unprofessional, and not worth your time or money. Oakland deserves better than this. read more

I came here with a group the other evening and truly enjoyed myself. The restaurant is stunning, beautiful decor and the vibe is incredible. The service was great and the music was fire. I ordered the Jerk Chicken Salad and couldn't stop eating, it was extremely flavorful, and the texture was just right. It was a bit too much balsamic for me, but next time I would just ask for the dressing on the side. One of the people I went with ordered the oxtails and I will 100% order this next time, it looked incredible. I didn't like the Dark n Stormy, it was honestly way too strong for me, but if you're reading this and like dark rum, you may like it. I cannot wait to return. read more

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Went to a party that was hosted there. Food was really good, staff was attentive, and we had a really fun night.

Just had an amazing meal at Calabash. Had friends visiting from Sydney. We all loved the food. Had the ribs and the lamb. Both excellent. No complaints at all about the food or the service. Very enjoyable meal. Will definitely be back. read more

Food is mediocre, but service is nonexistent. We've tried three times, and the last time we didn't even get our drinks. After 20mins they told us they were working on it. There were two other tables at the time. We took that as a cue to leave. They also throw outrageously loud private parties/ comedy shows. It's pretty unkind to do to your resident neighbors read more

Calabash is sooo so delicious! I came here for a company event and was lucky enough to try out so many dishes and drinks on their menu. It's tough to choose a standout for me but it was the shrimp and the salmon dishes, but across the board even their veggies are seasoned perfectly and had just right bite to it; they clearly know what they're doing! Everything was perfect. The only con was the service, which told us the wrong time of closing and didn't have consistently good service at times. But still I highly recommend! Cute spot for a date or to do family style with friends :) Did I mention the drinks are amazing? read more

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Food didn't taste like anything. Service was whatever. Watching them scam the person who brought them business told them everything.

Enjoyed the oxtail stew especially, the jerk chicken in the jerk chicken salad was delicious. The beef patties are fantastic. Good service, chill cool vibes. Great place for a nice dinner of Jamaican food. read more

The food was good but not particularly outstanding. The presentation of the food was a bit careless. The pairing of cuisines is interesting but not necessarily combined in a way that was cohesive. The service while friendly was slow and no suggestions offered as to how the two parts of the menu might go best together. The space is lovely and a good place to gather. We ordered the fish, the Neshtaa platter, and the ox tail. The fish was a bit dry and the ox tail was plated a bit messy. read more

Calabash - Whole fish - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had the pleasure of visiting Calabash yesterday with my "play" mom and i am shocked at other reviews that i read. Because of those reviews, i was nervous to try Calabash and almost decided to go some where else. Walking in , it felt like i was walking into my cousins house ... or my aunts .Customers were vibing and talking at their tables .. enjoying their food and conversation. It was warm and cozy and a whole ass vibe. I had the jerk chicken , plantains and rice a peas and mom had the pork sandwich with fries. Everything was amazing . Our server was super amazing , personable, friendly and attentive. Calabash is small , cozy and a "down home" vibe . The bad reviews really seem like people wanted service to be like McDonald's, quick, blah and impersonal. I can't wait to go back and try other things on the menu. Super amazing black owned restaurant that makes you feel like your Aunt cooked everything in her kitchen! I'll be back soon ! read more

Came here for a Thursday night dinner around 6. Cute modern spot, located around what looked like a couple of new restaurants. Lots of options for seating, high tops, lounge type tables and regular tabletops. Service was friendly, food came out quick, and was a great experience all around. Really liked their appetizer/dip options, the chicken I ordered was full of flavor, and the slice of chocolate cake was big enough to share. Pros: modern, cozy, and clean spot. Tasty small bites and entrees. Cons: nothing really. read more

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This was my first time at this establishment and probably my last. I had 3 guest visiting from Los Angeles and thought it would be good idea to eat Jamaican, particularly Oxtails... The service wasn't the best...it was extremely slow, but the kicker was the fact that there were only 2 tables occupied. One, of a couple at a table next to us, and our party of 4... It was 20 minutes of sitting and a waiter never came for us to place a cocktail order. I stop a waitress as I was walking to the bar...and ordered a draft...she brought me a bottle of beer...ok...no problem. We ordered food...20 minutes later it arrived. No problem, but the problem was that they where moving chairs and tables all around us during our meal...we dined, but during the whole meal no one came to our table to address if we needed anything ie water refill, drink reorder, nothing. This was on a Saturday... and with only 2 tables being occupied, and t.o see the staff standing around talking to each other and not following up with your customers, gave me a bad vibe. read more

I was served like BHC of curry vegetables and jerk string beans and plantains. There was also a stewed chicken and jasmine rice that I passed on. The flavors were perfect and the aldente vegetables were delicious however the food arrived late and barely warm. I will visit their dine in location in Oakland to get a better experience. read more

Calabash - Curry Vegetables and Plantains Green beans - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This place is such a gem. The decor is so striking and appealing. The scents from the different dishes waft through the air making you second guess your own delectable choices. The drinks are perfection. The atmosphere is humming with energy and, sometimes, live music. Servers are attentive but also give you space to have uninterrupted conversations. I always leave here so very happy! read more

-made reservations and called before going -decent location -the sorrel/hibiscus drink is great -greatly flavored patties -authentic fresh cut sweet potato fries, lightly seasoned to perfection -you get your money's worth -the server was intuitive -the food came out at reasonable times -the Jamaican music is pretty chill and at a moderate volume -love the simplicity and style of the interior -i think oakland residents are sleeping on this place -black owned -they sell spices inside -brunch on Sundays only; however, the Saturday menu is pretty good -good portion sizes read more

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Jerk chicken plate was amazing. Huge portion! The bartender Calvin made killer margaritas!

Attended a happy hour here tonight so got to try several appetizers and had a house made ginger beer. Every single thing I tried was really delicious. Would love to go back here. read more

Food was not good at all. The rice and peas had zero flavor, and everything on the plate just tasted flat and bland. For the prices they charge, I expected way better quality and taste. What really left a bad impression was how they handled my friend's event. They took advantage of a party that clearly brought them more business and attention than they're used to. Instead of showing gratitude or professionalism, they acted shady and disrespectful. Between the disappointing food and poor business ethics, this is not a place I'd ever support again or recommend to anyone. There are too many other spots that actually value their customers and take pride in what they serve. read more

Bland food, slow kitchen, and distracted management. The staff seemed more focused on pushing drinks than making sure people enjoyed their meals. Disappointing experience. read more

They did not pay what was agreed after a successful event. The crowd and energy came from us yet they denied making money. Food was mid and not worth it. Very disappointing! read more

We came here as a party of 8 around 12:30 and ordered two of everything pictured here (not pictured plantains and curry shrimp). I first want to talk about how delicious the food is! I love a good kick with my meals and the food satisfied that for me. The chicken was flavorful and moist, it was a little pink so I had to send it back but they prepared us a whole new plate. The star for me was the pasta though and I definitely recommend getting that. I docked off one star because 1. The slightly undercooked chicken and 2. Service was a little slow but there was only one server that was there was trying her best taking orders, making drinks, running food, and handling online/phone orders so I give her a pass on that. read more

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Popped in to be nosey since I was just across the street, and this place blew my mind. Talk about a multifunctional space...bar, restaurant, dry good sales, and a wine bar! The service was great. I was greeted immediately when I walked in, the space was super clean and my libation, Kingston Rum Punch, was delicious. The rum and juice complemented each other wonderfully. read more

Calabash - Kingston Rum Punch - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Food! Service! Ambience! Enjoyed the dinner with friends and would definitely recommend.

Subpar food with no real seasoning. Service felt sloppy and poorly managed. The way they treated the event organizer was dishonest !

We really enjoyed the flavor of the food. I got the lamb salad and it was quite tasty. My partner got the oxtail with rice and plantains which he enjoyed. The only downside is that the food was not hot - just warm. If I go again, I will ask them to ensure that my food is hot when it is served. It would have been so much better. The ambiance is nice and bathroom is super clean. read more

Calabash (which means bottle gourd) has one of the most unusual restaurant menus I've ever seen, combining dishes from Northern Iranian and Jamaican cuisine. That's because this restaurant, market, and events space is a collaboration between Chef Hanif Sadr (Komaaj) and Chef Nigel Jones (Kingston 11), who combine their distinct culinary styles onto one menu. I came to Calabash for an event they hosted for CAAMFest, an Asian American film, food, and music festival, and the event featured inspiring interviews with the two chefs and a buffet line of food from their menu. The appetizers included a mixed green salad in balsamic dressing, black pepper tofu with rice, a Jamaican Veggie Patty (a baked pastry with a filling of mixed vegetables in a creamy sauce), and a Jamaican Beef Patty (yellow turnover with a spicy minced beef filling). My favorite appetizer was definitely the Beef Patty, which had a flaky, layered pastry dough and a flavorful, spicy beef filling. The entrees featured the Neshtaa Platter, a combination of raw sliced cucumbers/carrots/celery, cucumber salad, Mirzaghasemi (eggplant tomato dip), Maast Somaagh (sumac labneh), and toasted pita bread. There was also a Curry Vegetable, made of chopped calabash, carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, and green beans boiled in a coconut curry broth, but my favorite item was the Spicy Stir Fry Beef Chuck, strips of super tender beef in a savory sauce laced with spicy dried red chilies! Both the entrees went nicely with the rice and plantains on the side, and everything was flavorful and delicious. read more

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The food says it all. If you are in the S.F. Bay Area, you need to treat yourself to this delicious food. The ambiance is amazing too. Dress up if you like. It is an exotic and esoteric experience that welcomes casual and dressy alike. I find myself ordering takeout or catering. After you find your faves on the vast menu, try the catering too because you can get specific with your order and share with colleagues, friends and family. Here are a few of my faves from Chef Nigel: Oxtails Salmon Rice and Peas Brussel Sprouts with cherries Jamaican Jerk Chicken Salad read more

Calabash - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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After going to Calabash in Oakland, I always tended to crave it because the food was that good! I got the oxtail plate that comes with rice and peas and plantains. The oxtail was so juicy and the rice and peas had the best flavor. The sweet plantains are a must everytime. On the side, I had an alcoholic beverage that had coconut and citrus, which was so refreshing and gave a nice littlw buzz. read more

I loved calabash , the decor was so beautiful, the customer service was elite I loved the bartender , I got the rum punch with oxtails with white rice and the portions was big I couldn't even finish it I had some for lunch the next day and gave the rest away it was my first time having Jamaican oxtails and they where beautifully executed I loved the flavors the gravy it was delicious I highly recommend read more

Calabash - Oxtail Stew - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Calabash has a lovely layout that is comparable to most of the area's newer establishments, however, it has the most awful high table chairs. The food was only adequate, but they ought to focus on doing one thing well and abandon the idea of fusion cuisine. The entire team, including our server, delivered first-rate service. I'm not yet certain if I would repeat. BB read more

If I could give -10 stars I would. The service was rushed... the environment was loud. There was a private party being held so there was a lot of people, however they stated the kitchen was still open. It was my 1st time eating here so I was asking for recommendations from the staff... I was told to try the Jerk chicken. Chicken was undone, rice & peas were overcooked with a burnt taste, plantains were soggy & chewy. Will NOT ever come back.. not for free! read more

I will update this review soon after I return a few more times but I'm just really excited about having a new spot in the Northgate neighborhood near the Cathedral end of Lake Merritt and the Broadway theater scene. That they are named after the calabash gourd -- which was popular with early voyagers as a food container and musical instruments -- is an inspiration. The offerings are a traveling voyage through Northern Iran, New Orleans and Mexico. I hadn't expected so many of my friends to be so excited about just the chicken vegetable soup, but when one starts adding Iranian flavors to Creole favorites, it just makes you sit up and say "Hey!" You can also say "Roasted Duck & Grits" for breakfast in a neighborhood that was lacking a first rate breakfast spot until now. They also add on some Mexican tones with their excellent Chilaquiles. The Mid-Day menu sees great salads where walnut oil is a welcoming presence. We went mazza-style with Pulled Beef Short Ribs cooked in pomegranate juice and seven spice; Roasted Lamb Salad with fresh pears; saucy noodles with Shrimp, Chicken and Eggplant; and all went well with a great cocktail selection. I had a brandy and mango something or other. From what I heard, they're open seven days a week Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. I didn't have a chance to try the dinner menu, but it wont be long... Like I said, after I make a few more visits, I'll update this review. read more

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