This place is always on my mind whenever I'm feeling hungry, even when I'm not in the mood for bbq which is crazy right!? Service is always on point & I LOVE the aesthetics of the restaurant. The Dino rib, dear lawd the Dino rib is priced to sell which is why it was sold out the first time I came here. But the second time! I grabbed two pounds & it was well worth it. The meat is so dang tender & the flavor is not typical bbq flavor which is why I'm so obsessed! It's so good! The Mac & cheese is soooo creamy! A different take on the popular side dish has me in an eternal chokehold as a Mac n cheese connoisseur. Show up hungry & leave with extra! Portions will leave you walking out with a smile believe it. *Edit* there's Dragon Ball playing on the tv, they're goated! read more

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Great food.. the brisket is some of the best I've had since my pilgrimage to bask in the smoke at Aaron Franklin's place in Charleston ,South Carolina. And it's right here in Oakland. The deserts are actually better than any other bbq place.. Really, world class cheesecake after great Bbq!! read more

Ben goes above and beyond to serve the community with bomb food & the best cheesecakes! Happy one year to him and his business! Still my fav brisket! I've recently fallen in love with the passion fruit mini cheesecakes. To die for! read more

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I remember when Crazy Block Cheesecake used to be based in Alameda and I think at the time they only had cheesecakes, but now they have all kinds of BBQ and even latkes! The owner has absolutely perfected the craft of a good cheesecake. The first time I had a cheesecake from here was when they were still in Alameda and I bought a TooGoodToGo surprise bag from them. I got lucky and ended up with a medium cheesecake and a mini one. I talked about the cheesecakes regularly but hadn't gone back. This past weekend, they celebrated their one year anniversary at their storefront in Oakland. The owner has created such a vibe with vibrant paintings in and around the restaurant and they even had karaoke all day long for their anniversary. They should honestly have it every weekend. I could totally see myself going regularly with friends to just have bbq + cheesecake and vibe out with some karaoke. I ordered the Ube Buko Pandan Cheesecake and the Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, mini for each of them. I was worried that the Gulab Jamun would be super sweet and overly saturated with the rose flavor, but it was actually perfectly balanced. Every bite had the perfect amount of cheesecake to gulab jamun flavor. The ube buko pandan tasted like it had real ube in it, but maybe I was fooled. Either way, I hope it stays on the menu! For the BBQ, we ordered pulled lamb and brisket with mac and cheese + coleslaw. I was personally really enjoying the lamb even without any sauce. It had a nice seasoning blend on it. The natural lamb flavor was also pretty subdued, but in a good way. We also got some of their habanero sauce, which kinda reminded me of filipino vinegar. I really enjoyed it. read more

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We're always on the hunt for great barbecue around Lake Merritt, and this place did not disappoint. We actually stumbled upon Crazy Block Cheesecakes by chance, and before we even made it inside, the owner was standing outside holding a tray with a lamb burger and fries. That alone had our attention. One look at that tray and we knew we had to check it out. Inside, the place has a fun vibe and an incredible display case packed with cheesecakes in just about every flavor you can imagine. It's hard not to stare at it for a minute before ordering. For lunch, my husband ordered the tri-tip burger with fries, and I went with the lamb burger with mac and cheese on the side. I also ordered one latke, which came with sour cream and applesauce, and that turned out to be a great call. Everything we tried was flavorful and satisfying. The barbecue was well seasoned and cooked just right. The lamb burger had great flavor, and the mac and cheese made the perfect comfort-food side. That latke was crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, and paired perfectly with the sour cream and applesauce. And then there's the cheesecake situation. The display case is stacked with options and honestly feels like a mini cheesecake museum. Even if you came just for barbecue, it would be hard to leave without taking a cheesecake home. The food was tasty, the portions were generous, and the whole experience felt welcoming and relaxed. It's always fun finding a spot that feels a little unexpected but delivers big on flavor. I'm already looking forward to coming back and trying more items on the menu. Well done, Block. Well done indeed. Pro tip: Come hungry and save room for cheesecake. The display case alone is worth a visit. read more

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Updating for new breakfast item I believe available on weekends. The new breakfast sandwich is excellent. It really tastes like it's made with care. Homemade sausage with a mild spice. The sausage was incredibly juicy. Cheesy, Runny egg, buttery challah bread. Pair it with a latke or two. Makes a great on the go breakfast option on Lakeshore from CBC. Sounds like they will be adding more breakfast items. I'll be back for more. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - 3 latkes w/ sour cream - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Line moves quick, staff is friendly and place is clean. All the proteins were tasty, longanisa links stood out tho and they have some other unique options (cheesesteak link sounded like it couldn't miss). Considering you can't get it everywhere, I really enjoyed the lamb. Have some veggie options and we thought the jackfruit was tasty. The sides are where the meal kinda fell off for us. We had yams, greens and mac and cheese but I'd probably try some other stuff next time as it just wasn't my thing. Nothing was bad but nothing was great and I'm a mac and cheese extremist so we are not even gonna go there. Sandwiches look good and I missed out on the potato latkes so they'll see me again. All in all, cool place with enough promise for me to go back again to try some other stuff. 3/5, verdict still out for me read more

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Came here on a Sunday and it wasn't busy. We ordered a pound of lean brisket, a lamb sandwich, and a mini chocolate cheesecake. Everything was so tasty! I asked for lean brisket and it was so juicy and tender even though it was lean. The lamb was also super tender as well. The bun wasn't my favorite personally as it was a bit bland so I only had a bite of it. The bbq sauce was delicious! It wasn't too thick and it was on the sweeter side. We also tried the garlic aioli but it wasn't my favorite as it was a bit bland as well and just tasted like a plain sauce with not a lot of flavor. The chocolate cheesecake was amazing! It wasn't too thick and heavy and it wasn't overly sweet either. The graham cracker crust was yummy as well as I believe it's homemade. Would love to try another flavor cheesecake next time! read more

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Such a cute place. I was lured in by the owners IG marketing campaign. Finding a parking space was rough on a Saturday night. I placed my order online only to find that they were out of lamb upon my arrival. I had to pay and upgrade charge to get Salmon instead. Things I ordered Brisket: tender and delicious Salmon: Good flavor Links: dry - wont order again Yams - super sweet but delicious Mac n cheese - not 'traditional' but garlicky and tasty Baked beans (vegetarian and meat) tasty but for different reasons. The star of this review the Latke! I only got one because I wasn't sure. But the thickness, the oninion, the salt. It came with applesauce and sour cream. Im in love and will return. read more

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Food: 8/10 Service: 8/10 Value: 7/10 Wait time: 0 minutes Second time coming to try the cheesecake! This time I tried the mango and pandan with ube cheesecakes. I really liked the mango cheesecake! It was just the right amount of sweet mango and cheesy cheesecake! It was a little refreshing with the mango taste too! The pandan ube was good too but got a little too sweet at the end. I also tasted more pandan than ube. The first time I went I tried matcha and banilla and those were both delicious! If I had to pick one though I would pick fhe matcha! The bitter taste of the matcha tea offsets the rich cheesy cheesecake. But I would honestly get both of those flavor again! The only thing is I feel like the price point os a little high for the mini cheesecakes that are 3 inches in diameter. I bought 2 each time is it was $14.93 with tax! So definitely more of a special treat type of a dessert! read more

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Never knew that I could get good BBQ, crispy Latkes and cheesecakes all in one place, but that's what I found at Crazy Block Cheesecake on our Sunday visit on Lakeshore Avenue. The smoked brisket was incredibly tender and juicy. The Latkes were perfectly crisp and came with the traditional sour cream and applesauce. Loved that the walls were covered with anime and pop culture murals. I don't like cheesecakes much so sorry I don't have any input on them, but they do have a very good variety and one I was willing to try was the Ube. Probably one the most unique and interesting restaurants I've found in Oakland or in the Bay. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - 2 way bbq brisket and chicken with the fixings - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Did a online pick up order , wanted to try this place out seeing alot of reviews on tiktok. I ordered a combo plate that came with two sides and chicken rib and a link. It came with one bbq sauce , the meats didnt come with bbq sauce on it. The chicken had no flavor but it was juicy though ill give them that. the links as well no flavor to it. The mac and cheese was okay probably the only thing i was eating off the plate. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

I got a Too Good to Go surprise bag from them; thir prep station is far west in Alameda in an industrial area, not the easiest to get to if you don't have a car. My Too Good to Go contained New York, ube, and cookies and cream cheesecakes. It was a good deal for three and I was instructed to eat within next day or two ideally. Ube: had a good amount of ube flavor. It had dark crust- wasn't clear if that part was ube or a general cookie flavor from taste. Cookies and cream: texture tasted surprisingly like cake and not cheesecake to me compared to the other flavors, so probably my least favorite of all of them, even though I normally do like cookies and cream. New York: I like my cheesecake more sour so I liked that this is sour yet still sweet. The texture is smooth and almost reminds me of pudding or flan, unlike some cheesecakes that are more cakey. The graham cracker-like crust is nice. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - Ube, cookies and cream, and New York cheesecakes - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

This review is solely for the OG NY cheesecake (haven't tried anything else). A friend brought it over for an evening dinner we hosted. The cheesecake filling is smooth and creamy, not too sweet, but still the rich cheesecake filling you expect. The crust is very interesting - not the traditional graham cracker crust. There is something in the crust that makes it stand out, it's sweet, a little sticky - the kind that sticks to your teeth; almost like a toffee. I will 100% be back to try other cheesecakes as well as the bbq! read more

Wow, I never knew about this hidden gem. I honestly never walk that far down lakeshore ave. My friend got me the mini original cheesecake, and wow I was impressed how crunchy the crust was. Even though I ate it a few days later, it was pleasantly more filling than I anticipated. It was super creamy filling and the bottom was super crunchy. This was a perfect sample size, since I'm lactose intolerant. I will return to try the ube, and Vietnamese coffee cheesecake next time. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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They're super nice, the bbq is absolutely delicious, and there are cheesecakes! What's not to like??

The brisket sandwich was really good however it's super irritating that they don't give you a generous amount of bbq sauce on the sandwich in fact it's really not enough at all to truly enjoy it. Therefore you have to go back up to the counter, wait in line and actually pay extra for a side of bbq sauce which is only a dollar but the inconvenience of having to go through the entire process was enough to spoil my experience. Please just give more sauce up front and add the dollar to the price of the sandwich. Thanks. read more

I might have soaked up the hype about Crazy Block Cheesecakes and had too high expectations. My daughter and I made a special trip to try the BBQ and one of the cheesecakes. We ordered a Dino Rib, some brisket, Mac n cheese and a Praline Cheesecake. The beef was tender and the middle had good flavor. The rub crust was hard and a bit overpowering so I cut the crust off. Although we ordered the fatty brisket it seemed more lean than moist. The Mac n cheese was over the top delicious. The Praline Cheesecake tasted like it had alcohol which isn't something we normally eat. We will go back and try some of the other dishes along with some Mac n cheese. Our expectations will be more flexible versus expecting the best BBQ in the Bay Area. read more

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Been buying crazy block cheesecake for a few years now. Used to see them at dublin farmers market. Now they have a proper shop. Great crew. Amazing place and great service. They special made a Gulab jamun cheesecake and it was out of this world! Can't go back to normal Cheesecake now! read more

The food is incredible! Tender and flavorful. Staff is so helpful, chill very welcoming from the minute you walk in. Ambiance 10 out of 10.

I've been wanting to try this place for a long time. Today I stop by and order some of the food and it was delicious. It was my first time ordering from there. Great services the place is so cool very friendly environment. Very clean. I just love everything about this place. Thank you so much for a wonderful experience. Carla L read more

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The most craveable and delicious food. We have been a few times during lunch and each time, Ben is there not only serving up outstanding food but also service. We have had the brisket, salmon, lamb, matzo ball soup, latkes and samples of all the sides and every item has been amazing ( I dream about those beans and mac and cheese plus that vinegary slaw to cut all the richness). Don't forget the cheese cake, with so many new and traditional flavors, you can't go wrong. They make everything in house from the sausage to the soft fluffy buns. Ben and his crew really show their pride in their service and their food. They have a become a local Bay Area staple for us. Always excited to go back! 10/10! read more

Ben was sooo pleasant to meet! It truly feels like a warm /homestyle vibe when you enter the restaurant. He offered a sample of the OG NY cheesecake and I was wow'd by how authentic the flavor of the cheesecake was! I was sold once he advised the graham mix and Oreo were all in house made from scratch! The Oreo cheesecake just melts in your mouth! So good I can't wait to come back and try the BBQ. read more

Yum! We were lucky enough to be treated to an incredible meal from Crazy Block. Their chicken, brisket and salmon were all incredible. Seriously devoured within minutes by our group which included toddlers. We also got to try the strawberry swirl and lemon cheesecakes. All incredible! Sadly, I only snagged one photo because we were hungry and it smelled so good. read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

Review is for cheesecakes only. I came to find out about this spot on TIKTOCK lol, So I thought I would try and stop by and order a sampler cheesecakes. I was lucky enough to find parking right in front. YAY I walked in and I was the only customer inside. Customer service is friendly. Décor inside is awesome. I got the Sampler pack for $30 6 mini cheesecakes. Banilla Ube Vietnamese coffee Cookies and Creme Hennesy I shared with some of my friends, I personally tried the Ube, Banilla and Vietnamese coffee All of them are my favorite!!! So good, ingredients are fresh. Very tasty. I will definitely come back and try some other flavors read more

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Love myself some Crazy Block Cheesecakes and longtime visitor to their stand at the Farmer's Markets ....but now Crazy Block Cheesecake has their own brick-and-mortar and also offering barbecue? Whhhaaa? Say no more.... Visited today (Sunday at opening at 12pm) and quickly greeted by the owner, Ben! He's always so friendly and energetic...love it! Cheesecakes of various flavors displayed in a refrigerated case but I'm here for the bbq today! "The ChiBLam" - 3-meat combo: Quarter (brined) dark-meat chicken, brisket (with choice of lean or fattier cut), and lamb shoulder with 2-sides. Dry-rub with sauce on the side. Great option to try items with leftovers! Such a reasonable price too! Sides: collard greens and beans - meats are juicy and flavorful and the sides are a great accompaniment. :: Latkes - potato pancake or fritter. Or as I told my friend "like a hashbrown" served with sour cream and housemade apple sauce! Crispy, not overly greasy, deliciousness... you don't have to wait for Hanukkah to enjoy some! :: Beef "dino" bone: $32.99/lb (pricing will vary). Average pricing is $45 for 1.5lbs. Meat is weighed! Juicy, tender, smokey with a dry rub. Good without sauce and should last you 2 meals as it's so rich! NOTE: smoked jackfruit available for vegetarians Everything was delicious but don't forget to get some cheesecake before you go! Their cheesecake is one of the best with the most addictive graham cracker crust and flavors! Place is spacious with plenty of tables/booths for indoor dining only. Walls are painted with Pokémon, anime theme and other characters like Sponge Bob. During slow times, Ben will walk around and talk to his customers. Such a passionate guy with major personality. I'd definitely return! And yes, I left with 4 mini cheesecakes (original and pandan). FYI - cheesecakes freeze well for a week but best to eat fresh as that crust is addictive! *** TIP: Parking is a bit tricky on Lakeshore especially on the weekends but fortunately, Crazy Block Cheesecake is towards the end of Lakeshore (LEFT side across Wells Fargo) so don't stress too much over parking. Make the first LEFT before you see the park and church (signal) and plenty of street parking in the area at 12pm. read more

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I've been a fan of the cheesecakes here ever since I discovered them through the farmers markets! I had no idea the owner sells barbecue now until recently. I went to the restaurant to pick up a lemon cheesecake and decided to order their pulled lamb sandwich and a latke. I haven't seen a barbecue restaurant have lamb before so I was intrigued. The sandwich was packed full of the lamb! The lamb was greasy but the pickled red onions helped cut through some of that greasy meat. It was a messy sandwich but it was incredibly flavorful! The sandwich was moist, but the buns held up well! The latke was unlike other ones I've had before. It was super crunchy and was deliciously greasy! The sour cream paired perfectly with it. I also ordered a mini Ube cheesecake and a mini banilla cheesecake as well. This is definitely my favorite place to get cheesecake and one of my top barbecue spots! read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - pulled lamb sandwich - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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Oh, light and crispy latke, where have you been all my life? Also, you all know I love vegan cuisine. I tend to mindlessly lapse into veganism. I am on hiatus. All the food! Surf and turf because I swapped chicken for salmon. I have brisket and lamb. I have mac & cheese and cornbread. I have pickles and pickled onions. I got tipped off by the extremely kind staff that this would be a lot of food. I had no idea. I'm sitting here mad I have barely made a dent. It doesn't look like I ate any lamb or brisket or mac & cheese. This food is tasty and high value. This could possibly feed 3 and definitely 2. May I inform you that nothing here is bland? A few items will build that flavor! Can I just tell you there is water available, self-serve. Each table gets a roll of paper towels. They are constantly bumping bay area music . The murals were done by a local artist. Come get some! read more

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The staff was nice enough but the food was a disaster. We were excited to find a fun new BbQ place. Our plates came out as a mess. Overcooked sausage , limp Mac n cheese, dry cornbread, lamb sandwich served with a thick layer of oil as the bread swam in it. The brisket was a good first bite but then became dry and bland. They did exchange the overcooked dried out sausage for a slightly bit juicer version. At least this one was eatable. Disappointing food experience. Wasted meal $$$. Shoulda gone to Dumpling Hours as we had planned. read more

NY cheesecake. Great BBQ. Anime Restaurant. The own Ben and the team have crafted up a fun new place for you to try out in the sprightly Grand Lake neighborhood. If you want some robust and unique tastes for a sweet and savory meal while basking in some 90s-2000's nostalgia then put this place on your short list. The brick interior gives it a great East Coast feel, almost like you're inside the Mario blocks you used to bust up in the video game. The free cheesecake sample was what brought us in. We tried the classic OG New York (phenomenal) and the Durian cheesecake. I the latter was a little funky and subtly sweet, probably couldn't do more than a mini sized portion of it but I really do appreciate chefs who take some risk with creativity. You wouldn't know from the title but this is actually a BBQ restaurant! We got the 16 hr slow cooked brisket sandwich and it did not disappoint. Good luck trying to take a bite and restraining yourself from going in for another. Meat was super tender, fall off the bone, flavorful, juicy, and they didn't over do it with the slaw and everything else on it. Reasonably priced for what we got too! Next time you're on Lakeshore stop by. We didn't even scratch the surface of their BBQ offerings and will be back for more soon. read more

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Fun, casual atmosphere with animated decor. Staff were friendly and efficient. The owner greeted everyone as they came in. I had never heard of lamb on a bbq menu but I really liked the pulled smoked lamb! The brisket was also nicely done and portions are generous and the bbq sauces are tasty. Unfortunately my baked beans were a little undercooked and the mac n cheese was too oily for my preference. The star of the show was the pandan cheesecake I got! Absolutely delicious! I will be back to try more flavors. read more

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This review from a Local regular. Brisket and collard greens, Wow!!! This is a top BBQ contender for the bay. The desserts are also excellent read more

Saw BBQ and immediately knew I had to go check it out. Brisket Sandwich 2/5 Chicken Sandwich 2/5 Mac and Cheese 5/5 amazing. Some of the best Mac I've had. OG Cheese Cake 4/5 Collard Greens 1/5 Lemonade 5/5 Not a lot of smoke in the meat. A lot of vinegar flavor in the slaw. Didn't care for the sauce. Worst of all was the roll or bun. It was really dry and crumbled like a biscuit. Fun to try but it's not for me. If you like vinegar forward bbq it might be for you. Love the interior. Service is a bit slow, they have t been open long so I'm confident they will get it all ironed out. read more

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What a beautiful morning welcoming Crazy Block Cheesecakes to the Town. Such a vibrant and passionate business owner! While a line began forming before the 11am grand opening, Ben came out excited to bring community through the front doors and thanking everyone for coming out to cheer him on. It was such a great moment to hear him talk about how he started to where he's come, as he saw people in line that have rooted him and his business on every step of the way. While waiting he handed out samples of brisket, hats with their super fun logo, and fist pumps. The initial sample was delicious and made us excited for what was behind the doors! Located on Lakeshore near Philz Coffee, such a cool space with fresh and fun graffiti on the walls, merch, menu board signage, and nothing but smiles from his staff. We ordered a latke to split, the brisket loaded fries, and two bbq plates (one chicken and one brisket) with mac and cheese, slaw, and pickles. The first one hundred people in line received a complimentary cheesecake, what a treat. I admitted I had never tried one of his cheesecakes (he has over 100+ flavors) and mentioned I had to start with the OG NY Style..so of course I did! I can't wait to come back and try more from the menu. The meat was super juicy and honestly, glorious. I'm not a huge bbq person, but this was no doubt special. The mac and cheese was what seemed to be white cheddar and honestly, my favorite type of shell. I could go for another scoop right now, so good! Slaw was on point, pickles delish..and the loaded fries! Man, those were smackin'. A perfect way to round out our carb loving first bites at what I know will be such a poppin' spot in Oakland. Good value, great product. Can't wait to try the cheesecake tonight :) Congrats and cheers to much success! Can't wait to continue to follow you soar! read more

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This was very good BBQ ( less salty than Horns). Also we loved that Block asked if we wanted fatty or lean pieces! Latke is crisp and small. I'm glad I tried it but it's pricey for 1. Side of beans was decent Cheesecake in OG and coffee was excellent. Nice strong flavors and good crust read more

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Went based on Boozie Brunch's review. I ordered the three meats two sides, beef rib, link (only because it was homemade) and brisket (listed as juicy on their menu which is the point). The brisket was delicious and the links had good texture and flavor, just a little dry but nothing the sauce couldn't rectify. The beans are good, they have chopped brisket, the mac and cheese was ok, I could taste a lot of garlic powder. My husband ordered the sane three meats but mixed (point & flat) brisket. He was thrilled that they put the sauce on the side, usually he has to request it. He liked all three meats. He didn't really cate for the sides especially the slaw. All in all it was a descent meal. read more

Lamb shoulder sando was so fire. Everything there was amazing from the latkes to the beef sausage to the slaw and the collards. Even the pickled collard stems were so bangin. Will def be back, also Ben is super dope and service was impeccable. read more

happy to support this fabulous addition to the neighborhood! delicious food, great service. good people. run dont walk!

Customer service was great, and I can see the vision. We were lured in by the sign offering free cheesecake samples. We tried the chicken combo with mac n cheese, and the brisket combo with baked beans as well as a side of fries. The platters also came with homemade pickles and cole slaw. The staff was super eager, although brand new and still working things out. Our food arrived quickly, and we loved the brisket and the habanero bbq sauce. The baked beans were flavorful as well and the fries were crispy. The Mac and cheese, though made with real white cheddar, could use a bit more flavor or creaminess. The chicken was plentiful but not super seasoned; next time I would get some of the longer cooked meat like brisket or lamb. We enjoyed the cheesecake sample and would also come back for dessert. There's a mural of Goku and Pokémon characters as you enter which gives it some personality. I also liked the paper towels on each table. The friendly owner, Ben, greeted us and answered our questions about fresh ingredients. Hope it becomes a neighborhood favorite! read more

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Been following Crazy Block for about 3 years. The cheesecakes changed my view on cheesecakes. Never liked them and now I'm hooked on Crazy Block. When I heard they were opening a brick and mortar had to stop in. The ambiance e was nostalgic with the murals all around. The service was quick and efficient. I ordered the brisket sandwich, fries, potato latkes, regular lemonade and melon passion lemonade. (Ate food to quick for photos) The brisket was tender and juicy on that challah bread, chefs kiss! Fries reminded me of Kwik way being double fried and just the right amount of greasy goodness. Potato latkes were crispy yet soft on the inside. Ended the meal with a cookies and cream cheesecake read more

Crazy Block Cheesecakes - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Oakland, California

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