They have the best Mac and cheese ever. great salads. A place I would recommend if you don't want…read moreto spend a lot of money.

Absolutely fabulous experience. Great customer service. Epic food. Anyone who doesn't like homeroom…read morejust don't appreciate good food, especially cheese Loved Bailey and Sandra. Ambience is awesome and music is on point

I drive past this place all the time and kept noticing the $5 biscuit sandwich display, so today…read morewas finally the day to try it. The service was great. The gentleman at the counter suggested the sausage biscuit, and the guy who brought my food out was so upbeat and friendly. The biscuit is buttery, soft, and absolutely delicious, and the pepper jelly added a really nice flavor. Did I mention the biscuit is buttery and soft?! Omg, so good. Not the biggest breakfast sandwich, but for $6 out the door I have zero complaints. I will be back!

Brenda's has been well-known for decades, the first location is in San Francisco. I've gotten…read moretakeout from them before but this was the first time I've dined in at Brenda's Oakland. My wife and I were trying to be strategic with our choices: She got the Fried Chicken wings, I got one of the dinner entrees (the Jambalaya) which came with three sides. For the sides, I'm a potato salad lover so I felt compelled to order the Creole Potato Salad which was mayo-based but not too heavy; Mac and Cheese was pretty good for a side, not the best I've ever had: and their Cornbread was a healthy size for a size, I was expecting a small muffin type side. Their Jimbalaya was good, it was thick and solid as opposed to those that are more soup/stew consistency but it was pretty flavorful. The Fried Chicken wings were solid (my wife doesn't believe in boneless, which I've come around on as well). The fried chicken was not too salty for being fried chicken and the wings were a good size. It came with fries and a small side of cole slaw. We were stuffed from dinner otherwise we would've tried dessert, I've had their peach cobbler as takeout. Pretty good experience, we'll come back again. Brenda's lives up to the hype.

I honestly can't say enough good things about the crispy fish sandwich at Lovely's. It was hands…read moredown one of the best fish sandwiches I've ever had. The fish was perfectly crispy on the outside, tender and flaky on the inside, and packed with amazing flavor in every bite. If I could eat 20 of them in one sitting, I probably would! It was that incredibly delicious. Every element came together perfectly, making it impossible to put down. The quality, freshness, and flavor are second to none. If you're visiting Lovely's, do yourself a favor and order the crispy fish sandwich. You won't regret it. I'm already looking forward to my next one!

Not quite what I expected to find in Downtown Oakland--and I mean that in the best possible way. I…read moredefinitely expected the vibe, but it's nice when the food actually matches it! Lately, Oakland has been giving us plenty of misses, but this one is clearly a HIT. Everything we tried was on point, and now I'm already looking forward to coming back to try the fish sandwich. Although I was told they don't get their fish delivery on weekends--which seems odd for most places, but then again... this is Oakland. The OG burger was perfectly prepared even with the impossible burger substitute. Definitely adding this one to the return-visit list! BB

Came in with my mom and sister for my birthday. We had a lovely time. The Bangus and Talong are…read morealways my favorite. My mom even loved it! So hard to get her to eat out, especially at a Filipino spot! She's from the phillipines and she loved the food and cocktails. Diego was our server and he was very sweet! I even got a candle on my halo-halo! Thanks Diego!

I'm making my way through my list of Bib Gourmand restaurants, and FOB Kitchen is up. They are…read morecertainly worthy of this honor, for their food, service, and ambiance. They are located in the Temescal area of Oakland, and they share a building with a Mexican restaurant. There's a parking lot that's shared with a pawn broker, produce market, and check cashing service. Their vibe is urban, with a rainbow flag on their front door, and assortment of plants inside. Other reviewers had mentioned a line upon opening, so we made sure to arrive 15 minutes before they open, but on this Friday morning, there was no one else but us. Our server was friendly, polite, and soft spoken. Their menu is quite small, which I appreciate. There's appetizers, sides, brunch, and dinner -- all on 1 page. Their food was outstanding, with rich flavors and beautifully presented with sauces and pickled radishes. We ordered... + Shanghai Lumpia - these were long, crispy, and properly filled + Daing Na Bangus Silog - deep fried milkfish with salad, garlic rice, and sunny egg. One of our favorites. + Fried Chicken (4-piece) - perfectly crispy and juicy. There's some warm spices in the batter, maybe all-spice. + Adobo fried rice - the pork was so tender, it shreds on your fork. This had a good amount of tanginess that was so good. + Pancit Sotanghon - not your typical pancit. The chopped veggies in this had an almost charred flavor that made the dish so interesting. There was not a bad dish. I definitely recommend this for elevated Filipino food that's not pretentious, with a modern, hip vibe.

I had THE BEST time at Rob Ben's last night! bout last night…read more.. What started off as a quick dinner with my son ended up as a whole TURN UP that my son had to drag me away from! And that smothered pork chop dinner with greens and yams? OMG! Smackalicious! I WILL be back, great customer service!

Oh the fish and grits is to cry for, so tasty and delicious. The grits are flavored through and…read morethrough. Thick with a great consistency, I want the recipe. The savor of flavor in those grits, they are thick but thin. I have taste none other no where. Then the fish, battered just right crispy on the outside but soft and savory inside. I saved some fish for later because the portion can make 2 meals. This meal made me so happy I am going back a few more times. Definitely a repeat, stop by eat and grab a seat. You will be happy you did.

Extremely flavorful chicken pho noodle soup, I can see why! They have outdoor seating and I am so…read moreglad I sat outside. It was extremely busy inside. I will be back with my family! I ate my fresh shrimp spring rolls so fast, it was so good but I was also really hungry lol I had to order the mini shrimp pancakes because it looked like it's a "must" order... The waitresses were super friendly and quick with taking my order! To the owner(s): Please do not change your ingredients in your food menu! Thank you for offering delicious pho!

This was our first time here. We started off with a simple cup of Napa cabbage soup just to see…read morewhat it was since it was only $5 and there were no pics. It was tasty. Pretty underwhelming but, it had a nice seafood forward broth and it was very hot with tiny pieces of shrimp and lots of cabbage. I'd get it again. Then we got the chicken salad. Delicious. Shrimp chips were fun and the dressing had a great balance of sweet, and vinegary flavor with lots of chicken and fresh veg. Pork bahn mi was just okay. I've definitely had better. Bread was good. Meat was pretty sparse and the pickled veg could have had more flavor. Probably would order the pho next time. Everyone seemed to have that on their tables. And the sizzling beef looked great. Service was quick and courteous. I'll be back to try more

Yelp actually led me to this sandwich shop. I searched for sandwiches in my area, and this was one…read moreof the few places that popped up. I'm forever grateful for that recommendation because they make some of the best sandwiches I've ever had. I've tried a few items on the menu, but the one I always recommend is the Hot Italian. Everything about this sandwich is incredible. It's packed with flavor, and you can honestly tell it was made with care. I usually pair it with a bag of chips, and the total comes to around $18. It's absolutely worth every penny and always leaves me full and satisfied. The shop is consistently clean, and the customer service is always friendly and welcoming. I find myself going back over and over again, then telling myself I need to take a break--only to end up back there a few weeks later. That's how good it is. A couple of things to keep in mind before you visit: there's only limited street parking, so you may have to circle the block to find a spot. There's also not much room to wait inside, although they do have a bench or two where you can sit while your sandwich is being prepared. In my experience, the wait is usually around 15 minutes. I've honestly never been here when it wasn't busy, so expect a crowd. But once you take that first bite, you'll understand why. Great food, great atmosphere, and great customer service. I highly recommend checking this place out!

Sandwich wasn't the worst I've ever had but it wasn't the best as the reviews are claiming…read more I ordered via a delivery service and also received a "snickers bar" as the "rocky road desert" I don't eat snicker bars lol , no where does the $3.99 rocky road desert would be a snickers bar lol , I tried calling the restaurant to get an answer or help and no one answered the phone. I don't think I'll be coming back for a sandwich here

Bay Area Culture with comfort and hospitality. My go-spot in Oakland/Emeryville. Love the food!read more

The Lemon Pepper wings are my favorite! And the seasoned fries delicious Love the outdoor seating,…read moremakes it easy to bring in our baby stroller

Xingones is exactly what the neighborhood needed. There's ample seating and good bartenders if you…read morewant to dine in, though I usually end up getting their food to go. My go-tos are the Cali-style burrito with asada and the Xingones nachos (with extra cheese). Good quality ingredients and portions that are generous enough that I almost always have leftovers. Plus, the prices are fair for what you get.

First ever visit today around 12:20pm. There were maybe three other customers dining in, already…read moreseated and eating. I ordered a California style burrito to go - no cheese, no sour cream, please. I was surprised that it took a solid 15+ minutes to prepare when the place was basically dead but I figured hey, maybe they hadn't been open that long and still were getting set up in the kitchen or whatever. So I got my lunch and rushed back to work with my burrito in just enough time for a few bites before my meeting. Took a glance at the receipt stapled to my bag and was alarmed to see that it said no sour cream but didn't say anything about no cheese. Cut the burrito open and, yep, cheese. Look, I've worked food service, I know how it is. I know it can be stressful and it's easy to make mistakes when you're busy. The restaurant was NOT BUSY. There was literally nobody else waiting ahead of me. Nobody else came in the entire time I was waiting for my burrito. There is absolutely no good reason that the person punching in my order couldn't have taken the time to read the screen and make sure that the order was punched in correctly. I'm can't eat dairy, I had to throw the burrito away. I'm not the kind of person to make frivolous complaints but this was such an unforced error, and I tipped 25% - ON A TAKEOUT ORDER - for food I can't eat. Now it's 4pm and I just got out of three hours of straight meetings and the first thing on my mind is typing up this review because this legit messed up my day. Xingones management, train your workers better. I'm in walking distance of your restaurant and I'm never coming back because I can't trust y'all to get a very simple order correct even on a slow day. Good luck.

Located in Au, two establishments are run here for Chef Smelly's and the bar. So orders at the bar…read moreare separate. It was quite crowded and I just sat on the counters looking out onto the street, which was fine. It kind of took awhile to get the food, but it was worth it. Platters were big and sharable. Got the combo plate with fried chicken, fish, fried oysters, and Garlic noodles. All really good, seasoned well, and not too salty. Service was friendly. I hear the oxtails on the weekend are really good. Will try to come back then.

Enjoyed an early dinner here with the hubby. FOOD was pretty good on the flavor. Every dish came…read moreout pipping hot and very well seasoned. My favorite sides were the garlic bread and the mashed potatoes. Mashed potatoes were !! Buffalo wings were good too. I didn't love the Crack n cheese to "rue" y for my taste and not as cheesy as expected..IMO. I had the blackened salmon topped with crab meat with garlic noodles. Ctab meat was good, but i wiahwd there was more. Salmon was decent nothi g special. Garlic noodles tasted good, but were a bit dry. Hubby said the lamb chops were cool, but not spectacular. Yams were . Service was great no complaints here. Really enjoyed our server (cant recall his name, light complexion brother with braids) Now this is were they loose points. For the price point I waa expecting a better vibe. Something a bit more upscale. It gives a diner or neighborhood bar vibe. The paper table clothes and overall decor, from the bathroom to the kitchen entry area could use a quick spruce up. Parking also is a bit hard to find, but that's Oakland, so cant fault them for that. Definitely recommend you go and try it for yourself.