We have been going to the Telegraph Avenue Holiday Street Fair for decades. Today we drove into…read moreBerkeley and there was nothing there. SO disappointing! The website and the Facebook page STILL show that it was supposed to be open today. I couldn't find any notice anywhere of a cancellation. How are you supposed to know? After posting a question to another Berkeley Facebook page I was informed that it was canceled due to a weather prediction (the weather was just fine). In past years, it has rained, but the fair still went on. In any case, why no communication? This must be awfully disappointing to the vendors and the rest of Telegraph Avenue shops that benefit from the foot traffic, as well.

I would have liked to be a vendor here but the management is SO chaotic you cannot even get a…read moreresponse from them after THEY ask for you to give them information. Truly unprofessional.

pros: -my favorite churros IN THE ENTIRE WORLD…read more-love the churro without any filling (perfectly cooked) -fast and friendly service -affordable price cons: -none

I'll never say no to dessert. So when I found out about this cart that sells hot churros,…read moremade-to-order, I made it a priority to visit! This small but mighty operation is quick at serving delicious sweets like churros with a variety of fillings and fried dessert plantains. I walked away with one of each of the churros and loved them all! I was worried they might be too sweet with the fillings but surprisingly they were not. These are priced at $2 for the original churro and $2.25 for the filled ones. Still very reasonable despite a recent price change (that isn't reflected on their menu yet so I'm guesstimating) Their convenient location in the parking lot of the Cardenas market just gave me an excuse to pop into the grocery store. Please give them a visit if you're ever looking for a sweet treat!

I really love churros and ever since Costco discontinued theirs, it's been a struggle to find…read moresomewhere that has decent/amazing churros without having to go super far, somewhere sketchy, or pay $8 for a churro. Efran's appears to be a family-owned business run out of a house that primarily does catering - but every first Saturday, they allow the public to walk up and purchase churros for $1 (at time of writing) - cash/Zelle only. Totally worth coming!! Friendly service, super delicious churros!! I'm buying bulk next time to share :) Thank you Efran's for doing what you do, and can't wait to come back!!

Best churros in the Bay Area while supporting locally!!! I found this family business from friend's…read moreraving about this place on Instagram and the hype is real! Great to buy the trays for parties! They have different sizing and it ranges from around $1.50 to $2/churro. There is a special for first Saturdays where they sell churros for $1/each! It's so convenient now that you can preorder on their website now. They accept cash or card but with credit card they charge a 5% fee. Dipping sauces are so also available! Chocolate is great and not too sweet.

I had the absolute pleasure of trying Bombzies today, and I'm still thinking about it!…read more From the moment I walked up, the owner was incredibly warm, welcoming, and genuinely kind it's rare to come across service that feels that personal and sincere. You can tell there's real passion behind what they're doing. Now let's talk about the food... WOW. I ordered the Korean BBQ, and it was hands down the best I've ever had. The flavors were perfectly balanced, the sauce was rich and unforgettable, the rice was cooked to perfection, and the kimchi had just the right kick. Every single bite was next level. This wasn't just a meal, it was an experience. Awesome owner, Amazing people, incredible food, and quality you can truly taste. If you see Bombzies, don't even think twice...go get it. You'll thank me later.

Bombzies BBQ serves a mix of Asian BBQ including Korean, Thai, and Vietnamese styles. The proteins…read moreare sat on a bed of rice or garlic noodles, and I was able to ask for half rice half noodles! There are some dressed spring mix, pickled shredded carrot and daikon, kimchi, and cucumbers on the side that complete the meal. The char and flavor on my Korean BBQ chicken was good (a bit on the salty side but still enjoyable), and the rice and noodles were moist and plump; it's a solid bowl that I wouldn't mind eating every now and then. The main drawback is the price, especially for a casual DIY-style meal with mainly chicken and tofu choices. I also get food from Bombzies catered at my workplace and they're typically pretty good and specialize in flavorful Asian comfort food.

Tucked near the Oakland flea market is a street sprinkled with authentic mexican pop stands. Our…read moreal pastor craving led us here for weekend lunch. Glad we made the trek out here. It's not the most convenient and typical location. More of an Oakland food adventure, you can to see more of the local vibes of food offerings. The spot is marked with the spinning trompo and this is their specialty. We sat down and our al pastor taco orders were off. They were definitely busy during lunch time and we were able to snag a table. Food is definitely made to order and sprinkled with pineapple. The al pastor was nicely charred and tasty. Table side salsa provides the option of the green salsa or fiery spicy red. The red salsa kicks a bunch but it burns so good. There's also pickled onions just beware of the orange slices as those seem to be habaneros. The staff are super friendly and we'll be coming back for more cravings. Cash only.

I recently checked out Tacos Al Pastor Estilo Puebla, a food stand located about a block from where…read morethe flea market sets up near the Coliseum. It had never been on my radar before, but after seeing some buzz about it on r/oaklandfood on Reddit, I had to try it. All I can say is: WOW. Do you know how The Cheesecake Factory has a massive menu with 200 items, none of which are done well? This is the exact opposite. They do one thing--Puebla-style al pastor, cooked on a trompo--and they have completely mastered it. The al pastor was cooked to perfection--not oily or greasy at all (which some places struggle with). The meat-to-tortilla ratio was spot-on, and the pineapple chunks were fresh, a real treat, and perfectly proportioned. A really nice touch is that the plate came with a flat tostada shell, so you can scoop up any filling that falls out. They offer two types of salsa picante: Salsa roja - Flavorful and seriously spicy Salsa verde - Milder but still delicious One word of caution: onions with habanero slices are on the tables. They are delicious but go slow--I overdid it and had to take a break. The stand has plenty of seating, it's very clean, and the people running it are super friendly and happy to answer questions. This is a top-tier taco spot. Highly recommend checking it out! Cash and Zelle / no credit cards

Only went to this festival in 2023. Things were secretly modern and there was a way of purchasing…read morestuff at it. Didn't stick around for the whole time, but it was worth attending. Hopefully it will return next year.

I've been to the Art & Soul Festival more times than I can remember, way before I started Yelping…read more I remember it starting a few years after they canceled the Festival At The Lake. Lots of food vendors, stages, etc, but the best thing I like about this Festival is the Oakland vibe. Every time I go, it reminds me of Festival At The Lake or Hip-Hop On The Green. Especially near the main stage when the main artists are doing their thing. This year was no different. Yes, the $15 entrance fee and $5 parking was higher than last year, but it was worth it to me, I don't mind paying if I'm enjoying myself. Keep doing you Oakland!!!

To each their own...these tamales came poorly wrapped in foil wity the husk also poorly wrapped and…read morewere a mess.Packed in a gallon ziploc bag along with some green salsa. There's a almost tart flavor to them..guessing it's the queso...not great. I see why now they're the price they are. Not great

Really tasty tamales with a kick!…read more This is a cart on a one way street. Parking was easy right in front. Wanted 3 dozen tamales for a party so called to make sure they would have it and it was not a problem. $45 for 3 dozen = $1.25 each. So a nice discount from $2 each when you buy a dozen. Got pork, chicken, and cheese. My favorite was the chicken and least was pork. The pork was a bit too greasy for me. The cheese had big bits of jalapeno. Wrapped in banana leaves and moist. And it's been good reheated as leftovers a few days after. Easy to pay with a QR code - Zelle, Venmo, or cash.

Charlie's Corn & Sons was the only one food vendor at Irvingston Farmers Market. (not counting…read morepopcorn, bread & huumus). so gave them a try, offerings: baked potato, corn in cup, corn on cobb eats: corn on cob (3) with mayo and butter -wasn't roasted as seen on posters. -corn very fresh, not so sweet, didn't come with lime juice, chili flakes as listed on poster. noticed kid was busy loading up on the fixings to the side.. *not a fan of lime juice and chilis so it doesn't matter taste wise. leftovers: -not a fan of baked potatoes carb wise. may try it one day if starving.

I'm a sucker for a well-done baked potato. THIS is my gold standard for what a baked potato should…read morelook and taste like. I stumbled upon this farmer's market as I was doing my blood bank rotation at Kaiser San Leandro. There were fewer vendors than last week so I opted to have baked potato as lunch. For $6 I got a baked potato that is at least twice the size of my fist in a tin foil plate. It also the standard fixings: bacon bits, jalapeños, shredded cheese and scallions. They also pour a little bit of chicken broth at the end so that your potato is still fluffy and you can take off bits of skin from the potato. Supposedly according to people it used to be $5. $1 for water or soda. Yes they take credit. Best $6 I've spent in a while! There was so much potato I saved half for the next day. Still tastes great even when microwaved.

Arrived at about 4pm. The BART ride over was hot. The park was sunny and hot. The food was served…read morehot. The people attending, not so much... The music stage was by the lake and there was plenty of security enforcing the 'no alcohol past this point' rule where the crowd surrounding the stage was alcohol free. Lots of families with young children were gathered on the lawn clustered densely under the few shaded areas. There was a nice collection of food and beer vendors in addition to shiny stuff for sale. A handful of diehards were gyrating to the beats thrown down by a DJ. A main tent sold tickets for alcohol and food. Security and police presence was strong, and the peacekeepers were friendly, helpful and approachable. Very curious what the vibe would be like after dark. Pity I could not stay to find out. As I rode the BART back to SF, I saw train loads of beautiful people flocking to the city. It's Saturday Night y'all--have fun and stay safe!

A perfect Saturday afternoon on Lake Merritt and free of charge (unbelievable). There were music at…read moredifferent venues (bars/cafes/restaurants) along the Lake, but we decided to go to the main stage first. The music at the ampitheater was a pleasant backdrop to the gorgeous view of the lake. I didn't pay attention to the band until Jennifer Johns came on stage. She spent 30+ minutes adjusting the sound. Jennifer blew me away with a rendition of Etta James' "At Last". Jennifer inspired people to leave their seats/spots on the grass and dance in front of the stage. She extolled everyone to make the Oakland sign (interlace fingers and put pads of thumbs together and hold hands over head). There was an older guy with white hair who did NOT stop dancing for 2+ hours straight. His arm motions (as if he were swimming) were fun to watch. We had a side view of the stage & musicians & techies from our seats. Across the street at the convention center, there were food trucks, vendor booths, port o potties, beer garden and most importantly - Curbside Creamery. I got my vegan ice cream sandwich (important because I missed her at the Grand Lake Farmers' Market earlier that morning). Some convention center recommendations for next year: 1. More food trucks (I counted only 2 at 2:30p) and and at least 1 vegan food truck. 2. Do not put the beer garden directly in front of the one walking path that leads to the convention center parking lot. People in line for beer block path to cross the street to the lake. Service also seemed slow. 3. Make DJ spinning area larger - much larger and give less grass space to vendors (people are there to listen to music and eat/drink, not so much to buy jewelry). 4. More Portable toilets 5. Create an area with picnic tables or stand up tables and chairs. There were 4 plastic chairs in the shade beside a food truck. We were lucky enough to get seats to eat. The main attraction for me (besides the vegan ice cream sandwich) was DJ spinning danceable music on one end. His 10 year old son was dancing, other kids dancing, adults dancing. Discovery: I am able to dance sans back pain on grass! Hooray. Around 7p, we decided to go to Portal (since Los Hermanos del Ritmo was playing), en route to Portal, we encountered a winnebago offering karaoke. A woman was singing Adele "We Could Have Had It All" and she was Fantastic. A crowd gathered to listen to her. After she finished singing, we continued onto Portal and had a lovely, entertaining dinner there, then took a Lyft home. I hope the EastLake Music Festival becomes an annual tradition. The crowd, the music line up, the venues themselves are an example of the rich cultural & ethnic diversity in Oakland that has become "normal" to me. The NYT has said Oakland is a second Brooklyn, but a day spent at the East Lake Festival proves that Oakland beats Brooklyn, hands down.

Tacos were delicious especially the pastor tacos. It was $28 for 7 tacos and a large Horchata. But…read morelet me tell you: after my wife and I completely demolished our tacos, we noticed that the person serving the tacos used a knife to cut raw meat and then proceeded to using the same knife to cut avocados, pineapple, meat and everything. I don't know how to UNSEE what I SAW.....

Late night taco spot to check out. Carne asada would be better, less dry. But has a nice smokiness…read moreto it. Cabeza and tripas did not disappoint. Tender and crispy! I'd love to come back to try out the Al pastor! They put slices of pineapple!