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Modigliani Cafe

4.8 (534 reviews)
ModerateSandwiches, Salad, Cafes
Closed 11:00 am - 3:00 pm
Updated over 3 months ago

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MODIGLIANI CAFE ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Dogs allowed

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Recommended Reviews - Modigliani Cafe

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Cuban Sandwich and special Ruben Sandwich
Daw M.

There's no place like home and this place goes above and beyond that in vibes. CASH ONLY! Jerry is a wonderful person with amazing bacon and sandwiches. I looove the pull pork and that bbq sauce is amazing. Free coffee for caffeine addicts like me. Only open for 4 hours. Thank you for an amazing experience and will definitely be back!

Tuna sandwich

I don't usually write reviews, but this tuna sandwich deserves one. I come here almost every day, and somehow... it never gets old. The first bite hits the same every single time--fresh, perfectly seasoned tuna with just the right texture, tucked into warm, crispy bread that's toasted to perfection. It's simple, but done so well that it feels like something new every time I eat it. There's something addictive about the balance--the crunch of the bread, the creaminess of the tuna, and that subtle flavor that keeps you coming back without ever getting tired of it. If you're into classic sandwiches done right, this is it. No hype needed. Just consistently great.

Bacon panini
Annabelle R.

This is a cozy sandwich shop selling killer paninis. With so many tantalizing items on the menu, we opted for the turkey panini and bacon panini special, as well as an old fashioned chocolate milkshake. Staff was friendly, and our order was served to us at the counter we were sitting at in about ten minutes. There were a few small tables outside as well, so seating options were available, though no restroom. Coffee and tea were offered free of cost for guests. Our sandwiches were delightful, made fresh with a nice buttery crunch on the outside and just the right amount of sauce to complement the other ingredients. The bacon panini was especially enjoyable with ample thick cuts of bacon inside. And the milkshake was on the sweet side but very yummy! The only downside to this place is that they only accept cash payments, but they have an ATM on site.

Ruben special
Grace C.

We walked over from Sirene, it's a smaller space but very welcoming and full of artwork! The gentleman who was cashier, server, host, everything in one was so nice and hospitable!! He kept telling us that we would be really happy once we had our food. He wasn't wrong lol We got the Cuban, Ruben, and a Tuna melt!! He slathered butter on the bread before it got grilled in the panini press!! The bread ended up incredibly crunchy and the sandwiches were large! Only reason for less than 5 stars was that I was worried about the build up around the panini grills' electric chords being a hazard.

Steak Panini
Jeff B.

Struck gold on accident. Sinners brought my wife and I here -- drove down from Sacramento to watch the movie at Grand Lake and needed a quick bite to eat before the show. Short on time, we bought a steak panini and it instantly knew we made the right decision. Everything about this sandwich was delicious -- the bread was nicely toasted, the cheese, peppers and steak complimented each other perfectly. Priced at $15 it was a little on the pricey side but what isn't these days. Service was great and they were pretty quick with our order, we had plenty of time to enjoy before the movie started. I think this has easily become one of our go-to spots when we come out this way. 5 stars!

Specials
Erika T.

Hands down the BEST tuna melt in the town. Has been my go-to since discovering this place. It's right next to Grand Lake Theater. Easily missed but you don't want to miss it! Service is tip top. Jerry the owner is the best and is a lover of your fur babies too. He literally prepares all the meat himself, it is not pre-bought. Meatballs, pulled pork, the tuna, and the steak. Ambiance is great, small and cozy in the inside and seating outside as well. Cash only but there is an ATM inside! I just discovered they have a new item, The Reuben and hands down I'm blown away once again.

Inside this tiny gem
Theresa S.

I've passed by this little hole-in-the-wall cafe a million times and finally stopped in today. I am so glad I did! I ordered the grilled cheese and it did not disappoint. Crusty French bread, gooey melted cheese, tomatoes and pesto. So satisfying! The friendly gentleman in charge offered me a sample of the tuna and I'm ordering that next time. I'll be back soon.

Front of the restaurant.
Dexter D.

Tiny space with a small, but satisfying menu, topped by great service. There's a menu board, a Specials Board and free coffee and tea while you wait for your order to be prepared. If you're short on time, be sure to call in your order ahead of time. I haven't tried this so I can't tell you how well this may or may not work. We got a Cuban and a Sausage Sandwich. Both were delicious in their own right. I would order the Cuban again. Probably not on the Sausage, not because we didn't enjoy it but because we really liked the texture and flavor of the bread on the Cuban after it had been put through the panini press. Could we have asked for the Sausage Sandwich to be pressed as well? Maybe? We'll ask the next time we're there. We also got a Chocolate Shake. It was delicious but I sure wish they offered coffee flavored.

Cuban sandwich
Libby K.

This absolute gem of a cafe reaffirmed my faith in the point of eating out, having new shared experiences, connecting with people and their labors of love. As other reviews have amply stated, they make EVERYTHING in-house here, down to the mustard. What stays with me is the pride they take in this making; the way everything has a little story and there's just joy in being able to share it. I haven't encountered hospitality like this in a long time-- no-frills, treating everyone like family. Complimentary coffee, free chips for first-timers, generous samples, checking in that you have everything you need, deriving joy just from seeing us enjoy the food. Regulars dropped by just to chat and I could totally see why. Someone who used to work in the kitchen came in and the owner knew it was his birthday. Dogs got a little meatball treat. "Service" doesn't even cut it. It really felt like a space to just love food and be in community. The food was fantastic in every way, thoughtful and hearty and balanced in wonderful flavor. Everything had me thinking, ad nauseam: "this is the best ___ I've ever had." The best cuban sandwich (crispy perfect panini, delightful pulled pork and tender turkey/ham); the best greek salad (so light and tart and juicy and fresh!); the best meatball (such savory, homey textures!); the best pesto. I am always on the lookout for good pickled things and would literally buy their house-cured peppers in bulk if I could. But also, I think I'd prefer coming back as often as possible :) "Our goal is that you leave happier than when you came in!"

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Their veggie sandwich is CRAZY GOOD!!!!! They are so friendly and they even have freebies!!!!

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Kitava - Power bowl with crispy chicken

Kitava

(263 reviews)

$$

North Oakland

Delicious and flavorful, one of My favorite bowl places. I…read morelove the whole Folds, clean ingredients, low Processed foods. I especially love that they don't use dairy or seed oils in their dressings. I often get all veggie bowls and they are super filling. Much of the menu is also Daniel Fast- friendly

Came here on the rec of a friend who told me she thought I'd like it. It's about a 24 min drive and…read moreI thought about ordering online for pick up, but it showed it'd only take 10 mins online and I wanted it fresh and crispy so I decided to order when I got there. I will say, if you have somewhere to be *ORDER ONLINE*. I got there and was told to order from the self serve tablet (I could have done this on my phone ahead of time), but I put in my order and sat down to wait for it. At the 22 min mark, the two groups of two behind me got their food before I did, so I went up to the worker behind the bar and asked if my order was ready and I was told mine would be next. All in all- took 32 mins. So again, if you have somewhere to be- order ahead! Food was good. Could definitely tell it was made fresh to order - not only because it took some time but because my friend cauliflower came out PIPING hot. Lots of oil drippings, so if that isn't your thing, may not be for you, but I will say that it was my fav bite. This was a good restaurant- I would say 4 stars for the food alone. BUT if you're in a pinch, either order online or maybe save this spot for when you have more time. Also- I know that good quality food is pricey, this place is no exception. But you pay for what you get and the quality is better than that of fast food.

The Saap Avenue - Ho Mok Pla (Lao Style Steamed Catfish) ($22) - steamed catfish folded in banana leaves. Great! Very flavorful.

The Saap Avenue

(339 reviews)

$$

Piedmont Ave, North Oakland

I'm absolutely blown away. I was surprised about how good everything was. Might have been the best…read morefood I've had this year. My family ordered 1 appetizer, 4 entrees, and 2 drinks, all shared, and all 4 of us agreed that EVERY single item was phenomenal. That has absolutely NEVER happened before. At most restaurants, there's always at least one thing that someone doesn't like, and often multiple things that multiple people don't like. Not the case here. The appetizer was the spicy basil wings. Very good to start. But little did I know what was coming my way. The drinks were Thai tea and lychee limeade. The Thai tea was normal. As in good, I liked it. The lychee limeade was amazing, had to order another one. I would like to try the mango next time (there will definitely be a next time). Very sour, which I love. I hate lemonade that's not sour enough. Oh and that too, I usually hate limeade, don't really care for lemonade, and don't drink soda. I usually only drink water, juice, or tea (no coffee, alcohol rarely). So that's saying something. The Laos fried spring roll entree was really good. I always liked fried rolls but something about this tasted better. They were Laotian rolls, so maybe that was part of the difference from the ones you get from Pho restaurants. The duck over rice was amazing. I'm not usually one to pick duck, I don't mind it but I usually don't order it, but this was my mom's choice and it was really good. I like the sauce too. The Panang duck curry was so good. My mom doesn't even like curry and she liked it. And the Chiang Mai soup dish, I've never had anything like it. It was still hot after, I don't know, 20 minutes maybe? At the bottom especially. We all ate this together at the end, while the other dishes were in the order I listed them for myself (mostly, kinda switched around a bit eating family style), and generally the same for everyone else. I tasted a tiny bit of the soup in the beginning and thought it was nothing special, like when my spoon was clean it was the first thing I scooped. Only the soup though, none of the stuff inside. Honestly I didn't read what was in it, some crispy noodle or something. I was not sure if I would like it but my sister said she had it in Thailand and liked it so if I didn't like it she could eat it. That ended up not being a problem. Okay so anyway, we started on the soup at the end. To start, it was pretty good. Somehow, every bite we took tasted better and better, for at least like 5-10 bites maybe. At that point, I was thinking it's the best thing I've ever tasted. (But of course that's probably not actually true, and I'm just falling for the recency bias, kind of like how my favorite song changes all the time.) Never had anything like it. I've been missing out. But wow, I have to come back. And I highly recommend this place. Life changing experience honestly. Like if you asked me right now if I wanted to get Japanese or Korean (my other favorites) food or this, I would go here. I honestly wanted more of every single dish, especially the fried spring rolls, duck over rice, duck curry, and soup. Wait a second... that's all the entrees we ordered! Also the limeade. I need to get that again. But I also want to try other stuff next time so I'm torn. I literally need all 4 of these dishes again so I don't know what to do. I hope these dishes aren't seasonal or otherwise temporary. I noticed the menu had a month and year listed (I think it said April 2026 and it's May 3 2026 today) so I believe they update it frequently. If I lived closer I would come 20 times in a row and try every single thing, but unfortunately I live in San Ramon so it's not like I'm trying to go to Oakland every day. Soon though. My sister lives there, if I were her I would go here every day until I was sick of it, if that could ever be possible. I don't know if I could ever enjoy other food this much again. I was also completely sober so it wasn't like I had munchies or anything (felt I should specify being a young adult who grew up in California). Hmm, that gives me an idea for the future though. Even the pricing is fair (no dishes over $30), and the place is nice. Great service too. The only drawbacks are small tables for parties over 4 people, and it's REALLY loud in the restaurant, but well worth it. If you are sensitive to noise I'd recommend earplugs, earmuffs, earbuds, headphones, or something. The place is also relatively small. I'd recommend making a reservation if you plan to go on a Friday or Saturday night. It got busy, very busy. Well our reservation was at 6 and it wasn't crowded yet, a couple tables open, but by the time our food came out the place was absolutely packed and I think people without reservations had to wait to sit. I'm not sure though, I was too focused on the amazing food to care. Anyway, once again, highly recommend and I will be back.

Came here on a Sunday night with my family, and we might have a competitor for our favorite Laos…read moreplace. We got the following : Lao Appetizers Plate - Everything had great texture with the sausage standing out the most to me. Very soft and not too salty. Garlic Pork Spare Ribs - Great flavor, but a little on the dry side. Still tender enough to enjoy. Duck Larb Salad - Bright flavors and everything worked really well together. Recommend adding this to any meal balance out the other fried items. Kao Piak - I find that most places over cook their chickens, but the meats here were cooked perfectly. Broth was a bit salty for me, and I usually like the broth thicker, but still good overall. Mango Sticky Rice - I liked the crispy fried rice bits that added a nice crunch. Mango wasn't quite in season right now, but it was still sweet and soft enough. Overall service was great, and there is a lot of parking in the area. Def recommend checking it out.

Cato's Ale House - Lemongrass Tofu Banh Mi

Cato's Ale House

(760 reviews)

$$

Piedmont Ave, North Oakland

We have been going to Catos for years and years. It is our place for lunch and to hash out family…read moreand work stuff over a pint of beer! Staff is friendly and efficient and the food has always been good!!! I think they have a new chef - the food in the last month or so is really good! Today Husband had sticky ribs - sauce with Asian flavors and the meat tender but not dry!! SO yummy!! I had steak frites - a little on the boring side, but cooked perfectly! (the dog loved loved loved the left over steak) Here is the main reason I am writing this review. A friend of mine has been battling a health issue for several months and ended up back at Kaiser Hospital for 10 days. If you have ever had a stay Kaiser Hospital - the food is atrocious on a good day. So my friends' family brought her food during her stay. This time all from Catos!! The family lives in the east bay and are not regulars to our Piecmont Ave neighborhood. They loved the food - worth traveling for!! One of her daughters said she would come to Oakland just for Catos burgers - Mac and Cheese - Obama sandwiches and pizza!! My friend is home and healing well - Good job Catos - I am so happy you are part of our comunity!!

It was OK. Nothing spectacular. Grabbed lunch solo. Tried the 2 piece pizza for $8. Price was…read moreright. Pizza looked delicious..had little flavor. Like even with the parmesean added, it still waa pretty bland for a slice a pizza. Oddly not even the pepperoni had much flavor. Customer service was OK. The bar itself is a bit dark, but clearly this is a cool neighborhood spot to grab a drink.

Modigliani Cafe - sandwiches - Updated May 2026

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