I had a wonderful feast on tapas! It's been awhile since I've had Trinidadian food at the ready and this place did not disappoint. I was traveling for work and I'd saved this place after seeing a review on instagram. I truly was not disappointed. I had the short rib pepper pot, the phlourie, and drumroll...doubles! I also got a side of the Guyanese hot sauce. I did t finish my tapas and packed the rest to go. My taste buds have not received this much stimulation in years. This has to be one of the top three meals I've had this year or in the last three years. The pics I'm attaching don't do justice to the taste. I shared tastes of each dish with my co-worker. This was a first experience for him and he was wowed. He loved the entree that he received. There were oxtails and other meats in his dish, and it came with a brûlée plantain, and Caribbean style coleslaw. I could taste tarragon and arugula, and a host of other herbs and spices in my pepper pot. The tamarind sauce had a bright, vibrant taste with just enough balance of tartness and sweet. I usually don't get the tartness note unless I'm eating tamarind fresh, so I was pleasantly surprised. The phlourie fritters were nice and fluffy. I got both the phlourie and doubles as they were without any add ons like jerk chicken, shrimp, tofu,or other choices offered. I watched another table eating their doubles with a knife and fork...I smiled to myself and they watched me later when my doubles arrived and I picked my doubles up, folded one of them like a taco, and ate them "properly" as doubles are meant to be enjoyed, lol. It's a street food people, lol. read more

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This restaurant was great! The ambiance was super cute, and gave off fresh, fun, and chill vibes with all the natural beautiful plants and paintings. All of the staff were extremely pleasant, attentive, and kind. I had the Seafood Paella and it was amazing! Dish was packed with flavor, super filling, and had so much variety with every bite! Everyone was happy with their food and yummy drinks, and would definitely return! read more

Oyo - Seafood Paella - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I'm not surprised that this place has so many great reviews. If you are craving South African food, this is the place! [[ Location ]] Located in downtown Pleasanton on Main Street. Lots of parking on adjacent streets and a pleasant place to walk around. [[ Restaurant ]] I like the vibe of the restaurant with lots of painted murals and a ton of colors. Large outside dining and inside dining space. They also have heaters outside in case you get cold but it wasn't on when we were there at lunch. *P.S. They open the windows indoors as well and it was windy so it was quite cold indoors. Lots of people were wearing jackets to keep warm and we were definitely not ready for this. Next time, we will bring a light jacket. [[ Food ]] We tried the following dishes and in general I thought each of them were very good in their own way. 1.) Paella Oyo - I recommend getting the large as the large is more of a "medium" in my opinion. Good enough for 2 people. The flavor was great and tons of protein/corn/etc. in the dish. 2.) Mac & Cheese - I think the spices inside this dish are non-traditional but it grew on me. They also don't use the traditional macaroni pasta but the dish was good nonetheless. Good portion size and leaves a strong aftertaste of cheese in your mouth. 3.) Street Food Doubles - We didn't add a protein to this dish but I kind of wished I did. The dish is a little bit on the sweeter side but overall has a "curry" taste to it that I enjoyed. 4.) Grilled Octopus Salad - They gave a large piece of Octopus that was cooked perfectly and paired with a light salad. I LOVED the black-eyed peas added to this dish and thought it paired really nicely. I'll definitely be back. read more

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Had lunch here with friends this past Sunday, and thought the place was really cute, a colorful and inviting setting offering both indoor and outdoor seating, as well as a bar inside. We ordered various items from their menu for sharing, and everything was delicious, classic flavors for sizzling jerk shrimp, lobster mac and cheese, and paella, but with curry/caribbean spices mixed into the recipes for multiple dishes. It was very interesting. I especially liked the fried green plantains, nice texture and just a touch of salt, it was yummy. Our group also had several orders of the Espresso Martini, which did not disappoint. Toward the end of our meal, we shared the Dessert Sampler (including the Salara Cake, as recommended by our waitress) and agreed that the desserts overall weren't the best. Awkward and confusing concoctions of flavors that did not impress. The banana bread pudding was the most subtle, but also our fave. The food wasn't perfect but still pretty good, and the staff and setting were awesome, so we had a good time at Oyo this past weekend. Street parking's not too difficult to find as long as you're willing to walk a block or two. read more

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Love the food, service and ambiance. Menu has a different option that caters all categories of people. Highly recommend this place.

Came by with some friends who live in the area for a meet-up dinner. Still don't know what they're really trying to do here as I think I saw "South American" fare on their menu. Kinda of a large geographic area to pull a cuisine from, wouldn't ya say. I mean there's Peru, Colombia, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Uruguay just to name a few. And all mentioned are different enough from each other, so what are they trying to do here? Not hating, just confused. Sit-down service as this strip does little casual fare. Ya sign up for the bougie suburban segment if you set up shop on this street. I mean I've had legit Jerk Chicken and stewed Oxtails before many a times, but it was more into the hoods of Oakland, East Palo Alto. Sizzling Jerk Shrimp ($19/3.5*) Came in a small cast iron pan with about 5 medium shrimps completely submerged in a tasty garlic-oil flavored aggressively with spices which I was assuming was 'jerk' spice. Great flavor but a ton of oil, like they easily coulda put several more shrimps in there for that much oil. Shrimps a bit overcooked but not horrible, just not super plump anymore. And it came with this huge ball of some bread with a hard crust. I tried it but it was pretty dry and hard and with some soft bread already on the table, I just couldn't exercise this. Oyo Pepper Pot ($18/3*) My friend ordered this for the table and by the name I didn't know what to expect. What came was basically a braised boneless short-rib in appetizer form. A small mound of super tender shortribs to the point where is was more shreddable than sliceable. I prefer the latter as I like texture in protein and produce, I still have all my teeth so I don't mind using them on the daily. Talk to me when I'm 85 and I may change my stance. But this was cooked in a heavily spiced sauce that was kinda sweet. Reminded me bbq sauce minus the smoke. Didn't love this but I took a few bites onto some bread. Seafood Paella ($34/4*) This wasn't my dish but I took a bite and felt this was the best thing we ordered. Actually came in a paella pan and the rice was actually legit. Cooked well and they actually used a shorter grain rice which is legit for Spain. Not sure how South Americans do it, so once again not entirely sure. Paella del Negra ($36/2.5*) Another friend ordered this and of course I took a stab at this as well. Except this was a big time curve ball. I usually love 'black' paellas tinted with squid ink but this wasn't even a paella at all. Ffirst off they use 'Fideo' pasta instead of rice, that threw me big time. Fideo is like broken up vermicelli noodles so upon arrival it looks like basmati rice (long grain). Now I would've liked it just fine if it were executed properly but the dish was definitely on the salty side. My friend didn't even want to pack most of the leftovers home, so I took it as I don't like to waste food. I mixed it in with freshly cooked basmati rice as home and it proved to be better mixed in with something more neutral as to stretch out all that saltiness. But to eat it on its own, was a fail in my book. Jerk Chicken ($22/3*) I'm a huge jerk bbq fan that if I see a place offer it, I'm gonna get it on the first visit. Not sure what they were going for here, but Carribean Jerk is heavily marinated meats, slow cooked over wood without any glaze or sauce lacquered on top. Here it was a generous half chicken so for the price, huge bang as I took most of it home. But the outside of the chicken was heavily rubbed with spices and not sure if it were roasted or grilled over flame but the whole exterior was blackened from all the spices being roasted to blackness. Some parts were more burn't flavored but if you ate a piece of that crazy spiced skin with a good chunk of meat then it countered pretty well. Now if you just got a piece of the exterior then it would be much too salty and charred for my taste. I actually would have gave it a better rating but the breast meat was pretty darn dry. Just unlike any jerk chicken I've ever had, so again left me a tad confused. The accompanying fried plantains were good tho, the only thing that didn't make a to-go box. Dark and Stormy ($14/1*) I usually like these when I go to a Carribean themed resto/bar. Dark rum, lime juice and ginger beer, usually a festive winner. But here, this may have been the most awkward version I've had yet. First it was sweeter than it had to be, so I was already struggling with the sips. Then they put some sugary marinated fruit inside as a garnish and it just made everything taste artificial like I was drinking air freshner infused liquor. So gross. I usually can have at least 2 drinks with a long dinner, but here I was scurred to go on any further. Service was fast and the place was lively. Obviously this area is fond of the place. I'm a little more jaded and baffled. And that's okay can't win em all. read more

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It's great to see food diversity and we like trying new foods, so we popped in to Oyo in downtown Pleasanton for lunch one Saturday. We got in before noon so it wasn't busy yet and we were seated immediately. They've got some outdoor tables and inside the decor is colorful and vibrant! They've got a nice selection of dishes from the Caribbean and Guyana. We ended up choosing the Guyanese Cook Up Rice and the Pulled Jerk Chicken sandwich. The Guyanese Cook Up Rice was interesting- a variety of meats cooked with rice and presented nicely in a triangular mound- it was kind of like a stew or paella. The meats were tasty and definitely had a spicy kick. The Pulled Jerk Chicken sandwich was great as well- a good portion of flavorful meat that was complimented by the sweet peppers and jackfruit and the sweet roll it was served on. Definitely too big/messy to eat as a traditional sandwich so I had to use a fork/knife. Overall a great lunch, we'd love to come back to try more of their dishes! read more

POG, paella oyo, street doubles with tofu restaurant looks pretty cute with all the decor and seating areas. there looks like string lights over the bar which would be super cute at night for dates. service was quick and friendly. the place was clean and well maintained. POG non alcoholic drink was great! tastes like an exotic homemade juice you can't buy from the stores. paella oyo was just ok. meats were a bit dry. rice tasted great though. i would skip this one. street doubles with tofu were the star of the show! i don't know what magic sauce they have in there but it was fantastic! the 2 small tacos were actually filling enough for one person. i highly recommend you try these! read more

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OYO!! I promise you that I love food, and Oyo is one of the best I've ever had. The meal my boyfriend and I had was probably the one I would love to have for the first time all over again. Everything was flavorful and well thought out. The street food doubles was a recommendation from our server. The bread was almost like pita bread but very airy. It had an almost Indian flavor to me as well from the chickpeas on it. The octopus salad was smoky from it being grilled and also very fresh from the dressing. The oxtail stew was the star of the show. It was so good, and I couldn't get enough of it. We ordered a side of rice to have the yummy sauce with it. Worth every penny! read more

Oyo - Grilled Octopus Salad & Street Food Doubles with Jerk Chicken & Oxtail Stew - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Wow. Where to start. I order the seafood patella. It was perfectly seasoned with octopus, mussels, scallops and chicken. Would very highly recommend!!! read more

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This restaurant is great. Good service, excellent food and an uplifting, happy ambiance. The menu is extensive so it's easy to find things everybody will like. It's a wonderful place to enjoy good food and relax. Prices are very reasonable, especially considering the quality of the food they serve. Only downside is the lack of parking, but worth the walk! read more

I had the pleasure of dining at Oyo recently with my girlfriends, and I can say it was a nice experience. From the moment we walked in, everything was pleasant. The service was good. We were greeted warmly at the door, and our server struck the perfect balance between being attentive and giving us space to enjoy our meal. Every request was handled promptly and with a smile, making us feel truly cared for. As for the food--impressed. Every dish was great, both in flavor and presentation. read more

A much needed restaurant in downtown Pleasanton! Delicious, original food at reasonable price point and great ambiance. Waiters and waitresses were attentive and kind. We loved all of our dishes! read more

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I came with a group of 5 on a Saturday - would definitely recommend making reservations as we had reservations for right when they opened and the place got busy pretty quickly! I shared the paella del negra with my friend and while the portions looked a bit small when the dish came, we almost couldn't finish it. Perfect for two people to share and filled with mussels, shrimp, and other seafood. There was a small issue with my fiance's dish - but our server was beyond helpful in getting it resolved. Between the fresh squeezed OJ and other flavors like guava and mango for mimosas, would definitely recommend Oyo if you're looking for a fun/more unique brunch spot than your typical diner food! read more

Oyo - Paella del negra - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

I really wanted to enjoy my visit here and I did for the most part but I was not a fan of the food. This was my first time trying this type of cuisine so I just let my friends pick different dishes. We had some paella, the oxtails, salad, and tacos. I, unfortunately, did not like any of it. So please take this review lightly. The service was great so I bumped it up a star and I really enjoyed the 2 desserts that we ordered. Other than that, I thought it was just ok. My friends really enjoyed it though so take a chance and you might enjoy it too! read more

Oyo - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

food was delicious and everything was fast the tapas/apps are smaller portions but the entrees are big. We had a great time I would recommend for sure read more

Service was very good. The restaurant played great music but it was pretty loud which made it hard to hear the people at your table. Beef patties were a 10/10. Paella was a 5/10. It lacked flavor. Goat curry was a 7.5/10. It was good flavor but wasn't anything to write home about. Plus, if you ask for the rotti, they charge $3 more and they don't include the original rice. Doesn't make much sense to me. read more

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Have had Oyó's food before at a wine pairing & this time we opted to try the actual restaurant. The restaurant was busy for an early Sunday afternoon. We started with drinks all around & the sautéed chickpeas, they were tasty. The mains were: an order of paella oyó, Caesar salad with jerk salmon, steak & eggs, & the oyó omelette. The salmon with the Caesar salad was well done. The paella with chicken, sausage, shrimp & bomba rice was flavorful. The steak & eggs, followed by the oyó omelette all looked delicious & given the plates were cleaned I would say they must have been a hit. The overall ambiance was easy going, not excessively loud inside or out. The staff is welcoming & on it. We'll be back to make our way thru the me read more

Oyo - Pineapple Sorrel - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

My family wanted to try Oyo for a while now, so we decided to give it a try. I love paella so I knew we had to try that along with the ceviche. We had asked if the portions were good enough for two people and the waiter had said yes. If you have a big appetite when coming to Oyo, double up! The paella was delicious and it did not take them that long to make. We finished the paella fairly quickly (I'm not the quickest eater for context) and knew we had to order another tapa. We ordered the channa (chickpea appetizer) and it was great. That was probably the largest portioned plate we had ordered. Overall, the food was tasty and the restaurant set up was great! It may be a little pricey for their portions, but other than that well worth trying. read more

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We made reservation Sunday at 7:00pm. We were almost late 15 mins, but we made it with minutes to spare. It wasn't too busy. At first we were seated outside on the sidewalk, but then we asked to be seated closer to the restaurant but still outdoors. It was a cold night. Loved the complimentary pickles. We asked for seconds. All the food was good. We ordered the Tropical Salad, Oxtail Stew, jerk pork shoulder, and paella del Negra. The paella was different since it had noodles instead of rice. Some noodles were crispy. It tasted a bit spicy. Almost all the main dishes had a lot of carbs like rice/noodle and plantains. Would be better if there's more proteins. Service was fast and attentive. read more

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Food was delicious! Good customer service! Calm and quiet environment. Second time we eat lunch there with family and friends.

You guys... the food here is so good. We had apps, drinks and entrees. The plantains were to die for, and they brought us our coke with a a slice of lime. So cute. The servers were all friendly and nice, the jerk chicken was huge by the way, so stunning. I recommend the dumplings and ox tail all the way. Super authentic. Loved it I would def come back to sit and have a drink at the bar, it seems like it would get lively on a weekend. read more

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We came on a Saturday night with a party of eight. We were able to make a reservation for the patio because we had a dog with us. We were able to family style and share ceviche, paella, the jerk chicken, and ribs. We really enjoyed the food and the ambiance. We also had the rum punch and was able to share two glasses each for 6 people. Would definitely recommend to others for this unique place. read more

Oyo - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Very filling dishes. The atmosphere was lively and had great music. Overall, the dining experience was unique and would come back. My favorite dish that we tried was the Paella Oyo. It was very rich and was more than enough to share for two people. The oxtail stew was very tender. I would recommend getting a side of rice with it. The pork shoulder had a lot going on; it was a bit dry, but still worth trying. read more

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We took a couple friend of ours to dinner here last week. It was a nice enough experience to warrant 3.5 stars, rounded up. The service was interesting. We had reservations and were seated right away. It took a long time for our server to address us for drink and appetizers orders. She wasn't overly talkative but. Was able to succinctly provide us with feedback and suggestions on the menu. Once the food was ordered, the pace of service was pretty reliable. I'm not a huge fan of the atmosphere. The hard walls and hard surfaces lend to a loud environment. The bright colors and lighting also make the environment a bit cold and uncomfortable. Also, maybe I'm just getting too old (sounding like my father), but the music was a hit too loud. The food was excellent. We had the empanadas--both beef and chicken--which were very flavorful and spicy. Everyone loved their entrees: Seafood Paella, Island Salmon, Rundown Fish, and Goat stew. We also had a bread pudding dessert which was a nice sweet ending and big enough for four of us to taste. Nice experience, but I honestly see this as an occasional restaurant as opposed to a regular part of the dining rotation. read more

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Love eating at Oyo! There's truly no food like it in the area. Chef Maurice knows how to do it! Highly recommend!

What a delightful experience of South American, Caribbean flavors. Reservations can be made on Yelp with seating inside or out on the front patio. There's a nice selection of cocktails. I started with a caparinha which was pretty refreshing and both the caesar and tropical salad to start. Both salads are a nice sized portion. The caesar salad has a hint of anchovy and the tropical salad has mango slices with a coconut dressing. Both delicious. Skip the roti- it was not very good. For our main lunch, we ordered the oxtail stew, paella, ceviche, and sweet plantains. The oxtail stew and paella were full sized servings, enough to share for two. The oxtail was super tender with a nice, deep flavor. Now the paella was a little different for me. It had corn slices, chicken, and shrimp however the sofrito (the crispy bottom rice) was excellent. I could just have entree alone. I would definitely come back for seconds. read more

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Great restaurant! My boyfriend and I made a reservation on a Wednesday night, and it was quite busy. Lots of birthdays that day including my boyfriend haha. Food was amazing, especially the jerk shrimp. It was our first time trying jerk-styled meat and it was a tasty first impression. Cocktails are killer. Could not taste the alcohol much, which I love. Ambiance is very lively. Lots of artwork all around. Would love to come again next time we crave jerk-styled meat. read more

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We were seated quickly. You're given a choice of inside or out. We chose inside. The decor is very Caribbean vibe and artsy. Our server arrived and gave us daily specials. I opted for the tropical salad with jerk chicken. The salad was crisp, fresh and perfectly dressed. The chicken was warm, spicy deliciousness. My husband had the chicken tacos. Also perfectly seasoned and delicious. After our meal we were offered desert selections but we were too full. Definitely will come back for brunch next time. The brunch menu was short but a good variety. read more

Nice ambiance with live music on a Saturday night. Not a place for young children, Jerk chicken & seafood paella were all too spicy. Ended up ordering Mac & cheese for the kids. read more

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You want a true taste of some island food while visiting the tri-valley?! COME here ! This is a mix of Caribbean and South American food packed with flavor. Oxtail stew, AMAZING! Jerk pork shoulder , AMAZING! (Very tender) and large portion! And sizzling shrimp! Also delicious! This restaurant isn't very kid friendly in the sense they don't have a kid menu and it's more of an adult atmosphere. But that's not a bad thing! it's just good to be aware before you think you can come here as a family with younger kids. Definitely recommend! read more

I stumbled upon this gem while searching for a dine-in Caribbean restaurant. My experience went far beyond any expectation I could have had and hubby was happy with the authenticity. The food was amazing from apps to entrees to desserts. As our neighbors received their orders we learned about more foods to try. The drinks were perfection and service was top-tier. Dining outdoors under the trellis was lovely. We'll definitely be back again. read more

Love the drinks and the service here! Tonight's food was tasty. I came once before and had the vegetarian pallea and it wasn't a fan. It didn't give me the authentic flavor I was looking for. But I'm glad I came back because I loved what I had this time around! read more

Oyo - Caribbean Cesar with chicken - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

Went for Easter lunch and the food was amazing! Restaurant wasn't too crowded and service was good. Ordered the Half jerk chicken, which was topped with fried plantain and a large Paella del Negra (subsituted pasta with rice). Flavorful & tasty! read more

The friendly atmosphere along with great service! The music be on point! The food is so delicious full of freshness & flavor! You are not going to go wrong here! A great experience with amazing food! Try it all, something for everyone!! I had the seafood Paella and I asked them to remove chorizo. This dish was so on point. My friend had their special seafood pasta. He said it was great. read more

Oyo - Seafood Paella without chorizo - Latin American Near Me - Pleasanton, California

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We went for dinner and this place made me bust. Also I went to the bathroom and sitting on the toilet with the crazy ahh beats in the background made me shit so well. The meat was bussin as freak and I understand why the pumpkin soup was award winning. Good service and zesty bathrooms. I would come here to impress someone fr read more

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PROS: we like the flavor and taste CONS: portion was small; Oxtail was not fall off the bone, tough to chew read more

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Leaving another review, because I tried some different dishes than before. OXTAIL STEW!!!! Incredible! The meat was so tender, tasted like it was simmering for HOURS. CALYPSO CEVICHE -- so good! I've never tried a ceviche with green beans and ginger .. 100% recommend Also, I got the Street Food Doubles w/ Jerk Chicken, Paella Oyo, and Sweet Plantains (my typical order). You know it's good when I keep coming back for them. First time coming here on a Friday evening -- it was super poppin! Every single table was filled but they were great to accommodate us without a reservation. A pretty lively place with a lot of personality and culture. Stop by and check them out! read more

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Being my first foray into Guyanese cuisine, I had no idea what to expect. The Street Food Doubles and Guyanese Cookup Rice were packed with unique flavors. Great portion sizes too, the food was very filling and easily worth the price point! Definitely would come back to try a few of their other dishes read more

Amazing food, waiter was attentive & kind, food was fast, restaurant was really nice, vibe & energy was great. We made reservations because we didn't know if it would get packed fast and we're glad we did cuz when we got there at 1 we left around 2 it was already full! Now you know it's a great restaurant when it gets like that! Highly recommend this spot! Everything overall was great! My husband & I enjoyed everything. read more

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