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    Updated over 3 months ago

    Services - Pomella

    Catering services

    On-site management services

    Venue rental

    Pomella Photos

    POMELLA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Classy
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - Pomella

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    Reviews With Photos

    Hummus Plate
    Chad M.

    Probably a 2.5 Chicken didn't have much flavor, some rubbery pieces in there. Pita was not soft and fluffy but crunchy and dense. Hummus had almost no flavor. Employees were pleasant. I just couldn't find much to like about the food. Nice outdoor seating area, still enjoyable on a hot day.

    Hummus with falafel
    Alex M.

    I visited Pomella with some friends when we were hanging out in the Piedmont area. Everything on the menu looked delicious, and I went back and forth on whether to order the tagine or a combination of mezze items. I opted for the veggie tagine and a side of hummus + falafel to share with my friends. We grabbed a seat outdoors while we waited for our food - there was plenty of seating indoors and outdoors, and the outdoor seating is secluded from the parking lot by lush greenery. The food was brought out quickly, and we were surprised by the generous portion sizes. In fact, my tagine was able to stretch for two and a half meals! We should have definitely ordered family-style and tried more of the mezze plates; however, we were all very satisfied with what we ordered. The tagine was well-spiced, the falafel wasn't dry (which tends to be its downfall at other restaurants), and the hummus was smooth and creamy. I imagine I'll be back soon because I'm still dreaming about the hummus and falafel.

    April 2024 menu (1/2)
    Dianna H.

    A tasty spot for Mediterranean food on Piedmont. My friends and I came for an early dinner Monday evening at 5 and we were one of the few parties there. The restaurant shares the same building as dona, and we were a bit confused where Pomella was until we walked through the parking lot to the side of the building and saw the Pomella sign. There's a small parking lot next to the restaurant, but we didn't realize this and got a metered spot on the same block. Pomella has both indoor and outdoor seating. It was a nice day out, so we decided to sit outdoors. There are heaters available for outdoor seating. The way ordering works here is you order inside and grab your food when the buzzer goes off. In fact, everything is self service here, including getting water and putting the dirty dishes and cups back after you're done eating. If I had known that, I would've given a little bit less tip when ordering. I asked the cashier about their most popular dishes, and she said for the rice plates the chicken and the lamb sirloin were the most popular meats, so I opted for a rice plate with the lamb sirloin and saffron rice ($17.50). I also got the almond paste baklava ($7.50 for 4 pieces) to share. My lamb sirloin rice plate was super tasty. It came loaded with a good amount of rice, vegetables, and the yogurt tahini sauce. I really liked the lamb, which was very flavorful, but I wish there was more of it. When I still had 1/3 of my rice left, I was already out of lamb. I ended up taking my rice home and eating it with some leftover meat I had in the fridge. My friend got the chicken rice plate with lentils, and he really enjoyed that. I took a bite and thought his dish tasted better than mine, since they load it with a ton of fried onions. We were very disappointed by the baklava. It was overly sweet even for baklava, and we really had to struggle to finish it. I'd love to come back and try another one of their rice plates next time, maybe with the lentils!

    Shawarma spiced lamb sirloin with Saffron Rice
    Jeanne L.

    This review is only for the shwarma spice lamb sirloin saffron rice plate I just inhaled. My friends and all ordered the same dish and loved it! The portions are generous. It was delicious, flavorful, the lamb was tender and it was loaded with veggies for extra texture. All the ingredients were perfectly married together and the hot sauce on the side made it even better! We sat in the outdoor patio area on a warm day and it was quite busy on a Monday for lunch. The staff was nice and helpful and the restroom upstairs was clean. There is paid metered parking at the parking lot in front and more metered parking and free parking on the street. I saw the meter maid making her rounds so make sure you feed your meter! We also ordered the lemonade and it was delicious. The perfect balance or sweet and sour. Just the way I like it. I'll definitely be back to try other items.

    Lamb Kefta Rice Plate with Saffron Rice, Grilled Vegetables, and Yogurt-Tahini Sauce
    Mike L.

    Whelp. Now that I've scrolled through some of these reviews, don't I feel a little sheepish writing this? Between all of the photos and the positive reviews, it seems I may have done a horrible job with ordering... When my friends and I decided to stop into Pomella for dinner, I had no idea what kind of food they even served, let alone just how popular and beloved they seem to be. Personally, I just thought the look of the place was pretty cute and that their outdoor seating was perfect for such a warm night! As I skimmed through the menu, I was pleasantly surprised by how many things caught my eye. The menu initially didn't seem super extensive, but there's actually a ton of options to choose from amongst their varieties of cold mezzes, hot mezzes, salads, wraps, rice plates, hummus plates, and tagines/stews. Which, in turn, is the reason why I wonder if I just chose poorly - with so many tasty looking dishes, surely I didn't get their best, right? -- FALAFEL (6pcs) with Tahini Sauce...$6 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pomella-oakland?select=0zohdZMh_TKsJ_Zx1z3_GA) Honestly, these were such a bummer. The taste of them didn't seem bad, but it was hard to say for sure given how overcooked they were. Every piece was far more crunchy than crispy and super dry (the tahini helped, but it could only do so much). -- LAMB KEFTA RICE PLATE with Saffron Rice, Grilled Vegetables, and Yogurt-Tahini Sauce...$18.50 (https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/pomella-oakland?select=xjUTMTtyU8x4DUKoTfVJVA) Perhaps my hopes were too high? While the kefta itself was okay, the rest of the plate didn't do it for me. The rice (which there was a ton of) was both hard and bland and the veggies had a strong, herbaceous flavor that I found a bit overwhelming. Truly, it kind of kills me that I didn't have the same sort of experience with Pomella that so many others have had. However, while nothing about my meal was awful, it was undeniably underwhelming. Based on the bite of my friend's chicken tagine that I tried, I might have had better luck with that or one of the wraps and salads that the folks at our neighboring tables seemed to be enjoying. In the end, I wouldn't make it a point to come back and find out, but in the event we're in the area and I do, it's definitely something I'll keep in mind!

    Menu - Side 1
    Katrina F.

    This was a beautiful spot to check out on the border of Berkeley and Oakland. The decor is indoor outdoor appropriate. We sat ourselves outside after ordering. The service wasn't so great minus the one star in my review. No one ever checked on us if we needed water or how our food was. We saw waiters running around, however, I think the restaurant was moreso self-service other than the food being brought to us. The ambiance was gorgeous aesthetic. The food choices were had were Mediterranean inspired fusion with Mexican. I had a great time catching up with girlfriends here. The menu is more earthy and clean eating for my taste just a heads up!

    Fabulous place for a meal
    Inverleith F.

    I have been so intrigued by this place after seeing the owner featured often in Mornings on 2 and via Instagram. Could not be more excited to have been treated here to lunch with the kids for the first time. It's a very nice outdoor space as well as indoor space that is bright and colorful. We ordered the saffron roasted Cauliflower salad, falafel wrap, coucus with lamb and beet salad. The food is so very colorful and delicious! The flavors are "exotic" in that the combinations are quite new to me. My cauliflower salad cam with a side of sauce, maybe dressing that was delicate with a hint of curry and a slight tanginess. I added some lamb that was also flavorful and tender. Yummy! My one not is that the cauliflower could have been roasted more. The kids enjoyed all of their meals with the portions being so nice that we all had leftovers. I also had the hibiscus tea which was unsweetened. No problem because the flavor of the hibiscus really came through. There was a nice variety of items to go such as desserts, hummus, pickled veggies, etc I can't wait to come back!! Support this amazing local business! Parking is tough so best to park on Howe Street and walk over. You can also park at the Kaiser garage in Howe. It might be free on the weekends.

    eggplant with pomegranate needs more pomegranate but was still good.
    Sarah T.

    Great spot. Hummus: nice and smooth. Hummos aficionados will still argue about it, but his is a great version of hummos, and for those of you who have only had storebought, you should try this. Pita: was nice and fluffy and served warm. Eggplant with pomegranate and a side of saffron rice : tasty, however it needed more pomegranate. I didn't see any seeds or any pomegranate molasses and it would have benefited from both. The saffron rice is served with veggies, which this time included red and white onion, green pepper, and zucchini. These are not my favorite veg, but I felt healthy. Next time I will order the shawarma lamb mujidara rice. Shawarma lamb sirloin with side of mujidara rice: this was yummy, yummy, yummy. The rice has a nice cinnamon flavor. The lamb is not fatty and tastes good. Sauce and lentils and rice help stretch the modest amount of meat such that the dish will fill you up. In the past we have ordered other things, like chicken shawarma and fried cauliflower appetizer and neither blew us away, so I think when one reads other reviews and sees some raves and some meh, it is about what was ordered. I will for sure be back for the lamb shawerma rice, the hummos, and some rotating side dishes. Seating indoors and out. Outside had heaters overhead. Next to Dona, so if you want Mediterranean and your friend wants Mexican, everyone is happy. Parking can be tricky but you will find something soon enough.

    Chicken wrap. Really not the best picture but WOW was this a surprise.

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    1 year ago

    This was my first time there. Nice area but the food was bland. Not sure I would return.

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    1 year ago

    Worst meal I've ever had! Do not recommend! It's not authentic middle eastern food! I've been sick all weekend

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    Page 1 of 15

    Ask the Community - Pomella

    Are dogs allowed in your outdoor seating area?

    Yes!

    Is the falafel gluten free?

    Yes!!

    Is there parking available on weekdays?

    Hello, the entrance to pomella is through a parking lot. There's about 20 spots. It's a paid lot. There's also metered street parking

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    The chicken and rice are awesome. Chicken was juicy and so flavorful…read more Yogurt and chive appetizer was great. The waitress recommended it and it was way better than I was anticipating. Tachin was something completely different. So many different flavors and textures. Great change up. Wouldn't be my go to. But once in a while I could enjoy it.

    We walked in and tried to get a table for 2. And the owner asked us if we had reservations. But…read morethere was plenty of seating inside and outside. Funny part is, no one walked in after us. We were then seated, the first girl asked if we wanted anything to drink which we did but we never got our drinks til another waitress came and asked us 20mins later. We told her we were ready to order and we had to wait another 10mins for another waiter to order. We got the chive/shallot yogurt, lollipop lamb chops, Koobideh and Joojeh Kabob. The kabeb dishes came with grilled tomato, grilled pepper, rice with tadig on top. They also make this pink butter to put on the rice. Food is good and everything was seasoned well and not over cooked. I want to give this place a try again but they need to work on their customer service. They catered more to other tables and we didn't even get offered the dessert menu like the other tables around us. Also, we had to ask for the check and no one even came to check if we were ready to pay we had to go up there.

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    Persian Nights Restaurant - Outdoor seating

    Outdoor seating

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    Middle East Market

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    I stepped in to grab food before realizing there was a separate cafe next door…read more Decided to come back after dinner next door to pick up some dessert and I'm so glad I did! I got an assortment of Turkish delight and some pistachio baklava ($2.99). The Turkish delight is sold by weight across all the varieties and goes for $16.99/lb. The guy behind the counter was super friendly and offered us a sample of one of the flavors to try which I thought was a nice gesture. Everything looked so good, so we picked a couple different pieces of Turkish delight to try. To my surprise, my favorite ended up being the saffron, though rose petal with pomegranate and sour cherry with pastachio were close seconds. I didn't like the coconut or the chocolate one that much, so reminder to myself to skip those next time. After picking up the dessert, I did a quick circle around the store to see what they had. It's not a big store but they manage to cram a lot of stuff into the limited space!

    I usually stop by either the Middle East Market or its sister spot, the Middle East Café, during my…read moreweekly laundromat run down the block. The café bartenders are always kind -- once they even let me use the bathroom before I realized the laundromat had one. I've ordered a beer while waiting for my clothes to dry and was welcomed to sit with my dog on the back patio. The atmosphere is warm and accommodating. The market itself is a treasure trove: shelves filled with Middle Eastern dry goods, nuts, dried fruits, spices, blends, and condiments you can't find anywhere else. Kofta, shish kebab, falafel, sumac, garam masala -- it's all here. They also carry pita, lavash, labna, and other breads and yogurts that make cooking from scratch feel like heaven. Bonus points for the large assortments of delicious house made baklavas! Even without a full kitchen, the prepared foods are excellent. I ordered falafel, eggplant dip, hummus, and cucumber salad from the to‑go counter -- a mini feast for $26 that didn't disappoint. **Verdict:** Courteous service, respectful staff, and a fantastic selection. Whether you're cooking at home or grabbing a bite, this place is a gem. Highly recommended.

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    Menu

    Pomella - mideastern - Updated May 2026

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