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Rio California

4.6 (528 reviews)
Closed Closed
Updated 3 months ago

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RIO CALIFORNIA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Classy
Moderate noise
Good for kids

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Oohhh this jerk chicken is so good.  The salad crispy.  Perfectly done.
Vickie B.

Rio California is a safe walk from BART 12th Street in an exceptionally beautiful Preservation Park. The greenery obscures the sign. Just walk towards the fountain. It is on the left, somewhat obscured by greenery. This restaurant was featured on Check Please Bay Area with high accolades. I was so glad to see it close to BART. They are only open for lunch with a beautiful searing area outside. We ordered jerk chicken although someone we ran into at the entrance to Preservation Park said the lemon chicken was a favorite. We intended to enjoy our entree for dinner. So our entree was boxed up with salad separate. No leakage here. Good containers. As we awaited our order, we could see the guy behind the counter expertly steered customers towards meals and drinks they likely would enjoy. One item, I think the burrito, is less spicy, more for kids. I appreciate that conveyance of knowledge. Now to the food. We split one for dinner. WE ARE STUFFED. The salad was crisp, the chicken juicy and on fire. The rice cooling off my mouth. RIO CALIFORNIA IS A WINNER. I look forward to many more meals here. It is truly worth the trip.

6 Feet Distance signage
Sherri W.

I can't get enough of this place bc of the food & the owner, Nathan who has a true passion of serving great food. I always come for the Jerk Chicken, consistently moist & infused with herbs. The next dish was Coxinha(not pictured)which is a popular Brazilian street food & I can see why. The light & crispy croquette filled with chicken meat was perfectly fried & had enough moistness inside that one can only beg for more. Although 3 Coxinha's come on the plate, don't be deceived at how filling it can make you. What I also appreciate is the generous amount of salad that is included, with only the freshest of ingredients. The last dish we ordered was the Creamy Lemon Seafood Risotto. The only thing I wish for is for them to be closer to my home.

Feijoada as served.
Don N.

If you're looking for a little adventure for lunch, try this place out. It's located in Preservation Park, a beautiful and unique setting in Downtown Oakland. The food is tropical with a Brazilian accent. I ordered the Feijoada, a Brazilian stew of sausage, pork and black beans. The first picture is how it arrived at our table, then I was told told mix everything up on the plate. When I did, the dish came to life and it was delicious! I will definitely order this again. She got the fish tacos but although there was a nice piece of fish on each taco, they weren't very well seasoned. She did love the salad, especially the dressing. We'll be back!

Coxinhas
Allyson U.

Tldr; EAT HERE. Rio CA is one of those places that I always leave thinking, why do I eat anywhere else? The food is so delicious and the service is so sweet. It's been over two years since I've last been able to make my way over and it's the same great quality. The owner kindly took our order and brought out our food after a short wait. My friend and I ordered a few things to split (coxinhas, feijoada, and jerk chicken), two of which I've never had before (the former). Usually I've never been in on the days they've had feijoada, so I was super pleased to grab some on a Friday. Every part of the meal was heavenly. The salad/dressing are perfection. I'm one of those people who don't like salad--I make my mom proud. The owner heard me raving about the salad and brought me extra salad and dressing, which was so sweet. The jerk chicken was great (as always) and the feijoada was really enjoyable to eat. The owner provided us a little bit of a primer of the dish and brought us some delicious hot sauce. I enjoyed every component of the dish together. THE TEXTURES! The coxinhas came out last and were also amazing. Crispy and well-seasoned. I topped mine with hot sauce and was on cloud 9. This meal gave me life and I'm so happy we stopped by. I will definitely not be waiting another 2 years before returning

Frances C.

Need a relaxing getaway lunch Rio California is tucked away in the heart of Oakland and you can dine outdoor without interruption from foot and vehicle traffics Food is excellent, the fish taco is lightly charred and fresh, the salad was very refreshing Service is great Hate to return to work after lunch

Coxinhas
June W.

Had lunch here, party of 6, on a Friday afternoon. They have very few tables outside, but the owner was very kind, and set up a spare table and chairs to accommodate us. The location is in a cute little place called Preservation Park. I think the Victorians there were saved from elsewhere, and placed here to showcase them. First off, all the plates were huge - you will have enough for several meals. We had the following: - 3 Coxinhas (chicken croquettes) plate with Salad. Never had these before. They were nice and crunchy, and splitting 3 amongst the 6 of us was plenty. Nice, flavorful chicken. The salad (spring salad mix) was great with the dressing (Green Goddess-like?). - Jerk Chicken plate. Chicken had a good taste, may have been slightly stringy. -Feijoada plate. Also new to us diners. Considered in our group to be tastier than the chicken above. Flavorful sausages and meat. - Grilled tilapia. Didn't get a taste, but the diner said it was great, nice texture. - Jerk Chicken Burrito. Lots of chicken, lots of rice too. (Carb aware people should note that there's a lot of rice in there.) This was a pleasant lunch, and would recommend it to people who haven't had Brazilian food before.

The hidden restaurant.

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Great jerk chicken and fish tacos. True Brazilian food make sure to try their signature drink there Guarana the Brazilian original.

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4 years ago

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7 months ago

Man if this isn't a 5 star idk what is. Nate the owner is the man. I'd give the jerk chicken 6/5 stars.

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1 year ago

Absolutely AMAZING. We tried the seafood risotto and shrimp w/mashed potatoes. Perfectly prepared. Can't wait to have more.

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

Delicious food- jerk chicken was great. Good portion sizes and well priced. Overlooking garden in Preservation park.

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Ask the Community - Rio California

Are there any options for vegetarians?

They have salads and a grilled veggie burrito

Are there any vegan options here?

Yes

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Wood Tavern - Whiskey Laced Chicken Liver Pate

Wood Tavern

4.3(2.4k reviews)
3.4 miRockridge, Elmwood, North Oakland
$$$

Those who know me, know that I'm not a fancy guy. Which is why I always get the reliable pastrami…read moresandwich at this place. It's good and a solid meal for the price point. The pastrami sandwich comes on a baguette, which I love. It's nice to sharpen my teeth on that crunch. The pastrami itself is made in house, and it's delicious. They cut it fresh. It also comes with a small side of coleslaw. They use a Dijon dressing that is absolutely fantastic. Be sure to ask for extra dressing.

I have been wanting to try this place for a few months and its so hard to grab reservation. I was…read morefinally able to after trying for a few months. The food in this place was good but the service was so bad at some point I felt like it was a torture. The place was kind of empty not too many table were full but the waiter just would be gone for long and wouldn't come ask if we needed anything. The wait between meals like appetizer and main course was so long not because of kitchen but the server was just gone for long at a stretch. I had to ask him to come and same with after our meal was finished he never came to ask if we needed dessert, The waiter on other table saw us a few times and he finally came and gave us a menu. I really wanted to try a dessert but was scared this will again take us another hour to even get the server to come and get our order. On top of really slow service there was an older man who sat in the table next to us and kept talking to us looking at our food. He literally was asking me if you support trump do you like him. He kept telling us how he knew the owner and his wife and has come to this place for 100 times over years and everything is free for him here. This was all ok but I wasn't sure why he wasn't letting us eat our meal in peace. At some point he became a little racist as well, when we tried to take our food goto he told us i won't take this goto. I never take this goto. And then was like ohh you are from India and it felt so uncomfortable. He was like do you watch fox, I watch fox. Then was like I have cable, I don't try to save money. Do you have cable.. omg never ending interrogation and also kept looking at our food and table and what we were eating and kept commenting on that. I understand this restaurant might have some old and familiar guest or important people come to this place but they should understand other guest should still be able to enjoy there meal without being bothered by the people who are known. It was one of my worse restaurant experiences, the service and on top of this man who somehow is VIP guest at this place made it so hard for us to have our date night meal in peace. I literally tried to run away from this place. This was almost 2 hrs long ordeal. We came a little before 6 and left at 8 and I never eat for that long. I'll NEVER go to this place again even though I loved the food.

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Wood Tavern
Wood Tavern - Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Grilled Rib Eye Steak

Wood Tavern - Hot Pastrami Sandwich

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Hot Pastrami Sandwich

Almond & Oak - Shrimp & Grits w/ shrimp gravy, scallions, poached eggs ($21) + Chive Scrambled Eggs w/ applewood-smoked bacon, potatoes ($19)

Almond & Oak

4.4(425 reviews)
1.7 miGrand Lake, Lower Hills
$$

Very tasty, Southern inspired foods. I loved the spicy chicken sandwich and their cornbread. There…read morewas a wait list on a Saturday morning, but the text to let us know our table was ready came fairly quickly. Our server was very prompt and kind. The restaurant is beautiful, with a full bar and view of their grand oven. Highly recommend to make a reservation here for brunch.

Came here for lunch with a friend at 1 PM on a Saturday. We came 15 minutes late after our…read morereservation because of parking and they were understanding of it. As soon as you walk in, you're hit with the smell of a campfire from the oven. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous with an Art Deco design. The ambiance is cozy but elevated. Benedict (buttermilk biscuit, dungeness crab cakes, marinated swiss chard & beet greens, herbed hollandaise, poached eggs & mixed greens): I'm not a huge benedict person because they can feel heavy, but this one was fantastic. I loved the textures and flavors of the crab cakes pairing with the greens and vegetables. It felt balanced and not too creamy or exhausting to eat. It definitely stands out from the run-of-the-mill brunch benedict. Vegetable Hash (roasted sweet potatoes, garnet yams, sunchokes, cauliflower, cremini mushrooms, celery root & onion, savoy spinach & poached eggs): This was also delicious and also set itself apart from the standard brunch hash. I loved the different vegetables in it besides being just potatoes and onions. The mushrooms and root vegetables worked really well together. Everything was well-seasoned. I'm glad we ended up choosing these dishes even though neither were my original top choices (I decided on the menu with my friend). It made me feel like you can choose anything and it'd be a banger. We were quite full from these dishes, and we forget we also ordered beignets to come out last. They were fluffy and mostly air (but not in a bad way). The service throughout the meal was good. We were checked on from time-to-time and our waters were refilled, although I wish the water glasses were a little bigger. One small thing to note was that we were given the check while we were still eating, even though the restaurant was still seating people despite it being close to closing time. Unsure if/why we were rushed like this. Overall, this was a memorable brunch spots I've been to in the Bay (dare I say one of the best?). We left smelling like a campfire. I would recommend it.

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Almond & Oak
Almond & Oak - Baked strawberry rhubarb French toast

Baked strawberry rhubarb French toast

Almond & Oak - Eggs Benedict

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Eggs Benedict

Marica - Twice cooked lobster

Marica

4.4(2.6k reviews)
2.6 miNorth Oakland
$$

Date: 3/27/2026 Time: 7:25 PM 68° Cool…read more My male companion asked where I wanted to have dinner this evening. I had a taste for Chilean sea bass. A search on this website resulted in Marica having it on their menu. He booked a 7:30 PM reservation for two. We arrived early. What started out as a not too pleasant experience for us was the attitude of the guy who greeted us when we entered the restaurant. Attitude bordered on rudeness (3 star). We somewhat tolerated it, not knowing what to expect next. The restaurant was filled with diners, and the only available seating was not far from the front door. Oh, the chill was in the air, and my not wearing a sweater and/or light jacket to stay warm had me shivering. I had to brave the element (LOL). Since there was no Chilean sea bass on their daily special menu, it took a little longer for my companion and I to peruse the menu, and decide what entrees we were willing to have. Usually I would order an Arnold Palmer as a beverage; however, this time I decided to be adventurous - reisling peach spritz please - to whet my appetite. My date had the Temescal pilsner. Eats: Grilled salmon arange ginger saffron blanc beurre, roasted potatoes and vegetables. Korean short ribs, honey garlic gochujang marinade, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Our meals were on point and bomb-diggity delicious. The arange ginger saffron was perfect with the carrot. It reminded me of glazed carrots. The green beans were fresh and not overcooked. Ooh, the Korean pork ribs were tender and that sauce was sweet and had a subtle kick of spiciness. (Definitely a perfect complement for the pork ribs.) I have to admit the chef knew how to burn. Food tasted so good that figuratively speaking y'all gotta slap the cook and his mama. Ambiance: Comfy and casual. Despite the dining area is small, still it is a great restaurant for dining on a Friday evening. From my perspective and vivid imagination with the indoor lighting, it exuded a romantic atmosphere. Only in my mind I can hear soft jazz in the background. What convinced me to give Marica a 5 star rating? It was none other than Enriqueta, our waitress. She was pleasant, attentive and so accommodating. The chef lost our order ticket; thus, the wait time for our meal took a bit longer than we anticipated. She came to the rescue and comped us with dessert - chocolate souffle with homemade vanilla ice cream. It certainly was a gesture of kindness to have my date and me smiling from ear to ear. Return visit? Yes, mos def...not the rapper for Chilean sea bass. Enriqueta said I can always call to find out what their daily special is.

We made a reservation for Oakland Restaurant Week and decided on the black cod and the three course…read morespecial menu which consisted of fresh corn and shrimp cream soup sweet and delish, Prince Edward Island Mussels my fave, claypot salmon with signature rice which had a real kick to it, especially the rice, followed by orange creme brulee, tangy and tasty. Service was attentive. Somehow though we ordered the black cod we got the oxtail but notified them immediately and they replaced it with the black cod and gave us a complimentary pannacotta for the mistake. Food was great, just wish there wasn't a quick to the special rice

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Marica - Another shipment of lobster in for the weekend. Limited quantity for a few lucky people who can get this drop!

Another shipment of lobster in for the weekend. Limited quantity for a few lucky people who can get this drop!

Marica - Marica Seafood Stew

Marica Seafood Stew

Marica - Short ribs

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Short ribs

Kitava - Power bowl with crispy chicken

Kitava

4.4(265 reviews)
1.8 miNorth 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.

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Kitava - Inside

Inside

Kitava - Hummus w/ Soft Egg & Sesame Togarashi

Hummus w/ Soft Egg & Sesame Togarashi

Kitava - Banana walnut pancakes

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Banana walnut pancakes

Mua - One Pound Rib Eye Steak

Mua

3.9(4.1k reviews)
0.9 mi
$$$

This spot is such a fun vibe! Great love DJ, amazing food/drinks and service was great!…read more We got a few things to share and dined family style so we can try a little bit of everything. I can't recommend if enough because the food was phenomenal! Our favorites were for sure the beef carpaccio, chicken wings and blackened catfish! Bone marrow was good just wasn't for me, garlic prawns were decent but wasn't too flavorful. I'd come back a thousand times for the blackened catfish and beef carpaccio. If you're going to get anything get those two! Service is shared and everyone helps each other which means you're never really waiting too long for anything. Cocktails came out quick and were great. I'd definitely be coming back!

Wow What an adventure! MUA has set the stage for all of the yummy food I expect to have in Oakland!…read moreSuch a great place as my first eatery as a new bay area resident. Arrived on time for my 8:00pm reservation and while people were definitely in ther having a good time, it was a quieter evening. Which was great since I really got to soak in the ambiance of this place. Incredible art lined the walls (very basquiat-esque), great chill music, tons of decor and huge giant mirrors in the back of the place to make it look much bigger. Low lights and calm energy also, definitely my favorite kind of restaurant vibes. To start off, i, of course had to grab a cocktail. I started off with the Crazy Pisco which was great! Super smooth, a little sour, and delicious. For food, we had such a great few dishes to share: Beef Carpaccio - This was so good! I'm a huge lover of any kind of carpaccio so this one hit all of the cylinders for me. Thinly sliced and yummy with an arugula salad to pair it with. Delicious! Mushroom Crostini - I am so happy I am a fully formed adult who got over her hatred of mushrooms because this was too good! What can I say...Yummy mushrooms, crispy bread, and a delicious sauce. I was a happy camper! This also had some arugula paired with it. Chicken Wings - These were the fan favorite of the bunch! Give me a chicken wing with some great sauce and im your forever. Yummy, sweet sticky sauce baked into some great chicken wings. We fought over a few pieces for sure. Bone Marrow - Simple, delicious, fatty, yummy. The bone marrow was totally great with some toasted bread. Super happy with this one. I've officially given up dessert for Port. So I had to finish the night off with one. Perfect ending to such a wonderful meal. Lovely time over at MUA! The vibes were immaculate, the service was wonderful, and the food was amazing. Super great intro to the food scene in Oakland!

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Mua - Ambiance has to be experienced

Ambiance has to be experienced

Mua - No Cheese Mac n ' Cheese

No Cheese Mac n ' Cheese

Mua - Baby girl (top left), Bismarck (green one), La capilla

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Baby girl (top left), Bismarck (green one), La capilla

Sun Moon Studio - egg custard tart with salmon roe

Sun Moon Studio

4.9(39 reviews)
0.8 miWest Oakland

Sun Moon Studio absolutely delivered. Every detail--from service to ambiance was dialed in…read more Standouts: the Monterey spot prawns, razor clam with pomelo, egg custard tart with bonito & trout roe, and the Liberty duck pasta. The squab with morel & pretzel croissant was a showstopper. Desserts were clean and balanced (loved the cherimoya sorbet), and somehow we ended the night with house-made French fries (unexpected and perfect!). Thoughtful, seasonal, and seriously delicious. Will be back!

By far one of the greatest dining experiences I have ever had!…read more My wife and I decided to celebrate our valentines day at Sun Moon Studio and it was the most memorable dinner we've ever had! The food was portioned perfectly and we were full by the end of the meal. We particularly loved the service and ambiance of this restaurant because it was such an intimate space. We were able to speak with majority of the workers and even the owners! The food was exceptional and by far some of the best food we've ever had! We loved the concept of the set menus because it helped push ourselves to try things we normally would not get at any other restaurant. Reservations were a bit hard to get, but understandable and just made the wait even more exciting! Everything from the service, down to the food had a special feeling of passion and we felt that from the Sun Moon Studio team. I'm glad this establishment has grown to be what it is today, everyone that is part of this team worked with so much thought and compassion into everything they did! We absolutely loved our dinner together! Thank you for such an intimate fine dining experience! Special shoutout to Koji!!!

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Sun Moon Studio
Sun Moon Studio - Scallop

Scallop

Sun Moon Studio - Kouign amann with grilled apricots

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Kouign amann with grilled apricots

Pomet - KLINGEMAN Pork Coppa Chop w/ roasted K&J ORCHARDS quince, LONELY MOUNTAIN french shallots, pork jus ($58)

Pomet

4.4(241 reviews)
1.9 miPiedmont Ave, North Oakland
$$$$

At first sight the restaurant is not big and limited in space. But we were given a table by the…read morewindow which we liked. The food was exceptional, everything is so fresh and tender, melting in the mouth. The quail, the black cod were so so delicious. The service was excellent with knowledgeable assistants. They have a somilier helped with the wine selection and the wine was just perfect for food. Great experience!

I've been to Pomet at least seven times, usually with my boyfriend, and I've always had a good…read moreexperience. Because of that, I chose it to celebrate two of my friends' birthdays on April 11. I was genuinely excited to treat them to a beautiful dinner. That's not what happened. From the moment we sat down, something felt off. We had just come from the Alvin Ailey show and were catching up, so we were taking our time. Still, it felt like we were being rushed. The pacing of the food made no sense. The salad came out quickly, which was fine, but before we even started it, two fried dishes hit the table. I asked directly if they were trying to rush us because I've been here many times and that has never happened. The response I got felt dismissive, like I didn't understand how they serve their food. I do. This was different. By the time we got to the fried dishes, they were cold and not good. And honestly, they didn't seem hot when they first came out. That pretty much set the tone. The pasta came later and was also cold. At that point, I asked to speak with the owner. I've met her before when I've come in with my boyfriend and she's always been warm and present. This time I was told she was busy, and while I could see she was in the back of the house, she did not appear so busy that she couldn't step away briefly to address a guest who was clearly disappointed. No one ever came back to follow up. The main dishes didn't recover anything. The cod had no flavor and was cold. The pork chop was tough, fatty, and just not good. It didn't feel like the same kitchen at all. What made it harder to ignore was looking around the room. Other tables were getting a completely different experience. Food coming out properly paced, hot, and with attention. Our table felt like an afterthought, especially after we raised a concern early on. At one point, someone offered to take two dishes off the bill. I appreciated the gesture, but that wasn't the issue. I wasn't trying to get anything for free. I was trying to give my friends a really nice birthday dinner. This is a Michelin-recognized restaurant, which is exactly why I chose it. I've known them to deliver. That's what made this experience so disappointing. It felt rushed, disorganized, and careless. I don't know what's going on there right now, but it was not the same experience I've had before. I won't be going back. PS. Normally I take pictures, but didn't because the food was that disappointing!

Photos
Pomet - Inside area

Inside area

Pomet - Korean Fried Duck Leg w/ honey garlic soy glaze, seasonal house pickles ($24 + $3 radish kimchi)

Korean Fried Duck Leg w/ honey garlic soy glaze, seasonal house pickles ($24 + $3 radish kimchi)

Pomet - Ugly Mushroom Caramelle w/ SHARED CULTURES kombu garlic miso, breadcrumbs ($24)

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Ugly Mushroom Caramelle w/ SHARED CULTURES kombu garlic miso, breadcrumbs ($24)

Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt - Bowl of Persian Cucumbers

Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt

4.0(1.5k reviews)
1.5 miLower Hills
$$

Stopped by Grand Lake Kitchen for brunch this sunny weekend and it really hit the spot. The food…read morewas delicious and it felt like the perfect kind of meal for a relaxed weekend morning. I ordered the turkey club and it was honestly huge. You can see in the photo how big it is compared to my hand. It was stacked and super satisfying, the kind of sandwich that definitely fills you up. We also shared a deviled egg and some fried zucchini to start, which were great little bites before the main dish. The zucchini was crispy and light, and the deviled egg was simple but really good. I paired everything with a mocha latte that was perfectly balanced and honestly superb. Overall it was a ten out of ten brunch moment. Between the sunny weather, good coffee, and really satisfying food, it was exactly what we were looking for. Definitely one of those spots I would come back to for brunch again.

This was me and my husband's first time at the restaurant and the food here was excellent…read moreeverything was very good and flavorful. I gave it to stars because the service was really bad. Our waitress took very long to even acknowledge us, didn't person herself to be very friendly, and lacked any attentiveness to us as customers. We had to ask other people for things like refills on our drinks, condiments, etc. She didn't ever really try to check to see how things were going after the food was served and we had to ask someone else to pay. Unfortunately considering this experience my husband doesn't want to go back and I hate that for us because the food was really good.

Photos
Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt - Dining room

Dining room

Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt - Savory French Toast tastes awesome when you break the egg yolk over the toast.

Savory French Toast tastes awesome when you break the egg yolk over the toast.

Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt - Dozen Donuts, equivalent to four full sized donuts

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Dozen Donuts, equivalent to four full sized donuts

Rio California - brazilian - Updated May 2026

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