Local American cuisine brunch place with good standard options. It's becoming a very busy place over weekends with long wait time, better make reservation if really interested in trying. IMHO, Some reason for long time would be poor management. Witnessed while waiting for more than 1 hour and finally offered at the bar, guests turnover mismanaged. Food is good but interestingly smaller American portion. Inflation affected. Paid street parking available. Indoor seating only with booth/table and bar seating. read more

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Absolutely amazing! I came for the first time around 11am on a Saturday, and after a 15 min wait, my table of 4 was seated inside. It was busy inside and loud, but that's to be expected in a diner, and I really enjoyed the ambiance (we were seated by a window). I ordered the Morel Omelette and it was delicious. Every part of it had a depth of flavor. The eggs were cooked perfectly with morel and fennel, the potatoes were a nice contrast of texture for the soft eggs and not very oily, and the arugula was very light with a lemony dressing that cut the heaviness of the rest of the dish. It was super well balanced and I'd love to return. Prices are around average for the Bay Area ($20 for the omelette). Sadly they were out of the sticky bun when we went, but the cookie was very nice! read more

Sequoia Diner - Morel Omelet - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Food: Food was good , I had the daily special Loco Moco along with the bottomless coffee. My friend had the Country Breakfast with sunny side up eggs. Service: Service was a bit busy at the time we went but I would have liked to see that if I ask for a refill on my coffee, I think I should receive that before I get up to leave rather than after. Otherwise, service was good. Ambiance: Very nice ambiance, exactly what you would kind of expect from a diner. Personal experience: My experience is a bit skewed as I was eating overcharged (to the best of my knowledge). The loco moco was $20, bottomless coffee was $5.50, and the country breakfast was $19.50. With the mandatory 20% (enforced service tip and Dining for Justice), my subtotal (before tax) was $55.20. Total was $61.14 after tax. Assuming the tax rate was 10.75% according to Google, I was overcharged by almost $2. We were in a rush to get to our appointment so I did not take an in depth look at the receipt but assuming my math is correct, I would say that it was a little disappointing that I was a victim of poor business ethics. (Do take this review with a sprinkle of salt as the menu prices may have changed and was not reflected on the menu) read more

Sequoia Diner - Loco Moco - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

On a random Friday late morning, Sequoia Diner was packedddd and for good reason! The food, the staff, and just the overall vibe - it's no surprise that they also made the Chronicle's top 100 this year. Luckily, I beat the rush at around 1130 and was able to snag the last booth for my group. They have a daily menu that you can also check out on their website with their current specials. But they also have their signature menu of classic American diner faves. Mostly breakfast, but they do have some sandwiches and soups available for lunch. They also have a large selection of coffees, teas, wine, beer, cocktails, & mocktails. I ordered the No. 2 Breakfast Sandwich ($12) from their daily menu. It comes with sausage, cheese, egg, pickled onion, and spicy aioli on sourdough. Delicious and filling! The spicy aioli was the perfect touch. I always am hesitant to get a breakfast sandwich at a restaurant because I feel like I could make it at home, but this was worth the spend! It was also a pretty generous portion, enough that I was able to take some home. I also got a pecan sticky bun ($6). If they're not sold out of this when you go, definitely order this one. It's perfect to share (or tbh, you might want to keep it for yourself!) and it's a great sweet choice if you want to balance out your savory entree. Service was fast and the staff was fun! It's totally not necessary but I do appreciate when the staff just makes the experience feel like we're just chit chatting with friends. Food came out really quick too! Parking is street parking but there's also nearby neighborhoods that you can park in if you don't mind walking a couple of blocks. read more

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Me and a friend went there for breakfast/lunch. I've been here before, but I think this is the first with the current management. I was shocked that an order of toast (barely warm) was one slice and I was charged for a 1/2 teaspoon of jam! Apparently jam only comes when ordering a biscuit. The side of bacon was super saltly and only half cooked. My friend asked for extra butter (another 1/2 teaspoon) for her biscuit, and she was charged extra for that! Service was just ok. Needless to say, I will not be coming to the Sequoia Diner again. read more

Love the food but basic restaurant management is lacking. Waits are ridiculously and needlessly long. Hostesses could use better training and less attitude. read more

The food is always great. Space is limited so get there early otherwise you'll be waiting Service with a smile!

Laurel District is not a neighborhood we would frequent (apart from a visit to Jo's Modern Thai, which is excellent btw) and we'd always be pleasantly delighted with its food offerings, and Sequoia is no exception. We randomly found this place after doing a bit of brunch search on Eater and local Oakland websites. Strangely enough I had never heard of this place. After browsing at multiple sticky buns and gorgeous colorful hearty meals posted by enthusiastic foodies we knew this place had already won our hearts. We showed up closer to 9am and thankfully there was not a line out the door. The diner was brimming with livelihood, and we admired their tall inviting ficus and money tree plants placed by the entrance. Our host quickly seated us and brought out water for us. They serve High Wire Coffee - bottomless coffee - so we quickly jumped on that caffeine train while planning our brekkie plates. With choices after choices, it was quite difficult making a final decision. I settled for the goat cheese omelette with biscuit while my husband with his usual chilaquiles. And of course we got the pecan sticky bun. Omg. Do not pass on the sticky bun. We took one bite and it took us away on a heavenly journey. The dough was incredibly soft with the right amount of syrup and pecan crusting. None of that Cinnabon sickening sweetness. The chilaquiles was done just right, with light coasting of the tomatillo salsa verde. Hints of spiciness came through but without being overwhelming. My goat cheese omelette was lovely as well, nicely herbed. There were diced tomatoes on top - reddest and fairest of them all - most succulent tomatoes I haven't had in a long while. The potato hash accompaniment was wonderfully crispy. And last but not the least, my biscuit was a buttery, flaky golden perfection that came with a good mouth feel. A few bites in we were already generating a list of foodie friends and family whom we would bring here next. Excitement abound. Service was attentive and friendly. Would most definitely come back here! Street parking was not an issue at all. What more could one ask for?? read more

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Delicious little brunch spot. Food and dranks were great, so was the service. Came in on a Friday round 11am, waited about 20 minutes, and sat at the counter which is full service. It is a small restaurant so expect a wait. Our server and bartender were fun, and knowledgeable. Well stocked bar, don't hesitate to try their specialty cocktails even in the am. Parking can be difficult. No lots, paid street and neighborhood parking only. Pay attention to signs, you will get ticketed kids. THE FOOD Beet Hash: baby. Add mushroom for some added weight. The flavor was delicious and nice texture with the beets, yams, and potatoes. The Biscuits: best biscuits in the east. Served with nice soft butter and somebody's preserved that was the perfect little about of added sweetness. Beef Hash: really good. Add mushrooms for that added weight. Race car...side car: some hard hitting lovely ass cocktail similar to a manhattan. It was great. Michelada: sir. Ma'am! Who knew a Michelada could actually be good. Sequoia Diner makes their own tomato base situation which is well seasoned and served with a craft beer. read more

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We arrive on an early Sunday afternoon and are told it's an hour wait. Makes sense- Sunday brunch and all. Just over an hour later we are sat and shortly after have our order taken of two lattes, a sticky bun, biscuit, and the breakfast platter. This is where the annoying part begins. Twenty minutes later we get our lattes. Twenty ADDITIONAL minutes later we get the breakfast platter, sticky bun, and biscuit. Now I'm no expert on anything in life- but I don't understand at all why two pre-made items like the sticky bun and biscuit took equal times as the breakfast platter to come out. We spent around an hour sitting down at their uncomfortable chairs, but only 15-20 minutes actually eating or drinking anything. Something somewhere is highly inefficient. And to top it all off: auto 20% gratuity. Nice. Could have easily been a 5 star review had it not been for the abysmal service and cherry-on-top bogus auto gratuity read more

Sequoia Diner - Biscuit & Jam - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Delicious brunch goodies and friendly service. We went mid morning on a weekday - no wait! Retirement has its perks. read more

Great flavors, we ordered the shasuka and corned beef hash. Loved the assortment of pickles on the side for the corned beef hash, and the homemade ham was delicious. Shashuka was really homey- loved all the spices. It was so good! Service was okay- servers were attentive to refill the water- and clearly communicated that they seem to have a system to check through the tables in the order of which they sat ( to take orders, vs. when your table is ready) and you could tell that they were really busy trying to handle all the tables. There's a reason why 20% tip is included! Would come back again. read more

Sequoia Diner - Shashuka - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is clearly a community hub. Typically go for breakfast/ brunch which are always solid, service is friendly and quick and if you're living large you can get a Bloody Mary. I've been a fan of Rick and Ann's, so I went with Sequoia's Red Flannel Hash and it was as good or better. It can get busy, so I often go during the week rather than weekends. read more

A friend invited me for breakfast a couple weeks ago. I enjoyed their spinach mushroom scramble and their delicious sticky buns. Last weekend I took my husband back after church. They were out of the sticky buns so I pre-ordered 2 to pickup the next morning. Our waitress was so nice and thoughtful. read more

So good. There's a great atmosphere, and the food is all good. Grateful for this place

Overpriced limited menu selection! No pancakes ! Noisy .Didnt like the coffee , serve was just so so !

The food was lovely, the service was good, and the ambiance is Diner Minimalist. It's nice to know hat an area that does not have a lot of cafes has a good one. read more

Sequoia is a great option in the area. PARKING, SERVICE parking was easy on a sunday afternoon. Street parking is free on sunday. There was a lot of it. We walked in ten minutes before closing so we thought they might turn us away, but they said it was no problem and invited us in. The waitress we had was very kind. She understood what celiac was and it was easy to order without anxiety because of that. She brought everything fast, refilled our water, and was very polite. FOOD I got the beef hash with gluten free toast, and a coconut Thai iced tea. The beef hash was good-- they don't skimp on the beef. The meat is tender like brisket and flavorful. Needs no ketchup or tapatio. The egg on top was perfectly poached. The sauerkraut is not real sauerkraut, kind of just vinegared cabbage. It tasted good but it's not sauerkraut. The other side veggies were nice. My gluten free toast did not come with butter. The toast was adequate. The coconut Thai iced tea was not good. They should be making this drink with coconut milk-- it has a natural sweetness. Instead they are making it with coconut cream, which is naturally bitter. The tea itself was unsweetened, so the whole ensemble was very bitter and unpleasant, despite it smelling nice. My mom got the split pea soup and a side biscuit with butter and jam. She said the soup was decent. It has pork sausage in it. The biscuit was reported to be delicious and fluffy. read more

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Second time here and another satisfying meal. Creative pairings and fresh ingredients cooked with care. On my most recent visit, I tried fish and grits, the warm and soothing grits freshened by asparagus, snap peas, and herbs dotted across the top. The spicy sauce was excellent, though I added more spice via their homemade hot sauces on the table. I added a biscuit because theirs are divine! Busy on a Sunday, as expected. The host adds your name to the list and takes your number for a call back. Nice light interior and casual atmosphere. Street parking. read more

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Good size portions of breakfast dishes. Tasty options on the menu. Service is friendly. Dined on a weekday, late morning so table for 4 of us was immediately available. Only street parking, so searching for a spot within walking distance may be challenging. Definitely a popular neighborhood eatery in the Laurel District. read more

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I came on a Monday around 10/11 so it wasn't busy and service was immediate and friendly. I'll keep it brief, I woke up this morning craving the mushroom/spinach scramble - I swapped goat cheese instead of the mozzarella. And the Bloody Mary (tequila) is still whispering dirty nothings to me in this moment. Made spicy as hell and to perfection. I could have done without the crispy hasbvrowns and skipped the bread. But I did order the chicken sausage patty which was pretty good but played distant third fiddle to the eggs (goat cheese sent it over the edge)... and that BM. I ordered an ice coffee black/no sugar to go and it was better than probably the last 10 coffees I've ordered from various places in the month. I'm kind of a coffee snob. This wasn't my first time here. But is the first review. I think that covers it. I'll see y'all tomorrow! read more

It was 5 stars before. The food is great but they no longer serve High Wire Coffee and should update their online menu as I find their new Coffee a big disappointment after being spoiled by one of the better Bay Area Coffees. Still, the food was great. The service was great. I am not saying the new Coffee is bad, I just find it nowhere as good. read more

Good (not great) food. But service is terrible. I got my mimosa AFTER I finished my breakfast. As others have stated, there's an auto 20% service charge / tip. Which is wise, because their service is valued at 10% There are better restaurants in the area, from both a food and service perspective. Invest there. read more

I like the food, it's good I would like to try other things on the menu. I liked the service, good, attentive staff. I was enjoying this place until I got the bill. "Service Fee" 19% ? I won't be back for that reason. I know how well they worked, but you're telling me how to value the service. I'd rather take care of industry peeps with cash, and that should be between me and the servers. read more

We were curious about the hype. 45min wait to be seated after being told it would be 20. Another 45mins to get the food. To management: don't be greedy - pause taking DoorDash orders when the kitchen's behind on dine-ins! I felt bad for the staff. Our server was kind & apologetic and our food was tasty. But I wouldn't go again. There's no shortage of great spots in the area, like across the street at World Ground. read more

Great food but prepare yourself for a very long wait per what the other reviewers say. We waited almost an hour for our food so just got that I'd prob Give this a 3.5. Get the #1 sandwich! read more

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8 years later and Sequoia Diner has become a staple of the Laurel District and my household. Consistently delicious food, down to earth and incredibly welcoming staff (shout out to Kelly who has been serving my husband and I the past 8 years and knows our orders by heart!) While the prices are still too damn high, I retract my statement about the restaurant being just gentrifiers. They have become an integral part of our community (and the wait times and operating hours are not nearly as bad as they used to be!) read more

Sequoia Diner - The perfect American breakfast. Elevated - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Our favorite diner/brunch in the Oakland and Alameda area! Menu gets tweaked every couple of weeks and out of the 7-8 things I've tried everything is super dank. Staff is always super great, usually a 45 min to hour wait but we always grab a beer at Ghost Town across the street and wait it out. Top tier and a must try for anyone visiting! read more

Sequoia Diner - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Ok this place is more of a 3.5 but giving them the benefit of the doubt. Ambience- clean, with a nice nod to a vintage establishment, without being cheesy... Modern and fresh. Service - nothing to complain about. Seems like one of those places where everyone shares tips as they tack on an automatic 20% gratuity, which is fine with me. Food -prices are reasonable. I had the American breakfast... Eggs were not slow cooked, but they were good. Hashbrowns were clearly homemade and good, although had a slightly burned flavor due to whatever was on the grill before them. The sourdough toast was really good imo although my husband didn't like it, and I also thought the homemade apple jam was good. They had three different kinds of spicy sauce on the table plus ketchup. Husband ordered the loco moco and complained about the lack of gravy and the overly crisp egg. I noticed he ate the whole thing, however. They serve Highwire coffee, which I personally find bitter and not very delicious. But the servings are bottomless. They also offer mimosas and other alcoholic sorts of things. We got there at 8 on a Saturday and by 9 the place was packed. Neighborhood is busy but lots of bars on store windows - so don't leave stuff in your car, just saying. We'll give them another go. read more

Great service and an easy walk-in for a table of two, which was a nice surprise. The waffle was excellent--crispy, flavorful, and definitely the standout of the meal. The country breakfast was decent overall, though the gravy could have used a bit more flavor to really elevate the dish. Solid spot for a casual breakfast with friendly service, especially if you're craving something sweet. read more

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Just meh. Went on a federal holiday. It was busy. Disappointed that there were parties sitting for 45 minutes AFTER completing their meals while a herd of customers waited outside to be seated. Would expect management to prompt the inconsiderates. But anyway, the wait staff was friendly and prompt once we got seated. Got the chilaquiles, gravy & biscuits, and a waffle for the Little. A $14 waffle. The chilaquiles was bitter. Beans were cold and not edible. A sizable portion of the plate was pickled vegetables. The part that I was most disappointed about was the automatic 20% they added to our bill. I forget now what it was named, but it was basically a tax to help them compensate their employees-- on top of what I consider pricey menu options. The large OJ (8oz) was $9. We left paying $104 PLUS tip -- for a not so great meal or experience. Will not return. read more

Sequoia Diner - Chilaquiles Verde - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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The goat cheese omelet was to DIE for. Those hash browns were delicious. One of the best omelets I've ever had. Service and ambiance also on point--intimate, cute, retro space with lots of natural light. Tbh I would not recommend the chilaquiles. I've had much better at other places, but the omelet dish blew me away! read more

Sequoia Diner - The chilaquiles and goat cheese omelet - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Went in around 10:30am during the week. Got seated right away. A few tables were still also open.Friendly staff greeted us upon arriving. The space is small but the noise level was good considering there was a good amount of people. Since the space is small, the tables are actually placed fairly close to each other with a little gap between tables. The customers seated adjacent to us were also friendly, but were respectful to our experience. I ordered a grapefruit juice , which was perfect with the warm weather. For my meal, i went with the chilaquiles verdes. I would have loved to have more tortilla (chips) with this plate. It felt like the eggs were the main feature of this platter. The chips are served hidden under the eggs. The salsa verde was delicious and had a kick. If you like spicy, this will definitely bring some of the heat. I would have loved to also see more cheese on the chilaquiles. I added the chorizo to my plate for a few extra bucks, and was definitely worth it. Overall good taste and flavors. read more

Sequoia Diner - Chilaquiles verdes with added chorizo - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

Very cute diner. Serving classics done up. They had one of the best plates of loco mocco outside of Hawaii. Parking can be tough.

We arrived around 11am on a Saturday. The fact that we didn't sit until 12pm and didn't eat until 1pm should tell you what you need to know about the service and ability to keep up with demand. They might consider reducing the number of tables -- it could go a long way for setting expectations. I had the corn hash. It was more like a corn salad with poached eggs on top, and I would not recommend it as a meal, maybe a shared appetizer. The sticky pecan bun was divine. The service was nice but highly boundaried and slow. read more

This place has the best potatoes/home fries. So order the American breakfast $15. It's perfection; soft but crunchy on the outside. I would try to go during the week if you can bc on weekends it's usually busy and my plate came cold/lukewarm. They automatically add 20% tip, just fyi. read more

Sequoia Diner - American breakfast, Over medium eggs, rye bread and chicken patty - Diners Near Me - Oakland, California

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Came here for breakfast, I ordered the chicken & waffles and my partner ordered the poached eggs over beets. Chicken wasn't very flavorful but the waffle was good. My partners poached eggs didn't come out poached and came out hard boiled. I saw another table that ordered the same thing and theirs were hard boiled as well. Service was lacking, 4 different people served us. read more

this restaurant is great. the vibe is fabulous and the food hits the spot! we love this place! And we had great service too!

Went with family to have breakfast at SD. They have been there before but not for some time. Not too busy maybe 3 families waiting. There was obvious communication with the other diners waiting but not us. So after about 45 minutes we asked the hostess Jazmine very nicely one time about our seating as we saw empty tables. Jazmin clearly took some sort of offense to this. She was extremely rude and accused us of asking a bunch of times and said we had to wait. We only asked once and that was after a 45 min wait and seeing empty 4 top tables inside. She told us we had to wait at least 15 minutes. We watched through the window how she found other things to do except seat us. From the beginning of giving our name Jazmin did not greet or treat us like she interacted with the other diners. One member of our party had time constraints and ended up not being able to order as once she finally decided to seat us and we waited maybe 20plus minutes more to order he had to leave. It's a small place so we could see people arriving after us get seated order and leave. I want to impress that neither I nor anyone in my party had attitude with her. This treatment by Jazmine was totally uncalled for. When we were finally seated at the table we had been watching that was empty our server Andrew came he was personable and said several times he knew we had waited a long time and appreciated us he also said if we ordered the chicken it was a dish that took time to prepare. We much appreciated being informed which is the only thing we asked of Jazmin. Bloody Mary drinks and Chilaquiles not memorable. Chilaquiles were very spicy and Andrew did warn me. When they came eggs were dry and the entire dish was cold. I ate it because we had been there so long and I did not want to go somewhere else or wait for a re-fire. I had asked for sausage to be added which they forgot but did have the extra charge on the bill. Alexis who Was bringing us water and tending to our table when we were only one of two tables left after they closed was Awesome. She made sure the charge was removed. She was personable and pleasant to us. I will give credit, even though due to our treatment by Jazmine we won't be coming back, that the chicken and waffles flavor was point on. The dish came temperature perfect, the chicken was a flavor bomb the meat was moist and skin crispy. The BLT was excellent as well. They add 20percent tip automatically which I am not a fan of as it rewards employees that do not deliver even reasonable customer service and at times rude like we received from Jazmine. read more

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I hate not to give this restaurant 5 stars. We went a couple of years ago and it was 5+ stars. The meal I had then was MIchelin* quality. Today, not so much. I ordered the beef hash that's described as having "Braised Stemple Creek Grass Fed Beef, potatoes, etc". Unfortunaley, there was little to no beef included...just potates. YIKES. I was given a choice of "sourdough, rye or a biscuit". Didn't realize the biscuit was an additional $2.00 that was added to an already expensive breakfast. My husband's American Breakfast was just OK albeit a little on the cool side and his $5.00 bacon was way over cooked, too crispy and cold. I hope the owners read this and make corrections. They did offer to make a new breakfast for me with more beef, but I declined and asked if I could have an omelette instead which they did. read more