Wood Tavern has been my favorite restaurant in Oakland since I first visited nearly twenty years…read moreago. In all that time, it has remained remarkably consistent. I've been here for date nights, holiday dinners, business dinners, and countless meals with friends visiting from out of town. It's one of those rare restaurants that seems to work for just about any occasion. The service is always great, the College Avenue location is hard to beat, and I've always had good luck finding street parking nearby. The ribeye is my personal favorite and what I order more often than not. If you're coming with a group, the cheese and charcuterie plates are a great way to start. The menu is varied enough that there's always something for everyone, and I've never had a bad meal here. I was genuinely sad to hear that they'll be closing at the end of the year. Restaurants with this kind of quality, consistency, and character are increasingly rare. If you've never been, make a point of going while you still can. I'll certainly miss it once they're gone.

I've been meaning to try a sit down meal at Wood Tavern for years and finally got around to it…read more My friend and I ordered a few items off the "Butcher's Block" to start off. You can select between 4 different items should you choose this appetizer. We ended up selecting the smoked duck breast and chicken pâté. Both of these options were excellent with the duck breast coming topped with a small amount of flake salt. These starters were also served with crostini, mustard & pickles, and a fruit spread. The mustard provided some nice balance to the richness of the proteins. Additionally, we ordered a little gem salad which was solid. Nothing too out of the ordinary, but good. For my main, I went with the chicken thigh. The thigh was cooked to perfection with an excellent crust and rich sauce surrounding it. The meat was tender and flavorful. I also think the charred vegetables added an interesting bitterness to the meal. We both ordered dirty martinis which were also excellently balanced (extra olive juice of course). Overall, our meal was excellent. The food was good and the vibes were right. Our servers were attentive and friendly. I've heard word that Wood Tavern will be closing down soon unfortunately. Go check them out while they're still around if you want a solid meal on the fancier side.

Food is great,service excellent Specially Aurelio he was…read morevery helpful. I recommend this restaurant 100%.

Staff and Food and Drinks were excellent as soon as you walk in breathtaking views, attentive…read morestaff, very happy to serve you with accommodating the best table without hesitation I definitely will be back

Came here for brunch with a friend on a Sunday at 1:30! It looked busy but luckily they could take…read moreus walking in. We chose patio seating. We first chose to come here because they had Bloody Marys on the menu and we were craving them! The service was friendly all throughout. My friend ordered the eggs benedict and I got the hot honey fried chicken sandwich. I think hot honey is having quite the moment lol but I think I would have preferred the sandwich without it! It was really drippy and sticky with a lot of honey oozing on the plate - I would be much happier to order it crispy and dry without honey if that's an option. My friend enjoyed her eggs benedict. They also had a good beer and wine menu and my friend ordered a sour beer. Overall I had a really nice time here, it's a good vibe, friendly service, good Bloody Mary and good food! Excited to come back and try more dishes and maybe sit on the inside to scope out the indoor vibe lol. Oh patio had some sun creeping in so that was a bit not ideal but overall was totally fine.

This place has great atmosphere and was buzzing with many happy diners inside and outside Sunday…read moreafternoon. My review is to acknowledge the service here from the staff who went above and beyond for me and I have not yet had the fortune of being a patron at their business, yet. I lost my little pouch wallet sometime on Friday morning and finally realized Friday evening that it was gone (a strong headache will do that to you). Saturday I got a facebook message that my wallet was found on the street by an employee whom I was later told was Damon. Additional staff also worked together to look me up, find me and reach out to me. I saw the message from Megan today Sunday August 16th and went down to there to pick it up. A very friendly woman greeted me at the podium of the restaurant and she already recognized my face from my ID. I have found people's wallets and helped to get them returned, the fact that people did this for ME had me crying so much before I got there. Thank you to everyone who helped me in this situation, it really means a lot. I appreciate the kindness, care, community spirit and friendliness from the staff at this business.

A cute and lively restaurant with a beautiful, playful atmosphere and a menu full of creative,…read moreglobally inspired flavors. From fun shareable dishes to inventive cocktails, everything made the evening feel festive and special. A fun spot for a birthday, a girls' night, or simply a delicious adventure. Definitely a place to check out when you're visiting Silicon Valley!

*Vegetarian Foodie Review*…read more This place is right next to the Beer Garden, but it's more of a restaurant-style, dine-in format. I felt like there were limited dinner options for vegetarians. The food felt more like snacks and less like something that fills you up. We came as a group of 11 for a Father's Day weekend dinner. Ordered: 1) Lemonade: 5/5 - So good and refreshing. Must try! 2) Pita + Dips (from snacks): 4/5 - The 1st pita wasn't fully baked, but they fixed it by replacing it. 3) Chickpea Fritters: 4/5 - I am not a big fan of goat yogurt, but if you do like it, this would be a 5/5. The taste and feel felt like India style which was a hit! 4) Grilled corn: 2/5 - No one in my group liked this. It was too sweet because of the caramel, not a good combination. We sat outside on the patio, but the inside ins awesome too. It's a fancy place, good for celebrations and special occasions. But yeah, the food wasn't fulling, we left a little hungry. Service was a little too slow, but that's okay given it was Father's Day weekend.

Ambiance, Food and Service Five Stars…read more Favorites: Blackened Salmon, Ribeye and Scallops & Risotto

Solid dinner spot in downtown Lafayette…read more Food: 4.25 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 4 Cost to worth it rating: 3 (most entrees ~$30 with some closer to $40 and steak $52) Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Churro waffle: warm sticks with the right amount of crispy and a hazelnutty sauce to dip into. 5 stars - Meatball appetizer: tender meatballs on top on polenta and a nice tomato sauce. 4.25 stars - Chicken parm: good version and enjoyed the pesto on the pasta it came with. 4 stars - Crispy chicken: crispy like its namesake with the honey giving it a sweet slant to it. 4 stars - Clam pasta: good amount of clams and a brothy sauce with bit of cream. 3.5 stars - Trevor: fun and gracious waiter - Wines: cost per bottles were very affordable with majority way under $100 - Happy hour: every day from 3-5pm with signature cocktails and glasses of wine $3 off and a menu of snacks. - Seating: patio outside, large bar area, and bustling dining room Midlights: - Wings: bourbon glaze was fine, but the skin was too limp and chewy--definitely needed to be crispier. 3 stars Lowlights: - Busy Saturday night so few delays in getting items but the waiter was super nice about it. - Yelp description categorizes it as Filipino fusion but didn't see any items that fit that description

I just began going to the wolf this month and my favorite time to go is for brunch…read more I had been hearing so much about the fried chicken salad that they have and I tried it - it was so amazing - I also added a side of aioli to dip my chicken in (hack). I also tried the gazpacho which was very refreshing. The bar is so beautiful and let's in a lot of sunlight. I was greeted by 2 amazing bartenders - Miguel and Stacey who took great care of me , and made the best espresso martinis! I definitely will be back !

I ordered Octopus, Pork Chop, Duck Breast, Halibut, and Brussel Sprouts with a drinks. I made a…read morereservation for my birthday to celebrate with family. I honestly looked forward to eating here since it was on the Michelin guide and read some great reviews here on yelp. Even though I was excited to visit, after dining here, my expectations came out to a disappointment. For a table of 4 we were left unsatisfied and a little hungry after losing our appetite. 3/5 of what's ordered was a bust. The menu prices were a medium-high, especially for entree, I had higher expectations which I don't mind paying for, but the food wasn't convincing enough that the price was an afterthought. I couldn't justify what I was paying for after eating. Plating is beautiful but for over $39 of entree you would have expected at least some starch and maybe a few or more pieces of fibrous greens. For the price of the duck breast and pork chop that was mid, it would have been better buying a whole roast duck and crispy pork at a chinese roastery for a third of the price. Food: Octopus was good 4/5 I'd definitely recommend grabbing it as your starter. It was very tender and I enjoyed the flavors. Wish there was more. Brussel Sprouts 1/5 I don't recommend. It was overly cooked to the point the texture inside was mushy and the outside was burnt to the point it was very bitter. The sauce/dressing for it was delicious but that wasn't enough to help so we sent it back. Halibut 4/5 Best entree I'd recommend. It was cooked perfectly and the sauce was delicious for it. Pork Chop 1.5/5 The sauce was good but the taste reminds me of a vinaigrette salad dressing. I did wish there was more flavor from the pork but it was fine. The meat was nice and tender. Unfortunately the pork bone was still rare on the inside, otherwise it would've gotten a higher score. Duck Breast 2/5 I'm not sure if the chef intentionally cooked the duck breast to be that rare but I fully expected a nice medium from the photos I've seen from the reviews. We weren't a fan and left it half eaten (mostly the medium pink parts). The duck wasn't tender and very chewy. Skin wasn't crispy or rendered enough and was more rubbery, flabby and a thick texture. It was very unfortunate because the sauce was very delicious. Dessert 4/5 Although we didn't finish the pork or duck entree and asked for the check, I didn't expect it but I really appreciated the surprised complimentary dessert. The ice cream birthday cake was good but because I had lost my appetite, we didn't finish it and decided to leave after a couple bites. Service 5/5 Staff were very friendly and accommodating. I accidentally reserved for a table of 2 instead of 4 and fortunately the host was cool about it and we were lucky enough to have extra seating available. Water was consistently refilled without being asked. We were checked on regularly but not to the point we were constantly hovered over. Table was cleaned with our plates and utensils changed after each meal which was nice. Ambience It's cute and cozy. The outside dining is nice for a warm day. The bar area is nice. Drinks were good. I would come back just to hang out at the bar.

Best food I definitely recommend you try this place the cookies are amazing and the chicken sliders…read moreare delicious

We randomly came here for lunch one day with our kids. It was easy to get seated without…read morereservations on a Sunday at noon. There's plentiful inside seating and a comfortable shaded outdoor patio. There is a full bar that some folks were sitting at. We opted for the outside patio since we had our kids with us and they can be loud. Our server was kind and accommodating. She checked in often, but not in an invasive way. Everything here is farm to table, and tasted fresh. The oysters were delicious and so were the mussels which came with a delightful coconut broth and grilled bread. The kids enjoyed a fried chicken slider with fries. My favorite was the beet salad with goat cheese. It was so flavorful and perfectly cooked. This is definitely a spot to try with or without your kiddos. I would come back for dinner with the hubby.

When I think of a sandwich that has the ability to make my mouth water just thinking of it, few…read morecome to mind, but what the sandwiches they make at Southie is definitely one of them. I've had their Spicy Hog, steak with mushroom, a few Cubans, but the one that I always come back to is "The Balls" sandwich. First off, this sandwich is massive, so be sure that you come here on an empty stomach. These beef meatballs are seasoned to perfection and bursting with flavor. The balls are covered in their red sauce with provolone and Grana Padano, which gives it that nutty and salty flavor that pairs extremely well with the meatballs and baguette. All the juices and cheese just get soaked up to perfection. The baguette bread they use is supplied by La Farine, which is just a few meters away from each other. Just putting out there that La Farine is hands down one of the best bakeries in Oakland, so it makes sense that this sandwich would be so dang good. I'll be honest that I'm not a big fan of the chips or those chips in general and could be fine with just the sandwich. If you are going to have any sandwich to eat here first, I would highly recommend you try "The Balls" because I promise you will not be disappointed. I will always say that the dozen or so times I've been here, the staff are always so friendly, and the atmosphere is very down to earth. The price of their sandwiches is in the $20 range, but the quality and portion make it totally worth it.

The spicy hog sandwich I had a few minutes ago was quite messy but good…read more However, my petty gripe is that it was 2pm, there was an open 2-person table on the side, but I was seated 1 foot from and facing the cash register, and told people were coming for the empty table. No one came and instead quickly several more tables cleared out. Rather than see a few minutes of the England-Serbia World Cup match, I saw a bunch of people up close paying lunch bills. Don't come in solo expecting a side table.