Food & drink: 3.25 out of 5 We tried seven different vendors…read moreand only 5 of the 8 lived up to the expectations. The winners were the birria inspired tacos, loaded Filipino fries, Cajun shrimp skewer, ube cheesecake, and baked goods/desserts. Unfortunately the others had areas of improvement and left us wanting more. We had high hopes for more spicy & flavorful Jamaican food, richer Dubai chocolate strawberries, and actual calamansi the drink we ordered. Unfortunately I don't recall all of the businesses we tried from, you'll have to reference the pictures. Environment/Vibes: 4 out of 5 Cool vibes, picnic tables for seating, and a strategically placed porta potties and handwashing stations. The organizers did a great with how the venue was set up! Overall: 3.5 out of 5 I enjoyed this themed night market! Clearly I'm biased and prefer flavorful over Instagramable items. So far I prefer this food event over Foodie Land due to the mostly AAPI focused food vendors and shopping booths. Not going to lie the prices will be inflated since the vendors have to pay "rent" for the space they take up. Strategically go with at least 4-5 people so you can try different things. I thought a lot of the vendors did a great job with fusion inspired items.

This is Bay Area's version of the 626 Night Market from SoCal, and they are located on the Alameda…read moreCounty Fairgrounds. It usually happens about 2 - 3 weekends a year, so check out their website or follow them on social media to stay tuned for their dates. Parking is in their lot (paid parking), unless you could find nearby parking (no parking in the neighboring plazas - they may strictly enforce it, so better be safe than sorry). Coming early is recommended, so you do not have to wait in the long line of cars to get in the parking lot to park and to get through security at the entrance. There are a good amount of food and merchandise vendors with some from SoCal as well! Some are local restaurants that have some off of menu items / special exclusive items for this event only.

Found this dessert stand at the Alameda County Fair (in the carnival section), and the fancy gelato…read moremilkshakes on their menu caught my eye. Instead of just plain chocolate, their dark knight milkshake is a mountain of chocolate cake, chocolate fudge, and chocolate sprinkles, all on top of the chocolate gelato blend. And the grasshopper milkshake features peppermint and oreo cookies and crumbles, along with Andes mint candy (my fave) decorating the mint chocolate chip gelato mix. Too many tempting choices, but I had to go with the strawberry shortcake milkshake, made with fresh strawberries, whipped cream, angel cake, and topped off with chocolate fudge and crushed graham crackers... so many layers of flavor I just couldn't resist. As it turns out, the graham cracker crumbs are mainly for decoration, most of it pretty much glued to the plastic mug (not edible). And what shined in this dessert was the "shortcake", not the strawberry. Besides those 3 strawberries on top, I actually didn't get much strawberry flavor from the shake itself. Slightly disappointing, but like I said, the sponge cake and toppings were fresh and tasty, and the gelato wasn't bad, just lacking a sweetness and tartness that you get from actual strawberries, tasted almost watered down. Luckily, the presentation of the drink (served with both a spoon and straw) almost makes up for that. And I love that 50% of their profits go to charity. They're based in Atascadero, but travel to different events and festivals all over, currently at the fair in Pleasanton this summer. Overall, the product and service is decent, with unique offerings on their menu like churro sandwiches which I find intriguing even if I'm more of a milkshake kinda gal. If I could do it again, I'd go with with the mint or chocolate flavor though.

Definitely unique menu items. My kid enjoyed vanilla gelato churro sandwich. My mom tried the…read morestrawberry shortcake milkshake that is definitely eye candy & gram post worthy. My other kid had cinnamon churro separately from strawberry gelato in waffle cone. I enjoyed gelato: 1 scoop mango, 1 scoop strawberry in a cup. Nice find at Alameda County Fair so that environment set the ambiance. Women at register was friendly & upbeat. I spent $43 not including my mom's item.

Nur of Belgium Waffles was was so pleasant and so easy to communicate with during the booking. I…read morehad booked the waffle cart for my son's 1st birthday which was a carnival theme. The set was beautiful and the waffles were delicious and a hit with all our guests! The waffles were also decorated festively with a cotton candy top! You were also able to customize the waffles with chocolate spreads and toppings such as Oreo cookie crumbles marshmallows, almonds, etc. Such a special treat to had Belgium Waffles as a part of my son's birthday celebration! Very highly recommend!!! 5 dazzling stars!!!

From the owner: At Belgium Waffle, we bring a sweet touch to your special events. We serve freshly made waffles in…read morecups or as sandwiches at birthday parties, weddings, and celebrations. With our cotton candy concept, we create a fun and unique experience for kids and guests. Our catering service adds both a visual delight and delicious flavors to your party

This bbq stand is where the smoke and aroma of meats and skewers charring on the grill captivate…read moreyour senses. This is where you get those giant turkey legs at the fair, and pieces of chicken, pork, and beef almost as big as your face. I've gotten the chicken kabobs here in the past, each piece of chicken on the stick was like a whole leg or thigh, humongous and a bit dry, but delicious and filling. This past weekend, I opted for the sausage sandwich with grilled jalapeno, onions and peppers. The oversized sausage was tasty, the bun a bit dry, but fine nonetheless. At $20, nothing too impressive, but it's what I would expect at the county fair. I ordered from an employee, but there were also 4 self-order kiosks at the front counter. No lines or waiting for anything. You bring your paper plate to another staff member at the grill, and they load the meat along with whatever fixings you want (ie. grilled veggies). Self-serve condiments, napkins, utensils, and foil are available around the corner. Best of all, at events like the Alameda County Fair, you can enjoy your meal while being entertained by live music, movies on the big screen, or other shows (magic, comedy, animals, etc.) throughout the festival.

Below Mid level quality food. Beyond high level pricing. 17$ for a burger that's been kept warmed…read moreup for at least 30min. With the cheese still stone cold. +6$ for fries. Oh and it had lettuce and tomato. Run from that pig logo where are you see it

I tried their masala dosa and mango lassi. Its the best authentic dosa that I ever had!…read more Must try.

I was happy to find Bangalore style dosa. The dosa was not crispy and had like a tablespoon of…read morefilling. It was too expensive at $11 for what I received. Filling should have been 3 times atleast for dosa to be filling. Chutney was ok, sambhar was good.

The hours for pickup from this vendor at Amuse Kitchen are very limited, only available in the late…read moreevening midweek. When I arrived, the doors were locked, but I rang the bell outside and was let in. My online order wasn't ready so I waited in the lobby where there were a few chairs set up. It was musty inside and slightly uncomfortable on this hot day, but at least the small space was clean and inviting. Even though my order wasn't ready till 10 minutes after my pickup time, staff was warm and friendly in our brief interactions on site, so I wasn't disappointed with the service. I tried four different empanadas from their menu. The mushroom, ham & cheese, and deep fried cheesy empanadas were super tasty, made fresh with quality ingredients, lots of flavor packed into a flaky shell, it's hard to pick a fave among these three. The deep fried beef empanada was my least favorite, the consistency was off, and I'm not even sure it was properly prepared or cooked all the way, as it was slightly cold, barely lukewarm, in the middle. The milder of their two sauces (huacatay) was indeed mild, lacking in any spice at all, it really didn't taste like anything to me. Luckily, the empanadas were good without it. I had a satisfying experience overall.

We were very excited for empanadas, especially Peruvian ones! My sweetie and I are big on Peruvian…read morefood. The empanadas were solid. We purchased (2) classic beef, (2) mushroom, and split the Aji de Gallina. Stars off for: -They have weird hours, open only after 7. So no lunch hours, and tbh not very convenient for dinner. -Aji de Gallina and Mushroom was dry, especially Aji -Order didn't come with any sauce! We were super excited for the sauces. I ended up making my own sauce at home with aji amarillo paste and Kewpie mayo. -a bit expensive. With delivery its too expensive to be a snack, but also too expensive to be dinner for more than 2 people. Its nice for an occasional treat/craving

Caught them at the Treba Night Market…read more They offer rice, garlic noodle, and (surprisingly) mac and cheese plates, as well as fish ball and bbq skewers + more. All I ordered was the crispy soft shell crab and mannnn it was good!! Like eating chips. Seasoning had a slight sweetness to it and the sawsawan was so good I could drink it haha Just wish they gave me napkins with my order because the seasoning stick to your fingers!

First tie to try Chicken intestine at the Asian Cultural Expo San Mateo 2025. This sample was a…read morememorable introduction and in addition, the chicken feet were just as appetizing.

After a long shopping trip, I stumbled across Fruitsy Smoothie, a fruit and smoothie stand in front…read moreof Levi's of the Livermore Premium Outlets. Purchased a fruit bowl for $7.99, which ended up being closer to $9.00. The shop keeper was eyeing me the entire time, especially after giving me my change for a $20.00. I didn't give any tip, since the bowl itself was expensive for what it was. When he gave the bowl to me, I asked 'doesn't it come with honey?' 'Extra charge' 'But it SAYS with honey.' 'No, it's not included.' Then don't advertise it as such.

Got thirsty after walking around the outlet with my bf. We spotted this stand and decided to order…read more2 drinks. I got the pineapple mango smoothie and my bf got the triple berry. The price is a tad pricey. Service was good and friendly. We both enjoyed our drinks.

I went to Jollof Kitchen in Oakland during First Fridays, and from the moment we got there, the…read morewhole scene was electric. The music was bumping, people were lined up and genuinely excited to order, and the whole setup felt lively in the best possible way. You could tell right away this was a place people really love. This spot came highly recommended to me by friends, and now I fully understand why. Before heading out, I called ahead to ask whether they could accommodate my girlfriend's seafood allergy, and Kemi, the owner, picked up and immediately made us feel taken care of. When we got there, Victor, the onsite chef, and the rest of the staff were so friendly, thoughtful, and careful about everything. That kind of hospitality means a lot, and they handled it with so much kindness and ease. And the food? Ridiculous. In the best way. I had the egusi, plantains, and fufu, and I finished it in what had to be about seven minutes flat. Honestly, I'm still shocked there weren't bite marks on the container. That food was so good it nearly had me questioning my table manners. Every bite was comforting, rich, and deeply satisfying. What I loved most was that Jollof Kitchen felt like more than just a food stop. It felt like one of those places that reminds you how powerful food can be -- how it brings people together, lifts the energy of a whole block, and turns a night out into something memorable. I'll absolutely be back every chance I get. Safe to say this first time trying Nigerian food, this is now my favorite Nigerian food spot by far. Amazing food, amazing people, amazing energy. So grateful for the care they showed us and very, very excited to come back hungry.

Food is simply amazing, we have enjoyed their food at several events and will drive from San Ramon…read moreto get! It's that good!