The Gumbo I had was Delicious! The Ox Tails are to die for. I would definitely recommend and the Owner comes from the back of the kitchen often to ask about how well you're satisfied and that makes a warm welcoming, especially if it's your first visit. The Restaurant is small and just enough space to have a great experience around other Patrons. Beautiful Pictures of the Owners Family that was said to have been an inspiration from the Grandmother whom the vision was created behind. read more

Willows & Pine - Seafood Gumbo! - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

First of All , ask yourself.. Do I want a good home made food full of flavors and a big portion? If your answer is YES to this ... go to Willows and Pine ... Me and my husband enjoyed an excellent soul satisfying food ... Yes the ambience is Great and the place is clean , Yes the customer service is Amazing.. Our special thanks to Kamila ... what an Excellent Customer Service Experience... her recommendation will not fail you , Alex was great as well . The owner came out to greet the customers...We thoroughly enjoyed the big portions of food . We Will Be Back Absolutely!!!!! This is a gem restaurant and I wish all the Best for their success in Oakland. Kamila you know we will be back for the peach dessert. read more

A Cajun, creole dining gem in the Dimond. I had the best jambalaya, red beans and rice, and cornbread since I left Louisiana 50 years ago.

If I could give 6 stars, this would be it! Amazing top notch creole/cajun. Our first time here so we sampled many dishes. Everything we tasted was incredible, and as major foodies, that is saying something. The service was great, food came out quickly but all felt homemade in the best of ways. Super light mac and cheese, incredible split pea and kale soup that was smoky and thick, a biscuit crisp on the outside and soft as heaven inside, short ribs and greens in gravy, Brussels sprouts in a tangy sweet sauce, just the right amount of crisp without being over cooked. And the oyster mushroom sliders--we ate them all even though we were stuffed. Divine. Can't wait to come back and try the rest of the enticing menu. read more

I ordered the short ribs via door dash. They were so good. The rice and gravy were delicious. And man, the cabbage was also really good. I'll definitely order again. This was my first time ordering from the restaurant. I've had their food at catered events and was always impressed, especially with the biscuits and gravy! I'm looking forward to dining at the restaurant! read more

Willows & Pine - Short ribs, with cabbage, rice and gravy and a side of dressing. - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

Great Food, Fabulous Service and were not going to forget the Ambiance. So happy this place was recommended.

Just had to stop eating dessert to write this review. It is 9 of us and we all enjoyed our meal. From Vegans to meat lovers, we all are very satisfied with our meal. We will definitely be back real soon. Our service was awesome and the owner or manager kept coming into our area to make sure we were satisfied. read more

What a wonderful experience at an Oakland gem. I had the chicken Etoufee and it immediately transformed my body and mind to New Orleans. Big bold flavors, great quality product and I am completely satisfied. My date had the chowder & was completely satisfied also. I hate it took me so long to visit, but now I am a customer for life. Great job - see you all soon. read more

Food was good, service has some potential, and ambiance was nice. Enjoyed their seasonal watermelon salad

Waited an hour in a mostly empty restaurant and was never served. Had to flag down a waiter to ask for coffee which I never received. Staff didn't even acknowledge our presence after seating us. Avoided eye contact and literally acted like we weren't there. The chef was sitting at a table next to us and didn't seem to care. We were trying to support our community and locally owned restaurants. Very disappointing behavior. After an hour we got up and left, walked a block to Lakeshore Cafe and were served immediately. Idk how the Willow and Pine folks stay in business. read more

Amazing food, delicious Gumbo on Fridays. Short ribs are phenomenal. Great atmosphere.

Can't believe this place has been in our hood for a few years and we just tried it. Five of us had a wonderful time, food is the best, great service, too. Can't wait to go back! read more

Went there on an early Saturday morning after some local shopping and fell in love with the place! Love the staff, the space, the owner and most importantly (for this review) the food! We had the chicken and biscuit and the peach cobbler French toast. The biscuit was large and flaky and airy, delicious. The chicken gravy was well seasoned and spot on. The peaches were caramelized and tender and the French toast was well prepared and very good. Can't wait to go back and try the voodoo ! I take them very seriously so that will be the tell. read more

Great food and atmosphere, service on a Saturday was a little slow but, overall a good experience!

I love Willows and Pine!! Their food is absolutely amazing! Ive been going here for a couple of years, and their food always taste better everytime I go. The service is never rude! Always sweet people helping me. They are always so hard working! You never wait to long for your food. Its never too loud, it's kid friendly too!! I would recommend this place to anybody! read more

Food was delicious and service was great. Very generous portions. Highly recommend it.

Food for the soul, located in Oakland. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, the day I went there was not a wait time. We had the best started salad w a raspberry vinaigrette...so good and you can add protein. We also had dinner Short Rib w Cabbage rice and gravy with Mac and cheese. I will return. read more

Received used Willows and Pine catering. The food, service, timeliness was outstanding! All of my guests enjoyed the food as well as interacting with the chef Michauxnee. All of the members of the African American Quilt Guild in attendance at the luncheon will be dining at Willows and Pine. read more

I absolutely adore Willows & Pine. Food was amazing and delicious. We ordered the oxtail grits, shrimp and grits, sausage, eggs (wasn't my fav) and Carmel Apple French toast. The chef was really nice including the servers. Nice ambiance, great place for large & small parties. read more

Willows & Pine - Watermelon salad - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

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Excellent ambiance, low key but elegant. Diverse clientele. The food IS BOMB. Service is great. Awesome local spot. Black owned.

One of the best restaurants, if not THE best restaurant currently in oakland. Lovingly large portions Friendliest, beautiful staff Insane food. Everything is so delicious and cooked with an extra portion of love. If you're feeling happy, go to willows and pine. If you're feeling down, go to willows and pine. If you're feeling frustrated, go to willows and pine. If you're feeling bored, go to willow and pine. The short ribs, curry sea bass, etouffee, chowder, red beans and rice - all of it, will make you feel right again! read more

My SO said the shrimp etouffee was the best he ever had. My jambalaya was really good too. It has a nice friendly atmosphere but our service was really slow. Maybe they were short staffed as there was only one lady waiting, hosting and making drinks and one busboy. Also a large party arrived after we were there. One other comment is that they need hush puppies and beignets on the menu. It's a big miss without them. Otherwise we liked and would come back or order out. read more

Loved our Saturday brunch at Willows & Pine!! My friend and I split the brunch--seriously, it's too much food for one person. We especially loved the salmon salad with pink lemonade vinaigrette! Delicious!! The oxtails and grits were so good. The meat falls off the bone and melts in your mouth. I've had the shrimp & grits in the past and that too is excellent. Service is always outstanding. A perfect place for a special meal. read more

Came in for brunch with my girls. The food did not disappoint. The fried oyster mushrooms were delicious! We all had the biscuits which were light and delicious. The oxtails and grits had me dancing! Ooohhh wweee! Just delicious. I brought some leftovers home for my boyfriend and he loved it! Service was great. Lots of mimosas. I will most definitely be back sooner rather than later. Highly recommended. read more

Went for the second time last night and had the pork chops because they were out of the short ribs. Everything I've had at willows & Pine has been very good so this review/complaint isn't about the food. The bill came to about 64 dollars for two people and we have them $80 so roughly a $16 dollar tip. I ordered a side of mashed potatoes to go and it came to $11.02. My buddy gave her $11.00 and was the person taking the order asked for the 2 cents. Now this is a place that says they don't take cash (they do, and did last night) so he gave her another dollar. No change was given and he was pretty upset about the whole issue having given her a &16 tip and not given grace for 2 cents. Here's the issue. I personally felt like it was petty and told him I wasn't coming back. After he thought about he called me today and said he wasn't going back either. To lose two customers over 2 cents is ridiculous. read more

I was so excited to try this place when I saw that it opened, however have to say I was really disappointed. I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass, Jambalaya, mac & cheese and red beans and rice. The sea bass was a laughably small portion for the price and really pretty bland which was surprising since it was in a Jamaican curry sauce. The jambalaya was the best thing I ordered and was pretty good. It had lots of sausage and had a good flavor. The mac & cheese was creamy but nothing special or outstanding and the red beans tasted like they were burnt. Overall I was expecting a little better. Hoping this place is just new and still working out the kinks. read more

Great service Friendly very home vibe the ambience was cozy intimate. The food was good large portions definitely shareable meals. Nice to take someone looking for soul food type of vibes. read more

Great vibe, delicious food, ample portions. It's a small space -- or so you think! Check out the back room -- great for a party or private event. Will be going again soon read more

YES, YES & OH YES...! Today was my first visit and I already know I'm going to be a regular. When I first walked in I realized the proprietor was in tune with the local culture and the importance of aesthetics and ambiance. This place is lovely but not overtly expressive. Subtle excellence...! The menu had the key dishes that I expected but honestly I was worried if they could live up to the hype..... Please hear me..... I knew the moment I saw my food moving in the direction of my table that they were going to live up to my expectations.... My initial reaction...., YES....!! MMMMMmmmmmm My review in a single word FIRE....!!! Make sure to get reservations as this place fills up with a half hour of opening.... Congratulations Willow and Pine read more

Willows & Pine - Decor - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

"The best meal I've ever had!" my father when we went there together. He had the short ribs, along with the house salad. My jambalaya was also amazing. don't just come for the food, which is some of the best in Oakland, the rest and also has a great story to tell. The desserts looked wonderful, but we didn't have room. Maybe next time. read more

Honey the food was bomb, the service was on point and we even got to meet Ruthie Mae. Oh and did I mention the drinks and the dessert whew. A time was had. And it wasn't over seasoned. I thanked the owner for taking care of her people read more

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Support this restaurant! Friendly service, generous portions, and a very relaxed atmosphere. We went for brunch since my husband wanted oxtails & they only serve them for brunch. There is a prix fixe menu with 3 courses & a mimosa or a few items for a la carte. I had shrimp & grits; shrimp were tender and not overcooked and the grits were delicious! My husband was craving oxtails and they did not disappoint-fall off the bone tender! Looking forward to trying the gumbo, but take note-they only offer it on Friday. read more

Went on a slow night, just two of us in the restaurant. Even then, it took an extremely long time for our food to arrive.... Still, liked the vibe of the restaurant and the food was decent. read more

The entire experience was 10 out of 10 The staff was super nice and friendly the music was on point the ambiance was beautiful and the food outstanding I would recommend over and over again read more

Willows & Pine - Banana Pudding Waffle I was kinda skeptical my sister was so adamant about getting them and look here 10/10 it hit on every level - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

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The food was great! The service was even better. My wife and I was there at the end of the day and the servers enjoyed what they were doing.

My wife and I had a wonderful time as our first time at this restaurant. The food was excellent, the service was attentive and willing to chat, and the whole experience was great. One of the few restaurants that we've gone to in years that really made a great impression on us. We had the shrimp and crawfish chowder, and it's superb, one of my favorite chowders ever. It was creamy and all the vegetables were perfectly cooked. The shrimp and crawfish tails were plump and tasted wonderful. The jambalaya was also excellent with the rice being cooked correctly with well cooked shrimp and really nice spicy sausage. For dessert, we had the banana pudding waffle and another apple dessert that I can't see on their menu right now. The banana pudding was really really fantastic. The apple desert was good, but didn't compare to the other. The restaurant seems to be very much family and friends like and/or part of the community with lots of people seeming like they were locals. It doesn't hurt the experience at all, but you get lots of friendly loud greetings. The chef came and chatted with lots of diners and her recommendations were great and on point. Ambiance wise, it's fairly loud and friendly. There's just the 1 TV playing sports games. Staff was friendly, talkative, attentive, and fun. We made reservations, and you definitely needed them for a Saturday, even early like 6/630 when we arrived. We enjoyed our experience a lot and am looking to come back. Thank you. read more

1st time here and would definitely come back. The food was so good. I substituted the cabbage that comes with the short ribs entree for greens because I love collard greens and I was not disappointed. Everything was seasoned good. You also get enough food to share/take leftovers. Everyone we encountered was sweet and helpful. If/when I come back, Willow & Pine is on my to go list! read more

Willows & Pine - Short ribs. Substituted cabbage for greens. Jasmine rice. Flavor not hidden anywhere on the plate! Cornbread Greens Short Ribs - Cajun/Creole Near Me - Oakland, California

Yes, I had the Seabass with a coconut rice and curry. Oh my God it was amazing. I'm definitely going back there and eat again on Fridays. They have gumbo. I saw a lot of people eating it. read more

My group of 8 came here for Saturday brunch after hiking in nearby Dimond Park. Half of the table ordered the pomegranate lemonade, shrimp and grits, and the other half had orange juice, oxtails and grits, and an order of the biscuitee doux. Everyone enjoyed their food, and there were no leftovers to take home because we ate it all! read more

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Bringing sunshine to a cloudy day, this was the ideal spot for a night with my boo. Well curated colors and decor, it was classy and refined in interior as well as in the food. We were quick to be seated by the wait staff who were cordial and comfortable having great conversations. The menu included some down home favorites and d a few with a twist. Who would have thought crispy, meaty mushrooms on a soulful menu??!! The food arrived fresh and flavorful. I asked the server for some white bread to sop up the shrimp roulade sauce. Greens were tender, well seasoned and with just enough potliquor to please me. I'll be going back for what I hear is an amazing brunch experience and the beignets which they were out of at the time. You won't be disappointed. read more