The *best* chicken and waffle in Oakland. That sounds crazy, but it really is. The chicken is a juicy, crisp schnitzel that's seasoned with some sort of chili oil. The waffle is thick, crunchy on the outside but soft on the inside, and sweet! It pairs beautifully with the spicy chicken. It comes with a side salad that's bright and helps clear the palate. You can't go wrong with their house potatoes or latkes, but be sure to use the sauces given for each one because that's where all the amazing flavor comes from. I've started going every week after a hike. It's THAT good. read more

Wise Sons - ***FRIED CHICKEN SCHNITZEL & WAFFLE - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

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Better understood as a Jewish-deli-themed restaurant than a proper Jewish deli. That goes double for the bagels. We ordered a half dozen plain bagels and cream cheese. The bagels appeared to have a crispy crust but biting into it revealed the crust to be an illusion. It gave way to a dry interior with the flavor of white bread. This was the proverbial "roll with a hole" and a scratchy one at that. The cream cheese was, however, entirely successful. It is a rich, smooth spread with only the mildest tang. When you need a cream cheese that sticks to the middle of the road -- guaranteed to offend no one -- this is the ticket. Proper bagels can be found just a few blocks away, so you may wish to look elsewhere. read more

Swung by mid day on a Sunday for a quick breakfast. Decent amount of indoor and outdoor seating, with both smaller and larger grouped tables. You can self order on a tablet which is nice for those who already know what to order instead of having to wait in line as it'll speed up the process. I went for a non cut, everything lox bagel, minus the capers however, was missed by the staff. I received a cut bagel, with capers. Minor misses but definitely didn't impress me. I appreciated the fact that you could choose to not, lightly toast, or over toast the bagel which at the very least during my visit, was met. The dirty chai latte was really just ok. It was served at a warm-- ready to drink temperature which might not be ideal for those who enjoy drinks hot. My fiancé enjoyed his breakfast burrito but thought it was quite laughable at the amount of avocado in it. We both agreed that it was not worth $46 and wouldn't be bookmarking Wise Sons. read more

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Don't let my experience sway YOU, try it for yourself. My visit was quite disappointing. I was walking pass, going to a funeral and noticed the menu. After the service, I decided to try the Purist sandwich. Service was quick, unfortunately, when my sandwich was ready and bagged a woman walked in grabbed a bag from the counter and ran off. The bag happened to contain my sandwich. The staff made another, but the disappointing part was there was 1 slice of meat that was more fat than meat, no mustard as stated and quite small for the price. I have tried many delicatessens Jewish, Italian, etc. over the years, and had high hopes for this establishment and sandwich, but this visit was not a aha moment for me. read more

Coming in close to opening on a Saturday resulted in no lines, which is always a welcome surprise, especially given some of the reviews here talking about the line. There is plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. Parking can be a little hard to find, but there is plenty of street parking around within walking distance. There is plenty of indoor seating and a few tables and chairs outside. The service was incredibly friendly. Took a few moments for my closed classic on an everything bagel, but it was worth the wait. The classic is the smoked salmon with capers, red onion, and plain shmear. Overall, very balanced for a classic bagel and lox. It was a good amount of smoked salmon, maybe a bit too many capers (but those are easy to take off so I didn't mind), and the onion wasn't too overpowering. The bagel wasn't the most ideal, had a bit more of a chew to get through the crust, but the inside was fluffy and worked with the fillings. Price is up there, but for the bay area it's not too surprising. Overall, solid bagel place in Oakland. If I have a craving I now have a place to stop by! read more

Wise Sons - Closed classic on an everything bagel - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

Open face lox and bagel on sesame bagel was great for my trip back to LA. I will definitely go back next time I'm in Oakland. I ordered online, pick up was seamless. My order was ready when I arrived and the young man working in the front was very pleasant. Next time I will get pics! read more

We're visiting from LA and had to swing by. I so wish Wise Sons was still in LA (please come back!). Still unbelievably consistent and delicious. We tried Boichik yesterday and it was not good...I'm stunned it has higher ratings than WS. Can't wait to come back to Wise Sons soon. Crunchy spicy bagel is legit. read more

Wise Sons - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

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I miss Beauty's Bagels & all of their vegan options!!!! Also, their portion size to price ratio was significantly better. BUT this is a review about Wise Sons, so back to that... My husband & I stopped in here after an appointment to grab some yummy breakfast bagels. They had a fair amount of basic bagel choices, & a pretty good list of sandwiches to choose from. I swear the decor was basically the same as the prior shop, & the staff were just as friendly. I ordered the Bodega on Bialy, & and thought it was okay. The cheese tasted like Craft Singles, which definitely isn't a favorite of mine, & the bialy barely had any seeds or seasonings on it. Maybe I'm spoiled by my local bagel shops, who put a ton more stuff on their bialy bagels. My husband got the Crunchy Spice on an everything bagel, add avocado, & I was definitely eyeing his the whole time. He said it was tasty, just a little on the small side (& I'd have to agree!). For the two bagels alone, it was over $20... If in the area & no where else to go, we would probably come back, because the food was decent, but the price is just a bit much for the amount of food you get. read more

Wise Sons - CRUNCHY SPICE BAGEL SANDWICH - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

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Great food, ambience, and service! This place appeared as a top spot in my search for breakfast foods, and they did not disappoint! Between two people, we shared the house special (with pastrami and an iced coffee) and an everything bagel with scallion cream cheese. Our meal came out to $36 and we were satisfied with the amount of food! I also appreciated that the coffee bar has oat milk and self-serve water. I look forward to visiting this place again next time I'm back in town! read more

Wise Sons - House Special with an Iced Coffee and an Everything Bagel with Scallion Spread - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

I have ordered from them multiple times and they have always been great. But I always got the same thing, the crunch bagel (SO GOOD). Today I went and got the Latke Hash- DELICIOUS! So yummy. Also the staff is so friendly, accommodating and prompt. I brought my husband the Burrito to go and he loved it as well. read more

Wise Sons - ***LATKE-SMASH HASH - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

Excellent service, girl at the counter was so patient and explained my options when I needed time to explore the menu. Price was affordable in comparison to other places. Very well staffed, saw many faces in the back working hard, young ppl working out front being in training. Great vibe in the morning. Bagel made in house, has a good chew, no skimping on the greens. Chili crisp is on the spicy side but flavorful and umami. Cappuccino was more like diner coffee, but they didn't sell themselves as a coffee spot so within expectation.neighborhood felt safe in the morning, and chill. read more

Wise Sons - CRUNCHY SPICE BAGEL SANDWICH ***CAPPUCINO - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

I wanted a good breakfast and ended up getting an AMAZING breakfast! Came here with my friends and it was our first time. The place is open and spacious, family photos on the walls, and lots of delicious fresh bagels stacked at the front near checkout. The staff were really sweet and helpful. The menu was easy to read and there were many food options. I ordered the Crunchy Spice with pastrami added on the special bagel with onions baked in. (I don't remember the name) So delicious!! I must note that I'm not a bagel eater because I usually feel weird and sluggish after. But this was perfect! My tummy felt great and I still had energy for the day! I would have given 5 stars but I was saddened by the small sliver of pastrami I received. They asked if I wanted it cut like bacon but I wasn't expecting a single piece, especially when I paid extra. read more

Wise Sons - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

I came here to meet a friend who was in town for only a few days. We both wanted to bagels and she recommended this spot. We both ordered the same thing. And everything bagel classic smoked salmon, closed. I love and everything bagel and I am a cream cheese thot! We also ordered a mocha coffee. I am forgetting the person who helped us (dyed green hair) but she was very friendly and funny. Made sure to answer my ridiculous questions about the coffee. The food came out quickly. I did enjoy the bagel. It hit the spot for me. Next time I may just get a toaster bagel with cream cheese bc that's usually what I crave. No frills, all love for the schmear. The mocha coffee was ok. Though it wasn't sweet (which I wanted) it did not taste like coffee. If I ordered that again I'd add 2 shots of espresso to that. We ate indoors, enjoy the artwork on the wall, and caught up. Though they do have some outdoor seating as well. I'll definitely give this place a try again in the future. read more

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Stopped by for a quick breakfast and ordered a classic smoked salmon bagel sandwich (closed) on an everything bagel with an over-medium egg on top. The egg rang up as over-easy, but the cashier assured me it was just because they didn't have a button for over-medium. My eyes watered a bit at the $4.50 price tag for a single egg, but it turns out that was actually for a side-order of two eggs. Made the price more reasonable, but it wasn't what I ordered. I'll chalk that up to a miscommunication. Unfortunately the eggs were, in fact, over-easy. The bagel itself was sadly just not my jam. Super thick crust (almost bark-like) that was difficult to bite through, not much fluff inside, and an unpleasant bitterness from being over-toasted. Either their toasters lack a bagel setting to not burn the toppings, or their cooks don't know how to use it. I'll come back to try the pastrami sometime and enjoy the outdoor seating, but I'll stick to Boichik for my lox fix. read more

Wise Sons - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

I got a chicken schnitzel sandwich which was delicious, but was so expensive for what it was. It was around the size of a burger, for about $17. This is a big price to pay where I've gone to other Jewish delis and a sandwich was easily able to feed me for 2 meals. Good food, but too expensive to keep going back to. read more

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My first time visiting Wise Sons and all I can think about are Regina Spector lyrics floating in my head You are my sweetest downfall I loved you first, I loved you first Beneath the stars came fallin' on our heads My Everything bagel - Nutty, Crunchy, Chewy, Salty, Garlicy, Oniony, Savory I'm from Oakland, but today after eating an Everything bagel I was transported to New York's Lower East Side. Matt says if you find yourself on Telegraph avenue and want to take a tasty side trip to New York to fall in love, check out Wise Sons read more

Super fast, kind and friendly. They are absolute geniuses to create an egg sandwich with chili crisp. My life is forever changed. And extra credit for toasting a bagel well without being asked read more

Best bagel shop in Oakland. Hands down. Clean place, enough seating for small groups. Food is delicious. read more

Wise Sons - Menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

My first time coming to Wise Sons in Oakland was this past Mother's Day. Right from the time they open at 7am, loads of orders came in with majority of them from delivery apps as I saw Prius after Prius drivers from DoorDash picking up the food. I was the only dine-in at 7am. I ordered: OG Reuben: Wise Sons gives a generous portion of pastrami. All the ingredients blended well to create an excellent Reuben. The pickles that accompanied the sandwich were good as well. Lox n Bagel: this was good but not great. I thought they could have been more generous with the cream cheese. The everything bagel was too salty for my taste, I would order the plain next time. But overall ok. The staff were friendly and were busy right from the start. Nice dining area both inside and outside to enjoy the food. I would definitely come back, solid spot for Jewish Deli food. read more

Came in to grab some breakfast to go. I wasn't so impressed with the Manny's breakfast burrito, but I enjoyed their crunchy spice bagel. The burrito got a little bit soggy when we ate it at home. It maybe better to eat it right away at the restaurant. Their own hot sauce brand was pretty good. They also were so kind to give us some free pastries. read more

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That was the best freaking breakfast Iv had in the longest time! Via delivery nonetheless. The over easy eggs were cooked to perfection! Crispy bacon with the fat completely rendered, not burnt, not chewy, just melt in your mouth perfection. I was concerned because I like my potatoes crispy and there was no way to make a note. Typically potatoes turn soggy in the to-go box, NOT THESE! Crispy, not overcooked and fluffy on the inside, and not greasy at all! The onion/everything crisp stuff? HELLA good! Wish there had been an option to toast the everything bagel dark but that too was absolutely delicious with the scallion shmear. I ordered a double shot latte and it was phenomenal. Not bitter, just smooth well balanced and so so good. I'm not a review writer but it was that freaking delicious. Iv also had the best tuna melt of my life here (add capers). Open-faced bagel and lox is insane. Potato salad? FIRE. I think I'm in love with someone's wise sons. Damn. read more

Fantastic balance of ingredients. High-quality, and just enough cream cheese. The service was very slow. They can definitely improve on their systems. This affects the ambience, for it was extremely crowded even for those sitting. Please keep in mind. I only went twice to this location; however, this was my experience both times. read more

Bagel barely toasted, razor thin layer of cream cheese and I'd requested extra dark toasted with extra cream cheese! The Jewish food scene in the East Bay is a joke! read more

We were recommended this place by a friend and had to make a visit. We got the reuben sandwich with pastrami and the meats were fresh and flavorful. The service was speedy and there's plenty of seating read more

Wise Sons - pastrami THE OG REUBEN - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

Had a fantastic time my first visit to this lovely bagel place. I was lucky because it was kinda empty so I got to meet Scott and Jordan who are so hospitable!! I was saddened to find that they do not have lattes because I saw a few posts mentioned how good they are but this shop doesn't have an Espresso machine. I had their iced coffee instead and let me tell you friends, it is VERY caffeinated lol I love it I ordered a mushroom breakfast sammy with a side of their crispy potatoes and the bagel is soooo soft on the inside! Excellent texture all around. I wish it had more salt but I am very salt-oriented so it could just be me lol My dad had a classic breakfast sammy and he thoroughly enjoyed it. Like to the point where he demanded I buy extra for him to take home lol Definitely check it out when you get a chance and say hi to Jordan and Scott! read more

Wise Sons - Mushroom breakfast sammy with a side of their crispy potatoes - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

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Beauty's Bagel Shop, with its impressive Yelp following and over a decade of service, had lots of promise to rival the other greats in the area like Poppy and Boichik. With all due honesty though, I found it to fall just shy of the other wonderful bagel spots in the East Bay. This is not to say that they're bad. Personally, I found them just decent. I came here with a friend at 12 on a Saturday only to find all bagels being sold out with the exception of the pumpernickel and everything. I opted for the pumpernickel classic (closed-face) while my friend chose the everything for her veggie open-faced sandwich. The bagels came out quickly, and the presentation was nice. I remember seeing other Yelpers rave about their pickle slices, a complimentary addition. But, they didn't seem to serve them this time around (perhaps they nixed it off their dishes) but our kind server gave us the phallic whole upon request. The bagels themselves were good but not mind-blowing by any means. My bagel was a bit stale, but I appreciated that they didn't toast it which allowed for some of the natural chew to remain. The lox was a nominal portion, but disappointing as it may be, $14 is a lower price tag considering the prime location. I probably would rather head up the street to Poppy next time, but if you're in a hankering for bagels, Beauty's sure won't disappoint. read more

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Love this place! Parking can be a challenge but it's so worth it. Quality bagels and baked goods, a cute and homey environment if you choose to dine in. Staff is chill, but welcoming. You won't pay an arm and a leg for a good solid breakfast or bagel here. But it will taste like it! read more

Wise Sons - Onion bialy (a MUST for onion lovers) - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

What's not to love? Great service. Really great food. I love their pumpernickel bagels. Their bagel sandwich with lox, cream cheese, red onions, and capers is so good. I always consume it before I think about taking a picture of it. This year I picked up some latkes for Passover. The latkes are the best I've ever had and the apple butter is divine! read more

Wise Sons - Latkes with apple butter and sour cream - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

Very solid Reuben! The pastrami was great, the rye good and the Russian dressing was nice. Atmosphere on a weekday is a little vacant but staff are nice. I find the bagels here very mid but was quite happy with the pastrami. Good option for a place to sit down with a sandwich. Ok's deli is better but doesn't have nearly as much seating read more

I came here on a Sunday morning, and was easily able to find street parking. There were a couple of people in the restaurant and it wasn't overly busy. The music and vibe was lovely and nice. I received my order pretty quickly. The customer service was really great. The people there explained the different items I wasn't familiar with and were very patient. I didn't eat the toasted bagels until over a hour later, so I can't speak to the freshness of them; they were as expected hard by the time I ate them. The everything bagel had good flavor. The plain bagel was softer. read more

Wise Sons - menu - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

It's changed since it was sold to Wise Son's but it's still a legit bagel spot in the area. Service can be meh and super SLOW like today (March 2024). Not sure if there was an employee that was late but they were slow when we got there and our food took way too long. Not sure what happened but guessing there was a rush of people and they got backed up. The bagels are still pretty good but they are not AS good as they were before in my humble opinion. There is no longer chai latte served here either. The chocolate chip cookie is still really good though! read more

This was my first visit. I received a warm greeting and help with ordering. (Kiosk vs person at the counter). I was served in a timely fashion. I didn't receive a receipt when I paid. In the newness of it all I didn't think to ask for one. However, when I got home and checked my bank account it was clear that I'd been significantly overcharged. Not a good feeling. Except for buying gluten free bagels every now and then, I'm not likely to return. But if I do, ill be sure to ask for a receipt. read more

Bummed about my experience here. Ordered a crunchy spice bagel for pickup and it turned out to be just egg and cheese. Text said to be ready to pick up in 30-45 minutes, but it was ready in 5- not bad, just annoying because I could've timed my arrival better had a better estimation. Black and white coffee wasn't too sweet read more

Wise Sons - CRUNCHY SPICE BAGEL SANDWICH - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Oakland, California

Some of the stuff need to train how to speak to the customer they kind of rude when they are respond to a question or service

Owner was very kind. I appreciate all the effort and training they will be doing to ensure this doesn't happen again. read more

Bagel was delicious, the black and white latte was incredible and the workers were so sweet. Would def recommend!

Feeling sad about all the recent menu changes at Beauty's/Wise Sons. For months I have ordered the veggie bagel sandwich for lunch delivery. It used to be a generous helping of open-face bagel halves topped with cream cheese and yummy veggies. Recently the menu has changed and then changed again. The generous open face sandwich became a closed smaller sandwich for a higher price. That's right, less veggies, less cream cheese, higher price. It always tastes soggy now, even when I ask them to toast it. Then today I opened my sandwich and lo and behold the bagel was literally half the size it used to be. Like a freaking micro bagel. The only reason I could convince myself to pay $20 for lunch is that it was actually 2 meals for me (or at least a meal and a snack). No longer so. Just sad. I do really like their salted chocolate chip cookie but even that has gone downhill recently. Used to be a beautiful soft cookie, generously sized; now the edges are crisp and browned all the way around. Bleh. Wish this place would return to its former glory. read more

Since we're using song lyrics and all: Tuve un problema de difícil solución En una época difícil de mi vida Estaba entre la espada y la pared Y aguantando la opinión de mi familia Yo no quería una vida normal No me gustaban los horarios de oficina Mi espíritu rebelde se reía Del dinero, del lujo y el comfort Y tuve una revelación Ya se que quiero en esta vida Voy a seguir mi vocación Será WISE AND SONS mi techo y mi comida Took my little one there today for our weekly bagel run based on the sfgate (I think it was) review of bay area bagels. To quote my son after eating the bodega bagel sandwich with avocado: "it's like my insides are smiling," out of the mouth of babes. read more

Management got back to me, apologising for the delay (it being the week of Passover) and offering me a sandwich credit. They agreed that the mistake was made and asked to be given the chance to make it up. So, I will. Thank you! read more

Went here ages ago when it first opened, we were craving bagels and decided to give it a try again years later. Tbh we both left very disappointed. The bagels were not it to say the least, we heard different info given to different customers about what was available, and the gluten free bagel was almost inedible. The cream cheese was meh, we both got flavored cream cheese that didn't taste like much. Overall we got entirely different meals and bagels and had the same experience with lack of flavor. We were so excited for bagels and left so sad. The service was okay. Ambiance is okay, plenty of seating inside. We definitely have been insanely spoiled by our last bagel excursions in SF. read more

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