The service was great The food was superb. Service was top notch! We really love the experience. I would highly recommend read more

Bartender Bella was amazing! She showed us great service, especially to my girlfriend visiting from out of town, showing the real Oakland hospitality. Y's choice definitely should be your go to spot if you are new to the town. read more

Food: Service: Ambiance: Y's Choice is one of Oakland's hidden gems! If you're craving authentic soul food, this is the spot. The oxtails are some of the best I've had in Oakland--tender, flavorful, and falling right off the bone. Every bite is seasoned perfectly, and you can tell the food is made with care. If you love soul food and haven't been to Y's Choice yet, you're seriously missing out! I'll definitely be back for those oxtails. read more

Came here on a Sunday for food. I ordered the smothered turkey wings, with mac n cheese and greens. Everything was rich in flavor and the right portions. Looking forward to trying more when I come back! read more

I was here a few days ago for lunch with one of my girlfriend's and everything was absolutely terrible. For one, the crab egg rolls we ordered were frozen/still cold in the middle when they were clearly fried on the outside. Had to send those back which was unfortunate because they had somewhat of a nice flavor and the sweet chili sauce that went with them was good. For our main entree, I got the oxtails with mac and cheese and yams. The yams were extremely sugary, the mac and cheese was greasy and not creamy at all, and the oxtails were mainly just fat (not blaming them for this) and the gravy was entirely too thick. My friend ordered the Lil sis with lamb chops and they were super overcooked, they did have a nice flavor though. I will say, everything was also extremely overpriced which doesn't align with the portions. Not too mention I spent 6-7 dollars for a lemonade that wasn't even cold... My server was very nice and she offered to fix everything that she could for us but we just took it as it was, a loss. She slipped me a little note with her name "Lyric" for a review so I wanted to give her a little shoutout because she was so sweet! The cutest little girl with dimples! Anyways, I wished the food was better because I love supporting black owned businesses but coming here was NOT a Y's choice. Not for my pockets or my stomach, sorry. read more

Y’S Choice - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Came to this restaurant on a spur the moment after my cousin's graduation with my whole family and I'm so glad we did! The food was truly soul food. I got the smothered turkey wings with cabbage and mac & cheese. I really enjoyed the turkey wings. They were so good. The portion sizes are amazing. I also got the lemonade, which was really sweet. Definitely needed to delete it a little bit for myself overall, the experience was really nice and the team was great. The ambience of the place felt very home like like a good old family reunion. read more

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We got mixed reviews from others that have visited so we had to go taste & see for ourselves. Nice atmosphere, chill, welcoming vibe. Young staff left a lot to be desired. Plates & silverware & crab cracker tools & condiments should not have to be requested. An open, old, dry & crusty bottle of discolored hot sauce was placed on the table, unacceptable. Crab-cake egg rolls 3outta5 They were different but in a good way. They could use some veggies for texture but pretty good overall. Catfish & Cabbage 2.5outta5 The fish was fried & seasoned well. The cabbage left a lot to be desired. The flavor was off putting. Big Daddy 1outta5 It didn't live up to the price or description. 3 unseasoned shrimp instead of 5 jumbo prawns, the garlic butter wasn't fresh & was thick like a paste. Canned garlic looks & tastes vastly different than fresh. The lobster was salty & inedible. The crab was ok. Garlic noodles didn't have much garlic. Nothing was "smothered" in their signature garlic butter. Cocktails 2.5outta5 they were ok, good flavor not much liquor. Quality control is missing. Service & quality should align with the tab. #GoTaste&See Maybe not a wise choice... read more

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Talk about disappointing. From the moment we walked in, the experience was chaotic and poorly managed. We weren't greeted when we entered, and when we were finally seated, our tables clearly still had food underneath from the previous party. That alone made a bad first impression. What also didn't make sense was the seating. Our group was placed at tables right next to each other while there were plenty of open tables throughout the restaurant. Why cram everyone together instead of spacing guests out for comfort? The pay-as-you-order system also felt odd. I'm not sure if that's because people leave before paying or before eating, but it definitely added to the strange experience. The biggest issue was the wait. It took 45 minutes for our food to come out, and we ordered pretty simple items. That kind of wait would be frustrating even if the food came out amazing--but it didn't. Our food wasn't even piping hot when it arrived. Flavor-wise, it was just okay. Nothing memorable. I ordered garlic-based items expecting that bold garlic punch, and it was seriously lacking. The food wasn't bad, but it definitely didn't justify the wait or the price. Speaking of price--everything felt overpriced. I understand prices have gone up everywhere, but $18 for shrimp (decent size, sure) and they still come with the shell on plus you pay extra for sides? That's hard to justify. I do appreciate that they offer a few halal options, which is nice to see. But at these prices, those options don't feel worth it either. Another concern: the floors were slippery in multiple spots. Even wearing tennis shoes, we were slipping. That's a safety issue that needs to be addressed. I originally wanted to come back to try some of their special plates because they sounded really good, but after waiting 45 minutes for basic menu items, I'm honestly scared to think how long those would take. Overall, between the poor service, lack of cleanliness, long wait times, mediocre food, slippery floors, and high prices, this was not a good experience. Unfortunately, I don't see myself returning. read more

Y’S Choice - Shrimp and side of Mac & Cheese - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

We came in for Sunday brunch. Everyone was very friendly from the moment we stepped in. I wish our server was more attentive. She gave us A LOT of time to go over the menu, then more time after she dropped off our food. We're thankful for the other ladies working who checked in on us and gave us more water. We were missing some items so we added it to our to-go order. We repeated our order twice and she repeated back to us and it was still wrong. We didn't realize it until we got home. Oh well. What we ordered: Oxtail & grits - 10/10 Very flavorful. Good portion size. Boozie Special - 8/10 Very flavorful but dry even with the gravy. BIG portion Candied yams - 7/10 Really sweet. We didn't order this but it was in our to-go bag. 2 piece fish meal - 10/10 Flavorful and portion was good. Bet it would've tasted better with the collard greens that didn't make it in our bag. Mac & cheese - 7/10 It was just ok. Misc: There is a lot of street parking and the bathrooms are clean. :-) read more

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Back once again and it did not disappoint! KAYLA is the bomb! This is a wonderful young lady, she is professional and proficient. If I really enjoy this place KAYLA makes it more enjoyable read more

First time here. It looked closed but it was open. It's a little to dark inside for me but the food made up for that My food was delish. Catfish was fried just right, crispy but not hard, now them Brussels sprouts was hitting like 100/100, the chicken n fries I took home for my son and he loved it. My drink was just how I like it. The waitress name started with an R she was cool. Great vibes go visit be patient I saw youth working read more

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Very solid soul food restaurant! The wait was short, and all the staff were very kind and helpful. The ambiance had a comfortable family restaurant feel. I'm not from the area, but I'd definitely comeback if I'm in town. We got wings, greens, ox tail, Mac, cat fish, yams, red beans and rice, corn bread, and fried zucchini. Everything was tasty. My favorites were the yams and catfish! read more

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Yesterday, although we anticipated a wait once we got there, that didn't occur even on a holiday, which was also my Bday! We were greeted and seated immediately. The decor was very modern and visually pleasing with what looked like original artwork. The service from waitstaff was perfect. Food: 3 pieces of perfectly fried and seasoned Swai fish paired with 4 pieces of fried chicken (twice cooked or cooked in old oil) A side of Garlic Noodles (they weren't to my liking as they were just as sweet as garlicky. The taste's clashed and I wanted garlic noodles) Po man's Gumbo (no seafood) with a side of rice (really good) I was elated that the had the only digestible Ginger Ale, Canada Dry. Lastly, the waitstaff was kind enough to want to celebrate my birthday and brought me the most enjoyable thing I had eaten that night... Deep Fried Pound Cake with a side of whipped cream...ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! I dug in so fast and forgot to take a picture Since it was my first time and it was a good night overall, I will definitely try it again and some different menu items. read more

Yummy, yummy in my tummy! I ordered Ox Tails with cabbage and collard greens through Uber Eats (great service; quick prep and delivery) and it arrived hot, fresh, and delicious. The ox tails were tender and flavored well and were served on a bed of rice and gravy which was also seasoned well. I mixed the cabbage and greens together which made the greens yummier due to the seasoning used for the cabbage. There was a promotion which allowed me to also receive free Kool-Aid and it was exactly how I grew up drinking it, shweet! I'll definitely order from here again when traveling in the Oakland area!!! read more

Y’S Choice - Greens and cabbage mixed - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Absolutely delicious! This is where my cousin wanted to go for his graduation dinner and it didn't disappoint! We had to wait 45 minutes before we could be seated, but as soon as we were, we were immediately greeted by our fabulous waitress. The place was dim but as the night went on, they raised the curtains which did allow more light in. It was definitely busy and full of people, but it wasn't overly loud. The oxtail and grits were delectable. My Grandmother ordered the fried fish with cabbage, yams and cornbread and she stated that she loved it. The mango lemonade was pretty good but my cousin's came out very sweet so the flavors between the 2 lemonade we ordered was not consistent. read more

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BAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYBBBEEE THIS FOOD WAS SO MF GOOD!!!!! Made fresh to order so there was a wait but it was SO WORTH IT!!! Food came out hot and seasoned, everything was sooooo delicious!! Our server Brooke was super sweet as well as the owner! Definitely will be back 10/10 experience! read more

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I'll start by saying I did NOT dislike my experience here. The service was good and the food was cool. The only reason I'm rating it a 3 is because the food is not worth what you pay for it. For 6 party wings, 2 sides, and a piece of cornbread it cost me $40. There are up charges for so many things. For example, of the 6 wings I got 3 of them were BBQ Hennessy wings and that cost me an additional $3. In all fairness it may have been explicit on the menu but I missed it and felt the pricing was unreasonable. The highlight was the mimosa tower. That was absolutely worth it! read more

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The food was so tasty. Perfectly seasoned, whomever is cooking, thank you! I can't wait to bring my husband here. Highlights were their greens & fried zucchini for me! Not everyone can make perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned greens. Theirs were fantastic! Fried zucchini, also not over cooked, perfectly seasoned & their light batter stayed on the zucchini. Also, not most can get those veggies cooked to perfection. We had a couple hiccups. Totally forgiving for me, but worth mentioning. We order appetizers, hesitated ordering lunch, because we wanted apps first. On the third ask from waitress, we explained but ordered lunch & then she brought us our lunch. No apps. Ok. We asked to skip them. Nope, they came half way thru. Oxtail was delicious, perfectly cooked & seasoned. They were not served hot. Temperature was kinda warm. Then when paying tab; our waitress, the restaurant nor the bartender had cash/change. My friend & I had cash. Asked us to pay cc. Things to note: Discount on bill if you pay cash. They do not split checks/bills. Their address is 1825-3 & on the corner of San Pablo & 18th. No hard alcohol. Beer, wine & wine cocktails available. My friend had a wine lemon drop. She said it was good. The restaurant is well decorated, clean & has an all around pleasant atmosphere. I highly recommend this restaurant. Just dont trip on order of food arriving nor the little things. Their food is delicious! Servers are friendly & I appreciated their service. read more

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I learned of Y's Choice because I was staying overnight at a local hotel and saw an editorial in a magazine at the hotel about the owner and the restaurant. I went for Sunday brunch and sat at the bar. Bella the bartender was very welcoming and made a great mimosa (guava flavored). The chicken and waffles were delicious. The chicken was not overly fried with the middle being tender but not burnt! The waffles were fluffy! Honestly it's been a while since I had chicken and waffles and these were amazing. I'll be back because I want to try the other options in the menu. There wasn't a dj while I was there but the music playing throughout brunch was also appealing. read more

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Four stars for the food, but one star for the customer service policy. While the staff was nice, We were asked to leave a card on file before we even ordered because of past 'walkout' issues. Making customers feel like criminals before you've even served them is a terrible way to run a business especially considering it's not a fool proof method. You charge premium prices for soul food and the customer's overall experience should reflect that. read more

I will give the overall experience a 7/10.. The servers were also the hostesses. So everything seemed a bit rushed and i could tell they were overwhelmed and probably felt overworked, considering there were only 2 of them (one working the bar as well) i understand. We got the meal with 6 shrimp & 3 pieces of fish, the fish and shrimp were both seasoned really well, and had a nice crunchy coating to them also came with seasoned fries that had a sweet little taste to them, & also the meal came with this really delicious tangishy orange sauce that had a little spice to it. That meal was a 9/10. We got Mac n cheese, black eyed peas, crab cake egg roll, peach lemonade (fresh squeezed), & garlic noddles. The Mac n cheese was okay, i like a more creamy Mac, but it was superrr cheesy! The black eyed peas would say were also a 6/10, they were a bit mushy and not very flavorful. Now the crab cake egg roll was like a 5/10. No flavor really at all besides crab, & i (personally) think it's crazy that the serving options are 1 or 4 lol like?? Having 1 as an option just makes no sense to me. I could see options of either 2 or 4.. The peach lemonade which is fresh squeezed was a 8/10 but be aware it's veryyyyyy sweet! Like if you don't like sweet lemonade you will either have to water it completely down or just not get it. My man who usually orders 2 or 3 drinks didn't finish his because he hates overly sweet lemonade. The garlic noodles were 8/10. Good garlic flavor, buttery and cooked well. read more

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Solid soul food, with hit or miss sides. Collard greens and green beans were too vinegary for us, and the sauteed cabbage could have used more seasoning and maybe been cooked down a bit more. My husband is from Mississippi and very particular about these things. Unfortunately, you won't find any pork items here, so no pork chops. Our oxtail was well seasoned and tender. Kids meal came with three wings and seasoned fries. The service was good and they were pretty busy around brunch time on a Saturday. We plan to return to try other items. read more

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Family visiting from out of town had heard the legend of Y's Choice, so naturally we had to put it to the test. And let me tell you--the food? Amazing. PERIOD. The service hit that perfect trifecta: friendly, fun, and confidently knowledgeable. The whole place has this bright, buzzing energy, thanks in part to a live DJ tucked in the corner spinning tracks at that magical volume where you can still chat without yelling. Love that balance! Think Masego, Jill Scott, MJ, just a whole vibe of cool artists setting the tone. We kicked things off with a Peach/Strawberry mimosa carafe that was so good we were low-key sad when it was empty. Then came the pound cake French toast. I hesitated at first, worried it might be too sweet, but it turned out to be perfection, light, balanced, dusted with powdered sugar, topped with fresh whipped cream and berries. A whole chef's kiss moment. For my entrée, I went all in on the turkey chops, yes, turkey chops smothered in rich, savory gravy over their famous potatoes, with eggs fried over hard (it was brunch, after all). The table next to us ordered the catfish, and honestly, it looked like a plated masterpiece. They raved about it. Their grits and oxtail looked so good I didn't even pretend to resist I ordered one to go for lunch the next day. If you haven't been yet... run, don't walk, to Y's Choice. You will not be disappointed. read more

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Totally yummy! We were warmly greeted upon arrival (party of 8). Glad we called ahead and didn't surprise them as the place was jumping. Our server was Brooke--so sweet and on point. Everything came out perfect, hot and on time. She was super attentive as well. We ordered several fried fish plates, wings, chicken sandwich and lots of sides. Everything was amazing! We already have plans to come back. Thank you for an amazing lunch! read more

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Our server was very nice. The shrimp and grits were delicious! The flavor on the fish was good, I just prefer my fish fried hard. There was a discrepancy on the bill vs the menu price , but the owner was accommodating. The vibes in the place were great. I would be back. read more

Y’S Choice - Fried fish - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Second visit here and does not disappoint , enjoyable and warm atmosphere, friendly attentive staff and owner lovely Chef Y . The food is absolutely delicious , tender and full of flavor , we had the lamb chops and oxtails, with delicious cocktails. Moderate prices , we will definitely be back . read more

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Oh my what a disappointment! As a foodie I was super excited to try this place based upon some of the social media food blogger posts. Our initial server was welcoming however, the server that actually brought the food to the table was not and seemed annoyed by us asking for items that we ordered but didn't receive and for condiments. WOW .. ok .. our table for 2 also felt very tight packed in the middle row of other 2 seat tables . Now on to the food , the good , the bad and the ugly.,. "The Good" .. the garlic noodles were delicious full of garlic flavor also the yams , slight hint of sweetness with a buttery taste and firm texture.. Now on to the " Bad" fried fish over cooked ( the coating was falling off, a true sign of being over cooked) and it was not seasoned properly.. very bland , hot sauce and Tatar sauce couldn't save it .. The turkey wings were tough with no flavor .. all the other sides , red beans and rice and cabbage were bland as well ... needless to say I was very disappointed in this restaurant! And "The Ugly" is I paid almost $100 for food I barely touched. Would I come back? probably not.. but hey that's the way the fork falls sometimes.. On to the next ! read more

Y’S Choice - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Me and my family a big group of 12, came in about two weeks ago on a Sunday, on a last minute decision, we didn't have a reservation, didn't call ahead, just went in and was sat right away, out of the 12 only one of us had dined there before, so the majority was excited to give the food a try, so many delicious options, and our waitress who we found out had just started was excellent, she handled the big hungry group well, and gave us recommendations, we ordered lots of food to try and enjoyed every bit of it, when I say the food was delicious, the highlight was the pound cake French toast and the fried fish, we all loved it and even the owner came out and greeted us and made sure we had all we needed, overall my experience here was great, the food was sooo good. I will definitely be back. read more

I had an event to attend and wanted to get some dinner beforehand. I read the reviews and it mentioned there is about a 45 min wait for your meal because everything is cooked to order. So I made sure to factor that into my schedule. I got there at 4:55pm. Was greeted and seated promptly. I already knew what I wanted. I didn't want to add time ontop of the wait. I ordered the Arts Crab. The waitress was a 10/10 by the way. I was impressed because she looked so young but her customer service skills were on point. I love to see it. Kudos to her (I forgot her name). There was a lady and her son sitting next to me and we made small talk. She ordered the oxtails with mac n cheese and her son had the catfish. It looked very appetizing when they brought it to their table. Her son said his food good. And the lady also said her food was good, but, it was lukewarm, so she send it back to the kitchen to be reheated. Keep this in mind for later. Around 5:40pm my food arrived. Not only did it look delicious, it tasted just as good. Except, I didn't receive my garlic noodles. I told my waitress and she went and got the owner. The owner comes over and says she's been getting a lot of confusion about this menu item, and she needs to update the menu. (Menu included in review). She tells me I can order a side of noodles but I will have to pay for them. And anyone who is familiar with Arts Crab Shack knows it never came with noodles. THAT'S WILD ISN'T IT? Even the lady at the next table was surprised by her response. Anywho, I told her I was willing to pay for the noodles, but I needed to know how long it would take. She tells me she didn't know how long it would take because there was a lot of orders ahead of me. I felt like she was giving all the wrong answers. Your online menu says noodles are included. Your restaurant menu is considered 'confusing'. But instead of giving me a complimentary rush order of noodles, you want me to pay AND wait? The noodles come out about 10min later. Which wasn't to long of a wait. The food was 8/10. Very flavorful. It hit the mark. I would order it again. While I was eating, the waitress came over and tells me that the noodles were on her, because she forgot to inform me that noodles did not come with the meal. So I did end up getting the garlic noodles for free. Now I'm done with dinner and I exit the restaurant, there is an elderly couple ahead of me who also just finished eating. We are all parked across the street, so at this point we end up walking side by side. I ask them how they enjoyed their dinner. They said they got the oxtails but couldn't enjoy it because 'it wasn't hot'. Despite the menu snafu, I would come back. I would also recommend this place. In fact, I already have. My food was good and I would like to check out some other items. read more

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Service was extremely terrible waited too long to get our food and they gave us old food read more

Y’S Choice - Waited extremely long to get our food missing items The yams were completely dry and black. The service was trash. - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Do NOT order the string beans and potatoes the string beans still had strings I had to pull off they were very bland tasting no seasoning at all, the greens were bland tasting....Oxtails were GREAT cornbread good, Mac n cheese was good as well read more

The restaurant was clean, the staff was friendly, and we were seated immediately upon entering. I ordered the combo 3 which included 4 party wings, 2 pieces of catfish, 6 prawns and 2 sides (I had red beans and rice and cabbage.) The prawns and red beans and rice were my favorites besides the fact that my red beans and rice were barely warm. We also ordered a mimosa tower and I would recommend ordering a bottle of champagne and juices instead of the tower. I prefer more champagne and less juice in my mimosas. *Something to be aware of. On the day we visited they said they didn't have any sauteed dishes. I'll definitely come back to try more items. read more

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Y's Choice is exactly the "piece of the heart" Oakland has been missing. Every single dish was a 10/10, from the rich Shrimp & grits, Qxtails & grits to the perfectly seasoned macaroni and cheese, greens and smothered potatoes. Even the French toast and fried fish were absolute standouts. The customer service was truly impeccable. Our bartender/waiter was so attentive, she even brought lemons for the fish before we could even ask. If you want delicious food and thoughtful service, this is the spot, & shout out to the DJ for the flowing vibes! Definitely gave me a taste of the southern H-Town vibes! Highly recommended!! read more

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Excellent food and service We went there for a party and we had a great time. The atmosphere was so nice that we can't wait to go back. I took food home with me it was so good read more

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Ambiance was nice..I especially love the spacious bathroom. The service was welcoming and attentive. Was there for lunch and our anniversary. My son loves this place. The food was served hot and in a timely manner with great presentation. However, I enjoy cooking and prefer flavorful food. I expected more. It's a twist on soulfood. It was lacking the Soul. The cooks were also. However, my son says, that during the night the Soulful cooks are there. The food was cute and ok. Service was great. Try it you may like it. It is pricey but you get plenty. read more

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Enjoyed the entire experience Service GREAT Food GREAT Atmosphere GREAT Willl definitely come again. read more

Y’S Choice - Chicken wings, red beans and rice, greens and cornbread. - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

Fun little soul food brunch spot. The outside looks sus because there aren't any windows so in walking through the front door it gives kind of a club type of feel. But when you walk in, you find soul food restaurant energy. We went on Sunday around 1130a, it's a small spot but had plenty of tables at that point. They had a dj bumping a nice RnB selection, The Brown's were playing (and loosing, in spite of Shedeur doing his best to drive down the field), and a young waitress that looked just like Angel Reese, attentively served us our food. I had the crab croquet sandwich w/fries. It was delicious, but I gotta say hard pass on the mimosa ... tasted like a mixture of Cook's Champagne and minute-maid OJ. They have a huge bar so I'm sure that I just picked the wrong drink. My friend had a white wine and said it was fine. All-in-all it was a good experience, and coming early seems to be the Y's Choice, because it was starting to fill up as we were leaving around 1p. read more

We went there for brunch but missed it so we stayed there for dinner. The wait was about a hour and we decided to wait to get it a shoot. The food taste was the best for me. I felt like it was lacking seasoning. I ordered the gumbo and it had all the fixing, chicken, sausage, shrimp but the taste was very bland to me. My daughter order the chicken wings which was very tasty. Her sides was Mac and cheese and I can't remember what her other choice was. Her Mac and cheese was good. I ordered to go plate which was lamb chops with Mac and cheese and I have to be honest my daughter Mac and cheese didn't taste like the Mac and cheese I took home. read more

Y’S Choice - Gumbo 28oz Bowl - Soul Food Near Me - Oakland, California

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Everything. Oxtails greens and yams Fried fish, macandcheese rice and gravy. Waitress was great. Service was great. Peach cobbler was good too. read more

Food is amazing. Service is mid -- they were busy and didn't bring us water or drinks until after 20 mins in. It's a cool spot for sure. Definitely enjoyed the oxtails. The catfish is really swai they say it's more local. The sides are all good. The music they played when we were there was like origins of hip hop today so we were down for that Brandy. Highly recommend checking this space out! read more

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