Almond & Oak

“If you haven’t been to Almond & Oak in Oakland, you are seriously missing out. The food is absolutely phenomenal, the drinks are incredible, and the staff somehow makes the whole experience even better. We had the cornbread skillet appetizer, the steak sandwich, and shared a carafe of mimosas made with their fresh squeezed orange juice — which absolutely made the drink. Honestly, everything we ordered was so good and the whole place just had such a welcoming, fun vibe. If you’re anywhere near the area, make this a must-eat spot.”

“I was looking for a fancy place for a girls brunch on a Saturday and chose Almond and Oak because I figured we could go kill time at the farmers market across the street if the wait was too long. We arrive around 11:30am and luckily a table for 2 was only a 20 minute wait. So we put our name down and walked around the neighboring shops before deciding to go to the flower shop right next door. We had just finished purchasing a potted plant and some scented shower steamers when I got the text that our table was ready. The hostess sat us at a hightop communal table in the main dining room, which has a rustic warehouse feel and lots of natural light. We started with an Arnold Palmer and a fancy mocktail. Drooling over all the delicious menu options, we decided to share a few dishes between the two of us. We ordered the skillet cornbread, the baked French toast, and a scrumptious quiche. The food came out quickly and everything was so good that my date decided to order a second quiche to take home to her man. The service was attentive, the noise level was mid range, and the overall vibe was hip but not pretentious. We would definitely eat here again, and based on the dishes we saw at neighboring tables, we plan to try the eggs benedict and their sandwiches next time.”

“Everything I had was high quality and not overpowering flavor. I was wearing a Grizzly Man T-shirt and the bartender recognized it, meaning that the staff here must have top quality film taste. A unique prosciutto and broccoli Benedict, and Shrimp + Grits made for a great brunch with some corn bread.”

“Came here for lunch with a friend at 1 PM on a Saturday. We came 15 minutes late after our reservation because of parking and they were understanding of it. As soon as you walk in, you're hit with the smell of a campfire from the oven. The restaurant is absolutely gorgeous with an Art Deco design. The ambiance is cozy but elevated. Benedict (buttermilk biscuit, dungeness crab cakes, marinated swiss chard & beet greens, herbed hollandaise, poached eggs & mixed greens): I'm not a huge benedict person because they can feel heavy, but this one was fantastic. I loved the textures and flavors of the crab cakes pairing with the greens and vegetables. It felt balanced and not too creamy or exhausting to eat. It definitely stands out from the run-of-the-mill brunch benedict. Vegetable Hash (roasted sweet potatoes, garnet yams, sunchokes, cauliflower, cremini mushrooms, celery root & onion, savoy spinach & poached eggs): This was also delicious and also set itself apart from the standard brunch hash. I loved the different vegetables in it besides being just potatoes and onions. The mushrooms and root vegetables worked really well together. Everything was well-seasoned. I'm glad we ended up choosing these dishes even though neither were my original top choices (I decided on the menu with my friend). It made me feel like you can choose anything and it'd be a banger. We were quite full from these dishes, and we forget we also ordered beignets to come out last. They were fluffy and mostly air (but not in a bad way). The service throughout the meal was good. We were checked on from time-to-time and our waters were refilled, although I wish the water glasses were a little bigger. One small thing to note was that we were given the check while we were still eating, even though the restaurant was still seating people despite it being close to closing time. Unsure if/why we were rushed like this. Overall, this was a memorable brunch spots I've been to in the Bay (dare I say one of the best?). We left smelling like a campfire. I would recommend it.”

“I thought the salmon was way too soggy, the burrata plate’s tomatoes were not fresh and aside from the actual salmon and chicken those two dishes were extremely similar. Overall the food did not taste nearly as good as it should for the price point. The ambiance of the restaurant was great though.”