Want to eat your way around Oakland, recently dubbed the best food city in the U.S. by the readers of Conde Nast Traveler? Then grab your food-stained bib and get ready to poke into more than 140 restaurants participating in this year’s Oakland Restaurant Week.
The 10-day fest of specials and deals runs March 20-30, representing every kind of cuisine the diverse city is known for: Mexican, Ethiopian, Thai, Caribbean, Japanese, soul food, pizza, vegan — you get the picture. There are coffee shops and roasteries, as well as wine bars and one place inside a Jack London bowling alley. The full list of participating eateries is searchable by cuisine and neighborhood — as well as Black or woman-owned, pet-friendly, and whether it has outdoor space — and is posted on the event website: visitoakland.com/events/annual-events/restaurant-week.
While it’s impossible to say which places people should visit — who’s to judge if a swordfish carpaccio from an Escoffier-trained chef is “better” than a supremely satisfying quesabirria — some people do like to follow the recommendations of food-industry pros. So, in no particular order, here are the participating restaurants with recent James Beard or Michelin Bib Gourmand cred and what they’re serving up. Note that organizers say “more participating restaurants and menus (are) coming soon….”:
Burdell (2024 James Beard nominee for Best California Chef): Smothered pork chop for two, served with wild mushroom-and-bacon gravy, $65
Tarts de Feybesse: (2025 semifinalist for Outstanding Pastry Chef): Tarte Flambée, a savory flatbread with crème fraîche, smoked carrots and pea shoots, $15; Seeded Epi, freshly baked, $6.75
FOB Kitchen (Michelin Bib Gourmand): Special pre-fixe dinner (minimum two people), $45 per person, and a weekday lunch special, $17
MAMA Oakland (Michelin Bib Gourmand): Three-course menu featuring our signature meatballs and focaccia for the table, $45 per person
Horn BBQ (Michelin Bib Gourmand): menu coming soon
Millennium Restaurant (Michelin Bib Gourmand): special menu or offer coming soon (vegan/vegetarian)
Jo’s Modern Thai (Michelin Bib Gourmand): specially curated prix-fixe menu for two people featuring Jo’s signature starters, a special main course and dessert, $80 for two to share
There are also a number of Michelin-recommended restaurants participating in Oakland’s restaurant week, including Parche, Bardo Lounge & Supper Club, Mägo, Barcote Ethiopian Restaurant and Bird & Buffalo.