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B Restaurant & Bar
Category: Restaurants American (New) American (New) [Edit]
499 9th St(between Broadway & Washington St)
Oakland, CA 94607
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
(510) 251-8770
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Tue-Sat 5 pm - 10 pm
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Classy, Trendy, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
349 reviews for B Restaurant & Bar
Review Highlights
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"Truffle fries are awesome, as is the pizza." In 41 reviews -
"This is by far my favorite happy hour place." In 49 reviews -
"They were out of pork belly pizza ($10), so they subbed..." In 9 reviews
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349 reviews in English
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Review from Amy H.
Oakland, CA
5/21/2012
Five of us went to Tamarindo but they were super busy and didn't want to wait 30-40 minutes for a table. Then we remembered there was a nice restaurant just around the corner and walked over to B Restaurant & Bar. Yes, thank goodness they have seats available. It was our first time dining here. It looks very nice inside the restaurant. I like the interior, bar area, open fire pizza oven, artwork, windows, thick glass tables & candles on the table. Looks like a romantic place.
It seems as if they're known for their pizza and wasn't feeling pizza for dinner. We all ordered separate entrees. They were pretty expensive. I had wanted to get the housemade fettucine entree but they were out. They have gnocchi ($17) and went for that instead. My other friends ordered the pork chop entree ($27) and daily fish entree ($25?).
It was my first time having gnocchi and boy oh boy, MmmMmm, yummy! It was so delicious. I do not know what's in the gnocchi or how they made it soft & chewy, but it was sure one delicious plate. One of my friend tried it and he told me it's probably one of the best gnocchi he has ever had. It was that great! I've tried a taste of their pork chop, and it's tasty as well. It was a thick & moist. Had time for dessert and ordered the chocolate coffee mousse ($7). It was good.
My friend's fish wasn't cooked well. It was kind of raw. I don't know if it's meant to be half raw/cooked. She wanted the fish to be well cooked/done. The waiter took the fish back (twice) and cooked it well to her liking. By the time they brought her plate back, we were done eating. They offered her a free dessert for the time lost. I also tried the fish. It was okay but I've had better fish. I'm sure if she was writing a yelp review, it would not be a four star for her due to her experience. But since I had a good dinner and the quality of the food was great & tasty, I gave B a 4 star.
Overall, service was great. Food was delicious. The only negative were the prices & small portions. Next time, maybe I'll try their pizza since it's at a reasonable price. I would definitely get the gnocchi again if they have it. Oh, definitely get ginger ale. They use real ginger. It's a must get item!! -
Review from T Z.
Redondo Beach, CA
5/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good ambiance for happy hour in a convenient downtown location.
I was disappointed that they replaced the happy hour red (merlot) with a sweet chilled red wine. The truffle fries are a tad bit on the salty side. On the other, the pate was delicious.
The sage pizza was bland, but pizza with goat cheese had good flavor. -
Review from emily f.
San Francisco, CA
4/29/2012
Went here on a Sat night. Not busy at all. No need to make a reservation, but I was with a party of 6 so I did anyways!
I checked out the reviews on yelp beforehand- the food looked alright, so did the menu.
Ordered the Burger, truffle fries and Bianca pizza (with added sausage) ---I shared with my partner
Burger: Very THICK meatloaffy style patty. Not bad, but not great. Flavor was OK. Also came with Boursin cheese- if anyone doesn't know what this is, it is spreadable cheese, I've always eaten it with crackers.
Overall- Good size burger, but lacked good flavor. The "cheese" wasn't as great as say a piece of cheddar would do.
Truffle Fries: Kinda tasted like Burger King Fries, which I DO like...but people might think differently. Good size for $6
Pizza- Not bad in size, but tasted off. The pizza came with three cheeses and bits of sausage throughout. For $17 you are getting ripped off. I know this because after I went to B, I went across the street to District which also has pizzas, simlar in size and $5 less...
Service- Not sure if the waiter was being a dick, or if he was just a quirky guy.
Side note: Someone in our party ordered the Clam Pizza. I didn't try it but they said it was literally clams and bread. They informed the waiter and he comped the pizza.
B is a super cool/trendy spot, but IMO lacked in flavor. -
Review from Mike L.
I went with some friends there after having drinks at Liege. We split two appetizers (pate and brusselsprouts) and split two pizzas (bruschetta and we asked to add a fried egg on top, and a mushroom pizza). They seemed to have a pretty good selection of entrees on the menu but we stuck with the pizzas... which is probably a the best deal price-wise.
The pizzas were a good size and tasted good. I really enjoyed their pate. The servers there don't write down orders, so I was worried our order would come out wrong since I've had some bad experiences before, but everything came out correct. There were three of us and I don't think any of us ended the meal still hungry. -
Review from Janet O.
My really dear friend promised to feed me and today that promise was kept. 9th street at 8 pm looked pretty darn good to me.
White little lights adorned the tree lined streets and it was pretty quite and needless to say peaceful.
Walking thru the double doors was exciting. I didn't know what to expect. I find the floor plan very inviting. Seating areas to your left and right and the bar smack in the middle slightly pushed back- location makes it an easy access for both right and left seating patrons.
Bare untreated cement floors added to that industrial chick look with a touch of classy warmth. Big glass windows facing the streets are primo spots.
I had their oh so juicy burger with what looks like a sourdough bread? It was like no other! The bread holds the fat burger cooked to perfection. It makes sense to me. A regular bun would fall apart and tear under the weight of the thick patty.
Now the truffle fries. OMG! Salty and perfectly cooked in truffle oil and I was in love! My friend made sure that I had my giant portion of the share.
The staff was awesome. Our glass of water was never empty! And yet service was unobtrusively provided.
I heard that during summer outdoor seating is available. I can't wait to "B" here in 2012!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Safiya F.
New York, NY
5/10/2012
The Truffle Fries are not truffled. Meh. Tis all.
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Review from Galen W.
Oakland, CA
2/12/2012
B certainly has some stellar items on the menu (truffle fries, Brussels sprouts), excellent cocktails, and delightful ambiance.
However, having eaten at four or five times over the six months I have to say that I feel like it is slipping a little. The staff is hit or miss including some knowledgeable, charming types and those who get your order wrong repeatedly and seemingly forget about you.
The food too has become inconsistent. While their pizza is normally a slam dunk, I recently ordered the Bianaca, which had too much cheese (hard to believe for a pizza) and sage that was overpowering.
Bottom line is that they better get their act together before the District comes in and and does the same food better. -
Review from Kate F.
Oakland, CA
3/17/2012
I've been to B twice now, first time was casual with friends at the bar. Gotta say, the truffle fries are dynamite and the burger with boursin hit the spot. A month or two later, our anniversary happened to land on restaurant week and we wanted to dine with friends and take advantage of the pre fixe specials. B forwarded me to their group event manager who scheduled our party of 20 about 5-7 days in advance. Being that it was a Saturday night reservation, I was concerned when I didn't get a confirmation call on the day of. I took the initiative to call and totally stunned the person who took my call! He said he could make it work. I think that gave him about 90 minute advance notice, maybe a little more. Yeah on a Saturday night!! All I can say is that by the time we arrived, the table was set and all in attendance had an amazing meal! They really took care of us knowing the little mix-up but my friends never needed to know. I applaud them for keeping it together to work through that surprise.
P.S. the location and ambiance is amazing. I love the huge windows, and just the whole atmosphere in Old Oakland. It's a great spot! -
Review from Stu S.
Oakland, CA
1/17/2012
I went here for lunch with colleagues last week. They bring menus to your table then you get up and order and pay, and they bring the meals to you. I don't know if that really saves staff, but that is how they like to operate.
I ordered the Cesar salad. The romaine lettuce was very fresh with generous Parmesan cheese. The white Spanish anchovies were excellent and not too salty. The croutons were freshly made and served warm. Best croutons ever!
One in our party ordered the roasted mushroom pizza that looked good. Another ordered the marinara pizza that appeared overcooked and dry.
we ordered the truffle fries to share. Very little truffle flavor and way too much salt. near the bottom of the bowl, i believe the fries were not freshly made. i used to work in food service, and i remember mixing the older fries with the new ones. but we never charged $6 for an order of them.
The lunch choices are pretty limited. Plenty of pizzas (pizzettas) but only a choice of burger, a panino, salad or the pasta of the day.
Overall, the food is good and the service friendly. The place has huge windows and seems airy. I would go here again for lunch -
Review from Janett R.
Oakland, CA
1/8/2012
Dear lord, Dominos save me!
Everything was lacking spices, down to basic salt. Their high quality, high price ingredients are rendered useless by unimaginative cooking.
- Butternut squash soup = tasteless
- Bianca pizza = blob of cheese with overpowering sage
- Sausage pizza = Bitter broccoli drowning under-salted sausage pieces
- Love on cocktail = Generic sweet
Really disappointing except for the friendly staff. Would've preferred Dominos delivery on this Friday evening. -
Review from Turi F.
12/22/2011 3 Check-ins Here
B Restaurant is located in a beautiful, historical building in Old Oakland (which happens to be my neighborhood, so I'm a little biased). When you first walk in, you're hit by the amazing ambiance. The space is airy and modern while at the same time being rustic and inviting. And, on a sunny day, there is ample outdoor seating.
There are plenty of drink options and the changing menu is good for either a dinner or sharing. I myself like the pizza options, which are served with a thin crust and fresh toppings. My boyfriend is a big fan of the burger, and we both love the truffle fries. Yum! Today I also tried their soup du jour, which was a white bean bisque complete with pork belly. It had just enough zest and salt to make it interesting rather than blah. -
Review from Dayyan L.
Fairfield, CT
3/25/2012
If you want good east coast style pizza in an interesting and nice atmosphere with some good drinks come here.
If you want shitty greasy undercooked pizza don't come here. -
Review from Beth B.
Oakland, CA
12/6/2011
Although the food is great the kitchen seems to be out of sync. The cooks seem to be running around with their heads cut off. Who is in charge? Obviously no one cause there doesnt seem to be in order. The waitstaff, although friendly, seem to want to be somewhere else as if they have better things to do. You can usualy find them all socializing by the bathrooms. The bartenders, however, are attentive and friendly.
Im kind of a neat freak and almost every time I was there there was dried food particles on my silverware. Thats a big no no in my book.
Like I said before, the food is pretty good. However that all depends on whos making it. The chef that seems to be incharge, although rarely there, seems to have a heavy salting hand. So if your a big fan of overly salty food make sure hes the one preparing your meal, that is if you can find him.
This used to be one of my favorite places to eat, however as of late it seems to have gone down hill.
If your there when Marion (bartender), Ashley (server), Mark (pizza chef), and Joe (chef) are working then your in good hands. If not, its not worth the money for slow service and cold food. -
Review from Stacey W.
Oakland, CA
11/11/2011
Beautiful setting in Old Oakland. Food is always good and fresh. Prices are uber reasonable. Went tonight on a lamb: read they were hurting from the Occupy movement and headed over for drinks and dinner. When we arrived it was almost empty. When we left 90 mins later it was packed. Yay! Go Oakland. Not even crazy politicians, out-on-a-limb (but not misguided) movements or the bad economy can beat you down.
Had the oysters (delicious, and I am not an oyster fan since my "friend" JohnC told me they are still alive when you eat them) and the truffle fries (!!) and bianca pizza with egg and arugula. Yumyumyummy. B's, please stay. -
Review from Vanessa S.
Oakland, CA
2/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
I came here for Oakland Restaurant Week and I wasn't that impressed. I did order the pork chop, which was really good. I didn't like the waitress. She seemed kind of bitchy. Also, it was listed that all specialty drinks were $5 (I think it was $5) if you ordered from the restaurant week menu. When brought up to the people at the restaurant, they said that they were not. So there was that too. I really wanted to like this place, but I would rather go elsewhere.
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Review from Autumn P.
Oakland, CA
4/24/2012
Good food, excellent service. The atmosphere is nice and the drinks at the bar were fantastic.
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Review from Jackie L.
Los Angeles, CA
8/30/2011
Here's my disclaimer... I've only had happy hour here, so that's what I'm rating it on.
I LOVE their happy hour. The food is SO good and the drinks are uber yummy. The staff here are super nice and accomadating (my friend came with me one time with a huge suitcase and they let us store it there for a bit).
You definitely gotta try their pizzas. The mushroom pizza if my fave. -
Review from Gemm G.
Tracy, CA
2/14/2012
Since themanagement/owner has changed... the service has been a big hit or miss. We went here today for lunch since I love their pizzas (though they have changed the menu since I was last here).
I looked at the menu online to save time reading the menu when we got there. We ordered the pasta of the day (pasta with bolognese sauce) and the Kale Pizza; paid then sat down on the corner so we can people watch. That was @ 12:16 (per time stamp on receipt). My boyfriend and I chatted... and chatted... checked the time, 12:29 still no food. There were three guys on the other table that ordered after us and saw that they are happily eating their truffle fries and then just got served with their burgers. A couple beside us, like us, are looking around to see if the server is around to finally give us our food or at least check on us to make sure we are not yet dying of hunger. When the cashier was cleaning another table, I asked if she can check on our order. She checked and said it's coming up right now. *ho hum* waited another 10 minutes. Food finally came, I think by this time it's almost 1:45. The food were great; pasta of the day was very tasty and the same with the pizza (either that or I was really hungry and everything just tasted so good). Though the pizza seemed a little deconstructed because the cheese keeps sliding of dough when you lift it up, it was really good.
All in all, I only give it a two because the food were good; but that couldn't pull the score up because of the horrible wait time on food. For some people that 30-minute wait was their whole lunch break. -
Review from Fei L.
6/12/2011 4 photos
Wow! This is by far my favorite happy hour place! High five Old Oakland! You rock and are totally not ghetto!
What I would order here for happy hour (4:30 - 6:30):
Truffle Fries ($6): Strong truffle taste, fries are hot and crispy, parsley garnish, great portion size.
Raw Oysters ($6 for 6): Vinegar and onion dipping sauce, raw oysters in shell sitting on a bed of sea salt, great presentation.
Italian Margherita Pizza ($10): Large size, mozzarella, tomatoes, and basil, one of the best tasting pizzas I have ever experienced.
Daily Specialty Cocktail ($5): Made from fresh ingredients by a French bartender, great presentation and um great accent.
Did I mention that there are tasteful antler chandeliers, ample natural lighting, and no SF crowds?
Seriously, is this Old Oakland or Heaven? -
Review from Diana G.
Berkeley, CA
2/7/2012
I recently had a great experience at B. What a gem! The neighborhood is awesome, the food was amazing ( I had the pork chops) Service was exquisite. The owner Don was mingling with guests making sure everyone"s experience was up to par. Made me feel like it was 20 years ago. You don't see that kind of attention to detail anymore. I LOVED the foie gras. Great experince, great food.
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Review from Sunshine L.
Oakland, CA
10/2/2011 2 photos
I usually like this place very much. I've been there several times for both dinner and happy hour. Happy hour is very reasonable with their $10 pizzas and $6 for 6 oysters.
For some reason, this weekend's visit didn't hit the spot like it usually does but I will still say I'm a fan.
Usually I LOVE their pizzas. It's thin crust and made to perfection. This last time, it was slightly burnt and the pork belly wasn't as good as it usually is. Maybe there was something wrong with my taste buds that day because my husband thought it tasted fine but I am more high maintenance than he is when it comes to food so who you gonna believe! lol.
The oysters were good still. Even if the waiter took the plate away before we ate the last one. But I was disappointed that the mussels are no longer on the happy hour menu or the menu at all. I hope it's a seasonal thing.
The staff are usually very friendly and nice. The host still was but our waiter scared us a little bit. He was waaaay too serious. -
Review from rolf w.
FPO, AP
7/25/2011
B gets top mark for creating a great local vibe. The two owners can often be found working hard in the kitchen or seating people. The bartender totally blows my mind (if you're into expanding your idea of what a cocktail can be). It's my favorite pizza in the East Bay. They use great ingredients, and its a really great mix of people that go there.
If you sit at the bar, you'll be sure to meet some intersting folk. It feels refined in a non-stuffy Oakland kinda way.
They have great live music on Saturdays too... -
Review from Stephanie Y.
San Francisco, CA
8/2/2011
Decided to go there Sunday to use up my LivingSocial coupon.
First off they have 3 different hours posted:
1) On their door it says they're only open on Sunday for brunch and from 11:30a-1:30p.
2) On their website 11:30a-3:30p.
3) On a chalk stand outside their entrance 10:30a-2:30p
Are you confused yet because I was. My sister and I got there at 10:50a they said they don't open until 11:30a, went back at 3p and they said they'll serve us but we gotta order quick because they were closing up.
Food: Truffle fries - good like Oola's better though, burger they forgot my avocado but overall nicely grilled and loved how sweet the tomatoes were.
The saving factor was how nice and welcoming the bartender and manager were. Even though I'm pretty sure they all were tired and wanted to close down and be able to enjoy the rest of their Sunday afternoon they didn't rush us or ignore us like the bald waiter did. That guy looked liked either somebody pissed in his cereal or he woke up hungover and with the beer s**ts.
In closing if you do visit here remember to sit at bar. -
Review from Kari C.
6/16/2011
Great place for Happy Hour in an industrial loft-like setting. Close to 12th St. BART. However, it's still pretty pricey, even with Happy Hour prices.
Truffle fries ($6) were crispy and toasty hot. They're a bit thicker, like steak fries. They looked so pretty with a sprinkle of sea salt and dried parsley. Love that truffle oil! Simply delicious. We had to order another serving!
They were out of pork belly pizza ($10), so they subbed bacon. Nice smoky flavor. Works well with the cheeses they selected (provolone and shaved parmesan). I liked the frisee, onions, and egg on top and the crispy thin crust. I think it was so delicious because it just came out of the wood-fired oven.
Roasted chicken pizza ($10) - the chicken was quite dry. Flavors were good, though.
Chicken liver pate ($7) was smooth and tasty. Not like liver or cat food at all! Came with a chutney and whole grain mustard, artfully plated in little dots, just like you'd see on Food Network.
Oysters - fresh, tasty, good with a twist of lemon and mignonette sauce. They did an good job shucking them. Not a lot of sand and they weren't too fishy. Good deal at $1 each. We had 2 kinds, one was tiny and the other was larger. Can't remember the names, though. :(
Potato lasagna thing - yuck. I didn't care for the dry crab-like substance inside. Just oddly flavored and the textures weren't appealing. Don't get this one.
Drink of the day ($5) was the Chilcano de Pisco. It contained pisco, house made ginger ale, lime, and bitters. Flavor was well balanced and the drink was refreshing. Reminded me of a Pisco Sour, but an updated California version. A bit fruity, not too sweet, and it didn't have that harsh alcoholic flavor. Unlike a Pisco Sour, it came in a regular sized glass with ice and no raw egg. I thought it had adequate booze in it, but I'm a lightweight. :)
I'd go here again for Happy Hour.Listed in: Oak-Town Ghetto Faves
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Review from Kevin D.
Oakland, CA
12/22/2011
What's better than a pizza or a burger? A pizza and a burger. And bitchin' soup.
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Review from Alma R.
Oakland, CA
6/30/2011
This was my second time at B, the first one was many months ago honoring one of the Living social deals I got and tonight was pure indulgence!
In both of my visits I've loved the setting. Great decor and friendly and helpful -what a combo!- staff. Chris the host is a sweetheart who made us feel at home since time 1 and he remembered us after many months!
I know it's all great but, the food, you ask... oh, my, the food! In our last visit we had the pork chop and a pizza, (because one of the courses was a bit late -bit 3 min.- ) they sent us complimentary truffle fries that I was dying to try! This time we went for the burgers and truffle fries again.
The burger was beyond PERFECT, in the most exquisite bun, with delish pickles and exquisite meat and boursin cheese, ah... I went to say the man who cooked them that we loved him, and I talked to Joe, one of the chefs; I praised the buns and he told me they make them and gave me one =P now I get to make my own sandwich tomorrow!
This is one of those places where I feel good leaving my money at. =) Next time gotta try the happy hour after seeing all the other reviews! -
Review from karthi k.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
Price point matters - I expected the drinks, food, and service to really be amazing at those prices, and none were up to snuff. If you're going to charge SF prices in Oakland, it better blow my mind. Go somewhere like Beretta in SF instead.
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Review from Iliana P.
Upland, CA
4/6/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I have mixed reviews about this place.
I came here for happy hour and I loved it! The $5 drinks are absolutely delicious, $1 oysters were very good and truffle fries are to die for!
Later I came back for a birthday celebration and I was a bit disappointed. Don't get me wrong, everything was great for the most part except for a few details here and there. First, the price to portion ratio is not good, I ordered the ravioli and it did not make sense to pay the extra fee for the larger portion when the difference is only 2 raviolis; I understand that this is not a place to stuff my face, but it would be nice to throw a few more raviolis in the "large" portion. Second, I was not advised that there was a $20 fee for cutting the birthday cake, we did not mind paying, but I mean who does that? Not cool. Lastly, it was very very warm inside, making some of our guests uncomfortable.
All in all, this is a great location for happy hour and the food and drinks are great, but my experience with a large party shadowed a lot of positives about this location. Maybe it will redeem itself at the next visit. -
Review from claudia l.
Redwood City, CA
10/26/2011
One of my favorite restaurants in Oakland. Im so happy I just moved to the area. Love the food, drinks, decor and ambiance at B. You have to try the pizzas, salads and omg the pork chop, ive yet to find another place that has such a tasty chop. The bartenders are all really skilled too. They every so often have Sunday brunches or suppers worth every penny. I would recommend B in oakland and SF anytime!. and a big shout out to the "DJ", always great music and occasional bands.
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Review from jasmine c.
San Jose, CA
3/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I love the atmosphere of this restaurant! It's trendy without being pretentious. We came here for a birthday dinner and my fiance and I were the first to arrive. We were immediately seated and asked if we wanted a drink. My fiance ordered the Lemony Snickett and I ordered the Love On. My drink came and it was almost too cute to drink! There was a heart in the foam made from raspberry puree. My drink was super nice (not too fruity and a little tart) and I think I started feeling a buzz from the foam which seems to hold all the liquor. The Lemony Snickett was a citrus like mojito and was equally delicious. We ordered the truffle fries as we waited for our party come. Wow! These fries are DELICIOUS! Super hot and extremely crispy.
Once everyone arrived we decided to order. A couple people ordered burgers, a couple ordered pizza, a couple ordered the shrimp ravioli and I ordered the special calamari dish. When we received our orders (except those who ordered pizza) we all kind looked at each other and telepathically said, "This is it?" One person who ordered the burger asked the other "Are these sliders?" The difference between the small and the large shrimp ravioli was ONE ravioli! While the portions are small, everything was tasty, but I knew some of us were going to have to get something else to eat once we left.
I would have given B a four star review, except for one thing. When my party called and asked if it was okay it we brought in a cake, we were told that it would be no problem and bring it in. They brought it out and we sang happy bday to the birthday boy and then the cake was whisked away. They cut it for us and put on plates with a little chocolate sauce on for decoration and it looked lovely. However, when we received our bill, there was a $20 fee for cake cutting! Seriously?! This isn't a wedding! -
Review from Caitlin M.
Oakland, CA
2/10/2011
It's weird when you walk into a restaurant, and have to really look around to find the host. It's even weirder when you find him, and mention that you'd like a table, and he acts startled, as though this is the first time anyone's ever talked to him in his life.
Service was similarly strange all night--just a touch too informal for the surroundings. While that might fly with me, it didn't seem to go over particularly well with the 40+ crowd that mostly populated the restaurant on a Saturday evening.
The Jazz trio, while lovely, was a bit too loud for the space, making conversation difficult even over a two-person table.
On to the food! The mussels were pricey at $14, but quite tasty. Don't be afraid of the 'gouda broth'--it's basically just in a white wine broth with a smidgen of shredded gouda on top, and some delish bacon chunks.
The steelhead was nicely cooked, but quite small, and the taste of the horseradish was completely obscured.
Cheese plate was a really sad, small slice of cheese. I had more quince paste than cheese. Sad.
All in all, I think I'd go back for happy hour, or to snag a pizza, but I don't think it's worth the price for the full sit-down experience. -
Review from Pat B.
Oakland, CA
1/2/2012
Yummy, cool and fun!
Took my hubby here for his birthday dinner. Generous cocktails and scrumptious black truffle fries...perfect starter, followed by oysters...and another cocktail! Knowledgeable and efficient waitstaff, recommended winning red wine and unique beer. Only disappointment were the yuckily-fishy oven roasted sardines...had to trade them in for the creamy and delicious mushroom risotto. Also shared a very interesting stuffed squid dish. All ver beautifully executed, serve Hot (a pet peeve) and quickly. Great night, can't wait to take my friends! Go there! -
Review from Laurie H.
4/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Wednesday night at 9:58pm. Wandering around Old Oakland...knock knock - anyone open? Whassup Oakland? Come on, now. Aargh. Had been told no so many times or just faced the locked door, that when my pal and I walked into B and I sheepishly asked if we could still get dinner, I was SHOCKED that they were pleasant, and friendly, and said - hey - you got in here before 10:00....so come on in! WHOO HOO!
Had us some truffle fries (how can you go wrong with that) and I had a small portion of risotto that was just perfect...in flavor and in quantity. Friend ordered a burger to go for boyfriend waiting on her at home (okay, yes - I dragged her to get food after drinking for too long over at the Layover....but I will blame her for the late hour since she wanted to drive over to Old Oakland when we coulda just stayed - what is it - Uptown? Downtown?).
Anyway, will definitely come again when I can spend a little more time and enjoy other offerings. -
Review from Christina Y.
Los Angeles, CA
12/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
This is a review of our treatment rather than the food.
My best friend and I came here this past Sunday to celebrate his birthday and I made reservations online. He is vegetarian so I took a lot of time to make sure I would find a good restaurant with enough options for him to eat. B restaurant seemed like a great place and we were both especially excited about the truffle fries.
When we were seated our waitress gave us handwritten menu on a paper placemat, and their ONLY meal of the night was fried chicken and comfort food sides.
We had politely asked if there were any vegetarian options. She explained to us that on Sundays they have only have one specific meal , but this was not indicated on their website or on my reservation confirmation.
When we asked again if there was any way that the kitchen can make something vegetarian she snidely replied, "We don't have any vegetarian fried chicken."
Now I understand if I was some dumbass walking into a KFC asking for vegetarian options. That sort of entitlement expects a slap in the face, but Jesus first of all, if these Sunday nights are so "special" why is the menu pathetically written on a paper placemat? Second, why isn't there a sign or an update on their website?
As soon as our waitress made her "Oh so smart comment," we threw up our deuces and said that we were going somewhere else.
This is Oakland. Even the dogs are vegetarian. Don't act so surprised and don't be a jerk.
*DISLIKE* -
Review from Greg H.
San Mateo, CA
5/19/2011
Congratulations, B. You singlehandedly made me vow to never order a specialty cocktail in a restaurant again. I love gin and elderflower liqueur, but the only thing you could taste in the "drifter's compass" was sugar. You can't just say to the bartender, "someone with a Y chromosome ordered this drink, please don't fill it up halfway with simple syrup?"
Truffle fries and burgers were fine, pork belly pizza was quite disappointing. You could just make a smaller pie, and then you wouldn't have to decorate it so sparsely with toppings. Most bites were just bread and cheese.
The irony of dining in Northern California is that ethnic food is reasonably priced and tasty, while California/New American "local ingredients"-type cuisine is usually an excuse to peddle overpriced garbage. We get it, you can make a lot of money writing a complicated menu while shoveling out absolute feces on a plate. That doesn't make it right.
Save your money and don't go to B. Your stomach will thank you. -
Review from Waz W.
Manhattan, NY
4/3/2011
My husband and I had a lovely date night at B Restaurant!
Just a few blocks from the BART station. Great atmosphere and with lovely decor. The live music was a nice touch as well. Like someone else said in an earlier review, trendy without being pretentious. The crowd was on the older side, but there were also kids there.
We ordered the truffled fries and olive and roasted fennel pizza to share. Wow, the fries were delicious! However, they were also very rich. I recommend splitting them with more than just one other person if you don't want to be overwhelmed by the flavor. The drinks didn't really work well as a palate cleanser, and we weren't able to finish the fries. The olive and fennel pizza was yummy yummy yummy. It didn't really have any kind of sauce on it, but it the ingredients paired well with the crispy, thin crust. Plenty of food for 2 people - we were stuffed when we left. The draft beers are not a bad deal. My husband had a couple of those. I ordered the Drifter's Compass cocktail. Very refreshing and beautifully presented.
An appetizer, pizza and 3 drinks came to $40. It was a good deal with our Living Social coupon, but the pricing would be a bit steep otherwise. Not sure if we will come back.
Random thing to note: we noticed that our table was the only one in the entire restaurant with really comfy, leather chairs. Everyone else had wooden chairs. I'm not sure if they just randomly gave us this table with the nice chairs, or if it was because we made a reservation. -
Review from Lisa B.
Oakland, CA
7/26/2011
NO COCKTAILS AT LUNCH!! big mistake!! you gotta bring em back..my friend and i were so looking forward to trying a new one, or even an old favorite, but noooo, they don't have them til after 4:30. that said, i was tempted to go round the corner to Tamarindo, but wth..we were there. Lunch menu just doesn't offer enuf.. if what they had was super yummy that would suffice, but meh truffle fries and pizza, also on offer, soup, salad and burger. Now, the burger IS super yummy, but with all the choices we have here in oakland that's just not gonna cut it.
BRING THE COCKTAILS BACK and you'll bring me back (oh, and just a few more choices for noshing..please) -
Review from Jill T.
1/28/2011
Living Social Coupon great find!!!
This is somewhere I could not have gone with the coupon, and I am so glad to have found it. Very nice place, great energy, mellow, with good service.
We sat at the bar and the bartender was really great, good drinks, good suggestions for drinks and was willing to step outside the box with special requests.
The food:
Drinks-excellent. Two mojitos with grapefruit and a Love On(nicely presented)
Brussel Sprouts-very good!!!! Nicely done
Sugo Lamb-this was excellent, worth going back just for this
Burger-this was a bit overcooked and nothing special. Not good but not bad.
The service: We sat at the bar. The bartender was really nice, we got great service
The atmosphere: Was comfortable, not to loud, upbeat, and relaxing.
Overall a great experience. Worth giving this place some buisness! -
Review from J E.
Oakland, CA
7/5/2011
Boo-hoo. Old Oakland needs a place like this place's concept, just not this place. Came on a Friday night around 7, it was busy, but not every table was full. The wait staff was running around and talking like you would think all of Oakland was trying to get in the door. Calm down. Sat outside, they have nice seating on the sidewalk (the decor inside is also classy and earthy simultaneously-nice and that is not sarcastic). Had driven by this place a few times and it always looked chic so I was psyched to use my Living Social here.
Ordered 2 cocktails and a starter salad. The salad came out quickly, which it should have considering it was 4 pieces of lettuces with some shaved cheese and beans (for $11). Shared with my partner and we finished it in 5 bites and then waited another good 15 minutes for the cocktails-which did not come out at the same time. I got a "love on" which was pretty good, but had an ultra tacky heart drawn on the top of it-that is not classy. My bf got a delicious cocktail with elderflower liqueur-recommended.
It then took about another 25 minutes for our pizzas to arrive. I would say they are individual sizes and about $14-15 each. By the time we got our pizzas the table next to us (even though we ordered around the same time) had finished theirs-and there was no apology of a wait-in fact it seemed like the waitstaff had no idea they/the kitchen was even slow. Now I do sometimes like to linger over a meal, but only intentionally, not because I am neglected by my server. My bf finished his pizza and I had two slices to take home.
The prices are ridiculous here. I have no idea how they get away with them and why people come back, unless it's for the atmosphere. I can see perhaps why people come during happy hour (probably the only time we could actually afford without a living social deal) and even then the food was so-so and the service was pretty bad, so I'm not sure I will. Too bad B, you were my Old Oakland wishful dream -
Review from Jessica R.
Oakland, CA
3/21/2011
I love this place. Many an evening spent huddled over a cheese plate, planning our wedding. A year later, husband and I still love to visit B.
Things I have ordered and loved:
- cheese plate (pretty much every time)
- pork belly pizza
- some kind of duck pasta that was a special last summer
Great cocktails. Good wine suggestions. Service has run the gamut from "efficient and fine" to "omg, please be my best friend I love you so much." [that's me to the server, fyi.]
Definitely a neighborhood favorite,
