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- Hours:
Mon 4 pm - 9 pm
Tue-Wed 11:30 am - 9 pm
Thu-Fri 11:30 am - 11 pm
Sat 9 am - 11 pm
Sun 9 am - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Music:
- DJ, Juke Box
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sun
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- Outdoor Area/ Patio Only
- Coat Check:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Good For Dancing:
- No
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
84 reviews for Dorsey's Locker
Review Highlights
"I wish I could eat their fried chicken everyday."
(in 34 reviews)
"Rice & gravy: The gravy was delicious."
(in 11 reviews)
"Black-eyed peas were really good too."
(in 8 reviews)
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84 reviews in English
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Review from Paul G.
Palo Alto, CA
1/10/2012
Very little in the Bay Area is legit. For all X (in the real world), the bay area has the hipster/yuppie/hippie* version of X. You'd expect Bay Area soul food to be, like, collard arugula, or fried seitan** with soy gravy, or mac 'n cheese substitute. The sort of food where, you put it in your mouth, and you immediately lose all muscle tone and start to think that an eco-commune seems like a good idea.
But this is Oakland. And Oakland actually has real people. In this case, real people who make the sort of food that you'd get if you got in your car in New Orleans, drove east until you hit rural Mississippi, and stopped by the road side to get some delicious grease. (Trust me. I've done that.) (And actually, like the Mississippi place, it's not gonna be all that fabulous -- it'll be a'ite, but it'll be made by real people without the staggering pretension you often get with your meal.) And it's attached to a bar. Last time I was there, I think there was some karaoke going down.
This ain't no stuff white people like. It's stuff black people like. I'm a black person: five stars. Bam.
* Isn't it fitting, locally, that when you combine hipster and yuppie you get hippie? That convenient linguistic fact just captures San Francisco, nails it to a cork board, and puts it under glass and a spotlight like a moth painted up to look like a butterfly with social anxiety.
** That's a word that should only always be uttered aloud. As in "Hey, want some Satan?" "NO!"***
*** This has become a very linguistic review. I can't help it. I'm a grad student. This morning, I attended a talk by a lit-crit type humanities professor. Making irrational inferences from linguistic coincidences is pretty much what I got right now. In footnotes. -
Review from Valerie P.
La Selva Beach, CA
11/11/2011
A HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!
We went to Dorsey's Locker an hour and a half before a concert and we ended up having to take the food to go and try to eat a few bites in the car before the show. It really messed up our evening.
The waitress didn't even put our order in until we had been there for 45 minutes! We just sat there and sat there. They even had us pay early because of a change in shifts. Don't let them talk you into this because then you are stuck!
The owner came over and did nothing at all to make this up to us. He didn't offer us some dessert or a discount. We were really upset when we left.
After all that the food wasn't even good! The chicken was sooo dry and I didn't get the pieces I had asked for.
I couldn't wait to get home and give this review. Do not eat here ever!!
TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE, TERRIBLE! -
Review from Frank L.
San Leandro, CA
11/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Thanks to Groupon I get to taste soul food for the first time with a $10 for $20 deal. It's probably the only reason why I dined at Dorsey's Locker. Thanks to my iPhone GPS I was able to find the restaurant that appears to be an apartment before it was converted. The parking lot is really compact. This is when your mini cooper or electric cars comes in handy. If you have a larger vehicle you might need to back up and pull forward repetitively to adjust.
Half of the restaurant is a sport bar and the other half is a small dining area for the 21 and under. It's probably impossible to throw a huge party in here but a table for 4-6 could be possible. By the way, I notice that we were the only Chinese customers in the restaurant. Where's the diversity? I told my co-worker who was black and she said, "That's how I feel when I eat at a high end restaurant." Well, at least we were treated nicely by the friendly waitress.
The menu was quite appealing. All the food sounds very unhealthy but extremely delicious and crispy. My sister ordered the fried red snapper with 3 sides of her choice. I ordered the vegetarian option which consists of 4 side orders. I picked the rice with gravy, collard greens, yams and French fries. For desert I ordered the peach cobbler because they were out of sweet potato pies. I was also a bit disappointed that they only serve Mac & cheese on Fridays and Saturdays only. However, I was a lot more disappointed when I found out there's meat in the collard greens when it was listed under the vegetarian option. Vegans beware of the greens. Perhaps I'm not used to the taste of soul food but I thought a majority of the food was either too salty or too sweet. The collard greens were very salty, the yams were too sweet and the peach cobbler was extremely sweet. The fried red snappers were huge pieces but my sister said it was mostly breading.
The important question is would I return for a second time or even third time. My answer is most likely not unless there is another Groupon in the future. I'll probably still think extensively before I make that purchase. I'm still curious about the taste of their Mac & cheese since it's limited to only twice a week. Perhaps I will return for that and the sweet potato pie otherwise I think I'll consider try another soul food restaurant. However, I got nothing but compliments for the customer service. I'll have to give two thumbs up to the waitress that served us that night. Our total with the Groupon was only $9! -
Review from Yolanda M.
Hayward, CA
10/3/2011
ummmmm no stars for me....(had to give 1 star or you cant leave a review)
Not a great place food sucks and the service... "mmm mmm mmm" no comment....
My sister, father and i had a "groupon" for this place and I tell you we will never be back... The food was HORRIBLE the yams...BLAN, the Cabbage they gave me a big chunk of the heart and very little cabbage leaves...the black eye peas....BLAN the corn bread that they forgot to give us .... RUBBERY the dressing OMG!!!! looked like cat food and was HORRIBLE the Mac n Cheese mmm mmm mmm the corn and okra mmm mmm mmm all I can say is im DONE!!!! say "NO" to DORSEY'S LOCKER!!! -
Review from Tee G.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 10/11/2011
I never really bad mouth restaurants. But Dorseys Locker room on shattuck is horrible. The service~horrible. The waitress~ ghetto~ eating cheez it's while taking my order. The food~ mediocre- lacks flavor. The Mac n cheese had a piece of foil i'n it. Uugh. Totally dissatisfied and disappointed.
The janitor was mopping and sweeping while i was eating.
Flies were flying around my food and table.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/31/2011
The only reason i went here is because i had a coupon. The waitress was a little to common with the… Read more »
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Review from Annie S.
Berkeley, CA
10/22/2011
Fried chicken was good and crispy and the portions were true to Southern hospitality.
But the sides weren't as amazing as many people said. And I would recommend take-out. The dine-in area is small, although the chairs are fun, gold, and look like they belong in a disney princess palace. That aside, I'd still opt to pick up food rather than wait...it seems that most people call in their orders and take out anyway.
It's a bit pricey for me to pay for some southern cooking without any real flair. -
Review from Eve T.
Pinole, CA
11/17/2011
Food was overcooked and dry. Food took FOREVER! The tiny restaurant was less than half the size of the bar/lounge. They ran out of one of their daily dinner dishes before it was even 6 pm. It would have been nice to get some bread while we waited forever for our drinks, which also took forever and you are told "Absolutely no refills". Instead of bread, there were some left over packets of crackers at our table which we munched on, even though they were stale. Not to mention their red velvet cake was not restaurant made. They sold us cake they bought somewhere else! Ugghhh. Talk about ghetto dining experience. Safe to say we won't be returning here.
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Review from Elizabeth S.
Oakland, CA
8/25/2011
I went here on a date and I was super excited as I've been looking for a soul food restaurant ever since moving to Oakland in March. Boy was I disappointed.
First thing I noticed was the waitress was a little rude and very unprofessional. We were the only people in the restaurant (though the bar was full) and she pretty much ignored us. I don't know if it was because we are white and the only white people in there or if she is always this way. During the entire meal service she only came to the table three times; to take our order, to deliver our food and to bring us the check.
I ordered a combo of fried catfish and oysters with sides of collard greens and rice/gravy. It also came with a little cornbread muffin. The catfish and oysters were way over battered but cooked well. The collards weren't traditionally cooked and were overly mushy with lots of water/juice. The rice and gravy was okay, gravy tasted like it came out of a can. The cornbread was good but overcooked, you needed a knife to slice through it.
My date got ribs with sides of collards, green beans and black eyed peas. He said it was fine, nothing special, very disappointed. Oh, and the green beans tasted like they came out of a can.
I was also a little annoyed that we couldn't order a beer from the waitress and had to go into the separate bar and bring them back but whatever. I know some places are like that.
Also, when we asked the bartender what beers they had on tap he said "None, we don't have anything on tap" and then walked away. He did come back a couple minutes later and told us what they had bottled but it was still pretty rude of him to just walk away without saying he was going to check on bottled beers.
I had a Groupon for the place so the bill came to only $11 (plus the $10 I spent on the Groupon). I have to say though that if I hadn't bought that Groupon and ended up spending an additional $10 I would've been pretty upset.
Still looking for a good soul food restaurant in Oakland as this one definitely doesn't meet my expectations.
I also got a really bad stomach ache that night and had to cut my date short. In all fairness though that could have been because I ordered fried food and I'm not used to it.
They also advertised an open mic night the night we were there that was supposed to start at 7 pm. It didn't start until 9 pm. -
Review from Shiyuan D.
Oakland, CA
7/22/2011
Super expensive, but not that good. Everything on our plate was fried, and even that couldn't rescue the food. The mac & cheese was bland and tasted like carbycarbcarb. The collards weren't good, the fried chicken was dry.
I would have been better off with Annie's mac & cheese & some Church's. -
Review from Nancy M.
Hercules, CA
11/23/2011
Had a Groupon and wanted to have some Soul Food.
Unfortunately what I got is not what I have experienced as Soul Food. I ordered the salad which was iceberg lettuce, a little tomato and heavy on the shredded cheese (looked like the packaged kind with additives) The Louis dressing was okay.
Ordered the Oxtail Soup and the Short Ribs with sides of cabbage and collards. The Oxtail soup was tasty but had a lot of potatoes (not mentioned) and since I don't eat potatoes there wasn't a lot to it.
The Short Ribs were tender with a nice flavor. However the cabbage and collard were the worst that I had ever tasted. They had this really strange, horrid taste to them. I'm Caucasion and I can do it better than that! The cornbread was heavy and like a rock. Didn't look like it was even homemade. I don't eat corn (sugar free me) but if I did I still would not have eaten that rock.
The wait was long and the service chaotic. Though I don't blame the watress who was calm and nice throughout. A lot of people were dining on their Groupons on a night during the week. I don't think it was expected to be busy. She was the waitress, busser and cashier for all of the tables. She did a good job considering.
The reason for the low rating is not only did the collards and cabbage taste horrible but there must have been MSG and other additives that I don't normally consume. I woke up in the middle of the night really thirsty and didn't feel well for the next few days. The next couple of days I also had nosebleeds which are caused by food additives and MSG. I suspect that nice flavor in the Oxtail soup and the Short Rib sauce may have had more than I expected.
Perhap the reason whey the Soul Food didn't have much Soul is that the cook appeared to be Mexican.
I won't go back again for sure. -
Review from Blue S.
Oakland, CA
10/15/2011
Thumbs down down down. Twice I've tried to order from here off of a website that lists local restaurants that will deliver. First time I submitted my order, my card was charged and an hour later I got a call from the website that the restaurant just informed them there would be no delivery. Really put off my my first experience I've waited some time before trying again.
Now many months later I tired again. First the site said Dorsey's wanted a minimum of $30 for delivery, okay I ordered over $31 dollars in food, after over $3.00 bucks in tax and a huge $6.10 delivery charge from Dorsey's (not the website) I was paying almost ten dollars in fees over the cost of the food.
Then about 5 minutes after my order was submitted I received a call from Dorsey's informing me that my order was $4. short for them to deliver. Instead of arguing I just old them to add another cobbler to my order, this would bring my food total up over $35 and increase my delivery charge from $6.10 to $6.60. Are you serious? They are adding 50 cents more to my delivery charge for an added cobbler. This would take the delivery fees and tax up to over $10 for 35 bucks worth of food. Basically a 35% tax on food. At this point my friends and I were really hungry and did not want to argue so we agreed to the extortion.
About 20 minutes later I get yet ANOTHER call for Dorsey's, this time a different employee telling me that they had run out of not one, not two, but THREE of the items we ordered off of their menu. Come on! We are coming up on almost 30 minutes after ordering. And they are just now calling to say they've run out of food.
We canceled our order and went with Blessed Garden Chinese instead.
I can't comment on the food at Dorsey's but I can say they are totally unprofessional, have no customer service and are crooks that try to nickel and dime you out of your cash. If they don't want to to do home delivery they should not advertise themselves and their menu on delivery websites.
I don't care how good their food might be, DON'T SUPPORT SHADY BUSINESSES!!!!! -
Review from Dilcie P.
Fairfield, CA
10/20/2011 1 Check-in Here
A great place for drinks and some catfish.
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Review from S J.
Oakland, CA
1/17/2012
Don't waste your time. The meat was overly salty and the sides were bland. The cornbread... well lets just say... it may have been day old and then microwaved and we had to ask for it. I thought cornbread or even some sort bread would be an automatic especially when you are eating fish (bones). Absolutely NO REFILLS... you have a bar on the side. I can't believe that you are not getting a good deal on coca cola where you can't have free refills. Again I wouldn't even bother wasting your time or money. We ordered a green salad for $7.50. I could have went to the grocery store and bought $7.50 worth of ingredients and had a better salad. The beef gravy offered with the rice has to be out of the can with some onions added. The friedn prawns had so much coating your couldn't even taste the prawn. Definitely not a down home soul food dinner. Save your money and time....we definitely won't be back.
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Review from David P.
San Francisco, CA
4/19/2011
Made my 2nd visit to Dorsey's Locker today; my first visit was years ago. My recollection of that first visit is that my friends and I enjoyed the food, the atmosphere (on the bar side), and our server. Today I sat on the restaurant side for lunch and tried ox tails for the first time ever.
It was like eating velvety angel breath baby-skin silk butter. (Or whatever other tortured simile for 'smoooooooth, tender, and melts-in-your-mouth' you would prefer.)
This is one of the best dishes I've eaten in quite some time! Served on a bed of rice & gravy, I wolfed it down in record time. Black-eyed peas were really good too. Corn muffin and potato salad were fine. All for ~$16 (w/ tip). I would seek out, plan in advance, hurt people, whatever it takes, to get ox tails like I had at Dorsey's again.
My server was very nice, the lady who cooked the food was too. Pretty cool place, with the bar on one side and the restaurant on the other. They have live music on Weds (reggae) and Sunday (jazz) nights I believe. Restroom was big and clean (I made a dookie). Parking lot helps too. -
Review from Andrew C.
Restaurant area is an odd T shape with a small side room with four 3-tops and a handful of 2-tops parallel to a small bar with 3 stools that's in front of the kitchen.
Similar menu to Nellie's (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) with standards like fried fish and chicken and sandwiches every day and a rotating list of daily specials, though prices are a couple bucks cheaper here for similar items.
Went with the Chicken / Catfish combo for $12.50. You can choose Breast/Wing or Thigh/Leg + 3 sides. I went with Thigh/Leg plus collard greens, yams, and red beans. I must have missed the mac & cheese I see in other folks pictures. Everything is fried to order and the gentleman who took my order let me know it would be ~20 minutes for the chicken.
Definitely a wait, but not the full 20 minutes. Big plate of food arrived with 2 extra bowls for the greens & beans (see pics). The meal comes with a cornmeal muffin which was nice and warm and not as sweet as you find at a lot of places.
The chicken pieces were huge(http://www.yelp.com/bi...)! The leg was probably twice the size of the one I got at Nellies (http://www.yelp.com/bi...). The breading was nicely seasoned and the meat juicy and tasty. A couple of spots had small chunks of extra breading that got burned, but otherwise finger licking good!
The catfish was less successful. The two pieces were nicely cooked and moist, but the cornmeal breading was very bland. Luckily they provide a bottle of hot sauce which was more of a necessity to kick up the flavor vs. an option for a different taste.
The sides were good. The greens were tender and tasty with no bitterness; I found a bonus chunk of meat in the bowl. Yams were sweet and cinnamony. The red beans also had good flavor, but were my least favorite of the three; sub the mac & cheese next time.
Couldn't finish all the food and ended up with a nice box of leftovers for some midnight snacking!
Fried Chicken: 4.5 stars
Catfish: 3 stars
Sides: 4 starsListed in: Fried Chicken, Soul Food, Fish & Chips
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Review from Brandy M.
Pleasant Hill, CA
12/8/2010
So I go to Dorsey's Locker last night for their open mic night. Just wanted to get outta the house for awhile and decided I'd head on over.
Now, I'm no drinker, but the drinks were kinda pricey ($9 for a Cran & Belvi) and the food was just average. i ordered a thigh, mac-n-cheese and greens for $10. It was just okay....
The open mic show was pretty good. Local talent showcasing their skills.
All and all, just somewhere to go to get out the house. Nothing spectacular. -
Review from mike s.
San Francisco, CA
12/3/2011
Food was decent, staff polite, but the FLY'S were all over us. It got so bad the waitress (who was very pleasant) asked us politely if we could get up for a minute (this was before our food came) and she commenced to squat about 5 flies on the wall around our table. She then got out the broom and swept them up, (well there might have been one left on the table) and then politely invited us to sit back down. Needless to say my appetite went away like the flies. Oh... but the flies came back ...after half hour. Where is the window netting in this place? The service was slow and sluggish (wait , wait., wait, call the waitress over, ask about the order... wait some more. Sorry the food didn't make up for the "Fly" Ambiance.
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Review from David H.
Pleasanton, CA
9/5/2011
Had a great dinner last night. We had never been there before, but, by the time we left it felt as though we were regulars. Great food, warm, friendly service, and as for the wait for food described in another review, it's prepared to order! It takes time! Sit down, have a beer, and relax!
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Review from albert n.
Berkeley, CA
3/27/2011
The Food: Tastes good, but very pricey. I ordered the deep fried seafood plate. Collard greens, mashed potatoes, etc. Everything tasted good, but not great. However, the proportions were huge and it was about $18 for the plate.
The Service: Mixed. The staff was really nice, but they took forever. From the time we were ready to order to the time the food came out was about an hour. Seemed like they were just way understaffed.
The Location: It's in the cuts. To use the restroom you have through the club attached to Dorsey's. I got a stink eye or two from other patrons as I was walking through.
Overall everything seemed to be okay or mediocre. In the end, I don't think I will come back here. -
Review from Nicole B.
2/14/2011
I found this place one day driving down Shattuck. My friends and I were looking for a place to eat and thought we'd give it a try. I love hole in the wall places and it definitely seemed like something that would be good. When we first walked in, I was confused because we were in the bar area. But we were pointed in the right direction and found the dining area.
I'm all about soul food, and this places serves up some good grub. Fried chicken, smother chickend, collard greens, corn bread, mac and cheese....it's ALL good. People were nice here and food was way more than I could eat in one sitting. This was down the street from my old college apartment, so I made frequent trips here. I wish I could eat their fried chicken everyday. If I did, I think I would be a happy woman, but unfortunately I don't think my waistline would appreciate it. It's too bad I'm no longer in college. I think I should've introduced more of my friends to this place. -
Review from Stacey C.
Emeryville, CA
8/27/2011
Been looking for a great soul food restaurant. My friend and I argue whether this is a 3 or 4 star review. Went on a Tuesday night (I think). bar had some patrons but we were early (6 ish) and there weren't many people in the restaurant. It was hoping before we left around 7:45.
Super great staff. Place has been around for decades. Friendly and kind. They asked when I came in if we had a coupon, seemed relieved we didn't but they were great the whole time.
My family is from the south so I am all about some good black-eyed peas. The fried chicken was great. Not greasy at all which can be tough to do. I also had black-eyed peas which were mediocre and collards, again mediocre. I had the impression they may make them veg which would probably make the difference for me (but great for you guys who are veg)! I also had macaroni and cheese and it was a little dry for me, but I know a lot of people like it that way.
My friend had short ribs and he liked the ribs but the brown gravy he didn't love. The mashed potatoes were great. Corn a little soggy. Neither of us cornbread...too dry heavy.
Wanted to try banana pudding but didn't get around to it.
I'd go back but I'd try another place first (if I can find one). I work in NYC 1/5 weeks and Sylvia's is close...I think my expectations are based on that..and that is hard to beat! -
Review from Phuoc K.
1/31/2011
A bit disaapointing. While I liked the vibe of the bar area, music was bumping, and people were dancing and having a good time chatting it up, the food was a little bit of a let down. Not that it was bad, but I've definitely had better. The biggest letdowns? The fried chicken and the mac&cheese. I think I got my expectations up too high for the chicken, which was decent in hindsight, but not in comparison to all the raves.
What I did like was the collared greens, the candied yams, the corn muffin, rice and beans and the fried catfish.
Service was pretty harried, but that was most just because there was only one poor girl working the entire bar area and the other quieter dining area.
Not sure if I'll be back, but I was glad to finally try this institution that I've driven by countless times. -
Review from Kenny C.
Oakland, CA
I found this place on open table, and I was not disappointed with the food. The restaurant is tucked away on Shattuck, which is a fairly busy street but has a private parking lot. The restaurant has two sides to it, one more of a sit down atmosphere and the other on the bar side with high chairs and a full bar. We sat on the bar side which also has a big screen TV. and a few smaller televisions on top of the bar all playing various basketball games.
The service was nonexistent, the waiter sat us down and did not come back to take our order for more then 15 mins. The bartender was not in the bar area, and only came out to the bar upon request. With the horrible service I am still a fan of this place because the food was on POINT! I had the seafood platter $17.50 which had shrimp, snapper and catfish. Also came with three sides, I had greens, fries, and yams all which was fantastic.
I will definitely be coming back to this place again, not many authentic soul food places in the Bay Area but this place definitely fits the bill! -
Review from Mike D.
Berkeley, CA
8/30/2011
My wife demanded fried chicken and not from KFC or Popeyes so I did my best to provide. We've been to House of Chicken and Waffles many time but it was still a little early to try to cross the maze just for dinner. Dorsey's was just across the Oakland border from Berkeley so I suggested we try here.
It was a great choice. Excellent piping hot juicy fried chicken and perfectly fried fish/oysters/shrimp. The sides were definitely better than I expected. Good corn muffin, silky black eyed peas and scrumptious collard greens with nice chunks of hock in them. Decent portions of everything as well. Come hungry.
We'll be going back to try more of the menu. -
Review from Madeline B.
Berkeley, CA
9/19/2010
The food was really good. REALLY good. Especially the sides. It was a little more expensive than I'm used to paying for soul food, especially for a little hole in the wall like this, but not outrageously expensive or anything.
The service was super friendly. Everyone was really nice.
So why the 2 stars, you might ask?
This is the LONGEST I have EVER had to wait for a meal. It took at least an hour for us to receive our food. I guess there was some problem in the kitchen that night, but HOLY COW! It was ridiculous.
To make matters worse, I was starving and just wanted dinner. The dinning room was a little crowded, so we were seated in the bar. I'm not really a bar goer. And I hated the music. Mostly 90s soul. Not my scene. It was loud, and everyone else in the room seemed to be a regular. I felt a titch out of place.
I'd consider going back if (a) I wasn't all that hungry, and (b) it was on their blues night or they had a live band I liked. -
Review from Shirene B.
San Leandro, CA
2/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
So my friend had a groupon for this place and I've always been curious about it. I looked at the menu on open table and decided it was on! We get there and the neighborhood isn't the best but whatever. Seating for the restaurant was kinda limited but okay. I ordered the catfish filet with green beans, mac and cheese and yams. My friend got the bbq ribs and chicken with greens, potato salad and mac and cheese.
I got catfish with two pieces of chicken with okra and corn, mac and cheese and yams. My friend got her bbq, greens and beans. Needless to say the waitress was extremely overwhelmed. The food was okay. The yams were kinda tart (weird b/c I like mine to taste like sweet potato pie). The mac and cheese was cheesy but kinda bland. The green beans were not what I was expecting, not saying they were bad. The catfish was bland but crunchy and moist.
Unfortunately I don't think I would go back. There's other places in the East Bay for me to get soul food without them totally mixing up my order. Its a shame because I really wanted to try the peach cobbler. -
Review from Christina G.
Oakland, CA
12/20/2010
Went in on a rainy Sunday afternoon (yesterday) right about noonish... give or take... got a table immediately and everyone was super friendly. The food, overall, was tasty.. but, I agree with a lot of comments about it being a bit overpriced for what it is. I wish I had known about the coupons ahead of time... it would have made this a four star had it been a lil less expensive.
Best parts:
Short ribs were DEEELISH! They are a Sunday special.. and they were special.
Mashed taters & gravy. The gravy was perfectly spiced... and perfect consistency.
Greens: I didn't eat any... but my dining companion said they were GOOD!
Service: Service was fast enough... and really pleasant from the time we sat down.
Ok Parts:
Fried Chicken... was a little overcooked. it made the crunchies (which I love) a little burnt tasting and the chicken a tad dry.
Mac & Cheese. A little bland ... needed some salt.. and a lil more cheese. It was a bit dry.
Cornbread muffins: They were actually quite tasty... but would have been better if they were warm.
Corn & Okra.... was just ok.
Overall... good experience. I'd go back for the short ribs for sure... but, I'd search high & low for that coupon first. -
Review from Anna M.
Alameda, CA
8/2/2010
Keep in mind, this is based on a first visit -- will update when I've gone again, if anything significantly changes. I would give it 3.5 stars (food and decor), but the friendliness of the staff pushes it higher.
My friend and I went on a Friday night, after driving around at 9pm looking for a place that serves late dinner. We didn't want fast food, but everywhere we looked was either closed (Even some of the PUBS were closed -- and on a Friday, that's positively eerie) or was a scrungy-looking bar.
Then we passed Dorsey's. Having seen it on a coupon site, I knew it served food, and since our list of criteria were rapidly dwindling as our hunger increased -- going from 'I want hot cioppino and crusty bread', to 'Somewhere that serves soup', all the way down to 'It has food and we probably won't get mugged in the parking lot'...we decided to go in.
We were immediately greeted by a friendly waitress, and since there was music down the stairs to the right, she suggested we sit near the bar. We did -- but immediately felt under-dressed. We were in jeans and hoodies, and the people there were obviously dressed up for a Friday night out. (And while it's probably very un-PC to have noticed this, we were two of only three or four Caucasian-looking folks there, which gave me a little more insight into how it must feel to be a minority!)
The decor seemed a tad bit dated, but it was reasonably clean in the bar area. It was very busy, so we had to wait for a menu, but were greeted by yet another waitress while we were there -- a very friendly place! But I think we strained the hospitality by mulling over the menu for the better part of 15 minutes, before eventually deciding to split a plate. The waitress, to her credit, came by three times, and was not at all impatient with our indecision, even when we demurred at her suggestion that we try the seafood plate. (A word about the menu: it has specials for every day of the week!)
Now for the food: It came fairly quickly. We shared the catfish plate, with a side of cornbread, green beans, potato salad and fries. The catfish was absolutely delectable -- you know how some fried fish is soggy, or over-breaded? Not this! It was light, crisp and remarkably un-greasy. The potato salad was creamy but a bit bland to me, and I didn't really like the cornbread muffin (it was cold), but the green beans were addictive -- it was mixed with potato, and I think it may have been cooked with ham or bacon. SO good!
We were a bit too timid to order sodas at the bar, so we stayed and listened to the music a while -- it was very good music, mixing dance beats -- and watched the television a bit, which could not be heard over the music. We also watched an older couple begin dancing to Michael Jackson near the restrooms, which was absurdly charming.
The bill was reasonable for the amount of food, and so we left, both of us determined to come back again and try the seafood platter. (Note: my friend and I are both highly opinionated foodies, which frequently makes for a great deal of squabbling over where we should go. I like seafood, and she's from the South, so both of us unanimously deciding to return here must be a good sign in Dorsey's favor...) -
Review from jp k.
Berkeley, CA
6/10/2010
A
W
F
U
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Over priced, over-cooked and JUST NOT GOOD TASTIN'!
Peeps, please, either you don't know or never have had good soul food.
Fish was way, and i mean WAY over-cooked - THE cardinal sin when it comes to fish.
But to add insult to injury, they charged me SEPARATELY for red beans and rice. Meaning, they charged me for the beans, then they charged me for the rice!!! On top of that, it didn't even taste good! POPEYES beans 'n rice wipes them out!!!
But last, the reviewer who said that the owner yells at\ staff - that vibe comes through loud and clear here. A mean vibe, and I'm not blastin' Oakland, cuz I was raised in the hood so that's NOT it. I mean the vibe of the owners. It comes through.
AVOID LIKE DICK CHENEY!!! -
Review from Brian S.
Los Angeles, CA
7/2/2010
Hahahaha Karen C was so dissapointed by her Liver and Onions.
I like this place's ambiance more than the food. It's always alive, sometimes there's live music and the entire staff is really friendly. On a slow night, don't be surprised if the entire staff talks to you. They're cool, though.
Last time I came I had fried chicken. The chicken itself was a dissapointment. But I got reacquainted with an old favorite of mine: Rice and gravy. I haven't had rice and gravy since I was a child and this rice and gravy is definitely the best I've ever had. I'm sure I can find a better one though...?
Well, it's worth a visit, it is a little overpriced, but I have enjoyed my visits here. -
Review from tiffinie t.
San Francisco, CA
12/11/2007 ROTD 7/22/2008
Eyes wide, stomach growling, I watched as everyone around the long and crowded table was getting their food. Big, over-stuffed plates filled with crispy fried chicken, melt-in-your-mouth short ribs, golden fried catfish, cinnamon-spiced yams, creamy mac 'n' cheese, cornbread muffins. Early on, there was even a bowl of gumbo, crab legs dangling out, bowl of rice on the side. Damn!
I was beyond hungry. I was ravenous and all I could manage was to sip on my big glass of lemonade in silence. In fact, it was almost a silent but deadly moment, as I thought I was gonna lose it and mug the guy next to me for his food (lucky for him I had some self-control. plus, he gave me a bite of his ribs! smart move. very smart move!)
Then, a miracle happened: our nice server dropped half 'a clam shell stuffed with corn meal-crusted seafood! Shrimp! Oysters! Catfish! Snapper!! We drizzled a little of the hot sauce (big plastic container!) and it was good to go! Though, once it cooled, in true corn meal crust fashion, it wasn't nearly as tasty. But not to worry as the clam shell also arrived with all the fixin's & goodies: candied yams, mac 'n cheese, green beans, and a corn bread muffin!
Once the edge was taken off, plate #2 arrived: The Fried Chicken. Crispy-skinned with succulent meat that was tender and juicy... though, the coating was a little lacking in flavor for my taste. Whatever! The chicken beneath was flavorful and perfectly seasoned.
Ahhh. Life was good. And fortunately all those around me with food, potential for brunch-time brawling was eliminated -- all with the help of some ridiculously yummy soul food!
In addition to the food, the staff was friendly, funny, helpful, and completely accommodating! Especially since we had such a large and loud group of hungry yelpers... and you know how we roll!Listed in: Thanks for the ROTD luv :)
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Review from Berna T.
I used to say, "I don't do Oakland"...but I will admit I have a lot of love for the 510 this year. Though I live in San Francisco and love this city, thanks to my acquisition of a car, I've been spending a significant amount of time in the East Bay. (There's a lot of shit to do on that side of the Bay Bridge, in case you didn't already know.)
Spurred on by a suggestion from our waiter at PF Chang's in Emeryville a few months ago, I invited a bunch of Yelpers to partake in a Sunday lunch at Dorsey's Locker, a soul food joint in Oakland. The timing was auspicious, as Powell's Place (Fillmore District, SF) had closed for good and we were searching for a suitable substitute for their famed fried chicken. You see - the Dorsey's have been doing soul food in Oakland since 1941 - their current location since 1996 - so I was confident Dorsey's would do it, and do it well.
This tiny restaurant (part of a bar) managed our 18-person party with a lot of grace and hospitality...we occupied a long, corridor-like nook near the kitchen. The servers have a wonderful sense of humor and a ton of patience (a must-have when dealing with a rambunctious party like ours). Our party was a little larger than they normally handle, so we actually had one long table and one smaller table pushed to the side (jokingly, the kiddie table).
The food came out as quickly as it could, and looked AMAZING. Remember the cooking scenes from the movie SOUL FOOD? Yeah, like that. Plate after plate of fried chicken, catfish, pork chops, short ribs, gumbo, collard greens, black eyed peas, potatoes, yams, fries, rice, cornbread, gravy....our table was completely covered in food. My chicken and catfish were picture-perfect. (I don't eat chicken skin, so I can't tell you how that tasted, but the chicken itself was great.) I thought the greens could use a touch more seasoning, but the mac and cheese was really good (especially with a touch of hot sauce), and my mashed potatoes and gravy was a perfect accompaniment to the chicken and catfish. It took a lot of self-restraint to not stick my fork in everyone else's food. I did get a sample of the pork chop (nicely done!) and the short ribs (deliciously tender).
I couldn't finish my food - I ended up with a take home container of catfish, mash, greens, and mac & cheese, enough for another complete meal. Prices weren't bad, considering it was like two substantial meals in one! The verdict? Though it's 20 minutes further than Powell's was...it surpasses Powell's place in quality, quantity, and presentation. Their menu has slight changes depending on the day of the week, so make sure to check out their menu online if you're craving something specific.
Thanks to little hole-in-the-wall gems like Dorsey's - as my friend Elin F. said to me - pretty soon, I will hella heart Oakland too.Listed in: Best of BernaDiva La Glam
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Review from kevo m.
East Bay, CA
12/9/2007
D ang this place is small
O kra, corn, tomatoes is a winner!
R ockridge!
S ervice with a smile
E njoyable staff
Y ummy baked chicken!
S mall beer selection
L ove the fried chicken
O h heck yeah, there's parking!
C ornbread is a little bland
K inda far from SF
E ven rice with gravy! You know the way to my heart!
R eally, it's better than Powells...Listed in: Kevo's East Bay List, Southern Comfort
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Review from Juliet R.
Berkeley, CA
11/7/2010
Football. Sunday. BBQ. We were ready to order take-out for lazy Sunday, when I took a minute to check out the reviews on yelp for this restaurant. I was really skeptical about ordering, but went ahead anyway and was pleasantly surprised at the quality of food and service.
We had the fried chicken, fried snapper, bbq ribs, links and they were all tasty. The bbq sauce was just right - tangy and spicy. I grew up in St. Louis, so I love my ribs. The meat fell off the bones. Yum. The potato salad was delicious.
So give this place a chance. I definitely will be back. Maybe we'll head on in for a sit-down dinner...next Sunday. -
Review from Marti L.
2/2/2010 4 photos
Dorsey's Locker has a small dining area but a huge adjacent bar. The lighting was horrible. Track lights pointed at us. And whenever the server walked around, he'd blocked the light.
Seafood Platter (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): 2 pieces of catfish, snapper, prawns and oysters served either grilled or fried. I asked the server whether grilled or fried was better, and he suggested that I do half half for comparison. The frying was done beautifully and so was the seasoning for the grilled items. Of the platter, I really enjoyed the fried oyster, the prawns and the snappers. Both pieces of catfish were dry and tough. I think it was poor quality fish. And the grilled oyster had sand in it. Bleh.
Breaded Pork Chops (http://www.yelp.com/bi...): BF asked for a recommendation and the server said this is the most popular dish. Its looks were deceiving. Because it tasted really bad. Overly salty as if it was brined. It was too much even for a sodium-lover. Two bites and we had to ask for something else.
Both of our items came with 3 side dishes each. And we found ourselves enjoying these more. (http://www.yelp.com/bi...)
Rice & gravy: The gravy was delicious. Can tell that it was made from scratch.
Fries: I dipped them in gravy! =)
Green beans: A bit overcooked and soft for my liking.
Mashed potato & gravy: Yum! I love carbs.
Potato salad: Nice cold half mashed salad.
Sweet potato: Really sweet like eating the filling of a casserole.
Overall experience was okay. It was definitely a filling meal. Tastewise, not quite satisfying. -
Review from ChubbyBunny I.
Oakland, CA
10/31/2006
Edited to specify after last night's fabulous meal there.
I've never seen a single bloody person eating in the restaurant section of Dorsey's Locker, but then I haven't run into any screaming stumbling patrons of this long(long!) time Oakland bar either, as mentioned in a previous review. So, take this or leave it when it comes to evaluating food versus your O-Town Street Cred.
But! as for the Fried Chicken, the Meat Loaf or the Pork Chops and a variety of other delicious treats including Yellow cake, Banana Pudding, solid Mac N Cheese (Friday and Sunday only), find it completely delicious, down home, and reliable . I've been meaning to have the Ox Tails but haven't made it too far past the fried chicken because it's so damned good. They have mixed seafood, sandwiches, and even Liver and Onions I've yet to try.
The restaurant portion of Dorsey's is separate from the bar and you'll find a small but comfortable seating area where you can enjoy your vittles or wait for your to go order. It's tidy, smells delicious and yes, it has windows, along with daily specials and even lunch and daytime options.
If you've been avoiding the experience for fear of sticking out like the white bread thumb you likely are have no fear and check it out! (and I mean this in the bleached flour Wonder Bread sense of the expression, not the racial profiling cracker sense but you can take it either way I suppose)
You don't even have to step foot in the bar, although it's a nice little joint with some great spoken word if you're into that sort of thing and I love to snag a drink there early on a weeknight before I head home to pig out on food I can pretend I made at home.
A delicious, satisfying, and well priced plate of solid American eats. If you're a fan of Nellie's then you should know she started out here, at the Locker, and that much of this food is on par and in some cases better.
Early on weeknights is a good bet for a quieter meal and smaller crowd. Take out is easy, which is what I usually do.
Edited additions: The Full Five Stars
Last night, I realized how cute the interior of the restaurant really is. I was thinking about Yelpers when I was there so I wanted to mention that the waitresses are extremely friendly.
I don't know what was up last night but it was the best fried chicken meal I've had! The yams were *perfect* I mean REALLY perfect.
As we were leaving and concentrating on not jaywalking in front of the officer there picking up his meal, I was hollered at by the fully gold grilled guy and friend in front. He hollers "That's a mighty big feast you've got there" and I holler back "Hell yes it is, Sunday dinner and tomorrow's lunch too" and he laughs and we peace sign each other when I drive off.
You really should try this place out. I noticed that Chowhound has reviews too.Listed in: East Bay Eating, No Fuss Food Stuffs
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Review from arnold g.
Fremont, CA
12/9/2007
Sunday's are a good day to eat at Dorsey's. Short ribs are one of the daily specials and they're positively divine. Meat was delicate and beefy and smothered in its own gravy. I really wish that I had ordered the rice and gravy as a side because it would have been the perfect combination. I paired the short ribs with fried chicken - a perfectly fried, crispy and juicy thigh.
The mac and cheese is also a Sunday special and was pretty good. Red beans and BEP weren't bad, but the yams and aforementioned rice and gravy others around me ordered gave me "side order envy."
Prices are reasonable and you get A LOT of food...enough for leftovers in most cases. Service was good and friendly, and they did a great job accommodating 18 loud and hungry Yelpers. We got in an out of there right before the church crowd started rolling in so we pretty much had their undivided attention, and they made us feel like guests in their home. -
Review from Dennis O.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2008
This is a review about a local neighborhood bar that also happens to serve excellent Southern food. Or maybe it's a review about a great Sunday afternoon bar where you can enjoy a bloody mary, an excellent house band, and watch whatever game is in season.
Full disclosure: I have eaten here once. It was one of the best bowls of gumbo I've ever had. Perhaps it's been too long since I've been back to New Orleans and I'm overlooking any shortcomings, but that's probably because Dorsey's Locker is a five minute walk from my house. (I'm not the kind of person to criticize my Mom's lasagna. I miss it.) I made a serious mess with the six crab legs that were in the bowl of gumbo. And the sides as authentic as anything I had growing up.
More full disclosure: I'm a white dude. Not that it matters. Not that anyone cared. If anything, I was more concerned that I was one of the few people not dressed to the nines. I didn't know that you get dressed up to nurse a hangover and watch football. But I also didn't know that Sunday afternoon is really about the house band, not the NFL. They play every Sunday from 5 to 9, and from their non-verbal communication and seamless transitions, I'd guess they've been playing together for at least ten years. Specialists in all styles: classic Blues, Jazz, Soul, Dusties, even some 80's pop. The place would benefit from a sound person -- it's hard to balance a sax, keyboard, bass, guitar and drums in a room of about 800 square feet.
It makes me wonder what other places I have biked by hundreds of times that are gems waiting to be discovered. -
Review from C C.
Oakland, CA
6/8/2011
I brought my family here when they were visiting from out of state. The staff was so helpful, even though we were probably one of their more demanding customers.
We had a time constraint, so they let us order over the phone. Once we got there, it didn't take long for the food to show up.
My brother is in a wheelchair, and they were careful to be as accommodating as possible, even inquiring about whether the utensils were workable for him. They checked in on us to see how were were doing, but not too frequently.
I loved that they were so nice, even when I said I had a http://restaurant.com coupon at the outset. I know that some people have complained about poor service at other restaurants when they arrive with http://restaurant.com coupons, but that has never been the case at Dorsey's Locker. It feels like they treat you like family no matter what you order or how you pay.
The food was delicious. The photos don't really do it justice. My family is full of picky eaters (maybe it's genetic) and they were extremely pleased with the meal. You'd expect the deep-fried food to be extra greasy, but they managed a cornbread coating that was dry to the touch and perfectly crispy. I recommend the collards and green beans to go with your platters. My stomach just growled as I typed that.
Overall, I highly recommend Dorsey's Locker!Comment from Donald D. of Dorsey's Locker 6/9/2011
Thank you for the feedback. We aim to please and exceed… More » -
Review from Lily M.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2007
Joshua and I stumbled into this place drunkenly one night on a quest for cigarettes. We were hoping for a cigarette machine, though I am pretty sure they're illegal in California. Once we realized there was no cigarette machine we decided to stay for a drink. Joshua is from the South. He loves Southern food and culture and music and whatnot. I do too, though not as intensely as Joshua.
Joshua and I were the only white people in the bar. We were also the only people under 30. We were also probably the most boring people there. We had A BLAST. We became friends with Darlene the bartender, who hooked us up with some strooooooooooong beverages and gave us coupons and stories. We chatted with the owner, a Texas expat with killer suits. We got wasted.
Joshua and I returned to Dorsey's a few more times. A couple of those times with the multi-culti Zachary's crew. Once with CIA Bobby. We had dinner the time we went with CIA Bobby. It was delish! Bobby and Joshua are both from Alabama and they agreed.
I haven't been there for a long while. I here Darlene doesn't work there anymore and Joshua moved to New Orleans so i'm sans my Dorsey's date. I would still go, though and I think you should too.Listed in: Places I Tell People I Know…, "I'M WWWWWWWWASTED!"
