The Hit List: New East Bay Restaurants To Try Right Now

The giant yellow Hyphy Bus (“this vehicle will gas-break-dip” is plastered across the side) lets you know you’ve made it to this West Oakland spot laser-focused on just three things: smashburgers, fries, and shakes. They’re all fantastic—especially the Burnout Burger with an extra bite from pepperoncinis and jalapeños. Head here when you need a dose of Bay Area pride, or whenever you’ve got the urge to take down an Oreo shake while Dru Down, The Jacka, and P-Lo blast at max volume. 

The people behind The Morris have a new seafood spot near the Grand Lake Theatre. And like the Morris, it’s a destination restaurant disguised as a casual neighborhood bistro. The multi-room space embodies the warmth of a candle, thanks to abundant brick and a roaring wood-fired oven (a relic from the spot's previous Sister and Boot & Shoe days). For your aquatic feast, start with their charcuterie, like the shrimp chorizo and duck and lobster mortadella, followed by the seasonal crab salad in a fragrant passionfruit aguachile, and the gnocchi parisienne that’s a fluffy-cheesy dream. Sirene knows that great comfort food is fried, so there’s textbook fried chicken you can dress up with various sides including octopus kimchi sauce. Our play is to spend quality time with the seafood dishes and many glasses of wine.  

A new place to party by the Bar Shiru team has sprung up in Gold Palm. The formula for a great time here: stellar cocktails, local wines, and a menu of Pakistani snacks. Gold Palm is our new favorite spot to kick off a night out with friends. But if you want to hunker down and soak in the Art Deco vibes and relaxed atmosphere—the projector showing the Warriors game will encourage that—go for the jalapeño-packed chili cheese toasty to go alongside the masala-rubbed fries, chicken skewers, and a daal chaat (get it “the works”-style, topped with cucumber slices, fried onions, and chili crisp). Once you’re ready, make your way to their “secret bar” through the back door for martinis and music pumping through a fancy sound system.

The pizzas at June’s will leave the entire table stunned. The former cult-following pop-up has landed in an industrial space in West Oakland that can barely fit all of the sourdough crust enthusiasts who flock here every night. There are only two pies on the menu—one flawlessly executed margherita and one rotating special—each the size of a bike wheel and smothered in freshly grated parmesan. Get both, and prepare to find cheese in crevices you never even knew existed. 

The East Bay has more than its fair share of excellent places to get a croissant (looking at you, Fournée and Pâtisserie Rotha). But a croissant with a flan filling? That, you can only find at Forma, a busy French-Mexican bakery in Temescal. Their classic French items, like the puffed-up plain croissant and crusty baguettes, are great—but don’t leave without some bags of the Mexican pastries, like apricot jam rosquillas and squishy vanilla conchas dressed up with a delicate crumbly topping and sugary skirt. Pair your treats with café de olla or a cappuccino and eat them at one of the outdoor tables.

Despite opening recently, the smashburger at Headlands Brewing in Berkeley is already a legend. The smell of caramelized onions wafts through this outdoor brewery as each smashburger is made to order. The patty is juicy as hell, the melty American drips down the sides, and the tangy sriracha sauce brings it all together. Make sure to get a double (as you should with any good smashburger) and pair it with crispy fries and a side of garlic-guajillo mayo. Then order a beer from the ever-changing menu of stouts and fruited sours while you enjoy the fleeting moments of summer under some lush, shady trees.

Lulu has found a new, bigger home on Albany’s Solano Avenue in a space that looks like a cute tea lounge with poppy and fig wallpapers and calming green tones. The Cal-Palestinian brunch spot’s signature feast ($35 per person) is a cure-all for morning meal decision fatigue: an assortment of hummus, muhammara, and labneh are piled next to roasted halloumi and crudité on a small turntable. The dish is so good, and a step above your standard eggs benedict and avocado toast brunch. Adding to this no-brainer meal are impressive, sweet-centric coffee drinks made with things like pistachio cold foam, and colorful plates like the rich knafeh pancake and baklava french toast topped with honey and cream. They’re all conversation starters, and why we’re excited to return for dinner. 

Tanzie’s is a Northern Thai spot that’s a jolt of energy for brunch-goers in Berkeley. The airy restaurant specializes in lava eggs, a softly scrambled egg laid over a mound of rice with your protein of choice. Go for the strips of caramelized pork jowl or the housemade sausage that get charred to a deep brown crisp on the sides, and pair it all with fluffy Thai beignets dunked in condensed milk. Eating here will also motivate you to turn your phone face-down and spend an hour soaking in natural light from the charming, living room-like space—there’s a little nook tucked away in the corner, and even a fireplace.