Every month, a few new places open in the Town and a few close. This is the running list of what just opened in Oakland, pulled from the Oaktown Eats section of the newsletter and checked before it goes up here.
Last updated: October 2026
Opened this fall
Town Beef — North Oakland
4001 Broadway · Takeout window · Fri–Sat, 6pm–2am
Editor's choice. A late-night French dip window in the old Clove & Hoof building. The house sandwich is an "Oakland-style" dip: grilled ribeye, caramelized onions and garlicky aioli on Acme bread, already dipped in jus. There's a four-mushroom vegan version that holds its own. Drink Thicc moved in next door from Uptown.
This is the 1am answer. Plan accordingly.
Five & Dime — Downtown
329 14th St · Neighborhood pub · Opens 10am on weekends
Chef Michele McQueen (Town Fare at OMCA, Lucy Blue) opened a sports pub between her other two spots. Wings, a smash burger with bacon jam, a fried chicken sandwich, short rib sandwiches, crab and artichoke dip. Games on the TVs and a projector, and a patio.
The part people are talking about: the arcade is free. Pac-Man, Galaga, no quarters.
The Game Parlour — Uptown
2300 Valdez St · Board game cafe
The Sunset's board game cafe opened a second location near Uptown in September. Pick a game and order savory waffle sandwiches, mochi waffles, coffee and tea. Good for a rainy afternoon, or a third date when you've run out of things to say.
TaKorea — Piedmont Ave
3858 Piedmont Ave · Korean-Mexican
Bulgogi tacos, Korean fried chicken and build-your-own bowls. Two crowd-pleasers, one order.
Ak's Anh Hong — West Oakland
945 Wood St · Vietnamese, Thai and Lao
Now in the old 10th & Wood space. Pho ga, khao piak, Lao papaya salad, crispy pork belly over rice, and milk teas.
Upstairs — Temescal
4935 Shattuck Ave · Daytime cafe
Snail Bar's new cafe is upstairs, hence the name. It opened in September with limited hours, Fri–Sun 9am–3pm, so check before you go.
Recently closed
Every list like this has a sad part. Here's this month's:
Oeste — closed in October after nearly a decade on Clay St in Old Oakland.
Clove & Hoof — the space at 4001 Broadway is Town Beef and Drink Thicc now (see above).
How this list works
New openings show up first in the Oaktown Eats section of the Thursday newsletter. This page collects them, gets checked once a month, and drops a place after about six months, when it stops being new.
Soft openings change hours constantly, so check a place's Instagram before you make a special trip.
Not sure where to go? The best Oakland beer gardens → are a safe bet, and Things to Do in Oakland This Weekend → is updated every Thursday.
