Oakland's Native American frybread runs through Crystal Wahpepah's kitchen in Fruitvale. Bison and squash on a fried dough that traces to forced relocation.
Where to eat it: 1 restaurant across 1 city.
Frybread originated with the Navajo, Apache and other tribes forced onto reservations in the 1860s. Government rations of flour, lard and salt produced the fried dough that became Native American comfort food. Crystal Wahpepah, an Oakland-raised Kickapoo tribal member and the first Native chef on Food Network's Chopped, opened Wahpepah's Kitchen in 2021 and was nominated for a James Beard award.
Tip from the editors. Frybread should be golden, not dark. Test the oil with a scrap of dough before frying the rounds.
This is the TableJourney editorial recipe, modelled on the canonical bistro / counter version. The first place to try the dish in its city of origin is below.
Wahpepah's Kitchen in Oakland's Fruitvale is a rare Native American restaurant. Bison, rabbit and squash tacos by Kickapoo tribal member Crystal Wahpepah.
Order: Bison taco with native squash.
Why locals love it: First Native American restaurant in Oakland, steps from Fruitvale BART. Crystal Wahpepah was first Native chef on Food Network's Chopped.
Tip: Lunch service is quicker; the kitchen sources greens from a nearby rooftop garden. James Beard nominated.
More cities are in research. Want wahpepah's frybread covered somewhere specific? Tell us where you want to eat.