40 cheap eats places in Oakland, editor-picked. the best low-budget spots in Oakland: the places editors actually return to. All Oakland food.
Bake Sum ★ 4.8
lake-merritt · 3249 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Bake Sum on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt runs an Asian American pastry program. Passionfruit tarts, ube cookies and Spam musubi croissants sell out daily.
Bake Sum ★ 4.8
lake-merritt · 3249 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Bake Sum on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt pours coffee with the city's most-loved Asian American pastry program. Mochi muffins, Spam musubi croissants.
Tacos Sinaloa ★ 4.8
fruitvale · 2138 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Tacos Sinaloa runs the food truck dynasty Guadalupe Bueno started in 1999. International Boulevard at 22nd, suadero and adobada tacos to a 1 a.m. close.
Tacos Sinaloa ★ 4.8
fruitvale · 2138 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Tacos Sinaloa on International Boulevard in Fruitvale is the East Bay's most-loved late-night taco truck. Family-run since 1999, two-dollar tacos.
Tip: The truck cooks past midnight Friday and Saturday; cash only at the window.
Mariposa Baking Company ★ 4.7
temescal · 5427 Telegraph Avenue, Suite D3, Oakland, CA 94609
Mariposa on Telegraph in Temescal is a dedicated gluten-free bakery. Croissants, almond cakes, bagels and bread from a dedicated kitchen for celiac safety.
Blue Bottle Coffee Old Oakland ★ 4.7
old-oakland · 480 9th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Blue Bottle's Old Oakland cafe at 480 9th Street pours single-origins from the company that started in a Temescal potting shed in 2002, with espresso service.
Highwire Coffee Roasters ★ 4.7
rockridge · 5615 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Highwire's flagship cafe on Rockridge's College Avenue pours single-origin coffees sourced from Colombia, Rwanda, Peru, New Guinea and Ethiopia.
Tacos El Ultimo Baile ★ 4.7
fruitvale · 3340 East 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
Tacos El Ultimo Baile in Fruitvale Public Market took its former taco truck queues into a brick-and-mortar. Tacos al carbon on house-made flour tortillas.
Banh Mi Ba Le ★ 4.7
san-antonio · 1909 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Banh Mi Ba Le on International Boulevard runs the most-loved East Bay banh mi counter, weekends only. Two dozen sandwiches under eight dollars.
Tip: Open only Friday through Sunday; cash only. Twenty-four sandwiches on the menu, all under eight dollars.
Tacos El Ultimo Baile ★ 4.7
fruitvale · 3340 East 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94601
Tacos El Ultimo Baile in Fruitvale Public Market took its taco-truck queues into a brick-and-mortar. Tacos al carbon for ten dollars on flour tortillas.
Tip: Sub the corn tortillas; the flour version is what made the truck famous.
La Farine ★ 4.6
rockridge · 6323 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
La Farine on College Avenue in Oakland's Rockridge is the French neighborhood bakery the East Bay leans on. Morning buns and palmiers anchor the counter.
Cafe Gabriela ★ 4.6
old-oakland · 988 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
Cafe Gabriela is the queer-owned Filipino coffee shop on Broadway in Old Oakland. Pulled pork adobo sandwiches and small-batch coffee since 2010.
Timeless Coffee ★ 4.6
piedmont-avenue · 4252 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Timeless Coffee on Piedmont Avenue is a vegan coffee roastery, bakery and chocolate shop. House-roasted beans, pastries and cakes daily until 6 pm.
Banh Mi Ba Le ★ 4.6
san-antonio · 1909 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94606
Banh Mi Ba Le on International Boulevard runs the East Bay's most-loved banh mi counter, Fridays through Sundays only. Two dozen sandwiches under ten.
Hawking Bird ★ 4.6
temescal · 4901 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Hawking Bird in Oakland's Temescal is James Syhabout's fast-casual Thai fried chicken room. Kao mun gai and garlic-ginger fillets under fifteen dollars.
Tip: James Syhabout's cheap-eats sibling to two-star Commis; same kitchen DNA, a tenth of the price.
Wise Sons Jewish Delicatessen ★ 4.5
temescal · 3838 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Wise Sons on Telegraph in Temescal serves the East Bay's most-trusted everything bagels with cream cheese, rye breads and a strong matzo ball soup.
The Caffè by Mr. Espresso ★ 4.5
downtown · 1120 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
The Caffè by Mr. Espresso at 1120 Broadway in downtown Oakland serves oakwood-roasted Italian espresso from the Di Ruocco family's 45-year-old roastery.
Tacos Oscar ★ 4.5
temescal · 420 40th Street, Oakland, CA 94609
Tacos Oscar in Oakland's Temescal serves Bib Gourmand tacos from a shipping-container courtyard. Chalkboard menu changes often; vegan and pork plates.
Shan Dong ★ 4.5
chinatown · 328 10th Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Shan Dong in Oakland Chinatown pulls hand-made noodles for under twelve dollars a bowl. Dumplings, chive pancakes and sesame noodles round out the menu.
Tip: Watch them pull the noodles in the front window; weekday lunch hours have shorter lines.
Hawking Bird ★ 4.4
temescal · 4901 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Hawking Bird is James Syhabout's fast-casual Thai fried chicken room on Oakland's Telegraph. Kao mun gai and double-fried garlic-ginger fillets to go.
El Huarache Azteca ★ 4.4
fruitvale · 3842 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94601
El Huarache Azteca on International Boulevard in Fruitvale runs a Mexico City counter from a mother-daughter team. Huaraches and tlacoyos are the line.
Poppy Bagels ★ 4.4
temescal · 5004 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Poppy Bagels on Telegraph in Temescal hand-rolls Montreal-Brooklyn hybrid bagels. Five days a week, lunchtime cutoff before the case sells out fast.
Timeless Coffee and Bakery ★ 4.4
piedmont-avenue · 4252 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Timeless Coffee on Piedmont Avenue runs a vegan bakery counter beside the in-house roaster. Pastries, cakes and chocolate, all plant-based, daily.
Im Moment Kaffee ★ 4.4
rockridge · 5254 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Im Moment Kaffee on Rockridge's College Avenue pours specialty coffee in a calm Scandinavian-style room. Hosts 18 Reasons cooking classes after hours.
The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab and Tasting Room ★ 4.4
uptown · 2523 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
The Crown on Broadway is Royal Coffee's public lab and tasting room. Order a flight from the cupping bar and taste origin coffees from the importer.
Mariscos La Costa ★ 4.4
fruitvale · 3625 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94601
Mariscos La Costa on International Boulevard in Fruitvale runs a glorified food truck for ceviche, shrimp and octopus tostadas. Five hot sauces on the table.
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid ★ 4.4
lake-merritt · 1000 Oak Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Off the Grid sets a rotating food truck row outside the Oakland Museum of California every Friday night. DJs and a community block party run all summer.
Vien Huong ★ 4.4
chinatown · 712 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Vien Huong on Franklin in Oakland Chinatown cooks Chiu Chow Cantonese-Vietnamese plates under ten dollars. Hu tieu, congee, and a sub-three-dollar tea.
Tip: Breakfast and lunch only; cash only for the smoothest check.
El Huarache Azteca ★ 4.4
fruitvale · 3842 International Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94601
El Huarache Azteca on International Boulevard runs Mexico City huaraches and tlacoyos under fourteen dollars. Mother-daughter team, late close.
Tip: Salsa bar has six options; ask for extra cebolla curtida on the side.
Vientian Cafe ★ 4.3
fruitvale · 3801 Allendale Avenue, Oakland, CA 94619
Vientian Cafe in Oakland's Allendale neighborhood runs a Lao-Thai-Vietnamese counter that locals have voted into a regional Lao standard for two decades.
Pho Ao Sen ★ 4.3
eastlake · 1139 East 12th Street, Oakland, CA 94606
Pho Ao Sen on East 12th in Oakland's Eastlake neighborhood runs the city's standard for pho, a Sunday-morning regular for two decades on the corridor.
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
uptown · 434 25th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Town Biscuits runs a Thursday-to-Sunday biscuit breakfast in Oakland's Uptown. Fried chicken and bacon-egg sandwiches on flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Curbside Creamery ★ 4.3
temescal · 482 49th Street, Oakland, CA 94609
Curbside Creamery in Temescal Alley scoops dairy and cashew ice cream into house-baked cookies. LGBTQ-owned, women-owned and plastic-free since 2014.
Modern Coffee ★ 4.3
uptown · 381 19th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Modern Coffee on 19th Street in Oakland's Uptown is a women-owned downtown coffee bar. Two locations across downtown, with a calm sit-down vibe.
Vien Huong ★ 4.3
chinatown · 712 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Vien Huong on Franklin in Oakland Chinatown serves Chiu Chow Cantonese-Vietnamese noodle soups. Hu tieu, congee and noodles for breakfast and lunch.
Cenaduria Elvira ★ 4.3
jack-london-district · 468 3rd Street, Oakland, CA 94607
Cenaduria Elvira in Oakland's Jack London Square cooks Jalisco-style tostadas, tacos dorados and Mexican plates under fifteen dollars per person.
Tip: The chicharron-style tostada shells are flown in from Mexico; ask which salsa pairs which dish.
Daytrip Counter ★ 4.2
temescal · 4316 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Daytrip Counter on Telegraph in Temescal is chef Finn Stern's fast-fine rotisserie chicken counter. Cafeteria-style, dine-in or takeout, daily.
Grand Bakery ★ 4.2
dimond · 3033 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94602
Grand Bakery on MacArthur Boulevard in Oakland's Dimond has baked kosher pareve goods since 1959. Wholesale-first; challah at Bay Area grocers.
Awaken Cafe and Roasting ★ 4.2
downtown · 1429 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Awaken Cafe at 1429 Broadway in downtown Oakland roasts in-house and serves all-day coffee with a community gathering room. Open until 5 every day.
Equator Coffees Lake Merritt ★ 4.2
lake-merritt · 175 Bay Place, Oakland, CA 94610
Equator Coffees Lake Merritt at 175 Bay Place pours the Marin County roaster's beans in a calm downtown Oakland room one block from the lake itself.