Oakland: Chinatown Walking Tour
We'll visit some of the most popular eateries and landmarks in the Oakland Chinatown neighborhood - one of the oldest Chinatowns in the United States!
What to order at Cafe Gabriela
- Must order
- Pulled pork adobo sandwich with house coffee.
- Editor tip
- Weekday morning only; closed Friday through Sunday. Adobo runs out by noon.
Must order: Pulled pork adobo sandwich with house coffee.
Why locals love it: Queer Filipino cafe quietly running since 2010 on the Broadway corridor's edge of Old Oakland.
Tip: Weekday morning only; closed Friday through Sunday. Adobo runs out by noon.
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Location
Address: 988 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94607
More hidden gems in Oakland
El Huarache Azteca ★ 4.3
El Huarache Azteca on International Boulevard in Fruitvale is a Mexico City huarache counter from a mother-daughter team. Press-quiet for years.
Order: Huarache with chicharron prensado.
Why locals love it: Mother-daughter team running a Mexico City counter on a stretch of International Boulevard most visitors never walk.
Tip: Salsa bar has six options; ask for cebolla curtida on the side.
Wahpepah's Kitchen ★ 4.7
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.
Cenaduria Elvira ★ 4.2
Cenaduria Elvira in Oakland's Jack London district makes Jalisco-style tostadas with Mexico-imported shells. Quietly off the tourist radar for now.
Order: Tostadas Jalisco with shredded pork.
Why locals love it: Tucked behind the Jack London warehouse district; tostada shells flown in from Mexico make it unlike any other Bay Area Mexican spot.
Tip: Order three different salsas to compare; the kitchen will let you sample.
Geta Sushi ★ 4.6
Geta on 41st Street is the small sushi counter that quietly runs a ten or fifteen-piece omakase, hidden behind Piedmont Avenue's higher-profile rooms.
Order: Ten-piece omakase at the counter.
Why locals love it: Small Piedmont Avenue counter overshadowed by Commis nearby. Quietly serves the East Bay's most-trusted neighborhood omakase.
Tip: Tuesday through Saturday only, lunch and dinner. Reservations a week ahead for the counter.
Champa Garden ★ 4.5
Champa Garden on 8th Avenue in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood runs Lao family recipes since 2006. Quiet block, line out the door on weekends.
Order: Nam khao crispy rice salad.
Why locals love it: Off Lake Merritt on a quiet 8th Avenue block; the Bay Area's most authentic Lao kitchen runs largely by neighborhood word of mouth.
Tip: Bring two friends and order across the menu; portions are generous.
Vientian Cafe ★ 4.1
Vientian Cafe on Allendale Avenue in Oakland has cooked Lao-Vietnamese-Thai plates for two decades. Off the main strips, regulars only know.
Order: Lao sausage with sticky rice and papaya salad.
Why locals love it: Allendale neighborhood, away from Telegraph and the Fruitvale strip. Two decades of Lao-Vietnamese-Thai cooking with no media noise.
Tip: Cash only is faster; the rice plate combos are the under-radar value lunch.