Tacos Oscar ★ 4.4
Tacos Oscar in Oakland's Temescal serves Bib Gourmand tacos from a shipping-container courtyard. Chalkboard menu changes often; vegan and pork plates.
Try: Braised pork shoulder taco
Vendors, food trucks and stalls: the cheapest, fastest, frequently best food in Oakland.
Don't-miss vendors
Puerto Rican Street Cuisine ★ 4.2
Puerto Rican Street Cuisine in Oakland's San Antonio neighborhood does takeout pollo encebollado and pernil. Outdoor picnic seating, 23rd Avenue.
Try: Pernil with sweet plantain stuffed with ground beef
Tacos Sinaloa ★ 4.5
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.
Try: Suadero and adobada tacos
Tacos El Ultimo Baile ★ 4.5
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.
Try: Tacos al carbon
Mariscos La Costa ★ 4.4
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.
Try: Shrimp and octopus tostadas
Banh Mi Ba Le ★ 4.5
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.
Try: Pork meatball banh mi
Friday Nights at OMCA with Off the Grid ★ 4.4
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.
Try: Rotating food truck plates
Vien Huong ★ 4.4
Vien Huong on Franklin in Oakland Chinatown serves Chiu Chow Cantonese-Vietnamese noodle soups. Hu tieu, congee and noodles for breakfast and lunch.
Try: Hu tieu noodle soup
El Huarache Azteca ★ 4.4
El Huarache Azteca on International Boulevard runs huaraches, tlacoyos and Mexico City staples from a mother-and-daughter team. Counter service, late close.
Try: Huarache de chicharron
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
Town Biscuits in Uptown Oakland is a Thursday-to-Sunday biscuit window. Fried chicken biscuits and bacon-egg sandwiches that snap to the corner.
Try: Fried chicken biscuit