Chop Bar

Had brunch here on Saturday, long wait since it’s smallish inside but the person manning the list made sure to keep everyone informed as to about how much longer.
I had the pork belly frittata and it was mediocre, the eggs were undercooked and runny on one side, the pork belly was smoked nicely and still held some crispness in the mixture. It was just wholly unremarkable.
My friend had the chop burger which came so highly recommended by our server over the hash option considered. He added a fried egg on top which he asked for over medium and it was completely hard cooked. He said the burger was just good, unremarkable as well just good.
The server was nice and everything was fine but nothing to write home about. We wanted to try the oxtail poutine but it’s only a weekday lunch item and dinner item so we missed out. I would go back to try that if I was in the area but nothing screamed go back go back!

I love that this place lets you call ahead for brunch to put your name down on the list. I cannot appreciate that enough. I oftentimes will avoid brunch in SF because I don’t want to wait over an hour after I get there just to get seated.
I tried the bloody mary «baconized». I saw other people with the bloody mary as we walked in and decided right then that I had to get it. It looked like a pretty standard bloody mary, but with bacon on top (I know, right?!)!! Not sure how much I actually liked the bacon in it, but it was definitely an interesting twist. The bloody mary itself was decent, a little on the tomato-​y side, not super spicy.
The menu is not super extensive, but has your standard brunch options. Between me and my friends, we ordered a few different things.
1) Pastrami hash (with poached eggs) — I had this, it was pretty tasty, nothing particularly special about it, but it was good. I enjoyed it, though it was more like chunks of pastrami and potato, rather than a hash really.
2) Pork belly frittata — The pork belly in the frittata looked like it had a good fat to lean ratio (which is important!) but wasn’t seasoned quite enough.
3) Eggs cazuela
4) French toast

Restaurant week at Chop Bar was amazing!!! Wonderful service and menu!!! The gravy on the meatloaf and pork… soooooooooo poo yummy!!! The vanilla bean Gelato on the tart made the meal.

#2 of 100 Reviews for 2016
Chop Bar is consistently good. I’ve been here a couple of times. Most recently after a work out in Alameda. I needed protein. My gf and I sat at the bar and had the 2 eggs OM, fruit instead of potatoes and a side of bacon. She had the granola. The fruit was beautifully displayed and came with bananas, apples, blueberries and raspberries. Delish. The gent next to me ordered an assortment of beverages: water, coffee, the bacon Bloody Mary and a Pilsner, plus a tomatillos. He was enjoying himself and very friendly. We had a great time and we liked that it had other great and friendly patrons that didn’t mind their neighbors starting a conversation with them.
They are participating in Oakland Restaurant’s Week this year. Go try them out!

Heard their burgers are supposed to be really good. Me and my lady were craving a nice big burger with all the fixings. Decided to give this place a shot.
I’ll get straight to the point. Even though it was tasty, overall it was disappointing. 15 bucks for a medium sized burger with a side of arugula salad. They nickel and dime you for cheese and other toppings.
2 burgers and drinks came to 40 bucks. I was still hungry when I left and had to stop at a taco truck on the way home.
Good food but skipping this place if I have a man sized hankering.

I feel a little bad that I tell my guest from the hotel that this place is just a hop skip and a jump away but in reality it’s a bit of a walk from 3^rd and Broadway. Not a crazy walk but to my ladies in 4 inch heels, I apologize.
Moving on… my sis wanted to try something new and I wanted to meet her new beau and we all wanted Brunch. I know Chop Bar to make a mean Bloody Mary but I hadn’t eaten here yet so here we go…
Drinks– YES PLEASE. and YASSSSSS! or however they say that. very well crafted.\
Food– Portions were perfect. Not too big, not too small. Really Tasty.
Service — Slow but Sweet =0

I can only speak to their brunch, but it’s been delicious the handful of times I’ve been. Great atmosphere throughout. It can get a bit loud inside, but their outdoor area is nice and has heat lamps.
I liked the eggs benedict, but the chilaquiles are my favorite. My boyfriend is a big fan of their pork belly hash. Their menus are a bit over priced, but overall good food and an interesting cocktail list.
Street parking is pretty easy to come by in this area, they have a little coffee shack next door, and there’s a few cute shops to explore nearby. I’d highly suggest popping in on a weekend and making a day of the Jack London area.

I mean, the food isn’t bad. It’s actually pretty good. But for the price… Not so much. The «French fries» were actually just tickle sliced
Potatoes thrown in a frier. They weren’t even cooked all the way.
In addition, the wait staff isn’t the kindest or the most helpful. Actually, they are not very kind at all.
My group and I tried to order from their desert menu and they were out of almost everything. We had to order our drinks multiple times because our waitress either kept forgetting or just got too busy with other things.
The food isn’t bad but this isn’t some palace I’d come again.

The first time I came here, we were after that oxtail poutine fries. It was good but i was not thoroughly impressed. Plus, it kinda gave me an upset tummy after. I also had the butternut squash salad and was not wowed either.
We gave Chop Bar another shot after watching a movie in the Jack London theatre. They were near closing at the time. This time, I had the burger which I really enjoyed. It came with an arugula salad which made me feel a bit healthier. The burger was juicy, flavorful, and was a good size. The service was still nice and friendly despite the fact that we came near closing. I always hate being one of those people who sneaks into stores or restaurants last minute.

Fantastic evening! Enjoyed a delicious cheese plate with some champagne we brought in ($ 10 corkage). Then, a beautiful grass fed rib eye with mac n cheese and Brussel sprouts. Dessert was apple crisp ala mode. Amazing!
Service was great. Everyone was so nice. The place was completely full on a Monday night. Get there early.

Ok. There is a lot to be said about the food scene in Oakland. But every time I have been here, I not only have had a excellent culinary experience, I have had a and overwhelming since of good mojo.
Keep it up Chop house, keep it up!

My favorite restaurant in Oakland right now (actually I’ll include SF as well). I usually find flaws with places that end up on ‘lists,’ but this one delivers. Over and over again. It’s my new comfort food bit of perfection. Obs Angelines Louisiana Kitchen is my #1 in the Bay Area, but that’s technically in Berkeley :)
Anyway, I love the food here, and it’s tweaked here and there to keep it interesting. The only miss was the desert (a sundae I believe, and it was just forgetful). Been here for dinners, and brunch, and I will continue to do so until it closes.

Chop Bar is the good Oakland, the kind you want to show off to your friends.
It’s located in a cool loft space in Jack London, within walking distance from the Blue Bottle flagship location. The wait on a Sunday afternoon teeters around 20 mins, which isn’t all that bad in comparison to some spots in San Francisco.
The menu features all kinds of new American and California inspired plates. Their burger is a serious force to be reckoned with. This is one of the best burgers I’ve ever had. Let me lay this out for you… the bun is somewhere between sourdough and a pastry. It is remarkable. The hamburger patty is so thick and so juicy and as you eat this thing, the juices dribble out and the soft part of the bun soaks it up. Thick, hickory smoked slices of bacon and avocado adorn this creation. Make sure to add cheese too because, holy crap, the melted swiss cheese on this thing was delicious. I asked for medium rare and received a very well done patty, but I was too hungry to do anything about it. Kind of a bummer, so make sure your waiter knows you’re not playing around.
They only have 4 beers on tap, none of which is a pilsner, and all their taps were broken when I went. Basically their only downfall is being a beer buzzkill.

I came here after an evening at the vintage fashion fair. Both my friends had burgers. I had a selection of sides.
Even at the late hour that we arrived, the place had a line and was full of lively, vibrant types. Food was good; Atmosphere cozy.
If I lived close to Oakland I would probably frequent this place more often. I hope to try brunch sometime. Maybe before the Antique Furniture Fair?

Came in for Sunday brunch at around 10:45am and was surprised to see how packed this place was. Even with the crowd, we were able to get a table for our group of 4 within 20 minutes. Even though the place was so crowded, parking was surprisingly easy to find since there’s not much else around the block. There’s parking available out front and street parking all around. The interior is on the smaller end with a few smaller group tables, a bar, and a larger table that seats larger groups. You can also op to sit in the outdoor bar but considering it was cloudy and grey we opted for indoor seats. Or if you want to just grab a drink to go they have a coffee window to the side. The atmosphere was perfect for brunch: slightly more upscale but also casual.
The brunch menu is fairly limited to a handful of egg dishes, oatmeal, a burger, and a few sandwiches. My friends got the pork belly frittata, the yucatan chicken sandwich, the pork belly hash, and I got my default breakfast item: eggs benedict. Everyone enjoyed their meals but we did all agree it was a bit on the pricy side for what we got. The «home fries”/potatoes were a bit bland but their ketchup is good enough to cover it up. As for the benedict, it was surprisingly good. It’s been a while since I’ve had a benedict without a «gimmick» versus a classic benedict but every component of it was done well. The hollandaise sauce was really flavorful, the muffin perfectly toasted, and the eggs perfectly poached. It tastes like a benedict should and I have no complaints.
The service was also decent overall. The food came out within 15 minutes and all at once, they made sure our glasses were full and had all the sauces we needed. No complaints here either.
Overall, it’s nothing special but they do what they do well. I’d consider coming back if I got to try their full menu but just between the four of us we exhausted most of the brunch menu.

I feel like Chop Bar can do no wrong.
I’ve had dinner here twice, and stopped in one time for lunch. While it can get kind of loud in this small, intimate space, you’ll probably be too busy savoring the amazing food to want to talk to whoever else you’re with. Just keeping it 100.
Their agua frescas ($ 3) are, well, refreshing. If you want something other than water, but that won’t drive your BAC up, this is a great choice. I had a watermelon one for dinner and it had the faintest hint of lime in it, too. Even with the striking blend of flavors, I think it blended pretty well with the pork chop I ordered that evening.
For lunch, I opted for their pork Bolognese with pac mac noodles by Baia Pasta (
) — $ 18. If you’re not in the mood for meat, there’s also a seasonal vegetable option, too. With a generous portion of shaved parmesan on top, this dish really hit the spot. Just the right ratio of noodles to sauce, with plenty of chunks of savory ground pork.
The first time I had dinner here, I went for the oxtail poutine — $ 20 (french fries, oxtail gravy, Fiscalini cheddar). I might or might not have licked the plate clean.
The second time I went for dinner, I ordered the pork chop and chose kale and mashed potatoes as my side dishes (you also have the option of going with their mac and cheese) — $ 24. Their mashed potatoes were just too good. I honestly want to ask them to double up on the mashed potatoes next time. Maybe i’ll just beg for a bowl as my entrée. The kale was cooked perfectly with onions and garlic, too, and I definitely felt less guilty eating them… but the mashed potatoes!!! As for the pork chop, goodness. There was a slight crust that formed all around while the interior remained tender and moist. It came in a pool of gravy that complimented it nicely, too, not salty or gelatinous as some gravies can be.
I would definitely be proud to show this gem of a gastropub to friends and family. Maybe next time I’ll try some appetizers and desserts, too.

So after a weekend of Napa and enjoying the East Bay sun, we decided to end the weekend with a casual low key gastropub. After a bit of searching, I stumbled upon Chop Bar near Jack London Square on Unilocal and decided to give this place a shot. We rolled in around 5 PM in the afternoon and found parking right on the street outside the restaurant. The folks in the restaurant are real friendly and the joint itself has the hipster vibe going on. Great job on setting the joint up. The options for the menu are pretty concise but enough to make a few different choices. We showed up during happy hour so we were excited to order some of the food including the ribs and fries thinking the price would be different but the happy hour prices are applicable to the drinks and not all the food so definitely take a close look if you are looking for food deals.
We were seated in the middle of the joint and decided to order a few of the cocktails, the ribs, the fries, the oxtail poutine and the mac and cheese. For those that are interested, the burger looks like a great deal for the happy hour. The cocktails were perfect for the carb heavy meal and complimented it well. The Fries and ribs came out first and both were OK. The ribs were not as tender as I was hoping and the fries were good but just tasted like regular fries. The oxtail poutine came out next and this was solid. They were crispy fries with shredded oxtail and gravy drenching the plate. The gravy was delicious and made the entire dish. The mac and cheese was next and it was cooked nicely with plenty of cheese The last two were a solid way to round out the meal and the cocktails really balanced the excess of cheese.
All in all, an OK place and definitely worth checking out if you are in the area. I don’t think anything was amazing and blew my mind but maybe I just chose some of the wrong dishes to start the meal.

This is the place; you know the one where everything would have been 4 star worthy if it was just $ 3 – 5 cheaper. Chop Bar is that place. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out and prices were a tad on the high side for the value.
We grabbed a seat outside and service was a bit off which tends to happen when you separate yourself from the rest. (Although the outside was full at this point). We went with a bunch of items, some better than others.
— The Chicken with mojo and rice. Surprisingly, it was a nice amount of chicken, yet it was a dry and a bit flavorless. You definitely had to smother that mojo sauce on it. The skin was tasty and done right, just seemed like it was cooked a bit too long.
— The chorizo stuffed squid was on point and a great lil’ starter to share amongst two people max.
— The salmon was cooked so well. The but here is that the portion size was extremely small.
— Green beans with parmesan side was oh so good. Again for the $ 7, not the largest portion size, but oh so delicious.
Desserts were great and pro-​tip: they’re large and in charge! One will be easily enough for two people.
I’ll come back to give that $ 14 burger a whirl and enjoy the neighborhood!
** Side note: I also came here for brunch and had the fruit and granola. It was delicious, but again, a tad bit overpriced.

Definitely a solid lunch or dinner option, but be aware that staff can be a bit over worked and less than super overachieving. Not rude, per se. Just a bit direct with little much in the department of additional hospitality or niceties.
Food is al great, but be advised that the salmon entrée is small… At least it was for me. The filet was tiny (flavorful, albeit a tad too salty at times) and the veggies underneath were more of a garnish than a legitimate side dish. I polished it off in a good five minutes and had to order and extra side of mashed potatoes just to take the hunger edge off. Lol! The mashed potatoes were good, even if I felt guilty for consuming extra carbs.
The wine menu is good, but limited. Still, there are enough options to leave your party at least close to satisfied with whatever they order.

Got the steak salad and YUM! It was such a satisfying lunch. I usually don’t order salad at a restaurant but this was an exception (plus this had steak so it’s not your ordinary «omg I’m still hungry» kind of salad).
Some comments about this salad:
–too much dressing/​too drenched in oil that it was getting too greasy and wet
–steak was a bit too chewy
I also got the agua fresca but I probably won’t get it next time because it tasted like regular juice.
In conclusion, I would probably come back here because of the cute/​hipster vibe! Perfect for a casual date. But their food is not to die for although still very decent.