Three Trending Oakland Restaurants To Check Out
By Hoodline
OAKLAND -- Food trends come and go. So how can you tell which tastes are trending right now?
We took a data-driven look at the question, using Yelp to uncover which local businesses have been getting a notable increase in attention this month.
To find out who made the list, we looked at Oakland businesses on Yelp by category and counted how many reviews each received. Rather than compare them based on number of reviews alone, we calculated a percentage increase in reviews over the past month, and tracked businesses that consistently increased their volume of reviews to identify statistically significant outliers compared to past performance.
Read on to see which spots are worth exploring, right now.
Mägo
Open since June, this cocktail bar and New American spot is trending compared to other businesses categorized as "American (New)" on Yelp.
Citywide, New American spots saw a median 1.4% increase in new reviews over the past month, but Mägo saw a 68.8% increase, maintaining a healthy 4.5-star rating throughout.
It's not the only trending outlier in the New American category: Mixt has seen a 24.6% increase in reviews, and Rio California and Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt have seen 0.5 and 0.9% increases, respectively.
Located at 3762 Piedmont Ave. (between MacArthur Boulevard and Yosemite Avenue) in Piedmont Avenue, Mägo offers cuisine made with organic ingredients from local producers, as well as a wood-fired menu that changes weekly. Stop by for deep-fried soft shell crab, chicken liver eclair, grilled salmon, ratatouille toast and more.
Mägo is open from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. on Monday-Saturday. (It's closed on Sunday.)
Cafe Uccello
Whether or not you've been hearing buzz about Cafe Uccello, the breakfast and brunch spot, which offers coffee and tea, is a hot topic according to Yelp review data.
While businesses categorized as "Breakfast & Brunch" on Yelp saw a median 1.7% increase in new reviews over the past month, Cafe Uccello bagged a 44.8% increase in new reviews within that time frame, with a slight upward trend from a 4.5-star rating a month ago to its current five stars. It significantly outperformed the previous month by gaining 13.0 times more reviews than expected based on its past performance.
There's more that's trending on Oakland's breakfast and brunch scene: Porque No? Tacos has seen a 64.1% increase in reviews, and Grand Lake Kitchen - Dimond has seen a 22.6% bump.
Open at 340 14th St. (between Webster and Harrison streets) since 2018, Cafe Uccello offers breakfast croissants, cappuccinos, lavender lattes, fresh salads and more. It also serves a variety of lunch crepes like the Spring Medley with spinach, onions, bell peppers, cheese, dragonfruit hummus and more.
Cafe Uccello is open from 7 a.m.–2:30 p.m. on weekdays. (It's closed on weekends.)
Mama Oakland
Adams Point's Mama Oakland is also making waves. Open since July at 388 Grand Ave. (between Staten and Ellita avenues), the bar and Italian spot has seen a 57.1% bump in new reviews over the last month, compared to a median review increase of 1.8% for all businesses tagged "Bars" on Yelp.
There's more than one hot spot trending in Oakland's bar category: Oeste - Bar has seen a 6.7% increase in reviews.
Mama Oakland offers a seasonal menu that rotates weekly. You'll be able to find dishes like pan-fried pork and tomato soup with citrus and thyme.
Over the past month, it's maintained a sound 4.5-star rating among Yelpers.
Mama Oakland is open from 5 p.m.–10 p.m. daily.
