In alphabetical order, here are a few more restaurants we can’t wait to try in 2026 (for the first part of this list, check out last week’s Dish).
As a reminder: Take these estimated opening dates with a grain of salt, as the restaurant world is always tricky (and you might notice a holdover or two here from last year’s list).
Francis X. Hogan of Pivot Craft Kitchen and Sports Bar.
Travis Fisher
Update: Pivot Craft Kitchen and Sports Bar, Pleasanton
New estimated opening: Mid-January
It’s been slow going for Francis X. Hogan’s ambitious upscale sports bar concept, but the chef and creator behind hits Sabio on Main and Crush’d Wine Bar and Kitchen is now optimistic that the finish line is in sight. He and his restaurant group partners now hope to debut Pivot Craft Kitchen and Sports Bar near the Four Points by Sheraton Pleasanton hotel in January, which would be just in time to catch the NFL playoffs, Winter Olympics, and, of course, games featuring the Golden State Warriors. The two-story, 12,000-square-foot project will offer craft beer, wine, and cocktails paired with an elevated menu of scratch-made sports bar fare: chicken wings brined, dried, and confit for two days then grilled and served with homemade sauces; hand-breaded mozzarella sticks; smoked pork belly nachos; and steaks and chops cooked on a wood-fired grill. Unique amenities include two Topgolf simulator swing suites and three private luxury suites that accommodate up to 18 people, to complement the 40-plus flat screens dialed to live sports.
Rico Rico Taco
©Taka Taira-Kaplan Photography / SF Bay Area Drone Photo; Facebook
Rico Rico Taco, San Ramon
Estimated opening: February
Rico Rico Taco has built up a sterling reputation in Oakland’s Grand Lake district for its handmade tortillas, spit-roasted al pastor, and ingredient-driven tacos that include several veggie options—so much that they opened a vegan spin-off, Rico Rico Vegano, down the street in 2023. Now, owners Marisol and Ricardo Montero are bringing their popular tacos and more east to San Ramon, where they’re opening up a new location in the City Center Bishop Ranch shopping center next to Fieldwork. Tri-Valley diners get to enjoy a menu that brings the best of both Oakland taquerias: vegan tacos (served on bright-pink pitaya tortillas for special occasions) inspired by Vegano alongside offerings from the original that should include meat and vegetarian tacos, scratch-made burritos, burrito bowls, quesadillas, chiles rellenos, sopes, flautas, breakfast tacos, and agua frescas, along with beer and wine.
Ruby Lou’s Boujee Bites and Games
Courtesy of Meg Benshalom
Ruby Lou’s Boujee Bites and Games, Walnut Creek
Estimated opening: Winter
A career bartender, mixologist, and beverage director in San Francisco, Walnut Creek native and resident Megan Benshalom wanted to create a community space that could be enjoyed by kids and adults alike—in particular by Benshalom and her 4-year-old daughter, Ruby Lou. The result is Ruby Lou’s Boujee Bites and Games, which will offer a family-friendly space by day—think board game tables, claw vending machines, and eventually a full-on arcade room—and a 21-plus cocktail destination in the evening. (Tagline: Family by day, fabulous by night.) The decor, meanwhile, reflects Benshalom’s effervescent, no-holds-barred personality, with a maximalist design packed with primary colors and fun DIY furnishings that include cookie couches, Pop Art–inspired paintings and posters, and a 10-foot-tall gumball machine that she nabbed at a Party City closing sale. Creative cocktails include a spin on a hot toddy inspired by the popular Moroccan mint tea service she helped create at Michelin-starred Mourad, while the food will have a whimsical, elevated elementary school bake sale motif with dishes such as a haute dog made from Snake River Farms Wagyu beef and nachos with slow-braised short rib and charred citrus–thyme crème fraiche. Set to open in the former Buon Vino space off North Main Street, Ruby Lou’s could see a soft opening as soon as January.
Union Jack Lounge and Kitchen
Oyo Facebook
Union Jack Lounge and Kitchen, Pleasanton
Estimated opening: Winter
Why a British pub concept in downtown Pleasanton? Several reasons, according to Maurice Dissels, who owns the popular Guyanese-South American restaurant and bar Oyo a couple of doors down on Main Street. First, Dissels was born and raised in British Guiana, where fish and chips, tea and crumpets, and bangers and mash were as much a part of his culinary upbringing as pepper pot and jerk chicken. Second, there hasn’t been a British food concept in Pleasanton since the old Union Jack closed downtown 20 years ago. Which brings us to the third reason: Dissels has fond memories of that pub, which he used to frequent back in the day to drink a pint and reconnect with friends. (“I had some good times,” he recalls.) Taking over the Gilman Brewing Company space at 725 Main Street, Dissels’s Union Jack Lounge and Kitchen will be a little different. He envisions it as a more family-friendly, less male-dominant space, in which he puts his own twist on British pub fare: a layer of fresh herbs underneath the batter to liven up the standard fish and chips, for example. At the same time, Dissels says many of the dishes will be straightforward interpretations of the classics. “Bangers and mash is just bangers and mash.” There will also be plenty of beer, including many British options, cocktails, and a vibe that he hopes harkens back to the spirit of the original.
“We want to keep it affordable and approachable—keep it as a community spot that serves as a welcome neighborhood destination,” he says. “Because at the end of the day, our Union Jack will be a place for the locals, many of whom spent a great deal of time at the old Union Jack pub.”
Western Flyer
Courtesy of Logan Jager
Western Flyer, Lafayette
Estimated opening: February
Craft beer enthusiast Logan Jager dropped his finance day job to enroll in UC Davis’s Brewing Program with the goal of opening his own brewery in his hometown of Lafayette. Lamorinda residents will soon be able to experience his passion project in person when Western Flyer opens on Mt. Diablo Boulevard, likely in the first week of February. The strikingly contemporary twist on a standard brewpub offers an expansive indoor-outdoor setting, where folks can choose from 12 taps of Western Flyer beer brewed on-site, including two West Coast IPAs and three Hazy IPAs. The food program will be centered around “seasonal, fresh coastal tacos” on handmade-daily tortillas, says Jager, along with hearty salads, shareable appetizers, and fresh chips “cooked around the clock.”
Courtesy of Zachary’s Chicago Pizza
Zachary’s Chicago Pizza, Livermore
Estimated opening: Winter
In an ever-expanding pizza world with a dizzying array of options, it’s reassuring to know that Zachary’s Chicago Pizza is still doing its deep dish and doing it well. The beloved employee-owned mini-chain started in Oakland is set to launch its latest location in Livermore as soon as January. Fittingly, it takes over the prime downtown location of Patxi’s Pizza, once a fierce Chicago-style competitor whose presence has waned to just one Bay Area locale after years of rapid expansion. Slow-and-steady Zachary’s sixth East Bay location will seat around 120 with a full indoor-outdoor bar (topped by bleacher wood from UC Berkeley’s California Memorial Stadium) and a covered outdoor patio overlooking Bankhead Plaza. The interior has been given a warm, welcoming makeover to match the deeply comforting deep dish pies, featuring scratch-made dough stuffed with its signature chunky diced tomato sauce and quality ingredients that have made Zachary’s an enduring family favorite for more than four decades.