Here’s the scenario. Social coordinator that you are, you’re valiantly trying to wrangle your friends who live scattered across the Bay Area for an evening of food, drink and fun. But, how do you pick a spot that isn’t too far from anyone and won’t run afoul of the varied dietary restrictions of the group? Three words: Bay Street Emeryville
It’s easily accessible, centrally located in the East Bay and just on the other side of the Bay Bridge. Plus, coming out of pandemic lockdowns, the commercial center went through a dining refresh, introducing more than a half dozen new restaurants since 2023.
The dining options range from classic cheeseburger and fries to inventive Korean-California fusion, regional Indian cuisine, Brazilian churrascaria and soothing hot pot. There are several grab-and-go options along with many places where you can take your time over a meal and perhaps try something new. From a lively mini golf destination to a sleek ramen restaurant, Nosh digs into Bay Street’s latest offerings.
It’s a restaurant. It’s a mini golf course. It’s a restaurant and a mini golf course! If you fit into the Venn diagram of mini golfer/arcade fan and beer aficionado, Tipsy Putt is a perfect spot to indulge in both sport and brew: a nine-hole mini golf course and 40 craft beers on tap, including 28 beers made locally.
Tipsy Putt recently introduced its “Parcade” with a wide selection of classic video games. Credit: Tipsy Putt
Choices on the Tipsy Putt menu include sharable tacos, burritos, quesadillas, pulled pork sliders and several salads. Popular items include nachos (pub or party options) with vegetarian and added protein versions available. On a recent visit, we enjoyed the mini quesabirria (four mini beef birra quesadillas ), which were topped with cotija cheese and served with a little bowl of consommẻ (for dipping) and a wedge of lime. The soft tacos were brimming with tender pieces of beef, which soaked up the flavorful soup, making for a messy but delicious combination. The colorful Mexican chopped salad is a generous serving of chopped hearts of romaine, fire-roasted corn, red onion, tomato, jicama, bell pepper, pepitas, pepper jack cheese, topped with multi-colored tortilla strips and tossed in a creamy cilantro dressing. Protein add-ons are available (we got chicken on ours), but this salad, with its tasty combination of textures and flavors, also stands alone quite well. A menu for “Little Putters” offers kid-friendly options of nachos, cheese quesadillas and mini pizzas.
Opened in early 2023, Tipsy Putt has just opened a brand new barcade—a mashup between a full bar and a lively arcade. Parcade offers an impressive collection of classic arcade games, and a bar serving craft cocktails and more beer. Imagine: you can revisit Pac-Man while enjoying an adult beverage! Parcade is open to all ages until 5 p.m.; evenings are for 21+.
Now that fall is officially here, even when it’s 80 degrees outside, soup is starting to sound good. Uchiwa Ramen has high ceilings and a long, curved bar. Patrons sit at the bar or at the wooden tables that circle it. The cool grey tile and light wood accents in the room contribute to its open feel and welcoming atmosphere.
Soup season is here, and Uchiwa Ramen is a perfect spot to warm up on a chilly day. Credit: Uchiwa Ramen
The chicken paitan bowl is a hot, nourishing combination of chicken-based broth with bites of chicken breast, a soft-boiled egg, green onions, spinach, mushrooms, fresh house made ramen and bean sprouts. As a side: gyoza, a generous serving of fried pork (or vegetable) dumplings served with ponzu sauce. The crunchy outside and soft savory inside made each bite a delight. Soup not your thing? Explore the many other options on the menu, including a variety of rice bowls, egg rolls, and takoyaki (fried octopus balls topped with Kewpie mayo, takoyaki sauce, furikake, bonito flakes, and green onions).
Enjoy the view of the Bay and the freeway traffic you are avoiding while dining at Uchiwa Ramen. Savoring a bowl of soup, filled to the brim, will satisfy anyone’s yearning for comfort food early in this season.
If the fall season conjures thoughts of caramel apples and possibly s’mores, there’s something for you at Dipped, part of Bay Street Emeryville since 2023. Beyond the traditional caramel apple, you can also find s’mores caramel apples, cheesecake caramel apples and a milk chocolate almond caramel apple. The apples are all the Granny Smith variety: their firm texture and tartness partner well with the sweet elements. Many other things are dipped at Dipped, including Oreos, strawberries, cookies, pretzels, and bite-sized pieces of cheesecake (including pumpkin and apple cinnamon).
The Dubai chocolate cheesecake bites intrigued me, so I opted for one: a chocolate cheesecake bite featuring a double-baked graham cracker crust topped with a layer of milk chocolate, pistachio cream, toasted kataifi (shredded phyllo dough, usually soaked in sweet syrup in traditional Ottoman cuisine: think baklava), and a bit of tahini, which adds a hint of sesame to the flavor profile. Topped with whipped cream, this was a taste sensation with layers of complex flavors and textures packed into a beautifully presented small bite.
Fogo de Chao is the place for meat lovers at Bay Street. Credit: Fogo de Chao
This upscale Brazilian steakhouse, which also opened in 2023, features an open churrasco grill. Diners have the pleasure of watching their choice of grilled meats carved tableside. The all-day happy hour at the bar makes it an excellent and more affordable spot to watch the bustling main dining room, including watching the chefs grill the high-quality cuts of beef over an open flame.
As an entrée into the whole dining experience at Fogo de Chão, we enjoyed an order of Brazilian empanadas (made with seasoned Picanha and onions, served with creamy chimichurri aioli), accompanied by a “Passionate Caipirinha” (the classic Brazilian cocktail, made with passionfruit and silver cachaҫa), followed by a decadent piece of tres leches cake. This is the place for a special night out.
Ordering at Mumu Hot Pot, which opened at Bay Street in 2024, is a combination of DIY and choose your own adventure. The eponymous hot pot is encased at each table’s place setting. To order, you first choose your soup base, then decide if you want rice or noodles. Next, you must decide on your choice of meat, seafood, and/or vegetables. The options are formidable. (Studying the menu in advance is a good idea to help expedite your decision-making process.) After much discussion, we narrowed it down to a miso soup base, black tiger shrimp, tilapia fillet, many mushrooms and a full veggie platter. As if that wasn’t enough to choose from, there is a selection of sauces for dipping: peanut, sweet soy, mushroom, satay and ponzu, to name a few, along with several garnishes.
When the food arrives, it cooks in the pot for about five minutes. Since everything can’t all fit in the pot at once, it is cooked in batches, mixing and matching as you go. A “single” with two sides was more than enough for two. The portions are very generous — you can go big at Mumu.
This Michelin Bib Gourmand Mexican restaurant which first launched in San Francisco in 2016, arrived at Bay Street in late 2023. Tacos and bowls are served with carnitas, fried or grilled fish, chicken tinga, mushrooms and peppers, or carne asada. The menu also includes mole negro, chile relleno, quesabirria, and enchiladas rojas. The drink menu features several versions of the margarita, signature cocktails, micheladas, wine and beer.
Next door is Flores Taqueria, a new grab-and-go concept that offers tacos, burritos, bowls and salads inspired by the originalFlores menu.
Pippal is a new concept from the founders of the Michelin rated ROOH Progressive Indian. Credit: Pippal
A new regional Indian concept from the founders of Michelin rated ROOH Progressive Indian in San Francisco, Pippal opened next to Humphry Slocombe in late 2023. The fast casual restaurant offers a changing menu showcasing the wide variety of spices, herbs, and flavors found throughout the country in a warm, inviting setting. The menu from chef Munish Rana incorporates creative, globally-influenced touches to traditional dishes. Pippal offers lunch, dinner and bar menus along with a selection of signature cocktails, beer and wine.
Suacy Asian, which was founded in San Francisco, serves Korean-California fusion. Credit: Saucy Asian
Another new addition with roots in San Francisco, Korean fusion spot Saucy Asian opened at Bay Street in early 2024. Owner Andrew Shinn completed his graduate degree in international business in Seoul, and dreamt of exporting his favorite flavors and dining experiences to the United States. The menu includes a wide variety of bowls, poke, burritos and tacos — blending Korean flavors with California staples and Seoul style, like the kimchi quesadilla or the Seoul cheesesteak with bulgogi beef, mushrooms, onions, bell peppers, three cheeses, tomato garlic spread, and gochujang aioli on a French roll.
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