Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings. The openings and closings for each month are then compiled into a round-up. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here. Subscribing to the Nosh newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on all of the openings and closings, breaking news, deeper developments, and events in the East Bay food scene.
Alameda restaurant opening
Blue Drip Co. Cafe
02.24.26: A new coffee shop arrives in West Alameda. Located inside the Storehouse Lofts, a live/work space, Blue Drip Co. Cafe opened its doors this Feb. 21. Besides serving coffee drinks and Italian sodas, the shop also sells soy candles in scents like pineapple passionfruit and white tea, as well as diffusers. Blue Drip Co. Cafe, 2350 Saratoga St., Unit 101, Alameda.
Albany restaurant opening
02.03.26: Lulu on Solano Avenue in Albany temporarily closed Jan. 31 to adjust its business model and menu. The restaurant previously focused on Palestinian-inspired California brunch and dinner services. Now, renamed Lulu’s Little Kitchen, it reopened Feb. 21 with “[a] fresh menu, a new format, and all the heart of Lulu you know and love.” The revamp includes a new counter-service model. Lulu’s Little Kitchen, 1106 Solano Ave., Albany
Berkeley restaurant openings
‘ammatka
03.03.26: A new Ohlone cafe opens in the Lawrence Hall of Science. ‘ammatka is Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino’s most recent endeavor. The pair previously opened Ohlone Cafe in 2018, and then later, ‘ottoytak, a restaurant at the Hearst Anthropology Museum at UC Berkeley. The new cafe recently opened to the public and serves an Ohlone salad, which includes pine nuts, black walnuts, blackberries, dried strawberries, and edible flowers; smoked duck sandwiches; and chia seed puddings. They plan to have a seasonal menu. The cafe is a part of a larger ‘ottoy initiative to foster respect for the Ohlone people, which also includes a native plant garden in the museum’s Outdoor Nature Lab. ‘ammatka at Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Dr., Berkeley.
April Rose Provisions
02.17.26: A new provisions shop in Berkeley opened Feb. 21. April Rose Provisions will sell kitchenware, home goods, and pantry specialties and dry goods – with a focus on small production and local products. April Rose Provisions, 2524 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley.
02.24.26: As mentioned in last week’s closings, Cal’s Fried Chicken and Burgers has now reopened as Cali Grill after a temporary closure to revamp at the beginning of the year. The refreshed restaurant serves mostly the same menu of burgers, chicken sandwiches, chopped cheese sandwiches and more, with some new additions as well. Cali Grill, 2026 University Ave., Berkeley.
Ox 9
03.03.26: A new Lanzhou-style noodle joint has opened near the Cal campus. Ox 9 first opened locations in 2017 in the South Bay (Milpitas, and later Cupertino), and currently has a few other Bay Area restaurants including in Fremont, San Mateo, and now Berkeley. The chewy, handpulled noodles come in six sizes at Ox 9, from “small round” to “belt flat” noodles. Known as “la mien,” or pulled noodles, the famed dish from Gansu province in China is typically served in a clear beef broth. Ox 9, 2404 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley.
Rice Dynasty
03.03.26: Rice Dynasty, a new lotus steamed sticky rice food spot near the UC Berkeley campus – next door to Noodle Dynasty on Telegraph Avenue – has opened. The dishes are served in a bamboo steamer basket with the rice, meat, and vegetables. Rice Dynasty, 2428 Telegraph Ave., Berkeley.
Emeryville restaurant openings
Go Bánh Mi
02.03.26: A new Vietnamese sandwich shop opened Feb. 1 in Emeryville. Local publication The E’Ville Eye reports that it’s a ghost kitchen operating out of Lanesplitter Pizza on San Pablo Avenue. All sandwiches are between $8.95-$9.95 with go-tos like grilled chicken and some harder-to-find sandwiches like grilled shrimp and grilled beef wrapped in betel nut leaves. Go Bánh Mi, 3645 San Pablo Ave., Emeryville
Tease Southern Kitchen
02.03.26: A southern food business opens inside the Emeryville Public Market. With dishes like lobster mac n’ cheese, garlic noodles, and shrimp po’boys, Tease will surely please a palate hankering for southern comfort food. Tease started in Antioch and had a brief stint in Oakland. Located in the former Minnie Bell’s. Tease Southern Kitchen, 5959 Shellmound St., Unit 15, Emeryville.
Hayward restaurant opening
Butter Pecan Bakeshop
02.17.26: The local cookie shop chain is opened a location in Hayward on Feb. 25. Butter Pecan first opened in Pinole and now has several locations in the Bay Area, including one in Emeryville. The Hayward location is the bakery’s first franchise location. Cookie flavorsinclude brown butter pecan, banana toffee, and strawberries and cream, plus seasonal rotating ones. Butter Pecan Bakeshop, 22656 Mission Blvd., Hayward.
Oakland restaurant openings
Ace Seafood
02.17.26: Previously known as Small Change, the oyster bar in Temescal recently re-opened as Ace Seafood. Besides a menu of cooked and raw oysters, the restaurant also serves pickled mussels and other seafood-focused dishes, plus wine and beer. Ace Seafood, 5000 Telegraph Ave., Oakland.
Cafe Santana
02.24.26: Cafe Santana, an Oakland cafe and roastery, opened a second location on MacArthur Boulevard. The cafe has already soft opened; grand opening events on February 28 will include live music, a DJ, local artists and vendors – and coffee. The cafe also has a home delivery coffee bean subscription service. Cafe Santana, 2700 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland.
Cenaduria Elvira
02.11.26: A popular backyard-based restaurant has now officially become a brick-and-mortar in Oakland’s Jack London Square district, with Jalisco-regional favorites such as tostada raspada and crispy, fried tacos durados. Owner Elvira Varela’s tostada was named one of the top dishes of 2023 in the New York Times. The restaurant soft opened a few weeks ago, and will have its grand opening on February 21. Cenaduria Elvira, 468 3rd St., Oakland.
Grand Opening
02.17.26: Grand Opening bakery by James Beard-nominated pastry chef Melissa Chou is now taking pre-orders at the West Oakland kitchen. Chou used to pop up at Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco and is now located at 02 Artisans Aggregate, where Soba Ichi and other businesses reside. The current menu includes Chinese New Year specials, whole cakes, pies, and cookies such as a black sesame almond cake with blood orange and strawberry lychee cheese tart. Chou said details for when the bakery will be open for walkup pastries are still to be determined, but will continue to have pre-orders with standard offerings like the burnt honey pie and Parisian egg tart, plus a changing menu of sponge cakes and other desserts. Grand Opening, 2311 Magnolia St., Oakland.
Jolly Cafe
03.03.26: The cafe that replaced Oakland Chinatown’s Boba Binge is now open. The menu is somewhat similar to Boba Binge’s, including Vietnamese coffee and matcha, Vietnamese spring rolls, and Vietnamese banh mi sandwiches. In addition, they serve some unique drinks, such as ones with sweet mung bean. Jolly Cafe, 1004 Webster St., Oakland.
The Pizza Boyz
02.03.26: Located inside the former Fists of Flour in the Laurel district, The Pizza Boyz opened Feb. 1 and includes combinations like tikka masala and an “Afghan pizza” made with halal beef, chicken, and vegetables. The Pizza Boyz, 4166 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland.
Saints Smokehouse
02.03.26: Helmed by Chopped winner Rashad Armstead, Saints Smokehouse opened Feb. 7 (a day before Super Bowl Sunday) with a menu of smoked barbequed meats and sides in downtown Oakland. Chopped judge Alex Guarnaschelli called a crab dish Armstead made on the show “brilliant” and another judge, Geoffrey Zakarian, said the sauce was one of the best things he’s ever tasted. Plates are between $18-$20, which includes either smoked half chicken, brisket, or pork ribs–plus one side. Saints Smokehouse, 218 13th St., Oakland.
San Leandro restaurant opening
As Kneaded Cafe
02.11.26: From the founder of As Kneaded Bakery in San Leandro, Iliana Berkowitz opened a cafe inside the San Leandro Library on Feb. 14. The menu features salad, sandwiches, baked goods, and espresso drinks, including seasonal items like lavender latte. As Kneaded Cafe, 300 Estudillo Ave., San Leandro.
Gold Bean Cafe
02.11.26: Gold Bean Cafe in San Leandro soft opened this past weekend. The cafe has two other locations in Berkeley and is known for specialty drinks such as a churro latte, and the Vietnamese-inspired egg coffee. Gold Bean Cafe, 138 Pelton Center Way, San Leandro.
Lavanta
02.11.26: A new Mediterranean restaurant opened Feb. 9 in San Leandro. The restaurant serves souvlaki, pasta, and mezze dishes. Lavanta, 599 Dutton Ave., San Leandro.
Richmond restaurant opening
Top Thai Cuisine
02.11.26: A new Thai spot opened in Richmond. Top Thai has another location in Castro Valley, which opened in 2005. The new Richmond restaurant features noodles and curries, a “Penang beef special,” as well as options for vegetarians. Top Thai Cuisine, 12200 San Pablo Ave., Richmond.
Walnut Creek restaurant opening
Duck Donuts
02.11.26: Walnut Creek gets a location of Duck Donuts. The chain based in North Carolina specializes in a cake donut base with flavors like maple bacon and s’mores. Duck Donuts, 2920 N Main St., Walnut Creek.
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Fresh take: Ace Seafood seeks to reel in a broader audience with revamp and relaunch
March 4, 2026March 5, 2026, 7:21 a.m.
Oakland’s famous tostada is back. Cenaduria Elvira is opening near Jack London Square
February 10, 2026Feb. 10, 2026, 1:22 p.m.
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