{"id":216907,"date":"2026-03-12T20:01:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:01:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/216907\/"},"modified":"2026-03-12T20:01:11","modified_gmt":"2026-03-12T20:01:11","slug":"the-best-deals-of-oakland-restaurant-week-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/216907\/","title":{"rendered":"The Best Deals of Oakland Restaurant Week 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

Oakland<\/a> Restaurant Week has arrived \u2014 the annual signal for gourmands, bargain hunters and prix-fixe menu connoisseurs to descend upon the Town\u2019s finest restaurants in search of a good deal (or, conversely, for crowd-averse diners to consider staying home).<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s March 12\u201322 promotion<\/a>, sponsored by the city\u2019s tourism bureau<\/a>, features no fewer than 135 participating restaurants, each of them offering a range of prix-fixe deals and special, this-week-only dishes. It\u2019s a lot of information to sort through.<\/p>\n

As a public service, then, I\u2019ve taken the time to scour the dozens of menus (or, at least, the ones that have been posted publicly so far) and picked nine of the best deals \u2014 the ones offering the steepest savings and\/or the most intriguing special items. Luckily, Oakland Restaurant Week offers a little something for everyone, no matter your taste, mood or budget.<\/p>\n

The $15 lunch bargain<\/p>\n

With all due respect to the classy joints serving up elegant $65 prix-fixe dinners this week, that simply isn\u2019t an option right now for a lot of folks. So one of the nice features of Oakland Restaurant Week is that there are also plenty of $15 lunch deals. Among these, one of the best bargains is the lunch set at Chinatown\u2019s Alice Street Bakery Cafe<\/a>, featuring the restaurant\u2019s popular shrimp tempura burger (nearly a $15 value all by itself) \u2014 plus spring rolls, crab rangoons, gyoza and tea.<\/p>\n

The Colombian arepa fest<\/p>\n

For a slightly heartier \u2014 and fancier \u2014 mid-day meal, I like Parch\u00e9\u2019s<\/a> upscale Colombian prix fixe ($35), which, based on my back-of-the-envelope math, provides at least a $48 value if you pick the priciest options: crispy Brussels sprouts, a cheese-filled arepa de choclo or a steak sandwich, and one of Parch\u00e9\u2019s nonalcoholic tropical cocktails.<\/p>\n

\"JerkA jerk chicken plate from Cocobreeze. (Luke Tsai\/KQED)
\nThe Afro-Caribbean oxtail feast<\/p>\n

By my reckoning, no participating restaurant has a more dizzyingly large variety<\/a> of Restaurant Week deals than Cocobreeze<\/a>, the popular Trinidian spot<\/a> on High Street, which boasts $25, $35, $45 and $65 prix-fixe options, plus specials tied to specific days of the week \u2014 oxtail<\/a> Saturdays, for instance, on March 14 and 21. But if you\u2019re feeding a crowd (or two very hungry people), that $65 deal<\/a> looks tough to beat: two appetizers (say, the jerk chicken wings and an order of pholourie), two entrees (maybe the oxtails and the deep-fried snapper), two housemade tropical drinks and two desserts. Worth noting: Ample vegan options are available, including plant-based \u201coxtails.\u201d<\/p>\n

The best pizza deal<\/p>\n

One of the best bargains comes courtesy of Violetta Pizzeria<\/a>, which has been slinging New York\u2013style slices out of West Oakland\u2019s Prescott Marketplace for about a year. For its $35 dinner deal \u2014 i.e., slightly less than what one of Violetta\u2019s 18-inch specialty pizzas normally costs \u2014 you get a whole pie, an entree-size salad and four chocolate chip sea salt cookies. By my calculations, that\u2019s a $63 value.<\/p>\n

The casual chef\u2019s counter<\/p>\n

Mostly known for its hefty portions of fried rice, another Prescott Marketplace kiosk, Woo Can Cook<\/a>, is making an intriguing pivot for Restaurant Week. Instead of highlighting its regular menu, the restaurant will offer something more akin to an intimate chef\u2019s counter experience \u2014 right in the middle of the bustling food hall. The $45 prix fixe will include West Lake soup, braised Lion\u2019s Head Meatballs and deep-fried sesame balls. Tickets need to be pre-purchased<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The whimsical bar bite<\/p>\n

I love a bar with a fun gimmick<\/a>, so I appreciate how Gold Palm<\/a> is using Restaurant Week as an opportunity to make the combination of poutine and a martini \u2014 or, as they put it, a \u201cpoutini\u201d \u2014 a thing. The poutine, like the rest of the food at this Uptown spot, is Pakistani-inflected, with spice-dusted fries, cheese curds and a shiitake mushroom gravy. And there\u2019s a decent savings too, especially if you go for the $30 (two-person, two-martini) deal: Since one martini costs $14 by itself, you\u2019re practically getting the poutine for free.<\/p>\n

\"InteriorViridian is one of Oakland\u2019s most stylish bars. (BayDish, courtesy of Visit Oakland)
\nThe treat for cocktail lovers
\n