{"id":417185,"date":"2026-07-29T22:50:07","date_gmt":"2026-07-29T22:50:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/417185\/"},"modified":"2026-07-29T22:50:07","modified_gmt":"2026-07-29T22:50:07","slug":"burdell-chef-geoff-davis-is-ready-to-open-his-second-restaurant-in-oakland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/417185\/","title":{"rendered":"Burdell Chef Geoff Davis Is Ready to Open His Second Restaurant in Oakland"},"content":{"rendered":"

Whereas Burdell is known for its produce-driven soul food that celebrates Davis\u2019s family matriarchs and their food, as Food & Wine<\/a> reports, Uncle\u2019s will build on Davis\u2019s memories and fondness for hanging out with his uncles.<\/p>\n

With that in mind, Davis is designing what he calls a \u201cclassic restaurant.\u201d It\u2019s not a steakhouse or a supper club \u2014 though the restaurant will serve steaks of various kinds. He prefers using the term \u201cbar and grill\u201d to describe what he and the team are going for. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to reclaim what a bar and grill is,\u201d Davis tells Eater. \u201cI think that went out of fashion, but that\u2019s really what it is: It\u2019s a wood-fired grill, and good cocktails, and good wine. [Uncle\u2019s is] a little bit more ambitious than just a neighborhood restaurant.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although he\u2019s trying to escape the steakhouse comparison \u2014 and all the trappings that come with that term \u2014 Uncle\u2019s does share some of the same energy. He explains it like this: The restaurant he\u2019s creating is a place where you have your go-to dish, maybe it\u2019s the fish, \u201cthen you add your sides, you get a classic [appetizer] to start, you get a classic cocktail that doesn\u2019t feel out of place.\u201d Slyly, the Burdell team\u2019s Valentine\u2019s Day pop-up<\/a> was a bit of a preview of what is to come at Uncle\u2019s. Dubbed the Tavern, that pop-up featured options like a tableside Caesar or a chopped salad; clams casino pasta with herb linguine; seared pork chops for two with pan jus; loaded potatoes; and creamed spinach. Expanding on this with Food & Wine, Davis shares that, yes, there will be steaks, but with \u201clesser-loved cuts of beef,\u201d such as picanha, coulotte, and hanger steak. Oysters will also play a part, as will Italian American pasta dishes of rigatoni alla vodka, and of course, martinis.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s a way to go and have dinner for a reasonable price, and come on a Wednesday night and not have it feel like it\u2019s a steakhouse kind of occasion,\u201d Davis says. \u201cYou don\u2019t have to take out a loan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Much like Burdell, Uncle\u2019s is a family affair in a few ways. There\u2019s the name, of course, which channels family vibes, but Uncle\u2019s will also raise up Burdell\u2019s restaurant family. Zara Fernandez-Aurelio, who runs logistics and operations for Burdell, will become a partner in Uncle\u2019s, as will Seth Corr, Burdell\u2019s wine and service lead. Burdell chef de cuisine Brandon Cavazos will move over to Uncle\u2019s to run the kitchen.<\/p>\n

The restaurant is set to take over the Wood Tavern space on College Avenue, which will close at the end of 2026<\/a> after nearly a 20-year run. Alex Spatzier Architects will work on the restaurant design, and Davis says he is excited to work with landlord John Chalik to upgrade the space. The team will aim for a timeless-meets-1970s aesthetic, per Food & Wine. <\/p>\n

Uncle\u2019s is slated for a spring 2027 opening, and Davis is happy about taking on a new project in Oakland. \u201cI\u2019m excited that it\u2019s a whole new thing,\u201d he says. \u201cI think in cooking soul food, there\u2019s some limitation there and limitations in how people perceive it. I\u2019ve decided to show off more range … My background really is in more classic stuff like this, and I worked at a lot of French- and Italian-leaning places. So I think being able to flex those muscles is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

Uncle\u2019s<\/a> (6317 College Avenue, Oakland) debuts in Spring 2027.<\/p>\n