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Dining Room - Burdell, Oakland, CA
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Burdell

$50 and over
Soul food
A photo of Burdell restaurant

Burdell

4.5
$50 and over
Soul food
Oakland

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • Innovative
Burdell is a Soul Food restaurant in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland from James Beard Finalist, Chef Geoff Davis.

Named for and inspired by his maternal grandmother, Burdell, the restaurant reflects her love for well-set tables, entertaining guests, shared meals, and laughter. Burdell is centered on nostalgia, family recipes, thoughtful and sustainable sourcing, and the forgotten impact of Black farming, ranching, fishing, foraging, and culture on American cuisine and hospitality.

The menu highlights farmers and artisans harvesting and creating excellent products around us. Paired with the food is a robust list of wine and beverages from producers around the World-focusing on wines that are farmed and crafted with care and sustainable practices.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Geoff Davis

From the OpenTable editors: Fine dining vet and James Beard finalist Geoff Davis returns to his roots with this totally fresh take on California soul food. Expect iconic dishes like barbecue shrimp and boiled peanuts alongside heirloom tomato salads and slow-simmered collards. The retro design and vintage plates make every meal here feel like Sunday supper with family—no wonder Food & Wine named Burdell its 2024 restaurant of the year.

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Soul food, Californian
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (510) 239-9287
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Neighborhood
    Oakland
  • Cross street
    46th Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Macarthur BART station
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Family Dinner Menu

    $82.69 per person

    Multiple dates available
    For parties of 7-9, your group will partake in our market-driven, multicourse Family Dinner Menu, instead of our regular a la carte menu. The price per person varies depending on what's on the menu for the week. Menu substitutions to this menu are politely declined. Kindly include any dietary restrictions on your reservation when booking so we can prepare appropriately for your visit (not all dietary restrictions may be accommodated). We do charge a cancellation fee person of $75 per person for no-shows and late cancellations as we hold the physical space in our small restaurant in anticipation of your larger party. As with everything, we charge a 20% service charge that supports livable wages for all staff as well as healthcare.
  • Private Events

    Multiple dates available
    Parties of 10-20 for dinner, please visit our website and post an inquiry using the link at the bottom of the page for private event details, availability, and pricing. We look forward to hosting your special event!
    Private Events Photo
  • Family Brunch Menu

    $93.71 per person

    Multiple dates available
    For groups of 9-19, we offer a market-driven, multicourse Family Brunch Menu for $85 per person (excluding taxes and 20% service charge). The three-course, family-style, Chef's pick meal includes a starter, main, and dessert, with menu offerings tailored to dietary restrictions (substitutions not allowed, not all dietary restrictions may be accommodated). Please inform us of any dietary needs when booking your reservation. We charge a cancellation fee of $85 per person for no-shows and late cancellations as we hold the physical space in our small restaurant in anticipation of your larger party. As with everything, we charge a 20% service charge that supports livable wages for all staff and healthcare.

What 141 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5
4.5 based on recent ratings
  • 4.5Food
  • 4.3Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4Value

NoiseModerate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Burdell offers a nostalgic dining experience with a charming 1970s vibe. Guests rave about the "fantastic food" and "outstanding flavors," with the fried chicken, cornbread, and pork chops being particular highlights. The ambiance is welcoming and reminiscent of a family gathering, making it a beloved spot for brunch and dinner. However, some reviews note service inconsistencies, but the overall experience remains highly praised.

141 Reviews
  1. Karna

    San Francisco

    37 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    37 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    The food is very good, but the portions are small and the prices are high. We didn't order enough as we were told the plates were family style. The portion size on the mains was barely enough for one person with a small appetite. The restaurant could use some soundproofing as it is so loud that is difficult to have a conversation or communicate with the servers.

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  2. Andrew

    San Francisco

    31 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Unique and delicious. Overall, incredible experience.

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  3. B

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    1.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    I visited Burdell, Food & Wine's 2024 Restaurant of the Year, with high expectations. As someone who wants to support Black-owned businesses, I was excited to try this modern soul food restaurant in Oakland. Unfortunately, my experience fell short of my hopes. While the service was attentive and the decor was pleasant, the food left much to be desired. Despite being aware of the limited menu options due to my dietary restrictions, I found the dishes I tried to be lacking in flavor and seasoning. This was particularly disappointing given the restaurant's reputation for reimagining soul food. I'm conflicted about sharing this experience, as my mother always taught me, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." However, I feel it's important to provide honest feedback. While I appreciate Burdell's concept and its contribution to the culinary scene, the execution of the food didn't meet my expectations for a restaurant of this caliber.

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  4. Ridwana

    Washington DC

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food to table experience was outstanding. Everyone commented how much they enjoyed the food. From the cabbage salad to the Hoppin john to the Fried Patole Sole/Fried Chicken all the food was well seasoned and prepared. We even received free chocolate chip cookies. Great music complemented the great food. I will definitely go back!

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  5. Tanya

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Unfortunately, I was served pork and I am a vegetarian in my greens which was a wrong order given to me. They did remove the cost from my bill. But the experience was very unsettling. I also wised they had a larger variety of items to choose from. The restaurant is primarily designed for meat eaters.

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  6. Mark

    San Francisco

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 2, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Totally lived up to it's hype. Best cornbread and greens we have ever had. My SIL, a retired Black chef from Chicago was blown away that the west Coast could do so well w soul food, We loved the apps, especially chicken liver and waffle, which I was a bit reluctant to try.

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  7. chris

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on December 1, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I could not stop smiling! Eating at Burdell made me so happy! I felt the spirit of the Chef's grandmother and boy, was she proud! Deep nourishment for the body and soul! Thank you, thank you, thank you!

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  8. Cathy

    Pittsburgh

    3 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on November 30, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Super fun upscale but homey soul food. Recommend the chicken liver and waffles and corn bread. The beet salad with a rich creamy dressing was both light with amazing herbs and hearty. We had excellent recommendations for wine along with dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the retro ambiance and dishes too. My partner said one of the plates they served food on was what their parents had when they were a kid!

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  9. Mike

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    4.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2024

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the throwback decor…Food was excellent especially the croquettes. Main dishes were very good but overly salty.

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  10. Jeff

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 24, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Delicious food that was deeply flavored and surprisingly bright (sometimes soul food can seem super heavy and overwhelming). A perfect brunch spot. I’m eager to bring others and to try their dinner menu. Chef and staff were very pleasant and professional.

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FAQs

Burdell is rated 4.5 stars by 141 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

A photo of Burdell restaurant

Burdell

4.5
$50 and over
Soul food
Oakland

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 25 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Burdell

4640 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Additional information

  • Cross street
    46th Street
  • Neighborhood
    Oakland
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
  • Price
    $50 and over
  • Cuisines
    Soul food, Californian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Public transit
    Macarthur BART station
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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