Permanently Closed - Pican - Oakland

Amazing restaurant. Sad to see it go. But the owner has a new location in Hayward called Playt.

Went for their final weekend having enjoyed Pican over the years. Needless to say, this was not a good way For them to go out. Acknowledging that they were working with a skeleton crew and with a limited menu what they did serve was not up to their usual standards. We started with the Shrimp and Grits and shared the Ratatouille as appetizers. They were both lukewarm and lacking in flavor. The main course of Jamabalaya was very hot and had plenty of seafood and sausage but again was lacking in flavor. The fried chicken was the most sad with just a leg and thigh along with a small tray of mac and cheese for $28. Their chicken was alway costly but this was really over the top.
The cocktails were still good and helped to dull the pain but for over $150 for just two this was not an experience I would repeat. They did mention that they were hoping to open in a smaller space but I have to admit that based on how they handled this last weekend I would sad to say, have to really think long and hard before ever returning.

They are closed for good. Very sad.

Pican is awesome. Our waitress made it a very special occasion. I am saddened to hear that they are closing. How sad for Oakland.

Once again-Pican did not disappoint- we ordered a number of appetizers and "grazed" with a great bottle of Cabernet. (Make sure to order the greens- better than my grandma (may she Rest In Peace) used to make!

Food choice and quality excellent. Service was extremely slow. The Wait staff kept engaged with us...and fortunately, we did keep our appetite in check by ordering two appetizers, but the overall slowness was a distraction. Especially on a night that didn't seem that busy.

My complaint is this a greasy spoon. But, I understand they're closing for a few months. I hope when they reopen, this place is a bit more health conscience

We had a lovely lunch even with a very limited menu...the restaurant is closing in 15 days, so their inventory of offerings was extremely limited. They substituted a perfectly roasted chicken breast for salmon on the candy gem salad. We had live entertainment, a great piano player who's repertoire of old standards helped fill the void of customers, only one other Table of two was there at the same time as us. It's too bad that they couldn't stay in business.

My out of town friends always love this place. They enjoyed the food. Tonight's staff seemed very rushed so we weren't able to get that personal touch that we have come to expect. Overall food was good as usual..

Food mediocre and overpriced. Service was horrible, slow. I had been at Pican for the second time and won't be coming back.

I love Pican. I have been there a number of times for dinner. This was my first lunch there. The food was as excellent as always, as was the service. I was a bit disappointed by the limited number of selections on the lunch menu, so in the future I will probably only go back for dinner. But I WILL go back!

Fried chicken was very good the mac and cheese was amazing the portion you get for the price is unfair it comes in a very small cast iron skillet it's like a tease.

We love Pican for weekend bunch. The food is great, Atmosphere is great. Service is good. Some of the many yummy food items: Amazing cheese biscuits. Amazing grits, The Cesar salad with warm cheese Croutons and anchovy. The Catfish. The Corn beef and hash is made with REAL corn beef. Everything is yummy!! And they
have a live piano player. A great dining experience!!

Pican is a great restaurant with amazing food. Their brunch menu is very tasty. Our waitress recommended a carafe of pomegranate pineapple mimosas and they were delicious. Pican is a friendly and relaxing dining spot with class and authenticity. I will go back again and again.

I went to San Francisco to celebrate my birthday and I was very excited about dining at Pican. Our waitress was beautiful, kind and very accommodating unfortunately none of our selections were good. I decided to try the catfish etouffee and my friend had the ribs. Both were disgusting so we decided to go for something smaller and ordered the mac and cheese. It was disgusting as well. In all fairness, we are southern girls born and raised. I'm from Texas and she's from Louisiana we are used to "real" cajun cuisine, not cajun cuisine with a California spin on it...lol.
On a positive note, the restaurant is beautiful and the atmosphere is nice and relaxing.

Pican was a beautiful restaurant with amazing, home style, fresh, and delicious food. I enjoyed the Briskets and Gravy, and I CANNOT wait to go back and have it again, and again, and again....it was beyond delicious. The biscuits were light and fluffy, the gravy was full of sausage and was perfectly flavored, the brisket was falling apart and full of flavor, the eggs were poached (my choice) and added perfection of perfection. My boyfriend had the Fried French Toast and he devoured most of it...it was so big he couldn't finish it, and that is EXTREMEMY rare for him..!! He's a plate finisher, so you know that meal was a huge portion. Our 3 other guests all enjoyed their meals, and were all stuffed at the end also. It was my boyfriend's birthday brunch, and our waitress was sweet enough to bring out a little treat for him...we all shared a bite, but it was tough to get down... only because we were so full!! I can't wait to back again. This will be my breakfast brunch meal, I hope!

Briskets & Gravy - one of the best biscuits and gravy meals I've ever had, and that meal is all I ever want for breakfast. I give their version 10 out of 5 stars! Yummmmmm.

Fried French Toast - great flavor, delicious bread used, it was dessert for breakfast!! The chocolate cremeux was yummy, fresh strawberries were a great compliment. Awesome for brunch.

You crushed it Pican, thank you!

I took my son and friend to Pican for my son's 20th birthday. We all found the food fantastic! My friend and I had shortribs - they just melt in your mouth. My son loved the fried chicken, said it was moist unlike most fried chicken.

The brussel sprouts were nothing special so I would not order those again. However the cornbread was terrific.

Wine selection not amazing - just okay.

Will go again.

Food here is off the hook, everything is amazing! Service is top notch and drinks are great too

Simply the best southern dishes in the Bay Area. Thank you Michael and crew!!

Nothing special here though they claim to be one of the best restaurants in Oakland. Upscale southern with smaller portions, inflated prices, and missing the flavor you would expect of that cuisine.

My first experience was AMAZING however, it was for brunch and I realized this time that the brunch menu is reserved for Saturday and Sunday only. This time dinner was underwhelming. We had to send dishes back because they weren't hot. I feel like the food was being warmed up and not being prepared to order. The Jambalaya was not seasoned and the cornbread was inconsistent. For the price, I expected to be impressed again but, this time I just wasn't and that's a shame as I had been bragging about this place and drove over 80 miles with a friend and she ended up giving her food away. Over a hundred dollar dinner for 2 and my food is sitting in the fridge. I'm sorry, it just isn't what I remembered.

Great, friendly service, great food, fair price. Can't ask for any more.

Food was good . The ambiance was great except we believe that there should be a dress code.

It was Mother's Day, and even though we are now empty-nesters, I wanted to do something special for my wife. Since we are from New Orleans, we thought of Pican. Mother's Day was a busy day, so we could only get a reservation at 5:15 pm, a little early, but it was worth it. We started with Fried Green Tomatoes. Both of us had never had that before. They were topped with pulled pork. They were excellent. Think of the tomatoes as a delivery vehicle for the pork. My wife had fried chicken and macaroni. The fried chicken was drizzled with honey. Need I say more? I had the risotto. It was a perfect blend of catfish, shrimp, chicken, and sausage. Each bite tasted different from the previous. I would order that again. We finished off with a chocolate brownie with ice cream. Come on, what's not to like?

I enjoyed the atmosphere, the minute we arrived we received service, the food was great and the noise level was not bad although the tables were relatively close. Great find, my first time eating there.

Even on Mother's Day our reservation got us seated quickly. Each of us enjoyed our meal. We really liked the coursed.

Food is amazing here. But service is extremely lacking. Our reservation was 20 minutes delayed and the hostess said nothing. No apology. The server took forever to acknowledge us. One of the food runners was talking to another table as she set our meals down. No acknowledgement. We felt ignored and like we weren't valued at all.
But the food is seriously good. Service is to be desired.

Great Mother's Day Brunch. A creative menu, with unique dishes and presentations. Pican is our go to restaurant for special occasions.

Outstanding service, food and just a great place to dine.

Picans never disappoints!! Our family hadn't been for a while and chose it for our son's graduation celebration with family. Everyone loved the cuisine and the service was impeccable. Ayanna, our waitress, was so attentive to our large party. The great food and service are why we love it so much.

Perfect environment for any special occasion. The ambiance was nice & laid back. The shrimp & grits are amazing as well as the catfish and grits. I would definitely recommend this restaurant for a date night or even lunch with girlfriends.

Have been here many times, I live on the pensula and was in Oakland for the "my mama" concert. The restaurant is very nice, the food is good, and it is walking distance of BART. I recommend picans

Very accommodating when we asked to move to a quieter spot. The wait staff was awesome. Our server's recommendations were terrific and she explained them well.

My sister & I decided to try Picans with our spouses as a double lunch date. It was our first time & we were impressed. The service was phenomenal & the food splendid. Not to mention the drinks. (Tennessee Margarita is the bomb! Must try) . We enjoyed ourselves so much! You will not be disappointed. 100 stars to this amazing restaurant & their staff

Great experience for a Sunday brunch. Those pancakes, baby!

My friends and I made reservations for Sunday brunch and had a excellent time. The food was great as well as the service. 5 star service

Great service from checking in at the entrance, to our waitress. There was also a gal playing jazz piano which was lovely. Nice for a date or anniversary.
The food was delicious and generous in portion, and the drink menu decent (though lots of bourbon which isn't quite my thing).
Definitely will return.

The service was excellent. Everyone was friendly and efficient. The food was great.

This place was AMAZING! from the moment we walked in, the host that greeted us was friendly and gave us recommendations on the menu. The two items he picked are what we got and they tasted unbelievably good!! The fried chicken is definitely the best I've ever had, super juicy and the truffle honey is a must. The jambalaya was very flavorful and the brussel sprouts were as well. Even the cocktails where great! Definitely worth the price and we are definitely coming back again!

A fantastic find I intend to visit for dinner ...Southern/New Orleans cuisine. We went on a spur of the moment Saturday and caught the Brunch....The staff suprised with a Birthday desert that was fabulous ...The Bene's are worth the trip alone...Thanks