Wood Tavern

Great food and drinks and a Nice setting.

Fabulous meal!

Maybe the East Bay’s most delicious! Takes forever to get a rez (I’ve tried for a couple of years) but you can try dining at the bar!

We have been going to the Wood Tavern for many years, especially for special occasions. This year things seemed a little off for the first time. The Shrimp and Rockfish stew was served too hot, and the tomato based broth overpowered everything. It was frothy and kind of weird orange color. The shrimp and mussels were tasty, but the Rockfish was a bit overcooked and didn't taste like anything. I left most of the broth. My husband enjoyed his Ling Cod but said the sauce was also not as good as usual and was that same, weird orangish color. The service was great - we had a waiter we have had for years as well and he was excellent. It has always been extremely noisy, you have to lean in and shout. This time it seemed especially so. Not sure what was up, hopefully it was just an off night but not sure if the chef has changed since we were last there in 2018. Will go back at least once more when the menu changes because the food has always been excellent in the past.

Reliably delicious food, great atmosphere. Only drawback was being seated near the front door on a cold evening.

Excellent food and service. Very loud, but to be expected in a tavern setting.

Wood Tavern never disappoints. Perhaps the best chicken dish I have ever eaten. We'll be back!

Great restaurant, always delivers. Staff and service are top level, as is the f

Always an excellent choice for dining for special occasions or casual lunch.

Always love this place. Great cocktails. Good variety on the menu but not overwhelming like some other restaurants. One of us always gets the steak whenever we dine here. The burger is delicious and so are the fries that accompany it-I think they’re double fried. Dessert is always my favorite although this time we just had ice cream and that was a perfect finish to our meal (hazelnut brownie and lemon coconut sorbet). This place books fast so reserve early if possible.

The food was great, our server was on top of things and we got our favorite table for two in the front window. The restaurant is a little too loud but we expect that when we go. Very good experience overall.

A Gastronomic thrill with an amazing wine list. We had a superb server who suggested an amazing Red Wine that paired well with all dishes from the Lamb Tagliatelle to the Roasted Chicken which had the most sumptuous sauce. We started with the Pate Mousse and finished with an array of Desserts which all were a perfect ending to a 2 hour Dinner. All 4 of us gave 2 thumbs up!

Francisco provided excellent service on our visit for my birthday dinner. He was welcoming and friendly w/o being overbearing. Love the New Deal cocktail. The food was excellent, as usual, the rib-eye was cooked just right, though the famous pork chop was a little tough. Salads were delicious, as was the mushroom soup. We wanted dessert, but there was, alas, no room!

Too noisy to enjoy conversation or our food. We were seated in the front next to the bar and patrons waiting for a table and enjoying their predinner drinks stood so close to our table and were so loud I had to put my fingers in my ears to dull the din! I am sorry as I was really looking forward to experiencing your popular restaurant but I will never have dinner there again☹️

We went there for a birthday dinner and it was fabulous. The food was excellent and outer waiter was lovely. I would highly recommend the restaurant.

Food and service were terrific. Exceedingly noisy that day. Even though we were seated at a table by the window, we could hardly hear ourselves think, let alone converse without almost yelling. C oh cation was a group with a baby that was quite disruptive and the parents kept blocking space between our tables to try to quiet child. While we appreciated their attempts to sooth the toddler, they took over 2 hours for lunch and kept prolonging the disruption for everyone around them. Service staff did all they could to try to manage the situation but some.people do not take a hint.

We had pappardelle with lamb sauce and it was perfection!

Wood Tavern never disappoints. Of course, the food is phenomenal but the people are what keeps us coming back. The welcoming hosts treat us like we’re guests in their own home and the servers are always friendly and professional. Wood Tavern is a true East Bay gem.

This place is such a gem. I went with a bunch of coworkers on their recommendation. We started off with the charcuterie and cheese board. The pate was to die for. My co-worker and I then split the crab salad which was so light and fresh. Finally, I had the roasted chicken which was tender and so flavorful. If this restaurant was in Chicago, I would eat here all the time.

We ordered first and second courses. Our fist course arrived in a reasonable amount of time, but we waited a very long time to get our main course.

Cozy neighborhood cafe on Oakland-Berkeley border. Walking distance from RockRidge BART. Good American food. Great ambiance. Takes reservations.

We enjoyed drinks while waiting for my husbands roast chicken. Since this is a signature dish you would think it wouldnt take so long to prepare. The cocktails and fish stew were delicious. The lemon popette was very light and almost non existent. The place gets drafty as guests enter and the noise is challenging. Restaurants really need to address acoustics! But overall a nice experience.

Be prepared for a noisy and long time waiting at lunch time. The place was quite crowded, and the servers were hopping, to be sure, but there just weren't enough of them to get to all the tables in a timely fashion. Fortunately we had the time and interesting companions. The food was good, but not as good as at dinner time, which we would more highly recommend.

Food from appetizer to dessert was great! First time for dinner where menu

My favorite Bay Area restaurant!!! Thank you for all that you do.

Best darn pork chop this side of NYC

good quality, reliable food; typically good service but noticeably slower than usual yesterday;
a bit drafty
still a bit pricey

They were crowded and appeared to be slightly understaffed when we arrived for lunch, so though our table was ready in a few minutes, we did have to wait for some time before our server took our first orders. She was so busy that she had forgotten to take our drink and starter order to begin with. Later, she mixed up a salad order, but things went better for her as the afternoon went on and the place got emptier. It's a good thing we enjoyed our guest's company and had time for a long lunch! Food was good, but not exceptional, as we often get here. The pork rilles were a bit dried out and hard, too much time in the fridge perhaps? The squid salad was quite small, compared to other starters. This is the 2nd time we've experienced this, and won't order it again. We think they should just eliminate it from the menu. Baked chicken portion was juicy, but small and overly salted. Seafood stew wasn't up to its usual taste. The pasta, however, was quite good, and the apple tart was an excellent dessert choice.

I really enjoying going to lunch with friends at Wood Tavern. It's always welcoming and comfortable and good food and good service. A wonderful place. I should try dinner. But the lunches are just so perfect.

Lunch with work associates

food & service superior.
the only downside on a wintry day is how disruptive it was each time someone entered ir exited & a blast of cold reached the table mid-restaurant.
a little acoustic muffling wouldn’t hurt
but food so good i’ll be back definitely

This restaurant is continuously spectacular! This time the cappuccinos were great. We will continue to eat there every few weeks.

Delicious! Great craft cocktails!

Food is consistently good, you know what to expect. Service was attentive.

Excellent food. We'll prepared, Menu choices for various preferences.

Great food. Excellent service. Small space that gets quite loud

Wonderful service, food and delightful cocktails. Can't wait until we return.

Extremely well-executed main courses (I had the cassoulet, my husband had the pork chop, the folks at the next table raved about the chicken) and beautiful cheese and charcuterie boards. The restaurant was louder than I like when we first arrived (8 pm) but once a couple larger tables left the sound volume became more pleasant. Wood Tavern remains a well-loved north Oakland gem.

Any meal at Wood Tavern is special, but starting the New Year there was extra festive. Great food, great service, and the best Sidecar in the Bay Area.

Thank you for a lovely lunch with my friends from Tucson, AZ and having the fish sandwich still on the menu!