D.Monaghans On The Hill — Restaurant in Oakland

It's a first time dining at D.Monaghans on the Hill on June 26, 2025. The name of the restaurant sounds appealing.

For my male companion's birthday celebration, he chose DMonaghans. Okay, he booked the reservation for 7 PM. We arrived and their parking lot was full. Street parking was problematic and my companion ended up parking in a red zone half a block away, hoping his car would not be towed.

Upon entering the restaurant, there is no host or maitre'd to escort us to a table. A nonchalant waiter told us just grab a table and seat anywhere.

First time at any restaurant I usually will order an Arnold Palmer (1/2 tea, 1/2 lemonade). The beverage is to determine whether the quality of the food is delicious. In this case, the Arnold Palmer passed the test (4 star). Next up - eats.

Eats: for starter, beet salad consisting of a spring mix, diced beets, thinly sliced orange, candied walnuts, diced goat cheese, topped with a balsamic vinaigrette. (4 star). Salmon with a wine glazed sauce with roasted potatoes and mixed vegetables was on point and delicious. It was fresh and moist. (4 star). My friend ordered the NY steak with the same sides. I'm not sure if he asked for medium well. Even though it was well-seasoned with rosemary, the texture was chewy, not tender. Was it cooked too long? Gristles? Wrong cut of meat? Then he asked for steak sauce. Waiter brought out a bottle of A1 steak sauce. My friend wanted Lea & Perrins worcestershire sauce. I know the next time my friend orders a steak he better specify the Lea & Perrins. (3 star)

No room for dessert. We were full. However, that bread pudding probably would have been great.

Inasmuch as I would like to give D Monaghans a 4 star rating, and there is no such thing as a 3.5 stars, either I round it up or round it down. In this case, it's rounded down due to lack of attentive service, parking and a steak with gristles.

Overall: it can be a hit or it can be a miss. Future visit? Might,...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ D.Monaghan’s On The Hill — A Hidden Gem with Soul

I’ve had a few unforgettable experiences at D.Monaghan’s, and every time I go, I’m reminded why it’s one of my favorite spots in the city.

One night, my friend and I stopped in for drinks and decided to try the vegan buffalo cauliflower — and wow. I’m not even vegan, but this dish completely blew us away. Crispy, flavorful, just the right amount of heat… we were raving about it for days. The drinks were just as amazing — clearly crafted with intention, and perfectly balanced.

Another evening, I came back and had the salmon dinner, and it was absolute perfection. So often salmon gets dry or overcooked — but not here. It was moist, flaky, tender, and cooked exactly right. You could tell someone in the kitchen really cares.

One of the most special moments I’ve had here was dining in the private room with the fireplace. I was with my granddaughter, her other grandmother (on her father’s side), and we shared a beautiful meal together. The food was, as always, delicious — but what stood out was the feel of the room. The glow from the fireplace was soft and warm, and the whole space felt incredibly cozy — personal, even. Like being in someone’s home, but with the charm and ease of being taken care of. It was intimate and meaningful in a way you don’t always expect from a restaurant.

The service has been wonderful every time. One server in particular was so kind, I genuinely felt like I had met her in another life. And Danny, the owner, is the heart of the place. He treats every customer like a friend — which is rare, and deeply appreciated.

D.Monaghan’s On The Hill isn’t just a place to eat — it’s a place to feel. To connect, to relax, and to enjoy something...

I really hate to give a negative review on Any business, especially an African-American business but employers really need to do better research when hiring employees. I was there for the Juneteenth celebration, accompanied by friends that I invited to share the experience. It was a nice crowd and a good vibe going on. I went to the bar to order drinks for me and my guests and was greeted with a very rude and unkindly bartender that overlooked us repeatedly as we tried to order drinks. The bartender even went as far as taking orders from those that were behind us in line. When I finally made eye contact with her, I read off the first drink and before I could give her the other two drinks, she went on to make other drinks. When I finally caught her attention to order the other two drinks, I was told in her words” The way we do things around here we multitask so you need to place your orders at the same time” I really had to pause on my response and remember that I was there to celebrate the culture. If it was any other day I would’ve reminded her how unprofessional she was and how horrible she was at making drinks. After that, we entered the dining area to order our food. A young lady walked up to the table, we thought she was a waitress. She didn’t say anything just stood very, very close to one of my guests that was sitting on the end. She left the area and came back with another woman, and they both stood there in front of our table, not given reason why they were there or apologizing for invading our space. Continue to point and take photos of someone that was seated at the patio area. In spite of it all the food was great and we had...