Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt
Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Description
Popular gourmet deli & market offering unique & locally sourced meals in a small, casual space.
attractions: Grand Lake Theatre, Children's Fairyland, The Gardens at Lake Merritt, The Pergola at Lake Merritt, Pine Knoll Park, Eastshore Park, Kume Spa - Grand Avenue, FITNESS SF - Oakland, Bonsai Garden, Grand Lake Farmers Market, restaurants: Arizmendi Bakery (Lakeshore), Jong Ga House, The Star on Grand, Colonial Donuts, Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant, Shakewell, Ahn's Quarter Pound Burger, Rico Rico Taco, Room 389, Los Cantaros
Ratings
Description
Popular gourmet deli & market offering unique & locally sourced meals in a small, casual space.
Posts
Oh it's Grand all right. I've eaten here way too many times, and I'm finally writing a review. This place gets crazy busy on the weekends, and like most bay area breakfast/brunch spots, they do not take reservations. So get there early, or do what I do. Put your name in and go drink Mimosas while you wait. They will take down your number and text you when to return to the front. They offer indoor and outdoor seating. I love this place because it's part restaurant/part deli. The decor is amazing inside and I love their soundtrack. I've ordered a variety of things here and everything has been delicious. For starters I've had their cinnamon sugar donuts....get them. As well as the smoked fish tower. You can't help but feel all eyes on you as they set the tower down. The tower consists of smoked salmon, trout dip, bagel chips, capers, onions, chives, lemon, smoked sturgeon. This is a great appetizer to share with the table. A $25 appetizer, but worth it. My absolute favorite dish is the Pork Belly Polenta, gosh my mouth just salivates thinking about it. Full of flavor, creamy, and the pork belly is just succulent. I've also had the savory french toast which consists of poached eggs, mushrooms, Parmesan, arugula, and herbs. The french toast with fresh fruit of the day is also delicious. The breakfast sandwich is also noteworthy! The only thing left on the menu I need/want to try is the Avocado toast. They offer bloody Mary's and Mimosas, no unlimited unfortunately. Oh, did I mention they pickle the vegetables and they are to die for. I always order extra. Overall cute decor, awesome soundtrack, good service and delicious food.
Adrianna MoronesAdrianna Morones
30
This place made me remember all of the things I love about Oakland. Across from the lake with outdoor seating, the weather was perfectly cooperative with our day. The service was superb, and the restaurant was clean and busy with people just enjoying the day. This was a random day, so we just opened the phone and picked a spot. Lucky for us, GLK was the designation. With lots of options, we chose brunch items. The wife: blood orange mimosa with the Hanks plate. Me: French toast made from sourdough French bread, apple sausage, and iced chi tea. The food for us was..well, scrupulously good. đđŸ reminded my mouth of the moves it was making at the table. But, the customer service was fenaminal. While they had some reservations, the waiter let us sit in a nice tucked away spot. As we ate and enjoyed our small view, the waiter didn't forget us and infact treated us to some fresh made mini cinnamon donuts. Completely stuffed, we crossed the street and enjoyed the lake and vendors. BTW, if anyone likes bone marrow, we spied some delicious foods.
Martin ReeseMartin Reese
00
One of the best brunch places I've been to -- hands down. You definitely get your bang for your buck and more. The food quality and service were both đ€đ. I highly recommend the Savory French Toast from the brunch menu -- the poached eggs were cooked just right and went perfectly with the mellow flavors from the đmushrooms, đ§butter, đ§parmesan (?) cheese flakes, and toasted đbread. The bread was fresh, toasty, and not soggy (my pet peeve). I forget the name of our waiter but her professionalism, kindness, and consideration gave this review its 5th starđ Wait time was not bad at all! I definitely will try the sweet French toast next time! đ ------Update-------- Didn't try the sweet French Toast but the Smoked Salmon Benedict was "ooo la laaaa!" There's something about smoked salmon, poached eggs, and parsley combined that just hits the spot. The Savory French Toast is still my favorite dish though. As per usual, the staff, service, vibes, and food were all on point.đ
Vanessa SVanessa S
10
The blond short haired lady bar server ruined my experience - otherwise, would have given 5 stars. She had an attitude for some reason when serving us and other clients. Plus she literally counted the number of pickled veggies she put in our little complimentary plate while other servers were simply filling them up full. When asked if she can give us an additional plate since our plate was underfilled, she stated "we have two picked veggies per person policy, you need to buy additional if you want." SO CHEAP! I decided to move from the bar to the table and another server did not have problems giving us an additional small plate of their delicious housemade pickled veggies. Other than that, the experience was positive - good customer service, clean area, delicious food, positive vibes, good crowd. Their smoked salmon eggs Benedict was also yummy. Cocktails are small but also good, some even have Aperol in them.
Val BVal B
00
After walking from Chinatown-Hampton Inn- and halfway around Lake Merritt we were so happy to get a seat at Grand Lake Kitchen on a Sunday morning. Excellent brunch choices. We had their fruit of the day-Apricot-bellini-so refreshing! I had the savory french toast with poached eggs-everything cooked perfectly. My friend had the Hank's Plate-eggs, bacon, toast & potatoes-I'd get this if you love bread-the toast pieces were big! Very fast service-you order from the qr code app or you can go inside and order/pay at the counter. I really appreciate that they gave us printed menus as well. Ordering and closing out the tab on the app was easy. Our plates were cleared pretty quickly but we didn't feel rushed to give up our table. Great choice across from Lake Merritt and in view of the beautiful Grand Theatre!
Sarah AllisonSarah Allison
10
I had a very disappointing experience at Grand Lake Kitchen. After being told our wait would be 20 minutes, we ended up waiting over 30 minutes without any communication. When we inquired about our table, the hostess told us she had texted us, but it turned out she had texted the wrong number. Rather than apologize for the mix-up, she gave us attitude and acted like it was our fault. When we asked for an apology, she refused and said, âIt wasnât my fault.â I asked to speak to a manager, but was told they were no longer available. The customer service was incredibly poor, and with so many businesses closing in Oakland, you would think those that remain open would prioritize treating their customers with kindness and respect. Unfortunately, I cannot recommend this place after this experience.
Dwight AndersonDwight Anderson
00
Nearby Attractions Of Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt
Grand Lake Theatre
Children's Fairyland
The Gardens at Lake Merritt
The Pergola at Lake Merritt
Pine Knoll Park
Eastshore Park
Kume Spa - Grand Avenue
FITNESS SF - Oakland
Bonsai Garden
Grand Lake Farmers Market

Grand Lake Theatre
4.7
(1.2K)Click for details

Children's Fairyland
4.5
(688)Click for details

The Gardens at Lake Merritt
4.6
(423)Click for details

The Pergola at Lake Merritt
4.7
(284)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Grand Lake Kitchen - Lake Merritt
Arizmendi Bakery (Lakeshore)
Jong Ga House
The Star on Grand
Colonial Donuts
Enssaro Ethiopian Restaurant
Shakewell
Ahn's Quarter Pound Burger
Rico Rico Taco
Room 389
Los Cantaros

Arizmendi Bakery (Lakeshore)
4.8
(796)$
Click for details

Jong Ga House
4.4
(585)$$
Click for details

The Star on Grand
4.5
(555)$$
Click for details

Colonial Donuts
4.5
(531)$
Click for details