Portal — Restaurant in Oakland

Not really worth the hype. At all. They're flies constantly buzzing around the semi-outdoor kitchen, and little snowflakes of pollen constantly raining down in the outdoor dining area. The umbrellas helped, but only so much in the breeze. X.x The flies were a tad uncomfortable to see, and it did make me question the sanitation, but the plates that kept coming out looked gorgeous, so I shrugged it off. Even though we had a reservation, we still waited 15 minutes to be seated, watching at least 2 other walk-in couples get seated at the bar in front us. How rude! When we finally did get seated, we sat in the patio area. With the pollen snow aside, it was cozy enough-- there were long, picnic style tables & benches that were pretty sturdy... Would have been completely cosy if my husband & I weren't sharing the long table with half-dozen college age guys ... Not exactly the environment for a quiet date... X.x I forgot to bring my ID, so indulging in a drink was out of the question. The staff was pretty strict, so my Husband allowed me a few sips of his 'Mr. Pickle' cocktail, which was nicely flavored. My husband's steak and eggs were out of this world -- in the bites that he shared, the steak was cooked to perfection!

I ordered the Chileqiles with Carne Asada... Compared to my husband's steak, the Carne was a complete joke. It was literally cooked up ground beef -- the gritty texture was a dead giveaway.

When I doused the plate with all the included condiments, I almost forgot about the tasteless impostor Asada-- medley of crunchy tortilla chips & mushy scrambled eggs was pleasant enough. But for a $20 value, I was expecting wAy more from the meat... .

Cute brunch place by Lake Merritt!

I came here for a birthday brunch on Sunday and it was pretty packed. They have outdoor seating which is nice on a beautiful day. But it does get really really hot. I was sweating by the end of our brunch. The seating outside provides shade but not enough to cover you from the hot sun so dress lightly! They have bottomless mimosas during brunch :D and various beers on tap, so that can help you cool down!

I loved our waiter, Melvin! He was so awesome and he really made us feel at home. He also gave excellent recommendations for our group and kept us entertained. Definitely the service here was superb.

The Food:

Chilaquiles: I don't get this dish often, and this probably the second time I've had it. It was pretty good! I don't really have anything to compare it to but I did enjoy it. I thought the dish had good flavor but the chips were a little too soggy. I felt like the description of the dish on the menu was more appetizing than the dish itself. I don't know if I would get this again, it was good to try once.

Corned beef hash with 2 eggs any style: in the words of our waiter, "it is on point." Indeed it was, one of the best corned beef hash I've had. I really enjoyed it. He also recommended I got my eggs poached, which I did, and it was absolutely fantastic! The corned beef wasn't too salty and the potatoes balanced the dish, I would definitely come back again for this dish.

Overall, I thought this place was adorable. I would probably request to sit inside this time to avoid the heat. Perfect place to eat and then take a stroll...

Really love to have Portal as an option that's literally 10min walk from where we live. I love coming here, seating on the community tables outside by the patio with a great view of the lake and exchanging sweet moments with your loved one and getting to know your neighbours! Portal is exactly that, bringing people together. Love their indoors variety of seating by the tall tables, low tables and the lovely bar. Outside is great too with long community tables that easily accommodate 8-10 people and a lovely view of Lake Merritt :)

Prices are well balanced tho some dishes tend to get expensive like the carb loaded garbage bread priced at 18$, tho you get 4 big slices. I think the best way to go here is share the food since portions are quite generous. Love the choices on the menu. Impressed there were quite a few veg starters, salads and couple entres too.

We came on a Friday night at about 7ish and were quickly accommodated outside. Between the two of us we shared plate of [6] hot spicy chicken wings and hot pastrami. Love the hot spicy sauce, it has the right amount of kick without being too spicy. The pastrami on rye was delicious, no mayo and whole grain mustard? YES!!! And love me their house made pickles. I make homemade pickles all the time so I can attest these were delicious!

All in all, we really had a great time and the bill only came to about 30 something $ for 2 plates and 2 beers which ain't bad I think. Service was on point and very friendly and efficient.

I haven't come yet for brunch here but...