Portal
Portal things to do, attractions, restaurants, events info and trip planning
Description
Stylish & innovative eatery with varied menu of bites, patio seating & bottomless mimosa specials.
attractions: The Gardens at Lake Merritt, Lake Merritt, Laney College Flea Market, Pine Knoll Park, Bonsai Garden, Oakland Public Library, Lake Merritt, Long Hing Supermarket, MJ Automotive Repair and Electric, Spoil yourself spa, restaurants: The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill, Rockin Crawfish, Champa Garden, Cam Huong, Tacos Mi Rancho, Phở Vy Vietnamese Cuisine, Chai Thai Noodles Oakland, Ruby Room, Vegan Donut Gelato, Phở Mekong
Ratings
Description
Stylish & innovative eatery with varied menu of bites, patio seating & bottomless mimosa specials.
Posts
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 dying to try :)
Heliana ManoHeliana Mano
00
This place was recommended by a friend and I now owe that friend a thank you. Nestled in the corner of the street you will find this awesome bar&grill for brunch. Customer service 8/10 : solid vibe, professional and the bartender really keeps an eye on the patrons. Shy of me having to call out for the check I was very impressed with their service. Food 9/10: my God I got the challah French toast and I think my taste buds died and went to heaven. Hands down top 5 best French toast breakfasts I've ever had. Light enough to leave room for more and not feel bloated with some fresh fruit around the dish to compliment the doughy taste of the French toast. Alcohol -- I did not try the bar personally but they do have a decent drink selection. Try it out yourself! Price 7/10 -- Overall, I dropped about 20-30 bucks on the meal + tip. Making it alittle more expensive than your casual breakfast joint (for one person) but I feel that the money spent was definitely worth it on the main dishes. Reason I rated this a 7 is cause 4 strips of bacon was 5 bucks.. OOF. (It was delightful though) Overall rating 5/5 stars, I would love to come back on my next visit to Oakland to try more of their menu
JollyRedGiantJollyRedGiant
10
OH MY GOD. 10/10 recommend! In town for a friends wedding and decided to try a new restaurant as it’s my first time in the city. My wife, friends and I all had a perfect experience at Portal. Upon walking in we were immediately greeted by Melvin. Big smile, kind heart, and an all around gentleman, he gave the Portal that comfortable feeling that a good pub should. We were welcomed like family! This culinary experience is a masterpiece and will definitely be on our radar in the future. Clean tables, chairs, plates, and silverware! All food was cooked to specifications with no complaints from us! We enjoyed the Bison Burger, Stromboli, Sliders, salad, local craft drinks, and Garlic Fries, and NOTHING disappointed! Very fun menu with a lot of personal character to it that just makes something as simple as reading the menu a very memorable experience. Thank you Melvin and Portal. We hope to return again soon!
Nathan GriffithNathan Griffith
00
Best fries I’ve had in Oakland. Everyone keeps talking about their brunch, which is just fine, but I’d rather come on a slower afternoon to sit on the patio with a heaping basket of fries & a beer. Not that I have anything against their brunch, but it’s first come first serve so it gets really busy, and the food is good but just didn’t live up to the hype. The service is always 10/10 though! They rotate their tap menu with lots of local & domestic brews, including some gluten free & kombucha, and the patio vibes are really nice especially if you’re facing the lake. The happy hour is pretty early from 3-5pm but they also have a good deal for tacos on Tuesdays.
Renée JRenée J
10
I went here for brunch with a couple friends Saturday morning. This place has a great bet selection, a wide variety a good which caters to restrictions in diet, and amazing cocktails! I have never liked a bloody Mary before, but Portal does it right. They make their own mix so it doesn't taste like Campbell's tomato soup with Tabasco. They also put in their house made pickles. So good. I had the pork belly salad with poached egg. It was delicious, filling and low carb! Hell yeah! I would have given this place five stars, but the bathroom situation is not amazing. There is one bathroom in a place that serves bottomless mimosas, and its located in a walkway.
Bakery of DoomBakery of Doom
00
Went here for brunch and bottomless mimosas! Food was tasty, had a great view of the lake, and the mimosas were flowing! (some places claim bottomless but don't check in for refills, here, they had one dude on refill duty just going around with a pitcher!) Only negatives was that I tried making a reservation (knowing that they get busy) and they said if we walk in, we would not have a problem getting a table but ended up waiting 35 mins for a table for 2. Also, once being sat, it took 3 conversations with back waiters and 15 min for our server to come talk to us. However, once we got our food (I had the GCCB - posted) we had a great time.
Aaron IllathuAaron Illathu
00
Nearby Attractions Of Portal
The Gardens at Lake Merritt
Lake Merritt
Laney College Flea Market
Pine Knoll Park
Bonsai Garden
Oakland Public Library
Lake Merritt
Long Hing Supermarket
MJ Automotive Repair and Electric
Spoil yourself spa

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

Lake Merritt
4.6
(418)Click for details

Laney College Flea Market
4.4
(330)Click for details

Pine Knoll Park
4.5
(177)Click for details
Nearby Restaurants Of Portal
The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill
Rockin Crawfish
Champa Garden
Cam Huong
Tacos Mi Rancho
Phở Vy Vietnamese Cuisine
Chai Thai Noodles Oakland
Ruby Room
Vegan Donut Gelato
Phở Mekong

The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar & Grill
4.2
(1.4K)$$$
Click for details

Rockin Crawfish
4.4
(594)$$
Click for details

Champa Garden
4.5
(461)$
Click for details

Cam Huong
4.4
(295)$
Click for details