The Oaks Corner

Poker has become a regular activity for me in the last couple of years, yet I had not even heard of OC until a couple of weeks ago–
The first thing I can tell you is make sure you find a parking lot, do not park on the street if you can help it — there are sketchy neighborhoods lurking in the background so be mindful.
Nice sized bar, easy access to the poker room. We didn’t eat here, but the bartender, although not someone you might have expected to be a bartender, was very friendly and helpful. Very outgoing crowd filled the bar as it was a Ws game night.
Poker room — decent sized, lots of activity. We came to play a NL game and they had a list of folks waiting, but opened a new table in short order. The problem with this table — No. 3, is it sits against the railing a bit too close, seats ¹⁄₁₀ had to push up every time a new dealer rotated, not that big of a deal, but can be annoying when you are sitting there for 3 hours.
Certainly some colorful regulars there, but that comes with a ½ game.
If you are looking for a game, they have several going — not sure I would drive a great distance though. I will be back if I am in the area.

one word, hoffbrau!

I came here to play poker at the card room and the restaurant is the perfect place to get away and relax after a few hours of stressful plying. The food is also pretty good for a card club restaurant and the service is not too bad. The prices are good and the atmosphere is relaxing.

I’ve come here several Friday afternoons to hang out with a few good friends at the bar after work. Every single time, the bartenders were friendly and accommodating, and the drinks were really good. This is a cool neighborhood spot if you’re not looking for elegance, doting waiters or privacy.

Woo hoo! Open 24 hours with so many different foods to choose from!
Although it is right up the street from where I work, I am no a regular. I’ve only visited once. However, it was a very delicious visit.
The menu at Oaks coves a variety of cuisines, and it takes a minute to go through the menu. Whether you’re craving a burger or need the healing remedies of phở noodle soup, Oaks has it.
The staff is very quick and polite. Moreover, you can get everything you need at once– the night’s game, a beer, buddies, and food!
I’d love to dine here again!
Until next time, hope you get a royal flush!

Update: Their sourdough roll is much better now. Gone are they cheapy grocery store flimsy rolls. I got the double dipped roast beef sandwich and this time it was much better than last. The sandwich comes with a quarter strip of pickle. Nothing fancy, but it hit the spot.

This place isn’t my first option for a drink… Or my second option… Honestly, Oaks was never an option for me on any occasion until I worked nearby. This establishment has ruined more lives than MJ’s Neverland Ranch and adds the hurt by serving alkies to downtrodden gamblers in their moment of weakness.
I am not a gambler but I am a true blue alcoholic. This place is «fuck you up» central, especially if you, like me, have an exceptional poker face and people can’t tell if you’re sober or drunk. The pours aren’t always heavy but they are cheap. Be sure to watch your pace or you will be seeing 777.

I’m not really sure where to start… a dive for sure.

Standard old man-​type bar in Oakland. Sketchy area at night, but I went during happy hour (though I find Bud at $ 4 not very happy), and it was fine. Haven’t had the food, but the free popcorn at the bar is fine. They show sports on their tv and also have a hot food section near the bar. They also have a card room around the corner, if you want to gamble and want none of the glitz and glamour, and just the seediness, of Vegas in your backyard.

I started off coming here because I played poker… now I’m here a couple of times a month, and I haven’t played poker in near a year. The Hof Brau style food is great, but I really love their rice plate with mixed veggies (get the bok choy, string beans and broccoli)!

Given that this place is attached to a card room, you’re forgiven for expecting a dive-​ier type of joint. It’s pleasingly nice inside, and while I’m not going near that salad bar, the drinks were average priced and there’s free popcorn.

Let’s be honest here. It’s a CARD ROOM. Not a resaurant and the food here is meant to keep players full and satisfied and most importantly keep there seats warm and the chips a movin’.
I like Oaks. I come here often enough to know that the food is international and hofbrau style offerings for a decent price, portion and quality. It’s not gourmet, but yummy, yes! I like the pastrami and the singapore noodles, but what ever you do make sure your clear with your wait staff (cocktailer). Instead of saying «Grilled cheese with bacon» you just may need to say a «grilled cheese with bacon strips» because it might come out with canadian bacon or even pork!
There is a language berrier (most of the time) and my food has been brought out multiple times with pork and bay shrimp, when I have asked for the large shrimp or «prawns» and beef, then had received bay shrimp and pork on my singapore noodles (very good).
The cocktailers are very sweet, it’s just sometimes difficult when you have to wrestle for your food. One time the cocktailer told me I couldn’t get what I wanted off the printed menu and that it comes out how it comes out of there p.o.s. (grunts)…
One time my boyfriend and I actually got into a near break-​up over the «Singapore noodle» at Oak’s. We still joke about it to this day.
So basically, There food is good Chineese and Vietnamese dishes, a yummy Hofbrau and American fare all reasonably priced and good if you’re playing cards or meeting a boyfriend after a shift. The Hobrau meats and sanwhiches are the only thing here worth going out of your way for otherwise.
As you may notice I only Unilocal places I frequent, which means «like» for some reason or another and I take Oak’s Hofbrau for what it is and enjoy it.
Happy playing!

**SANDWICH REVIEW ONLY**
I don’t see the reasoning for all the hatred. I can’t vouch for anything else, but the sandwiches here are GOOD.
My coworker came back from lunch one day gushing about this «new» thing he discovered: corned beef (lol). It was pretty endearing that he hadn’t heard of it before, but beyond that, he spoke of it as if it was an amazing treasure he had stumbled upon and was doing ME the favor by letting me in on the secret. Naturally, I had to see for myself what all the fuss was about.
On my first visit with him, I ordered the corned beef. He had only advertised it to me as the greatest thing he had eaten in ages; did I really have any other choice? The sandwich-​maker-​guy gave me the option of fat or lean cuts of corned beef. I chose the fatty — since I’m about that life — and he began working on my sandwich. Mind you, I’ve been raised on thin deli slices in my sandwiches for as long as I can remember. As such, I can’t say I was prepared for what was about to go down… THICK hand cut slabs of meat sandwiched between two slices of bread. Who would have thunk such simplicity could be oooooh so amaze?! I almost feel like I grew chest hairs eating that manly man of a sando — o₀. Even though the corned beef was slightly salty for my tastes, it was still extremely tender and tasty in my mouf. Thoroughly impressed (
).
On a subsequent visit, the pastrami was just as satisfying (
). Meat was perfectly seasoned and JUICY! Okay, okay. So the edge pieces were a bit on the crisp side of the equation, but there was so little of it that there’s really nothing to complain about (
). I’m easy going… as long that the majority of my meal is successful, I’m a happy camper. This more than fit the bill. Really, at about 7 bucks a piece, it’s a good, quick alternative to Togo’s or Quizno’s —- and CERTAINLY Subway. No complaints here!
As far as ambiance, there isn’t much of any. We always take our food to-​go, so it’s kind of a non-​issue.

Don’t you just love a review that starts off with: The food was really bad and then in the very same paragraph says… the pastrami was actually rather TASTY… instant potatoes were creamy and the stuffing was GOOD.
I love Hofbraus which are a dying breed in the Bay Area. Oaks Corner while not the best certainly has a lot going for it. First and foremost it is an old fashioned carvery. Fresh cooked meats carved on the spot.
I will stick to my two favorites. I am a corned beef mavin (expert) and theirs is TEN on a ten scale. Salty, great texture and flavor and as much fat as the customer wants. You can order lean or marbled and even better you can also order a la carte which is great for dieters who are not eating bread. Sandwiches are cheap at about $ 6 and a side order is only $ 3.50 (about 3.5 oz).
I also like their ribs sold a la carte, about six ribs for about $ 7, another great price.
The ribs are cooked or baked or roasted and no extra sauce is needed. Very tasty.
I visit during daytime hours. The counter guys are totally friendly and know me. The other workers are equally nice. Parking nearby is good and I have never had any negative experience related to its next door card/​casino room. In fact, that is one reason this hofbrau has and continues to survive when many others have closed.
Best Hofbrau in the world remains TOMMYS JOINT in SF.

I wish people would stop hating the Oaks Corner Hof Brau. Here are some things I people should know about Hof Braus and Hof Brau culture in the Bay Area.
The Bay Area always has been a hot spot for Hof Braus. Hof Braus traditionally are a blue collar places where people would go after work and forget about their day. Hof Braus always have a bar. They are loud for they are places where people can just hang loose and enjoys some drinks and big meats in a non-​formal setting.
All people are welcome to Hof Braus. However, if you are looking for fine dinning or a hipster place thena Hof Brau is NOT for you. It is more of a place to get REAL food, enjoy a corn beef sandwich with no foo-​foo drama and have a brew.
The Oaks Corner is one of the last places where you can get carved meats. Their dinners are fantastic. If you wants a full dinner to eat in or take out and tired of fast food, Asian and Mexican foods then this is the place for you. You can feed a family of 4 with solid food for about $ 40!
I am a big fan of their corn beef and BBQ spareribs. The only thing that is keeping the Oaks Corner from receiving 5-​Stars are their sides. Oaks Corner need to improve on the stuffing and veggies. Other then that. I am a real BIG fan!!!

30 – 40 MINUTES FOR NACHO’S W/​BEEF? You got to be kidding!
There must be a dark cloud following me when it comes to eating out in Berkeley/​Emeryville. ESPECIALLY THIS AREA! Both places I ate at were not worth a 1-​star rating! So back to my 30 – 40 minute wait for nacho’s with beef.

I’m looking for a place to eat that was close to the EmeryGoRound Bus Stop. I get off a block north of San Pablo and 40^th Street. I wanted to grab dinner and sit back and relax, I had 45 minutes to kill before the next bus arrives.
I enter the Oaks Corner Take Out. It’s a bar/​hof-​brau establishment thats connected to Oaks Card Club. But you can also order items from the menu. It was a tough pick but i decided if im still hungry after my nachos w/​beef, i can order something else and get it to go.
I order my nacho’s with beef. I’m watching the game sipping on some cranberry juice. I’m looking at the cashier that placed the order in for me. Its about 25 minutes late. It was a nice sized portion for $ 5.24. I told the lady if it’s cold, I’m gonna tell you to send it back to the kitchen.
First bite, cheese was cold. You need to bring this order back and tell the kitchen it was cold. She insisted that we just have it microwaved and I INSISTED on having the cook make me a new one!
Her reason for it taking so long was that theres a lot of orders betweeen the bar and card room. But does it realy take 20 – 25 minutes for the nacho’s to come back cold like that. If was warm I would of ate it. She was trying to make herself not look bad by telling them it was the kitchen’s fault not hers. Another 15 – 20 minutes pass and still no plate of nachos! This time the nacho cheese was in a bowl. The corn chips were topped off with ground beef, BUT MISSING THE CHEESE TO GO ON TOP OF THE CHIPS!
I told myself i need to go my 45 minutes went by too quick. The bus was arriving shortly so I asked for her to pack it up, I wasn’t gonna stick around here any longer.
What really annoyed me the most was she was telling me if i wanted nacho’s with beef that i should go to taco bell! I came over there to have a meal, now i gotta listen to an old chinese lady tell me i should go to taco bell for nachos?

Oaks Corner was dead post 1 o clock. the hof brau workers just standing around. the dining room empty. people at the bar was eating popcorn. bartender gone doing some chores. shortly, orders rolled in from the gambling room.
pours: miller draft (3.75)
–excellent, was very cold. coldest i’ve drank in a long time.
–bowl of hot free popcorn given.
on draught:
–4 beers on draft. bud, miller, sierra, and haywire
–drinks pricey, shot pours healthy, to the rim, past the white line
–only gamblers drink or eat here
–labeled a sports bar, flatscreen tuned to sports.
–doubtful return, dislike drinking with (financial) losers.

Hofbrau meets Breakfast/​Burger joint meets. .. Chinese? I guess you gotta cater to your clientele and looking at the packed card room (at noon Wed) it all makes sense.
At the Hofbrau station you can get regular ($ 6.99) or open faced ($ 7.50) sandwiches as well as plates ($?). I think the tri-​tip was a little more, but the other meats (pastrami, roast beef, corned beef, turkey, ham, etc) are all the same prices.
I got a pastrami on rye with «everything» (mustard, mayo, tomato, onion, lettuce) and it looked pretty good with 2 quarter spears of pickle (see pic).
I’m going to guess that pastrami is not their biggest mover because, while the rest of the sandwich was pretty decent, the pastrami was so so. The edges were crusty and hard. Luckily it was freshly sliced so the center of the pieces was still juicy and tender.
A very multiple personality sando, even in the same bite. I may come back, but will definitely peer more closely over the counter to see what looks freshest.

I can’t comment on my food, because I never got any. I came in on a graveyard shift break, sat for 10 minutes without receiving any attention, watched a different party walk in and immediately get menus. When I flagged the server, he asked what I wanted… He wasn’t trying to take my order mind you, he was inquiring as to what I, sitting there at a table at 4 AM in a uniform could possibly want. I’ve dined all over the world and I’ve never before had to explain to a waiter that a menu is usually a prerequisite for a person who wishes to order food.
I’m sure you guessed it, my lunch break was over before my order was even taken and I left, angry, hungry, and utterly neglected.
So, screw this place. Denny’s is right down the road, and their dining room doesn’t look like it was hit by a flood 40 years ago and painted over.

We heard rumors of decent food here. Rumors are false. Food is greasy and processed. The chicken wings are stunted fried wings and drumetttes that came with plastic pre-​packed pots of ranch dressing. The beef stew was swimming in grease and was more fat than tendon/​meat. The kung pao chicken had no kung nor pao.
Like another reviewer said, there is usually no table service till 8 pm. We flagged down a slack-​jawed employee and asked her for the menu. After she finally understood what a menu is, she came back and threw a stapled stack of paper at our table. Real classy. You order and pay at the cashier and wait for your food.
The food is not awful but it’s just not worth the risk getting harassed by the patrons there. Many are depressed, broke, desperate, addicted, angry and possibly dangerous. The atmosphere is disturbing.
The entire block with the card club and liquor store is a hazard to the neighborhood. Pixar employees have been mugged early in the morning by broke losers who are angry enough to mug for money. At night, people have been shot by patrons who lost money and want more. The minute we fled the place, some fine quality gentleman outside asked if we can help him get a bite to eat. My dining buddy had major anxiety after dining here.