1015 Clay

Man, I used to go here alot. They had the best beef brisket sandwich i’ve ever had. Meat was tender, juicy, and the pesto sauce they paired it with in that roll made it even better. Used to crave that thing… until they changed it one day and turned it into a beef brisket vietnamese sandwich. Nothing against vietnamese sandwiches but why change something that was already good? I stopped going there soon after and next thing I know they are gone.
Side note: This location has such high turnover, its like a new restaurant here ever few months.

ODE TO A SALAD GIVEN, A SALAD TAKEN AWAY
There once was lunch, as né’r I knew
As sweet a lunch as gods could make
But now that lunch is gone and through
O grilled chicken salad @ 1015 Clay
O sprig of mint, O beans a’splayed
O leaves ‘a lettuce, whole and fresh
O cherry toms, so bright display’d!
O tender, sweet, grilled chicken flesh
And how I see you, plated there
My mind unwilling to thee forget
In my dreams you’re seasoned with my tears
My tears, a bitter vinaigrette
As long as salads e’re get tossed
As long as lunch comes yet mid-​day
As sweet a lunch shall n’er be lost
O grilled chicken salad @ 1015 Clay
IN MEMORIAM

Monday 11÷28÷11: 1015 Clay is CLOSED. Sad, but not surprised that the bad mojo of incidents in the past caught up with them.
And one of the best sandwiches in the area is gone, so that sucks.
Better luck to owners, management & customers for the next endeavor here.

Had a brisket on ciabatta (9) at 1015 clay a few months ago. the beef was tender but the horseradish aioli wasn’t enough to make the sammie outstanding. .
walked by ⁹⁄₁₁ early afternoon and it was closed. no signs posted. no hours posted. just one guy inside talking on a cell phone.
called their phone tonight and it’s still working. open, m-​f, happy hours are ?
jesse of chop bar fame, has left for vitus a month or two ago.
online menu posts a special for the week. most recent was ¹⁰⁄₁₇.
may return to turn them again or maybe not. i’ll just walk by and see.

I really love their chicken club sandwich, it is soooo good. My coworkers get their tuna melt and the ratatouille sandwich and like them as well.
Their side dishes are not very good though. You get a choice of pasta salad, Greek salad, or potato salad, and all three are pretty disappointing. they keep changing the potato salad and it has never been good. They also give you a pickle spear but it is about 80% vinegar and not edible.
They are not very fast for to-​go orders, so call ahead if you want a fast pick-​up.
Definitely worth a try. Sometimes I just crave their chicken club. Sourdough, fried chicken, bacon, tomato, avocado, lettuce. mmmmm

I’m shocked that this place has 4.5 stars. This was my first time here and I was very unimpressed. The happy hour menu is very limited. I had a burger which I guess was left over from the lunch menu. I asked for well done and it was undercooked and average.
The ambiance was uninviting, a very cold feel. The noise level in here was deafening and it wasn’t even crowded.
It sounds like I should have checked it out when they first opened under different ownership. :(

I prefer the buttermilk chicken and cole slaw sandwich over Bakesale Betty’s fried chicken sandwich. Although it’s pricier perhaps by a $ 1, it also comes with a side from pasta salad, salad or potato salad. The sides are ok though, fries is not an option to the sandwich orders. I also ordered the pulled pork sandwich. The side of pickle tasted weird though!!! Ehh, that was ok but their chicken sandwich is a must. I have gone back for that and will again.

Finally stopped by here to eat last week; ordered a Crispy Chicken Sandwich which came with bacon, avocado, the other typical fixings and fries. Not too bad for $ 8, BUT, my crispy chicken was overcooked/​fried to death, thus making the chicken dry. Bacon also was over cooked/​cold and was wayyy too crunchy for my taste. Felt like I almost chipped a tooth on a hard piece of bacon, and I LOVE bacon, just not like this. Fries were good for the first 3 minutes but got really soggy once they started cooling off. I was hoping the pie lady was still here so I can have something sweet for dessert, but she’s no longer there. Sad :(
Décor is lacking… doesn’t have much personality or warmth. I do like how the windows open up though so you have a natural breeze as if you were sitting outside. Clean place though.
I’ll have to try the pull pork sammich next time since my coworkers said it was moist and had a little kick to it. Hopefully my experience there will be better next time.

Great new place by the Chop Bar guy — and he knows his meat, which I witnessed firsthand at a butchery contest at the Eat Real Festival last summer.
With pig on the brain, we stopped by for a couple of meaty sammies. Lucky for us, the sandwich heavy menu featured pulled pork, which was tender, flavorful, not dressed with sauce (which I dislike) and as a bonus, was served on Acme bread. Likewise, the brisket sandwich was fork tender, smoky and well balanced with the salsa verde.
The cole slaw was almost curtido-​like (you know, the cabbage that always accompanies pupusas) with a vinegar-​based dressing that included savory caraway seeds. It was a nice complement to our meaty sandwiches.
The happy hour on Wed, Thurs, Fri. looks promising with beer and wine specials as well as cheap eats.
Welcome to Old Oakland!

Such a shame that this place is in hiatus so quickly after it’s debut. Had lunch here just yesterday with my foodie friend and we were so incredibly impressed with the chicken club sandwich! It was a good portion that came with a few different options for sides (potato salad, fries, salad) for just $ 8! not bad at all. Then literally right when i come back from lunch, i hear Jesse Branstetter has left 1015 clay. WTF, talk about drama. I guess him & the owner are in cohoots. (The owner has replaced Jesse’s whole staff, but is trying to keep with same menu). So so sad… was hoping this would be one of my go to spots for lunch. But with all the drama, not sure if i’d be back. Just puts a bad taste in my mouth. This is the only reason i couldn’t give this place 5 stars… well that, along with the incredibly slow service and flustered staff trying to accommodate all the hungry lunch clientele.
Looking forward to checking out the new spot, Jesse!

With all that’s going on in the Uptown it’s encouraging to see that the fringes of Old Town haven’t been completely forgotten. This block has been sad ever since Le Cheval left their historic digs. I miss the ladies at the bar, all pretty, all in a row, all with the red on their lips and question marks in their eyes.
The block jumps better with 1015 ensconsed but the ladies are nowhere to be seen.
Today was my maiden voyage. Thanks to the help from my friends I had the pulled pork sammie, my dining companion had the brisket. Slaw for my side and I had hoped for the pasta salad for the other but my accompaniment got salad instead. Acme Bread embraced the meats; the brisket came with a tasty spread to spread if you’re inclined.
I don’t know what’s gone down with the founder or his concept, but as of today their web site gives his parting comment. I hope that the goodness I experienced this afternoon endures, as the other dishes on their manageably not expansive menu all seem worthy of mouth experiments. Come before 11:50 for lunch, after there’s a line.
Breakfast, according to a lot of you, is what I should experience next.
So be it.

I’ve eaten here twice now for lunch, and I am becoming a fan. Here’s why:
–The Crunchy Chicken Club sandwich, or more accurately the fried chicken BLT is quite delicious. I would actually prefer to have this over Bakesale Betty’s fried chicken sandwich, because it is not too spicy and has a few more layers of flavor with the BLT addition. On the flip side, it’s a smaller sandwich at a higher price.
–The pulled pork sandwich is also excellent. Juicy and a bit spicy.
–The choice of either potato salad, cole slaw or pasta as a side is a nice touch.
–Any place that has the wonderful aroma of baking pies as you walk in is a winner in my book. It’s even nicer with the smiling lady in the front window selling slices of those pies.
One thing I do worry about, though, is how ambitious they’re being. I had heard from their owner that his partner had a lease on the space, and they just kinda put something together quickly and opened the doors. They were definitely successful with this, but the fact that they’re wanting to offer everything from breakfast to happy hour seems like they run the danger of overextending themselves. Hopefully that’s not true, because I do hope to continue to have 1015 Clay as one of my go-​to places in downtown Oakland.

«And on the Seventh day, God said ‘Let there be light… but, er, give me one of those Pulled Pork sandwiches from 1015 Clay first!’ «
Are. You. Freakin’. Kiddin’ ME!!!
This place was amazing (well at least the plate that I got). I wanted to scream out in joy, but I couldn’t b/​c I was with a VIP at my job and he was treating.
Got the Pulled Pork sandwich with side of Homemade Coleslaw.
I was a little worried that the bread was going to be dense and over-​powering but the Kaiser Roll was from ACME so how bad could that be? The bread, superb. Totally held up to the heap of pork that was piled in between the two halves. But, it was not dense at all. Light and fluffy, with the perfect amount of soft-​crunch on the outside. Bread. Perfect.
The P.Omg.RK. Great. ‘Nuff said. But for those that like food adjectives, how about orgasmic? The pork was the perfect amount of salty. Right on the brink without being too salty. It was super tender, but not to the point that it just lazily slops over the side of the roll (had some body to it). No BBQ sauce (thank god. I have pulled pork slathered in an undescript sauce, masking the flavor). Perfect amount of fat, giving that great flavor and texture. PERFECTION.
On top of the pork was some avocado; fresh but perfect amout to complement, without overpowering the meat. A few pieces of jalapeño for spiciness, great addition.
ColeSlaw was very good (not 5 star good, but the pork was so delicious I had to give it the 5 stars). Homemade, great tanginess from the vinegar. It’s good, but I’m not going back for the coleslaw.
Had a Limeade (hey, the boss was paying so I splurged). Not that big a fan of Limeades (or lemonade for that matter). They are always too sour for me, I have to dillute them with watever. Won’t get this again. But apparently its good b/​c a lot of people ordered them.
WHEN you come here, just get the pork, already!

What in the world happened?!
I was reading these great reviews and while I am rushing to pack for Vegas, I absolutely had to review this place to let other Unilocalers know of my experience.
We came here for Happy Hour. The strawberry dairquiri was not available, the cashier happily offered us an orange mojito, which sounds great, but tasted horrific.
We ordered the Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich with Cheddar Cheese and the Hot Wings. The bill came to ~$ 25.
Philly Cheese Steak was as long as a hot dog. A regular one. There was a strip of a steak and a lot of bun. The flavors were fine, but it was mostly onion and bell peppers.
Hot Wings, our 3 chicken wings were undercooked. For sure. As we were starving, we ate it anyways, hoping neither one of us would get sick. The spices in the sauce was superb. I loved the sauce, but the chicken itself was a little scary.
Our drinks. I don’t know what to say. It tasted like straight tequila. I saw mint and orange garnish, but no other flavor came through. Neither one of us touched our drinks at all after the first two sips. It was not an alcohol that could have been enjoyed.
I am not sure I could ever come back here.

This place is a gem. I keep alternating between the fried chicken BLT and the brisket sandwich. Both are delicious! The meat is juicy and tender and the size is perfect for the price ($ 8). It comes with a choice of slaw, potato salad, or pasta salad… I always get the slaw because it has lots of interesting flavors (vinegar dressing, spices, cabbage, apple and carrot). The staff are super nice. Can’t wait for this place to open up their bar!
Ordinarily I try to say something productive in my reviews… hmmmm… Pastrami… that would be a good addition.

Read all the reviews decided to stop be here for lunch last week.
All the rave about their crispy chicken w/​bacon and i believe someone mention its better than Bakesale Betty… Oh boy it is so true… also another thing mention was «i can eat two of these» i believe i can eat about three
very tasty but a bit small so it leave to graving for more.

I hope this place lasts longer than the other places before it.
The service is excellent and the food is great. I am in love with their Bacon & Egg Sandwich (Applewood smoked bacon, egg, tomato jam & Acme Kaiser roll)… The bacon is crispy and the egg is over medium, just how I like it. The kaiser roll is soft and the tomato jam ties everything in so well… DELICIOUS! I also had the Pulled Pork Sandwich (Pork, Acme Kaiser Roll, fennel coleslaw & house mayo) which was good but I thought it was a little too oily for me but I have to admit the fennel coleslaw definitely goes well with their pulled pork; nice match!
This place also has a little shop for pies, unfortunately, I haven’t tried it but my coworkers have and said it’s absolutely delicious especially the Chocolate Pretzel Pie.
Definitely recommend trying!

Another Jesse Branstetter establishment– expect great food, awesome vibe and reasonable prices. go for breakfast or lunch and sometimes happy hour. soon one day dinners and i cannot wait! This place has many many good things going and it will only get better and better.

It’s great to finally see a decent restaurant at this location after multiple turnovers. This place is like upscale fastfood style where you order and pay at the cashier and they bring the food out to you. What makes this place really great is that the food is made to order. For now, they’re only open for breakfast/​lunch. There’s around 10 to 15 items to choose from on the menu– mostly sandwiches and salads, prices range from $ 8-​$ 12. I’ve tried the sandwiches, burgers and salads and THE CRISPY CHICKEN CLUB SANDWICH ($ 8) is the winner for sure. I could eat 2 in one sitting everyday! The chicken was freshly fried, not overly breaded and cooked perfectly. Little too much mayo tho so you can either ask for light mayo or wipe it off. The clay st burger ($ 12) was also very good but their chicken club is definitely THE one to order. I do wish their portions were bigger though.

Holy C#%%#%!!!
This place just re-​opened. I think it was Farmers market something or other. Honestly, I couldn’t care what it was, right now I just had the best sandwich — maybe ever?
Fried chicken with applewood bacon and avocado on acme sourdough. and the chicken was cooked to order. In front of me. Apparently they make EVERYTHING — including their own mayo — from scratch.
So much for my diet.