Ba-Bite

Best place to get salads or anything for that matter on Piedmont, Hands down. Casual and quick… but still classy and sassy, Way to make Piedmont ave great again!

Solid fast middle eastern food … Order at counter price was reasonable definitely worth eating here

Came here for the first time today. Like many others reviews the cashier was absolutely useless. Had us repeat our basic order several times and was mumbling when she spoke. Two stars for fresh tasting food but due to the lack of flavor the cooks might need some seasoning lessons or they are just catering to the vanilla crowd. Garlic and lemon juice are awesome and so is hot sauce which I didn’t see anywhere. Portions were actually a lot bigger than I anticipated and the tea was good.

A M A Z I N G Chicken Hummus.
Delicious;
They’ve added Hibiscus Iced tea! Tastes great!

I have been coming here since they first opened. The first time I came in I was blown away by both the food and the service. The woman owner was as nice as could be, so informative and made us feel right at home. The food was exceptional. We have continued to eat here I would say on average 4 – 5 times a month… but that is slowly declining.
The food can be hit or miss these days. Sometimes fabulous sometimes flavorless. The woman owner is rarely there anymore at the times when I come in… instead there are 2 younger women. who are not knowledgeable or nice and the other owner a man who is often rude and defensive. Twice I have pointed out errors and instead of just correcting them or explaining calmly he gets quite worked up. He does not seem like the best person to be dealing with the front of the house in my opinion.

Came here for lunch. I had hummus with chicken and my friend had hummus with lamb. The food was amazing. The lamb was cooked perfectly and did not taste gamey at all! I was amazed how much I enjoyed the hummus and pita bread. I will definitely come back again. The average cost of a meal is $ 18 – 20 and you get a lot of food.

Super flavorful, very affordable Middle Eastern cuisine. I also found the flavors to be very authentic, or at least close to the foods I enjoyed most this past summer when traveling in the Middle East. My only suggestion would be to make the table area a little less sterile, it just felt very shiny, bright and sterile.

Love this gem on Piedmont! Hummus plate is my favorite.
The server accidentally gave our extra pita to another customer and she felt so badly, she gave us free baklava.

I’ve been here twice so far and all I can say id DELICIOUS! The food is fresh and yummy. The first time there I had the chicken majadera and it was out of this world. I’ve never had it before and it was a pleasant surprise. Not too spicy and plenty flavorful.
The second time I had the chicken tagine which is a dish I’ve had many times. It was also flavorful and fresh and very good.
The people that work there are super friendly as well and very patient with people going up to the counter with confused and indecisive looks on their faces.
The atmosphere is friendly and bright and perfect for people watching.
I will definitely go here again. Both times I left with a smile on my face and a full belly.

UPDATE: They let me know that this was just an error, so you’re probably fine if you go here as a vegetarian/​vegan. But can’t hurt to double check when you’re there :)
I got hummus take-​out and when I opened it up at home, there was a bunch of meat on top of the hummus! I’m vegan, so I was super bummed about that. Be careful and be very specific if you’re ordering here as a vegetarian /​vegan.
If you’re reading this, friends at Ba-​Bite, please clearly mark your vegetarian and vegan options – that would be so helpful!

Read all these amazing reviews and this place was just meh to me. My fiancé and I got the chicken and hummus and chicken wrap. The hummus was really good and tasty, but the chicken was dry and the picked things it came with was just ok, would have been better with a salad or something. The pita was really REALLY good though. I wish I could eat that every day. As for the wrap, it was just good. Plain olé wrap, nothing too special. And maybe I was eating too slow or something, but my wrap got really soggy and was falling apart. The only thing that was holding it together was the foil.
If I ever come back, I’ll definitely try something else. Maybe I just didn’t choose the right things or something.

Okay seriously the least greasiest Middle Eastern food I’ve had.
Three people shared four different plates and we left feeling extremely content and full. But not the nasty full, but like a «wow, I ate such delicious food and I feel great still!» Seriously.
The falafel is… cooked to perfection. Right amount of crunch and flavor. The hummus is a little bland, but you can tell they made it right then and there. I’d suggest the eggplant for vegans, so so so so good.
And it’s not crazy poppin’ like every other restaurant. Pretty tables.

#52
What a cool place all hidden away in Oakland. We were surfing Unilocal!looking for a new lunch spot and we came across Ba-​Bite. We both thought, «Hmmm, ‘In the House’ – what a clever name…» So we decided to give it a try. At least the name was a tell-​tale sign that this could be authentic Middle Eastern food.
We arrived to a really awesome location with easy street parking out front. The place was pretty big for a small family type restaurant, and very clean. We were greeted upon entry and they explained it was a counter service type spot, but they would bring our food to the table later, once it was ready.
We looked at the menu – all the usual favs:
Baba Ganoush
Hummus
Grilled Lamb
Olives
Falafel
Pita
Baklava
Yeah, we grabbed one of all of that, and a couple fancy little sodas. We took a seat in the adjacent room and waited on our yummies to arrive.
Shortly after, the food came to the table and the server asked if we needed anything else to compliment the meal. It looked so delicious, I could think of nothing to make this better. I was just ready to eat.
The hummus was served in a HUGE dish with paprika overtop. The pita was in a basket alongside of the hummus and baba ganoush with some pickled veggies and olives. So super yummy. The falafel was pretty awesome too.
I am happy to say that I have found a new spot in Oakland for Middle Eastern yummies that is conveniently located near a nail shop we frequent and a couple stores we shop at often. I love discovering new places, and Ba-​Bite is a keeper.
Stephani Smiles for Ba-​Bite ;)
#biggestmostdelicioushummusintheeastbay

I think my count here is hitting about a dozen. How is it possible that each time I visit is better than the last time? This place not only oozes with deliciousness, but with originality and pretty stellar service.
This time around, I got the butternut squash salad with falafel added, and split a falafel wrap with my girlfriend. On my last review, I advised not to get the wrap do to independent friends suggesting it was not very good. (slight update, I’ve now tried the lamb wrap, and it is… Meh. The hummus bowl with lamb is still a jackpot! But the wrap, in my opinion, has a bit of room to grow). Some friends that came with us tried a couple of their hot entrée plates, and they were absolutely on point! The name escapes me, but it was effectively an Israeli rice bowl with delicious spices.
Everytime I come in here, I feel like a guest. It’s like you’re entering somebody’s kitchen. Everybody seems to have great chemistry, everybody from the cooks, to the person delivering the food, to the person taking your order. Often times, the roles are interchangeable. But the entire staff is sweet nevertheless.
Ba Bite has managed to open up out of nowhere, and already been established as a neighborhood staple.

Best quick service Mediterranean restaurant in the East Bay, hands down. I went with my parents and we couldn’t stop gushing about how delicious everything was. The dishes are simple with high quality ingredients and you can really taste the care put into every meal.
I ordered the Lemon Saffron Shrimp Majadera, which is saffron shrimp over rice and lentils with tahini yogurt on top. My parents got the Chicken Tagine, chicken over couscous, drizzled with chermoulla sauce. The chicken was so moist and tender. We shared a small Salad Shiraz, a perfect complement to both dishes.
I saw some pretty great beverage options as well, like the Saudi Coffee and kombucha on tap. The beer selection is solid and even the water is refreshing — infused with cucumber and mint!
And everyone working here is nice, to boot. Highly recommended.

Great menu and exceptional ingredients. The staff is friendly and walks you through the menu as you order. They ask a bit about what you like and if you’re familiar with middle eastern-​cuisine and based on your liking of other dishes they make fantastic recommendations.
Their hummus plates are incredible; great for sharing and come with a delicious side of house-​made pickles. I love that their house water is infused with cucumbers, a refreshing treat that compliments their meals.
Share a salad: Their salads are HUGE, such a delicious, healthy meal prepared with great ingredients and you choice of protein.

Ah, what a disaster.
Long story short, I’ve been meaning to try this place since they first opened and today I finally had the opportunity to give it a shot. I’ve never seen such high hopes destroyed in one fell swoop.
Not only did they get my order wrong, but the second order came out with not one, but several strands of long black hair in it. Yuck. I couldn’t even finish the first half of my wrap after spotting it.
When I did actually have a chance to get my munch on, I found the lamb meat to be rather mediocre, with tons of tough un-​chewable bits and even a huge bone was left inside, nearly shattering my teeth.
Their saving grace would be their house made pitas (which are nice and crispy) and their falafel which I grabbed a la carte, which was quite good. A great deal of spices and a good tasty crunch to it.
Though I highly doubt they purposely added the hair flavorings on purpose, it was still a horrendous thing to find in your food, and maybe starts to bring the question of whether or not other items they serve may be contaminated as well.
I’m all for tasty pitas and falafels, but better check your food safety peeps!

This place is AMAZEBALLS!
Ran an errand nearby and was feeling adventurous. Unilocaled this little gem of a place.
Ordered the hummus and falafel plate based on Unilocal tips. That’s where it’s at. The hummus is creamy and amazing. The falafel is crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside, and the side of fluffy pita bread and pickled veg blew my mind.
Outrageously delicious.
GO HERE. NOW!

Ba-​Bite could rename as Nom-​Nom because that’s what happened. Refined casual atmosphere, high quality dishes, friendly, order at the counter, parking on the street.
4 stars:
* GREAT DISHES
Winners: Beet Salad with the Feta and Romaine *luscious*, Chicken Tagine *tender*, Lemon Saffron Shrimp Majadera *delicate*, Hummus *swim in it*.
Decent: Lamb Shishlik *gamy* — I like gamy :)
* LOCALLY SOURCED, ORGANIC INGREDIENTS
Their website says: «We source locally, organic, and sustainably.» Great job guys, it comes through!
* GRACEFUL AMBIANCE
The color palette is mainly red-​orange, and yellow-​ochre and the lighting is very warm. These hues definitely put you in the mood to eat, but they are also somehow subdued and calming. The décor is lovely and unostentatious.
* VERY NICE STAFF & BABY FRIENDLY
Ba-​Bite must feel like a rewarding place to work. Really nice folks all around with bright faces, like Manal who took our orders. Our friends brought their chubby lil baby & the only trouble we got were tempered lil smiles.
— FALAFEL OVERRATED
Some article wrote that Ba-Bite’s falafel is on the list of ‘food to eat in Oakland before you die’. Eh, didn’t think so. You know Falafel is dry when you can’t eat it alone and the one’s we had unfortunately fit that category. Even if I hadn’t walked in with that overblown expectation, I’m sure I’d still be writing about it because I love good Falafel, and our fried little bean-​balls were definitely not as good as the rest of the meal.
But back to the positive — Thank you Ba-​Bite, we shall return!

3.5 stars. The food is actually 5 stars, but the prices are a little steep. Bf’s lamb dish was $ 15. I get it, it’s lamb, but when we opened the to-​go box there wasn’t enough meat to justify the price. I just looked at their website (very nice website) and it says their ingredients are locally sourced and sustainable, ok maybe the prices reflect that. Regardless, this place feels like a to-​go establishment (despite their efforts in making it cutesy and homey), but with sit-​down restaurant prices.
With all that said though, the food was really tasty. I don’t have a ton of experience eating middle eastern food, but I could tell everything was very fresh and seasoned to perfection. I had the falafel hummus plate ($ 11.50), and everything about it was amazing. The 3 falafels had great flavor and texture. The wheat pita was warm and extremely fluffy! It came with a side of pickles and olives. Bf’s lamb was alright. The rice was strongly seasoned which smacked me in the face with flavor. Probably a good thing.
If I was seriously craving delicious hummus and pita bread, or even falafel, then I would consider coming back.