Hibiscus

We live just down the street and have heard great things. Perhaps tonight was an off night, but we had the worst eating experience we have had in Oakland at hibiscus tonight. We did not eat. It took too long for a server to take our order and then Our order was lost in between giving it to the server and the kitchen. An HOUR later we were told our order had just been placed. Instead of bringing us a free appetizer as promised, the waitress returned to tell us they were out of the appetizer we had ordered over an hour ago. And red wine. We left. Friday date night ruined. And I’m still hungry!

Jambalaya! Hot flavorful spicy bowl of heaven. I will definitely be back the next time I’m in downtown Oakland.

not a review — closed for renovations

Strangely slow for no apparent reason but the chicken was delish

Our experience here last night was like the Twilight zone. They are super disorganized. I almost do not even know what to say about it because it was so strange. I think the ultimate weirdness was when the waitress came over and told us that she was going to bring our appetizers (after having sat there for about 30 minutes) but that she was so stressed out (she had 4 tables) that she thought that she was going to have an anxiety attack and thought that she should go and smoke a cigarette before she brought our food. The food was fine but I would definitely NOT recommend this place to anyone for any reason ever. Unless you were really high on marijuana (like the entire staff) and did not have any desire to eat food. The music was really good.
We ate here when they first opened and it was really good. It seems like they the now under different ownership as the only thing that it the same is the name. I did not want to pick one star but had to. I would give this place negative stars if I could.

Not sure what happened here, hoping it was an off night based on all the good Unilocal reviews of this place, but based on my experience it’s not even worth giving this place a second chance.
We had originally tried to go to Hopscotch down the street and when we were told it was going to be a 30 minute wait so we opted to take a walk and see if we could find anything else. Two blocks away we walked into Hibiscus, my first sign I should have left was when we were told it would be a 10 min wait when there were clearly plenty of open seats.
About 20 minutes later we got our order in and soon after discovered that not only was the person who sat us our host and server, but he was also the only one in the kitchen.
The dishes we ordered left much to be desired. I ordered a chicken cesar and my dining companion ordered sweet potato fries, hamhock greens and something else, which is sad that I have already forgotten as we just ate there last night. The leaves of the salad were cut too fine and the dressing was something I could probably have bought at the store, very bland and sparingly dispersed.
Most of the food was cold to luke warm by the time it arrived at the table, including my coffee, it took an extra 5 minutes before I could get the cream. Which, after tasting, I wish I would have skipped as it was not that strong and had a weird after taste.
The guy running the one man show was really nice and laid back, which makes me feel bad to even write this review but he definitely should have not opened for the night if it was just him.

We came through Oakland while on tour and wandered into this amazing café.
This food made me eat with my eyes closed — savoring every single bite.
The Succatash ($ 12) is out of this world. I’m a Southern girl originally and the grits are the real deal — they melt in your mouth.
The Skillet Cornbread was like nothing I’ve had before — done right!
The Bourbon Pecan Pie blew my damn mind.
Emjay, the owner, treated us like family while we were there. What an amazing experience. If you want the REAL DEAL — go here. Immediately. Don’t even mess around.
I just wish they had a location in Brooklyn, too. I’d be eating there every single night.
Truth.

Liked the high ceiling, high top table seating option, and chill cool décor but food was just ok.
4 of us girls shared a few things:
shrimp & grits ($ 17) — have had better elsewhere. get about 4 shrimps only.
fried chicken ($ 12 for 3 pieces), i had a slightly undercooked piece. batter was on the softer side.
beans & rice with andouille sausage and plaintains ($ 12) — this was actually pretty good. wished for more plaintain pieces.
biscuits — yum! served warm with melty butter.
mac n cheese ($ 6) — ok
pecan pie ($ 8) — yum. slightly small slice or maybe we just liked it so much that we devoured it.
simple casual place.

This place was pleasantly surprising, food-​wise, that is. I had low expectations, three dollar signs and less stars than I would like, but the food was stellar and the portions large. I had the BBQ Po’boy and the fried okra, both were excellent. My dining partners had the jambalaya, red beans & rice, and the Fried chicken, there were no complaints.
Service-​wise, though, we had a few. Our waiters seemed majorly stoned. Clouds of smoke followed them throughout the restaurant, with an odor that literally caused me to cough. Our order was a bit messed up, our water glasses empty and our drink orders took longer than the food. The inability of our waiters to process information made me lose more than a little faith. I may come back, but not until I check out all other soul food options that Oakland has to offer.

Hibiscus has a seductive, club atmosphere with small tables, flatscreens tuned to movies (batman) and sports/​news. lighting dim so just ordered off the main board in front.
eats: fried chicken (12)
−3−4 pieces, 3 moist, 1 dry
–initial smell was that of fish.
–chicken juicy but tasteless, thin flakey crust
–hot sauce an option, wouldn’t reorder.
crumbs:
–po boys available but no oysters.
–menu pricey, not sure what to order next
–no patrons here early evenings.

As an out-​of-​towner (and a lover of New Orleans, both food and culture), I was thrilled to find a spot with fantastic service and delicious eats as I killed time on a Friday afternoon. We also happened to be there for First Friday, and my ladyfriend bought some fantastic napkins and a onesie from the artisans in the back.
People who like their drinks in glasses might be taken aback by the ol’ plastic cup approach, but our mixed drinks were delish and the drafts were competitively priced. If we hadn’t been heading for a rehearsal dinner I would’ve gladly had seconds of both the fried okra (fantastic Sriracha aioli) and the mac and cheese.
Extra points for the bartender, who gave us free brisket and let everyone sample the signature cocktails via a cocktail straw. You, madam, are first class.

This used to be one of the best restaurants in Oakland, ever since the original chef has left the food has deteriorated severally. When I walked in, I knew the place had changed by the décor which is also a down grade from the original. I wanted to leave but my out town of guest suggested we try the new menu. Bad move, the chicken and waffles I had was about as bad as it can get. The waffle was half over cooked an half under cooked, it takes exceptional skill to do both. The chicken which was dark meat was dry and flavorless. The molasses syrup was so thick and gooey that it stuck to my teeth, I had to drink a huge gulp of water to be able to eat the waffle and chicken with it.
The dessert which was a play on s’mores was good as were the drinks. The bar area has been unchanged and is still a great space. Overall I will more than likely never eat there again but I will surely go back for drinks and to listen to the great selection of music.

My boyfriend took me all the way to Oakland with the promise of the best jerk chicken i will ever have in my life (he was offended after i told him that toronto has the best jerk chicken in north america). So it was a bit disappointing and confusing at first to see the menu here is not the same, and it’s mostly food with a southern flair. It turns out that this place has switched owners and management and all the pictures and reviews before this may 2012 are pretty much null and should be ignored.
At any rate, we decided to give it a try anyway and the food here ended up being pretty fantastic.
We started with the shrimp and grits to share and the sauce and shrimps were really really good. The grits however left me wondering what type of creamy dessert I was eating. It was a weird taste pairing, but the dish was over all very appetizing.
Our entrees were the buttermilk fried chicken and jamalaya ($ 17 each).
The fried chicken had a with a very tasty coating but the best part was the mashed potatoes — perhaps the best mash potatoes i have ever had. The kale was a nice pairing.
At first taste, the jambalaya was a bit too tangy, but the more you eat it, the better it got and the giant shrimps dressed on top made the dish ridiculously tasty. My only qualm about this dish was that there was too much cumin in there and left a strong after taste with every bite.
For dessert, we got the blueberry crumble a la mode. It’s not your typical crumble but in a small dish with the crunchies mixed in with a ton of blueberries. If you like blueberries, this one is for you. It was very good and i wish i had more room for it.
The service here is GREAT! The new owner and servers are really making an effort to change things around and it’s working. The bartender was not very nice and the drink offerings could be better, but otherwise all the servers are extremely friendly, professional, and knowledgeable.
So ignore the old reviews that say this place is crappy, because it is no longer. Don’t come with the expectation of the greatness that was (the carribean inspired food) or the crappiness that ensued (horrible service) but come here on a clean slate and expect some good southern cooking.

Food is bland as can be and the service is to par. We ordered 2/​3s and almost all of it had something wrong with it. From a steak that was rubbery on one end to cooked well on the thicker end to a dry banana bread pudding. Oh and service is top notch hahaha. We had our dessert served to us while the empty dirty dinner plates were still at the table, then they took said plates away and left us with the dirty forks. DID YOU REALLY EXPECT ME TO USE MY DINNER FORK TO EAT MY DESSERTS?
oh and what about the drink menu? there was none, i asked what beers they had and the waitress did not know so she had to walk backwards until she could see the beer list at the bar and proceeded to call the beers out. top notch i tell ya, i can’t wait to go back… NOT

The bf picked this place for a dinner date. It was super easy to make same day reservations and we had no problems finding parking. Paper liners on all the tables with a little vase of flowers gave it that cute, quaint atmosphere.
The complimentary bread was hard as a rock so we didn’t eat much of it. We decided to split the phoulerie chick pea and wild nettle fritters. The fritters themselves were pretty bland and tasteless but the sour and spicy cilantro dipping sauce totally made the dish. I went with their hefty portion of fried chicken. I loved the herbs in the chicken! The white meat was a little dry but overall was super crispy and tasty. The potato salad and buttery chive biscuit were really tasty too. The bf had the fried snapper — which is an entire fish! A little bit of a hassle to eat but the crispiness of that fish was so yummy.
Service was a little on the slow side but very friendly.

The food here is really well executed, and I love that they’re not afraid to spice it up, giving the dishes authenticity.
We shared a fish appetizer, which name I can’t recall, but it was tasty, lots of flavors going on.
The oxtail dish was very nice, well braised till tender. The fried chicken was also good, just a tad undersalted though.
We also got a side of grits, which were drizzled with ghost pepper oil, giving it a numbing kick.
Their habanero hot sauce is fantastic. I was going to buy one to go but forgot.
Cocktails are excellent too, try the Hibiscus 75.

It’s a bird, it’s a plane, no, it’s a major disappointment and a pain in my side, plus a guilty conscience about a low-​rating for a newish restaurant in my beloved Town.
Hibiscus has most of the right ingredients for success but fails, much like a cocktail with too many bitters. If you’ve read other reviews, you see a theme: the service is the bitters in this recipe. From sitting down until leaving, my friend and I were treated like prostitutes with unspecified gonococcal infections, and I see that this is symptomatic of Hibiscus’ service after reading about other Unilocaler’s experiences. We were interrogated about having a reservation (which we did), not seated for a long time without acknowledgment, drinks dilute, food cold, waitstaff forgetful and sparse, and despite the whole reservation mix-​up, not checked in on Open Table, so the next day I had to relive a painful experience by recounting what we ordered, when we got there, etc.
Did I enjoy the food? Not really, no. The fried chicken was mediocre until I reached the middle of a piece and found it to be cold and almost frozen. This was the case with most of the larger pieces, while the smaller ones were just barely cooked through. My friend had the ribeye, which was okay. Kudos for the large servings, but what’s the point if they are not edible? Fried plantains are a-​ok. Cocktails were the saving grace, but if in the neighborhood I would definitely be at Flora if in the mood for cocktails; they’re much better crafted.
I lament that Hibiscus was such a bitter experience for myself and other Unilocalers who were excited about a new restaurant serving a cuisine that has not been overplayed. I love the Front Porch in SF and was so excited when I heard that the chef at Hibiscus was formerly there, but I found none of the former’s down home hospitality or soulful food.
I do hope Hibiscus blooms; perhaps it needs some fertilizer? It would be a shame for the neighborhood and Oakland if it were to be overtaken by weeds.

Hibiscus is a great new addition to the uptown. Not only has Hibiscus become a staple for New Parish patrons & Oaklanders, but also for anyone who loves food.
Our server recommended to start off with the Phoulourie which was light & tasty. Overall, was my favorite of the night.
Their famous Miss Ollies Fried Chicken were perfectly crispy & golden. Though I didn’t care too much for the side leaks, the chicken was simply delicious. Crispy on the outside, juicy on the inside. The thighs outdid the drumsticks for sure.
If you like spicy, make sure you ask for their hot sauce! So good.
Molasses Brined Beeler’s Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder was highly recommended. I usually don’t order heavy plates when i go out to eat, but it didn’t disappoint. The pork was super tender. Very hearty & fulfilling.
Bread is available upon request.
The service was quick and attentive, but kind of fell off towards the end of when they gave us the dessert menu, then forgot about us for about 10 minutes before having to flag down our server. Other than that, Hibiscus is an experience. Great vibe going on the moment you walk in.

Sometimes when I’m having a less than spectacular week, I like to put on a costume and pretend I’m someone else. Lately though, my life has been littered with criminals, ghosts and bills. I know, right?! So what to do in these moments of holy bankruptcy? Put on a pair of ruby slippers or steel toe Doc Martens. Depends on whether you subscribe to the fight or flight method, I guess.
In the midst of trying to figure it out though, I went to Hibiscus and ate a delicious fried chicken. That made me feel a lot better. It’s called soul food for a reason, guys. I then drank wine because that’s what the gods would want, and finally, I chatted with a friend. Talking helps and friends are delightful.
Our server was a gemstone and despite being overwhelmed with pre-​show patrons demanding speedy service, our burrito of a man graciously waited on our modest little table with bona fide patience and jet-​fueled speed.
In this «up and coming» part of town, you can escape the street urchins and crooks in this high brow respite. Pricey soul food and crafty cocktails might put a little dent in your wallet, but it’s a small price to pay for stuff that’ll make you pat your belly with satisfaction.

While I’m all for the revitalization of the Uptown area, I find a lot of the new restaurants a bit overbearing or impersonal. Not so at Hibiscus. The bar area at the entrance (don’t go through the double doors at the dining room unless you want to do your best impression of Mr. Bean) is just too inviting and easy. The size of the restaurant is just right, intimate enough so you don’t feel lost in the shuffle. We were there on a Friday night and the place, although nicely full, never got overly packed or crowded. Clean/​minimal/​modern décor but with splashes of color. Noise, conversation, and music level combined for a thoroughly comfortable dining experience. Genuinely friendly service.
We got a whiff and glimpse of the spicy crab and grits appetizer when it was mistakenly placed in front of us (they were meant for another table). For a moment, we contemplated just spitting in them to claim them as ours. But being the honest folk that we are, we truthfully told them that we hadn’t ordered them, and they sadly took them away. .. Our quail appetizer was pleasing and substantial enough to pass for a main dish. Crunchy bits, a little kick. The rib eye was generous in portion, tender, and quite tasty. The accompanying fries — eh, a bit flat and floppy. The pickled veggies were the most exciting thing on the escaveitch fish of the day (mackerel) dish with rice/​beans, but overall the dish was good enough to eat. While the food menu is limited and a bit hit or miss, there’s fun in having Caribbean food for a change and Hibiscus definitely has enough to draw you here.
I shall return for some bar time & my very own bowl of crab and grits!