The Half Orange

I came with a party of 6 on a Sunday just minutes after they were opened. There were only one other party so we were seated right away. Parking is difficult in this area. Everything on the menu sounded really good so we ordered a bunch of dishes to share. Unfortunately, only 1 of 8 dishes were good. We had:
Nutella Buttermilk Pancakes topped with seasonal fruit: These were some really good pancakes. It was nice and fluffy. I thought it’s deceiving to call it a Nutella Pancake when it’s a regular pancake, topped with smears of Nutella. The seasonal fruit was just 5 slices of bananas. Although I expected Nutella as the main key ingredient, I still really enjoyed it and might come back just for this dish. $ 8.95 for 3 four to six inches pancakes are a little pricey though.
Corn Dog Tots: ratio of sausage to corn batter is probably 1:10. There were barely any sausage, and the batter was dry as a corn bread. Yes, it tasted more like dry corn bread bites. Foster farms sausage pancake dogs are much better than these.
Fried Cheese Curds: I did not like them. They were soggy and the white sauce didn’t go with it.
Catch of the Day Sandwich: White fish of some sort, maybe albacore. Whatever it is, it was overcook and dry. The sauce and slaw were good on the buns though.
San Diego Special: This was horrible. It was wrapped horribly; each end had too much tortilla and the entire thing was just falling apart. There were barely any meat and everything was just tasteless. All you can taste was tortilla.
Fruitvale Market Benedict: Poached eggs over corn tortilla? Why not? Actually, it was pretty bad. It has the appearance of two tacos, but it was just a total mess if you tried to pick it up and eat it. Again, no flavor in this dish. I understand eggs, avocado, hollandaise, and pico de gallo all have subtle flavor, but even the cured jowl bacon didn’t have any flavor. It just tasted like dry jerky of some sort.
Salchipapas: This was an okay dish. Fries could have been crispier. Could’ve used more sauce.
Gobernador Sandwich: Not good. Bread was stale and the sandwich was loaded with too much bell peppers.
Lastly, the service was decent. Nothing good or bad, except that the music was too loud which makes it hard for the server to hear us. They have one unisex restroom for customers. The lock is a little broken so be careful and be quick when using. I locked the door behind me, but when the next person waiting shook the handle from outside, the thing just unlocks! I’m pretty sure I locked it, and I even heard the click when it went unlocked from the person shaking the handle.

I came here for Oakland Restaurant Week with some friends, and it did not disappoint! I picked this place because the restaurant week menu was awesome! It has a lot to choose from compared to other restaurants; the choices are also all from their normal menu!
For the appetizer, I chose the sausage plancha buns! SO DELICIOUS. They pan fry the Asian steamed buns. Inside, they put sausage and diced pickled vegetables.
For my entrée, I chose the fried chicken sandwich with a side of macaroni salad. The chicken was fried perfectly. Not too dry or over-​fried. Inside the sandwich, there is a cabbage-​kale slaw. It’s a perfect combination with the fried chicken!
For dessert, it was nutella parfait with cinnamon chicharron crumbles. During restaurant week, the dessert is always the most disappointing. This was no exception. Since the appetizer and entrée was so good, I didn’t mind the not so great dessert.

Alright I can see this as a nice, happening spot to watch a game. The surrounding neighborhood isn’t great but not much they can really do about that. When you’re physically in the establishment, you can rest easy. They do a good job at ushering away panhandlers that are bothering their patrons.
My friend and I went here for Oakland Restaurant Week. Initially they didn’t even give us a Restaurant Week menu until we asked for one. The food was kind of disappointing (cept the fries; get the fries):
– Corn Dog Tots: We were expecting little cornmeal-​battered wieners, but got salty-​AF battered pork bits. I’m personally not a fan of beets so I didn’t like the red beet ketchup, but no stars docked off for that since that’s a preference thing. The mustard seeds were great, but didn’t alleviate the water chugging inducing amount of sodium in these poor tots.
– Hush Puppies: They had chorizo which I thought was an interesting twist. There was also some kind of white sauce and jalapenos on top. Overall, mehhh.
– Grass-​fed Beef Burger w/​Fries: The burger was decent but nothing to write home about. The fries actually stole the show. There was a nice heaping amount of these crispy on the outside, soft in the inside straws of perfection. Yes, on the fries!
– Nutella Parfait w/​Cinnamon Chicharron Crumbles: This was pretty good. The crumbles added some nice texture and worked well with the pudding. There was also a dollop of berry sauce and whip cream. Not bad.
Can’t see myself coming back unless I’m meeting up with some friends to watch a game. I would order fries and drinks if that were the case. :)

Very unique food though some of it was lackluster :/.
I really dig the concept and appreciate their new take on classic dishes, but most were hit or miss.
I came here per the suggestion of a friend, and she seemed to like it just fine, but I expected a little more. It’s a quaint little eatery with a quarter open kitchen and high tables and stools. Their beer selection seems pretty good, with mostly local beers and they have fish and chips! I made a mental note to try it next time, though the catches seemed pretty ordinary.
I guess their cuisine concept would be Asian-​Mexican Fusion or bar/​snack food. We ordered the cheese curds which were alright. My friend was really excited to order this but I don’t think I’d order it again. We also got the chicharones which were good actually! I would order it again and the green sauce you dip it into makes the dish. The corn dog tots were not good in my opinion, at all. There was way too much batter and I did not like the sausage they used.
I really wanted to like this place because the location is amazing; across from Fruitvale Bart, has its own open dining area with umbrellas and TV’s outside. On a sunny day, this would be a picturesque place to grab lunch or catch up with friends. But maybe what they serve is just not my type of food. But then again, I think I would appreciate a corn dog tot or cheese curd done well.
I’d come back here for a beer with friends or during a game, but that’s it.

Located across the street from Fruitvale BART, and just on the edges of an area of Oakland known as Jingletown, this hole-​in-​the-​wall establishment is easily accessible by public transit for those of you who are wary of leaving your car unattended in this «shady» area. (Seriously guys, Oakland’s not that bad. Come on.)
Boyfriend and I came here for dinner one windy night after work. Initially, we were going to take one of the outdoor tables but the strong wind quickly had us deciding that we’d wait for an indoors table instead.
We split an order of their corn dog tots and their Korean fried chicken. If you know me AT ALL, it’s that I have an ongoing, long standing love affair with anything corn dog related. The fact that these were corn dog TOTS made them even better in my book.
My overall impression of the place is that it’s a cool and chill spot for dinner and drinks, but if you’re going to have more than 3 – 4 people in your group, then it’s going to be a tight squeeze.

4.5÷5
For years I’ve been watching my friend’s go to Dine «Insert Name of City» and I’ve always been too lazy to try it out Well this year I finally got off my lazy butt and I gave it a shot, so this is my first time trying a place during Restaurant Week. I love Korean Mexican fusion and this place is more along the lines of Korean-​Mexican-​American fusion and I loved it.
My friend and I came in on a Monday holiday for lunch. The interior of the restaurant was casual and homey. There weren’t a ton of seats but the place wasn’t too crowded. The parking also wasn’t too bad but this is possibly because it was a holiday. I parked at one of the one hour spots but since it was a holiday we were parked for longer. For restaurant week the lunch pre-​fixe was $ 20 and came with an appetizer, a entrée, and a dessert.
Also for restaurant week you can also order one of their draft beers for $ 3.65. They also do this promotion on Mondays. I got the Cherry Kush California tea beer and it was great. It was almost elegant in a way and it had a nice tartness to it. I got the Winter Salad, the Korean Fried Chicken and Kimchi Waffles, and the Nutella parfait with berries and cinnamon chicharron crumbles.
The winter salad was very light and a nice way to start the meal. For me, the overall theme of the entire dish was: I wish there was more of «blank». The citrus marinated fennel, herbed goat cheese puffs, and basil mint gremolata were all flavor-​packed but I really wished there was more of them. I understand it’s restaurant week so the portions are smaller though, so I’d love to come back and give the full size a try. The green goddess dressing was also a bit mild for me which is why I think I was craving more of some of the stronger tasting parts of the salad. The only thing that I wasn’t a huge fan of was the batter on the goat cheese puff. The interior was perfect but the breading on it had a weird oil after taste. Overall it was a delicious salad though. (⁴⁄₅)
For my main dish I got the Korean Fried Chicken and Kimchi Waffles. To be frank, I’ve had awful experiences with chicken and waffles but this is possibly the best one I’ve had. Granted, the glaze was salty so I was glad I had a beer to go with it but overall each bite was amazing. The portion wasn’t huge but honestly it was the perfect size. The waffles could’ve been a bit crunchier but they were soft in a good way without being soggy. The chicken was also extremely crispy and had a great light batter on it. The chicken was also very moist which was a HUGE plus for me because I cannot stand even slightly dry chicken. Overall great dish! (4.5÷5)
For dessert, the menu comes with their Nutella parfait with berries and cinnamon chicharron crumbles. Apparently this can be served as a sharing portion or individual smaller portions. It was a good dessert. The main ingredient that made it special was the cinnamon chicharron crumbles which added texture and that extra bit of fatty flavor. I wish there was a bit more of the chicharron flavor in the crumble. The nutella parfait itself had a grittiness to it and the «nutella» flavor doesn’t quite taste like the stuff straight out of the jar so I’m wondering if they make their own. Overall, it’s not too sweet and it was a nice way to end our meal. I’m not sure if I would order it at full cost again but I’m glad I tried it at least once. (3.5÷5)
The food I got was an overall ⁴⁄₅ stars but the service was extremely nice, I liked the simple atmosphere and my beer so I rounded up. If I can figure out a better parking situation I would definitely come back.

Stopped by last night since owner Jay was doing a wine tasting of 3 «border» natural wines grown to the north (San Diego) or south (Tecate, Mexico). All were fantastic and funky, right up my alley. He has the best wine, beer and cider of any Oakland place east of the lake — and a list that rivals many throughout the Town as a whole.
Food has been stellar the three times I’ve gone and last night was no exception with grilled albacore (the «catch of the day,» which you can have a variety of ways) & avocado tacos and lightly battered but gooey cheese curds that came with two excellent sauces. Jay told me that was what he had for lunch so I went with his recommendation. Food portions are generous and probably enough to be shared if you aren’t super hungry (which I wasn’t but still managed to chomp down everything since it was so delish!).
The outdoor, dog-​friendly beer «garden» has been scaled back for winter (although there is a covering and heat lamps) but there were still several tables of folks sitting outside on an evening with on-​and-​off-​again rain showers.
Need to get back here more often, try one of their famous burgers and bring friends! Also gotta check out Salsipuedes, the 42^nd & Market place Jay is a partner in, which also has a killer wine list.

This place is fantastic. A good amount of outdoor seating, prompt service, delicioussss food. We came here with about 8 people and were seated immediately, it was a bit cold out, so the server also promptly turned on the patio heater.
I’ve been here several times, and the food is always really yummy. Lots of beers on tap, too. Like a giant list. And a decent amount of wines, and a few ciders.
We have literally never ordered something that we didn’t love here. It’s a special little place that’s easy to walk by, but it is so so worth stopping by!
Plus, this is where I recently got engaged, so this little THO has a special place in my heart :)

We are from out of town, and enjoyed our visit to The Half Orange. This place is TINY so if you don’t come early, plan on a wait. If it is nice out, they have what looks like a nice patio that has more seating.
The Good:
— The beer selection is excellent, with lots of beers on tap and a good local brewery selection.
— The burger is good!
— The place is good for kids — they can make a quesadilla for the little ones if the menu doesn’t suit. Not sure if they could make anything else.
— The green beans are super yummy.
— Service was friendly, helpful, and attentive.
The so-​so:
— the kim chi fried chicken and waffles is ok. The plum sauce featured makes it all too gummy, the waffle is nothing special, and overall, we missed the savory/​sweet aspect of typical chicken and waffles. The kim chi was too overpowering.
— if it’s cold outside, it’s rather cold INSIDE. we had to keep our coats on the whole time we were there. maybe they should invest in some working space heaters?
Overall, great place. Would go again!

My husband read an article on this place and wanted to check it out. I am from Oakland, and grew up not far from the Fruitvale, so I came into the meal a little skeptical. I tried to keep an open mind, but both the service and food was bad.
Ordered the salad, which was just lettuce with a few grapefruit slices, not special or even tasty. I also ordered the beer battered cheese curds. They came out covered in a siracha sauce and I had to ask them to bring us some without sauce because I was sharing with my three year old. The menu did not list this sauce, which seems odd. Second batch came out sauce less but batter was raw and it was covered in so much salt that we couldn’t eat it. My husband said fish burger was good, but we both walked away saying that the food was overly greasy and so salty. It felt like eating fast food without the low price tag. I will not be going back.

I found this place by chance at Dia De Los Muertos festival in Fruitvale. So lucky I did. The food and beer selection were a great surprise! I met the owner and he recommended some unique food options which all turned out to be awesome. Seems like most of it is created and cooked from scratch. From the apps to the entrees, everything was delicious. The beer is local and served cold.
The seating area is small but the patio seating makes for a great meal on warm nights. If you appreciate high quality food and beer, come try this place. The location may throw you off but this block is safe and freshly designed. A great date spot!
Parking is easy in the nearby lot or streets.

«New Spot Alert!» — Jay-​Z
Fruitvale is coming up, grab your fixies, sony walkmans, and move in before you have to give up your kidney for your first month deposit.
Came here for dinner and it was so good that I’m considering putting The Half Orange on my top five favorite spots in the East Bay DOA. And if you guys know me, I’m not a guy to be easily impressed and I was. From their beer selection to their convenient location to it not being so damn busy to their prices and to the damn food. I couldn’t find anything that I didn’t like or anything that I didn’t want to try.
For four people, we pigged out on:
1) Grilled green beans: Smoky and full of flavor. I will order this every time.
2) Cheese curds: Tasty, but my least favorite.
3) Black and Blue Burger: I never had a better burger in the East Bay (excluding In n Out).
4) Their house fries, topped with kim chi, radishes, and some kind of meat (it was a long weekend): fries were legit, toppings were great, could feed a small army, or my friends.
5) Corn Dog Tots: fried perfectly, although i would prefer a better sausage to batter ratio.
6) Chicken Chicharones: chewier than expected, but overall a great snack.
And last but not least…
6) Fried Chicken Necks: Yes, I said it. Yes, you read it. Necks ya’ll. Don’t knock it till you try it. Chicken necks, battered and then tossed with a savory Korean style sauce? I have no idea, but my gawd. I hate to sound like Guy Fieri (hate him), but they could’ve battered a wooden fence, toss it in the sauce and I would be happy. Ugh, just saying that makes me cringe.
Not to mention, the beer selection is on point. This is going to be my new spot to grab a beer and just hang out. I can picture this place being very crowded soon and especially during sunny days in Oakland.
I didn’t want to write this review because it’s really a catch-​22. I want to hide this place for myself but If i don’t help spread the 411 about local places like The Half Orange, they might not get the traffic they need to survive. But I rather wait an hour for a table for the Half Orange then for it to be gone! So stretch your stomachs and head over to the Half Orange now! (or when i’m not there, hehe)

This place peaked my curiosity so I opted to have it delivered. I used the caviar app. My food arrived within 30 minutes. I was impressed, quick delivery!
*cheese curds, they were a bit greasy but tasty. They must be even better if I ate at the restaurant. I would definitely order this again.
The San Diego wrap was ok, great combination but it didn’t wow me. Their burgers looked delicious… That’s on my next «to try» list.
This place seems like a nice addition to the area. Can’t get a burger without a good beer… I will definitely dine in on my next visit.

Pros:
— trendy, foodie-​friendly restaurant in Fruitvale.
— interesting menu items, mostly Mexican-​inspired brunch options and burgers (the owner told us dishes were inspired by San Diego border cuisine)
— brunch ’til 3pm on Sat/​Sun
— yummy burgers
— (a few) vegetarian options
— delightfully crunchy, spicy potatoes in the San Diego breakfast, yum!
— extensive local craft beer menu
— try the Jolly Roger imperial coffee porter from Drake’s, it’s delicious.
— parking down the street at BART
Cons:
— totally unaffordable for many of the local folks who actually live/​work in Fruitvale
— fried foods are overly oily and greasy
— not much seating inside, and outside is no fun in the cold
— soggy salads
— overpriced (side of fries is $ 4, wine is $ 10, eggs are $ 14, whaaaat)
— for some reason they don’t serve dishes at the same time, so your group won’t actually eat together. Instead, some of y’alls will be done by the time others are just getting served. Not a very communal way to dine, Half Orange. Can I eat at the same time as mi media naranja? Gracias!

Let’s end the hipster-​hate. Hipsters to me are the tatted, plaid’ed, beardy, but most importantly CRAFTY folks, that give a shit about good food, sexy joints, and GREAT BEER! Hello Half Orange – welcome to Fruitvale, my hipster friend!
4 ‘S T E R S
* Beer Deelites
All the beer is from local craft breweries within a 30 mile radius. We had the localest of them all, a wonderful red ale with a hoppy body from Ale Industries that is only 3 blocks away! Bonus, there’s an outdoor biergarten that’s gonna be off the chain when the sunshine returns.
* Tasty Bites
We had the Corndog-​Tots. Brilliant little bites of fancy sausages fried in a corndog batter. They came with super-​bomb, sweet beet ketchup topped with mustard seeds. Score!
* Treated Us Right
Having just run out of pre-​made Dog-​Tots, the server explained that we would start with a half portion, but then expect a full portion of a new batch for our patience. And Dog-​Tot-​Gonnit, that’s exactly what happened! Felt like 2 full portions to my stomach – I was stuffed at the end. We were sure to return the love by hitting the 25% tip button on the pay tablet.
* Convenient Site
Right outside the Fruitvale BART Station in case you need to BART it home, get on the bus, or jump in a cab.
1 M I N U S
— Lil’ Tight
Half Orange has that East Oakland charm of great food with not a ton of seating. The inside can only seat 22 people, and as they say on Game of Thrones, «…Winter is coming…» so I don’t expect the outdoor seats to return to viability until the Spring sunshine returns.

I ordered a portobello burger and it was soaking with oil and the burger itself was greasy, even the portobello patty was! The service was nice but ugh, the food just wasn’t worth it.

Found this place after the dia de Los muertos celebration at fruitvale village… love the window to the line — watching them grill up my snack

These guys are almost 5 stars and are an excellent new addition to the neighbourhood!
The Good:
— Cool atmosphere and Patio right near Fruitvale BART (who knew?)
— AWESOME local beers on tap — Faction’s Anomaly Milk Stout, several local Ciders, and a great Hefe.
— Great burgers and a sweet selection of premium toppings like Portobello Mushroom ($ 3), grilled onions ($ 2), blue cheese ($ 3), beer battered cheese ($ 3), fried egg ($ 2), etc.
— The beer battered cheese curds are to die for — the sauce they use is sweet and salty and leaves you going crazy for more!
— Great brunch menu and their eggs benedict comes on tacos which oddly works!
What would make them 5 stars:
— Ditch the TV’s, get better more comfortable and stylish tables.
— The hush puppies not so great.
— I wish they had cocktails too
— Open later (please guys)
Overall I love this place. If your in the area I HIGHLY recommend giving it a try. It is for sure the best food in Jingletown/​Fruitvale area.

I came here with mi familia (mi padre, mi hermano y mi hermano’s esposa) about a month ago and am just getting around to writing a review. Not that the place was totally forgettable! It was pretty decent, actually, and we all seemed to enjoy our food. We sat outside to catch a few of the sun’s rays and the sights and sounds of the nearby Public Market that seems to be the hope of «reviving» (read: gentrifying) the area.
I ordered the Spring Salad, which was delicious and I could tell the produce was fresh. (When it comes to these veggies son, I DOES THIS.) I was probably the most relieved about the fact that the strawberries were sweet and not tart, a great indicator of their committment to not just throwing some crapola in a bowl.
My dad got the San Diego Special (glorified steak tacos) which he said was AMAZING and true to his contradictory, lard-​lovin’ ways, my brother complained the entire time about his need to watch what he was eating and then ordered the El Take It Easy, a monstrous burger adorned with chicken chicharrones, cilantro chutney and havarti. Yeah, watch that boo.
All in all, I’d def recommend The Half Orange. You might end up wholly committed.
(I’m sorry. I couldn’t even resist that one. Or, I could’ve but I didn’t.)

Came here for an early lunch (11am) on a weekday and had no trouble getting seated. Ordered the cheese curds, hush puppies and the burger (#1 combo with fries and half tea/​half lemonade).
Fried cheese curds were just fantastic! I am not sure what kind of sauce was on cheese curds but my friend loved it so much, he dipped the hush puppies in it. 100% would order the cheese curds again. The hush puppies were also good but I have had better. Burger was average in taste; the meat was juicy but the bun was not really toasted well.
Noteworthy are the fries. They are very crispy and fresh! The best part is that you get a lot of it with your meal.
Definitely would make a trip back, but note that the restaurant is on the pricier end for a lunch meal.