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Burdell

Name: Burdell
Address: 4640 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA, United States, 94609
Telephone: (510) 239-9287
Price range: $50 and over
Rating: 4.5

$50 and over

Soul food

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 28 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Innovative

Burdell is a Soul Food restaurant in the Temescal neighborhood of Oakland from James Beard Finalist, Chef Geoff Davis.

Named for and inspired by his maternal grandmother, Burdell, the restaurant reflects her love for well-set tables, entertaining guests, shared meals, and laughter. Burdell is centered on nostalgia, family recipes, thoughtful and sustainable sourcing, and the forgotten impact of Black farming, ranching, fishing, foraging, and culture on American cuisine and hospitality.

The menu highlights farmers and artisans harvesting and creating excellent products around us. Paired with the food is a robust list of wine and beverages from producers around the World-focusing on wines that are farmed and crafted with care and sustainable practices.

Why they're an Icon

Executive chef: Geoff Davis

From the OpenTable editors: Fine dining vet and James Beard finalist Geoff Davis returns to his roots with this totally fresh take on California soul food. Expect iconic dishes like barbecue shrimp and boiled peanuts alongside heirloom tomato salads and slow-simmered collards. The retro design and vintage plates make every meal here feel like Sunday supper with family—no wonder Food & Wine named Burdell its 2024 restaurant of the year.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Soul food, Californian
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
Phone number
(510) 239-9287
Website
https://www.burdelloakland.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress

Location
4640 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609
Neighbourhood
Oakland
Cross Street
46th Street
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Macarthur BART station
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

Family Dinner Menu
US$82.69 per person
Multiple dates available
For parties of 7-9, your group will partake in our market-driven, multicourse Family Dinner Menu, instead of our regular a la carte menu. The price per person varies depending on what's on the menu for the week. Menu substitutions to this menu are politely declined. Kindly include any dietary restrictions on your reservation when booking so we can prepare appropriately for your visit (not all dietary restrictions may be accommodated). We do charge a cancellation fee person of $75 per person for no-shows and late cancellations as we hold the physical space in our small restaurant in anticipation of your larger party. As with everything, we charge a 20% service charge that supports livable wages for all staff as well as healthcare.
Family Brunch Menu
US$93.71 per person
Multiple dates available
For groups of 9-19, we offer a market-driven, multicourse Family Brunch Menu for $85 per person (excluding taxes and 20% service charge). The three-course, family-style, Chef's pick meal includes a starter, main, and dessert, with menu offerings tailored to dietary restrictions (substitutions not allowed, not all dietary restrictions may be accommodated). Please inform us of any dietary needs when booking your reservation. We charge a cancellation fee of $85 per person for no-shows and late cancellations as we hold the physical space in our small restaurant in anticipation of your larger party. As with everything, we charge a 20% service charge that supports livable wages for all staff and healthcare.
Private Events
Multiple dates available
Parties of 10-20 for dinner, please visit our website and post an inquiry using the link at the bottom of the page for private event details, availability, and pricing. We look forward to hosting your special event!

What 141 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.3Service
4.4Ambience
4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Burdell offers a nostalgic dining experience with a charming 1970s vibe. Guests rave about the "fantastic food" and "outstanding flavors," with the fried chicken, cornbread, and pork chops being particular highlights. The ambiance is welcoming and reminiscent of a family gathering, making it a beloved spot for brunch and dinner. However, some reviews note service inconsistencies, but the overall experience remains highly praised.

141 Reviews

K
Karna
San Francisco
37 reviews
vip
4.0
37 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
The food is very good, but the portions are small and the prices are high. We didn't order enough as we were told the plates were family style. The portion size on the mains was barely enough for one person with a small appetite. The restaurant could use some soundproofing as it is so loud that is difficult to have a conversation or communicate with the servers.
Is this helpful?
A
Andrew
San Francisco
31 reviews
vip
5.0
31 reviews
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Unique and delicious. Overall, incredible experience.
Is this helpful?
B
B
San Francisco
2 reviews
1.0
2 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
I visited Burdell, Food & Wine's 2024 Restaurant of the Year, with high expectations. As someone who wants to support Black-owned businesses, I was excited to try this modern soul food restaurant in Oakland. Unfortunately, my experience fell short of my hopes. While the service was attentive and the decor was pleasant, the food left much to be desired. Despite being aware of the limited menu options due to my dietary restrictions, I found the dishes I tried to be lacking in flavor and seasoning. This was particularly disappointing given the restaurant's reputation for reimagining soul food. I'm conflicted about sharing this experience, as my mother always taught me, "If you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all." However, I feel it's important to provide honest feedback. While I appreciate Burdell's concept and its contribution to the culinary scene, the execution of the food didn't meet my expectations for a restaurant of this caliber.
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R
Ridwana
Washington DC
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food to table experience was outstanding. Everyone commented how much they enjoyed the food. From the cabbage salad to the Hoppin john to the Fried Patole Sole/Fried Chicken all the food was well seasoned and prepared. We even received free chocolate chip cookies. Great music complemented the great food. I will definitely go back!
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T
Tanya
San Francisco
2 reviews
4.0
2 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Unfortunately, I was served pork and I am a vegetarian in my greens which was a wrong order given to me. They did remove the cost from my bill. But the experience was very unsettling. I also wised they had a larger variety of items to choose from. The restaurant is primarily designed for meat eaters.
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M
Mark
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on December 2, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Totally lived up to it's hype. Best cornbread and greens we have ever had. My SIL, a retired Black chef from Chicago was blown away that the west Coast could do so well w soul food, We loved the apps, especially chicken liver and waffle, which I was a bit reluctant to try.
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c
chris
San Francisco
4 reviews
vip
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on December 1, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I could not stop smiling! Eating at Burdell made me so happy! I felt the spirit of the Chef's grandmother and boy, was she proud! Deep nourishment for the body and soul! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Is this helpful?
C
Cathy
Pittsburgh
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on November 30, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Super fun upscale but homey soul food. Recommend the chicken liver and waffles and corn bread. The beet salad with a rich creamy dressing was both light with amazing herbs and hearty. We had excellent recommendations for wine along with dinner and thoroughly enjoyed the retro ambiance and dishes too. My partner said one of the plates they served food on was what their parents had when they were a kid!
Is this helpful?
M
Mike
San Francisco
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Love the throwback decor…Food was excellent especially the croquettes. Main dishes were very good but overly salty.
Is this helpful?
J
Jeff
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on November 24, 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Delicious food that was deeply flavored and surprisingly bright (sometimes soul food can seem super heavy and overwhelming). A perfect brunch spot. I’m eager to bring others and to try their dinner menu. Chef and staff were very pleasant and professional.
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FAQs

Burdell is rated 4.5 stars by 141 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Dec 11, 2024

7:00 p.m.

Booked 28 times today

Experiences are available.

4640 Telegraph Ave, Oakland, CA 94609

Additional information

Cross Street
46th Street
Neighbourhood
Oakland
Hours of Operation
Brunch Sun 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Wed–Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm
Price
$50 and over
Cuisines
Soul food, Californian
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Macarthur BART station
Payment Options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Vegan, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
https://www.burdelloakland.com/
Phone number
(510) 239-9287

Burdell

Make a reservation

Why they're an Icon

Additional information

Experiences

Family Dinner Menu

Family Brunch Menu

Private Events

Menu

What 141 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

FAQs

How is Burdell restaurant rated?

Is Burdell currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information