Burdell

Burdell reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. R

   Robert VIP

   Seattle4 reviews

   3.0

   Dined today

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 4

   We were very excited to try Burdell. The food was delightful, but as many diners have mentioned, very small portions on the supper menu. Service was horrible. There needs to be some formal training as our server didn’t say more than 5 words to us the entire meal, disappeared for 10 minutes when the kitchen was running behind (there was a very long wait between our appetizers and mains), and didn’t say thank you or goodbye as we left after spending $400 for 2 people. We heard other diners mentioning this as well. There were definitely some standouts (the cornbread, the split pea stew, the prawns), but I don’t think we would make the trek from the city over again.
   

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2. I

   Iman

   San Francisco3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 3

   The service was good. The chicken dish, corn bread and greens were all tasty. The cod was not great; had one note of smoky flavor that was overpowering. Wine list for glasses of wine was limited. It wasn’t worth the $330 we spent for the three of us. I don’t need to go back but if someone else invited me and was paying I’d go. :)
   

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3. J

   John

   San Francisco4 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 2 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was absolutely incredible. The chicken liver and waffle is a destination dish in and of itself. The service was sloowwweww. 3+ hours for a weeknight meal. We were waiting for long periods between courses. Our drinks took 40 mins to come out and didn’t arrive until after we had finished our appetizer.
   

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4. J

   James

   San Francisco4 reviews

   2.0

   Dined 3 days ago

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 1

   Had to try based on its #1 ranking by Food & Wine and we just didn't get the hype. Let's start w the food we ordered... - Asparagus - good - light and tasty - Chicken Liver and waffle - Ok but once is enough - BBQ shrimp - Ok and the sauce had a heavy fish flavor - Chicken main - average, nothing special - Cod main- had a burnt flavor and was under cooked. We ate one bite and we did not finish - Corn bread was burnt and average. Service Team was pleasant but service was spotty as they seemed to be quite understaffed. We were hoping to have a great food experience and we were disappointed. We did not have the food experience Food & Wine had and will probably not return.
   

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5. n

   nigel

   London6 reviews

   4.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 5

   Excellent food, great decor and a nice ambience. However the service was odd. We arrived 7 mins early but told to wait until our reservation time even though a number of tables were open and ready to be seated, so that was annoying. They then made me wait for 5 more mins after my reservation time which would normally be fine but as I was told to wait initially and the standing area was crowded it was a bit frustrating. When we did sit we fancied the beignets while we were deciding what we wanted as a main course but were told we had to order everything at once so therefore couldn’t order beignets without ordering our mains. So - a weird and unfriendly start to the experience with the rules around seating and ordering. They also lost the sale on those beignets. All in all though the food was outstanding and vibes nice so so we will go back. I’ll just expect the quirky service and not let it bother me like it did today.
   

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6. C

   CHARLIE VIP

   London2 reviews

   2.0

   Dined on April 12, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 2
   3. Service 2
   4. Ambience 2

   M'eh... how this establishment won a big award in Food & Wine magazine, I will never understand. I've been to dozens of better restaurants in the Bay Area. Totally underwhelming. I did not expect a Michelin experience, but still. Here is my rant: Waiters were friendly enough, but seemed inexperienced. We had about 7 different people either taking our order or delivery food to us. Unsettling. Annoying that you have to order all your food at once. I witnessed waiters having a conversation about a dish and then the cook touched the corn bread with his bare fingers to gauge the temperature of the bread. This is 'back of house' behavior! Overpriced. Small, tiny pork chop $47 + mandatory 20% tip + tax = $61! Sad. ($5 at Safeway, so a 12x markup.) I later learned that the chef / owner is an extreme introvert. That's OK, but if you are an introvert don't come out to the tables. It's awkward when customer want to say hello and you run away from them. Apparenty tipping in the USA has an "ugly past". Thanks for the dinner lecture on the menu. This does not put one in the best frame of mind for enjoying a meal with friends. Odd place all around. Not for me. Won't be back, but they will be fine. Apparently I am in the minority on opinions on this place.
   

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7. B

   Brianna

   San Francisco1 review

   3.0

   Dined on April 11, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 4

   I wanted Burdell to be so much more than it was. It had been on my radar prior to the recognition from Food & Wine magazine, and I recently went to check it out. The vibe was cozy and simple - it felt like somewhere I could linger for a long time with friends! The homey vibe continued to the dishes the meals were served in (think, your grandma's porcelain dishes). We opted to order a range of dishes to create our own tasting menu: the boiled peanuts, chicken liver mousse and waffles, mushrooms and onions, BBQ shrimp, cornbread, greens, and the lamb. Of those dishes, we enjoyed the mushrooms and onions (think an elevated deep-fried appetizer) and the chicken liver mousse and waffles was a delicious and creative take on the classic chicken and waffles dish (the crispy chicken skins added a perfect crunch!). Everything else was truly just "fine." Nothing was bad, but the flavors and preparation didn't pop in the way you might expect from a restaurant that was so highly rated. TLDR: Burdell is a good restaurant, a cozy spot to split some shareable plates before hitting the other spots in Temescal, but isn't the spot to take out of town guests to dazzle them with Oakland's culinary scene.
   

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8. A

   Alli

   San Francisco2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 11, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food, good soul music (at least in the bar area), friendly service. Overall, we very much enjoyed it all! Based on our experience, expect to spend at least a couple hours for a party of two. We didn’t mind the long wait between courses, but some might.
   

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9. K

   Karl

   San Francisco262 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on April 11, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 3

   Spare, kitschy dining area but we liked the fun interiors. The asparagus appetizer was superb! Not overcooked and the accompanying sauce was excellent. The shrimp appetizer was OK - not a fan of head-on shrimp and I wasn't crazy about the sauce. I originally ordered the gumbo with crab but switched with my companion and I had her cod. (The menu didn't inform me that I had to cut up the crab. No thanks.) The cod was outstanding, along with the potatoes and whatever else was in that dish - it was great; really quite wonderful. My companion thought the gumbo was excellent; especially the juice/sauce. She had the pudding for dessert and judged it as "very good." I had the cookies, and they were OK, nothing special (and they forgot to bring the milk). I was taken aback by the service: my original entree was served at another table before being brought to my table. While my primary waitperson was friendly, he wasn't particularly attentive. I had to repeatedly flag him down. Not sure that dinner should have taken 2 hrs. Music was way too loud to have a decent conversation. Good to great food; OK service.
   

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10. S

    Stephanie

    Los Angeles2 reviews

    2.0

    Dined on April 10, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3

    Unfortunately, Burdell did not live up to expectations. It was very noisy, and the food was just okay, especially for the price. And, it could be me with regard to the noise, or the food is just not to my liking. However, the fact that one of the folks working there said "Wow, paying for your own birthday dinner?!" in a very loud and condescending way to my partner in front of his parents, who are the sweetest people and immediately felt so bad that they weren't paying, ruined our time there. They were also very condescending about the food orders that my in-laws made, and none of this is their business. Overall, the service was bad, and that comment really topped it off. There are so many great restaurants in Oakland, skip this one.
    

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