Bombera
Mexican restaurant · Dimond
3459 Champion St, Oakland, CA 94602
Highlights
Elevated Mexican cuisine with duck mole, trout tostadas, and house-made masa
Elevated Mexican cuisine with duck mole, trout tostadas, and house-made masa
"Fire provides the central motif for this boisterous community staple, from the venue itself (a former fire station) to the name (Spanish for fire woman), all the way to a crackling wood-fired oven that not only animates the kitchen, but also provides ash used to nixtamalize corn for house-made masa. All of this seems perfectly fitting for Chef Dominica Rice-Cisneros, whose passion has helped to shape Oakland's current Mexican restaurant scene, combining a locavore pedigree and fine dining chops with a respect for the generational knowledge of heritage cooking. The single best illustration might be a dish of beautifully rendered duck leg confit, paired with a delightfully complex, nutty mole verde, just-right black beans and handmade blue corn tortillas." - Michelin Inspector
"Incredible house-nixtamalized masa is the name of the game at this Dimond District spot. Located in a former firehouse (hence the name), Bombera is where to go for a nice meal of homestyle Mexican dishes starring said housemade masa. Tamales are impossibly fluffy and stuffed with chicken. Tetelas are smoky on tender blue corn tortillas, and gooey Oaxacan cheese spills out of the ever-so-charred quesadillas. Equally awe-inducing are the heartier entrées, like fall-off-the-bone duck confit over mole verde or carne asada topped with crispy cheese. If this is also a “f*ck-it, let’s get tipsy” night, they also have a ton of agave spirits and cocktails." - lani conway, julia chen 1
"Sipping a margarita under billowing papel picado on the patio at Bombera is how Friday nights should be spent. The upscale Mexican restaurant in the Dimond District makes the most of their ample converted firehouse space, with big umbrellas and heaters. Go all in on anything with their house-nixtamalized masa, especially the tamales and blue corn tetelas." - julia chen 1, lani conway
"Incredible house-nixtamalized masa is the name of the game at this Dimond District spot. Located in a former firehouse (hence the name), Bombera is where to go for a great meal of homestyle Mexican dishes starring said housemade masa. Tamales are impossibly fluffy and stuffed with chicken. Tetelas are smoky on tender blue corn tortillas, and gooey Oaxacan cheese spills out of the ever-so-charred quesadillas. Equally awe-inducing are the heartier entrées, like fall-off-the-bone duck confit over mole verde or carne asada topped with crispy cheese. If this is also a “f*ck-it, let’s get tipsy” night, they also have a ton of agave spirits and cocktails. RESERVE A TABLE" - Julia Chen
"A Mexican restaurant whose chef-owner prioritizes quieter outdoor seating, restrained music volume, and attentive service but still worries she could do more for hard-of-hearing diners; with additional resources she would focus on technical fixes like improved speaker placement." - ByAngelica Maze
