Bombera

"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

"Bombera, a Mexican restaurant in Oakland, focuses on careful consideration of music volume, quieter outdoor seating areas, and attentive staff to accommodate hard-of-hearing diners." - ByAngelica Maze

"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." - MICHELIN Guide

"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." - Julia Chen

"Dominica Rice-Cisneros is an East Bay iconoclast, taking Mexican dishes including chicken mole tamales and chili-braised pork to new heights at each restaurant she opens. First came Cosecha in 2010 (which later closed), before Bombera opened in 2021 in an updated old firehouse in the Dimond neighborhood." - Dianne de Guzman, Clair Lorell, Paolo Bicchieri