Calabash

"Calabash is an Afro-Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant with a $35 lunch and dinner menu. The two-course meal at this Uptown spot includes an entree, like jerk chicken or curry vegetables, and a side of green beans or brussels sprouts." - julia chen 1

"Calabash is an all-day spot serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner—which is one reason we already have plans to spend every waking hour at this spot near Uptown. The other is the fact that this place is from the chefs behind the excellent (now closed) Kingston 11 and Komaaj. They’re doing feel-good Afro-Caribbean and Iranian dishes, from sweet plantains with black bean sauce and roasted lamb leg salad to eggplant and sumac labneh mezzes, and serving in a plant-and-couch-heavy space that looks like a lounge crossed with a fancy, sun-filled cafeteria. Expect this place to be the backdrop for casual conversations, especially since it has two bars." - Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway

"Chef and Komaaj majority owner Hanif Sadr just opened Calabash in Oakland and received high praise from the New York Times for his cooking." - Paolo Bicchieri

"Calabash is an all-day restaurant near Lake Merritt that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner—which is one reason to spend every waking hour here. The other is the fact that this place is from the chef behind the excellent Kingston 11. They’re doing feel-good Jamaican and Afro-Caribbean dishes, from sweet plantains with black bean sauce and roasted lamb leg salad, and serving it all in a plant-and-couch-heavy space that looks like a lounge crossed with a sun-filled cafeteria. Expect this place to be the backdrop for casual conversations, especially since it has two bars." - Lani Conway

"At chefs Nigel Jones and Hanif Sadr’s highly anticipated Calabash in Oakland, the duo is melding Caribbean and Iranian flavors and seemingly having a lot of fun doing it." - ByKate Kassin