Friends & Family
Restaurant · Northgate ·
Craft cocktails, small plates, and warm hospitality in an inclusive space
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70094801/LindseyShea.0.jpg "Friends & Family by Lindsey Shea")
Craft cocktails, small plates, and warm hospitality in an inclusive space
"Oakland’s accolade-studded queer bar and restaurant will close on Tuesday, December 30; popular for a chef-driven menu and upscale drinks, the operation will still be available for private events in January and February." - Dianne de Guzman
"An accolade-studded Oakland bar and restaurant that became a refuge for the Bay Area’s restaurant industry and queer community, this nearly six-year hub opened at the height of the COVID pandemic in 2020, scheduled days after the shelter-in-place mandate was implemented. It was named a 2022 semifinalist in the Outstanding Bar Program category by the James Beard Awards and placed No. 33 on the 50 Best Bars North America. In 2024, former State Bird Provisions chef Gaby Maeda joined the team, pioneering powerful dishes including upscale onigiri and the creamy roe-topped les eggs. Owner Blake Cole and the team navigated pandemic-era hurdles—parklets, outdoor dining, to-go cocktails—but despite being exactly the place they dreamt of, overwhelming debt and inconsistent business lingered, with Cole working without a salary for years. The restaurant will close on Tuesday, December 30, with private bookings continuing into January and February; until someone takes the lease, the brand will live on through private events and dinners, sustained by a soulful, generational sense of community that felt welcoming to everyone." - Paolo Bicchieri
"A bar by name only, in reality it’s the second coming of the Paper Doll, the Bay Area’s first documented gay bar; it’s a vehicle for chef Gaby Maeda and her team to show what they’re made of, and a destination dinner masquerading as a post-work watering hole. Les eggs is the closest thing to a signature dish—creamy eggs dressed in bubu arare pearls and trout roe—ideal for a table of four, maybe too much for one person. The drinks are worth more than a casual perusal; the For Rei, a medley of coconut oil–washed Japanese whisky and coffee-infused Cynar, comes with a coconut water popsicle. The rice cakes, dressed in no less than three shades of green (a parade of herbs, cucumber, and green beans) when I visited, are rad, and the onigiri are one of the maybe-not-so-surprising stunners on the menu. On a sunny evening, from the front door to the back patio it’s a light and airy affair; by night, things get more sultry, and grabbing a spot at the bar—let alone one of the bigger tables in the back—will be nigh impossible during peak service. Everyone here is stylish; that said, there’s no dress code. Queer people are royalty here, but unlike some venues, all are welcome—just don’t be a jerk and don’t be weird. How queer!" - Paolo Bicchieri
"The heightening pressure on queer communities in the United States makes the scene at Friends and Family feel all the more significant. That may be a reality or burden not that desirable for the destination bar. But headed over for the first time it was a palpable relief for me and my party, the aesthetics and staff offering a sense of familiarity before the exquisitely made drinks hit the table. Chef Gaby Maeda’s dishes across the board landed with all four of us — the sesame-sprinkled onigiri and herby tteokbokki riffs were particular highlights. The strawberries and cream, though, merged the overt commitment to sweetness and Maeda’s restaurant chops in fine fashion. Demerara sugar-studded strawberries, held to the surface with a straight-up sour cream, does something special to the soul these days. If nostalgia serves any purpose, maybe it’s to remind us of a world that still feels, as poet and writer Hanif Abdurraqib notes. Thanks to Friends and Family for keeping bellies full and hearts beating while so much of our country eats itself." - Dianne de Guzman
"Inside this welcoming oasis on 25th Street is a bar and back patio filled with plants, excellent cocktails, and natural wine. Food comes courtesy of Gaby Maeda, a highly decorated chef who cut her teeth at State Bird Provisions. Cocktails are from owner Blake Cole, a longtime cocktail pro, who opened the bar with an all-female team just as the pandemic began. Friends and Family has received nods from the James Beard Foundation; the pro-move is to order shrimp cocktails to pair with a “grandma’s standard” cocktail made with gin, dry vermouth, and a twist." - Nico Bianchi