Lovely’s

"Originating as a smashburger pop-up, Lovely’s is now a brick-and-mortar space in Uptown Oakland. The expanded menu includes two fried chicken sandwiches: an original and a hot one with comeback sauce. Both sandwiches come with a behemoth of a fried chicken thigh that has an ideal breading-to-meat ratio. Biting into one almost requires opening your mouth to a width that defies all laws of physics, but the juicy, piping hot sandwich is worth the effort—especially if you follow it up with some soft serve or a drink from next door at Two Pitchers Brewing." - julia chen 1, lani conway

"Lovely’s is the Uptown patio hangout. The smashburger and fried chicken joint shares a string light-filled outdoor space with Two Pitchers Brewing, and it’s where to meet up before a show at the Fox—or any time you want to fill a picnic table and drink fruity radlers with a fantastic handheld meal. The caramelized patties pretty much melt in your mouth, and hot chicken sandwiches are served on squishy sesame buns that soak up the spicy juices. Hop in the inevitable line, order a cone of soft serve for later, and stay for an hour or three. " - lani conway, julia chen 1

"If you’re in the search for a good, solid burger, at some point or another you’ll wind up at Lovely’s, located in the patio area of Oakland’s Two Pitchers Brewing Company on Webster Street. The original fried onion burger comes with American cheese and griddled onions (of course) but hungrier patrons may want to splash out with the Chili Willy, a chili-laden version with pickled jalapenos and Lovely’s “special sauce.” If the lines are long, the pro move is to order a radler at the bar before joining the queue (so long as you’re within the confines of the patio, that is)." - Dianne de Guzman, Eater Staff

"After a stint at the Lodge in Oakland, this East Bay pop-up has landed in a new home at Two Pitchers Brewing Company, sharing an outdoor patio perfect for a burger and a brew. The burgers all feature Cream Co. Meats beef, and the tried and true Original Fried Onion burger is the way to go if you’re looking for a classic burger. But if you’re in the mood, the Chili Willy comes with, well, chili, along with onions and a pickled jalapeno, perfect after day drinking beers." - Dianne de Guzman, Luke Tsai

"Lovely’s serves fantastic smashburgers on a vibey outdoor patio shared with Two Pitchers Brewing Company. The keys to their greatness: a squishy sesame seed roll that soaks up all of the juices from the meat, creamy house sauce, and a caramelized patty that pretty much melts in your mouth. After your first visit, you’ll probably wake up every night at 3am, inexplicably craving one. If you’re not in the mood for a burger, Lovely’s does a fantastic hot chicken sandwich, plus flaky fish and chips, hot dogs, soft serve, and sundaes. " - Julia Chen 1, Lani Conway