The Damel

Fantastic restaurant! The staff are very friendly. Some of the best empanadas I have had in Northern California. The acarajé was also superbly well done, many rich flavors coming together in the fritter crust. I would definitely recommend if you would like to try Brazilian, Argentine, or Senegalese food

Came for the Oakland Restaurant Week meal special but I’ll be back for those empanadas ($20 for 6!!) again for sure! The lamb was tender and flavorful, and both the carne and pollo picante empanadas were my favorite. Can’t wait to try the other dessert empanadas!

My wife and I loved our experience at The Damel and we can’t wait to come back! A very unique halal establishment offering cuisine from Argentina, Brazil and Senegal. We focused on the Empanadas and hopefully we will try their plate dishes in the future. The lamb and chicken options are exceptionally good. We also love their sauces and I prefer their green herb sauces vs their orange hot sauce. Their spinach empanada is also very delicious. I didn’t particularly enjoy their sweet corn but that is just my opinion. Do give them a try! I wish them well and love how much it gave a comfort food vibe.

It was my first time trying an empanada and I’m not disappointed. I ordered carne/beef one and it was so flavourful and their green sauce was just *chefs kiss*. The owner and the lady working there are so polite, I really love their behaviour towards customers. Only if I could give them 6/5 stars 😄.

This place is a gem! The acaraje tasted just like what I had in Bahia and the coxinhas were crunchy on the outside, gooey on the inside perfection. The dibi khar was so good that even after we'd finished the lamb and onions and I was completely stuffed, I couldn't stop myself from going back for more coconut rice dipped in the sauce. Oh, and their hot sauce is BOMB--fiery spice with fresh flavors that complemented the food perfectly. Overall, a great value for the incredible amount of food we got, and the service was fast and super friendly (he gave me a to-go cup of extra hot sauce because I loved it so much)! My partner and I were the only people dining in, but the space was huge and they played early 2000s pop/R&B throwbacks, so extra points there. If you're tired of "New American" and Latin fusion interpreted by white dudes, go support this awesome business bringing totally unique West African and Afro-Brazilian flavors to the Uptown food scene!

Happy to be your first customer at the new location! Thanks for the hospitality and the great empanadas.. they were all delicious! Can't wait to try the Moqueca, it's been 10 yrs since I last had it in Brazil.

My experience with the restaurant was far from what I expected, but I need to break it down for a better understanding. -I ordered dishes that are known to be part of the Brazilian cuisine and despite the fact that they were prepared resembling the originals they lack the punch of spices the real Brazilian, and for that, Bahia's state culinary has. -Portions are very disappointing. They are on the BITES scale of portions. I ordered 6 dishes and they barely fed 2 people. They are not worth the asking price even though I know that the dishes are not easy to prepare. -Delivery was within the time frame promised but when I got it I was missing one of the dishes I had ordered. I called the restaurant back and they asked me to pick up the the left behind item. -Picking up the item was a challenge because I had to call several times for someone answer the phone and let them know that I was coming to get the food missing. Those are the reasons I was hoping for a better Experience with this restaurant.

We booked The Damel for our catering order for a team meeting for the first time. The service was excellent; Oumar was very responsive and professional over the phone and via email. The catering delivery was on time and the quality of the food was very good. We received so much positive feedback from our team members! Good quality for a reasonable price! I would highly recommend!