Portal Restaurant
| Address: | 1611 2nd Ave, Oakland, CA 94606, USA |
| Phone: | +1 510-663-7678 |
| Site: | portaloakland.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | Closed 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 11AM–10:30PM 10AM–9:30PM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 10
JE
Jennifer Hudiono
Cute brunch place by Lake Merritt! I came here for a birthday brunch on Sunday and it was pretty packed. They have outdoor seating which is nice on a beautiful day. But it does get really really hot. I was sweating by the end of our brunch. The seating outside provides shade but not enough to cover you from the hot sun so dress lightly! They have bottomless mimosas during brunch :D and various beers on tap, so that can help you cool down! I loved our waiter, Melvin! He was so awesome and he really made us feel at home. He also gave excellent recommendations for our group and kept us entertained. Definitely the service here was superb. The Food: Chilaquiles: I dont get this dish often, and this probably the second time Ive had it. It was pretty good! I dont really have anything to compare it to but I did enjoy it. I thought the dish had good flavor but the chips were a little too soggy. I felt like the description of the dish on the menu was more appetizing than the dish itself. I dont know if I would get this again, it was good to try once. Corned beef hash with 2 eggs any style: in the words of our waiter, "it is on point." Indeed it was, one of the best corned beef hash Ive had. I really enjoyed it. He also recommended I got my eggs poached, which I did, and it was absolutely fantastic! The corned beef wasnt too salty and the potatoes balanced the dish, I would definitely come back again for this dish. Overall, I thought this place was adorable. I would probably request to sit inside this time to avoid the heat. Perfect place to eat and then take a stroll around the lake :)
HE
Heliana Mano
Really love to have Portal as an option thats literally 10min walk from where we live. I love coming here, seating on the community tables outside by the patio with a great view of the lake and exchanging sweet moments with your loved one and getting to know your neighbours! Portal is exactly that, bringing people together. Love their indoors variety of seating by the tall tables, low tables and the lovely bar. Outside is great too with long community tables that easily accommodate 8-10 people and a lovely view of Lake Merritt :) Prices are well balanced tho some dishes tend to get expensive like the carb loaded garbage bread priced at 18$, tho you get 4 big slices. I think the best way to go here is share the food since portions are quite generous. Love the choices on the menu. Impressed there were quite a few veg starters, salads and couple entres too. We came on a Friday night at about 7ish and were quickly accommodated outside. Between the two of us we shared plate of [6] hot spicy chicken wings and hot pastrami. Love the hot spicy sauce, it has the right amount of kick without being too spicy. The pastrami on rye was delicious, no mayo and whole grain mustard? YES!!! And love me their house made pickles. I make homemade pickles all the time so I can attest these were delicious! All in all, we really had a great time and the bill only came to about 30 something $ for 2 plates and 2 beers which aint bad I think. Service was on point and very friendly and efficient. I havent come yet for brunch here but dying to try :)
JI
Jiann Mok
Pros: - GARBAGE BREAD (like a super classy calzone with chimichurri dipping sauce) - brussels sprouts (soft with crispy outer leaves; slight sweet teriyaki flavor) - cocktails are made with soju instead of vodka (I dont see this done often) - quick service INDOORS (outdoors is a different story haha) - friendly staff - cool interior design/decor - beautiful view from outdoors patio - not difficult to find street parking (make sure you check street signs though!) Cons: - horrible service on outdoors patio (likely due to communal seat-yourself tables) - chicken was juicy but bland in flavor - ribs were smothered in a delicious sauce but were slightly dry/overcooked Bottom line: Portal offers a great twist on classic American food. The garbage bread is a MUST TRY but I recommend that you sit indoors.
BA
Bakery of Doom
I went here for brunch with a couple friends Saturday morning. This place has a great bet selection, a wide variety a good which caters to restrictions in diet, and amazing cocktails! I have never liked a bloody Mary before, but Portal does it right. They make their own mix so it doesnt taste like Campbells tomato soup with Tabasco. They also put in their house made pickles. So good. I had the pork belly salad with poached egg. It was delicious, filling and low carb! Hell yeah! I would have given this place five stars, but the bathroom situation is not amazing. There is one bathroom in a place that serves bottomless mimosas, and its located in a walkway.
AA
Aaron Illathu
Went here for brunch and bottomless mimosas! Food was tasty, had a great view of the lake, and the mimosas were flowing! (some places claim bottomless but dont check in for refills, here, they had one dude on refill duty just going around with a pitcher!) Only negatives was that I tried making a reservation (knowing that they get busy) and they said if we walk in, we would not have a problem getting a table but ended up waiting 35 mins for a table for 2. Also, once being sat, it took 3 conversations with back waiters and 15 min for our server to come talk to us. However, once we got our food (I had the GCCB - posted) we had a great time.
RA
Rakesha Butler
Went here for late evening drinks and dinner with a group of friends and had a great experience. There is minimal indoor seating so if thats your cup of tea be prepared to wait. If you dont mind sitting outside (there are heaters and if your extra nice they may even provide you and your dining companions with blankets) just take a seat and order the delicious "Garbage Bread". My friends and I ordered the vegetarian option and were very pleased! Overall great place, great service great food, great atmosphere.
CH
Christopher Hewitt
Delicious gastro pub. Good beer selections. Their burger is decadent. Also recommend the garbage bread (a sort of calzone) and quinoa sliders. Brunch menu is tasty, though perhaps for the bay area somewhat plain, and often theres a long (sometimes an hour!) wait for a table. Service is usually friendly, attentive, and quick. The outside seating consists of long wooden benches, which seat up to 10 or more people; often multiple parties share a bench. Nice views of the lake.
MI
Michael Hraba
Nice, uncomplicated, unpretentious space, with wonderful outdoor seating looking at the Lake. The food was yummy. The drinks and options were solid. The service was attentive, happy, kind, and excited, with ownership of their job. The management cared deeply, was friendly, and fun. Diverse mix of guests, all respectful and kind. This is precisely what becomes of a great concept with wonderful management and great staff. Go figure. In fact... just go. Great spot!
KE
Kelly Wolf González
The wait for brunch on a sunday was about a hour. Typical for bay area brunch, but what was awesome was the bottomless mimosas while we waited in their cute little patio area. Someone got their "Mr. Pickle" bloody mary and that was super good too. Once we got our table outside the food was quick and satisfying, though nothing that blew our minds, just good food. We did have a view of the lake the whole time which was pretty awesome. Ill be back.
ZS
Zsasa Yasana
Came here for dinner the other day. They have large portions; however, the food was ok. We tried the veggie garbage bread, which I thought would be on a bread but the veggies and cheese were wrapped in a tortilla. Also tried pork belly salad, tortilla chips, as well as brussel sprouts. Overall good, but probably wont be back here for dinner. I am interested in their weekend brunch.
