Yoshi's Jazz House & Restaurant

02/09/2008 Posted by charsie

I've lived in the area for 10 years and have frequented Yoshis. It's a well known fact that you will have to share your table or booth, even if you put your name on a seat previous to the show. (People that haven't been there yet, please be forwarned, you have no choice but to share it,) Food and service will never be the reason to go to Yoshis in Oakland, however... the calibre of performers is always outstanding, and they give some locals and lesser known people perform there as well. They mix up the genre at times which has proven to be a good thing since there are a lot of evenings earlier in the week where they can still have a full house for the first show and you can turn on to some upcoming artists. I went to Yoshis in the city for the first time to hear Count Basie Orchestra with Ledisi -- what a great show, AND I got to reserve seats! I'm going back again, and again, and again... Yoshis is 5* for music and great value!

11/24/2007 Posted by jezter

Hadn't been to Yoshi's for years, remembering them fondly from the old College Ave location(I know not actually college but very near). It has a very nice urban ambience, attractive setting etc. The service however was atrocious! The drinks didn't arrive until after the main courses, one drink was incorrectly ordered but we just decided to let it go. The food was served up at totally disparate times and was bland and poorly prepared. The menu was limited and very expensive with very few choices for the non- sushi eater. It struck me as a swank place that simply trades on its name and reputation for being a great jazz venue. You get the sense that they are doing you a favor letting you eat there which is an attitude I just can't tolerate. As far as the restaurant goes it was overpriced and underwhelming and when you throw that in with a less than attentive wait staff it's a place I never care to visit again!

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Expensive, lousy service and below average food.

11/18/2006 Posted by nise1234

Great jazz club. The restaurant used to be good but no longer with the new chef and menu - also very over-priced. The tea wasn't even good, tasted like only hot water. The old menu, chef, and waitresses were much better. The food looks good, not tasty and cost too much. They changed the waitresses and it appears that they are too young - not experienced. Maybe they are cutting costs to open their second one in SF. Should bring the better food back and ask for donations from regular customers! We eat out most of the time and don't mind paying for good food but $100 for the meal we had should have only cost $30-35.

Pros: music, parking

Cons: food, service

10/27/2006 Posted by d33ds23

I love going to listen to jazz there, the night that i have gone have been really great. the lotus drink is really good too.

10/22/2006 Posted by gpfoodie

I am an Oakland resident, and i have been going to Yoshi's for quite a while now, for the music not for the food, me and my wife love Japanese food, that's why we always go to San Francisco for japanese, our favorite spot is Ozumo, then i read on the net that former Ozumo chef (Sho) was taking over the kitchen to renew the menu, so we gave another chance to the food, we sat at the sushi bar, then we realized that the last Ozumo head chef (Armando), was also there,he gave a glass of fish broth to everyone at the sushi bar,it was like people that don't know eachother were having dinner at the same table, the place was packed to the top, great busy ambiance, beautiful dinning room, and of course amazing food...oysters with foie sauce,tuna and avocado salad, fresh sushi.... try the lamb!!.....it was a truly nice evening.....what a change!!!, no more crossing the bay for good japanese food, save your gas/toll money for some good sushi(and friendly sushi chefs), thank you Yoshi for bringing this to Oakland! heard that a new venue is opening in San Francisco......please stay here! ps: Hostess,service and course timing need some work....we guess it is just a matter of time,great value for quality and food presentation

Pros: music and food

Cons: hostess

10/19/2006 Posted by noefoodie

I wish I could comment on the food. We were a party of 8 and there for a birthday dinner. No problems in getting seated and ordering. 10 minutes after we got our food, our server asked us to leave. She said that another party was coming in and that there was a time limit on our table. Uh, we had been there less than an hour! We complained to management and they backed the server up. It was only AFTER we all got up and had our food boxed up that the hostess discovered she had evicted the wrong table! It was the table next to us that had been there for nearly 2 hours...not us. Even then, there was no move made to get the other table to leave. The hostess simply said sorry, didn't offer us any sort of compensation, etc. There were a number of ways the management could have saved the situation for us even at this point, but they chose not to. Shame on them.

Cons: terrible service

10/08/2006 Posted by mskg50

Executive chef, Shotaro Kamio, and his team of culinary artists have completely revamped the menu with delightful and delicious original creations. Fish is flown in daily from Tokyo to give a fresh flavor to several dishes. Try the Ocean Sunomono for a unique blend of marinatied seafood and seaweed served in a martini glass with tiny fish roe shimmering around the edge of the glass. The grilled entrees are the showcase; spiny lobster, salmon, duck, lamb, and more. The sushi is prepared to order and the presentation is as specatular as the the taste. The cost of fresh ingredients, excellent taste, and an attention to detail is worth spending a little extra for a unique dining experience.

11/11/2005 Posted by ggyy

The fish were crying due to the chef's lack of skill in preparing the sushi. I feel bad for them fish for such a lousy way to go. I have had better sushi in some Japanese supermarkets. Go for the music, skip the food.

Pros: Live Music

Cons: Bad Sushi, Expensive, Bad Service

08/13/2005 Posted by pehlanasha

Went there on a Friday night, did not attend the jazz club, but the food was great. We had the chicken salad with sesame dressing, which was excellent, and a sashimi plate was good. There was no abnoxious smells (like in some sushi places) and the food was good. The service was a little bit slow, and the waitress was a little bit rude. The crowd was mixed, from young to old and of all races. There was plenty of seating and we were seated immediately. Definately recommended for an average price restaurant.

01/26/2004 Posted by charlenex3

This is a wonderful, intimate venue. The acts are top notch, the sound is good, the chairs somewhat uncomfortable. Newcomers don't realize you have to be there very early to put your name on the best seats, or have dinner in the restaurant to get some of the better seats rserved for you. I rarely eat there, I have other choices for Japanese food! All in all, it gets a high rating from me due to the caliber of musicians. I'd like to see a wider range of music there since it is a good venue.

Pros: booths

Cons: chairs