Walking into Burdell in Oakland feels like entering someone’s pink-steeped, midcentury living room: A family photo gallery wall frames a slim entryway that acts as a hinge between the main dining room and bar area. Brass orb sconces support muted sunbeams
streaming through the dining room’s skylight, together casting blondewood tables and rattan Cesca chairs in an otherworldly glow. The restaurant, run by chef-owner Geoff Davis and his partner in life and business Zara Fernandez-Aurelio, has been a crowd-pleasing destination for locals and out-of-towners since it debuted in 2023, earning an Eater Award in its opening year. (Davis previously hosted a roving pop-up of the same name before opening the Telegraph Avenue location.) Here, Davis explores Black American foodways whose histories cross the Great Migration and his own family story; the restaurant’s name honors his matrilineal line. Dishes like barbecue shrimp and ham-threaded collard greens anchor the menu, while seasonal specials keep the lineup lively enough for return visits.
The crowd
On Sundays, pairs of friends and hot millennial parents of the East Bay unite here for coffees, morning drinks, and plates of fried shallot–covered chicken and cornmeal waffles. At night, families and friend groups meet for “Family Dinner,” a tasting menu of Burdell hits like the cornmeal fried cod. Solo diners and couples fill the bar area for glasses of wine and newer snacks such as the “fish stix” and corn dog bites.
What to order
- Barbecue whole shrimp and rice grits ($26) feel like a non-negotiable at Burdell during daytime. The grits arrive dense and creamy, only slightly mellowed by an acidic tomato sauce that lends the grilled (thankfully) head-on shrimp a zippy flavor. “Were these magic grits?” Honestly, yes — the rice base gives them a porridge-like texture that feels more filling than the ground corn alone.
- Burdell’s pimento cheese folded omelet ($21) is a sleeper hit you should order to surprise your friends who think that omelets might be boring. The molten cheese’s sharpness counterbalances the buttery egg folded around it and permeates every crevice; the cooling green salad it comes with feels prerequisite (if you need more of it, order the charred wax bean salad, which uses the same little gem medley, tahini dressing, and a jammy egg).
- Platonically crispy duck hash ($31) rests under a runny fried egg whose lacy edges give it a doily effect. (I’m not into crispy-edged fried eggs, usually, but even I could tolerate these.) Just when you think the hollandaise might render the whole thing too heavy, you get bright pops of snap peas layered in each bite to cut through the cloying richness.
- The chicken liver and waffle ($19) is a Burdell signature that flips the classic dish on its head. Chicken liver mousse imparts rich, complex flavor punched up by maple and shallot vinaigrette, while crispy skin delivers zings of saltiness. Those flavors compound when spread over the cornmeal waffle, rendering a dish that feels funky and different. (Burdell doesn’t completely ignore the classic; the kitchen offers a fried chicken and cornmeal waffle, $26, at brunch, complete with a whole boneless leg.)
- Charred eggplant gumbo ($39) may appear different than what diners expect from gumbo. Made with a dark roux, the stew comes sans sausage, allowing okra and charred graffiti eggplant to be the stars — the latter infused with smoky flavor. It feels unusual to get this excited about rice, but the benne seed Charleston gold rice stands out for its texture. In short, this bowl demanded my attention.
Insider tip
- The best way to experience dinner at Burdell may be the $105 family-style prix fixe (called the “Family Dinner”) that comes with a snack course (boiled peanuts, hush puppies, and Kusshi oysters); a seasonal salad; a centerpiece dish like cornmeal fried cod with livelier takes on sides such as hoppin’ john, herby cabbage slaw, and cornbread; and panna cotta for dessert.
- If you’re at the bar, read the menu carefully — we won’t spoil it, but be thorough to get the prize.
Know before you go
As with many things in life, heaven can become hell quickly — almost certainly if you walk into a destination restaurant without a reservation, and especially if you walk in with no reservation during peak brunch hours. Waits up to almost two hours for Sunday brunch happen, so make sure to book far in advance if you want the experience to feel worth the time investment.
