alaMar Dominican Kitchen and Bar

This place is wonderful. I had the vegetarian stew and I've had it before. But they have a new recipe and it's seasoned so well, it's pretty, lol, and it's a huge portion. I do wish that they had more vegetarian dishes, but they always have new things on the menu when I come, which is a plus and I love that they do that. Nathaniel was my server tonight, very attentive & knowledgeable of the menu. He also suggested great drinks from the bar that I really enjoyed. He has great customer service and went above and beyond to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Great sense of humor as well. The bartender; Joshua makes a great Margarita Colada. That sweet potato Cheesecake tasted so good I could have ordered a whole one lol. Outside dining includes heated lamps too.I highly recommend this place

Haydar Celik

The waiters are a little arrogant, but the food is worth it. Shrimp is my favorite dish of the night. Very flavorful and balanced. The salad was very fresh, but I prefer more olive oil. Still, I liked it. Oxtail is good, but not my type. I prefer the braised version of it. Bread pudding is more bread than pudding.

Sarah Haight

Such a fun spot. We tried a lot of dishes I’d never heard of before, everything was great. Cleaned our plates. The music was fun, the vibe was cool. I like how the bartender comes and brings the drinks (which were so good and interesting!) Would definitely go back!

Renée J

Absolutely delicious. Their serving sizes are perfect for sharing a few dishes, and the cocktails we had were great. We’ve walked by on our way to Lovely’s so many times and have been tempted by the amazing smells, and finally went on Valentine’s Day. The service was top notch and even though the tables were a bit close together we loved the atmosphere. I did think the corn in the vegetarian dish was hard to eat and a bit odd to have on the menu in February, but it tasted good. My partner got the oxtail - I can say the beans with it were amazing and it was a but portion. They have a smaller menu but with a few vegetarian and fish options.

Isa Salinas

I was out in the east bay today! I tried @alamaroakland #dominicanfoodoakland I have been waiting for the WEST COAST/ bayarea to have flavors other than Mexican food! No offense to Mexican food! But being from Central America you crave that Caribbean flavor!! Plátano maduro, mondongo, ect. Today I tried the #theNewdominican it’s braised oxtail, pork pernil, butter pickles, Swiss cheese, sofrito lime mayo on a nisi Philly roll crispy to perfection! With two big tostones on the side! It has #flavor, it’s #delicious the meat omg to die for! bold, comforting, and full of soul—it hits you with deep, layered flavors that come from a rich blend of African, Spanish, and Taino (indigenous) influences If you live in the Bay Area and want DOMINICAN Food it’s here! Try it out!! I’m excited to go back and try their dinner portion!! 100 Grand Ave Oakland, CA 94612 #dominicanfood I came in during lunch time the server was amazing went over the menu with him! The portions are perfect not to over the top enough for you to be full and have some left over! Ambiance inside gorgeous it reminds me of NY the place is located in a good area of Oakland and I know they have days when they have LIVE music and I will go back to experience that!!

Alice Hou

It's my first time trying Dominican food, and I was so impressed that I found myself returning for two consecutive days to explore more of their dishes! For both visits, I placed a pickup order. The restaurant had my food ready when I arrived, and I appreciated that they sealed their takeout bags for security. From their Lunch Combo menu, I tried two delicious dishes. The Dominican Rice Bowl, featuring Slow Roasted Pork Pernil and Tostones (Fried Green Plantain), was an absolute delight. The roasted pork was incredibly tender and juicy, making it effortless to pull apart, while the tostones added a delightful crunch. The other dish I tried was The New Dominicano sandwich, which comes with braised oxtail, pork pernil, butter pickles, Swiss cheese, sofrito lime mayo, nisi Philly roll, and tostones. This sandwich was bursting with flavor, delicious, and extremely fulfilling.

R. Liriano

I liked the atmosphere and the food. Good Hispanic music in the background and the food was delicious. We ordered a few dishes that typically Dominican and they were right on the spot. Not all dishes are necessarily Dominican but you can get some of them here. I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Jason R

Visited alaMar Dominican Kitchen on 4/25/25 with a colleague and had a great time! The food was delicious — every bite packed with authentic flavor. The yellow rice was perfectly cooked, the fried plantains were crispy on the outside and sweet inside, and the meat was tender with a vibrant chimichurri-style sauce. The beans and fresh slaw rounded everything out beautifully. The ambiance was super fun and vibey, with great music and a lively but relaxed energy that made the experience even better. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the food and the atmosphere here. Definitely a must-visit spot if you’re in Oakland looking for bold, soulful Dominican flavors. I’ll absolutely be coming back, thank you alaMar!

Shawn Walker-Smith

Fast casual dining dine really well. Good idea is to arrive early. Grab a drink and just enjoy yourself. The seafood is fresh and the sauces are great. My favorites are the Romesco sauce and the Curry sauce. Do not miss out on the meat items either! The Oxtails are some of the best in the area.

Angel & Angelica Beautiful Brown Adventures

alaMar is owned by Top Chef contestant Nelson German and has some of the most delicious garlic noodles ($19) I’ve ever tasted–saucy, garlicky, and topped with a crispy fried egg. *chef’s kiss* While delicious, the meal can get a bit pricey, so take advantage of those restaurant week deals while you can. We ate here with our extended family (7 adults and 1 child) and everyone enjoyed their meal. Our kid ate a decent amount of garlic noodles, though I think we may have had to ask for the non-spicy versions of certain dishes. There is a fenced patio area on the wide sidewalk with heat lamps that is perfect for families. They offer high chairs, but I can’t vouch for a changing table…

Brian Lyday

Great meal. Our snow crab platter was 70.00, and plenty of leftovers😋 Noodles were thick and tasty. Sauce was on point. No boiled eggs, but still a GREAT meal!!!

Se'Quoia

This place is wonderful. I had the vegetarian stew and I've had it before. But they have a new recipe and it's seasoned so well, it's pretty, lol, and it's a huge portion. I do wish that they had more vegetarian dishes, but they always have new things on the menu when I come, which is a plus and I love that they do that. Nathaniel was my server tonight, very attentive & knowledgeable of the menu. He also suggested great drinks from the bar that I really enjoyed. He has great customer service and went above and beyond to make sure I was a satisfied customer. Great sense of humor as well. The bartender; Joshua makes a great Margarita Colada. That sweet potato Cheesecake tasted so good I could have ordered a whole one lol. Outside dining includes heated lamps too.I highly recommend this place

Que Rico 🥰mi encanta A la Mar , I had the Dominicano sandwich sooo good .I love the oxtail and pernil together ❣️❣️❣️❣️💯Paul the bartender made our day 🤩his personality and service super bien 👌 Great authentic food and dining room , sta PERFECTO 🤗🤗🥰

Nick Jonas

Great food and atmosphere! I love to see that the bartender does a little bit of everything to help his team, not just the drinks. I'll have to try a cocktail after Dry January.

Aaromal Syam

Just WOW! The fried goat appetizer (Fritura de Chico) was splendid, served on a bed of tangy sauce the meat was tender sliding off the bone! The pork ribs were equally succulent, very juicy and tender. The Soncochito was well flavored and came with goat sausage, and a bunch of other stuff in it. We were too full for dessert.

Really good Dominican kitchen Nice service - be patient with your food they won't all come out at the same time Really good selections of bourbon and rye Give it a try

My first spot to visit in participating the ORW24, and was impressed with the generous portion of their Prix Fixe dishes. I really enjoyed the fried lamb. Staff were super courteous as well.

Enjoyed everything I ate! Only problem is that they were out of a few off the dishes by 8pm. Would definitely be back!

Edit: I’ve been back since my review below, and I had a different bartender who was so gentle and just the complete opposite of my experience from the last time. I ordered the plantains and chicharones again as well as the slow roasted ribs. Everything including the drinks were delicious. 💖 — The food and drink that I ordered was delicious but the bartender, Michael, who served me was inattentive and rude.

Sunday brunch was tasty and different. The Chefs creative blend of American classics and his childhood NYC Dominican foods brings a fresh twist his seafood creations. This restaurant has a mention in the Michelin food guide! I did not give it 5 stars only because the menu online was different from what was available upon arrival. The menu changes more often than what I thought as he serves fresh local foods by the season. So the dish I was expecting was not available but I will call first to make sure before driving an hour to get there.

Evren Eryurek

Really good Dominican kitchen Nice service - be patient with your food they won't all come out at the same time Really good selections of bourbon and rye Give it a try

Rhumba Bum

My first spot to visit in participating the ORW24, and was impressed with the generous portion of their Prix Fixe dishes. I really enjoyed the fried lamb. Staff were super courteous as well.

Jacqueline I

Enjoyed everything I ate! Only problem is that they were out of a few off the dishes by 8pm. Would definitely be back!

brittany

Edit: I’ve been back since my review below, and I had a different bartender who was so gentle and just the complete opposite of my experience from the last time. I ordered the plantains and chicharones again as well as the slow roasted ribs. Everything including the drinks were delicious. 💖 — The food and drink that I ordered was delicious but the bartender, Michael, who served me was inattentive and rude.

I paid $90 and I would give it five stars if it was $30. Service was good. The atmosphere was a vibe… The menu was difficult to read. Many items just listed its ingredients, but not how was prepared so my partner was surprised by the item they ordered. The oxtail was tender, and more or less fell off the bones. Bottom line is that it didn’t deliver on the promise the price made. If you’re eating on someone else’s bill and you just really want Dominican food this is a great place to go.

Eric Fode

I paid $90 and I would give it five stars if it was $30. Service was good. The atmosphere was a vibe… The menu was difficult to read. Many items just listed its ingredients, but not how was prepared so my partner was surprised by the item they ordered. The oxtail was tender, and more or less fell off the bones. Bottom line is that it didn’t deliver on the promise the price made. If you’re eating on someone else’s bill and you just really want Dominican food this is a great place to go.

Really disappointed with this spot. Having just moved from nyc I was really missing dominican food. I ordered the pernil and it was just wrong - it was more like bbq american style pork. No slightly crunchy skin, it was tender but didn't fall apart the way pernil should - and bbq? Pernil is not supposed to taste like bbq. It was tasty, but not what I grew up with. $40 for an authentic pernil that takes all day to cook is more understandable, but a TINY portion of pork roasted for a quarter of the time and tastes like american bbq is an insult.

Gina

Really disappointed with this spot. Having just moved from nyc I was really missing dominican food. I ordered the pernil and it was just wrong - it was more like bbq american style pork. No slightly crunchy skin, it was tender but didn't fall apart the way pernil should - and bbq? Pernil is not supposed to taste like bbq. It was tasty, but not what I grew up with. $40 for an authentic pernil that takes all day to cook is more understandable, but a TINY portion of pork roasted for a quarter of the time and tastes like american bbq is an insult.

The place is nice, but the wings was very dry. I tried noodles, they didn't taste good to me. The curly fries was okay. I will give this place another try. Next time I go I'll try the crab boil. Management was nice!

Tammy Welch

The place is nice, but the wings was very dry. I tried noodles, they didn't taste good to me. The curly fries was okay. I will give this place another try. Next time I go I'll try the crab boil. Management was nice!