Town Fare

Adrian Brown

Town Fare is here to stay it made my day!! The Vibrant Staff was amazing! The food finger licking delicious ! The devil eggs to “ live for”. The Prices, the music , the top notice service, but most of all the food presentation hats off to the chef…Let me kiss the cook! I am so glad I came here on my day off of work. I will be back to dine again. I love this place.

Jason Laughhunn

My wife and I had gone to the (M)eat Carnival in Livermore and wanted to continue the culinary experience. We discovered Town Fare by chance, and we loved it! I got the Low Country Shrimp and Grits, and they were fabulous. My wife ordered the beet salad, which was very good as well. My mom and sister met us here, and they plan to come on a regular basis.

Bobby Chang

Insanely good food for a "museum cafeteria" - we went on a Saturday for my mom's birthday and the place was packed with people. They had a live DJ, which made the wait for a table more entertaining. We highly recommend the chicken and waffles.

Scilla Ochoa

I truly enjoyed the vibe in this place..Food was DELICIOUS...they have a Patio/ lounge area with Bar located just outside of the restaurant you can hear the music from inside and have a cocktail (drinks only, no one under 21 in this area)...The inside is full of windows so lots of natural light...Table and Window Counter seating available...We were seated within 25-30 minutes, not bad considering how busy they were and to be honest we had the opportunity to enjoy the patio area and our Orange Juice Mimosas...Our waitress was very helpful with our selections...I had the Chicken and Waffles and my Husband had the Pork Chops with Grits, eggs and a Biscuit with a piece of Blackened Fish a la carte...a Caraf of Guava Mimosas, Deviled eggs and Doscuits for the table...we were definitely set to go and it was so worth it!!!...We even ran into Bay Area Channel 2 News Anchor Dave Clark having brunch...We definitely plan on going back...but during the week supposedly they serve Gumbo Ramen and supposedly it is AMAZING!!

stephanie fanner

It was my 1st time visiting and it did not disappoint! The staff is exceptional. They were very attentive and tried to accommodate everyone even while being exceptionally busy. I cannot wait to return

E S

We came to Town Fare for the first time after finding out about the restaurant from the Bay Area KQED check please show. We were thrilled to try their chicken sandwich which came with breast meat and some coleslaw. The meat was very tender, cooked to perfection, the coleslaw had really nice flavors, and the buns were good too. The mac and cheese was also very good; the cheese had good flavor. The restaurant has a very open, clean, organic modern atmosphere. Many seating options inside and outside. The staff were nice. They have street parking around the museum and a museum parking garage. 10/10 Recommend.

Jonathan Parnell

Start to finish delicious! We used to go to her spot in the Fillmore District SF called Gussie's Chicken & Waffles. Had the Bloody Mary's Revenge and the basil ginger soda, deviled eggs, fried chicken & sweet potato waffles, and the fried chicken sandwich. You can run & tell everybody that this is the spot! DJ Mark Divita during Sunday brunch gave us the perfect musical pairings.

Jason Johnson

This place was great! The ordering process was fast and efficient, the staff was attentive and cheerful, and the food was amazing! We had shrimp and grits, pork chops with Mac n cheese and collard greens, and the Brussels sprouts. They also made me a killer Arnold Palmer with unsweetened iced tea and lemonade. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐! I would recommend a meal here if you're hungry while visiting the Oakland museum.

B Louis

The food was really good! The atmosphere was set just right. We started off with the Shrimp and Country Grits that had a nice gravey like sauce that was extremely tasteful and the texture of the grits was thick and creamy and the sausage and added tomatoes really set it apart. The Blackened Waffle had a sweet savory syrup and that went perfect with the chicken. The devil eggs were good but you only get four. The Mac and Cheese were delicious but it's a really small portion. And last be not least the honey glazed wings had me wanting more. For dessert I got the cheese cake and banana pudding. The pudding was just like grandma. Unfortunately I really had came for the gumbo noodles but they were out of crab. With that said I will definitely be coming back.

T K

The food was great! Best food you will get at a museum. Best food you will get anywhere. The chef was very nice and answered our questions about the food. The staff was very nice. You don't have waiters. You go to the counter and order and they bring the food to the table. Every 4th Sunday they have an all you can eat buffet. I will be back.

Ida Swanson

Celebrated Black History Month with a Soulful Brunch!! The catfish, fried chicken, shrimp and grits, Mac n cheese, waffles - oh so good!! Live music with a fantastic DJ, a talented Sax player, Black Panther playing on the screen and trivia questions with prizes! Such fun!!

Hidden gem on an unlikely neighborhood. My Shrimp & Grits were delicious & authentic. Every dish looked unique & interesting. Casual setting. Best in Oakland. And reasonable.

Chef come get your baddie chain! your food 5 stars your service 5 stars the ambience 5 stars there's a reason your food is in a museum this food is artistic.

Town Fare is excellent. Just ate here at their last Sunday brunch which happens monthly. It was buffet style. Chicken and waffles, shrimp and grits were superlative. The location in the Oakland Museum is super stylish and classic. This restaurant needs to be supported.

Pravda Wright

We had the chicken and waffles! It was really chicken, not chicken strips like most restaurants use. It was hot and the waffles were perfect!!

jagdish dangi

Hidden gem on an unlikely neighborhood. My Shrimp & Grits were delicious & authentic. Every dish looked unique & interesting. Casual setting. Best in Oakland. And reasonable.

Town Fare which is in the Oakland Museum is a cute spot with great ambiance and plenty of food options. I started with some ginger beer and it was delicious and it wasn’t just some Canada Dry ginger ale. I loved that Town Fare seemed to have some local brands like with the ginger beer and I also loved that these local brands tried to prioritize healthier ingredients. For food I got the fried chicken and waffles with dark meet and buttermilk waffles. The food came out pretty fast and it was hot and fresh which I loved. The fried chicken was absolutely delicious. The chicken was so tender and the skin was crispy and savory. The tender chicken and crispy tasty skin complemented each other perfectly. Once you put some maple syrup on the chicken that’s the perfect bite. The waffle on the other hand was lack luster as it wasn’t very fluffy and was almost dry even after dousing it in butter and syrup. OVERALL, Town Fare was a delicious spot and perfect for Oakland Museum visitors or just people in the area. Keep in mind that Town Fare is on the pricier side when coming though. I would definitely hope to homage again and I recommend this Oakland gem to others!

This is my second time at the museum but my first at the restaurant. The restaurant has a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. There seemed to be a private event at the time. The salads were massive. My other lunch matés ordered the chickens sandwich and shared the wings. The names were a bit bold declaring it the best chicken sandwich ever and crack (addictive) wings. If they didn’t make those bold claims then I’d say that it was great food. Don’t get me wrong. The food was good. The eBay is set high when you make bold claims.

Went on a little date with my lady to this place. We saw it on Bay Areas Check Please. The fried chicken sammich caught our eyes. Went on at about 2,….maybe? Was busy but was seated fairly quickly. We check out the menu while in line so knew what we were gettin. Noah, I believe, was the waiter fella(the reason I didn’t give that fifth star was cause after he took our order, we didn’t see him again). He was food came out not soon after we ordered. Hella quick. I got the chicken(breast/wing) and waffle with sweet potato butter. FIRE!!!. My lady got the chicken sandwich. MORE FIRE! To wash it down I got the brown sugar lemonade. JOHN BLAZE FIRE!!! Also there was a live dj spinnin on the 1’s and 2’s. Kind of a neo soulish vibe. Overall, it’s a dope spot. Nah’mean?!?! Forgot to mention that we shared the shrimp ‘n grits. My lady loved it. Once I dabbed a bit of Chrystal’s hot sauce on it, it became……FIRE!

I went for Sunday Brunch. The atmosphere very laid back and chill. I felt very comfortable and relaxed. They had a DJ which was nice. The food was very good nice sized portions and very well seasoned and flavored. It tasted like food my mom cooked. I had the fried pork chops with grits and eggs and a biscuit, my friend had the shrimp and grits. The pork Chops were fried to perfection and seasoned perfectly. The grits were good and well seasoned and the biscuit very Fluffy and tender with a very good taste. My friend enjoyed her shrimp and grits she finished them all. We also had mimosas she had orange I had quava they were your typical mimosas. I got the banana pudding to go it was good as well. The service was ok they had a lot of young staff and there were some hiccups but they were so nice it didn't district feom the experience. Out waitress did leave apparently whe we were dining so we had to make a few attempts at getting a to go box and our bill but as mentioned staff was extremely nice and helpful. I will definitely visit again my friend said she will too. They have a lot more items I would like to try on the menu. I have already mentioned and recommended it to others. One thing that does need to improve is sinage. It's difficult to tell how to enter the restaurant there should be sinage outside to dorect you to the entenaces. Also to where the Hostess is located for seating.

Had the fried chicken with rice and beans, corn bread. This is a order at the counter place. They will bring the food to you. We sat outside. Will definitely go back!

Rohan Bedekar

Town Fare which is in the Oakland Museum is a cute spot with great ambiance and plenty of food options. I started with some ginger beer and it was delicious and it wasn’t just some Canada Dry ginger ale. I loved that Town Fare seemed to have some local brands like with the ginger beer and I also loved that these local brands tried to prioritize healthier ingredients. For food I got the fried chicken and waffles with dark meet and buttermilk waffles. The food came out pretty fast and it was hot and fresh which I loved. The fried chicken was absolutely delicious. The chicken was so tender and the skin was crispy and savory. The tender chicken and crispy tasty skin complemented each other perfectly. Once you put some maple syrup on the chicken that’s the perfect bite. The waffle on the other hand was lack luster as it wasn’t very fluffy and was almost dry even after dousing it in butter and syrup. OVERALL, Town Fare was a delicious spot and perfect for Oakland Museum visitors or just people in the area. Keep in mind that Town Fare is on the pricier side when coming though. I would definitely hope to homage again and I recommend this Oakland gem to others!

Kay Bee

This is my second time at the museum but my first at the restaurant. The restaurant has a lot of indoor and outdoor seating. There seemed to be a private event at the time. The salads were massive. My other lunch matés ordered the chickens sandwich and shared the wings. The names were a bit bold declaring it the best chicken sandwich ever and crack (addictive) wings. If they didn’t make those bold claims then I’d say that it was great food. Don’t get me wrong. The food was good. The eBay is set high when you make bold claims.

Larry Dinwiddie

Went on a little date with my lady to this place. We saw it on Bay Areas Check Please. The fried chicken sammich caught our eyes. Went on at about 2,….maybe? Was busy but was seated fairly quickly. We check out the menu while in line so knew what we were gettin. Noah, I believe, was the waiter fella(the reason I didn’t give that fifth star was cause after he took our order, we didn’t see him again). He was food came out not soon after we ordered. Hella quick. I got the chicken(breast/wing) and waffle with sweet potato butter. FIRE!!!. My lady got the chicken sandwich. MORE FIRE! To wash it down I got the brown sugar lemonade. JOHN BLAZE FIRE!!! Also there was a live dj spinnin on the 1’s and 2’s. Kind of a neo soulish vibe. Overall, it’s a dope spot. Nah’mean?!?! Forgot to mention that we shared the shrimp ‘n grits. My lady loved it. Once I dabbed a bit of Chrystal’s hot sauce on it, it became……FIRE!

Cheryl Price

I went for Sunday Brunch. The atmosphere very laid back and chill. I felt very comfortable and relaxed. They had a DJ which was nice. The food was very good nice sized portions and very well seasoned and flavored. It tasted like food my mom cooked. I had the fried pork chops with grits and eggs and a biscuit, my friend had the shrimp and grits. The pork Chops were fried to perfection and seasoned perfectly. The grits were good and well seasoned and the biscuit very Fluffy and tender with a very good taste. My friend enjoyed her shrimp and grits she finished them all. We also had mimosas she had orange I had quava they were your typical mimosas. I got the banana pudding to go it was good as well. The service was ok they had a lot of young staff and there were some hiccups but they were so nice it didn't district feom the experience. Out waitress did leave apparently whe we were dining so we had to make a few attempts at getting a to go box and our bill but as mentioned staff was extremely nice and helpful. I will definitely visit again my friend said she will too. They have a lot more items I would like to try on the menu. I have already mentioned and recommended it to others. One thing that does need to improve is sinage. It's difficult to tell how to enter the restaurant there should be sinage outside to dorect you to the entenaces. Also to where the Hostess is located for seating.

Mariam Abdul-Malik

Had the fried chicken with rice and beans, corn bread. This is a order at the counter place. They will bring the food to you. We sat outside. Will definitely go back!

When first walking in, the host weren’t at the, “Wait to be seated” sign and made a smart remark when my mother was walking in. We were seated about 2-3 minutes after. I ordered two orange juices that were priced $4.5 on the menu, but was charged $5. That was one thing. My food came out in a decent amount of time, the waffles were great! But the white meat chicken I ordered with it, looked like a chunk was cut out of it, fired, and then served to me; almost like it was a scarp piece of meat. Catalina was my waitress, took my payment for the meal, and brought me back the wrong receipt. Now, I wouldn’t be that worried about it, but the receipt was an AMEX purchase of $8.00, and mine was a cash payment of $55.00. So that bothered me when I realized what the waitress had done. My food I would give a 4/5 because of the chicken with my waffles. 3/5 over all for the service.

Monetta Bowie

When first walking in, the host weren’t at the, “Wait to be seated” sign and made a smart remark when my mother was walking in. We were seated about 2-3 minutes after. I ordered two orange juices that were priced $4.5 on the menu, but was charged $5. That was one thing. My food came out in a decent amount of time, the waffles were great! But the white meat chicken I ordered with it, looked like a chunk was cut out of it, fired, and then served to me; almost like it was a scarp piece of meat. Catalina was my waitress, took my payment for the meal, and brought me back the wrong receipt. Now, I wouldn’t be that worried about it, but the receipt was an AMEX purchase of $8.00, and mine was a cash payment of $55.00. So that bothered me when I realized what the waitress had done. My food I would give a 4/5 because of the chicken with my waffles. 3/5 over all for the service.

The place is easy to find on the grounds of the Oakland Museum. You open the door to a spacious room, and you are greeted by a cashier who is ready to take your order and your payment. My group ordered the 2 orders of the gumbo ramen, 3 orders of the crack chicken (one of those with the sauce on the side) 3 orders of French fries, shrimp & grits, and chicken & waffle and deviled eggs. We were happy that everything came out fresh and hot. However, the gumbo lacked flavor, the crack chicken wings are sauced heavily, and the sauce resembled a candied consistency, which was off-putting and wayyyyyyyyy too sweet for our liking. The base of the shrimp and grits left nothing to be desired; as it was too acidic, which left a sour bitter note on the palate. The individual who ordered the crack chicken with the sauce on the side said the fried chicken was delicious as well as the chicken that went with the waffle. The black waffle lacked luster. The deviled eggs were just that. It's not excellent, but it's not horrible. It would have been nice to have a flavored waffle to accompany the chicken. The best thing, in my opinion, were the french fries. They were salted well and not greasy and paired well with the ginger beer that I ordered. The lady that delivered our food saw that a few plates were barely eaten, and she asked for feedback. The feedback given was well received, and she made things right. Which I really appreciated, given that a bit of money had been spent from our table alone. It's safe to say that I will never return. But at least I can say that I tried Towne Fare Cafe.

Mrs.J9 Cook

The place is easy to find on the grounds of the Oakland Museum. You open the door to a spacious room, and you are greeted by a cashier who is ready to take your order and your payment. My group ordered the 2 orders of the gumbo ramen, 3 orders of the crack chicken (one of those with the sauce on the side) 3 orders of French fries, shrimp & grits, and chicken & waffle and deviled eggs. We were happy that everything came out fresh and hot. However, the gumbo lacked flavor, the crack chicken wings are sauced heavily, and the sauce resembled a candied consistency, which was off-putting and wayyyyyyyyy too sweet for our liking. The base of the shrimp and grits left nothing to be desired; as it was too acidic, which left a sour bitter note on the palate. The individual who ordered the crack chicken with the sauce on the side said the fried chicken was delicious as well as the chicken that went with the waffle. The black waffle lacked luster. The deviled eggs were just that. It's not excellent, but it's not horrible. It would have been nice to have a flavored waffle to accompany the chicken. The best thing, in my opinion, were the french fries. They were salted well and not greasy and paired well with the ginger beer that I ordered. The lady that delivered our food saw that a few plates were barely eaten, and she asked for feedback. The feedback given was well received, and she made things right. Which I really appreciated, given that a bit of money had been spent from our table alone. It's safe to say that I will never return. But at least I can say that I tried Towne Fare Cafe.