Several new eateries have opened or soft-launched in Berkeley and Oakland, offering flavors from Ohlone traditions to Lanzhou noodles and Guam-inspired dishes. These openings highlight a growing food scene in the region. Highlights include an Ohlone cafe at Lawrence Hall of Science and a sticky rice spot near UC Berkeley.
The East Bay's culinary landscape expanded recently with multiple restaurant openings and soft launches, as reported in a March 3, 2026, roundup by Berkeleyside's Nosh.
‘ammatka, a new cafe by Vincent Medina and Louis Trevino, opened at Lawrence Hall of Science. It serves an Ohlone salad with pine nuts, black walnuts, blackberries, dried strawberries, and edible flowers, along with smoked duck sandwiches and chia seed puddings. The menu will change seasonally, and the cafe ties into the ‘ottoy initiative, which includes a native plant garden at the museum's Outdoor Nature Lab. The location is 1 Centennial Dr., Berkeley.
Cafe Bolita, created by Emmanuel Galvan of Bolita Masa, soft-opened with a limited menu. A grand opening is set for March 18. Offerings include coffee, champurrado and atoles, tamales, lil burros, chilaquiles, quesadillas, guisos, and aguas frescas, with plans for dinner service. It occupies the former Standard Fare space at 2701 Eighth St., Ste. 118, Berkeley.
In Oakland, FOB West by chef Janice Dulce soft-opened at Prescott Market's food hall. The menu emphasizes affordable Guam dishes from her upbringing, plus popular Filipino items like chopped salad, pancit, and pork or vegetarian lumpia. It is at 1620 18th St.
Jolly Cafe replaced Boba Binge in Oakland Chinatown, serving Vietnamese coffee, matcha, spring rolls, banh mi sandwiches, and drinks with sweet mung bean. The address is 1004 Webster St.
Near UC Berkeley, Ox 9 debuted with Lanzhou-style handpulled noodles in six sizes, served as la mien in clear beef broth. This follows locations since 2017 in Milpitas, Cupertino, Fremont, and San Mateo. It is at 2404 Telegraph Ave.
Rice Dynasty opened next to Noodle Dynasty, featuring lotus-steamed sticky rice with meat and vegetables in bamboo steamer baskets. The spot is at 2428 Telegraph Ave.