Social Profile: 
![]()
✔️Breakfast ✔️Brunch ✔️Lunch ✔️Dinner ✔️Dine in ✔️Take out
… View more
Understory Oakland is a worker-owned restaurant, bar, and community hub rooted in resilience and collective care. Located in the heart of Fruitvale, we serve bold, globally-inspired dishes with Filipino and Latinx influences, offering pay-what-you-can meals alongside our vibrant cafe, dinner, and weekend brunch menus. Come for the food, stay for the culture — Understory is where nourishment meets movement
Stylish restaurant serving international cuisine & weekend brunch amid a laid-back vibe.
Hours
| Friday | 10 AM–7 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–3 PM |
| Sunday | 11 AM–3 PM |
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 10 AM–3 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM–7 PM |
Address and Contact Information
Address: Ohlone Territory, 3340 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601
Phone: (510) 315-3763
Website: http://understoryoakland.com/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
Related Web Results
Understory: Vibrant Community Restaurant in Oakland, CA …
Welcome to Understory, a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland, CA. We focus on community, delicious food, and exceptional catering services for events.
Understory Restaurant Menu – Vibrant Community Dining
Explore the diverse menu at Understory, a worker-owned restaurant in Oakland, CA. Enjoy delicious meals crafted with community spirit, perfect for dining in …
understory-shop
Inspired by independent outdoor stores of the 1960s and 70s. Specializing in hard to find brands and handmade products, accompanied by tried and true …
Reviews
Bonnie Machuca
What an amazing experience! We were guests of a 24 person party and we were so welcomed by the staff. The staff here are incredibly helpful and friendly. The food was off the hook. The drinks were so unique. I even bought a few fun items in their curio shop. Please come and support this magical place! They are a gem for the community!
… moreSulynn
Food & drinks are DELICIOUS. But the only thing better than the food here are the people who bring so much love & creativity to everything they serve. The most amazing place in the Bay – by the people & for the people!
They have cafe hours where folks can set up with their laptops, free wifi & work. They also host awesome events & do catering 🙂
… moreThey have cafe hours where folks can set up with their laptops, free wifi & work. They also host awesome events & do catering 🙂
Samantha Eckes
This spot was a safe haven during a weekend visit to the area. We stopped in here to try some of the gluten free options and ended up being here for 5 hours to hang and do some work. The staff were very friendly and said the space is welcome to community so we could stay and work as long as they were open.
Cafe counter service weekdays from 9 am to 2 pm, so they won’t come to your table, you just have to get up to order- which wasn’t a big deal for us.
Over the vibe is really great, with an incredible mission. Low-medium level music plays in the background so if you want to do work headphones are probably best. If we ever come back to the area, this place will be on the list. I hope this spot is supported and here for a long time.
Highly recommend the Suam na Mais, it was incredible.
… moreCafe counter service weekdays from 9 am to 2 pm, so they won’t come to your table, you just have to get up to order- which wasn’t a big deal for us.
Over the vibe is really great, with an incredible mission. Low-medium level music plays in the background so if you want to do work headphones are probably best. If we ever come back to the area, this place will be on the list. I hope this spot is supported and here for a long time.
Highly recommend the Suam na Mais, it was incredible.
Plant Viberation
Ive been a vegan for 7 years and i love fried oyster mushrooms! The Understory did not disappoint the oystermushrooms were delicious! They also reminded me of chicken katsu its been along time but the batter was great . I will be back for more and im excited to try different things on the menu thank you so much
… moreSue Flay
Great restaurant, would certainly return. Good food, amazing drinks, nice staff.
The oyster mushrooms were amazing and a big portion size! Boboto was unique and delicious, and would recommend for the adventurous eater. The burger (made vegan) was good, and the fries with it were amazing (apparently they take 3 days to make!! ). Many vegan options. In terms of drinks, the tres leches matcha latte was one of the best drinks I’ve ever had, and the ube horchata was delicious too—but pretty grainy.
The service and staff was great, they even let us stay a few mins past close. The only bad thing to say is that it’s a little pricey. Not crazy over the top, but on the higher end, especially with the +20% collective fee (unclear if you’re supposed to tip on top of that?? ).
… moreThe oyster mushrooms were amazing and a big portion size! Boboto was unique and delicious, and would recommend for the adventurous eater. The burger (made vegan) was good, and the fries with it were amazing (apparently they take 3 days to make!! ). Many vegan options. In terms of drinks, the tres leches matcha latte was one of the best drinks I’ve ever had, and the ube horchata was delicious too—but pretty grainy.
The service and staff was great, they even let us stay a few mins past close. The only bad thing to say is that it’s a little pricey. Not crazy over the top, but on the higher end, especially with the +20% collective fee (unclear if you’re supposed to tip on top of that?? ).
Krishna Shastry
Wonderful salad, refreshing, crisp, lemony dressing and just the right amount of zest
I decided to mix the rest of the plate together. They supplied a side of onions & a green chile deeply marinated in vinegar followed by a red oil that was pretty mild.
Delicious. The garlic tofu wasn’t overpowering and with an interesting medley of sweet, sour & hot – I chowed.
The service is telepathic. The servers read my mind. Perhaps a better way to say it is, they’re highly observant and on the ball.
I plan to visit again.
… moreI decided to mix the rest of the plate together. They supplied a side of onions & a green chile deeply marinated in vinegar followed by a red oil that was pretty mild.
Delicious. The garlic tofu wasn’t overpowering and with an interesting medley of sweet, sour & hot – I chowed.
The service is telepathic. The servers read my mind. Perhaps a better way to say it is, they’re highly observant and on the ball.
I plan to visit again.
Amanda Z
We came here for weekend brunch for the first time & found an incredibly wholesome place with sweet staff, fun vibes, and a KILLER menu. All the drinks sound (and taste) incredible, the food is delicious & beautiful (and very vegan-friendly), and perhaps most importantly, the ube butter is like crack. Holy shit – I would come here just for the pandesal + butter. And yet, the rest of the menu is also great (other highlights are the tres leches matcha – looks beautiful but be sure to stir to get the magic of oat + rice + coconut – and the vegan chicken, which is very KFC tender-esque).
Can’t wait to come back during the week & to bring friends!
… moreCan’t wait to come back during the week & to bring friends!
Aminah Rahman
I should give an honest disclaimer here: I don’t leave many reviews because I do think people only either say when they’ve experienced something phenomenal or something deeply negative and rarely report on the mundane. Unfortunately, I do fall into the former category for this, as the food here was truly phenomenal. Truly unreal. I can’t recall the last time I enjoyed a menu so much without a “but” somewhere in there. “Oh I liked the xyz dish buuuut there was too much abc…” you know the deal. I couldn’t say that about this menu. Not once.
My partner and I dined in for dinner and ordered the oyster mushrooms, the lechon chicken wings, & the morcon. For drinks he had the ube horchata and I had the mango pandan.
Where do I even begin? Oyster mushrooms had us nearly licking the bowl. The mushrooms themselves were perfectly cooked inside- meaty and flavorful. The batter on the oyster mushrooms was crispy and crunchy and seasoned so well and the delicious dip was our favorite dipper I think we’ve had …anywhere. We sat there trying to guess the ingredients because it tasted a little tamarind-y, a little vinegar-y, so hearty… & finally one of the amazing & talented chefs unearthed the secret: banana ketchup! I was floored. I wish I could give you all a sample of that incredible mashup. You’ll just have to come in to experience it.
The lechon chicken wings were crispy and yet soooo juicy. Even the green onion garnish was so well wilted and seasoned, my partner and I both found ourselves eating every last bit. The dipping sauce for the wings was my partners favorite and we definitely found ourselves dipping some mushrooms into it when we ran out of banana ketchup! Definitely recommend!!!
The morcon was a beef roulade (think: meat stuffed with fillings and then sliced into nice rounds) with *bites knuckles* the most out of this world divine heavenly tomato sauce base — I just —- I need to be swimming in it. It also came with a hearty serving of lemony cabbage and a loving heap of rice. The beef itself kept its flavor so well and wasn’t tough at all to eat. It was stuffed with what seemed like carrot, red pepper, and another item (I’m reaching for egg, but am probably wrong!). It was a really fantastic mash up of ingredients and was such a hearty dinner to have. If I could redo my dinner here last night, I would have ordered the morcon just for me and apologized insincerely to my sweet partner as I spooned up every last bit of this intensely flavorful dish.
For dessert, we got their sticky rice ice cream (pictured) that was topped with some fresh fruit and herbs & served with some crunchy sweet rice. The ice cream itself was lightly salty which was perfectly paired with the sweet and tart of the fresh fruits. It was a delicious way to end the night.
My partner and I split all of this, and with our two drinks (which were such winners— you can’t go wrong with a not-overly-sweet ube horchata or a mango pandan mocktail), + the added in 20%, our tab came out to $110. It was definitely enough food to keep us stuffed for the evening.
Understory reopened recently in Fruitvale and I really encourage everyone and their mama to flood this spot because they really deserve every accolade.
Sweetest staff, friendliest vibe, most incredible food — top to bottom— I’ve had in such a very long time.
Damn good dining is soooooo back, guys.
… moreMy partner and I dined in for dinner and ordered the oyster mushrooms, the lechon chicken wings, & the morcon. For drinks he had the ube horchata and I had the mango pandan.
Where do I even begin? Oyster mushrooms had us nearly licking the bowl. The mushrooms themselves were perfectly cooked inside- meaty and flavorful. The batter on the oyster mushrooms was crispy and crunchy and seasoned so well and the delicious dip was our favorite dipper I think we’ve had …anywhere. We sat there trying to guess the ingredients because it tasted a little tamarind-y, a little vinegar-y, so hearty… & finally one of the amazing & talented chefs unearthed the secret: banana ketchup! I was floored. I wish I could give you all a sample of that incredible mashup. You’ll just have to come in to experience it.
The lechon chicken wings were crispy and yet soooo juicy. Even the green onion garnish was so well wilted and seasoned, my partner and I both found ourselves eating every last bit. The dipping sauce for the wings was my partners favorite and we definitely found ourselves dipping some mushrooms into it when we ran out of banana ketchup! Definitely recommend!!!
The morcon was a beef roulade (think: meat stuffed with fillings and then sliced into nice rounds) with *bites knuckles* the most out of this world divine heavenly tomato sauce base — I just —- I need to be swimming in it. It also came with a hearty serving of lemony cabbage and a loving heap of rice. The beef itself kept its flavor so well and wasn’t tough at all to eat. It was stuffed with what seemed like carrot, red pepper, and another item (I’m reaching for egg, but am probably wrong!). It was a really fantastic mash up of ingredients and was such a hearty dinner to have. If I could redo my dinner here last night, I would have ordered the morcon just for me and apologized insincerely to my sweet partner as I spooned up every last bit of this intensely flavorful dish.
For dessert, we got their sticky rice ice cream (pictured) that was topped with some fresh fruit and herbs & served with some crunchy sweet rice. The ice cream itself was lightly salty which was perfectly paired with the sweet and tart of the fresh fruits. It was a delicious way to end the night.
My partner and I split all of this, and with our two drinks (which were such winners— you can’t go wrong with a not-overly-sweet ube horchata or a mango pandan mocktail), + the added in 20%, our tab came out to $110. It was definitely enough food to keep us stuffed for the evening.
Understory reopened recently in Fruitvale and I really encourage everyone and their mama to flood this spot because they really deserve every accolade.
Sweetest staff, friendliest vibe, most incredible food — top to bottom— I’ve had in such a very long time.
Damn good dining is soooooo back, guys.
Rachel Patron
Been waiting for their fruitvale location to open up! We went during the soft grand opening and the food did not disappoint. We ordered the inasal and the kaldereta. The inasal took me back to the Philippines with that smoky char, annatto calamansi seasoning, and juicy interior. The kaldereta was some of the best I’ve had – tender meat with a strong umami tomato sauce. They also blessed us with the ukoy while waiting (though it wasn’t very long!) and we loved it with that vinegar dip. Can’t wait to come back!
… moreLisa
Fantastic food, staff are friendly and helpful. I love this place for brunch with plenty of options for vegans and carnivores alike. The food is delicious, creative and made with love.
… more