We know what we like. And—hopefully—we know what we stand for. In the East Bay, it’s often hard to separate the two. That’s why, I think, it’s particularly alarming when our favorite spots close. How can that be? That place was so good! and/or … was so popular! Because surely our tastes are held by all.
Since around this time last year, we’ve said goodbye to quite a few favorites. Sometimes when one door closed, another opened.
At the end of last year, Standard Fare left its West Berkeley location; Café Bolita took over the space in late February. Rated by mainstream media as one of the Bay Area’s best sports bars, The Athletic Club Oakland closed its Uptown location in February; it reopened under a different group as the Oakland Athletic Club in June.
Earlier this year, Small Change Oyster Bar in Temescal briefly paused service, changed ownership and became Ace Seafood, and then quietly shut down in July.
Koreatown-Northgate’s female-founded craft beer bottle shop, The Good Hop, closed on Telegraph in December after an 11-year run. Popular Yemeni coffee house Delah Coffee closed its Downtown Berkeley outpost in January. A Rockridge sushi fave for more than two decades, Uzen closed in January.
Pioneering vegan restaurant Millennium on College Avenue temporarily closed on May 16 before reopening on June 17 under a more sustainable business model, after an outpouring of community support. And the century-old Townhouse Restaurant in Emeryville closed June 20 after being unable to secure a $2 million loan to purchase the historic building.
Raise a pint for Albany’s Match Point Brewing and Oakland’s Line 51 Brewing Company, both of which closed in July. Ben’s Chinese Restaurant near Jack London Square closed in early August after 40 years. And beloved Rockridge mainstay Wood Tavern has announced it will close Dec. 31. The good news: Acclaimed Burdell chef Geoff Burdell plans to open a new neighborhood bar and grill, Uncle’s, in its place next year.
What does it actually take for a neighborhood business to stay open? The answer is often a simple one.
And yes, at least for Wood Tavern, there’s time to say our goodbyes in person. Sometimes, showing up does make a difference. Thankfully, in the rest of this issue, there are plenty of places to do so. So let this be a guide back to your favorite places—eating there, ordering another round, buying the book, seeing the show, returning to the neighborhood spot you keep assuming will be there. The best of the best awaits…
Head over to Best of East Bay 2026. Each category intro features a writer’s pick followed by the list of winners voted by our readers in this year’s poll. Categories are below:
Congrats to all winners and thank you to everyone who voted!
