Berkeley restaurant closings
Cabañas Cafe
06.13.24: A Nosh tipster let us know Northside restaurant Cabañas Cafe, on the corner of Euclid and Hearst Avenues across from UC Berkeley, has closed. The Mexican restaurant served breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week, including, coffee drinks, chilaquiles, quesabirria, steak fajitas and fish tacos. The restaurant from Chiapas native Angel Rodriguez opened in 2022, and also served a version of kurtos, a cone-shaped pastry with roots in Hungarian cuisine that Cabañas used for ice cream, french toast and other dishes. Cabañas Cafe was located at 1878 Euclid Ave. in Berkeley. — Tovin Lapan
Cafe Rio (Moving)
06.20.24: Right on schedule, Berkeley’s Cafe Rio has followed the rest of the Center Street cluster of eateries and shops to new digs, as the corner building at Center and Oxford streets prepares to undergo a major transformation. Look for the simple, no-frills cafe to reopen nearby very soon at 2066 University Ave. in the former Eastwind bookshop. Cafe Rio has closed at 2146 Center St., and will soon reopen at 2066 University Ave. in Berkeley.
Easterly Hunan Restaurant (Temporarily Closed)
06.20.24: Also on Center Street in Berkeley, and also because of the upcoming construction, popular Hunan cuisine destination Easterly has closed. We hear from readers it might reopen in a new location in the fall, but management has yet to return our inquiries, and a sign posted on the window says to instead visit their three other locations in Cupertino, Santa Clara, Millbrae, and one coming soon in Fremont. We will keep you posted as we learn more. For now, Easterly Hunan has closed at 2142 Center St. in Berkeley.
Nomad Tibetan
06.28.24: Solano Avenue restaurant Nomad Tibetan said farewell after service on June 30. The charming, well-kept dining room from Tibetan refugee Jamyang Gyalkha was a Berkeley-Albany mainstay for 11 years for momos, noodle dishes, blood sausage and other traditional Tibetan fare, and will be missed. Nomad Tibetan is at 1593 Solano Ave. in Berkeley and closes after service June 30.
Peet’s Downtown Berkeley
06.13.24: The Peet’s location on Shattuck Avenue at Kittredge Street closed permanently Friday, June 14, Nosh confirmed following a tip from a reader. Nearby Peet’s locations include 2124 Vine St. and 2501 Telegraph Ave, and Peet’s coffee is also served in multiple locations on the UC Berkeley campus. Peet’s in Downtown Berkeley at 2255 Shattuck Ave. will close at 2 p.m. on June 14. — Tovin Lapan
Yin Ji Chang Fen (Moved)
06.20.24: Joining the recent relocations from Center Street in Berkeley, Cantonese restaurant Yin Ji Chang Fen has also moved on and already reopened nearby in downtown Berkeley’s former Tasty Express space at 2116 Shattuck Ave. Berkeley’s location of Yin Ji Chang Fen is now closed at 2132 Center St., and has reopened at 2116 Shattuck Ave. in Berkeley.
Emeryville restaurant closing
Gobi Mongolian Grill Emeryville
06.05.24: Thanks to the E’ville Eye we know that Gobi Mongolian (also known as Gobi Grill & Marketplace) at base of the Parc on Powell apartment complex near the crossroads of Powell and Hollis in Emeryville has closed for good. The noodle and grill restaurant first opened in July of 2022. Gobi Mongolian Grill & Marketplace was at 1333 Powell St. in Emeryville.
Oakland restaurant closings
Baby Cafe Hong Kong Bistro Oakland
07.03.24: The Public Market Emeryville and Union City locations remain open, and the team is launching new eateries in San Leandro (details to come) and the Boston area, but the Oakland location of Baby Cafe Hong Kong Bistro has permanently closed after eight years in Chinatown. Mr. Liu Noodle House has already opened in the space. Thanks to a Nosh tipster for the news. Baby Cafe Hong Kong Bistro was at 358 11th St. in Oakland.
Dela Curo (Moved)
06.05.24: Nosh first heard over the weekend (thank you, readers) and the San Francisco Chronicle reported Monday that chef Chikara Ono’s Dela Curo Japanese black curry and fruit sandwich shop has moved permanently from Oakland’s Swan’s Market to Berkeley grocery and prepared foods destination Berkeley Bowl West. Check the website for new hours. (And no, fish sandwich fans, we still haven’t heard any update on Masabaga.) Dela Curo Currywas at 907 Washington St. in Oakland; it now operates at Berkeley Bowl West, 920 Heinz St., Berkeley.
The Graduate
06.28.24: Rockridge cornerstone dive bar The Graduate closed after service on June 30. Amazingly, the establishment has been guided by barkeep Javad Parsa for 37 years, the majority of its existence. Don’t miss the Nosh feature chronicling the legendary bar’s more than 50-year history for the full story, which includes a stint as a Hawaiian-themed watering hole. The Graduate will permanently close after June 30 at 6202 Claremont Ave. in Oakland.
Parlour
06.13.24: The Uptown Oakland restaurant Parlour, with an open kitchen centered around a wood-fired oven, closed quietly early this month. Originally launched as a sister establishment to Bar 335, the restaurant drew attention with its pizza, cocktails and Italian-inspired seasonal fare when it opened in 2015. The menu also included an extensive wine list focused on Italy and Northern California, and the restaurant had started serving weekend brunch in April. Parlour was located at 357 19th Street in Oakland. — Tovin Lapan
Sunday Bakeshop Oakland (Temporarily Closed)
06.20.24: It’s unclear for how long Sunday Bakeshop’s Rockridge neighborhood location might be closed, or why, and management did not reply to our inquiries. What we do know is that the group’s Asian-inspired sweet and savory baked goods are still available in San Francisco during the Oakland interruption in service. (Lucky San Francisco.) Sunday Bakeshop Oakland is at 5931 College Ave. and is temporarily closed.
Understory
06.28.24: Oakland’s majority-queer-and-POC collective Understory closed after service June 30, and hopes to reopen with help from the community. The Old Oakland space frequently hosted events, and the worker-owned restaurant served a rotating vegan-friendly menu that featured dishes with Moroccan, Filipino, Mexican and other influences. Read more about the three-year-old restaurant that won the James Beard Foundation’s 2022 emerging leadership award in this Nosh deep dive from 2021. Understory closed at 528 8th St. in Oakland after June 30, and hopes to relaunch in a new location.
