Brown Sugar Kitchen

Came here on a wed around 1. We got seated right away and the service was on point. Ordered the buttermilk fried chicken & cornmeal waffle. Def one of the best chicken and waffle I’ve ate in the bay. The chicken was super crispy on the outside n moist on the inside. The cornmeal waffle was so fluffy and crunchy. And also their apple cider syrup was so good! If you love fried chicken and waffle go here.

We had to wait for awhile for a table which is usually a good sign but the food was pretty good. I prefer a fluffier waffle and I expected a little bit more chicken. I noticed other tables had more so maybe this was just my bad luck.

This place is over rated. I checked in and put my name on list 1hr wait. So I waited because on Unilocal the pictures looked good. Should have read the reviews first. Horrible is the first thing that comes up. 1.) Was told 1hr wait, so we waited outside. Checked in at 11:18am and 12:18am still have not been called. Went to front and said how much longer the guy said another 45min. I was pissed are you crazy to think I have nothing better to do then wait 2 hrs to eat. He said give me 15 min I will seat you, and we did get a seat at the bar table at 12 :37pm. We ordered right away because we had hours to look over the menu while we was waiting. 2.) Ordered at 12:45pm food didn’t get to us till 1:41pm that’s just bad for me cause I thought me and my husband was going out for breakfast but it was more like lunch. Food was okay, nothing spectacular to write home about. I would not recommend this place, over price food, very small and cramped. 3.) The waitress Gemma was cool she did the best she could so her alone get the 5 stars. Never will I go here again. I feel I spent my whole day here just to buy some dry ass chicken

waited 2 hours, rude staff, 2 pieces of soggy fried chicken… slimy salty gumbo, over priced .
Huge thumbs down… I am in the food industry and it is beyond me that people actually think this food is good …

Food is decent. Overpriced and the portions aren’t very generous. Everything’s served a la carte and there are no refills on the coffee. I’ve been here a few times, but I had a bit of a frustrating experience today.
My dining partner and I walked in around 7:30AM, 2 full Philz coffee cups in hand. Now, I totally understand that brining outside coffee into a restaurant is frowned upon 98% of the time but, in this case, it made far more logistical sense to stop at Philz in Berkeley before heading to breakfast at BSK in Oakland and then continuing on to work in Emeryville. I wouldn’t have had time to double back, so I chanced it.
There was no sign at the front and no one said anything to us as we were seated about not allowing outside drinks. In fact, nothing was said until about 10 minutes into our meal and, even then, I’m not writing this review based on *why* we were confronted about our coffee; rather, *how*.
The server approached us before our food came and kindly asked if he could put our coffee into house mugs, as the owner doesn’t appreciate the outside advertising. Totally understandable; we agreed and were extremely apologetic and embarrassed by our misstep. He comes back a moment later with 2 mugs and, before he can make another move, I say, «You know what, I’ll just go head and take these out to the car! We’re so sorry, we just didn’t know; it’s really no issue.» The server proceeds to tell us that everything’s fine, grabs the Philz cups, and walks behind the counter to put our coffee in the house mugs. We felt extremely bad but didn’t think anything of the situation at this point because he was so insistent about putting the coffee in the mugs, so we conceded.
Near the end of the meal, we both finished our mugs of coffee, assuming we’d get our cups back as we left or that they’d fill up our mugs again (because there *absolutely* was more coffee in our original cups than fit in the tiny mugs). Nope. Nothing. Another server whisked our empty mugs away, the check was brought, and nothing more was said about the more-​than-​half-​full Philz coffee cups that the server had taken behind the counter (and more than likely threw away).
Like I said, my issue and this review is not based on the fact that they didn’t want us to have the coffee there. We totally get that. My issue is that, if you were only going to give us a small mug of our coffee and not refill it or return it after we paid the check, why didn’t you just take us up on our offer to take the coffee outside? I mean, surely it makes sense to assume that we don’t want to just throw away over half of our $ 4 cups of coffee. Come on.
As kind and professional as our server was, something was more than a little «off» about this interaction.
Won’t be coming back.

After much online research and asking many friends thier opinions on the best soul food joints around the Bay Area, my boyfriend and I were directed towards the Brown Sugar Kitchen. Let me just tell you right now my that Daddy was from the Deep South and I was raised on some serious southern cooking, so I know the real deal by just glancing at it (from ½ a mile away). Now, Brown Sugar Kitchen AIN’T «Soul Food». To me, it just seems like the gentrification of Soul Food or perhaps what some would consider to be Southern-​Gourmet. Whatever you want to call it ain’t Soul Food BUT it is DAMN GOOD!
Really disappointed there were no collard greens on the menu but like I said, this ain’t Soul Food. Still, I have to give this place 5 stars. Our server put up with me throwing a mini tantrum (eye rolls and all) when I discovered there were no greens on the menu. I wanted to leave right then and there but I’m glad my BF and neighboring table (Tony & Rita, who were just lovely) convinced me to stay.
The shrimp n’ grits is a must. Nice and spicy. The brussel sprouts were delicious! The yams were really, really good. The only thing that was just meh, was the mac n cheese but who cares cause the jerk chicken was the best I’ve ever had, EVER! ANYWHERE! HANDS DOWN! Just sorry we were too full to try the Beignets. Next time we’re in the Bay Area, we’re definitely comin back to the Brown Sugar Kitchen!

If you come here you should probably order the Waffle and Chicken plate, if not just the Waffle with Apple Cider Syrup (sounds weird but it is a flavor that grows on you).
If you come here, come as a group of two as you’ll be seated in half the time 3 or more would be (we waited over an hour). There is also limited indoor waiting room-​so if it is raining, better luck going somewhere else.

A Okay! I’m shocked I haven’t been here. I did the unthinkable and got brunch on a weekend. Yeah. I waited for an hour. What was I thinking? I hear it’s a California thing. (hides away in shame) Anything over an hour better be heaven on earth… (insert dirty smirk emoji). Sadly It was not heaven on earth.
Chicken and Waffles: I wish their chicken was a bit more moist. It was a little on the drier side. My friend mentioned that their chicken isn’t always consistent because they have different chefs cooking that olé bird. Waffles were nice and fluffy though! I like fluffy waffles.
The Special: A egg tart/​quiche: It had the general works of a great omelette. «Omelette du fromage» (french accent) «DEDE GET OUT OF MY LABORATORY!!» Okay, the references will end here… Great chunks of feta, spinach, and EGGS duh!
Biscuits: It’s kinda a must. On the menu it said 4.50. When the order came out, we only had one small biscuit. My friend and I had to split the biscuit. What? It should note in small, or even fine print that this order only comes with 1 biscuit so we can weigh out our options. I felt a little cheated. I wanted my own biscuit!
Staff are chill. Hip Oakland folks. Maybe a little too hip!

Had the chicken and waffles, meh. They were making big batches of fried chicken and piling it into an oven, so yeah the chicken was soggy and way too herb-​y.
It was okay at best, if you’re more comfortable with paying more to eat mediocre food with hipsters than peeps for the ‘hood, believe the hype and eat here.

I like Brown Sugar Kitchen with its salute to Soul Food highlighted by their signature chicken and waffles. Now is it as authentic as Angeline’s in Berkeley or the food as imaginative at Brenda’s French Soul Food in San Francisco? I would honestly say no. But what you get at Brown Sugar Kitchen is traditional down-​home cooking with an emphasis on brunch-​time favorites like biscuits, hash, grits and of course the traditional chicken and waffles.
Brown Sugar Kitchen is located in an isolated stretch of Mandela Parkway in West Oakland, with the East Bay Bridge Plaza with its requisite Target, Best Buy and Home Depot just down the street. It’s an easy approach from the West Grand Avenue exit right off of Interstate 880. I wouldn’t say the area is up and coming because nothing else really is around B.S.K. The biggest and most recent news is that BSK has its very own parking lot off 26^th Street to the right hand side of the restaurant. The fact that there are signs that say don’t leave anything in your car to give to thieves says quite a bit of the area you are dealing with even in the bright of daytime.
Here are the things I learned on my third trip to Brown Sugar Kitchen, come when the weather is iffy (especially during wintertime as crowds are not huge). I have been previously been in the warm months during spring and summer and the wait times for a table of four can be up to an hour! (Fortunately there is the Mandela Parkway median park to sit and gab with your company, but the wait is pure insanity, especially for four tops and honestly not worth it even for fried chicken). Also, I learned the menu is seasonal as shrimp and grits are not on the menu come winter time (darn!). Also, the reason I went to BSK is because I had gift cards that could be purchased at your nearby Costco (with a twenty dollar discount). And finally, if you get sat at the counter at BSK, be prepared to get your clothes smelling as it is an open kitchen and the fire is burning hot, but if you’re really lucky you can see owner Tanya Holland cooking behind the counter, doing what she does best.
So after I get there at about 10:15am on a Saturday BSK wasn’t packed and waits are not long. Granted it was raining during the morning, so that may have had something to do with it. My friend was running late and they won’t sit you until your whole party arrives but I did see many four tops being sat who just arrived as I waited so a long wait is not necessarily a requirement at BSK. I like that you can get their signature fried chicken and waffle dish but you can also just get one or the other, the same with their poached eggs and grits. So my friend and I got the fried chicken and cheese and grits as two solo dishes and split them to go alongside our three deep fried beignets with a side of orange marmalade sauce.
Everything tasted fine, with the chicken crispy yet scalding hot right off the dish. The cheese and grits were decent, but would have tasted better with shrimp that’s for sure and probably the poached eggs as well, so I’d recommend getting the full dish on that one next time. And the beignets are solid at BSK just not the same with the doughy filling that other similar southern places offer. But to each his own I guess. I really like BSK and plan on returning in the future. I now know I have to get there bright and early so I don’t have to wait and preferably when the menu has a little more range. The staff is really great and friendly and the front desk receptionist kept checking with me to see if me party showed up so they didn’t forget me. I’m just asking that here’s to hoping next time there’s more oomph in the menu selections so I have a reason to savor BSK over and over again.

This was my first time on a Sunday afternoon around 1pm. The wait was an hour for a party of two. I didn’t mind the wait, given that it’s a small place.
I got the chicken and cornmeal waffles. The chicken was good to me. It’s the right amount of crispy on the outside, flavorful. Moist and juicy on the inside. When I cut open the chicken thigh, juice was running out.
The cornmeal waffle is definitely very light, airy and crispy. It was to my likely until it got cold way too fast. I may have finished my meal within 12 minutes. The waffle was different to my expectations. I expected some fluffy, dense but crispy waffles.
The apple cider syrup is to my liking. A little different, and a little on the sweet side. But still edible.
Seasonal acid juice of the day was mango limeade — which I thought was very refreshing. Couldn’t go wrong with that.

Came during the middle of the week for a late lunch. Place was busy but we got seats right away at the counter, in full view of all that was going on. However, service was weak. Our waitress forgot my friend’s ice tea repeatedly and was very slow to check in on us or even get our order in.
As for the food, the biscuit was decent but nothing mind-​blowing. The fried chicken was also average, in my opinion. As well, considering I could see all the chicken coming out of the fryer, it seemed like I was given the two smallest pieces they had. Was it because we kept asking the waitress to bring the ice tea? I don’t know.
The waffle was indeed good. I’ll give them that. But I wouldn’t make the trek out just for the food, and the service was a downer.

Makes complete sense why the wait time is typically an hour. IT’S SO DAMN GOOD. I got the chicken and waffles and oh my lawwwdddd it was so crispy, had low density– making it not overwhelming and kept me wanting to dig in bite after bite.
The syrup had this citrus sweet twist to it and it was so complimentary to the waffles. CHICKEN WAS ON POINT. The meat was soft inside and the skin was so crispy and good
My stomach is seriously growling of hunger as I write this review as I think back to my meal.
My sister ordered the gumbo and it was amazing as well! Really great if you’re in the mood for something soupy. Wow, awesome experience and our waitress was up to par with service.
I also tried their vanilla latte and mimosa. Tastes like where you’d get it anywhere else, their strong points are definitely the food!!! Yum. Awesome place.

I’ve heard about this place for a while now and finally got to try it. I love that they have real coffee options because a cappuccino was much needed as a pick me up from the festivities that took place the night before. Plus they needed to offer us something for the ridiculously long wait we had. I can never understand why a restaurant with a limited menu can be backed up so much.
I swear there was like 4 options to chose from (cheddar grits, chicken and waffles, pork hash scramble and some poached egg dish). They are all extremely quick recipes… I need you guys to get it together.
The food was pretty good though. My pork hash tasted like apple sausage hash but still good though. They also have a «citrus ade» that was pretty bomb (pomegranate lemon). But it seasonal so you may not get that flavor every time.
I may come back here if I have time but probably not for a while. I really want to try their lunch menu…

It astounds me that Brown Sugar Kitchen only has a 3.5 star rating, because it is in my humble opinion that Brown Sugar Kitchen has the best brunch in town!
I’ve had literally everything on the menu, and I can’t find anything to complain about. From their homemade chai latte to their scones, their hearty gumbo to their warm fluffy beignets, their tangy bbq shrimp and grits to their fall-​off-​the-​bone juicy fried chicken — it’s all good. Seriously, I could write poetry about the cornmeal waffles with their brown sugar butter — I don’t think I can go back to regular flour waffles ever again.
The only downside is that any time I drop by, there’s a serious wait. Usually no less than 30 minutes, no more than an hour. Maybe less if you show up before 10:30 AM. There’s no reservation system, which I actually oddly appreciate — it’s a very egalitarian way of going about things. Besides, the wait gives me time to enjoy some pre-​brunch drinks and treats from their coffee station while catching up with my date (s).
All in all, this is THE Oakland brunch spot I recommend far and wide. I love it so much, I bought the cookbook!

11÷19÷15. Breakfast
Finally came here on a weekday to see what all the fuss is about. It’s a very small space so I could only imagine the super-​long wait on weekends. The place is empty 9AM on Thursday morning, but service isn’t readily quick. More like insouciant.
*Cornmeal Waffle ($ 10) is good, light, crispy and very absorbent of the yummy brown sugar, which was at first too hard to spread on the waffle. It is what it is and very good. The cider syrup is too sweet and a bit watery.
*Cornmeal Waffle with Fried Chicken ($ 15) is the same portion of cornmeal waffle with two pieces of fried chicken. Chicken is okay – not the greatest but not bad. I’ll skip it unless you have to have fried chicken in the morning.
*Two Scrambled Eggs ($ 5) buttery and good.
The coffee is pretty strong, like eye-​opening strong, and piping hot.
They do have baked eggs, vegetable tart, breakfast croissant and a pork hash special. The menu is otherwise limited. No French toast or scramble. Go elsewhere if you want a classic egg/​bacon/​toast because everything has to be ordered a la carte.
I would only come back for the cornmeal waffle, but consider how crowded it is on weekends I don’t think it will happen soon.

Still massively popular after all these years, if the continued long weekend lines are any indication. But I’d have to agree with Lea M. and Casey S. here.
Yes, the chicken and waffles are pretty good, with the waffles being the highlight, while the fried chicken was merely OK. For some folks, especially those from out of town that I sat next to, the fried chicken might be the best they’ve ever had, but for Oaklanders, who are blessed with culinary options galore, there are plenty of joints everywhere that might have something to say about good fried chicken.
Overall, given the price and portions, it was a nice meal, but slightly spendy at that. It all might go down a little better if we knew for sure that the prices were being passed on to employees in the form of fair wages.

I have a visiting friend from Southern California who raves about Roscoes Fried Chicken. I just have to top that and Brown Sugar Kitchens is what I have in mind.
Day before he flew back home, I took him to BSK! We were there around 11:30am. When we signed in, we were told about 45 mins wait which was reasonable on a Sunday around that time. It took an hour and 20mins before we were finally seated. We almost left but were so glad we stayed. All the anxiety and frustrations from the wait dissipate once we took a bite of that perfectly seasoned fried chicken and the light airy waffles. My friend surrendered and claimed BSK fried chicken and waffles hands down the best he had ever had! One point to team Bay Area!
The 3 stars is based on my total dining experience. An hour and 20mins wait is definitely a damper. For the food, particularly the fried chicken and the waffles, 6 stars with matching bravo on the side!

MAIN POINT:
The chicken and waffles live up to the hype!
WHY:
The fried chicken meat is flavorful and moist, and the skin has just the right amount of spice. The cornmeal waffle is fluffy. The brown sugar butter is divine, and the apple cider vinegar has the right amount of savoriness. $ 18 holla.
ANYTHING ELSE?
— We also ordered the smoked pork hash with two poached eggs and bowl of fruit ($ 6.50). The hash was only okay– nothing to write home about. The fruit was fresh.
— We came at 9am on Saturday morning, and there wasn’t a wait. The restaurant was packed though.
— Service can be slightly slow, but servers are friendly. Only so many waffle irons back there, folks.
— There’s lots of parking in the area.
FINAL VERDICT:
Come here at least once for the fried chicken & waffles. It’s a pricy brunch place yet worth a try.

WHY WE WENT HERE:
— the first time I went here was for a business lunch with one of my former bosses a year ago
— the second time I went here was this past weekend for my belated birthday
— you can NEVER go wrong with fried chicken and waffles, especially at a small spot like this where you can expect to wait long for great food
THE LOOK (FROM THE OUTSIDE):
— located in West Oakland, of course to some it may come off as a shady area. There are signs on the street posts that read «DON’T FEED THE THIEVES» aka don’t give reason for people to break into your car
— it’s on a street corner, but you know you’re at the right place when you see people waiting outside to be seated indoors and you can smell the goodness from the kitchen cooking within pouring outside
THE LOOK (FROM THE INSIDE):
— diner feel
— crowded seating in terms of you can hear the conversation of the people seated right next to you since they’re not one foot away
— clean
— quaint
THE MENU:
— very simple
WHAT WE ORDERED:
— the first time around = Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Cornmeal Waffle with brown sugar butter & apple cider syrup
— the second time around = Buttermilk Fried Chicken & Cornmeal Waffle with brown sugar butter & apple cider syrup + a side of Macaroni and Cheese
THE TASTE:
— BOMB DOT COM
— the fried chicken isn’t as crisp as it is at other places, but it’s just as flavorful and juicy
— the brown sugar butter is a nice touch, and the apple cider syrup with the cornmeal waffle is both interesting and tasty
— the macaroni and cheese has a nice smoky flavor and is great with the bread crumbs on top for texture
CUSTOMER SERVICE:
— polite
— prompt
— professional