San Leandro Bytes marga.org

San Leandro is a small town nested in the East Bay between Oakland and Hayward. Its population is a mixture of retirees (who've lived here since the war), new immigrants and young families who've sought affordable housing. The restaurant scene is, unfortunately, rather poor though it seems to be slowly improving. There is a plethora of Chinese and Mexican restaurants and low-priced chains, several mediocre pizza parlors, a couple of upscale restaurants, some Sushi joints and a growing number of South East Asian places. Restaurants in San Leandro tend to be not as good and more expensive than restaurants in Berkeley or Oakland. The exception to this are neighborhood Mexican restaurants and taquerias which are generally very good, a Thai restaurant and a Filipino joint. For other things, you may want to go further afield. My favorite restaurants are marked with a * If you live in San Leandro and would like me to add your comments or a link to your own reviews from the reviews here, please e-mail me. Before using these reviews you may want to read this caveat. American | Caribbean |Chinese | Italian/Greek | Indian | Mexican | Middle Eastern | Southeast Asian | Sushi/Japanese | Chains Breakfast/Lunch spots | Burgers/Hot Dogs | Pizza | Taquerias Cafes | Bakeries | Farmers' Market | Food Trucks Bay Area Restaurants | Tea Rooms | Napa & Sonoma Restaurants | Other Restaurants | Chain Restaurants | Road Restaurants | Venue Food | Links Marga's Food Blog | Marga's Regular Blog American Elio's American Visited in May 2004, OK, $$ F Ernie's Seafood Restaurant Seafood Visited in January 2010, Good, $$. F Horatio's Steakhouse Last Visited in May 2011, Good, $$$$ F Nick's Family Restaurant Coffeeshop Visited in April 2005, Don't Bother, $ F Paradiso Californian Last visited in January 2012, Good, $$$ F The Englander Sports Pub & Restaurant British, Pub food Frequently visited, Good, $$ F *The Vine Wine/Tapas bar Frequently Visited, Very Good, $$ NF Caribbean Sweet Fingers Jamaican Last visited in August 2009, Very Good, $$ F Chinese Daimo Chinese Last visited in November 2008, OK, $$ F Great Wall Restaurant Chinese Visited in July 2008, Good, $ F Hidden Wok Chinese Occasionally Visited, OK, $ F Lee's Garden Chinese Visited in March 2004, Good, $ F Little Namking Chinese Last visited in December 2010, Very Good, $ N - Delivery Ming Tasty Chinese Visited in June 2010, So-so, $ F New China Buffet Chinese/American/Sushi Frequently visited in 2004, OK, $ N *New Hong Kong Restaurant Chinese Frequently Visited, Good, $ F - Delivery Oriental Tea House Chinese Occasionally visited, Good, $ F Italian / Greek Luke's Grill Greek/Italian Occasionally visited, Good, $$$ F Marina Restaurant Mexican/Italian Visited in June 2004, OK, $ N Indian CreAsian - Taste of the Himalayas Indian Attended Grand Opening in November 2013, Good Mexican Ana Rosa's Mexican Restaurant Visited in May 2009, So-So, $ Mama Lupe's Cocina Mexican Visited in December 2009, So-so, $$ F Marina Restaurant Mexican/Italian Visited in June 2004, OK, $ N La Piñata Mexican Visited in January 2004, So-So, $$ Tito's Tex-Mex Last Visited in June 2006, Good, $$ F El Torito Tex-Mex Visited in June 2006, So-so, $$ F Vallarta Mexican Last visited in May 2004, OK, $$ F Southeast Asian *Le Soleil Vietnamese Bistro Frequently visited, Very Good, $ F *Mai Thai Thai Frequently visited, Excellent, $ N Padi Indonesian Visited in September 2013, Very Good Pho Anh-Ha Vietnamese Last visited in September 2008, Good, $ F Sylantro Vietnamese Last visited in December 2010, Very Good, $ F Thai Satay Thai Occasionaly visited, Good, $ F *Zen's Filipino Cuisine and Ihaw-Ihaw (BBQ) House Filipino Occasionally visited, Very Good, $ F Sushi / Japanese Fat Fish Sushi Japanese Last visited in May 2011, So-so, $ F Makiyaki Japanese Visited in July 2006, OK, $ F Sushi Musashi Japanese Visited in April 2006, OK, $$ F Tsuru Sushi Japanese Last visited in October 2013, Good, $$$ F Middle Eastern Shami Middle Eastern/Arab Visited in July, 2013, Good Chain Restaurants Alohana Hawaiian Grill Hawaiian BBQ Visited in October 2008, Good # F Carrows American Visited in November 2005, OK, $$ F Chili's American Last visited in May 2008, Good, $ VF Harry's Hofbrau American/Hofbrau Last visited in December 2013, Good, $$ F Nation's Giant Hamburgers Burgers/Breakfast Occasionally visited, Good, $ F Ono Hawaiian BBQ Hawaiian BBQ/Take Out Frequently visited, Good, $ F Sizzler American/Steakhouse Visited in December 2007, OK, $ F Breakfast & Lunch Only Spots A's Cafe Breakfast/Chinese lunch Visited for breakfast in October 2013, OK, $ F Creekside Bistro Cafe/Breakfast/Sandwiches Visited in December 2010, Good, $ N Four Season's Cafe and Deli Middle Eastern/Sandwiches Occassionally visited, Good Joaquin Deli Deli/Sandwiches/Lunch Frequently visited until 2007, Very Good, $ F - Delivery Li Do Vietnamese Sandwiches Sandwiches & Rice/Noddle bowls Visited in 2013, OK, $ N Pelton Cafe Coffeeshop/Breakfast/Lunch Last visited in October 2006, OK, $ F Ploughman's Coffeeshop/Breakfast/Lunch Last visited in July 2010, OK, $ F The Fifth Wheel Diner food Visited in September 2004, OK, $ N Burgers & Cheesesteaks Al Attles' California Cheese Steaks Hoagies/Rice bowls Visited in August 2008, Good, $ F Best Burger Burgers/Sandwiches Visited in October 2004, OK, $ F *Boulevard Burger Burgers Frequently Visited, Very Good, $ F Giant Hoagies & Burgers Burgers/Hoagies Visited in January 2005, OK, $ N Hoagy Steak Hoagies Visited in February 2007, OK, $ N Nation's Giant Hamburgers Burgers/Breakfast (Chain) Occasionally visited, Good, $ F Rocky's Charcoal's Grill Burgers Last visited in April 2010, OK, $ F Super Burgers Burgers/Sandwiches/Fried stuff Visited in January 2006, Don't Go, $ N Pizza Big Apple Pizza Delivery in October 2006, OK, $ - Delivery Chicago Pizza Frequent deliveries until 2008 Good, $ - Delivery Marina Pizza Parlor Frequent deliveries until 2008, OK, $ - Delivery Mountain Mike's Pizza Last visited in March 2012, Good, $ - Delivery Papa John's Frequently visited, Good, $ - Delivery Pizza Guys Frequent deliveries in 2004, Good, $ - Delivery Porky's Pizza Palace Pizzeria Frequently visited, Very Good, $ F - Delivery Red Apple Pizza Delivery in October 2004, Good, $ - Delivery Round Table Pizza Visited in September 2011, Good Sergio's Italian/Pizza Last visited April 2008, So-so, $ F - Delivery Taquerias Mi Tierra Taqueria Visited in November 2004, OK, $ Taqueria Guadalajara Last visited in December 2009, OK, $F Taqueria Los Pericos Frequently visited, Very Good, $ F *Taqueria Los Pericos #5 Frequently visited, Very Good, $ F Taqueria Los Pericos @ Los Pericos Market Visited in Sep. 2006, Good, $ F Viva Mexico Restaurant Visited in December 2005, OK, $ Cafes Bookmark Cafe Cafe Occassionally visited, Good F Cafe Sorriso Cafe Occasionaly Visited, Good F Coffee Time Cafe Visited in May, 2008, Good F Creekside Bistro Cafe/Breakfast/Sandwiches Visited in December 2010, Good, $ N Four Season's Cafe and Deli Middle Eastern/Sandwiches Occassionally visited, Good Horatio's Bar/Lounge Frequently Visited until 2010, OK F Sabino's Coffee Cafe Visited in June 2011, Very Good, $ F *Zocalo Coffeehouse Cafe Frequently Visited, Excellent VF Bakeries Bakery Street Wholesale bakery Visited in March 2011, OK *East 14th Bakery Chinese Bakery Frequently Visited, Good Downtown Farmers' Market Casbah Exotic Food Indo-European India Gourmet Indian Meyers BBQ Hot dogs/Teriyaki sticks Roli Roti Gourmet Rottisserie Chicken Notations: VF: Very Child Friendly, offers high chairs, child menus, crayons & changing tables F: Child Friendly, offers at least high chairs (or booths) and children are welcomed N: Neutral, no high chair but a child would be OK here NF: Not Child Friendly, a child would be out of place here at least during regular dinner rush