Drake’s Dealership: Oakland’s Hip New Place to Be
Drake’s Dealership is a brand new restaurant in an old historic building located on Broadway Auto Row in Uptown Oakland. This is just one of many businesses that have begun development over the space of old car dealerships and a repair shop that together now call themselves “Hive Oakland”.
Drake’s Dealership is actually part of a larger local business that has been around since 1989, Drake’s Brewery in the industrial part of San Leandro. They are one of the early makers of craft beers in Northern California.I have been to the Dealership three times and have enjoyed myself in the beautiful and spacious open air beer garden.
My favorite thing about Drake’s Dealership is that you can order 4 oz. tasters of their beers on tap. While most people might order a taster to sample before they order a larger glass, I am ordering multiple tasters as mini sized drinks. This makes it fun for me. I do end up going back for the Oaklander Weisse, a Hefeweizen with a subtle hint of lemon.
The food at Drake’s Dealership is quite good. Their specialty is wood fired pizza in the form of New haven style, having a thin oblong shape, slightly charred, and a chewy crust.
I would highly recommend ordering a basket of French fries while there. You can get regular, garlic, or spicy. I ordered the spicy fries which are sprinkled with spicy seasoning and comes with a Sriracha mayonnaise. They stayed crispy until the last fry.
A friend of mine ordered the fish and chips which I got to taste. The inside of the fish was really moist, fresh, and delicious, but the outer batter was overcooked and overwhelming. A lighter batter would really help this menu item.
Chicharrones are on their menu and is a perfect snack to have with beer. They have great flavor and crunch.
If you want dessert, it appears that you need to ask the waiter, as I haven’t seen it on a printed menu. On one occasion, I had a beer infused mousse and biscotti. I matched it with a 4 oz. taster of Nitro Stout which shows off some chocolate and coffee flavors. This was a great combination.
Drake’s Dealership has only been open for about two months and has already become a hip, relevant place to be. I imagine that Drake’s Dealership will become an Oakland institution in no time.
