February restaurant openings deliver new tacos, burgers, sushi and bountiful breakfasts

Editor’s note: Nosh covers food and restaurant news across the East Bay, and each week we publish one article covering all the restaurant openings and one article covering closings.  The openings and closings for each month are then compiled into a round-up. Have a tip for Nosh? Submit it here.

Alameda restaurant opening

Taco Fino Express

02.25:25: If you’ve sampled shrimp tacos or perhaps the tater-tot laden California burrito at Taco Fino’s Concord food truck, good news awaits: the fast-casual Mexican joint just opened a new brick-and-mortar on Alameda’s Park St. Owned and operated by Arcelio and Antonia Serrano (with help from their sons), the family-run restaurant celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 15. Taco Fino Express, 1506 Park St., Alameda

Berkeley restaurant openings

Chicha San Chen

02.18.25: Chicha San Chen, a beloved Taiwanese bubble tea shop with a flagship store in Cupertino, recently opened a new Berkeley location. The space is lofty and light-filled, offering an extensive menu of fragrant drinks like the mango osmanthus oolong tea and brown sugar boba. Chicha San Chen, 2400A Bancroft Way, Berkeley

Green Leaf Grocery Market

02.25.25: Green Leaf Grocery Market, a community market specializing in organic goods, recently opened its doors in Berkeley. The market is still getting up and running, so you might not find fully-stocked shelves as of yet, but keep tabs on their Instagram for more developments. Green Leaf Grocery Market, 1531 San Pablo Ave. (at Cedar Street), Berkeley

Homemade Café

02.18.25: In case you missed it, Homemade Café, the beloved Berkeley institution known for its coziness and community-oriented service, will rise again from the ashes following a heartbreaking 2024 closure. Owner Collin Doran told Berkleyside’s Anna Mindess that the café’s neighbor Rohit Singh, CEO of Breads of India, stepped in to offer financial assistance after hearing of the closure. The cafe celebrated its soft opening for breakfast and lunch on Feb. 19. Check out Nosh’s write-up on the resurrection for all the details. Homemade Café, 2454 Sacramento St., Berkeley

Kura Revolving Sushi Bar

02.11.25: Kura Sushi is opened its doors in Berkeley in early February, and celebrated its grand opening on Feb. 14. Stop by if you fancy whimsy — over 100 dishes are served via a two-layered conveyor belt system that chugs through the dining area, and drinks are delivered directly via friendly robots. You can also get plates fast-tracked to you by ordering them on a tablet; they’ll come directly to you on the conveyor belt. Kura Revolving Sushi Bar, 2100 University Ave., Berkeley

Myungrang Hot Dog

02.11.25: Myungrang Hot Dog, a Korean hot dog chain whose name loosely translates to “cheerful” or “sunshiney,” recently opened a new location in Berkeley. The sausages are dipped in a crispy rice batter and fried, yielding a satisfying combo of chewy and crunchiness. Myungrang Hot Dog, 2519 Durant Ave., Berkeley

Tipsy Yeti

02.18.25: Tipsy Yeti celebrated its soft opening on Feb. 14, delivering Nepali flavors with California comfort food in a charming brick interior. Beers on tap and cocktails are also on offer alongside dishes like okra masala and goat curry. Tipsy Yeti, 2512 San Pablo Ave., Berkeley

Castro Valley restaurant opening

La Perla

02.11.25: La Perla’s long-awaited return is finally here: after shuttering its Fruitvale location in November, this Puerto Rican mainstay reopened in the Castro Valley Marketplace on Feb 14 at noon.  La Perla, 3295 Castro Valley Blvd., Castro Valley

Emeryville restaurant opening

Le Marine Fish & Grill

02.11.25: Emeryville’s Public Market has reeled in a new restaurant: Le Marine Fish & Grill, a casual outpost for fish and chips, burgers, prawn bowls and more, officially opened on Feb. 7. Le Marine Fish & Grill, 5959 Shellmound St., Emeryville

Hayward restaurant opening

NN Thai Street Food

02.25.25: East Bay Eats, a restaurant co-op that acts as a to-go market hall in Hayward, recently welcomed NN Thai Street Food to its ranks. Like the name suggests, NN Thai Street Food serves Thai street delicacies such as khao mun gai tod (Thai crispy chicken rice), khao moo krob (crispy pork belly rice) and, of course, Thai iced tea and other cold drink offerings.  NN Thai Street Food, 1025 A St Room 110, Hayward

Oakland restaurant openings

A Capella

02.11.25: What was formerly the eclectic music venue Starline Social Club has transformed into a dimly-lit, speakeasy-type bar and restaurant, A Capella. The bar celebrated its grand opening last Friday and, like its predecessor, is set to offer live jazz music and other concerts after renovations are complete. For now, you can walk in for cocktails and dinner service starting at 5 p.m. daily. KQED first reported the opening. A Capella, 645 West Grand Ave, Oakland

Drink Thicc

02.18.25: Drink Thicc, home of high-protein smoothies, has touched down at Planet Squeeze in Swan’s Market. Each smoothie is packed with 25 grams of protein and includes various combinations of boosters such as electrolytes, hemp seeds, ashwagandha and creatine, depending on your order. The menu is a creative nod to Oakland, with drinks sporting names like Ghostride Green (organic spinach, spirulina, pineapple, mango, ginger, ashwagandha and niacinamide) and the Bipped in the Tropics (pineapple, mango, banana, activated charcoal, coconut, collagen, chia seeds, creatine, l-glutamine.) Drink Thicc, 540 9th St., Oakland 

Hyphy Burger

02.18.25: Local food influencer Darion Frazier, perhaps best known by his online presence @bayareafoodz, celebrated the soft opening of his new smashburger venture, Hyphy Burger, over Presidents’ Day weekend. Situated in what was formerly All Star Donuts & Burgers in West Oakland, Hyphy Burger delivers celebratory Bay Area vibes with bold, high-energy murals splashing the walls (plus a school bus parked outside that says, “Hyphy Unified School District: vehicle will gas-break-dip.”) The menu is short and sweet, with two burger options: there’s the classic Hyphy Burger with two patties, American cheese, pickles, onions and “you feel me” sauce on a potato bun, and the Burnout Burger, which includes pepper jack cheese, pepperoncini and jalapeños. Fries and milkshakes are also on offer. Hyphy Burger, 898 W Grand Ave., Oakland

La Chicharronada Colombiana

02.04.25: La Chicharronada Colombia, an authentic Colombian outpost with a previous location on Foothill Boulevard, celebrated the grand opening of its brick and mortar on Feb. 8. Expect thick slabs of crispy chicharron accompanied by plantains, yucca and guacamole, plus smaller snacks like fried empanadas and Colombian soft drinks. La Chicharronada Colombiana, 280 Hegenberger Rd., Oakland 

Mon Superette

02.11.25: A sweet convenience store called Mon Superette recently opened up on Oakland’s Piedmont Ave., serving grab-and-go items like Vietnamese fresh rolls, garlic noodles, milk bread sandwiches and Vietnamese iced coffees. The shop is owned and operated by the same team behind Alameda’s Vietnamese restaurant Bacogai. Mon Superette, 4060 Piedmont Ave., Oakland

Sana’a Cafe

02.18.25: Nosh readers let us know that Sana’a Cafe, a local Yemeni coffee house, has opened in what was formerly Big House Beans on Telegraph Ave. Big House Beans cofounder John Krause confirmed that the café is under new leadership, but didn’t provide details about the change of hands. Nosh sent an email to Sana’a Cafe to inquire; we haven’t heard back yet as of the time of publication. Sana’a Cafe, 4770 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

Vegan Chula

02.18.25: Vegan Chula, a mobile pop-up serving Mexican-inspired tapas and small bites (think plant-based poblano mac and cheese, elote ribs and flautas), announced its new weekly residency at 51 & Tel which began Feb. 21. You can expect the pop-up in the bar’s heated patio space every Friday and Saturday night starting at 5 p.m. until late. Vegan Chula, 5018 Telegraph Ave., Oakland

Yosi Café

02.04.25: Yosi Café, situated next to Snail Bar in what used to be Abesha Ethiopian Cuisine, opened Feb. 8. For now, the café will sell pastries baked in-house, and plans to offer Ethiopian food at dinnertime are in the works. Yosi Café, 4929 Shattuck Ave., Oakland

Walnut Creek restaurant opening

Sweet Maple

03.04.25: Local brunch chain Sweet Maple just opened its fifth California location in Walnut Creek. Expect popular brunch items like scrambles, benedicts, omelettes and breakfast sandwiches, plus creative signature Sweet Maple dishes, including the blueberry cloud French toast (deep-fried French toast stuffed with house-made blueberry marmalade, cream cheese and blueberry cream). Sweet Maple, 1523 Giammona Dr., Walnut Creek