Lake Merrit, Fruitvale, or Coliseum BART: quick and tasty?

[Pei]

Got invited to the Warriors game at the last minute, and now I don't know what to eat for dinner! I'm wondering if there's a quick dinner stop within a few blocks from a BART station that I can hit up. I don't usually find myself in the East Bay, so I'm coming up blank even after some yelping and chowhounding.

Any kind of food will do: cheap and fast are the most important criteria.

I considered hitting up Oakland for some Korean, but it's a little out of the way and not exactly quick food.

[milklady]

I'm always happy at Saigon Wraps, which is in the Fruitvale Transit Village (adjacent to the the Fruitvale BART station).

[kc72]

Last minute would be being asked at 6:30 tonight!

Plenty of places w/in walking distance of 12th St BART if you want to eat in Oakland Chinatown.

[Pei]

Thanks. Looks like Shandong, 4 blocks from BART, might be a good stop for knife cut noodles. Always great to find something I can't find in SF. That's definitely high on the list now.

[Melanie Wong]

You can find reports on the knife cut noodles at Five Happiness in SF as well as Shanghai House (not S Dumpling H) on Balboa. You might want to use your trip to Oakland to try one of the Mexican seafood places close to the Fruitvale station.

[Pei]

Thanks! La Costa and Mar y Tierra are now also in the running...so many choices, so little time.

[Ruth Lafler]

I'll be interested to hear back. Just FYI, there's nothing chow-worthy near the Coliseum BART station.

[ML8000]

There's an HK type restaurant/cafe -- Charlie Chan Cafe -- near the Coliseum that I've been meaning try for a while but never had a reason to go. Yes the name is odd and suspect but I'm curious. Also if I go to game, usually stop at New Gold Medal in Oakland Chinatown on the way back.

Here's the links to Charlie Chan Cafe:
http://groups.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=groups.groupProfile&groupID=105835061&Mytoken=9C514E31-DE04-4F4E-BB4B8608A10A0331390542242
http://www.yelp.com/biz/charlie-chan-...

[ML8000]

link

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Charlie Chan Cafe
8350 Edes Ave, Oakland, CA 94621

[Ruth Lafler]

Oh, that's over near the DMV. While it's "near" the Coliseum, it's not what I would consider walking distance from the BART station, as that route would mean walking up and over the Hegenberger overpass of the railroad tracks (a long and unpleasant trek), or alternatively, over to the Coliseum and through the south parking lot (slightly shorter and more pleasant, but not much).

[ML8000]

Okay, yeah, don't want to be walking around there at night.

One day someone will figure it out...a Philly Cheesesteak, sub or good hot dog place is what's needed around the Col BART. There use to be that burger place under the pedestrian bridge...that wasn't all that good.

[Ruth Lafler]

And now it's a BBQ place that isn't all the good. The hot dog cart in the station itself isn't bad, though. At least it's a lot cheaper than buying a dog at the game!

[Pei]

REPORTING BACK:

I'll compile a mariscos post when I make my way through half a dozen or so, but we ended up at Taqueria San Jose on International. La Costa was closed, and Mar y Tierra was strangely desserted. TSJ had on their menu, in the way of seafood, caldo de siete mares, deep fried tilapia, shrimp burritos, and shrimp or octopus cocktails.

We had other food and a cocktail. We were served shrip even though we ordered octopus (she probably heard "no octopus" instead of "octopus," oh well). The seafood cocktail split the difference between El Delfin and Playas Azul.

The base was more flavorful than at PA, but not as deep, limey, and satisfying as Delfin. The shrimp were bigger than at ED, but smaller than at PA. There also wasn't the option to have a variety of more than 2 types of seafood in it. Certainly not a bad deal for $8, but basically a shrimp cocktail where the shrimp is floating in the sauce instead of served alongside.

Note: the horchata there is lovely! It's a little on the light side, but I liked that. It wasn't too sugary, and had a fresh flavor of rice. I would believe it if they said the made it themselves, because it actually tasted like there were some very fine rice bits in it.

[DezzerSF]

Did you have any of their salsa verde? It's probably the main reason I go there, besides the al pastor.

[Pei]

Yes! The salsa verde was great, as was the fresh tomato salsa.

[rworange]

link

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Taqueria San Jose
3433 International Blvd, Oakland, CA 94601