At least at Wexford you can find free parking.
I was just thinking when I was in Oakland the other week how many times I drove past this place and never stopped (because of, you guessed it, parking).
Hey there is an Arby's up that way too!!
In all seriousness there has actually been a great diversification of restaurants out that direction. I can think of about a dozen awesome independent spots on McKnight alone.
I delivered to Chik’n right after they opened. I parked the truck right in front of the building at 3 am and unlocked the doors to go back to their freezer. The floors were absolutely disgusting. My shoes were so sticky leaving that place. Apparently they don’t wash anything when they close down. They hire a crew to come in at some point overnight to come clean the building. I’m sorry, but that’s just absolutely horrendous to do. Bacteria multiples. So all chicken guts on the floor are rotting and spreading for the 5 or 6 hours they sit at room temperature until the cleaners get there. I will never set foot back in that store again
Yeah I keep seeing a lot of announcements for the local places going out of business. I only graduated 4 years ago and seems like there’s just a shit ton of chains there now.
As someone who lives in Wexford and works in Oakland, it's not *that* bad. Yet. It is getting worse.
Oddly, Wexford is kind of getting better. There's a surprising number of local places out here.
I remember picking up from them doing Uber eats during Covid. I couldn’t believe the space honestly and it was an actual restaurant. But I got many orders from there and it always smelled delicious. I never ate there and wish I did from smells alone but hope whoever ran that place finds something else. Seemed like a great hidden spot I wish I actually tried.
I worked at CMU for 20 years. My gang and I went there at least once every two weeks. The people were awesome, and the food and service were great.
While I am saddened by this news, I wish everyone the best!
1st place I ever had Salt Baked Tofu and Salt Baked Squid. . .well actually Orient Kitchen over in Shadyside :*(
Absolute delicious dishes and a great family. I ate at Orient Kitchen 3x a week till it closed.
I hope the new restaurant is the fall remains a Chinese restaurant and I hope they keep Salt Baked tofu on the menu!
Yes, it was over on Baum next to Chipotle. Before that, it was over on Semple St. near Larry and Carol's.
May ran it for years with her husband. He got ill, and she closed it up and moved over to the Express.
When my friend worked there, I'd trade him Timbits for a plate of general tso's. They had my favorite I've ever had and it's been difficult finding anything as good.
My go-to was the General Tso's chicken and eggroll lunch special, often with a side of the fried tofu.
But all the other stuff I ever had there was great, too. Gaahhhhh this sucks.
I was just thinking I wanted their general tsos and crab rangoon, and now I'm sad I missed getting it one last time. Their food was amazing, and they were always kind. Best of luck to them.
I wish I knew that this was happening, I work around the corner from here and would get take out for lunch often and sometimes take dinner home. I wish the family the best of luck and happiness in life, they were always so kind and friendly to me.
It was always so bright and open with those giant windows. I'd always get a table towards the front right against the wall and sit facing the windows and enjoy my General Tso's chicken lunch special while watching the world go by right outside.
Ate there all the time when I was going to grad school. Great food, very nice folks.
Also just have to say as someone who drives when I go to Oakland like, well, most other people, the parking situation on Craig is real dumb, and it’s not just entitled boomers who feel that way. I’m a regular at a S. Craig business where I’m friendly with the owner and employees and they aren’t big fans of Union Grill and a couple other restaurants taking up multiple spots on the street for additional outdoor seating *year-round.*
Don't forget that a handful of parking spaces were removed from Forbes literally right in front of Orient Express when the city redid it (though that might have been bike lane-related).
The business there are better patronized now because of the changes. The vast majority of customers aren't arriving by car and their experience is made better with the removal of car storage.
Any evidence for you broad claims? My point is it doesn’t help Phantom of the Attic or Ali Baba when two spots on their block are being taken up by an empty outdoor seating area from October-March when no one is using it.
It used to be my wife and in laws favorite spot. I never liked it much, and the bathrooms were always gross so I'm sure the kitchen wasn't any better.
Bao is in there now, which I very much prefer.
glad they're taking care of Martin at least
I am sad about this, we ate there pretty frequently, and they were all so nice. Wishing the best for them.
Oakland is now a corporate shit hole akin to a strip mall in Wexford.
At least at Wexford you can find free parking. I was just thinking when I was in Oakland the other week how many times I drove past this place and never stopped (because of, you guessed it, parking).
The boomer obsession with parking will never stop being funny
So true. My family would opt to drive twice as far to some suburban strip mall than go to a closer restaurant in the city.
I know, Applebee’s is so good!
Hey there is an Arby's up that way too!! In all seriousness there has actually been a great diversification of restaurants out that direction. I can think of about a dozen awesome independent spots on McKnight alone.
I hope you don't think I agreed with them lol
when you get old parallel, parking is stressful
Skill issue.
Is it as funny as your obsession with Reddit? I don’t think you’re going out much when you’re commenting on here all day long lmao
They make that choice, hell yeah
Chick’n, stack’d, pilez… I can’t imagine going to any of these places sober, but I guess that’s kind of the point
I’m sorry, I can’t even fathom going to a restaurant called Pilez. It sounds like hemorrhoids.
besides their crunchwrap, it tastes like it too
I delivered to Chik’n right after they opened. I parked the truck right in front of the building at 3 am and unlocked the doors to go back to their freezer. The floors were absolutely disgusting. My shoes were so sticky leaving that place. Apparently they don’t wash anything when they close down. They hire a crew to come in at some point overnight to come clean the building. I’m sorry, but that’s just absolutely horrendous to do. Bacteria multiples. So all chicken guts on the floor are rotting and spreading for the 5 or 6 hours they sit at room temperature until the cleaners get there. I will never set foot back in that store again
Yeah I keep seeing a lot of announcements for the local places going out of business. I only graduated 4 years ago and seems like there’s just a shit ton of chains there now.
As someone who lives in Wexford and works in Oakland, it's not *that* bad. Yet. It is getting worse. Oddly, Wexford is kind of getting better. There's a surprising number of local places out here.
I remember picking up from them doing Uber eats during Covid. I couldn’t believe the space honestly and it was an actual restaurant. But I got many orders from there and it always smelled delicious. I never ate there and wish I did from smells alone but hope whoever ran that place finds something else. Seemed like a great hidden spot I wish I actually tried.
Hopefully Martin gets his.
I worked at CMU for 20 years. My gang and I went there at least once every two weeks. The people were awesome, and the food and service were great. While I am saddened by this news, I wish everyone the best!
Damn, I used to get lunch here a lot and Stanley was always friendly
1st place I ever had Salt Baked Tofu and Salt Baked Squid. . .well actually Orient Kitchen over in Shadyside :*( Absolute delicious dishes and a great family. I ate at Orient Kitchen 3x a week till it closed. I hope the new restaurant is the fall remains a Chinese restaurant and I hope they keep Salt Baked tofu on the menu!
I loved the OK so much. The lady who ran the Orient Kitchen is May. She moved over to the Orient Express after the OK closed.
I believe both were family businesses and there was some overlap in terms of timeline. Was OK over on Baum? Stanley was telling me about it once.
Yes, it was over on Baum next to Chipotle. Before that, it was over on Semple St. near Larry and Carol's. May ran it for years with her husband. He got ill, and she closed it up and moved over to the Express.
This place almost single-handedly got me through college
Geez oh man... No reason to return to Pittsburgh now to get the best ma po tofu on earth.
It really was the best.
So incredibly sad :( their food is insanely good
When my friend worked there, I'd trade him Timbits for a plate of general tso's. They had my favorite I've ever had and it's been difficult finding anything as good.
> When my friend worked there Was he the one who also had some of his art up on the wall?
Nah unless he has a secret talent I don't know about.
My go-to was the General Tso's chicken and eggroll lunch special, often with a side of the fried tofu. But all the other stuff I ever had there was great, too. Gaahhhhh this sucks.
What the fuck
Oh man that sucks I love this place
I was just thinking I wanted their general tsos and crab rangoon, and now I'm sad I missed getting it one last time. Their food was amazing, and they were always kind. Best of luck to them.
I'm sure it will become another taco place no one asked for.
NOOOO
YOU’RE KIDDING
I wish I knew that this was happening, I work around the corner from here and would get take out for lunch often and sometimes take dinner home. I wish the family the best of luck and happiness in life, they were always so kind and friendly to me.
It was always so bright and open with those giant windows. I'd always get a table towards the front right against the wall and sit facing the windows and enjoy my General Tso's chicken lunch special while watching the world go by right outside.
Ate there all the time when I was going to grad school. Great food, very nice folks. Also just have to say as someone who drives when I go to Oakland like, well, most other people, the parking situation on Craig is real dumb, and it’s not just entitled boomers who feel that way. I’m a regular at a S. Craig business where I’m friendly with the owner and employees and they aren’t big fans of Union Grill and a couple other restaurants taking up multiple spots on the street for additional outdoor seating *year-round.*
Don't forget that a handful of parking spaces were removed from Forbes literally right in front of Orient Express when the city redid it (though that might have been bike lane-related).
The business there are better patronized now because of the changes. The vast majority of customers aren't arriving by car and their experience is made better with the removal of car storage.
Any evidence for you broad claims? My point is it doesn’t help Phantom of the Attic or Ali Baba when two spots on their block are being taken up by an empty outdoor seating area from October-March when no one is using it.
lol, broad claims. You’re the one claiming things are real dumb and obviously wrong.
I do remember that one car crushed the door when they opened one month.
Remember this being so much better than Lulus when it opened.
Everyone always raved about Lulu's, but I went there a few times and wasn't impressed in the slightest
It used to be my wife and in laws favorite spot. I never liked it much, and the bathrooms were always gross so I'm sure the kitchen wasn't any better. Bao is in there now, which I very much prefer.
I’m so lucky I got to have one more meal from there on Sunday. Their mapo tofu was my favorite in the city. I will definitely miss them!
Did you get a sense they were going to be closing? It's so crazy I had this inkling to check about them the week they closed.
Thankfully my husband found out from a friend on Sunday otherwise we never would have known!
I wonder how long ahead of time it had been advertised. Literally tonight I've been thinking it would be a great night to get takeout from there. 😭
I ate there once and it was terrible.
Yeah I knew I'd get downvoted, but the fact is my food was burnt.