I first came here for my birthday and was impressed with everyone and everything about this establishment. I was so comfortable and met with such kindness, care and feel good feeling. Today 1/25/25, I am ordering for delivery as I am unable to walk (disability) any distance. I am getting the 16oz bone-in Ribeye Steak (medium rare, please) and I will let you all know just how well it goes. I truly love this place and everything about it!!!!! Thank you, Chef Smelly's. Same day and Chef Smelly's delivered an awesome Medium Rare Steak and all the rest was so perfect. This was a wonderful surprise. One thing I do know, is that delivery will not become a habit as eating at this establishment is where is totally at!!! I thank you greatly for delivering a fantastic meal. Know we so feel the TLC in this food!!!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!

My husband and I went to this wonderful restaurant after seeing videos on TikTok. Watching Chef Smelly walk out with a delicious plate of food was the draw. The atmosphere is warm and inviting. The staff are very welcoming and provide fantastic service. The restrooms are immaculate! We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Smelly and his lovely wife Tiffany. They were gracious and made the dining experience more memorable. Oh yes. The food is outrageous. We got the crab with shrimp and garlic noodles. The noodles are the best I've had. The seafood is cooked to perfection. We will definitely return for more.

After following Chef Smelly and his wife on Instagram for years, I finally made it back to this Oakland gem, and it was absolutely worth the wait! I've previously come by to enjoy the crab special and to the bar for drinks, but this time, I was determined to try their famous oxtails--and they did not disappoint. We came on a Saturday afternoon with no reservations and waited for about 5-10 minutes. We ordered two plates of oxtails with garlic mashed potatoes, greens, yams, and green beans, paired with the Now and Later cocktail. Every single bite was perfectly seasoned, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. You can tell that love and expertise go into every dish here. The service was equally impressive. Auntie Connie, the hostess, was warm, friendly, and professional. She truly set the tone for the evening--having someone like her on staff is a huge asset to any business. Our waiter was attentive and professional, ensuring we had everything we needed throughout our visit. The atmosphere? A whole vibe. Great music, a lively but welcoming energy, and a space that feels like a celebration of good food and community. Chef Smelly's is a must-visit spot, and I can't recommend it enough. I'll definitely be returning and telling everyone I know to check them out. If you haven't been yet, do yourself a favor and go--you won't regret it!

Yet again, I'm exposed to a well known secret in Oakland. Smells is an institution I stumbled upon while on a staycation. It's tricky location but worth the trouble. The food was ordered to go since there were no reservations available but well worth the wait. Garlicy noodles were fluffy and flavorful, and although I got the trio, I coulda uses a little more catfish for the price.

Food 1. Half Dungeness Crab This was absolutely delicious and reminded me very much of some of the best Creole spots in my native New Orleans. The crab was cooked to perfection. It came with plenty of sauce, which contained fresh garlic pieces throughout. The sauce was drizzled over top the crab and there was also plenty of it on the plate beneath the crab for dipping. I was given a bowl for discarded crab shell pieces. The bowl contained two crab leg crackers, sanitary napkin packets, two plastic bibs, and two sets of black disposable nitrile exam gloves. This was the perfect set-up to enjoy my crab while also staying clean. 2. Garlic Noodles Noodles (cooked al dente) were succulent and full of delicious flavor. Couldn't stop eating them. They were the perfect accompaniment to my rib eye, crab, and Deep Fried Hot Honey Chili Chicken Breast Tenders. 3. Blackened Prawns Cooked and seasoned perfectly. Such a treat. Absolutely delicious. 4. Bone-in ribeye Not surprisingly, this was the star among stars for me. New Orleans Creoles just now how to cook better than everyone else. Cooked medium rate to my order, with an amazing (fresh) garlic sauce topping. The steak was so tender and bursting with flavor. Bravo. 5. Mac and cheese Creamy and chock full of flavor. 6. Candied yams Very decent. Syrup could be a bit creamier and/or more buttery. There was a slight tanginess that was objectionable to me. 7. Seasoned batter over deep fried corn on the cob halves with fresh garlic topping This was my first time having such a dish. Wow. I was impressed. I envision myself going back on some days just for this. And it is a great accompaniment to all the main dishes. 8. Deep Fried Hot Honey Chili Chicken Breast Tenders Succulent chicken inside perfectly crispy deep fried batter drizzled over with a perfectly balanced, heat, sweet, and savory sauce. 9. Creole Collard Greens This came in second to the rib eye. Man oh man. Lawd jesus these greens absolutely deserve the "New Orleans Creole" qualification. Tenders greens cooked to perfection. Subtle seasoning, not overbearing. The kind of seasoning that takes generations to perfect, as Creoles have. I believe the meat was smoked turkey. I'm not sure. But it was absolutely succulent and flavored well. 10. Oxtails Very meaty. Very tender. Delicious meat-to-fat and collagen ratios. Absolutely delicious. Large portions. Service We had read good things about our server, Victor, in another Yelp review before we ever ate here. He was everything the previous reviewer said he was: professional, attentive to detail, courteous, patient, thorough. Thank you so much for a great experience, Victor! Also, the bartender was very attentive and professional. And the Shake Ya Pom Poms we had were the bomb! The chef-owner, Smelly, was gracious enough to come and speak with us after our meal. What a humble and stand-up person he is. Thank you so much, Chef. Ambiance We loved the fresh cut flowers in vases at every eating space. We also loved its location: it sits inside the smallest degree angle of an Oakland City block that has the shape of an isosceles triangle. So, from just about anywhere in the space one can see Broadway St to the west and north, and Webster St to the east. These are great views of the happenings outside in this very nice area of Oakland. Inside there is a low humming sound of conversation, plates and glasses clinging, and soft R and B music. Very awesome vibe! I can't wait to go back - again and again.

Recently came in to check this place out after trying the garlic noodles at outside lands, my brother and I were dreaming about it. I had to order the chili prawns over garlic noodles, best garlic noodles I've ever had. That squeeze of a lemon over it adds just the right amount of balance to the dish, I see and appreciate the vision. We also ordered the oxtail with collard greens and mac and cheese + sweet potatoes. Also pretty good... mac and cheese was not it for me, though, lacking a little flavor, salt? The restaurant vibe was basic, not super cute or anything... just know you're there for the food. Our server was super friendly and quirky, loved his attitude. It's low key expensive for what it is, but you have to at least try it.

I am not going to lie. I had my apprehension about going to this establishment. I have heard this Chef name many times over the last 5, 6, 7 years however, I've never tasted any of his cuisine. I'm not a trendy food type person so I wasn't going to just jump into the trend of hearing his name however, he obviously has transcend it past the hype and a trendy name and has established himself so so when my sister said, let's go, I went. We both ordered the shrimp and fish platters that typically come with something called cheesy crack, which is macaroni and cheese. I'm not a pasta person, so I opted to swap that for their collard greens. The greens contain meat, however the delicious garlic green beans do not contain meat and they are 1000% delicious! I had catfish with the prawns, and the seasoning did not disappoint nor did the crunch. This establishment is nestled inside of another establishment, which is the AU bar . Bar Beverages are purchased separately, however, the Resturant menu is serviced by a wonderful weight staff. A definite redo. Drawback- parking is ugly!