Top Dog has been an East Bay, and indeed Bay Area wide favorite since the 1960s. With several branches throughout Oakland and Berkeley, this one is located on bustling Lakeshore Avenue. Top Dog does just one thing, and it does it well. All kinds of encased meats are thrown on the grill here, with the all beef Kosher Top Dog and the Lemon Chicken dog being especially favored by Oakland's dog-eating masses.

Right next to Oakland's Lake Merritt and its "necklace of lights" is the ever-popular Coach Sushi. Coach Sushi serves up high quality sushi of all your favorite varieties along with a full slate of other Japanese dishes. The most popular part of Coach Sushi, however, is their bottomless sake for USD3.50, which upon ordering gets you your own square cedar box which continues to be refilled frequently until you leave.

Vo's is located amongst the insurgence of popular bars and restaurants near Oakland's Uptown district. This stylishly decorated restaurant serves up delicious Vietnamese dishes like Tamarind Catfish Soup, Five-Spice Chicken and Mekong Noodles. This large restaurant is an ideal place for large groups, and even has a banquet room available for private parties.

Chai Thai Noodle House is located in Oakland just east of Lake Merritt. Chai Thai is very popular, as the name implies, especially for their noodle dishes. Favorites include the ever popular Pad Thai, Pumpkin Curry, and Larb. People love coming to Chai Thai because the relatively small restaurant is cozy and unpretentious, needless to say this is a family and neighborhood favorite that attracts many regular customers.

Lake Chalet is brought to you by the people responsible for the popular Beach Chalet and Park Chalet right across the water in San Francisco. This elegant restaurant is situated right on Lake Merritt, so you're sure to have delightful views while you're here. The menu consists of mainly seafood and grill items, but all with various global and contemporary influences. Lake Chalet's bar also offers a variety of creative and tasty cocktails, which are made even sweeter during their twice daily happy hours, when drinks and appetizers and small plates go on special. On a nice evening, sit outside and watch the gondoliers go by as you enjoy your sundries.

From the owners/chefs of the popular ZAX in San Francisco and Berkeley comes Sidebar. This restaurant provides a fresh take on classic Mediterranean cuisine as well as classic comfort foods. In addition to the regular lunch and dinner menus, Sidebar features an "in-between menu". The main feature of Sidebar, however, is the central bar that serves up a nice selection of wines and specialty cocktails.

Boot & Shoe Service, located near Lake Merritt, is the second restaurant from Chez Panisse alum and Pizzaiolo owner Charlie Hallowell. Boot & Shoe Service gives Hallowell yet another venue to do what he does best- gourmet pizza. The unusual name comes as an homage to the cobbler shop that was once located where the restaurant is. Boot & Shoe features delicious artisan pizzas, full bar with innovative and contemporary cocktails, a friendly family atmosphere, and you can even get their pizzas to go! If you like pizza, you'll love Boot & Shoe Service.

This charming restaurant offers Pan-Mediterranean cuisine in a warm, pleasant atmosphere. Mezze has it set up so you can order items like Moroccan tagine and bouillabase a la carte or take advantage of their nightly three course prix fixe menu. Also, about every month and a half, Mezze hosts a special four course meal based on the cuisine of specific Mediterranean countries every time, like Spain, France, Morocco and just about every other one you can think of.

The Holy Land has been serving up healthy, kosher and delicious Middle Eastern food for 20 years. With such favorites as Falafel (voted best in the East Bay)and Shawarma, the Holy Land never disappoints. As it is family run by a traditional Jewish family, the restaurant closes at sundown Friday and remains closed all of Saturday in observance of the Sabbath, so make sure you check the calendar before you go.

A family friendly restaurant specializing in all kinds of fusion cuisine, Spettro stands out as one of the top restaurants on Lakeshore Avenue. Spettro has everything from Mexican and Italian inspired entrees like Jalapeno Fettucine, to creative pizzas, including the infamous Peanut Butter Pizza. The space and the menu are both extremely kid-friendly, so don't hesitate to make it a family outing.