Decent, but not the best
DESCRIPTION: I just had my first excursion to Great American Barbecue Co. today. Being hungry and eager to try a variety of dishes, I got the three-way combo with St. Louis style pork ribs, brisket, and chicken, with sides of cole slaw and collard greens. The ribs were good with traces of a dry spice rub, but not exceptionally tender; the brisket was mostly tender, but somewhat dry; and the chicken was moderately smoky and was not as dry as some chicken that is cooked by long and slow smoking. All sauces are on the table in plastic squeeze bottles. I realized as I was eating my meal how much better I like it when the sauce is served warm on the side. It seems to make the meat seem more tender and flavorful, and actually meld with the meat instead of tasting like a separate component. The sauce is a tomato and vinegar base, tangy and sweet, with smoke flavoring added- at least that's what I think I tasted. I really prefer to steer clear of these sorts of flavorings, and have the smokiness contained in the meat itself. As for the sides, I found it very refreshing to get cole slaw that had a dressing base that was not purely mayonnaise. Personally, I love a vinegar base more than mayo. This one, at least, combined the two. The cabbage was cut by hand in long, thin shreds, but with enogh texture remaining so that it had a nice crunch. While it was tasty, I still think the flavor could have been punched up a little- perhaps with a little black pepper, in the preparation. A little pepper added at the table was helpful. My other side, collard greens, was flavorful with onion, a little red bell pepper, and a dash of vinegar added to the cooking liquid. The vinegar is a classic way to dress cooked greens in the south, and having it cooked in worked fairly well, too. Somewhat surprisingly, I felt the greens were undercooked for that style of food. Generally, I hate overcooked, mushy food, but in the south where a lot of barbecue originated, greens are cooked until very tender, and I have found that I actually like some greens that way- collards in particular. They are a hearty and downright tough green, and when eating southern-style food, I prefer to have them cooked southern-style-not to a mush, but to a tender silky texture. Other offerings which I did not try were "creamy potato salad", bow-tie pasta salad, Memphis baked beans, garic mashed potatoes, macaroni and cheese, and Texas wedge fries. Platters also include white bread or a corn muffin. I chose the muffin which was quite small, and not as sweet and moist as some other local barbecue restaruants. I had planned on getting peach cobbler for dessert, but after taking a look changed my mind...not that it looked particularly bad, but I was hoping for a really juicy cobbler made with fresh peaches, which this was not, and it was already in plastic carry out containers, which did made it seem unappealing to eat warm- and I saw no mention of the option of getting it ala-mode, which I especialy like with peach desserts. I found my leftovers to be a little more flavorful than my actual meal, since I added sauce before leaving the restaurant, which help the flavor tenderness, and moistness of the meat. Overall, not a bad place, but I can't help liking Everett and Jones in the Broadway location in Oakland better.
DATE: 2004-06-08
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 4
RECOMMENDED DISHES : St. Louis style ribs, cole slaw

Fabulous, Cozy Restaurant
DESCRIPTION: I continue to bring friends and family to this restaurant whenever they are visiting. The food is always wonderful. The wine list is plentiful. The atmosphere is welcoming. A great experience overall.
DATE: 2004-11-09
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Excellent Unique sushi
DESCRIPTION: This is a little hole in the wall, the sushi is incredible. Unique mouth watering dishes. Make sure to order off the special roll menu!
DATE: 2003-11-02
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Bay bridge, American Beuaty, Cathay Roll and Tarzan Roll

sushi without seaweed
DESCRIPTION: Do you have soy paper available for sushi preparation? We don't care for the taste of seaweed, as it distracts from the other ingredients.
DATE: 2005-06-15
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8

Don't waste your time or money
DESCRIPTION: Recently attended the much hyped Wednesday all-you-can-eat pizza night. Quite possibly the worst service on the planet, Expect incorrect order taking, some people in your party not to be served for nearly an hour. If you have the "nerve" to state your concerns to the manager, expect an argument, no concession for the bad service and to have the bill overcharging you for the incorrect order expected to be paid in full.
DATE: 2003-08-29
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2

Anyplace Else
DESCRIPTION: Used to be good, but a recent experience leads several in our group to pledge to never return. The service was abysmal and SLOW. Took about 30 minutes to even take our order. Then the pizza was nothing to be excited about, in fact several in our party later reported gastric distresses. Sadly, despite complaints to the manager, they insisted on enforcing a mandatory 18% gratuity for a party of seven. Overall, our worst dining experience in years.
DATE: 2003-08-29
FOODRATING : 4
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 2
RECOMMENDED DISHES : NONE

Nightmare on Park Street
DESCRIPTION: Intentionally negligent service, questionable food quality (several in party were immediately ill afterwards), uncaring waitstaff, and an indifferent arrogant manager made our group night out quite memorable. Never Again!
DATE: 2003-08-29
FOODRATING : 2
SERVICERATING : 2
AMBIANCERATING : 2
OVERALLRATING : 2

DESCRIPTION: Great fresh food with a ton of menu choices. Everything we (party of 6) ate was wonderful. Prices were very fair and the service was very friendly. Authentic Italian pastas and tasty pizzas. Huge portions and we will all be back. The ambiance too was very accomodating to us as it has to parts to the restaurant. A sporty side and then a semi fine dining. Can't wait to go back.
DATE: 2004-07-27
FOODRATING : 10
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : pescatore, burina, chicken marsala, any of the pizzas, house salad

awesome food, friendly service.
DESCRIPTION: I can't imagine what those other folks are thinking of. My wife and I have eaten here for years, and we think it's the best italian food in alameda. Portions are uncomfortably huge. Next time we go, we're going to ask them to halve it (we'll pay the same - it's simply an obscene amount of food). Prices are very reasonable and service has always been great.
DATE: 2004-09-25
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : lasagne

WOW
DESCRIPTION: Could not have ask for a better place to go to after a long day. The service was great and the food was not only served in huge portions; every plate that we (6 of us) ordered looked and tasted amazing, not one of us were disappointed. We had a mixture of pizzas, pastas, apps and the Tira Mi Su is to die for. A great line up of beers on tap and wines in the bottle or glass. Tons of literature and phots dressed the walls and I can not wait to go back.
DATE: 2005-06-17
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 10
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Burina, Chicken Marsala, Cajun Chicken Sand., Popeye Pizza

LUVED IT!!!!
DESCRIPTION: My husband and I went there for our weekly date, the food, service, and wine was great. It made our night even more romantic by having actual great service and getting to enjoy ourselves. Keep up the good work you have two guaranteed customers.
DATE: 2006-02-10
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 10
AMBIANCERATING : 10
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Chicken Alfredo

It was okay
DESCRIPTION: The crab was not fresh but other people have had wonderful experiences there.
DATE: 2003-10-28
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 4
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Unagi

Ok...but better luck down the street
DESCRIPTION: Kamakura is a decent sushi experience. Cute ambiance and good service.
DATE: 2003-11-02
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 6
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6

Excellent Japanese Food
DESCRIPTION: Kamukura is a favorite of ours....we've been going for many years. We've never had a bad meal there and the service is prompt and helpful.
DATE: 2004-02-21
FOODRATING : 8
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 8
OVERALLRATING : 6
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Tempura is perfect!

Excellent Indian food
DESCRIPTION: The food at India Palace is excellent, the service very good indeed. Before visiting India Palace, I asked a couple of Sikh friends which Indian restaurant they liked, and they all said India Palace! The atmosphere is quite pleasant, though it's located in a slightly out-of-the-way location. The only disappointment was in the lack of hot spices in the curries - I had been looking forward to trying a Vindaloo here, and it was tasty, but far from spicy.
DATE: 2003-07-27
FOODRATING : 6
SERVICERATING : 8
AMBIANCERATING : 6
OVERALLRATING : 8
RECOMMENDED DISHES : Palak Paneer, Tandoori Chicken