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| - I'm so happy that there's a local, healthier option to be had amid the strip of Forbes in Oakland that offers a lot of decadent, fatty foods (you won't be hard-pressed to find chicken wings, oversize sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, and fries in an area that caters to undergrads). Even so, Red Oak Cafe isn't exactly oozing with purity, either. There are still plenty of meat options, from sandwich fillers to toppings on salads, and cheese is a welcome paring with three quarters of the items on their menu. At the risk of sounding unnecessarily whiny, I'm bringing this up because they seem to take pride in their "healthy" menu and use it as a marketing tool, and I think it's fair to share varying opinions on what constitutes "healthy." I'm not saying a little meat and cheese negates healthy eating (everything in moderation!), but I wouldn't pretend I was doing my body a huge favor by eating here, either (if you want to get into healthy, clean, local eating though, run--don't walk--to Eden in Shadyside).
Anyway! I think the breakfast menu, particularly when it comes to the egg sandwiches, is very reasonably priced ($2.95-$4.75). I've had the Michelangelo (egg, mushrooms, spinach, provolone, whole grain bread, $4.50), and it was very good. Their vegetarian chili (with house chips and avocado dressing, 8 oz. for $4.25) was good, but I've definitely had better.
After a couple of satisfied trips in, I was in the mood to try one of their salads, and opted for a mesclun and romaine-based mix (I'm pretty sure it was the California Turkey, with mesquite turkey, avocado, carrots, tomatoes, radish, tortilla strips, honey lime cilantro vinaigrette, $7.50). One of the few things I'm really picky about with food is salad green quality (I prefer dark greens and generally think that any leafy "green" that appears yellowish or white is a cheap, bottom-of-the barrel cop out), and I was disappointed in theirs. It seemed much heavier on the romaine than the mesclun, and the romaine looked pretty devoid of color, making it an overall unappetizing salad. I would be very hesitant to get a salad there again.
While the service there has generally been friendly, it seems like the staff might be spread a little thin. Lunch time there is crazy, but I've also been there at off-peak times and it's taken 20 minutes to receive my order, and once, they forgot about my order altogether. Overall, though, enough of the food that I've vetted there is very good, so I'm inclined to go back.
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