Noodles & Company is a chain restaurant, yes, but as far as I'm concerned it's a welcome addition to the available array of Oakland eateries. It's kind of like Chipotle for noodles--you pick from a menu that has menu noodle dishes that fall into American, Asian, or Mediterranean categories. I have tried a couple different things here and so far everything has been pretty good. The Penne Rosa is definitely my favorite! The only downside is that the restaurant is ALWAYS packed and pretty loud--but things move quickly, even so. If you're in Oakland and feel like you've tried everything around, stop here. You won't be sorry!