Laney Bistro

Can I give 10 stars? Wow, I really really love the concept of this restaurant. Even more, I love the food. Where else can you get a $ 40 meal for $ 15?I ordered the posole, montecristo and the dessert sampler. With the fresh lemonade, this easily would have been very expensive meal anywhere else. The service is a bit in the learning stage but they got the most important part– genuine friendliness. As for the food– the Posole was very tasty and actually better than I’ve had at Mexican restaurants. The Monte Cristo was over the top amazing with totally fresh ingredients. The deserts were also just perfect. Wow. It took me too long to discover this place!

I actually like eating here cause it’s close by all my classes and I don’t have to leave the campus, it’s all students serving you and the the teaches are cool cause they check in on you and how’s everything going. Service was nice, lol cause i think they are being graded for it,
The food is great but the only flaw is, time for their open hrs. Please extend it longer, it’s great experience but definitely coming back again

I came to the Laney Bistro for a simple meal and was overwhelmed by the presentation in the good taste of flavors

I am a Laney student and I truly recommend Laney College Bistro. Food is very good and the chefs who are in charge of coordinating the students have great experience and years in the industry.
We receive excellent guidance on how to cook delicious food following all sanitary guidelines.
The dining area is comfortable and have a great vibe. And another important aspect, prices are very reasonable for the quality of food you have and the variety.
There is always vegetarian options and delicious desserts.
Come visit us!

Wow this place is good! Finally a restaurants that offers perfect service! Restaurants owners should come here to learn! Thank you Laney Bistro for the excellent food and experience!

I have eaten here many times and food and customer service is fantastic! To the negative review below that was written 10 days before mine, you have to remember, this is a restaurant run by students learning to work in the restaurant service, so of course you’re not going to get 100% professional service as you would in a 5 star restaurant or something, so keep that in mind! I am an official student of Laney College and I love to continue to support our culinary program! :)

Menu changes all the time as the students work on different dishes. Everyone is very polite but remember your in a classroom setting. Good, overall, is very good and very reasonably priced. Many desert options. This place is great because the menu changes constantly and tour supporting a great culinary program at Laney College. Parking is $ 2 a day in the student lot on the south end, very easy signage to follow to get to the restaurant

Love the place! Great dining and and great service while supporting the culinary department of Laney community college.
I’m coming for lunches here when I have a chance and this place never fail to impress.

Laney Bistro is a restaurant staffed by Laney College’s cullinary program students. I went there not really sure what my expectations would be but I left impressed.
I ordered a bacon and cheese stuffed turkey burger with a side of fries. The burger was lean and juicy and the fries were awesome. The burger was $ 9.50 and in my opinion it was worth it.
The restaurant was laid out nicely with real napkins and the dishes were presented very well. The servers were timely and responsive.
I took pictures of the five or so desserts which they displayed on a table. They looked pretty delicious but I didn’t have time for dessert.
I’ll try this place again.

I was so lucky to end up hungry on Laney campus on a hot day and have a relaxing, high end service meal for 6.50! I was shocked with the items on the menu at a school restaurant such as fish with rice pilaf and my yummy quinoa burger. Service was the best part because you could feel the pride coming through for these hard-​working students. Bravo Laney Bistro. You should be so proud! I will be back to try your organic burger with Pt. REYES cheese for under ten bucks!

So here is the story: this place is run by culinary students and staff at Laney College as part of their training. Think hell’s kitchen but without the yelling and swearing. The décor is tastefully done and people are very pleasant. Best of all, the food is very good and the prices very reasonable. They have fixed menu items plus rotating dishes. The desserts in particular are exciting to try. They are by far my favorite part of the meal there.
My biggest gripe is with the service — I’ve gone three times and each time I waited longer than the last. I wish/​hope that is a part of the grading rubric because it really does make a difference in terms of dining experience. But for the slow service, I would have given this place 4 – 5 stars easily. Also, teachers please teach the cooks how to cook meat at different levels — even if I ask for medium cooked burgers, I get well-​done.

So to put everything in perspective, this is a student run restaurant and I give it five stars partly with that in mind. However, I have to admit I was really impressed with the place. The space is really small and simple, but the atmosphere is modern and very well done. The service was good, but you get the impression that these are not seasoned professionals. Again, this is a student run establishment and I give them high marks for service.
The quality of the food was fantastic! I was bracing myself for the worst, but I was blown away by how good it was. We started out with a bread/​biscuit thingy that seemed to have a bit rosemary to it and it was really good. The main course was the Kung Pau Shrimp and it was spicy and delicious. Whatever this school is teaching these folks, it goes way beyond basic food preparation. Well done!
Overall this place is something you really should try. The food is awesome and the price is great. Be prepared for a wait if you go as there really is not a lot of seating, or you might go right as they open if you don’t have time to wait. The hours are limited and I don’t believe they are going to be open during the summer break, so you may want to check-​in before trekking over to the campus.

What a hidden gem. This place is run and staffed by students of the Laney Community College. The food was great and service was very earnest. You could tell that these guys were proud of their work and really wanted you to have a great meal.
Specials change almost every day, I’m told and they are known for their deserts. The Bostini Cream Pie that I had was fantastic. The only caveat is that they are only open from 12pm-​1pm Tues-​Fri so you need to get their on time in order to catch their operating hours.
Definitely check this place out. Prices are super cheap for what you get and it benefits the students of the school, all of whom were very sweet.

Amazing! Great food and prices and service! It’s student-​run and benefits the culinary program at Laney. Yay for full-​circle!

Laney Bistro is a treasure! The location is first-​rate as is the ambiance. I felt as if I were in a gourmet restaurant. Service IS a bit tentative but these students do aim to please! …and the prices! We are really only paying for the food. We went as a large group (9 people) so I’d recommend going as a group of four or less. One of our group thought that her lamb was not cooked enough so she sent it back and no problem. (Lamb IS tricky…) Another of our group thought that her burger was TOO well done but I was told later that new state laws do not allow burgers to be cooked less rare than medium (for health concerns).
Vegetables (except for potatoes and onions) are grown in a kitchen garden maintained by the students. Those baby carrots were perfection! Desserts are heavenly. Our group does not usually order dessert and all but one of us did so. I can hardly wait to go back. They have instituted a frequent diner card. Buy 4 and get the fifth entrée for free! My only negative comment is that they will be closing for the summer on May 13. Look out September!

A big and wonderful surprise. I have always been less than satisfied with cooking school diners. For everything they get right, they get three or four things wrong, often dreadfully so. Laney’s bistro is an exception. My partner and I had four dishes. The first, a hanger beef, cooked in an Asian marinated, was both deeply flavored and well textured. Although the supporting soba wasn’t «Japanese chef’ perfect, it was good enough to balance the high protein profile of the meat. The other dish was a large and perfectly cooked fish fillet, with a lovely gold crust. The polenta served with it was only slightly overcooked but creamy and utterly delicious. The desserts, only $ 2.50 apiece, were exquisite and visually stunning. My Napoleon looked like a austere modernist construction but with full, rich, old fashion flavors. Except for the service, which is sweet and earnest but a little tentative, the restaurant is one of the best in Oakland as well as one of the best, if no the best, deal. Note: I am not sure but I think they only serve lunch