Alameda, CA
Best of Alameda According to Wade and Emily
Breakfast:
Neptune's on Central. Great for breakfast burritos. Takeout only. Take the Wade and Emily route and grab a couple of burritos, head down to the Naval Base, and enjoy them in your car with a view of the bay.
Cafe Jolie on Webster. Great spot for dining in, but only if you get there early enough. It gets crowded quickly.
Lunch:
Scolari's of Diners Drive Ins and Dives fame. Great for burgers and fries. They have a location on Park next to one of our favorite bars (mentioned later), and they also have a food truck stationed at Almanac if you'd prefer to get a pre-taste of our reception venue.
Cholita Linda on Park. They serve Latin inspired food, and it's delicious and surprisingly affordable. Wade loves the Cubano, and Emily loves the tofu tacos. Insider fact: Cholita Linda in Oakland was the first place Emily ate in front of Wade when they first started dating, she was too nervous before that. Now she just goes crazy.
Dinner:
Dragon Rouge near the Park St. Bridge. They serve Vietnamese and have a great view of the estuary separating Alameda and Oakland. Dragon Rouge is a staple in Wade, Emily, and their friends' diets. Our favorites are the spicy garlic noodles, the tofu fresh rolls, and the curry dip sandwich.
Marley G's Pizza on Park. Solid, delicious, fancier pizza. We all know Wade's a pep guy, and Emily's always going for mushrooms, garlic, and onions (since Wade would leave her for getting her true favorite, pineapple).
Honorable food mentions:
VJ's on Marina Village Pkwy. Not really that good, super overpriced, but we did watch the Warriors win the Finals here, so it's special to our hearts.
Coffee:
Signal. Two locations, but the preferred location is on Webster. This is Emily's favorite, and her preferred place to work outside of home. They have a very nice back patio area, and their coffee is solid. Very pricy, though.
Lazy Bird on Central. This place is closest to their house, and has tons of food and pastries. It's always jam packed, but the coffee is great. Wade and Emily's signature order that is always a pain in the ass to say is an iced vanilla latte with oatmilk and an extra shot of espresso. Also quite expensive.
Starbucks. Let's be real here, Wade and Emily are no snobs and love convenience. Wade's always getting the Vanilla Sweet Cream Cold Brew, and Emily's going for a cold brew with oatmilk. Sneaky tip: make a breakfast bagel out of egg bites and a bagel... life changing.
Adult Bevvies:
The Benton. It's on... Benton. Great, small, old school bar, bartended by wonderful people. The Emily and Wade classic combo at any bar: shot and a beer. Cheers to the Cryer Gautreauxs!
Lucky 13 on Park. The first bar Wade and Emily went to in Alameda, and the bar beneath the tattoo shop where Emily got one of her first tattoos. Alameda classic, you really shouldn't skip this place.
Forbidden Island on Lincoln. Another absolute Alameda classic. Tiki themed bar with a great back patio, and drinks actually worth the hefty price. If you want the most drunken bang for buck, get the Rum Barrel and they'll roll you out of there after just one.
Hotels and Airbnbs
Hotels in Alameda and Downtown Oakland
This hotel is closest to our venue, with prices starting at $199.
Just through the Webster Tunnel, this hotel has rates from $160 a night.
Very close to the Oakland Marriott City Center, this hotel has slightly lower rates starting around $150 a night.
This hotel is a bit farther out, but is a very fun stay and has a bit lower rates than all of the above listed hotels, starting around $140 a night.
Airbnbs
Alameda is a very small city, hence the lack of hotel listings actually on the island. There are, however, lots of airbnbs to choose from on the island, or very close nearby off of the Island. Feel free to search the airbnb listings to see if there's something that suits you better than the above listed hotels!