Oculto - Castro Valley

After waiting for over 40 minutes without receiving any food, we noticed that a new group had arrived and were greeted warmly by the bartender, who immediately served them their meals. It turned out that our order for the small plates hadn’t even made it to the kitchen because the ordering system had broken down. After sitting there for an hour with no food, we were assured that the small plates would be out quickly, so we decided to wait. Eventually, we received the small plates we had ordered, but we watched as the group who had arrived at least 30 minutes after us—and who seemed familiar with the bartender—received the chicken dish we had originally ordered. Essentially, they got the meal we were waiting for, and we had to wait even longer for ours. Overall, this was probably the worst dining experience I've ever had, and I was very disappointed. While the chicken was delicious, and the potatoes and cocktails were also good, it wasn’t enough to make me or anyone in my group want to return.

We shared the chilaquiles topped with beef cheek and steak. The thick chips held up beautifully under the vibrant toppings, and the beef cheek was incredibly tender. The steak was cooked to a perfect medium-rare without us even needing to specify our temperature preference, and it was quite substantial! It came with fingerling potatoes, that were well-prepared, as well as two eggs that were cooked perfectly in advance. We're excited to return and try the French toast, huevos rancheros, Oaxacan breakfast hash, and especially the eggs Benedict!

We have visited Oculto many times and have always enjoyed their food, service, and atmosphere. However, during our last couple of visits, there was a large private party, and we experienced quite a long wait for drinks (around 20 minutes), for our meals to begin (15-30 minutes), and for our main courses to be served (40-45 minutes). I understand that dining may take longer than usual with a large group in attendance.

Everything was delicious. we will definitely be back in the new year.

We always love the food. That day there was a large private party a sweet but I experienced waiter we felt forgotten several times. Had to request our main about 20 minutes after finishing our small plates. Had Togo to the desk to request dessert. Had to request check. We’ll still go back