Is it December already?! The holidays are crazy enough without having to worry about cooking an amazing meal for everyone. You deserve a break! How about ordering a fabulous feast from one of our local East Bay restaurants? Â Check out this list of Bay Area caterers and restaurants that provide Christmas dinners (including tamales and Dungeness Crab!) and desserts for pick-up or local delivery. If not otherwise specified, meals are COOKED.
Thank you to Claremont Resort & Club for sponsoring today’s guide to delicious holiday meals at home.Â
Spotlight on Christmas Dinner to Go by Claremont Resort & Club
Claremont Resort & Club offers a Prime Rib with Herb Crust or Bourbon Glazed Ham as a meal for two or the whole family for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Pick up your delicious Christmas meal at the lower-level Carriage Entrance of Claremont Resort & Club. The Claremont offers a full holiday carry-out option for either 2-4 people or 6-8 people. Scale up by adding more delicious side dishes a la carte.
The holiday menu: Choose slow-roasted prime rib with herb crust or bourbon-glazed ham, butternut squash soup with apples and chorizo, Napa cabernet jus, Yukon gold mashed potatoes, classic mac and cheese, Parker House rolls with flaked sea salt butter, and honey-roasted winter vegetables. Enjoy mouth-watering chocolate croissant bread pudding with spiced chocolate sauce for dessert.
Place your order by noon on Tuesday December 23rd for pick-up from 10 am – 2 pm on Wednesday, December 24th or Thursday, December 25th inside East Bay Provisions at the Carriage Entrance of the hotel.
Order here >>
These Oakland area restaurants, caterers, and food shops prepare and cook Christmas food for you – you serve at home.
Berkeley Bowl (Berkeley pick-up)
From turkey to ham, rib roast to vegan roast, Berkeley Bowl will set you up for success this holiday season. Order an expertly trimmed four-rib roast smoked over a wood fire and slow-cooked sous-vide for a tender roast full of flavor. Simply reheat it in the oven and it’s ready to serve and enjoy in under one hour. Order your sides and pick up your weekly groceries while you’re at it. Pre-order now. Website to order >>
Brenda’s (Oakland Pick-up)
French soul food for a fancy take on the holidays. Brenda is offering a holiday Ham Dinner Kit (Serves 6) with all the fixins. Note that Ham and sides require some cooking at home. Add on pumpkin bread pudding for dessert, plus extra sides at checkout! Add hot spiced wine or cider to fill your kitchen with holiday aromas. Need a meat thermometer? They’ve got you covered. Add one on when ordering. Pickup at Brenda’s in Oakland. Website to pre-order >>
The Butcher’s Son (Berkeley pick-up)
If you’re vegan or have some in your family, you probably already know about the fantastic options at The Butcher’s Son in Berkeley. Order an entire vegan feast, or a la carte. Pre-order for your holiday feast early to make sure all your vegan family members are taken care of. Website for menu and ordering >>
Claremont Resort & Club (Berkeley pick-up)
Order a holiday prime rib or ham. Pick up your delicious Christmas Eve or Christmas meal at this beautiful local resort. Place your order by noon on Tuesday December 23rd for pick-up from 10 am – 2 pm on Wednesday, December 24 or Thursday, December 25 and pick up inside East Bay Provisions at the Carriage Entrance of the hotel.
Order here >>
Good Eggs (Delivers to Bay Area)
Good Eggs makes a beautiful Holiday spread as customized — and as cooked — as you like. Don’t forget to check out their cocktail kits too, including the Hot Apple Cider kit for the kiddos. They’ll deliver to your door any day you choose. Website to begin >>
Jessie & Laurent (Bay Area delivery)
Jessie & Laurent, a Bay Area gourmet food-delivery service, has several different options for your holiday table: a traditional meal with all the fixings that serve 4-10 people, a la carte options for those who want to do some of their own cooking, and some non-traditional menu items as well as dessert. They have limited supplies, so people should order ASAP. Holiday offerings on website >>
Luke’s Local (San Francisco with delivery to East Bay)
Luke’s Local in San Francisco prepares the sides and roasts, but you can also choose to roast your turkey at home. Create a custom order. Website >
Piedmont Grocery (Piedmont pick-up)
Order a pre-cooked family feast for 4-12 people, or order a la carte with a roasted turkey, ham, or salmon (also available uncooked). Call (510) 653-8181 to order. Find their menu here >>
Plenty (Oakland pick-up)
Reader Sara highly recommends Plenty in Oakland. “We order every Christmas! It’s delicious and healthy. Last year we got Pomegranate Quinoa Salad, Golden Mashed Potatoes, Twice-Cooked Brussels Sprouts, Dry Roasted Baby Carrots, Shrimp Mac and Cheese, and Gindara. Jack also offered Salt-Encrusted Prime Rib, Herb-crusted Rack of Lamb, Glazed Spiral Ham, Cornish Game Hen for mains and other starters (e.g., French Onion Soup and Creamed Spinach).
And the re-heating process is much faster than for Whole Foods. We highly recommend!” Check out the menu here>
Rockridge Market Hall (Oakland pick-up)
Market Hall Foods offers Christmas main dishes and sides with a la carte pricing. Items are available for parking lot pickup and come with reheating instructions. This is a popular one folks, so grab your pickup time slot sooner rather than later! Order on website >
Village Market (Oakland pick-up)
Order your holiday dinner at Village Market, to serve 8-10 people. Choose from turkey, ham, salmon, stuffed pork roast, or rib roast (they also have cooked Dungeness Crab when the season permits), and then add all the sides and pie. Call (510) 547-3200 to discuss and place your order, or talk with the folks in the meat department when you’re next at the store. Website >>
Whole Foods (Multiple)
Whole Foods offers special holiday menus including appetizers, entrées, sides, and desserts for an easy catering option. Easily order online, or in-store during your next grocery run. Website >>
Christmas Tamales in the East Bay
For many Mexican-American and California families, Christmastime means tamale time. If you have a neighborhood favorite, try them. These places allow direct ordering.
Alicia’s Tamales Los Mayas (Hayward pick-up)
ATLM makes tamales of many kinds (carnitas, queso, vegan, turkey, pollito, beef, mole poblano, pumpkin mole, black bean, and more!) including mini sizes individually or in catering quantities. Website >>
Cactus Taqueria (Berkeley pick-up)
This family-friendly taqueria offers tamales by the dozen for $30-$36 through their catering menu. Add on sides and chips and you have a real party! Website >>
Comal (Berkeley pick-up)
Comal often offers six-pack bags of tamales for the holidays. Check their website as we get closer to Christmas (they can sell out quickly, so check early and often if you have your heart set!). Check their website >>
La Guerrera’s Kitchen (Oakland pick-up)
La Guerrera’s usually sells Holiday tamales in limited quantities, and they ALWAYS sell out FAST. They ask that you please pre-order ASAP! You can order tamales all month of December, but you’ll need to order four days in advance. Last day to place your order: Saturday, December 20. Pick-up for Christmas Eve: Wednesday, December 24 from 11 am – 2 pm. They will be closed Thursday, December 25. Website to pre-order >>
Picante (Berkeley pick-up)
Holiday tamales are usually sold by the half dozen with sides available, too. Choose from butternut squash, rajas con queso, chicken verde, norteños, or chicken mole. Drive-through pick-up is available. Website to order >>
Dungeness Crab for Christmas
The local Bay Area tradition of having Dungeness Crab on your Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner table has been in doubt in recent years. The postponement of crabbing season again this year was a bummer for Thanksgiving, but you may yet be able to find this local delicacy for your holiday table! Non-commercial fishermen are now able to fish for Dungeness Crab, and thus some local restaurants and grocery stores are now seeing them trickle in. You may also be able to buy directly from the fishermen at Fisherman’s Wharf, which is new as of a few years ago (grab some crab and ride the cable cars!). Berkeley Bowl, Whole Foods, Tokyo Fish Market, and other local grocers also offer whole crab, fresh or cooked, once the season officially opens, so keep your eye out.
alaMar (Oakland pick-up and delivery)
Order alaMar’s seafood feast, but do it soon as they have extremely limited availability. Make your own crab boil by customizing your sauce, your desired spice level, and throw in corn, sausage, or potatoes. Order online and check their website >>
Chef Smelly (Oakland pick-up)
This cult-status local chef is offering Dungeness crab platters along with his famous garlic noodles at 2430 Broadway, Uptown Oakland. Check his Instagram and order through Uber Eats.
China Village (Albany pick-up and delivery)
When Dungeness Crab season begins, China Village offers it in their special dish, mapo tofu prepared with an entire wok-fried Dungeness crab instead of the usual ground pork. Call ahead to make sure they have it though. Website >>
Monterey Fish Market (Berkeley pick-up)
This neighborhood fish market offers cooked Dungeness Crab averaging 1.50-1.66lb. each crab, once available. Make sure to ask them to clean it for you in the notes of your order. Call ahead to make sure they have them though! Website >>
Seabreeze on the Dock (Oakland pick-up and delivery)
Order a whole Dungeness Crab as a seafood boil with garlic butter or Cajun seasoning and extras like corn and sausage. Website >>
Just Desserts — Christmas Pies, Logs, Cakes (and ice cream!)
Bakesale Betty (Temescal in Oakland)
A local favorite, Bakesale Betty often offers some special pies around Thanksgiving and Christmas. Check her website as we get closer to the December holidays to see if they’ll be offering Christmas pies (fingers crossed!). Website >>
Cheeseboard Collective (Berkeley pick-up)
Traditionally Berkeley’s famous Cheeseboard Collective offers a special pie the week of Christmas, available for pick up. Check their website for more info >
Chocolaterie (Berkeley pick-up)
Nothing says sophistication like a beautiful platter of artisan chocolates for dessert. Pick up a collection of seasonal flavors to wow your out-of-town relatives to serve along with a port or sweet wine (or hot cocoa for the kiddos!) for a memorable holiday dessert. Website >
Cupcakin’ Bake Shop (Oakland pick-up)
I vote for cupcakes for dessert. Start a new holiday tradition with a mixed dozen with flavors like chocolate peppermint, gluten-free cranberry, and red velvet. Easy to order, eat, and clean up! Website >>
Curbside Creamery (Oakland pick-up)
If you’re looking to satisfy a vegan sweet tooth, try Curbside Creamery’s apple, pecan, or pumpkin pie (gluten-free crusts also available), and add on a pint of vegan ice cream to top off your holiday feast. You could go rogue and order a bunch of their ice cream sandwiches for easy individual servings without any fighting over the last piece of pie. Pre-order online >>
Fatapples (Berkeley, El Cerrito pick-up)
Pre-order your pumpkin or olallieberry pie for pick-up this holiday season. Order here >>
Green House Bakery (Oakland Pick-up)
A tiny bakery that operates like a pop up. They offer pre ordered pastry boxes on the first and fourth Thursday of every month, and they have a first come first served bake sale on the second Saturday. Cake requests are considered on a bi monthly basis and the menu and availability are updated on or around the 15th of every other month. They’ll also have holiday offerings in December. Check their Insta for some beautiful pics and then order here>
Hopkins Street Bakery (Berkeley pick-up)
This local family bakery makes the Hopkins Street shopping district smell simply divine. Stop in to pick up your holiday pie or cake, or call to place a special order at (510) 526-8188. Website >>
Lavender Bakery & Cafe (Berkeley pick-up)
Pre-order your apple, pecan, or pumpkin pie for the holiday, or special order something different for the occasion (they have quite a collection of custom order options). Order online for pick-up or delivery. Website >>
Mariposa Baking (Temescal in Oakland pick-up and mail order)
100% Gluten-Free Bakery! Order your pies or the very best gluten-free rolls and bread at Mariposa. They also have gluten-free bread cubes available for your stuffing! You can even order some gluten-free treats for mail-order if you have far-away cousins as a tasty holiday treat. Winter Holiday Menu >>
Masse’s Pastries (Berkeley pick-up)
Masse’s famous pumpkin pie sells out quickly! Or try a traditional Buche de Noel. Place orders early, starting in early December. Menu and order form on their website >>
Mr. Dewie’s Cashew Creamery (Albany, Emeryville, Oakland pick-up)
For those vegan friends and family, why not pick up some ice cream sandwiches or bonbons from Mr. Dewie’s and forget about the pie altogether? Three locations in the east bay and lots of fun flavors. Website >>
Tarts de Feybesse (Oakland pick-up)
If you’re looking for the fanciest of fancy, maybe even a perfectly executed Croquembouche to serve 20 of your closest fancy friends, this new French bakery is for you. Order here>
Whisk Cake Creations (Alameda pick-up and delivery)
Delicious and beautiful seasonal cakes, like Macapuno, chocolate peppermint, and a Buche de Noel. Pre-order for pick-up or limited delivery. Website to order >>
Thank you to Claremont Resort & Club for sponsoring today’s guide to delicious holiday meals at home.Â
