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 The Claremont Club & Spa; A Fairmont Hotel for sponsoring today’s guide to delicious holiday meals at home.Â
Spotlight on Christmas Dinner to Go by Claremont Club & Spa; A Fairmont Hotel
Claremont Hotel offers a holiday prime rib meal for two or the whole family for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. Pick up your delicious Christmas meal at the Carriage Entrance of the Claremont Club & Spa. The Claremont (through their catering arm, East Bay Provisions) is offering 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: slow-roasted prime rib with herb crust and Napa cabernet jus; butternut squash soup with apples & bacon; buttermilk mashed potatoes; truffle mac & cheese with cypress grove Truffle tremor cheese; and honey & fennel winter roasted vegetables. Enjoy mouth-watering chocolate hazelnut cake for dessert.
Place your order by noon on Friday, December 22 for pick-up on Sunday, December 24 or Monday, December 25. Save 10% with promo code 510Familes when you order. Order here >>
These Oakland area restaurants, caterers, and food shops do the Christmas preparing and cooking for you – you do the serving 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 available 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 fixin’s. 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, Friday, December 22. 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 Club & Spa (Berkeley pick-up)
Order a holiday prime rib meal for two or for the whole family. Pick up your delicious Christmas meal at the Carriage Entrance of the Claremont Club & Spa. The Claremont is offering a full holiday carry-out option for either 2-4 people or 6-8 people with loads of delicious sides.
Place your order by noon on Friday, December 22 for pick-up on Sunday, December 24 or Monday, December 25. Save 10% with promo code 510Familes when you order. Order here >>
Good Eggs (Delivers to Bay Area)
Good Eggs makes a beautiful Christmas 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 >>
Pomella (Oakland pick-up or delivery)
Pomella offers California-Israeli-inspired holiday meals that feed a family of four. Check their online store for updated menus, ordering, and pick-up/delivery options. Website >>
Rockridge Market Hall or Market Hall on 4th (Oakland, Berkeley 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! Oakland website > Berkeley website >>
Rocky’s Market (Oakland Pick-up)
Rocky’s Market at Brooklyn Basin often offers Turkey, Duck or Cornish Game Hens for your main platter. Pre-orders begin November 1 this year, so be sure to check the website to order >
Table Catering (Berkeley pick-up or East Bay delivery)
Table Catering prepares scratch ready-to-heat meals including some specialties for Christmas. Nourishing holiday dishes, meal donations and home delivery Thursday, December 21 or Friday, December 22. Menu >>
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 two days in advance. Last day to pre-order for Christmas is Thursday 12/21/23 by 8 pm. Last day for pick up before Christmas 12/23/23 5 pm. 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 for 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! Officials will make an announcement on December 16. Also, non-commercial fishermen and those north of Sonoma 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. Website >>
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. Menu and website >>
Just Desserts — Christmas Pies, Logs, Cakes (and ice cream!)
Baby Bean Pie (Oakland pick-up and delivery)
Holiday orders of these delicious (secretly nutritious) navy baby bean pies must be placed in advance for pick up. Vegan option. Delivery is available in some East Bay locations. Pre-order here >>
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 she’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 >>
Edith’s Pie (Oakland pick-up)
Apple and pumpkin pies are options at Edith’s Pie, but the Chocolate Hazelnut and Vegan Cranberry pies sound amazing. Pies are available for pick-up in Oakland. Keep up to date on their latest pop-ups and flavors on their Instagram and then order here >>
Fatapples (Berkeley, El Cerrito pick-up)
Pre-order your pumpkin or olallieberry pie for pick-up this holiday season. 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 >>
Mamie & Makhi’s (Berkeley pick-up)
A Black-owned business that lets you do part of it yourself. Chef, Lois Porter, makes a delicious pour-and-bake batter that is a hit at my family’s Holiday meal every year. Look for it at Berkeley Bowl West in the frozen foods aisle.
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 December 13. 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 >>
Uhuru Pies (Oakland pick-up)
A Black-owned business that sells pies to help build and empower African people. The traditional sweet potato and pumpkin pies are great options, while the Double Fudge Walnut Brownie sounds unreal. Order online here >>Â
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 >>
More about our Sponsor, The Claremont
Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel is a California landmark where history and iconic sophistication have complimented one another for more than a century on the hills of Berkeley and Oakland, two cities full of character and vitality. “The White Castle on the Hill” is your urban resort, uniquely positioned to offer the very best of the Bay Area.
The Claremont provides luxurious activities and services for its guests amid 22 acres of beautifully landscaped grounds. They offer tennis, swimming, fitness classes, Pilates, and hiking at nearby Claremont Canyon Regional Preserve, as well as indulgent and relaxing treatments in the renowned Fairmont Spa. Claremont Club & Spa offers all the amenities you’d expect from an award-winning California resort.
Thank you to Claremont Club & Spa for sponsoring today’s guide to delicious holiday meals at home.Â
xxx
