We were going to eat at Lion Dance, which is 2 doors down but it was packed so we came here -- what a treat! Aburaya is super casual but the food is probably some of the best Japanese izakaya style I've had. The chicken was crisp and juicy and extremely flavorful. The portions were ginormous and we had so many leftovers. This is a counter service restaurant. I do think it would be nice if they could keep the cleanliness maintained through dinner service -- I saw trashed napkins and other stuff in the corners by out table.

I've gone to Aburaya a couple times already and you cannot go wrong with their food! The establishment is smaller with limited seating and can get pretty busy during rush hours, but we went around 4pm and were the only diners. The restaurant itself has a very cozy atmosphere and is decorated with both Japanese and Oakland memorabilia. This time, we ordered the shichimi 4-pc meal to share. The chicken was fried to perfection and had a wonderful flavor and coating. You didn't need the sauce to truly enjoy the flavor of it! It was nicely paired with a salad and rice to offset the heavy nature of the fried chicken. I definitely recommend coming here and trying their fried chicken!

Aburaya is a solid 4 stars restaurant. They're 5 stars if you are lucky enough to catch them thru the discount TGTG end-of-day save-the-food app. I was pleasantly surprised to see their availability on TGTG for the first time ( first time for me ) last nigh. I snatched a chicken meal for just $6. The fried chicken was done just right. Crunchy on the outside, juicy and tender inside. The steamed rice went well with the chicken. It was very satisfying.

Came by after seeing this on Instagram reels, what a hit. Very causal and simple place but the chicken is fried perfectly. No bone and they are big pieces. We got the $20 eight piece with all the included sides (rice, cabbage, and some greens). Super juicy and the flavors were great! We got half and half garlic dry rub and Japanese bbq! 10/10 would try again.

Awesome fried chicken here that I stumbled upon in Oakland. The dishes are eye catching; we sat outside and people walking by and would do a double take on our food. The chicken flavors are a hit on any of the sauces. My favorite was their orange garlic aioli. It was rich and tangy and very unique. I never tasted anything like that. The tater tots are also great; I would recommend getting these as a side to share amongst a couple or a few people. I hope that in the future they try to do bone in chicken instead of the boneless. The thighs we got were a little dry.

A unique Japanese Fries Chicken specialty restaurant located in uptown Oakland near 19th BART. Upon entering the restaurant, the entrance area is a relatively wide, open space. The walls are lined with store merchandise and tons of Japanese sake, American beers (cans & bottles), and bottles of the restaurant's sauces; all for sale. The ambiance is a homey feeling with the warm lighting and tons of decor that gives Aburaya its identity. This place also has some fun elements; for example on Wednesdays you can play Rock, Paper, Scissors against the cashier and if you win, they give you a free drink or side ($7-$10 value). They have one cashier at the front. In my experience the line can move quickly. I have ordered a few times from here including a rice bowl with 4 pieces chicken, their "Oyako Sando", and skirt steak rice bowl. The chicken rice bowl didn't come with quite enough sauce so admittedly I think it could have been better since the sauce was most of the flavor. The Oyako Sando however was very flavorful as it was fried chicken and egg salad doused in sauce (I subbed the spicy sauce for their orange aioli) in between two pieces of Texas toast garlic bread. I was very satisfied with that order and definitely plan to get it again. One of the major downsides of this place is that it doesn't have enough seating. There is some seating in the entrance area but it's sparse and the tables are very close together and cramped. There is actually a separate room just for seating/ dining, but there are only about 7 tables. There are maybe 3 high top tables outside as well. Don't be surprised if you go here and have nowhere to sit! I have had to take my food to-go before because of lack of seating. Overall, this place is definitely worth the visit for a different take on fried chicken. Prices are very cheap for what you get, and the food is flavorful. It's a fun spot to drop into but depending on time of day, you may not be lucky enough to eat in house.

The place is very nice and clean and very interesting. Customer service was great the chicken was good but i could have used more seasoning but it was moist and light tasting and the cauliflower could have been fried more tasted a bit more steamed to me than fried. The bathroom was clean but watch out for the skeleton when you walk in ..

I've wanted to try this place for so long. I met the owner the other night while walking my dog and he was so nice, so I made a point of coming in the first chance I got. All the employees I made contact with were kind, and knowledgeable about the food. Seemed pretty happy with their own menu. They have some stuff you can buy there also. Soaps and hand creams, sake, beers, things of that nature. There is indoor seating "next door" it's quiet considering where you order is lively, with music and what not. The food comes out pretty fast. The portions are good. The food is super flavorful and delicious. I ordered 2 items, since I hadn't eaten all day. There are more I want to try since I'll definitely be returning.