MUA

MUA was a delightful surprise discovered through Open Table. It has a wonderfully artsy ambiance in a re-imagined industrial building! What a wonder and the food is equally surprising in taste, texture and creative presentation. Love the "small plates" that aren't really small, enough to share. So enjoyed the crab cakes, garlic crusted shrimp, artichokes with tarragon hollandaise, grilled mushroom veggies with balsamic glaze.... and do end with the bread pudding with raspberries or/and pineapple upside down delight! Definitely, a place to return but on a week night. I can tell it could be quite noisy on a weekend. And our waiter was absolutely fabulous, attentive, helpful, fun and honored our pace to dine and chat!

Super fun spot to take friends. Sat upstairs for the first time. Food was great, service good but a little slow-perhaps because we were upstairs? Love the extensive cocktail list and your vegetarian dish. I'll be back!

Mac and cheese , grilled artichoke, Brussels sprouts and lamb tangine. These are musts. Cocktails are delicious and service is fast and friendly

we've been to MUA 4 times and will continue to dine there. the food is consistently delish. the noise level is consistent as well! Our waiter wasn't an A+ dinner house waiter. In fact, he wasn't on the ball at all. No matter what we've ordered at MUA, we've never been disappointed

Had a great time at MUA. The place was packed bottom to top. They have three or four bars within the restaurant . They have an outdoor area in front which would have been nice since it was a glorious evening. Having reservations through OpenTable was great since there would have been a long wait otherwise. We sat upstairs in a section that overlooks the front of the restaurant and Lauren was our server. It gets loud but it's nice energy. Lauren was an excellent server and always had a smile . The food was delicious. The Brussels sprouts, smoked trout salad, quinoa salad, chicken wings, tomato soup with grilled cheese, ....it was all good. Small plates are so nice since there's a good variety of flavors. And the drinks were very good with a nice selection of wines and beers. There's a list of mixed drinks as well.

Nice. Wish that food was available everywhere all the time. Polenta and Prawns! Yum

Fantastic ambience and Food! 👍

Excellent food an service!

the ambiance was great, the food was great but when they cranked up the music in the kitchen below you couldn't even hear yourself think let alone what anyone else in the group was saying. Not sure why that music kept getting turned on or why it was turned on so loud!

We were wanted to connect with our friends and it was just too loud. Our favorite food was the grilled romaine- super yummy. Service was good. Environment is creative and energetic. Wish there was a way to tamp the noise a bit as it was distracting.

I took my Assistant to Mua for her 30th birthday lunch. She loved everything about it. We ordered and shared fried calamari (perfect). We then shared an amazing salad with watercress, endive, smoked trout and oranges with a light dressing (yum). We then shared a half pound hamburger with avocado (again, perfect). She also had a non-alcoholic ginger/mint soda that she said a very good. We were too stuffed to get dessert so they brought her a liquor glass filled with jelly beans and a lit birthday candle. Very nice! All in all a fantastic time was had by all.

We had a great dining experience.

Yummy food, great waiter and the vibe is epic

Food always consistent and very good. This time service was not very good, group tried to be nice to the server and we all said thank you several times but never received thankfulness from her. Seemed like she was overwhelmed and did not know how to cover it up this Saturday night. Will make sure that we don't sit in her section again. Our normal experience is always positive and pleasant so I was quite thrown off tonight.

Food rocked...Fried chicken, moist & flavorful. Great ambiance, and best of all, less than $100 for two, with two entrees, two apps, a side & two drinks!

I enjoy introducing friends to Mua's eclectic atmosphere. The staff, the DJ and decor makes this an offbeat spot. It feels like a combo of Oakland, Berkeley and SF. The small plates are wonderful and allow you to share with friends. I suggest the friend chicken or po' boy sandwich.
Unfortunately parking is a beast... make reservations and get there early to find parking. Lastly, although staff is quite friendly, service is hella slow so be ready to chill and enjoy the time out with friends and family.

Always get the same dishes, love their selection of beers, enjoy people watching, food always terrific

The food was pretty good and ambiance was nice. Service was slow (our order was lost, server was not super responsive) and a little prickly. Salmon was way too salty. Seating is a little too crammed together -- I had to keep scooching to let people behind me by. Also our car got broken in to -- Mua very clearly warned us tho! Not their fault, but it a total bummer. Kinda stressful altogether. I can tell the place has potential and we had bad luck so I'd be willing to try again.

The food is beyond tasty. I really loved it. Excellent flavor. Very loud place though and communal tables (not all but several are). If you are not prepared for that it can be a little awkward. Otherwise, ask to be seated upstairs.

We had 7 of us to celebrate birthdays! Yes the noise level is loud; however, it is very energetic and fits with the expectation. Not the place for a quiet romantic dinner. Go there to have a great meal and have fun. Our waiter was very attentive and patient. I have an allergy and he was extremely cautious with me (which I needed) so I fully trusted. I had the duck; amazing. Everyone loved their food and don't miss the desserts. Would definitely go again.

Great for foodies. Good small bites to share and wonderful designer cocktails. Go on the early side or early in the week it is quieter than later in the evening or week. Waiter was spot on with engaging personality, info about food and attentiveness. We will be back!

Had a reservation but could not be seated until everyone in our party had arrived, so we waited outside for a long time. It was very noisy. The wait staff were friendly but very busy. The food was good, but overpriced.

Good food and great service! Very large alcohol selection. Worth a trip to Oakland for this trendy eatery.

While I've always been a fan of MUA and live taking out-of-town guests there, I think the should either just stick to appetizers and desserts or start stepping up their quality on entrees.

This is like my go to spot when I have friends visiting the food is always on point and the service is fast, friendly and patient! People even bring kiddos in! Good for groups and families!

Food was excellent, and service was quick, especially given how busy the place was. Very annoying that they won't seat you until everyone in the party is there, which makes for quite a crowd standing in the aisle in the way of servers going back and forth. The place is so loud, though that it is almost impossible to hear people at your own table speak, unless you shout to each other. Seriously, that was such an issue that it definitely detracted from the meal.

Great weeknight dinner with friends! Their drink list and beer list were exceptional. We are definitely coming back for more.

My only disappointment was that I mentioned it was for a birthday and there was no acknowledgement of the occasion. On our way out I saw other patrons celebrating a birthday and so that part I was not happy with.

Good ecclectic and creative menu. Service was very good, too, although our server was a little anxious to take plates & drink glasses that were not quite finished. I'm sure they were trying to turn the tables on a busy night, but it was a good thing I was paying attention. Would definitely return, and have already recommended it.

Love the place. Great cocktails, good music, and I loved the interior. Oh yeah, and the food is outrageously good.

Love this place
Never disappointed 🙌🏼

Edgy, artful scene both in the room and on your plate! Crowd skews young and hip. Extensive menu with something for everyone. The crab po' boy with tempura crab is always excellent, as are the mussels. I keep getting those two things, but finally branched out this last visit when with vegetarian friends and the grilled romaine was excellent, as was the tofu and brussel sprouts.

Love Mua, as always! Never disappoints. Great service, great food and drinks.

Brought a few friends from out of town, we all had a great meal! Lots of fun, unique menu items!

I was born in Oakland and love to find something that Oakland can be proud of. MUA is it. I've been there about 7 times and have never been disappointed. It's hip and a bit artsy and trendy, but not too much. It has a nice vibe which is very comfortable. The music choices and level are all very conducive for a great time. The drinks are all good. I had a Iron Maiden "Trooper" which was awesome. Never had it before and, apparently, hard to find. The drinks that use Ginger beer use Bundaberg Ginger beer. If you know what I'm talking about, I won't have to explain. The "Stormy Oaktown" cocktail is a Dark and Stormy with a Canton (Ginger Liquor) boost is my go-to. Gotta have the Mussels, but everything I've had is great. Carpaccio = awesome. Ahi tuna rolls = awesome. Brown Butter Brussel Sprouts = awesome. Calamari = awesome. Grilled Romaine heart Caeser = awesome. Have to cap it off with a 20 year Tawny Port. Yum.

Our party had a variety of small plates as well as a few entrees; i had the fried chicken dinner for the second time in a row here-- Yum! It all was delicious.
Of course, Mua gets extremely noisy. We had asked for a 'quiet' corner, but understood ....

Nice atmosphere but that's about it. Very loud. Drinks are not consistent. Same with food. Outdated. But I like coming here for some reason. I guess I like the space. It's probably hard cooking above average food for that many people that swarm the place. They probably see no need for improvement since people keep coming there. So don't expect too much. Better just to enjoy the company you are with if you can hear what they have to say.

From Seattle but come to Oakland monthly and always make 1 meal at Mua. Food is always great and fun ambiance. Only comment is I have always eaten downstairs and this last time ate upstairs. Different vibe. I will know to request downstairs in the future but nice to know there are two different vibe locations at the same restaurant.

Always recommend Mua to friends.

Went to celebrate our teen son's birthday. We really enjoyed it! It was not as noisy as we were expecting (thankfully). The food was delicious and our server was wonderful. It felt hip, energetic and friendly. We will return!

Great food as always with great music