LocoL Opens in Oakland With Cheeseburgs and Chicken Nugs for All

The second location of LocoL, the game-changing fast food operation from chefs Daniel Patterson and Roy Choi, is now open in Uptown Oakland. The first location opened four months ago in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles, a desperately underserved community that has benefitted drastically from the addition of jobs, job training, and a healthy dining option.

The low-cost, healthier alternative to typical quick service restaurants takes over a space once occupied by Patterson's Plum, and is adjacent to still-open Plum Bar. The remodel for LocoL features an open kitchen; seating is composed of wooden cubes that are meant to be moved around and reconfigured to fit diners' groups. The walls are emblazoned with LocoL's signature cartoon figures, including a giant noodleman.

Oakland's menu is the same as the Watts location, though it runs a $1 more in the Bay Area (which should surprise no one, given the cost of doing business here). Still, all items fall within the "how do they do this?" range of $2-$7, offering hearty, flavorful options like "cheeseburgs," chili bowls, chicken nugs and a variety of "brekkie" items. There's even a green juice for $3, which defies everything the world has ever known about green juices (typically $8-10 at high-end juice shops). $2 coffees from Tony Konecny of Tonx Coffee are available in black or "sweet and creamy," alongside agua frescas (currently available in apricot and strawberry).

The team plans more locations in East Oakland and San Francisco's Tenderloin neighborhood; there's also one in the works for West Oakland, at the border of Emeryville. "It's a neck and neck race," said investor Hanson Li, regarding which location might open next. Stay tuned for more updates on the Bay Area's LocoL explosion.

LocoL Oakland is now open from 8 a.m.- 8 p.m.