New Castro Valley, Hayward Restaurants Get Recognition

CASTRO VALLEY, CA — Eater San Francisco periodically comes up with lists of noteworthy restaurants on this side of the bay, and last month published, "16 New Restaurants to Try in the East Bay." Hermanos Verdes of Castro Valley and Habibi’s Birria of Hayward made the list.

Eater SF is enthusiastic about the pork chile verde, barbacoa tacos, breakfast arepas, and cachapas loaded with ham and cheese at Hermanos Verdes, which is run out of the Moose Lodge in Castro Valley. "Chefs Mikey Ochoa and Gustavo Villarroel combine their respective Mexican and Venezuelan cultural backgrounds and fine dining pedigrees to create one of the region’s most thrilling new menus," according to the publication.

Hermanos Verdes is at 20835 Rutledge Road. Phone them at 510-604-0054.

Habibi’s Birria of Hayward "specializes in 'MexiTerranean' food, which means you can order a gyro plate, a falafel wrap, or some sweet baklava in addition to your extra cheesy quesabirria and birria ramen. It’s a takeout counter inside a gas station convenience store, so don’t expect frills — just great, car-friendly food."

Habibi’s Birria is at 138 Jackson St. Phone them at 510-432-9156.

The San Francisco publication noted that even though some restaurants closed permanently during the pandemic, "New restaurants have continued to open, many of them tailored for this particular moment, with takeout-friendly menus and spacious patios. The East Bay, in particular, has seen an influx of exciting new restaurants — mostly unfussy, relatively affordable places that show off the breadth and depth of the region’s varied cuisines."

The majority of highlighted restaurants are in Oakland and Berkeley, but in addition to those featured above, restaurants in Union City and Newark all received recognition.

Visit Hermanos Verdes Website

Visit Habibi’s Birria Website

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