Lovely’s

Lovely’s started out as a pop-up in 2018 and recently opened a brick-and-mortar near Uptown Oakland, so you can get your fix of fantastic smashburgers at your convenience. The keys to their greatness: a squishy sesame seed roll that soaks up all of the juices from the meat, the creamy house sauce, and a caramelized patty that pretty much melts in your mouth. Lovely’s essentially nails all the elements of a great smashburger—and after your first visit, you’ll likely wake up nightly at 3am, inexplicably craving one like clockwork. If you’re not in the mood for a burger, Lovely’s also has a fantastic hot chicken sandwich, plus flaky fish and chips, hot dogs, soft serve, and sundaes. Sit on their patio, grab a radler from next door at Two Pitchers Brewing Company, and then put a standing date on your phone to come back.