The Other Critics

The Soup Nazi of Oakland Cajun Food Actually a Big Softie

No shrimp and grits for you!
No shrimp and grits for you!

The East Bay Express’s Jesse Hirsch, by way of writing a review of ten-year-old OB’s Café in Old Oakland, tells the hilarious tale of a visit to the restaurant “feeling a potent mixture of hunger and fear” as he approached. The chef-owner, you see, has a well documented reputation for being gruff, and comparisons to the Soup Nazi abound on Yelp. But Hirsch was reassured by friends and various five-star Yelp reviews that this guy knows his way around a jambalaya, and he confirms that the food is excellent, even if the service can be off-putting. “After half an hour of preparation, a terrific meal,” he writes. “My shrimp and grits had an ample base of creamy cheddar-laced grits, sticky but not lumpy… We couldn’t stop eating.” Also, by the time he paid his bill Hirsch realized the chef had a a sense of humor after all, and perhaps all you have to do is show some appreciation for his art — just like Kramer did with the Soup Nazi — to win him over. [EBX]

The Soup Nazi of Oakland Cajun Food Actually a Big Softie