Four friends and entrepreneurs coming together to create a multifunctional venue in the heart of West Oakland.

That was the starting place for 7th West, owned by locals Donna Inscho Brinkman and Kevin Pelgone. The indoor/outdoor space combines an old-school arcade, a pan-genre dance club, industry hot spot, and live music venue. Dogs are welcome, and the taps offer West Oakland beers exclusively. And we haven’t even gotten to the real standout: the food and cocktails.

Dennis Villafranca (The Jeepney Guy) serves up “self-professed atypical Filipino cuisine,” anchored by a boneless Lechon – slow roasted pork belly – and made different by a Vegan Sisig. There’s also fried egg roll with chicken and garlic Lumpia, Mochiko Chicken Nuggets – fired boneless chicken thighs in coconut cream – plus chicharron, Shrimp Gambas, Arroz Caldo, and more. On the craft cocktail side, it’s the tequila – Oakland Heat, with cucumber, jalapeno, and lime, and Manila Margarita – that standout.

On this episode of Buzzed Bites, Arthur and Danica sit down with Kevin and Dennis to try the lumpia, sisig, and lechon, plus the Baby-back Adobo Ribs (Dennis says the later is based off his mom’s recipe). The community-hub space takes the strengths of each of the owners to create a meeting space for good food and good times while staying true to the immediate West Oakland area.

“7th West is meant to be an homage to old Oakland as much as it is an understanding that new Oakland is adapting and changing,” says Kevin. Check it out above.