Months before the arrival of spring, the bright yellow petals of Scotch broom already bloom along the highways that lead up to Montclair. In its own way, the village has remained largely unchanged for decades. But new businesses continue to move in. Recent arrivals such as the Yellow Door, Miette and Full Belly Bakery have expanded the range of sweet and savory options for the hilltop neighborhood.
Montclairians now have a new burger joint to try, Oh G Burger, a satellite restaurant from Oakland’s Ohgane Korean BBQ owner Micha Oh. Oh converted the former Flipper’s diner by painting murals over the brick walls. The row of booths, recovered in ketchup red, remains, as well as the creaky wooden stairs that trail up to the restrooms. Oh has refreshed the space by significantly brightening up the interiors.
Oh G Burger is on trend, culinarily speaking, with smashed, chicken and wagyu options. The six signature burgers sit at the top of the in-store menu. A few Korean influences show up across the menu, but most notably in the Kimchi grilled cheese ($16.50) and a Bulgogi burger ($19) which feature ingredients including ssamjang aioli, pickled red onion, grilled onion and an Ohgane bulgogi sauce.
When I stand in front of a menu, or sit at a table reading one, a couple of ingredients usually grab my attention. They spark a chain reaction of longing between my brain and my stomach. After reading that the Montclair burger ($19) comes with arugula and caramelized onions, I made my decision.
The staff member at the cashier didn’t ask how I wanted the burger prepared, and it arrived well-done. I should have spoken up. My burger preference ranges from medium to medium-well, and this one definitely stayed too long on the stovetop. The cheese was also prepared in an unexpected way—grilled outside of the burger and added on as a disk of frico. Tons of condiments adorn every table, but without them the Montclair Burger eats dry.
Two sauces drip out and over the sides of the K-Chicken burger bun ($17.50). A sweet gochujang and the house Oh G sauce coat the tender fried-chicken patty in its entirety. The combination makes for a sweet-and-savory bite of barbecue. A friend of mine recommended the onion rings ($10), but my pale batch came out soggy. The tempura breading was unable to stand up to the oil it was cooked in.

On the other side of town, Johnny Boi Smash Burger has its onion ring ($5) game figured out. They’re super crunchy, dark brown and not greasy. I liked them much more than the side of french fries ($3), which just weren’t as crisp.
Johnny Bermudez, who owns the excellent Masa taquerias in Richmond, recently opened this smash-burger diner. It’s located on the sleepy edge of Point Richmond, across the street from an entrance to Hwy 580. At Johnny Boi’s, Bermudez takes a maximalist’s approach to ingredients, and to visual and oral stimulation. TV screens compete with the murals and music for a not particularly restful environment—but the burgers do stand out.
The eponymously named Johnny Boi burger ($9) comes stacked with American cheese, a smash sauce, bacon jam, pickles and caramelized onions. My cholesterol could have done without the tender morsels of bacon jam. But the establishment does add another textural element to a tasty but busy burger. The menu also features versions with two patties ($12), with fried chicken ($11), with onion rings and barbecue sauce ($13), and a pork-patty sandwich listed as “coming soon.”
“Highway style” tater tots or french fries ($7 or $10 with onion rings) are an American version of poutine. The fried potatoes are topped with a single smashed-beef patty, American cheese, bacon jam, caramelized onions and the smash sauce, a cousin of Thousand Island dressing. Bermudez’s burgers, as well as the rest of the menu, are carefully designed to satisfy diners with hangovers and to keep heart surgeons gainfully employed.
Oh G Burger, open every day from 11:30am to 8pm, 2062 Mountain Blvd., Oakland. 510.339.2082. ohgburgers.com
Johnny Boi Smash Burger, open Sun-Thu from 10am to 9pm and Fri-Sat from 10am to 10pm. 201 Tewksbury Ave., Point Richmond. 510.260.0291. johnnyboismash.com
Ack! $19 for a fusion burger at a diner. I’m not sure if that is the “Montclair Tax” or inflation, but it’s a pretty hard pricepoint to swallow!