Cocobreeze: A Friendly Island Oasis
by Vikki Richardson
You may have noticed the waving Caribbean flags and the shimmering banners, or heard the playful island music at the corner of Fairfax and High. That's Cocobreeze, a Caribbean restaurant and bakery, which has turned just another East Oakland city corner into a small island oasis since 2019.
Owner Annabelle Goodridge and her daughter, Merissa Lyons, have worked in the San Francisco and Oakland catering and restaurant scene for twenty years. Chef Ann began her culinary training in Trinidad and Tobago with Merissa by her side. Once in Oakland, Chef Ann continued training at Laney College, opened La Belles on Adeline, and then ran a catering business. Now the mother-daughter duo are in our neighborhood with Merissa spearheading Cocobreeze.
Noticing the lack of superfoods in Oakland, Merissa brought her passion for healthy eating to Cocobreeze. It is the local place to stock up on your superfood juices. Merissa created her Calm-Ade chamomile and lavender tea to help her then five-year-old daughter learn that there really is a bedtime to adhere to. Moving onto juices, Merissa has created a variety of superfood juices including Baobab Tropical, Berry Beautiful, and Radiant Sun, and even a flight of Superfood Seamoss.
The friendly restaurant unapologetically serves authentic Caribbean food, using fresh herbs and ingredients to make their tried-and-true dishes and most popular Jamaican patties, Trini doubles, and jerk chicken. The Jamaican patties are like empanadas; offered in spicy beef, curry chicken or vegan- friendly vegetables. The Trini doubles are a common street food from the islands, a fried chickpea dough with spicy or sweet toppings. The jerk chicken is spicy, tender, and moist, with the meat falling off the bones. Also on the menu are several vegan selection and some gluten free items; plus hamburgers and an Impossible burger.
Cocobreeze is not just a restaurant, it's also a mission to support Oakland’s youth and be a hub for the Caribbean community in the East Bay. The mother-daughter team has paired up with Youth Employment Partnership to hire high school student interns, who learn restaurant and business ownership skills. On any given day you can hear the Caribbean accents brightening the corner from the regular guests. This summer they hosted the Caribbean Heritage Awards honoring people who have promoted the Oakland Caribbean community, and connected with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and City Hall to award commendations to several community members.
Cocobreeze is open is open Wednesday, Fridays, and Saturdays 11 a.m.– 8 p.m. Order online or through a variety of apps. Follow them on Nextdoor; note the Nextdoor Neighborhood Fav status in 2022 and 2023.