the place to go in oakland. luka's is at least four different places wrapped into one, and succeeds at all of them. during the day it's an excellent lunch spot, with one of the best burgers and the best fries around; in the evening it's an after-work hangout for a diverse crowd, with a fantastic beer selection and excellent pours on well drinks; atdinnerthe food never fails to delight; and at night it turns into a happening dance club.
the primary drawbacks are related to its own success: it can be very noisy (normal for a club but makes conversation difficult at dinner), and the service can slow to a crawl when packed, as it is before every paramount show. there are some newer restaurants opening in the area that should compliment and relieve the stress on this uptown trailblazer.
this is the place to go in oakland for good food and drink, and a cosmopolitan crowd to share them with.
a note on another review here: every decent restaurant will charge you for place settings if you bring in outside food like a birthday cake.