At Cypress Self Storage, we truly love our local community! Today's blog post shares 10 of our favorite things to do in the Delta Area (Oakley, Brentwood, and Antioch). We hope you enjoy our top 10 list, and please reach out with your favorite places! We are always looking to meet new members of our community. And, we are always celebrating great local spots right here on our blog. Whether you are looking for self storage or just want to say "hi", we cannot wait to meet you. Without further ado, here are our ten amazing places and activities in Oakley, California and the greater Delta Area:
Best Water Park: Antioch Water Park (a.k.a. Prewett Family Park)
Plan on spending a good chunk of your day here, not just because there are a lot of slides that you want to go on again and again, but it's a bit pricier than the other parks. But it's well worth it!
There are five waterslides and five separate pools, includes separate slides and a "Tad Pool" exclusively for the very little ones (water depth is only 18"). For older and more experienced swimmers, there are the Sport and Lap pools. The Sport Pool features the Lily Pad bridge. Try your hand (and feet) at staying balanced and getting across the bridge without falling in the water.
If you don't want to get in water, but you and the family still want to cool off, there is Cattail Harbor, an interactive "spray ground" (Note: You'll probably still get wet - LOL). You can bring your own food (no glass or alcohol, BBQ or Hot plates, knives), but in case you don't and you get hungry or thirsty, there's a really good snack bar with a variety of snacks and meals.
The Antioch Water Park is located at 4701 Lone Tree Way, Antioch. For prices, hours and other information, http://www.ci.antioch.ca.us/CitySvcs/Prewett/
Want to learn more about your water park options in our local Delta Area? Check out our recent blog post reviewing three of them!
Best Taqueria/Mexican Food: La Costa
This is a Delta area staple in both Oakley and Brentwood. It seems to be the go-to place when you're exhausted at the end of the day, don't feel like cooking and can't decide what to have for dinner. It's inexpensive but high-quality and authentic Mexican food. The tacos, which you can order either individually or as a platter with rice and beans, and have the choice of a variety of meats, are the stuff the best food truck tacos are made of, without having to inhale diesel fumes. The burritos are made with whole beans, and are large enough to satisfy the heartiest appetites, or have enough left over for lunch the next day.
In addition to tacos and burritos, there is a good variety of other standard Sonoran Mexican faire, including tostadas, enchiladas, quesadillas, nachos and more.
Service is fast and friendly, and you can pre-order over the phone for takeout to save time. One catch is they only take cash so be prepared.
La Costa/La Costa Taqueria is located at 3100 Main St. in Oakley, and 355 Oak St. in Brentwood. Open daily 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 925-625-1515 (Oakley), 925-240-5299 (Brentwood)
Best Sushi: Enishi Kitchen
This restaurant is pretty popular, and when you taste the cuisine, especially the sushi, you'll see why. On their Facebook page, it is mentioned that Enishi is a Japanese word meaning "serendipity", which is defined as "the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way." I'm pretty sure the events that created this restaurant didn't exactly happen by accident (if it did, that’s pretty impressive!), but the happy and beneficial part is definitely accurate.
The sushi is presented beautifully, and all of the raw fish is fresh and tasty. The hamachi (yellowtail) was especially buttery. The rolls were decently-sized, dense enough to not fall apart when picked up. There is also the option of low-sodium soy sauce at the table.
If you don't want to brave the lines, take-out is available.
Enishi Kitchen is located at 4441 Balfour Road, Ste A, Brentwood, on Walnut and Balfour (in the plaza with FoodMaxx) Hours: Monday: 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. / 4:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., Tuesday: CLOSED
Want to learn more about this great spot? Check out our recent detailed review of Enishi Kitchen!
Best Chinese: Dragon City
This longtime Mandarin and Szechwan Brentwood staple has has been around forever, and for good reason!
Like many residents, I've been getting takeout from them for years, and the food is always hot and fresh. My go-to dish is the dry cooked string beans. They're listed as "spicy", but I found them to be full of flavor, and cooked just right - not too mushy but not practically raw.
You can also order a full Mandarin or Szechuan dinner for two (or more) with a variety of appetizers and entrees for a reasonable price. Dine-in service is also fast and friendly.
Dragon City is located at 71 Sand Creek Rd # G, Brentwood, CA 94513. Hours are daily 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Website/menu dragoncityca.com, 925-513-2722. Doordash available.
Best Thai: Lone Tree Thai
Whether you're looking to dine in or take out, Lone Tree Thai is a great choice, especially on a cold rainy evening.
For starters or a smaller meal, the Tom Kha -- coconut milk soup with tomatoes, mushrooms, lemongrass, galanga, and lime juice and choice of chicken or vegetables & tofu really hits the spot. There's also a wonderful larb (Thai style salad) with the choice of ground chicken, beef, or pork.
Entrees include great meat dishes (including chicken, seafood, beef and duck), veggie dishes, curry, noodle, and rice dishes with a huge array of vegetables, sauces. There are also a couple of noodle soups - beef, roast duck and pork-fish balls.
Lone Tree Thai is located at 5401 Lone Tree Way # 150, Brentwood, in Lone Tree Plaza near In-N-Out. Hours are Monday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Thursday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Saturday 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sunday 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Door Dash available. http://lonetreethai.com, 925-516-3343
Best Place Where Everybody Knows Your Name: Providence Bar and Eatery
The New Prov is a great place to hang out, play a game of pool or shuffleboard, or just sit at the bar.
And if you're hungry, they offer terrific standard grill standards, but also surprisingly beautifully presented. Honestly, I would have been happy if my burger were in a basket, with a non-descript salad on the side. But the salad was in a cute little bowl with fresh ingredients, and the burger also nicely presented.
Service is friendly, fast and attentive. It's just a fun place to be!
Providence Bar and Eatery is located at 2085 Main St., Oakley, in the Raley's shopping center. Hours are weekdays 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., Friday 11 a.m. to 12 a.m., Saturday 8 a.m. to 12 a.m., and Sunday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Closed Mondays until football season. Karaoke on Wednesday nights. Happy hours are 5:00 to 8:00 p.m. weekdays, 2:00 to 5:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Take out 925-625-0292.
Best Place to Take a (Leisurely) Hike: Big Break Regional Shoreline
Whether you're looking for a break from the hustle and bustle of the daily grind and just meditate by the serenity of the Delta, want to burn off extra calories walking, running or biking with a friend or two, or want to take the kids to run around in the fresh air and blow off some steam, Big Break Regional Shoreline is the place to be.
And if you're game, there's also boating, kayaking, and fishing available. The 100-foot fishing pier is pretty popular, although may not be as successful as offshore boating, which may garner primarily largemouth bass and striped bass, with some white catfish, bluegill, sunfish, and sturgeon also caught. A California fishing license is required to fish from the pier or shoreline, but an EBRPD fishing access permit is not required.
Note that the park is undergoing some renovation in the process of restoring the area to an historic sand dune habitat, thanks to the help of park staff and volunteers.
Big Break Regional Shoreline is located at 69 Big Break Rd, Oakley, CA. Hours vary throughout the year, but are generally daily 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. For hours and more information, 510-544-3050. For updates and more information https://www.ebparks.org/parks/big_break/
Best Place for Wine: CoCo County Wine Company
If you don't feel like making the long haul to Napa or Sonoma, the sunny and fertile Delta Valley is actually host to a variety of wonderful wineries. But perhaps you just want to sit at one place indoors and sample some of these and even more of the Tri Delta's local wines without even getting back in your car. Then take a visit to the CoCo County Wine Company.
Open since 2007, the wine bar and tasting room features over 35 local wines and wines from other regions for tasting, by the glass or by the bottle. They also carry several beers on tap, and beers by the bottle.
This homey wine bar also hosts live music on Friday and Saturday nights, and once a month is Pint Night, featuring a local brewery and live music. This facility is also available for rent for business networking groups, book club meetings or other special occasions and celebrations.
CoCo County Wine Company is located at 633 Oak St., downtown Brentwood. Summer hours are Wed. to Thurs. 4:00 to 8:00 p.m., Friday 4:00 to 11:00 pm, and Sunday noon to 11:00 p.m. 925-634-9463. Cocowineco.com
Want to learn more about the wine scene in the greater Delta area? Check out our recent blog post about the other wine country right in your backyard.
Best Theatre: Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble
The latest addition to the community theatre family is the Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble. Per the company website, "Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble is led by a seasoned team of performers, technicians and educators with extensive theatrical training and experience. Through its network of support developed with local government, businesses, schools and non-profit organizations, Ghostlight engages community members in its mission, encouraging local talent, backstage personnel and others to create live theater that may be enjoyed on both sides of the lights."
The Theatre features the Mainstage productions, which are for all ages and experience levels. Mainstage productions are typically held in the Fall, Spring and Summer. For productions for and by younger people, The Performing Arts Youth Academy is open to children and teens ages 7-17, and is geared towards students who already have performing arts experience and ability, but all interested students are encouraged to audition. Check the Auditions page on their web site for more information.
The Vice-President and Artistic Director is Helen Dixon, who for 25 years served as the director of Liberty High School's Theatre Arts program. In fact, if you are at all familiar with local theatre, you may recognize a few familiar names and faces on the Board of Directors, including Shara Main and Jennifer Finetti. Ghostlight is also a bit of a family affair, as Finetti's husband Chris and daughter Hayley starred the company's recent production of "Man of La Mancha".
For more information about Ghostlight Theatre Ensemble, http://www.ghostlightte.org/
Best Place to Take Kids to See Santa: Smith Family Farms
There are approximately one billion places you can take the kids to see Santa at Christmastime, and they all pretty much feature the same routine. Like that scene in "A Christmas Story", kids wait in line, sit on Santa's lap, tell him about being a good boy/girl this year, discuss their wish list, and get handed a candy cane.
But Smith Family Farms is different. First of all, it's a real farm, so you can get your family's fresh Christmas tree, wreaths and garlands on the lot. There is also a wonderful little country store where you can get unique gifts, toys, and candy, plus get some fresh popcorn and low-cost hot cocoa, coffee or tea to warm your bones.
And Santa isn't in some cheesy glittery mall display. He's in a barn decorated themes such as Mrs. Claus's Bakeshop, Reindeer Flight Training Academy, Santa's Vacation House and Snowman Wonderland. You don't feel rushed when you visit St. Nick. And you are free to take pictures of your children without feeling time pressure. It's just Santa Claus.
If you want to experience the crisp freshness and wonderment of the season, this is the place to go. Smith Family Farms is located at 4350 Sellers Ave, Brentwood. Hours are daily 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. Hours might differ during holidays. 925-625-5966.
We truly hope you enjoyed our top 10 list. We actually had a lot of trouble narrowing this list down to just 10, since the greater Oakley area has so many incredible spots. We encourage your to check out our other blog posts, as we are always celebrating our local community here. Currently under construction, we are Oakley, California's newest self storage facility. And, we cannot wait to exceed your expectations!
