Burdell's Geoff Davis is bringing back the neighborhood bar and grill - Dining and Cooking

What’s your definition of an Unc?

To younger generations, it’s a term of endearment — a moniker for someone a little older and wiser that you might grab a drink with or seek advice from. It might even be a playful roast referring to someone’s age. For Burdell chef-owner Geoff Davis, ‘unc’ is all of that and more. It’s an ethos of familiarity, connection and family, one that he plans to imbue in his upcoming Oakland restaurant.

Davis is preparing to launch his newest restaurant concept called Uncle’s. The vibe he hopes to curate at his newest spot is modeled after a classic neighborhood bar and grill — a place that withstands time and feels lived in, rather than overly upscale. And like Burdell, Uncle’s is an ode to family, specifically to the Uncles — or uncs — of his past and present.

“I think it’s paying some homage to my uncles, especially my uncle Thea, who passed away when I was in elementary school,” Davis said. “He loved having people over his house and barbecuing, and so it’s in his memory.”

Davis is best known for his Oakland soul food restaurant, Burdell, which opened in 2023. Since opening, he’s has received an extensive list of accolades, rising to the top of the food scene and earning the 2023 Nosh Award for Best New Restaurant, James Beard nominations and landing the No.1 spot on the San Francisco Chronicle’s top 100 restaurants list in 2025. After a year-long search for the right location, Uncle’s will live at 6317 College Ave., moving into the current Wood Tavern space, a 50-seat restaurant in Rockridge that’s been operating for over 19 years, after its lease expires at the end of the year. Davis aims to open Unc’s by Spring 2027.

The chef and his team have already given the public a sneak peek of the restaurant through pop-ups, like his most recent Valentine’s day pop-up that he titled The Tavern, and featured dishes like a clams casino pasta and a shareable grilled steelhead salmon fillets plate with smoked roe beurre blanc. Dessert included Davis’ flamin’ bananas foster that’s finished tableside with Jamaican rum and coconut gelato.

For this project, Davis has tapped some Burdell personnel, including chef de cuisine Brandon Cavazos, as well as his business and life partner Zara Fernandez-Aurelio. He’s also bringing in Burdell’s wine and service lead Seth Corr as an additional business partner. Coor previously worked as beverage director at Oliveto, Dopo and Mister Jiu’s in San Francisco.

At the heart of Uncle’s is a seasonal, rotating menu built around Davis’ extensive ties to farmers and producers. Davis said those relationships set Uncle’s apart from more traditional American restaurants and steakhouses, many of which he describes as “static,” relying on similar dishes and ingredients as opposed to letting the seasons shape the menu.

“I think that’s really what’s going to drive [Uncle’s]. I think that American restaurants or steakhouses can get kind of static with the menu, and we want the menu to constantly be rotating and changing, and really driven by what we get from these farms that we have really deep relationships with,” Davis said.

Currently, Davis collaborates with farms like Tierra Vegetables, where he uses their cornmeal extensively at Burdell and plans on continuing that at Uncle’s, and Dirty Girl Produce in Santa Cruz County, where he pre-purchases 500 pounds of tomatoes for the year. Davis also frequents various farmers markets throughout the Bay each week.

“There’s just so many amazing farms that we’re obsessed with, and honoring them and being able to show off the amazing produce is like the secret to the sauce, you know?” Davis said.

Uncle’s menu is still being developed, but Davis has confirmed that steak will be a highlight, and will feature lesser-known cuts of beef like picanha, coulotte, and hangar. But Davis is adamant that Uncle’s isn’t a steakhouse, and aims to create a spot that’s more approachable.

“We’re kind of focusing on some lesser-known cuts. I think that there’s a lot of really fun cuts that don’t get the limelight,” Davis said. “We’ll also have things like dry-aged T bones and ribeyes and stuff like that. But really focusing on these lesser-known cuts and treating them with the same kind of intention you would with a fancier cut. We really want it to be affordable. It’s still a steak at the end of the day, but everything won’t be like $80+.”

Also, Davis reports that cooking temperature is not up for discussion. Uncle’s will have a variety of different cuts offered at varying temperatures based on what Davis and his team believe highlights each particular cut, but customization is not on the menu.

“I think that customization becomes really difficult because someone’s idea of a medium or medium well is different than the restaurant’s idea,” Davis said. “We want to really nail the temp that brings out the best of that particular cut.”

Other entrees are in the works, ranging from fettuccine alfredo to burgers with dry-aged trim and bone marrow with sides of pickles and hot mustard. Sides like creamed spinach with grilled nori cream and tomato corn and peach salad with arugula will be offered, along with oysters, tableside Caesar salad, and more.