Albany's New Fall Restaurants Opened on San Pablo, Not Solano

In late July, Match Point Brewing told Albany it was closing its taproom at 745 San Pablo Avenue with one weekend's notice. Co-owner Simon Chen told Berkeleyside's Nosh that the taproom couldn't reach a new sublease agreement and would go out with a "Last Call Taproom Party" after service on July 26. The taproom had opened in 2024 next to 310 Eatery. Its beer stayed in town and is still sold at shops including Berkeley Bowl and El Cerrito Natural Grocery.

Nine weeks later the space was serving food again. Albany's two restaurant openings this fall both landed on San Pablo Avenue, a few blocks apart. On Solano, the season looks different. The changes there are on the December calendar, not in the storefronts.

One storefront, two businesses, nine weeks

Berkeleyside reported that Souk Savanh2.0 made its soft-opening debut on Sept. 28 at 745 San Pablo Avenue, at Washington Avenue.

The Lao restaurant that kept coming back

KQED's Luke Tsai called it "One of the East Bay's Best (and Most Elusive) Lao Restaurants" in a July 28 story about the Albany move. The owners are husband and wife Tea Chaiyasith and Nai Sailee. According to KQED, the restaurant started in East Oakland and closed in 2016. Ten years later it came back in downtown Oakland, then closed again after a short run. Berkeleyside described that 2026 Uptown stint as serving budget-friendly rice plates.

The couple stayed busy between versions of the restaurant. KQED reported that Chaiyasith ran a Rockin' Crawfish franchise in Sacramento. The couple also opened Oakland's End Zone, later renamed Everything But Hugs & Kisses, and ran Pai's Eatery pop-ups in Richmond.

Dishes KQED tied to the Albany location:

• Nam khao, the crispy rice ball salad
• Fermented Lao sausage, made in-house
• Lao-style laab
• Meat skewers

Before opening, the owners told KQED that rice and noodle plates would start at $10. Chaiyasith planned to serve dinner six days a week and add lunch on days Pai's Eatery wasn't running. Those were plans made before the soft opening. The restaurant's Instagram is the place to check current hours.

A Solano operator crossed over to San Pablo

The second fall opening links Albany's two main streets. O2 Sushi held its opening celebration on Wednesday, Sept. 23, at 977 San Pablo Avenue at Buchanan Street. Berkeleyside reported that it comes from the people behind O2 Eatery on Solano Avenue.

The menu goes well past rolls. It includes udon, ramen, bento boxes, katsu plates and donburi, plus a long list of classic and specialty sushi rolls, with beer, sake and wine.

The two openings are a short walk apart: Souk Savanh2.0 at Washington Avenue and O2 Sushi at Buchanan Street. So this fall, the newest places to eat in Albany are on San Pablo. One came from Oakland after years of moving around. The other came from a few blocks up the hill on Solano.

What's planned for San Pablo itself

If San Pablo is getting more of your dinner plans, the street's future matters too. The Alameda County Transportation Commission is running three separate San Pablo Avenue efforts. The bus-only lanes and protected bike lanes cover Oakland, Emeryville and South Berkeley only. The bus-and-bike-lane design would turn one vehicle lane in each direction into a bus-only lane and move most parking to side streets, but it doesn't extend into Albany.

Albany is part of the safety project, which covers Albany and Berkeley north of Heinz Avenue. According to Alameda CTC, it removes no traffic lanes in Albany or Berkeley and proposes no continuous bike lanes on San Pablo north of Heinz. What it adds:

• Upgraded crossings, beacons or signals, and median refuges
• Better lighting and accessible curb ramps
• Bulb-outs at Rapid bus stops, where buses can stop in the traffic lane
• Some relocated bus stops and parking
• Short protected bikeway connectors

A parallel bike project on neighborhood streets adds traffic calming and crossing upgrades. Alameda CTC lists a median closure at Kains Avenue and Marin Avenue among its circulation changes, and red-curb daylighting at some intersections removes a few parking spaces. Bids for that project opened Sept. 21, 2026.

For the safety project, Alameda CTC's spring 2026 fact sheet schedules construction from spring 2027 through winter 2028. AC Transit's project page, updated Oct. 6, 2026, lists the project at 95% design with construction planned for 2028/2029. Either way, the San Pablo you drive to dinner on this winter has the same lanes it has today.

Solano's season is on the calendar

Solano Avenue's December comes from programming. The Solano Avenue Association hosts WINTER on Solano Avenue on Sunday, Dec. 6, from noon to 5 p.m. It runs the full mile from The Alameda to San Pablo Avenue, across Albany and Berkeley. Unlike the Stroll, the avenue stays open to traffic. The event is free, wheelchair accessible and happens rain or shine. It includes the Kids Fun Zone and a limited group of outside vendors such as artisans, makers and nonprofits. The listed entertainment includes the Albany Jazz Big Band and the Berkeley Community Chamber Singers, and the full map and program are still marked pending.

Here's the rest of December and the late-November closures, in order:

1. Nov. 26–27: Albany Library at 1247 Marin Avenue is closed for Thanksgiving, after closing early at 5 p.m. on Nov. 25.
2. Dec. 1, 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.: A free blood drive at the Albany Community Center, 1249 Marin Avenue.
3. Dec. 5–6, 12–13 and 19–20, noon to 3 p.m.: Santa on Solano at 1758 Solano Avenue, near Colusa on the Berkeley side. Photos are free, so bring your own camera. The event is pet friendly and runs rain or shine, a tradition since 2007.
4. Dec. 6, noon to 5 p.m.: WINTER on Solano Avenue.
5. Dec. 19: A free screening of the live-action "Moana" at the Albany Community Center, with doors at 2 p.m. and the film at 2:30 p.m.
6. Dec. 24 and Dec. 31: The library closes at 5 p.m., and it's closed all day Dec. 25.

WINTER on Solano's west end meets San Pablo Avenue, and both of the fall's new restaurants are on San Pablo in Albany. For more on the city's open-space changes, see our post on Golden Gate Fields becoming Albany's biggest park. For this summer's Solano storefront changes, see what's new in Albany this summer.

At Mike Lane Group, we keep track of which Albany storefronts change hands and how quickly. If you own on or near San Pablo and want to know what this fall's activity means for your home, start with a free home valuation or explore our Albany neighborhood guide.