On a muggy Saturday in August, along Coliseum Way a block away from the Oakland flea market, the weekday smells of diesel exhaust and the rumble of construction crews have been replaced with aromas from clay pots bubbling with a variety of delectable dishes, competing scents of lengua, and al pastor meats, and cheese oozing from quesadillas and searing itself on the griddle while salsa and Norteña rhythms pulse from a wall-mounted speaker.
This cluster, located in a large industrial area, is lined with food stands along 50th Avenue and wraps around Coliseum Way. A handful of vendors — makeshift stands, modified storage containers, tarps covering patches of sidewalk — set up shop during the week. But the corridor is the busiest on weekends, especially Sundays, as families flock to the flea market. All the stalls have plenty of picnic-style seating under tarps.
For at least 10 years, the collection of food vendors has produced some of the best Mexican and Latin American food in Oakland. The informal food market survived the pandemic shutdowns and social distancing of 2020, and was thriving again, but in 2025 business has dipped.
All of the vendors Nosh spoke with said since President Donald Trump took office in January, they have seen a significant dip in foot traffic and fewer sales. Customers, the vendors say, are fearful to come out because of the looming threat of ICE raids. One vendor told Nosh that some of their customers are police officers and security officers, and, when those groups show up, other customers drive away fearing detainment. Despite the current anti-immigrant rhetoric from the federal government along with increased enforcement and detentions, the vendors remain hopeful and grateful to have this stretch on Coliseum Way to build up their food businesses…