Longtime fans of Trader Vic’s Emeryville remember their small parking lot used to operate for many years on a valet system. Valet was dropped in the return after COVID and the parking lot has been left to customers to navigate ever since.
New for 2026, the parking lot is now operating as a virtual paid lot, with one hour free given to guests. There are signs throughout the parking lot with a QR code to initiate the parking lot payment that operates in a parking meter style where you pay upon entering but can extend your time if needed.
Nobody loves paying for stuff they didn’t used to, but I heard from multiple sources there were lots of problems with people parking who weren’t patronizing Trader Vic’s and taking spaces away from actual customers. So, this change is an attempt to keep things in better balance. It certainly was the case for us for a late lunch on Sunday as there were plenty of spaces available, more than a comparable interior attendance of year’s past.
Trader Vic’s is also offering some “light and bright” seasonal cocktails and a few menu items as well. The offered cocktails are definitely a little different, seemingly lighter in style than the exotic cocktails the venue is famous for. I’ve heard mixed results from a few who tried but much better for us was a truly fabulous teriyaki salmon bowl (no rice, per my request) that I absolutely loved.
