BEST PIZZA IN EAST BAY

If anyone is near Oakland, please don't miss Zachery's Pizza on College Ave. There's another location in Berkeley. It is, by far, the BEST pizza anywhere! They have chicago-style deep dish which is so good -- all fresh ingredients. No canned or dried. Their thin crust is to die for with cornmeal in the crust. Yum!!

[J T]

Cheeseboard and Gioia would be my top choices for East Bay pizza. (Gotta try Pizzaiolo soon though from the looks of it).

I'd also like to add Cafe Rustica of Rockridge into this discussion. They also make good pizza from my experiences there.

[Wolfgang]

I'm going to be staying in SF and going to a show at the Greek on a Saturday night and am looking for a place for pizza and beer, preferably served from a pitcher. Will we do better to eat in SF and drive over after or eat in Berkeley?
From this thread, I've narrowed it down to Lanesplitter and Gioia with the edge to Lanesplitter for the eat in comfort. Does Gioia serve beer?
How would you compare these two pizzas to the best of the SF--something like a Delfina?

Thanks.

[Glencora]

Gioia just does takeout. I think Lanesplitter serves better pizza anyhow. It has a sort of biker atmosphere. It's fine, but not very close to the Greek Theater. Will you have a car?

[Wolfgang]

Yes, we'll have a car.

Thanks for the recommendation.

[wolverine61]

Lanesplitter at University and San Pablo is perfect both food wise and location wise.Off the University exit,up to San Pablo.Grab the first spot available and just a short walk. After splitting a 19" nicely done thin crust pizza and some brew designated driver and company can continue up University to UC. Get around that large obstacle and park .Remember,layer, as we get closer to summer what starts out as a warm day frequently turns chilly in the afternoon.It is easier to take off than to find a warm sweater after dark.

[Robert Lauriston]

Lanesplitter. Best beer bar in town and good pizza. Can be crowded at dinnertime so allow time.

[zin1953]

Add me to never-understood-the-fuss crown re: Zachary's . . .

But -- Cheese Board and Pizzaiolo . . . Major Yums! (who did it in the kitchen with the knife!)

[codywhitney]

Zachary's deep dish?We call it quichza!

[lmnopm]

The best deal is Lanesplitter on San Pablo in Albany. I do ask them to make the crust extra crisp. As mentioned above, $5 off any large for pickup (no delivery). It can get quite busy there - during peak times they may not even get the phone for awhile, and then warn you it will be an hour.

While I really like Gioia, I wish I could for once taste an actual hot slice from the oven, freshly baked, not reheated.

I've liked what I've had at Nizza la Bella, but have only had pizza there twice.

Zachary's seems to have 3 camps. (1) Love it, the best ever. (2) Hate the gloop. (3) Indifferent. I fall into (3).

I've once had Chez Panisse Cafe pizza - it was good. I've yet to go to Pizzaiolo, and should probably be deported from the area for admitting so.

Off the beaten path, up in El Sobrante, I like De Anza Pizza, a small family run little shop, made to order, with care. It isn't artisan pizza by any stretch of the imagination, but is so much better than any chain pizza in that area. Not living up there anymore, I haven't been for awhile.

[Robert Lauriston]

I can't believe that anyone who has had deep-dish pizza in Chicago thinks Zachary's is the best ever.

So far, of all the reports here from people who have tried both Little Star and Zachary's, all preferred Little Star. Which is available by the slice at Albatross Pub.

[JasmineG]

I would not recommend trying Little Star at Albatross. When I tried it there, it was clearly reheated in the microwave and the crust was very very soggy.

[Leadbelly]

I lived in Chicago for three years, and ate many different "deep-dish" pies, and I think that Zachary's is better than 95% of the pizza places in Chicago--and that includes Uno's, Giordano's, Lou Malnati's, and maybe even Gino's. But that's just me.

Is the Little Star offering at Albatross something new? The pizza they used to sell there was terrible, but its been ages since I ordered it.

[Robert Lauriston]

Albatross used to get its pizza from Little Chicago, which closed when the owner started Little Star.

[hungrydyke]

The Bakeshop on Shattuck in Berkeley. Only 2 choices but they are creative and I've never not liked at least one. This pizza is so good I have their t-shirt.

[EdwardAdams]

Since nobody brought up this name, I will. I returned to Cugini on Solano Avenue and had their potato pizza. Since it has been a recent special at Gioa, it offered a close comparison. Cugini's was better. Less loose grease and a damn near perfect crust.

You pay more for a place to sit in a decent dining room, but he pizza was delicious.

[lintygmom]

I forgot about Cugini's. We've had pizza there and it was GOOD. Less greasy than many. Great crust. I guess I think of the place as more restauranty. But you can eat outside with your dog in good weather.

Your spouse, too.

[rworange]

I third Cugini's although a pizza I later had at Nizza La Bella turned out to be better than my first pizza there which is why Cugini was rated above them. It is in a wood-fired oven too.
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/44521

[SNDP]

Vinny's. 4001-5 Santa Rita Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588
925.463.0280. Clossed Sundays. Odd hours.

[grocerytrekker]

The first time I walked into Pizzaiolo, a year or so ago one early evening, I had no expectations whatsoever. I had just stopped at the Walgreens nearby and was hungry. Had never heard of this restaurant, certainly had never seen it although I drove past it many times.

3 things I was surprised by. 1) The way cool atmosphere. 2) The price on the menu. I had no idea this was an aspiring high end place. Well, I could have walked out, but why not give it a try. The 3rd surprise was the pizza - right out of Italy, with a California twist. Even their spaghetti vongole (not sure if that's what they actually called it) reminded me of what I had in Tuscany, only bigger clams.

I thoroughly enjoyed the food and the people, not so much paying for it. I wished I had actually planned this dinner, with some time to linger with a good wine. My vote for the best Italian- Californian style pizza.

[grocerytrekker]

Just tried Lanesplitter for the first time. (I know, I know.)
I have been so oblivious.

Carnivore Neapolitan with pepperoni, sausage, mushroom, onion.

The hardest thing for anyone to achieve is to elevate the most mundane into something incredible, and I believe Lanesplitter does exactly that.

No special-sounding ingredients, just the basics, thank you very much. That crust! I'd definitely return soon to try their Herbivore, Chicane, Heartstopper, Splitter, Chopper & Garbage Pie, and the cheese only pie.

[WCFoodie]

Have to chime in on my side of the Caldecott: 3 worth checking out include: Skipolini's in WC, (also has locations in Clayton and Antioch); Rocco's in WC (a local institution. Has a sports bar next door) and Pasta Gondola in Danville. This one offers many options, including thin and thick crust, as well as more traditional Italian styles.

[SamuelA.L.]

I've been to both Rocco's and Skipoloini's a couple times when hanging out with friends who live there. I've eaten in at both and gotten take-out and have always found the pizza bad. First, the crust is like biting into a thick piece of burnt dough at both restaurants. Second, the sauce is too salty and glopped on. And third, the places use cheese that just doesn't look or cook the way it should.
I also have a funny story about Skipolini's. I was calling in the order once and said two large pies. The person on the phone didn't understand and said they don't sell pies, they sell pizzas. I started laughing out loud and explained I was from the East Coast, where in repliance she said that they don't call them pies either and I was odd. So I hung up. I'm not ordering pizza from a place that looks at you funny when you say pie.

[mandyf]

I second the vote for Pizzaiolo as #1. It reminds me of pizza I had when I was in Northern Italy.

[Snappers]

Pizzaiolo was started by the former pizza maker at Chez Panis.

[Chuckles the Clone]

I think we can pretty much put this issue to bed. Lanesplitter's is the best
pizza in the east bay. Here's why: If you order a large (where "large" means
about 18-20 inches) cheese pizza and you pick it up at their pickup and
delivery outpost on SPA near Marin, it will cost you $10. Pepperoni is $11.50.

Even if Lanesplitter isn't at the absolute top of your personal list, it's probably
close. So here we have the best-or-almost-the-best at half the price of the
competition. No competition. Lanesplitter wins.

[Robert Lauriston]

To be precise that's a flat $5 discount on any 19" pie. It's easily the best delivery pizza in the area.

http://www.lanesplitterpizza.com/menu...

[psb]

is the $10-$12 large pizza some special "pickup deal"
at the "marin outpost" not available at say the
university ave restaurant?

that does seem to be a pretty incredible deal.

[Robert Lauriston]

$5 off if you pick up from the take-out/delivery-only Albany location only. No similar offer at the Berkeley or Oakland restaurants.

[Chuckles the Clone]

Correct, only there. And you've gotta pick it up rather than have them deliver.
They don't seem terribly busy there, the pizza's ready about 15minutes after
calling.

[Waterboy]

Whalp, I picked up as half'n'half pepperoni and carnivore there this evening. Snappy service.

The pie? To Lanesplitter I say: "It is good."

Oddly, their pie seems to be delicious without a large amount of topping, just like the man said above.

However, I'd rate Lanesplitter a B, whereas I'd rate Amici's Trentino pie an A, if prepared at their Mountain View location. Sadly, not in East Bay.

Also gotta say, their pepperoni doesn't come close to Mulberry Street Pizza's in San Rafael.

[sivanlives]

Blondie's is the best pizza in the Bay Area.

[Agent 510]

For me, Berkeley pizza splits neatly into groups of 4.
The 4 Angels: Gioia, Cheeseboard, Pie in the Sky, Zachary's (thin crust slices)
The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Blondie, Fat Slice, Arinell's, La Val's.

Outside Berkeley...one of these days I'll have to try Pyzano's in Castro Valley.

[Robert Lauriston]

Pyzano's is known more for the pizza-throwing skills of co-owner Tony Gemignani than for the deliciousness of its pizza.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/show/...

[Steve Green]

I think Pyzano's has great pizza--my BA favorite, along with Primo's in Danville.

As others point out, Cheeseboard/Arizmendi pizza would be great if they eased up on the oil.

[thirtyeyes]

La Val's? Do they still do that special where you get a slice and a beer in a dixie cup?

[Robert Lauriston]

East Bay pizzas you should try if you want to know for sure who makes the best pizza in the East Bay:

Arinell's (bad)
Bucci's
Cafe at Chez Panisse
Cheese Board Pizza
Dopo
Gioia
Lanesplitter
Lo Coco's (Berkeley) "La Puzzola"
LoCoCo's (Oakland) fresh ricotta
Nizza la Bella
Oliveto
Pie in the Sky
Pizzaiolo - my #1
Zachary's (stuffed sucks, thin is OK in an eccentric way)

links & addresses: http://lauriston.com/pizza.html

[8gr8]

Pizza Antica deserves to be on that list

[Robert Lauriston]

I don't think of Lafayette as part of the East Bay since it's not within the bay's watershed.

[Glencora]

Tried to get "La Puzzola" at Lo Coco's (morels and gorgonzola -- so good), but the chef said he no longer makes the pizza (or pasta) specials. I tried a pizza with prosciutto and olives instead. It was good, though very salty. The crust is thicker than I usually like, but not bready, and with a nice flavor. Still, I'm sad about "La Puzzola." The chef did say that he might put it back on the menu if enough people ask for it -- so please do!

[Robert Lauriston]

What a drag, that was a great pie.

[essvee]

Gioia is the best by far. It's pizza made by a Brooklynite and a former cook at Oliveto who knows his pizza. It's about the only Bay Area pizza this New Englander can stand. I must take respectful exception to the above statement that it is like Cheese Board pizza-- Gioia does not use a sourdough crust, and does use tomato sauce-- two things that make Cheese Board pizza tasty enough but not really pizza, in my opinion of course.

[lintygmom]

Gioia's is wonderful and traditional East Coast. The crust is superthin and with a nice char. The mushroom has mushroom bits (GASP) cooked on! Not tossed on at the end! It's the best mushroom pizza ever.

Cheeseboard pizza is NOT pizza. It's an open face toasted veggie sandwich maybe, but NOT pizza. The sauce is wrong (when there's sauce), the toppings "innovative" (i.e. Californian) and often more Mexican/Latino in taste. THAT'S NOT PIZZA.

Zachary's tastes homemade in a bad way: straight from the can. Ewwwww.

[SamuelA.L.]

Gioia's good, but pricey.
What I don't understand is that why do so many palces in California charge so much for a lousy pie? I can get a great thin crust pie in New York City for 12-15 bucks, while out here a lot of places basically serving you a thick, huge cracker, with canned ragu and a mixed bag of cheese dominated by cheddar have the gut to charge me 16-19 bucks for a pie that on the East Coast most people would think was made in China?!!!

[Robert Lauriston]

More competition?

[SamuelA.L.]

That's what we're partially about, right?

[chef chicklet]

It's crazy, most of the places if they are any good at all are at least $20 Bu why do you think there are so many pizzerias? They are huge money makers, flour and water..big fat profit margin.
And for that you'd think more would at least try to make decent pizza with respectable and fresh ingredients. But they don't.
Pisanos in Castro Valley is about the best I've found.

[coolbean98]

Well, I think with Gioia's fresh and high-quality ingredients their costs are a bit more than usual - at least way more than Arinell's. I don't know that it's enough to warrant $3 or whatever per slice, but I don't mind paying that for the quality I get there.

[Morton the Mousse]

I like Gioia's toppings, I just wish it was easier to get a piping hot slice. The slices I've had there are always luke warm, and the cheese is coagulated.

[Robert Lauriston]

I've had whole pies that were piping hot, but the crust was still tasteless.

[chemchef]

Gioia's pizza was good perse, however the teenage, gangsta looking fellow that served us the barely warm pie sort of ruined the atmosphere for me. I have to say, I was disappointed b/c I've heard such high reviews of this place. Maybe I need to go back and try it again....

[susancinsf]

The only Cheeseboard pizza I've ever had is plain cheese: when I worked in Berkeley a coworker often brought it to office potlucks ....and he always just got cheese, but it didn't match your description at all. No 'innovative' toppings, no open faced sandwich, just a fairly thin crust, a bit of sauce, and cheese. I am not a big pizza fan, but I thought it was better than average.

[lintygmom]

Well, I live about two blocks away and often walk by and read the board posting the pizza of the day. Do that for a few years. You'll see.

[Morton the Mousse]

The four cheese pizza is, IMO, Cheeseboard's worst pie. My favorite is the tomato and lemon zest, though I also like the roasted eggplant, the roasted pepper, and the olive tapenade pies. They post the pizza of the day on their website:

www.cheeseboard.coop

[Robert Lauriston]

I've never seen a plain cheese pizza at Cheese Board. Maybe he was placing a special order?

[susancinsf]

all I can tell you is that he would bring it to the potluck, and say it was "Cheeseboard's plain cheese pizza". Maybe it was the four cheese pizza Morton mentions? I can't say how it compares to others since as I said, it was the only pizza from there I've ever tried. and not being a big pizza fan, I don't go seeking it out.

do they do special orders? It could have been, since these were always pre-planned occaisons, and my impression was that he had been going there for years.

I just mention it because I didn't think the description lintygmom gave matched my experience, for whatever that is worth. That I could see, there wasn't *any* relationship between that particular pizza and an open faced sandwich or anything Latino in flavor. Good, bad or indifferent, it definately WAS pizza. (though I am probably the wrong person to judge which is theirs, or anyone else's best).

[Robert Lauriston]

If he always got plain cheese, I think it must have been a special order, since at least 19 times out of 20 the daily special has a mix of vegetables. If you haven't had one of those, I can see how the discussion wouldn't make much sense.

[Chuckles the Clone]

You really should give cheeseboard a try some pleasant afternoon
(pleasant because you're almost forced to eat outside sitting on the
Shattuck median strip or something). In keeping with their socialist
view of the world, you are not given any choice at all: they make one
kind of pizza each day and that is what you will eat. No options, no
substitutions, if you don't like one of the topping components you
can pick it off yourself.

They've managed to survive for 40 years by making that one kind of
pizza taste very, very good.

Here's their current pizza schedule:
http://cheeseboardcollective.coop/Piz...

[Melanie Wong]

Actually since you mentioned "sauce", it probably wasn't a Cheeseboard pizza.

[joshchef]

Gioia Pizzeria in North Berkeley has great Cheese Board style pizza with more choices of toppings plus homemade lemonade.

Gioia Pizzeria
1586 Hopkins Street
Berkeley, CA 94707
[phone]

[Robert Lauriston]

Gioia's crust is fairly traditional though also tasteless from not enough salt. Cheese Board's is unique, sort of cracker-like, and as essvee notes they don't use tomato sauce, though in season sometimes they use fresh tomatoes.

Cheese Board is good in its eccentric way. I much prefer Pie in the Sky to Gioia.

http://www.chowhound.com/topics/39118
http://www.chowhound.com/topics/41782

The pizza at the Cheese Board on Shattuck in Berkeley is really good as is the pizza at Arizmendi on Lakeshore in Oakland. You might want to check those places out.

How could I forget about Cheese Board!

I can't stand Zachary's or Arizmendi/Cheeseboard
pizza. They are so greasy--each piece must have 1-2
tablespoons of extra unneeded olive oil. There is no
great East Bay pizza, but many nice restaurants do
fancy expensive brick oven pizza that's good--Chez
Panisse, Oliveto's, Mezze, and Cugini.

The best pauper's pizza is Blondie's in Berkeley--
not at all oily.

A split decision...I agree about Zachary's--I don't know what all the shouting's about...but I enjoy Arizmendi's pie, mostly because of the crust, and the fact that I can get a light-baked pizza, then take it home to finish and enjoy....my default setting for pizza in the Oakland, though, is LoCoco's on Piedmont.

Pizza is such a personal taste that one person's "BEST PIZZA IN THE WORLD!!!!!" is another person's "eeew, disgusting!".

I don't particularly like Zachary's. My wife (from Chicago) also dislikes it, and feels that it isn't "Chicago" pizza at all (it's "deep" but not really "deep dish". (yes, I'm sure others differ in their opinions...)

Personally, I wouldn't mind Arizimendi pizza, if they chose better ingredients. It almost seems like they use a dartboard. "Let's see.. today is... red pepper... swiss... lettuce... and a walnut-pear glaze!". When they have good ingredients it's good, but all too often they add in one or two mismatches.

Me? I like home-baked. Takes a lot of time, but I have complete control. If I'm feeling lazy I'll order Leaning Tower, as the Lake Merritt branch does a decent job (and isn't disgustingly greasy or salty).

And yes, Blondie's (and Fat Slice) were good at non-greasy, esp if you got the veggie slices. "Pauper's pizza" I would not call them; they were godly food when I worked a block from there. Two bucks for lunch you could not beat. ;-) And I feel that the paupers can have all the grease they want; I want good, tasty ingredients...

[Atomica]

Okay, I know the post above is 2 years old, but I have to say: Damn, how I love and adore greasy pizza. For me it is nirvana.

[Jeet Jet]

Yes, grease is an essential element of great pizza. But so is sauce.
As long as the cheeseboard is refusing to put actual tomato sauce
on their product, I'm going to continue to refuse to call it "pizza".

[Robert Lauriston]

Pizza bianca's an even older tradition than pizza with tomato sauce.

[Jeet Jet]

Yes and there's a reason it's been superseded. Dying of old age
at 40 was a bit of a tradition there for a while too.

[chemchef]

THANK YOU, Robert! And... I might add... if you used good quality, full fat (and full flavor) cheese, then the grease is inevitable, and worth it! Also, I nice drizzle of extra virgin olive oil (even though it is fat) is a nice addition to a good pizza.

I'll take a Cheeseboard pizza anyday!

Regarding Zachary's... I used to like it (just for a change), but had some of the worst service of any restaurant I have EVER been to at the one on Solano Ave. ... Ever since, my husband and I refuse to give them anymore of our money.

[psb]

>worst service of any restaurant
>
that's my main beef with Zacharies ... "customer
unfriendly". no reservervation, cash only, no pitchers.
and they exploit kids for their art work :-)
[has any of this changed? yes, i realize they dont have
to be more accomodating when they place is as full as it
is, but i dont have to give them my money either and
am free to lobby against them whenever they are
proposed. for me the product doesnt make up for the
other factors.]

>if you used good quality, full fat (and full flavor)
>cheese, then the grease is inevitable
>
er you get plenty of grease from fat slice cheep cheese
slices too. under the "it's the moles that get you"
theory, at least the cheeseboard slices are small.

[liujenny]

For those who still want to go to Zachary's, they accept credit cards now (at least at the College location where I went to).

Zachary's is great. If you're into thin-crust, I'd suggest Arinell's in downtown Berkeley and Lanesplitter's on San Pablo Ave.

I second the Lanesplitter, as long as you keep the toppings to a minimum. They also have a great selection of beer on tap. It's always a welcome, unpretentious relief from the overworked pizzas at Cheese Board and Arrizmendi or the spectacularly plain pizzas at Zachary's.

Jupiter on Shattuck isn't bad if you can get a table outside, otherwise it gets very noisy.

Their veggie pizza is pretty tasty, though.

[chef chicklet]

Jupiter is one of our family favorites for a great lunch, yes they have good pizza. Or dinner, and we always enjoy the eclectic crowd there.

[Robert Lauriston]

Zachary's sucks, though with the demise of Little Chicago it is by default the best Chicago-style pizza in the East Bay.

For a decent deep-dish pie, head to Little Star in SF.

http://www.littlestarpizza.com