The Best Pizza in The Bay
Photo Credit: Square Pizza Guys
We're not here to debate the merits of the Bay Area's pizza — we're here to celebrate this tasty delight, straight up. Show your support for the West Coast at some of the Bay Area's best pizza joints, ranging from greasy, cash-only spots to put-an-egg-on-it upscale restaurants. The Bay has it all when it comes to everyone's favorite meal, so we've hand-picked some of our hand-tossed favorites.
San Francisco
Little Star Pizza
(Multiple locations)
It's lit. Yep, Lit-tle Star is truly a shining star of the SF pizza scene, best known for its Western Addition location on Divisadero. Their pizzas are simple but diverse, offering both deep dish and thin crust pies and a cornmeal crust to write home to mom and dad about. Try their namesake with a caprese salad and you'll be good to go for hours.
Za Pizza
(1919 Hyde St // Russian Hill)
Art-inspired pizza names make you feel like you're eating something fancy, but it's really just some damn good pizza. The Salvador Dali features roasted chicken, sun-dried tomatoes, fresh pesto and red sauce and Da Vinci's Palette has bright red and green peppers, sausage, and onions. Eat your greens with Monet's Garden Salad that looks just as good up close as it does from afar.
Golden Boy Pizza
(542 Green St // North Beach)
Golden Boy Pizza, where it's "hip to be square." This local pizzeria has been squaring up to the competition since 1978 with its large pizza sheets. It's definitely reminiscent of what you see on the streets in Italy, and in their SF location, their foccacia, cheese-piled pies are displayed in the window to lure in passersby. But it's worth it! If you're in the mood for a simple bite that reflects the area, try the clam/garlic. Make sure to bring cash!
Square Pie Guys
Ever wanted more of that crispy crunch crust? You might be more of a square pie-guy with Detroit-style pizza. From your regular ol' cheese to the Mean Green Sausage Machine, and from gluten free crust to vegan cheese, they've got enough pizza to go around for everyone. Their pizza crust-based desserts aren't half bad either if you're really hungry.
Pizzetta 211
(211 23rd Ave // Outer Richmond)
Farm eggs, man. What pizza do they not make better? They're almost like two eyes smiling up at you as you prepare to devour your ham and gruyere pizza from Pizzetta 211. This quiet cozy spot fills up quickly on the weekends, so come early or snatch a bar seat, and pair their gourmet pizza with a salad or a fresh-made cake. Mmmmmm. It's completely worth the trek.
The Laundromat
(3275 Balboa St // Outer Richmond)
Don't let the cheeky name fool you, there are no spin cycles here. Just crispy square pizza pies paired with a wonderful selection of natural wines. Their pizza selections are pretty basic — cheese, pepperoni, mushroom, and spicy broccoli with fennel (alright, that one's a bit outside the box) — but the flavors absolutely pop. If you stop by in the morning, they also have top-notch New York-style bagels. What's not to love?
Shuggie's Trash Pie + Natural Wine
(3349 23rd St // Mission)
With funky dining rooms ranging from neon green to lemon drop yellow and a menu chock-full of upcycled eats, it's hard not to love Shuggie's. Just walking in feels like a warm hug. Pair that with delicious trash (aka waste-free) pies and a solid selection of natural wines, and you're set for your next date night.
Delarosa
(Multiple locations)
With two locations in San Francisco, it’s easy to hit up one of the trendiest pizza joints in the Bay. Long, communal tables give you the option to make friends while munching on the thin and crispy Roman-style pizza. Premium toppings like calabrese peppers and spicy coppa keep things delicious and interesting; vegan sausage and cheese mean all of your friends can find something they like.
Pink Onion
(64 14th St // Mission)
The daughter of the great La Coco’s, Pink Onion fuses all things amazing to keep their menu interesting. Serving 13+ pizzas, pastas, and appetizers, Pink Onion is sure to keep your taste buds satisfied while your belt buckles suffer. It's a small and popular restaurant, but rotating beers and wine on tap are always present to keep you and your party company.
Tony's Pizza Napoletana
(1570 Stockton St // North Beach)
Standing tall at the corner of Stockton Street and Columbus Avenue, Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is well known far and wide. The Margherita and New Yorker pizzas earn rave reviews nightly, as do the scrumptious meatballs and uber cheesy Detroit Red Top. Fair warning: The mega-popular joint is rarely without a line, so join the waitlist before heading over if you want a shorter wait.
Pie Punks
(145 2nd St // East Cut)
If you're picky about your crust, delightfully eclectic spot Pie Punks has you covered: you can get classic "Grandma style," thin crust, and Detroit style pizzas here. All of their options have scrumptious toppings, from Wisconsin brick cheese to garlic & onion confit, but at the risk of being ~controversial~, we'd recommend the Waikiki Sneaky, which has Spam, banana peppers, pickled jalapeño, and, yes, pineapple. We stand by it.
East Bay
Pizzaiolo
(5008 Telegraph Ave // Oakland)
"Down home, human-made" food: that's what Pizzaiolo stands for. With their fresh ingredients and down to earth attitude, they make some of the best pizza outside of Italy with new takes on classic Italian fare. The marinara, sausage, hot peppers and panna pie is a classic meat combination, but have you seen cream on a pizza before? Yum. If you're looking for something simple, give the margherita a try.
Gioia Pizzeria
(Multiple locations)
Gioia (joy-a) might have the biggest cult following of any pizza place in Berkeley. For 12 years, the homey hole in the wall has been whipping up delish slices and pies, like Formaggio and Spinaci Aglio (Spinach Garlic), for just about every kind of customer. Since the Berkeley location is on the smaller side, take out is an ever popular option.
Zachary's Chicago Pizza
(Multiple locations)
Thick, saucy, cheesy, chunky: Chicago-style deep dish pies are fiercely debated among regional pizza communities. Whether or not you're a thin-crust, eat-with-your-hands pizza loyalist, Zachary's whips up a good deep dish that satisfies with only one or two slices. The ingredients are fresh and stacked on in hefty portions, including the Carne (sausage, pepperoni, bacon, salami) and the Super Veggie.
SLIVER Pizzeria
(Multiple locations)
SLIVER uses fresh produce as the inspiration for their vegetarian pies (they don't serve any meat!), and it shows in their pizzas' vibrant flavors. There are only 2 choices of pizza here: plain or the pizza of the day, which incorporates ingredients ranging from potatoes to asparagus tips. True to their name, you always get an extra "sliver" or two of pizza on top of any pie. Pro tip for newbies: always get extra green sauce on the side. Trust us.
The Cheese Board Collective
(1512 Shattuck Ave // Berkeley)
The idea is simple: the worker-owner collective takes dough and cheese from their bakery/cheese joint next door, piles on fresh veggies from the market nearby, and whips out a different vegetarian pizza Thursday through Saturday to adoring, hungry guests. For the most authentic Cheese Board Experience, grab a slice and a friend and sit on the grassy median across the street.
Artichoke Basille's Pizza
(Multiple locations)
This New York transplant is the closest thing to east coast 'za around, and is sure to please. Its Berkeley location is a campus staple, and you can always find hungry college students lining up there at 2am. Go for their namesake Artichoke with spinach, cream sauce and artichoke hearts, or stay classy with a Margherita slice. Whatever you do, come hungry — in true NY fashion, these slices are huge!
Richmond Pizza House
(12343 San Pablo Ave // Richmond)
This family-owned and operated business fuses Italian and Mediterranean cuisine in the form of craft pizzas. Try their Chicken Shawarma made with sesame crust and special sauce or go green with their Cali Veggie. If you somehow manage to leave room for dessert, they also serve up cookies and brownies in pizza form.
Arizmendi Bakery
(3265 Lakeshore Ave // Oakland)
From fresh baked bread, pastries, and (of course) pizza, Arizmendi is your one-stop-shop for all things carbs. Their sourdough crust is the perfect vehicle for their pizza of the day with toppings varying from goat cheese to spicy harissa sauce to sweet potatoes.
North Bay
Pizza Antica
(Multiple locations)
It all starts with the cool atmosphere: high ceilings, an impressively well-stocked bar, and a view of the wood ovens where all the pizza magic happens. Some favorites among customers are the fennel sausage and margherita, and they even boast a breakfast pizza with an egg plopped on top. Whatever you choose, Pizza Antica will make it with great care and precision.
Pizzeria Picco
(31 Magnolia Ave // Larkspur)
Crafted in the traditional Neopolitan thin crust style, options like the Son of Yeti (hen of the woods mushrooms + thyme) and the Nishiki (shishito peppers + house made sausage) are just a few of the stars on this trendy spot's menu. They also serve delicious small plates like hot chicken sliders and oysters on the half-shell.
Azzurro Pizzeria e Enoteca
(1260 Main St // Napa)
Pulled hot and fresh from a beautiful brick oven, Azzurro’s rich, thin-crust pizza was born to be paired with the wines its hometown is so famous for. The fungi and speck pizzas are consistent favorites — add an egg for extra goodness — and the meatballs, iceberg wedge, and baked rigatoni are also worth a taste in between slices. Azzurro’s Neapolitan grub is straightforward without being bland and it isoh so good.
PizzaLeah
(9240 Old Redwood Highway Suite 116 // Windsor)
The owner of PizzaLeah is a 9-year member of the US Pizza Team, won 1st place at the 2022 Real California Cheese Pizza Contest, and was invited to compete in the 2019 World Pizza Championship in Italy. So, uh, yeah, the pizza here is good. Snag one of their pan pies (the Mush-a-Roni is a must-order) or add your choice of toppings to their plain cheese pizza.
PizzaHacker
(226 Shoreline Highway // Mill Valley)
No reservations needed at this no-frills Mill Valley spot — order for delivery/pickup, or swing by and savor your slice with a cold beer in their spacious outdoor seating area. Their crust is the perfect combo: thin on the bottom, but puffy and delicious on the edges. Plus, as if you needed any more reasons to visit, they also serve bagels on weekend mornings.
Tamalpie Pizza
(477 Miller Ave // Mill Valley)
If the delightfully punny name didn't entice you, the slices at Tamalpie Pizza certainly will. Served alongside yummy small plates including fried brussels sprouts and arancinis, their pies include options the Laurel Dell (fennel sausage, caramelized onions, kale and the Blithedale Canyon (bacon, potatoes, pesto) and that will have you reaching for seconds, thirds, and fourths.
South Bay + Peninsula
Patxi's Pizza
(Multiple Locations)
This popular pizza restaurant can be found all across the Bay Area (and even in Southern California), but Palo Alto was their first location, opened back in 2004. Patxi's is known for their deep dish pies made for IG-worthy cheese pulls, but they also whip up piadinas (Italian flatbread sandwiches), burrata bruschetta, and even a s'mores pizza to satisfy your sweet tooth.
Vesta
(2022 Broadway // Redwood City)
A perfect South Bay date night spot, Vesta serves up Italian comfort food in a candle-lit, high-ceilinged space. Folks rave about the burrata and basil and the sausage and honey (!) pizzas. Is there anything better than the creativity of these ingredient pairings atop that transcendent thin crust? As a bonus, their tapas might as well be the nectar of the gods, especially the mushroom toast.
Oak & Rye
(202 N Santa Cruz Ave // Los Gatos)
This place converted a non-pizza person (who knew that was a thing?) on Yelp, so it must be the real deal. Their menu features some wild pizza names, like Commissioner Gordon and Scotty 2 Hottie. But beyond that, they bring the pizza game to the top notch with ingredients like honey, anchovies, and caciocavallo (a pulled cheese curd). Thin crust lovers in the South Bay, take note.
Pizzeria Delfina
(Multiple locations)
With locations in South Bay and San Francisco, Pizzeria Delfina is a well-known and widely-beloved Neopolitan spot that serves up farm-to-table pizzas and pasta dishes. With a full menu of red and white pies, there's something for everyone. If you're feeling creative, you can add ingredients like house-made fennel sausage to any pizza to really make it your own.
A Slice of New York
(Multiple locations)
When you need a no-fuss slice you can depend on for gooey cheese and a perfect sauce to crust ratio, this is your jam. From The City to the Munchie Lunchie, any of their classic pies will surely satisfy any pizza craving. Plus, they've got calzones, stromboli, cannoli, and NY cheesecake, so you'll feel like you're grabbing a meal in the Big Apple.
Toto's Pizzeria
(Multiple locations)
Call us cheesy, but Toto's Pizzeria holds the key to our heart. It's one of America's oldest family-owned pizzerias, originally opened in Brooklyn after the owners emigrated from Naples, also known as the homeland of pizza. After five generations, their authentic Neopolitan pies are as magical as ever, whether you choose one piled high with veggies, or stick to a simple cheese.
** This article was originally published by East Bay - Do the Bay. CLICK HERE to view the full article.