Stopped in after seeing Benchmark on Check Please and I'm so glad we gave them a try! The service was great, they were attentive and speedy. The food and drinks were perfection. The pizzas weren't greasy and the drinks were well made. Love that they have outdoor seating for those nice days/nights. Will definitely be coming back! read more

Fantastic spot for Neapolitan style pizza, cute ambiance and great service, one of those rare places that could be nice enough for a casual, but romantic date night or a family dinner with young kids. Really appreciate that they open at 4:30pm and the first set of tables were mostly families with young kids. Nice welcoming touches like crayons and coloring menu, staff bringing out the cheese pizza for the kids quickly (and first) before the "adult" salads and pizzas. All the food was delicious, the bolognese was a surprise favorite with perfectly cooked al dente pasta. Definitely will be coming back! read more

Their pizza and salads are fantastic. The pizzas are more Neapolitan style, homemade dough and baked in a pizza oven. The spicy salami is our favorite. The Caesar is always a winner, very strong flavors, crisp romaine. Overall it's a bit on the pricey side but ingredients and service are top notch. Only suggestion is for them to improve their new cocktails in terms of flavor/style, but wine is delicious. A real neighborhood place where you and family always feel welcome. read more

** The following review reflects my delivery experience DURING the shelter-in-place order currently in effect. ** Jamie W. and I have seen this intimate pizzeria on Colusa Circle many times, as we often walked the public paths down the hill, but pizza has been off our respective diets for several years now. We used to be Friday night pizza junkies in our heftier days, and we most definitely had our favorite spots. Perhaps shelter-in-place has made us yearn for a bit of comfort food throwback or maybe it's just too damn easy to order a pizza through Door Dash. Either way, we ordered their signature pie, the $17 Benchmark Pizza. It was simply a Margherita pizza but very well executed with the tomato sauce and mozzarella particularly fresh and the crust appropriately blistered (photo: https://bit.ly/3dlfeKs). Best of all, the 11-inch diameter made it ideal for two people who didn't want to have leftovers. Of course, we cut that temptation off at the pass by ordering three other items. First up was the $14 Chopped Salad, a hearty box filled with mixed greens, asparagus, ceci beans, almonds, a semi-soft-boiled egg cut in half, and plenty of Grana Padano shavings (photo: https://bit.ly/3gDnEyH). That was tasty and probably worthy of ordering on its own, but who am I kidding? We also went for the $14 Strawberries and Burrata because who doesn't love velvety burrata? Add sweet strawberries, frisée, and toasted sesame seeds, and it was almost a dessert (photo: https://bit.ly/3dt9fU9). And just to finish off the meal, we had the $7 Castelvetrano Olives marinated with lemon and rosemary (photo: https://bit.ly/3dhIX6X). It ended up being quite a feast, and it was nice to patronize a local business that we wouldn't have tried had there not been a pandemic. FOOD - 4 stars...that was a mondo bella pizza with salads that shined as well AMBIANCE - n/a...it was a delivery but we look forward to going inside there sometime SERVICE - 4.5 stars...timely and well packaged TOTAL - 4 stars...we're going to make this special occasion pizza...ok, maybe once in a while pizza RELATED - Looking for pizza? Here's a collection of places I've tried and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2XxNSgv read more

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I've been looking for a great pizza spot in Berkeley, and this is the one. I have young kids, and this spot is perfect for it at the ~4 to 5pm hour. I prefer to make pizzas myself but this place is the exception. True chewy Neapolitan style, and I think the best of the East Bay. Kids loved it and are the harshest critics, so that's a plus. read more

Good pizza. Different. Not your standard cheese and sauce. Thin crust cooked to perfection. Their rosemary pizza is excellent. Careful with toppings on thin crust ppl or it'll get soggy. Highly recommend this place! read more

Sometimes things just work out, as if they were meant to be. This afternoon I called Benchmark to order a pizza w/ corn and cherry tomatoes. I adore pizzas w/ corn and ordinarily get them at the Cheeseboard. I also ordered a large Caesar salad. Those who have been following my reviews know I have been disconsolate since Pollara Pizzeria closed down on 4th Street so the owners could be w/family on the East Coast, taking w/ them my favorite Caesar salad 2 or 3 years ago. I have tried unsuccessfully to find one as good. Some have come close, the best being from 2 Local Girls in Oakland, but that's a bit far to go very often, although as often as I have a Caesar it might be OK. I reread my Benchmark review recently and that reminded me how much I loved their Caesar. It's been a while since we were last there, although I forget how long. Since my last review, I'm pretty sure. I ordered for pick up at 6 today. Just as I came to the stop sign at the Colusa Circle someone was pulling out of a parking space near the pizzeria. That's what I mean about things working out. I walked in and gave my name and they brought out my pizza and salad and I paid. The young people working there were so sweet! Robert even opened the door for me as I left. I got in the car and pulled out of the space. Another car pulled right in and I imagined they felt as fortunate as I had. When I got home I was going to sit down at eat my pizza, then realized it wasn't warm enough. I put my pizza stone in the oven and started it preheating to 400° and poured myself a glass of wine. I mixed the salad together. The garlic in the dressing smelled amazing! When the oven was at temperature I put in half the pizza, set the timer for 5 minutes and then got lost in a sports column and missed the timer going off by almost 5 minutes. No harm. It wasn't overdone and was delicious. The salad was good, although not as transcendent as Pollara's or as I remember Benchmark's was. I will certainly order it again. I was very hopeful it would fill the void, but it didn't. read more

We had wanted to try this place for a while now. I had never heard of Kensington, CA. but it's right there! We'd had a long day and it was rainy and about 7:30 pm so we didn't know what to expect. Our waiter Walter was soft-spoken, knowledgeable, very helpful, and had great timing. He was totally in sync, and really comfortable dealing with him. We ordered the shredded carrot salad as an appetizer, delicious, fresh, and delightful. I had a glass of house red wine and my partner had a bottle of ginger ale which he enjoyed, my wine was fine. The pizza we got was very simple and we enjoyed it, ate everything up, and the ambiance was truly great especially after a busy day on the road doing errands and in busy traffic. The owner and staff were friendly and really on the mark. We will go back soon. read more

Really really great pizza. The sauce! The dough! Yummmmm. I get why this place is always so busy!

Such amazing pizza and food. Also a great vibe. I had the vegan pizza and it's the best vegan pizza I've ever had. Very happy for the experience and will be getting the vegan pizza again. read more

Delicious!! Tucked away in an upscale residential area it is on a cool Traffic circle "corner" and you can smell the delicious scent blocks away. (Parking is easy in the neighborhoods). The pizza was simple and delicious. The restaurant was small and cozy, with limited choices- everything done right though! Definitely on the list of top pizza's in the EB for me. read more

Benchmark Pizzeria has been a keystone of Colusa Circle and it's where we kicked off our first dine-in experience of 2023. With our initial bite, we instantly remembered the first time we tried their fried sage and brown butter pizza. It's been on the menu for years and there's a good reason it's a mainstay for Benchmark. Enthusiasts argue over what makes for a great pizza, but for me, it will always be about the dough! Excitedly, Benchmark makes theirs daily, allowing it to rise for 48 hours before topping it and cooking it in their wood-burning oven. Within what seemed like just minutes after ordering, our server returned with simple perfection - a mouthwatering pizza with just enough char to remind you of the magic that comes from 700°F. Fresh mozzarella highlighted a perfect chewy texture and the brown butter and garlic added body to each delicious bite. The fried sage provided a surprising crunch and elevated the experience without taking away from their light and slightly sour, homemade dough. Unsurprisingly, key ingredients such as cheese, pasta, and condiments are also all made in-house. Opened in 2012 by restaurant industry veterans Melissa & Peter Swanson, Benchmark is dedicated to local and sustainable produce and meat that is nitrate and hormone-free. Stanley Tucci's show "Searching for Italy," introduced us to strozzapreti, the macabrely- nicknamed "priest strangler" pasta based on a story of gluttonous priests so enthralled by its shape and taste that they ate too quickly and choked themselves. We were excited to find Strozzapreti Bolognese on Benchmark's menu, which arrived perfectly al dente in a traditional meat sauce. We are happy to report that we ate slowly enough to avoid choking. Benchmark also features a robust wine selection and fun seasonal cocktails. I was tempted to try the Nitrum Martini made up of Mosswood rum, Nitro coffee, vanilla syrup, and whipped cream, but I did a double-take at the message on the chalkboard above the counter displaying $18 for the house wine. Accustomed to post-pandemic inflation and the need for restaurants to increase prices to protect their margins, surely this was the price for a single glass, or at most a half carafe, right? Nope, $18 got us a full bottle of Montepulciano D'abruzzo, a great Italian table wine perfect for a casual night out of pizza and pasta. We ended our lovely family dinner with the Benchmark Sundae, a not-so-basic vanilla ice cream sundae with chocolate sauce, sunflower seeds, whipped cream, and a cherry on top. Admittedly, I left curious about the other soft serve options including a Fior di Latte (Buffalo Milk cheese) and a Chocolate Vegan Oat Milk. All came highly recommended, but we ran out of room. Next time! Just like all restaurants during the pandemic, Benchmark initially struggled to find a way to survive during such a challenging time. One of their solutions involved expanding their space to include a charming, heated outdoor dining area which turns out to be the perfect place to catch a bay area sunset and a slice of pizza or two or three. Another great idea was to open up a retail location just a few doors down that offers Italian groceries and convenient grab-and-go paninis and salads. Benchmark is aptly named because it has indeed found its standard in excellence and is an ideal way to balance the Bay Area's natural bounty with the inspiration of traditional Italian pizza. read more

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Sometimes you forget the best places are usually in small pockets of residential neighborhoods. Not pretentious, not seeking Michelin stars, not trying to attract anyone actually. Just serving their neighborhood peeps and those curious foodie nomads with solid Italian inspired dishes. Packed on a Thursday night, and not because of some lame NFL game on whopper screens. The smell coming outta here, likely from the brick oven, was all the advertising they needed. Me? Used Yelp, put in Italian as I was more interested in an Elaine (from Seinfeld) inspired BIG Salad... there was just enough variety here to entice me to boogie forth into the windy, rainy night, not wanting to fight too much end of rush hour traffic. Just get to San Pablo n climb the hill. Many moons ago when we thought we would need to raise our family in the bay, we looked extensively in Kensington loving the fact that it was a milder version of Bizerkely, aka less granola-e... more familia oriented with a great school district to boot! Hella views and quiet small town feel 20-30 minutes to SF. Fate had other ideas... but some 29 years and 3 doggies later, our vet is still here, just around the corner. And I'm gobsmacked I never gave this a whirl! Friendly, informal and attentive staff. That salad would make Elaine blush... huge mixed salad with added pomegranate, pistachios, almonds and a variety of green and lively thIngs served in a bowl mostfamily's would use to serve at a dinner of 4 or more! Bang on Tasty, crunchy full of flavah! A red wine bottle special that also was Bang on with dinner! (Sorry... British elections consuming my brain). So browsing my yelp y'all know I am a Zah snob. But that fried sage brown buttah zah looked and sounded like a solid way to brexit the traditional tomato based Zah... but it needed a bit of protein so I opted for the HOUSE MADE sausage. Bang on again mate! The crust was yummy... salty,crunchy chewy the perfect foil for the snappy cheese, crispy sage and melt in your kisser sausage. I've been a fool! It took me 30 years to try this place. It won't be 30 days before I'm back 4 Sho! read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Famous fried sage added homemade sausage - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

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I don't typically write reviews unless something was exceptionally good or exceptionally bad. Our waiter who when he did show up to take our order was pleasant enough. My partner who doesn't consume cheese requested that our pizza be made cheese free on half of the pizza. The waiter said we can't honor requests like that, which was fine by us because every establishment is different. So we ordered two pizzas at $27 a piece, one with cheese and the other without. We also ordered appetizers. The issue for us was not the food. The food was fantastic. The issue for us is that our waiter never came back once to check on us. He at one point looked at our table as he was walking by but we never saw him again. My partner eventually got up and went to the front to ask how do we pay our bill? We wanted dessert but no one ever came back to the table. Eventually a bus boy came by to clear the table. We then had to go back and ask for a box for leftovers since we had ordered two pizzas. By the way, even though the service was exceptionally poor, I still let a 25% tip because the bus boy was pleasant when clearing our table. Please hire additional staff for the floor or have an experienced waiter give a lesson on how to properly serve customers. We had already spent $82 and would have spent more if our server had bothered to come back to our table. read more

Fantastic food in a casual, intimate setting. Loved the pizza and had a really good salad - and the bread pudding was excellent. Friendly service. A real gem. read more

Incredible pizza and salads. The carrot salad was so good hitting all the sweet, sour, salty and spicy notes. Get it, you won't regret it. Then we got the chopped salad that was also very good, but not as good. The bread and butter was really delicious. I'd recommend ordering it. We had the salami pizza and it was so delicious my feet did a little dance after my first bite. Also had a Narsai whiskey cocktail that was strong and tasty. Perfect if you like Manhattans. Service is fast. Perhaps a bit too fast for my taste. If you are there with hungry kids it is perfect. But if you are there for a relaxing meal out, it feels rushed. read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Salami pizza, chopped salad, carrot salad - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

10s across the boards.bRigatoni with Summer Ragu it was light and flavorful. Then we had the Vegan Pizza (creamy cashew cream, spinach, lemon, and castelvetrano olives) all the ingredients complemented each other and the pizza crust. Then ended the night with the butterscotch soft serve sundae. Chefs kiss! We are coming back!!! Service was amazing too :) read more

Very good pizza, salads and service. Food and experience makes us want to go back sooner

Big fan of this place! We got a pizza and the pasta, both of which were clearly homemade. The pizza in California is generally terrible, but this certainly scratches the itch! The flavor was exceptional - we were super impressed. Both of the dishes were definitely small, so that's worth bearing in mind depending on how hungry you are. Also I'd definitely suggest going in person over delivery. We had delivery, which was definitely good, but would have been a lot better and warmer in person. We'll be back! read more

Not a fan of Benchmark. Here's why: 1. They don't serve actual pizza. 'Actual' pizza has pepperoni on it. There is no pepperoni anywhere to be found on Benchmark's menu. 2. They charge $2 for extra Caesar dressing. I've been dining out and paying my own tab for more than 35 years - at restaurants on five continents. I've never been nickel-and-dimed for extra salad dressing. Would Benchmark reduce the price of their Caesar salad by $2 if I asked for 'light' dressing? I think not. Further, there is no $2 dressing charge listed on the menu. Benchmark just hits you with this sneaky charge on the bill at the end of the evening. 3. Benchmark keeps all their doors open all the time. It's 50° outside at night in the winter. 7 pm at night and all their doors were still open. I had to close the doors myself. Patrons were dining indoors in Patagonia jackets and wool caps. Again, ridiculous. We'll not likely return to Benchmark any time soon. They can nickel-and-dime and chill their other other patrons - all the while not offering actual pizza on their menu. Boo Benchmark! read more

Such a great little place! I grew up not too far from Kensington and always associated the town's location with only the top of the hill/Arlington. Who knew it trickled all the way down to Colusa? Not this dummy, who paid no attention to Benchmark's address and drove up and up and up (Moeser), thinking it was over by Inn Kensington somewhere. (I don't need no stinkin' Waze! It's gotta be over that way!) It was not. So I sheepishly plugged the address into my gps and back down, down, down the hill I went. Detour complete, we arrived shortly after opening, got a parking spot right across the street, were seated immediately, watched the restaurant quickly fill up, and enjoyed a fantastic meal. We've been back several times since (sans scenic route) and it's always been the same: food is delicious; parking and seating are easy as long as you get there when the restaurant opens or soon after. We've been there on multiple non-holiday weekdays when the restaurant has filled up before 5pm. Anyway, my apologies for digression. Time to get to the food. Everything has always been excellent, I don't think there's ever been something we haven't liked, from the antipasti to the pizzas to the pastas to the desserts. We tend to start with a caesar (a small is big enough to share among 3-4 people if you're ordering a bunch of other stuff) and whatever farro bowl they have. (The soups are also always good.) The pizzas are great, with wonderful crisp-yet-chewy crusts. (There's never any of that wet, soggy middle-of-the-pizza nonsense!) Pastas are always perfectly al dente. And as much as I enjoy the pizza here, I absolutely love their pastas. I particularly liked the cacio e pepe they offered one time. While it could have used a bit more pepper, I enjoyed the addition of spinach (which cut the richness) and breadcrumbs (which added a nice bit of crunch/texture). We also make sure to always leave room for dessert. (Okay, that's a lie--we're always full after dinner but end up ordering dessert anyway.) The fior de latte soft serve with olive oil and sea salt is simple (and may sound odd to some), yet divine. (Beretta in SF is where I learned to love these flavors together. Their panna gelato with evoo and sea salt is amazing.) The chocolate sauce is also good; haven't tried the butterscotch yet! We've also gotten their (croissant) bread pudding a couple times. I tend to not like bread pudding (I think it's usually too dry), but Benchmark must soak the croissants well, because I enjoy the texture here. Going to Benchmark is always a treat! read more

The servers have always been wanting in tableside charm and manners, but you put up with it because the food is decent and it's a pleasant walk from your front door. Or at least, that's how I used to feel, but after observing the actions of the owner, the last visit I made, will be my final. After running into and observing the owner, I finally understood the disagreeable nature of the servers - the culprit of all the dysfunction so to speak. She is rude and seems to enjoy belittling and humiliating not only her staff, but her customers as well. It's appalling behavior. In fact, it was so upsetting, my extended family, who were regulars, alongside my parents, and who also live nearby, agreed with me and will no longer patronize this business. One just has to read her response to a negative review written here on yelp recently to get an understanding of how she handles conflict. She actually accuses the customer of stealing, PUBLICLY! Unbelievable! I wonder what I might be opening myself up to by writing this, but I feel I need to. I know a bully when I see one. Here are a few tips should you decide you're up for a concentrated heap of condescension after a long hard day of work, or perhaps you just feel like being rushed aggressively through your meal or maybe you feel its about time to be put in your place for being a customer - whatever your preference is: 1. Your food will come out all at once - always - literally doesn't matter to them. The trick here is to place your appetizer/salad order and after the first course is properly underway, proceed to add to your order, the main course. 2. Make sure you do not stay, not even one second after 9pm. All hell will come down on you should you have the misguided notion of wanting to finish your meal, you know, the one you were looking forward to enjoying. In fact, they are so fussy about this that they will not seat anyone after 8:30pm (this of course leaves only 30 mins for dinner). It would be very helpful, for all involved, if they were to stipulate that they will kick you out at 9pm. You know, a proper, yes hostile, but proper warning. They should also change the cutoff time and not seat customers after, say, 7:30pm. And actually POST THOSE RULES onto their website to warn customers in advance. It's all about informed choices. Nothing worse than spending $256, only to be kicked out after they collect your payment midway through dinner. Leaves a sour taste in your mouth. Finally, I leave with a piece of advice for the owner: While it is too late for me and my family. I think it would behoove you to let your customers just enjoy being your customers. Let them eat. Be nice to your staff. Pay them past 9pm if you must. I think it would make for a much more enjoyable dining experience. In fact, more like the fun, laid back, relaxed, friendly and warm dining experience we all enjoy at the pub across the street! read more

Benchmark pizzeria is our family's go to place for good quality pizza and pasta. The quality is always consistent, pizzas made to order. The bolognese is very flavorful and good portion quantity. The chop salad is delicious, also great portion size. Good and fast friendly service. Unassuming place that brings good quality food for a fair price. We go almost every Sunday. read more

NEXT LEVEL. What if you could combine the friendliness and welcoming vibe of a neighborhood pizzeria...with world-class food and drinks? Benchmark has done it and we never tire of their pizza and excellent service. Best pizzas include salami, pistachio and...oh my gosh, the fried sage! The chopped salad is NOT your usual boring salad. We're addicted to them as takeaway, but really, the magic happens when you dine in to really take in the relaxed but energetic atmosphere on the Colusa circle. Special kudos for the lovely cocktails, including traditional and N/A options. And don't sleep on the cookies! read more

If one loves bread, cheese and other toppings it's hard to screw up a pizza. We had the sausage/yellow pepper, caesar salad and petite sirah. The wine was quite good, the salad, a generous portion, however the pizza was, so-so. It wasn't bad, it just tasted like bread with items on it. I prefer Little Star or Cheeseboard and doubt if I will return, but again, pizza, like art, is subjective and my taste buds have a mind of their own. The service was quite slow but all servers were lovely. It'll do in a pinch. read more

$20 PIZZA?, THE BOX WAS MOST OF THE VALUE OF THE PIZZA I don't know where our sense of the value of a dollar went but, by Benchmark's prices, it is in the trash. We just moved to this neighborhood and wanted this place to be our hangout. Good luck with people that don't earn their money! read more

Amazing pizza and such a cute little neighbourhood spot. I haven't spent much time in the area but it feels a little hidden. There are great views though and watching the sunset was amazing. We got caesar salad, bread, and the seasonal pizza (had corn and tomatoes) which was just enough food for two people! We did also have some soft serve and cookie to end the meal. The caesar salad was amazing - would highly recommend this - as was the bread. Pizza was very good as well - very thin crust with fresh and plentiful toppings. Cookie and soft serve also super tasty. I realized I would like another cookie after the first and they kindly gave it to us. Very friendly establishment and just seems like a wonderful local business that I look forward to returning to! read more

We saw Benchmark on Check Please Bay Area and finally had a chance to "check" them out. The pizza here is truly exceptional and some of the best I have ever had. I wish I could replicate dough at home. It is an interesting mix of flours - 00 and others. I'm sure their starter works some magic as well. I like how the bottom of pie is coated with semolina. The pizza is a bit pricey, but the main ingredient, the dough, is hard to replicate anywhere else. It is a fairly minimalist ambiance focused on pizza, which is all that is important to us. The wait staff or attentive enough. I only wish they were closer to us. read more

Benchmark was a pleasant surprise. They are a ways out of downtown Oakland which keeps the foot traffic down making Benchmark an unknown gem. Street parking was easy to find tonight. Benchmark is a small restaurant with a small kitchen, a few quality staff members and a strong desire to give you both quality service and product. Our neighbor was a repeat customer and raved about the sage pizza. We had the spicy carrot salad which really started the evening off nicely. This was followed by the fritto misto fried green tomatoes and fried zucchini. For dinner we split the Benchmark pizza with added sausage. The benchmark pizza is sauce, mozzarella and basil. All flavors worked well together. The basil was pronounced and the extra sausage was a nice addition. As stated by the East Bay Express review of 2016, the crust is a bit thicker and chewier than typical. The thicker crust didn't distract from the overall experience. They have some pasta dishes that we couldn't try but with everything being good we will be back. Being small they don't have a lot of the typical pizza ingredients but what they offer is tasty. read more

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If I could give them minus 1 I would. Bad service with bad food but got the ego of the best restaurant In town. Will never ever venture there again.Charging us cover for people that didn't show up is not ok! read more

Sage pizza. Handmade pasta. Amazing salads and veggie sides. Inventive cocktails. Cool staff. Strauss soft serve. Small, local business. So much to love. read more

We ordered 3 pizzas, all were underbaked. Service was unapologetically slow, dismissive, and unfriendly. We won't be back. Sad, since we live so close. read more

A treat of a place. Interesting dishes and cocktails. Friendly service. Some tables outside are quite crooked, but glad they're there just the same. read more

Great food! The sage pizza was remarkable, so much so that we ordered an extra one to share so total of three pizzas for 4 people. The place itself is super cozy with an outdoor and indoor area. The outdoor area has heaters and all the lights make it very aesthetically pleasing. The inside is feels cozy and all the other customers enjoying gives a home feeling. The one downside was the server we had. My friend asked a simple question about something they ordered before and was met with a lot of attitude saying to stick to the menu. This was a bit of a shock since they could've handled the situation a bit kinder. But overall the food was great and makes up for the server we had read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Fried Sage Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

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Delicious, everything we ate. Soup, Brown butter pizza, sausage and mushroom pizza, Chopped salad, it was huge. Dessert vanilla ice cream with olive oil. Wow service was great, place was busy but we were well taken care of. Loved it all. Found them on check please. Can't wait to return. Wish this was my neighborhood joint, I'd be there every night! read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Creamy vanilla ice cream with olive oil and Black Sea salt - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

I can't believe this is my first time getting a pizza here. I live nearby and I come to the farmers market every Sunday. I had an arugula salad once before but never their pizza. What a waste of my life to have not enjoyed this sooner! I'm having the salami and Calabrian chili pizza with pickled onions on the pie and the tomato sauce is extra delicious and a bit sweet. And the dough is perfect! I see another five pounds on my mid section in my near future. And the chopped salad IS all that. Go get you some! Keep small business alive xoxo read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Calabrian Chili and salami pizza and chopped salad - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

Ordered pizza and a cookie to go, the Sage pizza is SPECTACULAR. I haven't eaten the cookie yet because I ATE THE ENTIRE PIZZA. Hoping to visit for real when I'm back in town, what a gem! read more

Benchmark Pizzeria - Fried Sage pizza - Pizza Near Me - Kensington, California

Fried sage pizza forever. Fried sage pizza yesterday. Fried sage pizza today. Fried sage pizza tomorrow. FRIED SAGE PIZZA FOREVER. Try the fried sage pizza! read more

Benchmark has been a go to for almost nine years - it opened up next to my child's preschool and we've celebrated graduations, birthdays, Fridays and just your average everyday there in the near decade since. Their pizza is wood fired and is the best I've had in the East Bay and beyond - alternating between thin and crispy to air bubbly and chewy. Their seasonal selection of toppings means there is always something for someone (though I recommend the fried sage if you're a first timer). Their salads are also incredible. When you think pizza joint you usually think salad bar and packet ranch - this is not that at all. Their chopped salads feature (again) a seasonal selection of offerings and I like their Cesar as a standby. The dressing is tart and peppery and bright and my favorite. But their special salads are usually my go to - burrata and stone fruit and macerated olives in the summer to spicy, sweet carrots in the winter. The veggies are always fresh and, at least in my opinion, more than compete with the pizza. And last - their pasta. It's all house made and off the charts delicious. Their pasta and red sauce for the kiddos has forever ruined my child from being able to eat the box stuff at home (a good thing - for my child and for Benchmark) and what's good for the little ones is just as good for the adults. The strozzapreti should not be missed and their meatballs are exceptional. This is a great, local option with way above average food - a gem in the neighborhood and one that I'd love to keep hidden except for the fact that the owners and staff are such good, kind and talented people that I'm happy to share the recommendation far and wide in hopes Benchmark will be here for many years (and birthdays, and graduations, and Fridays) to come. read more

This is one of the worst pizzas around. They smear a little tomato sauce on it and one basil leaf and then charge an outrageous price. They didn't even manage to slice it into equal size pieces. And the oil soaked through the box! I really don't understand why people patronize this place. Complete ripoff. Avoid. read more