I love a great thin slice pizza, and this place does not disappoint! I got the Gina calabrese, and it was frickin amazing! - Crust: it has that slightly black char, with such an amazing sourdough-like chew. - Ingredients: fresh and very flavorful - Cheese: fresh, flavorful, and break down nicely without the need for excessive chewing. - red peppers: They actually have great flavor, not just the spice, and they're uniquely ground down to a powder. This is brilliant because it imparts more flavor, and you don't have to worry about getting red pepper pieces stuck in your teeth. Reheatability: No joke, this pizza tastes as good or better after being reheated in the oven. read more

Simply put, Amazing pizza! The first time I called they told me it would be a 4 your wait for a pizza which threw me off completely. After learning the process I called back a month later and only had a 3 hour wait time. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. I ordered a custom pizza with pepperoni, mushrooms, sausage and calabrian chilies. I have to say my faves were the mushrooms and pepperoni although everything was great. The crust is soft and chewy, the sauce is not overpowering so you can enjoy each flavor, the pepperoni had the perfect level of crispness and a little spice, mushrooms were sauteed and juicy, I do with their were a little more chilies but i like spicy so i may be over picky. All in all I love the place and will definitely return. Fortunately I plan my meals hours in advance which is why it gets 4 as opposed to 5 stars. They could make quadruple the money if they had a bigger operation but what are you gonna do? Can't knock them for doing it their way, in the words of Sinatra! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Custom: Pepperoni, Sausage, Mushrooms and Calabrian chilies. Absolutely devine! - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Yeah this place is a pain to get... Yeah it takes forever and sometime your pick up time is 5 hours from when you call.... But DANG the pizza is good!!! One guy working whipping up the most fire pizza around. Fresh ingredients and perfect balance. The fresh sauce is what makes it. Super happy I finally got to try this place after always reading the stellar reviews. I recommend getting the Standard which is only cheese. It's a classic and lets you experience the true flavors. 5 stars... 8.7 on El prez scale If you order takeout have a slice right when you get it on the street. Nothing like having it super hot right out the oven. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - The Standard. Yeeeuuuupppp - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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12 years since my first visit, and still the best pizza I've had in CA, on par with some of the finest in NY. Moreover, it's still a one man show, though you can now make a reservation and pay online, making it feel a bit less like a pizza speakeasy. Truly a one-of-a-kind NorCal gem! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Onion Pepper Sausage Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Waited a while to try this pizza but did not disappoint! Perfect cracker undercarriage- One of the best pizzas I've had! The sauce is amazing- You can tell their is a level of expertise and craft in the making of this pizza :) read more

Perfect pizza - or it would have been. I woke up in the morning craving pizza - can ya believe it? I know. So I thought this is finally the day. I get up and load the alarm for 8:50 and I place an order by 9:03 (currently the system opens 8:55 and it takes a few minutes to finalize the order). I make sure I'm on time, but I was 3 minutes late because of an traffic accident clearing at the intersection. I got home within 6 minutes but pizza was cold. Great quality toppings, perfectly risen dough and bubbly crust, mice underbelly char (not burnt). It's a piece of true art. But the pizza was cold. I think made the mistake of selecting a pick-up time that's too early - I could be wrong about this, but I figure if you choose a later time maybe you get a pizza right out of the oven. Regardless, maybe a designated oven to keep the pizza warm might be nice - but I'm not the pizza-maker. Calabria pizza came out to just under $40 after the tip, size is plenty and justifies the price. I just wish the pizza was at least warm. I can only imagine. read more

Don't go here. I want to be able to still get a pizza without competing with the entire Bay Area. Highest quality pizza I've ever had. Kudos. read more

Among the best pizza I have ever had ... right up there with Lucalis in Brooklyn (I was there 4 months ago). One of My top 3 pizza places in America. NYC style pie. Airy, yet crispy crust with the nyc flop. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Pretty good NY style pizza - light thin crust & fresh ingredients. I took two stars off for the hair cooked into the dough. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Hair cooked into pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

The pizza is great. His method for ordering a pizza is not. I have had nothing but respect for this guy, but I am not one to think about ordering my dinner at 9am, hoping for a confirmation or a call back in the afternoon. This takes food too seriously and ruins it. Cheeseboard? Sure Goia? F yeah (and get any of their salads) Zacharys's? Can't go wrong with deep dish or thin. Emilia's? Too many hoops read more

So, this is not New York pizza; unless we are using "New York" to mean really good pizza, which it is. This pizza is real good, y'all. The sauce is bright and tastes like San marzanos to me. The cheese is fresh and spread evenly. The crust is light, thin, and airy. It's got a real Neapolitan style to it. One pizza feeds 2-3 people. I ate half and was sad to stop. Now, I'm feeling my organs adjust. I got the Mike's hot honey, which was sweetened perfectly. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Mike's hot honey pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

I am logging on to Yelp for the first time in about a decade (I'm one of those old hags) to leave this review. This pizza, or getting this pizza, makes me bang my head against the wall in tears of frustration and ecstasy. I suppose in the context of insufferable Bay Area foodie "regulars" (like that awful dude who made Yume sushi shut its doors because he loved to manspread his arms across his date and the whole bar and scream, "I'm a regular, right Hideki? I'll take the oh-mah-kah-saayyy!"), I'll go ahead and say that I've been enjoying Emilia's pizza since it opened, and one of my go-to party jokes is actually kinda like how Yume kept diminishing the maximum party size you can bring ("Next time just two ... next time just one ... next time don't come at all.") The party joke goes, since the advent of the ordering website: You used to be able to call up and get a pizza here. Then there was this era when you'd call around 5 pm and get told that the only available slot is 9:30 pm. Then that moved to 4 pm. There was a good year or two when no matter what time I'd call, I wouldn't be able to order a pizza for any time before 8 pm. It was like calling Tumbleweed on KALX for concert tickets. I'd call, get a busy signal, hang up, and have a mock conversation out loud to myself about picking up the phone, ordering a pizza, confirming, hanging up, then back in real life I'd redial and bingo, connected. Then came the website. This was before the chart of success. In the beginning, I'd still just wait until 4 pm to to call. After about a year with no pizza, I finally decided to set a damn alarm for 8:59 am exactly so I can run to my computer and order. Kinda like that time in 2003 when tickets for the 2008 Beijing Olympics opened, I clicked the minute they were released, and they were already sold out. Then 9 am begat a 20% success rate. So if you click between 8:55 am and 8:59 am you might be lucky enough to get in the queue. But then, is the system going to refresh? Oh shit, I'm in Firefox incognito, it might not work. Shit, I blinked, now I'm timed out and have to start all over. And they're all out! Nowadays I get on at exactly 8:54 am, finger and eyes twitching. I have cursed with my fist to the sky, "DAMN YOU KEITH! You bastard! Why do you make such good pizza?! I hate you! You're totally cackling rubbing your hands together aren't you!" Recently, I successfully got only my second pizza in about a year and a half of trying. This is like torture. The world shouldn't be this way. And I keep coming back. And I'm not one of those people who would stand in line for 4 hours at Luca in Brooklyn for a single calzone in a paper bag. I often scream out the window at 51st and Shattuck at the ghosts of the fools who would take a several hour work from home break on a Tuesday to stand in line with all the other damn hipsters just to get a Bakesale Betty's piece of chicken and sticky strawberry shortcake. Not worth it. Nothing's that worth it. But here I am, validating this frustration for this damn pizza. I really truly mean this: Keith, you should have designed the COVID-19 vaccination websites for all of America, or at least California. You would have made order out of this shite. You are a master at reshuffling the chaos of the public's impulsive behavior and getting them to grudgingly fall in line. You win. Your pizza is the best I've ever had in my life. read more

Where do I even begin. I just went to New York and tried all the recommendations: Scarrs, Joes, Lucali. Honestly they don't even come close to Emilia's. The flavors of the cheese, sauce, toppings, the crispness of the crust, the balance of the char on the dough -- it's all simply perfection. Do yourself a favor and try the hot honey with whatever other toppings you love, it's impossible to be disappointed with this pie. The only negative I can think of is that Emilia's effectively ruined all other pizza for me. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Hot honey - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

I'm not from NY but the pizza seems to be on par with the Italian style thin crust. The pizzeria is a one man shop, available til the guy runs out. We didn't have an issue with the ordering process because we planned ahead. It's definitely not a pizza to order on a whim at 8pm on a Friday. I kinda like this business model, anyways. Very artisan. Anyways...onto the pizza. We got the veggie pizza. Very, very good crust and perhaps the best part of the pizza. It's chewy, light, and absolutely perfect. My only critique is that I wish the pizza had a tad bit more toppings and sauce. However, the best pizzas are always the simplest. And if you can appreciate that, you'll love this pizza. The flavor is on point, tomatoes taste high quality and everything is fresh. Not greasy at all. You can literally eat the whole thing split between two people in one sitting because it's not heavy and you just keep wanting more. 5 stars because anything lower would be a disservice to this pizza guru. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Veggie Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

PIZZA HEAVEN. This was one of the best pizzas I've ever had. I ordered the Hoboken with onions. The ratio of toppings was perfect. The crust--thin, crispy, but still a bit chewy. I just wanted more and more. I submitted a callback request on their website around 9:30am the day of and got a call around 3:30. Pizza was ready for pickup at 5:45. Definitely do this if you don't want to wait forever! Can't wait to have this again. read more

4.5 stars. Not the most legendary, but for East Coast style pie, it lives up. If you're an East Coaster, and when I say East Coaster, I really mean northeasterner, the pizza scene out here is eh to fine. Yeah, you have the likes of Cheeseboard, but we don't consider that pizza, more like a flatbread. Yeah, you have delicious neopolitan pies like Lucia's, but again, sometimes you just want a regular pie. Nick's has been our go-to, with their California twist, and we still got love for it, but Emilia's hits it home. Emilia's has been on my radar since moving to Berkeley a few years ago. Mystery calls and wait-times, weird hours, these legendary Yelp reviews... We finally got our sh*t together, and called at 4pm. We had to call a few times to get through and the earliest pick up was 6pm. It's one dude. He picks up the phone, he makes the pizza, he takes your money. He's listening to the Yankee's, he's not trying to get to know you, but he's making some good NY style 'za. For the most part, Emilia's lives up to the hype and wins the best traditional style pie I've had while living it up in Cali. We went with the regular and the Gina Calabrese and it was so delicious. Nice crust, although a little chewy at the end, great toppings - not overloaded with cheese or sauce, letting that salty sopressata really shine thru. $20 for a regular pie and $26 for the meat. They really only do a few different toppings, so if you're looking for a Hawaiian, or goat cheese and corn, this isn't the spot for you. read more

My friend hyped up this place for days, and when it was finally "Pizza Night", he didn't hesitate to break my diet. (And of course I was curious as to how good this place could be.) Oh boy...where do I start!? I've always had generic pizza places: Costco (my all time favorite), Papa John's, Domino's, BJ's, Regent's pizza...and I've always settled down because I couldn't find any good pizza places in New York either. The system here is unlike other places, since it is a family run (or should I say one-man) show. Keith basically calls when he wants to open (it's usually at 4 pm like it says on the menu outside), but sometimes he might take a day off. If you plan to barge in and expect a slice...not going to happen! Keith makes everything to order, so if you walk in and get rejected, don't write biased reviews just because you don't play by the rules of the house! We ordered: -3 whole pizza with soppresseta Pros: -AMAZING thin crust! I am eating my left over thin crust cold as I write this review...and it is STILL amazing! I can't even begin to describe how delicious it is when you can dine in and eat it ON THE SPOT! Even someone who came for a pick up asked Keith if he could sit down and eat a slice because he saw how much we loved our pizza. I really like that the crust is not oily at all and also it is fluffy and light. It has a nice burnt flavor, and isn't topped off with flour like some places do. -DELICIOUS flavors! I love that every bite is just perfect piece of everything. You taste the freshness of all the ingredients, and each bite leads to the next. I'm not a huge sausage person, but I really enjoyed the soppresseta! I am IN LOVE with his tomato sauce too! Just the right amount! And the basil is super fresh, and not too burnt! -Home-y ambiance! When people described the location, I was thinking of a super run down place. Alas, I can only see with my own eyes! This place is definitely well kept, and the kitchen is very clean. I love the cute art pieces posted on the wall, and the paper plate "reservation" signs. I felt like I was just eating at a friend's house! It definitely gets personal, since its only you and Keith, but it's really what you make of it. If you get his humor, you'll have a great time. If not, you'll just enjoy the pizza? -Consistent pizzas! We ate the pizzas straight off the plates, and ob boy of boy...each slice was unequal, but the flavor was always consistent! Props to Keith for creating such godly pizzas! Cons: -Why did you make me eat a whole box of pizza in one sitting? (Just kidding. I volunteer as tribute!) Tips/Observations: -If you call in at 4, the pickup time is around 6 pm. If you call any later than 4:30 pm on a busy night, you may have to wait until 7-8 pm. -CASH ONLY! I didn't see any ATMs nearby...so make sure you come prepared! -They also sell drinks (soda, water, etc) here as well! -The tables are "reserved", and in order to do so, tell Keith when you call! Don't expect to be seated if you walk in. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience here. Keith knows what he is doing, and if you are a pizza lover, I am sure you will enjoy this place just as much as I do! read more

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The best I've had. I'm from NY and I have a pizza tattoo on my leg - you can say I love pizza. Despite the interesting order system, it's well worth it. Incredibly flavor, texture, right balance of sauce and cheese - perfection. Can't wait to try some more pies. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - a pizza in a box - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I am a pizza snob who avidly follows the one bite channel. Would love for them to visit this location as I am confident he'd rate it an 8 or higher. Hands down the best authentic ny pizza I've had on the west coast and it isn't even close. Absolutely worth the drive if needed, make sure to order online earlier in the day to save your pie. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria is worth the slightly cumbersome set-up. It's one of those places you always pass by while living in Berkeley and wonder "who eats here?" People with great tastebuds and patience, that's who!! You call the number listed on the website after 4pm, place your order, and get a pick-up time depending on how many other people are ordering. I used the same day call-back function on the website, which was super convenient and something I'd recommend others doing! You indicate your contact info and your preferred timeslot, and wait for the call. The website says that you'll be called back after 3:45pm and I was called at 3:46. Despite the speedy call-back, my pick-up time was for 7:40 pm. Since I ordered on a Friday, that might have been why! Got to Emilia's at 7:35 - plenty of street parking and when we got to the store, Keith was putting our Hoboken pizza right in the oven. He's a chill guy and the restaurant, albeit small, has cool memorabilia. Hoboken pizza ended up being $30 (cash only, heads-up) and Emilia's also offers drinks, such as San Pellegrino and soda. The pizza was HUGE - definitely enough for 2-3 people. You can taste the high-quality ingredients and the dough and crust were amazing. Super chewy, yet not overdone. The sausage was also fantastic. Overall, a bit pricey to make a regular habit, but definitely worth trying out! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Hoboken Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

What can I say, the online callback system to get a timeslot just to get a phone call from Keith to order a pizza was a bit crazy. It was perhaps is a reflection of the owner who felt a bit eccentric, tucked away on his own in a small space in Berkeley. Keith knows his pizza and that's all that matters. The place seems to have a cult like following hence the callback system as one person can only make so many pizzas. An incredible crust and balance of flavors, a truly enjoyable experience. Be sure to order by 9am if you want your order before 7pm! Thanks Keith for bringing New York to the Bay Area. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - a pizza in a box - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Dear Emilia's owner, I cannot express how much happiness your pizza brings me. It is incredible. The ingredients always taste fresh and in perfect ratios, the dough is flavorful with a beautifully pillowy texture yet thin height and crispy base. I cannot stop coming back here, and I can say honestly it is my favorite pizza place in the Bay. Coming to Emilia's on weekday evenings is a highlight of my day, and lifts my spirits no matter the troubles and stresses of the week. Thank you all of the joy you bring! read more

Such good pizza, you just have to be patient. They are only open a few nights a week, and even then, you need to order the pizza well in advance to actually get any. I picked up my pizza at 5:30 and he had a sign on the door that he couldn't take any more orders until 7:30. This is understandable though, since this shop is literally one person making pizza. It's also worth being patient because the pizza is delicious. The crust is thin, with a perfect balance of sauce and cheese on top. The flavors are so satisfying and rich without being overwhelming. I had margherita that was so good I wasn't even mad he gave me margherita when I ordered cheese. I only docked this place a star because they're only open a few nights a week, which can be inconvenient, but their pizza is without a doubt 5 star pizza. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Cute little place. This picture shows the entire restaurant - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Delicious! I found the chewy, thin, crust that I know and love and have missed dearly since moving from NY. Emilia's is awesome. You've got to log on to their website at 4 to place your order... and you'll have to plan your day around picking up your pizza, but it's well worth it! No frills place. There's just two chairs and a small table inside, so you'll want to get take out. We had a 7:15pm pick up time and our pie was ready right on schedule. We ordered one large traditional pie. Fresh basil, mozzarella, red sauce. Well proportioned, fresh, high quality ingredients. It's a light, not greasy slice that reminds you of why pizza is so damn good (as if anyone could forget how delicious pizza is.) I'll be coming back soon, for sure. ;) read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

One of the very, very few that gets the salt/sugar balance just right. This guy has really gotten the whole thing right.

This is probably the most elusive pizzeria I have ever been to. It is only open a few days of the week, only for a few hours starting at 5pm and if you don't call in quickly enough you will probably not be able to get a pie. I think the best judgement of a pizzeria is their basic cheese pizza, which is what I ordered. I had to place the order about an hour beforehand, my recommendation is to call right as the phones open at 4pm and just say what time you want your pizza to be ready by and they will happily fit you in. The pizza itself was very good. The only complaint I had was the sauce was a little too sweet for me but overall still a very good pie. A single pizza was enough to fill up my friend and I so for $21 a meal for two isn't that bad. I definitely want to try a different pie they have. And it is much better than a lot of pizzas they have in the area. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Front door - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Pros: Some of the best pizza I ever had. Got half Pepperoni and Cheese and half mushroom and onions for the wife. We both really enjoyed it and specially because of the price. pretty cheap compared to other spots of this quality. Cons: I found the ordering process to be too much of a hassle and too be honest, it might be the reason I don't order again. Having to save your spot online at 9 am and then having to wait for a call back so you can make your order doesnt seem worth it for me. Dont get me wrong, the pizza is delicious which is why im giving it a 4 star review. read more

This is the only spot in the Bay Area that has good quality pizza! We have lived in nj, nyc, boston, and chicago and have come to appreciate the pizza within each city. However, when we moved to the Bay Area, we gave up on pizza entirely! We could not find a single spot that would provide a decent thin nyc style with fluffy crust. Emilia's is excellent! I would describe it as a combination of nyc style because of the pillowy crust with the darkened char of a new haven wood fired pizza. It also has the feel of a neopolitan style pizza due to the drizzle of evoo, basil and the style of cheese and sauce (fresh slices of mozzarella spread amongst the traditional shredded cheese). The sauce is not too tangy or sweet (if there were an area to improve it would be on the sauce but that is only because I like a tangy sauce). Overall, this is the best pizza we've had in the Bay Area and probably the only spot we'll order from! Really enjoyed it and look forward to trying other toppings! read more

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Probably one of the best pizzas out in the Bay Area. They use Bianco di Napoli which is the best. The dough is truly the star though, super soft, but crispy on the bottom. Though the sausage was much better than the pepperoni. read more

What is all the hype? It's mostly dough. Bay Area people, please stop overrating establishments.

Just deal with his ordering system. It's worth it. I've been a regular customer for 12 years, and you just get used to it because no pizza is better than Emilia's. read more

The pizza debate is over. The water is not as important as we thought. This place is on par with Grimaldis in Brooklynn. Only drawback is you have to set an appointment. Though it does make it more special. My new favorite NY pizza spot in the bay. read more

It's not like this place needs my 5 star review, but I'm doing it anyway. Pros: pizza is some of the best I've ever had. Style is a hybrid, the slices are relatively thin and the crust is crispy, so I'm guessing the oven is wood-fired. I always get the Gina calabrese, so I can't speak to any other ingredients, but all the toppings were top-notch. Cons: it's only one guy, so you have to call ahead and sometimes you might not be able to get a pizza until 8PM. I can't really hold that against him, because I'm pretty sure this isn't his main gig. Only one table inside that has to be reserved. read more

This is the only place to get good pizza in the east bay. Period. Everyone was like "try cheese board try cheese board!" And it doesn't hold a candle to this guys craft. Just go here and enjoy actual quality pizza - closest pizza I've had to anything on the east coast. read more

Best pizza I've had in the Bay Area. Kinda feels like some combination of NY, New Haven, and Roman style pizza types. I love this place and if I lived closer I would be here all of the time. I like to order it with extra sauce, his sauce is top notch. read more

I don't usually buy into the hype but this one is real. Not sure what black magic is going on behind the scene here but the pizza is absolutely addictive. Sure the ordering system is a hassle and availability is often limited, but have you tried standing in the line at Cheese Board to buy lesser pizza? We're about to move from Easy Bay to Marin, and Emilia's is the place I'll be making the drive back for. read more

Crust is divine. I mean best I have had in a long time, probably since I went to Italy. Toppings very flavorful. Sauce good. Great cheeses. Fantastic taste experience. Not in the least greasy. I lucked out and just walked in to get a pie but I do think that was luck. Call ahead. Very tiny place and the guy running it doesn't have the best bed side manner, but everyone can't be a blabber mouth like me. He just seems a little shy or reserved. Sketchy neighborhood. I had to carry my delicious pie a few blocks - through a crowd of homeless people at a food distribution center! Yikes. Not pleasant. I'd drive or uber there if possible. But homeless seem very prevalent in Berkeley/Oakland. Only one size and I paid 28 bucks for eight pieces. But it was well worth it! Cash only here. Highly recommended. read more

The best pizza I ever had outside of Napoli. My Friends took me here on Saturday night and we ordered 2 pizzas and they were the best i ever had !! I wanted to them to order another margarita but we couldn't. I wish I had another pizza. 2 pizzas weren't enough! read more

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If there's better pizza out there (in the world) than Emilia's, I'm not aware of it. I've only ever ordered their red onion and sopressata pie but it's so damn satisfying I haven't actually considered getting anything else. And I'm not sure you should either. Because this is a one man operation, you may encounter a busy signal when you call. My advice: keep calling! When he answers he'll ask you what you want and when you want it. Don't be surprised if you get quoted a very precise time, like 7:25. If he says 7:25, it will be ready at 7:25! Trust. read more

Emelia's pizza has a good taste and fresh ingredients. It also doesn't have a lot of toppings. It's good pizza, but there are better places nearby, hence the four stars. read more