I have been GF for 15 years and have never seen/had a pizza like this. It's bubbly and slightly charred and amazing. The calamari is amazing too. It's small so make a reservation or sit at the bar. read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Ham and mushroom pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

YO talk about it- celiacs can eat here! I had the GF prosciutto pizza, I haven't had a dough/crust like that since before I was diagnosed with celiac disease. I was crying on the inside of happiness, the delicious taste/texture of the crust was phenomenal. I also had fried calamari, delicious donuts that had a ricotta\pear/cinnamon sugar situation that was a delight and a cherry Italian soda, which their syrups are gluten-free. When am I going back? Asap! If you're gluten free and or celiac eat here!! Food will not disappoint. read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - To die for gluten free prosciutto pizza. Crust goes crazy - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Their gluten free pizza is the tops!!!! Very expensive, though. Nice toppings, although I prefer a sweet fennel Italian sausage.

Excellent gluten free options, great food, lovely people. My husband with Celiac was soooo happy. We will definitely be back!!!

Charged us $2.50 for Parmesan cheese and charged us a credit card fee. Pizza was soupy in the middle and dough was mushy.

Unimpressed in 2 key ways on my one visit (food and service). My friend was delayed and had something to rush to afterward, so she asked me to place the order for her. When I arrived, I told the server that my friend is delayed but I'd order for her, so server took booth orders. When my dish arrived, I asked about my friend's order; that's when the server thought to mention that she decided to hold placing my friend's order until my friend arrived. If we wanted to have the order placed only after my friend arrived, then my friend could order herself and there was no point in my letting the server know in advance what dish my friend wanted. I ordered the vegan soup du jour. It was apparently some soup that tasted like onions and/or cabbage, with fake vegan cheese baked on top of it, served in an oval ramekin that comes out of the oven. I think it was trying to be French onion soup, which I've liked on every other occasion on which I've had it. I found it inedible. The flavors didn't meld at all, and actually seemed to conflict: it was as though someone took shortcuts by steaming sweet onion, pouring broth over it, and shoving it in the oven just long enough to heat through and have the cheese-or-cheese-substitute melt. My server did not ask anything about the fact that it sat off to the side the entire meal and then went back uneaten other than the one bite I tried. The arugula salad was great, but isn't enough to move the rating higher. It's hard to mess up taking baby arugula, mixing in dressing, and adding few strips of other stuff. Points to this place for offering gluten-free pasta as an option. I will lobby against this place if someone suggests it. There are many better restaurants nearby. read more

Popped in here looking for a place that had yummy food, gluten free options, and cocktails. Lucia's met all the marks. We ordered burrata, calamari, and olives for the table. The burrata was fantastic, served beautifully with prosciutto and a gorgeous tomato on the side. This could have been a meal by itself. The calamari was ok. Probably needed some salt to enhance the flavor. The olives were not ripe and a little off in flavor. The pizzas were good. The dough was delicious and such a great combination of chewy and doughy and crispy. We ordered a few different pizzas... the prosciutto with arugula, a sardine with olives plus Buffalo mozzarella, and the special pizza which was a squash pizza. The Buffalo mozzarella wasn't added to one of our pizzas and the staff was accommodating to fix it. We ordered the squash pizza with gluten free crust and it was one of the better gluten free crusts, but the squash pizza itself was a little bland and lacked flavor and salt. Dessert was delicious. We each ordered the gelato specials and the butterscotch crème pot for the table. The gelato was decadent, especially the milk flavored gelato with the luxardo cherries and syrup on top. The salted Carmel ice cream didn't really taste like anything. The crème pot was ok. All in all, this is a solid place and I would definitely return. I don't live in the area so not sure how it compares to other options nearby that might be better or worse. read more

Nice little place on a busy street in downtown Berkeley. Met friends for dinner prior to a show around the corner at Berkeley Rep. I never felt rushed and the servers were nice and accommodating. They do a lot of take away orders too. Food was delicious but there seemed to always be something missing. I'm just not sure what. They are known for their pizza which is okay. It's in the Napoletana style which is very different. The appetizers were good too, just nothing I would want to automatically have again. The vibe is great. I would definitely recommend going to Lucia's. I just don't know if I would go back. But you might fall in love with the place. Or watch for their pizza truck at a farmers market near you. read more

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The best italiano pizza in the Bay. Very authentic and their Napoli style is dynamite!

This divine Neapolitan pizzeria style is what I call my new love for pizza, you've got to give it a try. The dough is *chef's kiss* perfection, achieving the perfect balance of crisp, chewy, and light. Whether it's the delightful simplicity of the margherita or the carefully crafted Diavola, each slice is heaven-sent (and trust me, I've eaten many). I've only ever ordered take-out, so I can't speak to the vibe of the joint, but the pizza is fresh and authentic. You can also order your pie unsliced and they include home heating instructions, which is a nice touch. Grazie mille! read more

Lucia never let me down, I always want to go back. I always order pizza or pasta, always good. My daughter is gluten intolerant so we order the gluten free pizza, super good. read more

This was an excellent experience from start to finish. Starting with a warm welcome from staff to quick seating, reasonable wait time to place order and getting food. Peaking with the Margherita (the dough was delightful), tender Ragu and great herb fries! The ambiance was wonderful: while cozy, it didn't feel stuffed and had a lot of accents of wood and red brick. Would definitely come back again in a heartbeat! read more

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In an era where amazing pizza places are popping up in Berkeley and Oakland , Lucia's does not impress unfortunately. I went in excited by their selection of pizzas but was ultimately let down by the slow service, mediocre flavors, and undercooked inconsistent doughs. SERVICE (7/10): I had a 6 pm reservation on a Friday, and was seated immediately. I could tell from sitting by the door that they have a lot of to go orders that they fulfill, which seems to take away from the dine in service. All the servers were doing a great job tending to tables and fulfilling orders, but clearly it was overwhelming. We placed our order at 6:10 but didn't get our pizzas until 7, which seemed a little long but would have been fine if the food was great but it was just disappointing. FOOD (5/10): For 4 people we ordered 3 pizzas, the rapini and sausage, cosacca, and special of the day pizza which was a carbonara pizza. Of these the carbonara was the clear favorite for all of us, what was impressive was the breadcrumb fried egg yolks that were perfectly cooked. That's where the compliments end. My issue across all the pizzas was that the crust was extreme doughy, with an inconsistent cook across all the pizzas, just look at the two crusts I had. I know it's supposed to be Neapolitan style, with a soft crust, but this was straight up chewy and doughy. It's clear to me that one oven is not cutting it for the volume of to go and dine in orders. The cosacca used regular tomatoes instead of a standard marinara sauce but wow this was a watery oily mess on top of uncooked dough. The rapini and sausage was definitely the worst, none of the ingredients went well together or felt cohesive, the rapini was extremely bitter and didn't with no other flavors to help balance it, and the cheese just became rubber globs. In downtown Berkeley you have some solid pizza options. My personal favorite is Rose Pizzeria, two blocks away, but Jupiters will do in a pinch. read more

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Lucia is the best regular and gluten-free pizza I have ever had! I cannot believe how good their gluten-free pizza is. My daughter, unfortunately, has a gluten allergy only recently, and this has caused her much grief.. We are over the moon thrilled to have found Lucia's! Not only is there pizza amazing but they also have gluten-free calamari and other items that are so delicious. We come here about once a week and we are never let down. You must try it. There wood oven pizza is perfection thank you Lucia's for providing the best gluten-free options in the Bay Area, we will support you forever and ever! read more

Love this place! The food is delicious and the service lovely. They make great cocktails, wonderful pizza with just the right amount of chewiness in the crust, and perfect pasta. They have a good wine list too. read more

I came to Lucia's after a long stroll to the Rose Garden with my partner. We were quite hungry and craving pizza. After having tried other pizza places around the area (Jupiter, Pizzeria de Laura, Sliver, Gather), I was sure the pizza in Berkeley went crazy. After a short wait , we were seated around 8:15pm at the dinner rush and quickly decided upon the margherita and bolognese. I found the decor fairly nice with the brick installments and an open pizza kitchen. I then went to the restroom and upon my return, our food arrived and was quite presentable although portions looked like they were meant for kids (the party next to us said the exact same thing). I admit I was pleased to dig in, but that's where the good ends. We shared the margherita first and found that it was very flimsy to the point where as soon as we picked it up the undercarriage flopped and the sauce and cheese flooded the plate. After I had scooped the cheese back onto the pizza, I was left underwhelmed by how soggy the pizza was. Furthermore, crust had no crisp whatsoever, akin to Little Caesar's breadsticks but slightly charred and lacking a crunch. I was very hungry though and still finished my half. Then, we moved onto the Bolognese which was honestly tiny and absolutely not shareable. It wasn't as bad as the pizza and the noodles were definitely al dente, but the sauce was a bit watery and again the portions were profoundly minuscule. Having split the pasta, I found myself chugging the water to feel full. To top it all off, my partner found a short hair on her plate which she scooped to the side. As she has long straight hair and I have medium curly hair, we conclude it couldn't have been from either of us. As the bill came, I was extremely displeased and disappointed by the food for the price. These two dishes in total were 49$ excluding tip. I'd be happy to pay the price if the food was at least satisfying. I left the restaurant with a bitter taste in my mouth and having felt swindled. Sorry, Lucia's was not it. Edit: Had to change it to 1 star. Drove home from here to San Jose and still pissed. read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Margherita Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Has so many gluten free items and is so tasty. The gluten free pizzas have an incredibly chewy delicious crust like no other place in the area. Spicy olive oil makes this pizza crust even better. Pasta dishes are also so good. Go for the specials. They are worth it. read more

The staff were incredibly nice and our food came out quickly. The bread on the pizza was probably the softest bread ever. The crust was to die for. I'm definitely coming back here again read more

I'd rather have a meal anywhere else in Berkeley. 2 stars for the very kind support staff working there. Such a bad experience I'd like to give zero stars. The person working front of house was a nightmare. The staff seemed quite scared by her. I was treated so rudely and in an unnecessary condescending manner. If one is so easily overwhelmed and bothered by humanity probably best not to work in the service industry. I don't expect folks to be overjoyed while working but maybe realize that customers are paying to be there and be fed. The pasta I had was overcooked and bland. Whatever, on to the next! read more

Was in town for a concert After reading a lot of reviews we decided on Lucias AMAZING! Loveluvlouve this place we ordered meatballs ...never had a meatball like this, it was light and melted in your mouth great flavor House salad... large portions enough for 2, dressing was very light not a lot of flavor but it works with all the very fresh veggies Ham and mushroom pizza... was absolutely delicious they have the best dough so thin and omg can't even describe how good it was Our Server Asha was the best very sweet Highly Recommended read more

Omg! Such amazing pizza! I hate how most gluten free pizza is the texture of cardboard. This was REAL NEAPOLITAN PIZZA! We had a big group, but they were very accommodating. Everything was delicious, and I know it's crazy to say, but the Diavola (pepperoni) was THE BEST! Truly the most amazing I've ever had (sorry Tony's). Thank y'all for taking such good care of us for my birthday. It was everything I hoped for. read more

The meatballs were dry and tasteless, calzone fried pie was soggy with little cheese or prosciutto, Brussels sprouts were overcooked, and pesto pasta was just okay...basically a disappointment! read more

Christian was an awesome bartender/server. Honestly best I've had anywhere in a while. Very attentive, charismatic and helpful. We'll definitely be back. The vegan pizza, brussel sprouts and espresso martinis are off the hook! read more

Lucia's earned a 4-start rating primarily because my party was seated almost 10-15 minutes after our reservation time. I haven't encountered that anywhere else in the last 5 years.. The ambiance and location are very nice, and the food was goo (and very well-plated) but not great. I had a pizza the waiter recommended, and I can think of at least a couple other restaurants I would prefer to go to for pizza now that I've had Lucia's. read more

I wish I had taken pictures of the food to accompany this review but alas... Our waitress told us this place has been open for 7 years but it was our first time! We went on a double date and had cocktails, apps, pasta, pizza and dessert. Nothing missed. Everybody was saying "this is the best pizza I've ever had" - "this pasta is incredible" Our waitress was lovely I'm sorry I missed her name! Made a reservation on Thursday for Friday night. We want to come back as soon as possible! There is a casual but warm vibe inside. It's not fussy or pretentious but still feels special. We will be adding Lucia's into our rotation as a special meal or somewhere to impress guests. Nice spot to take a date or a small group of friends. read more

What an amazing dinner! We came here because our neighbors had them cater and it looked so good I had to check them out. Didn't disappoint. We will be back. read more

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This review has been a long time coming, but it's time for me to say it loud and say it proud: Lucia's is one of my favorite places for Italian food in the East Bay! Admittedly, moving to California shifted my cuisine preferences to go beyond the frequent Italian fare that I knew growing up in New York. However, whenever I'm looking for an Italian dinner or brunch and I'm in Berkeley or Oakland, Lucia's is on the top of the list. My most recent meal was a casual brunch with two friends (including their precocious daughter). Service was wonderful from top to bottom, and I appreciated how the service staff allowed my friends' daughter to explore several parts of the restaurant in spite of the potential disruption. The porchetta hash was a filling combination of roasted pork, potatoes, avocado, and egg, and the bite I had of the carbonara pizza was creamy but not overwhelmingly so. Past dinner standouts include the broccoli rabe (with a lovely anchovy brininess to it that made it pop), the vegetable fritto misto, and the subtly spicy Lips of Fire pizza. When I combine the excellent service with the amazing food, Lucia's is a clear winner! read more

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I visited Lucia's because I was attending a show nearby. I was drawn in by the gluten free pizza options. The staff was very nice and worked quickly to feed customers (since a lot of the crowd is there for dinner before a show). We ordered the salad, meatballs and Regina pizza. The salad was just okay -- too small and simple in my opinion. I feel they could add another vegetable into it and make the portion size a bit larger. It tasted very good. I didn't care for the meatballs. They were oily and did not taste fresh. The real star of the meal was the pizza. This was the BEST gluten free pizza I've had. The crust is perfection and everything you'd want from a wood fired pizza. I couldn't tell it was gluten free. It is very impressive. Next time, I would just order two of the pizzas and skip the appetizers. read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - House Salad & Meatballs - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Brunch. 11.17.19 It was the Berkeley Half Marathon weekend... my family and I would always have brunch after I raced it... and since our go-to restaurant closed and knowing that it was going to be difficult to get a place to eat post-race, I made a reservation here for 10 people. The race is being over... my cousin and her husband and child... had to bail for brunch b/c she felt sick. I knew I should have called - this happened at 1045 am while my reservation was at 11:15 am. We still had 7 people going... so I thought in my head "no big deal." WRONG. Got to the place - of course, it was packed with racers and their families... my brother had their baby in the stroller... I told the hostess (short hair woman) that we were only going to be 7 people total b/c of my cousin getting sick post-race and I was TRULY apologetic at not having called ahead of time, but I explained sincerely that I was sorry and that IT JUST HAPPENED. MELTDOWN. The hostess woman just gave me an attitude. She told me that I should have called and I replied saying IT WAS POST RACE... still, eye rolls and walks away and I was contemplating walking out... but unfortunately, my mom and my aunt are both diabetic and we had a baby... post racers... it was a cluster f and I HAD no choice but to stay... in hopes that it'll get better... unfortunately, it didn't. NOTE: We were 7 people. Even if I had called, they would have had to sit us in that notorious table. Thus, it was mind baffling WHY there was attitude and why she had a meltdown. She gave my brother an attitude for having a stroller and literally told us that she should have been alerted that we had a baby. WHOA. 1. I booked it with Opentable. Last I checked, Opentable didn't have an option of notifying the restaurant of babies and or diabetic people. All I can say is WHY IS SHE THE HOSTESS!? She can't handle stress and or pressure and literally RUINED the experience for us. Our server Alessandro sorta gave us an attitude in the beginning but by then, I was over it. My brother lost his appetite. My family was just weirded out by the whole experience. Our tab came out to be $142.90 with service charge (which Alessandro told me...) I had to chuckle about that... yes, I know we were Asians and I also know the bad reputation that Asian people don't give good tips... thank you Captain Obvious. They closed it out... I wasn't able to ADD extra... so just to stick it to them... I ended up giving them another $20 in cash even if the service was horrible. Note to the management: Please don't ever let that short-haired woman be the host at a busy, high-pressure day/event. She can't handle the pressure... lacked empathy (It wasn't my fault my cousin got sick!? Would you want her in the restaurant sick? That would be far worse - correct?) And last I checked, it's Berkeley and I thought everyone there is people-friendly, including babies, which we had a 2-month-old and she just slept the whole entire time we were there. For people reading this... just note that I'm a good tipper due to that Asian-bad tipper reputation and I've been into far more restaurants that are busy but have yet to get this reception from anywhere. What a disappoint. One and done. I'll be sure to let all my friends know what horrible experience this place was... Bleh. read more

Our date night special and one of my top 3 to go for a wood fired pizza. Do not forget to ask for their chili oil. Their Pesto Pasta is pretty good too and their Salads are fresh and never disappoint. read more

Super cozy place to have a dinner with friends! We shared two pastas and two pizza amongst the 5 of us. The prosciutto pie and Bolognese were definitely highlights and absolutely delicious! The calzone was also really yummy but I felt like there could have been more filling. Wouldn't recommend the pesto (it was a little oily!). read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Calzone Napoletano (top), Pesto pasta (middle), Bolognese (bottom left), Prosciutto Pie (bottom right) - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

4 stars for appetizers of shishito peppers and calamari. 2 stars for the pizza special which was dough with a cup of ragú and a sprinkling of cheese. Did not enjoy that at all. read more

Lucia's is another Berkeley classic. They seem to be most well-known for their wood-fired Neapolitan-style pizzas, which they describe to have "soft dough with a blistered crust." I highly recommend their prosciutto pie, which has been consistent every time I have visited. The various components of each pizza - dough, sauce, mozzarella, and toppings compliment each other perfectly. They also offer restaurant buyouts for larger parties (think ~50-60) with pricing in the four figure range that varies with day of the week. They are not open Mondays nor Tuesdays, but otherwise can be booked on the days they are open. Overall, great restaurant, friendly staff, and fantastic food. Have been and will be back! read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Rapini & Sausage - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Best pizza in the Bay Area ! Sooooooo good Cool ambiance , good service, amazing pizza. Also try the montanarine. It would be fried pizza on top of Normal pizza , but it's for a good reason read more

We have ordered pizza and burrata ! Both were good, but their tiramisu is really good!! Definitely come back here! We didn't have reservations for Sunday nite but luck to sat down right away! Service was great as well! read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Tiramisu - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best pizza in Berkeley. Roman style thin crust pies with the real deal wood fired crust. We got 4 pizzas for 6 people and had leftovers, but did get some salads and appetizers. The gluten free crust is absolutely amazing- highly highly recommend- I will be working to emulate this at home! Little gem salad and the secret burrata pizza were the standouts but everything was great. Service was also friendly and efficient. read more

A fantastic hole in the wall spot! The sign outside is super small but neon pink, and I never really knew this spot existed despite walking by it numerous times. I came on a Thursday night and had a reservation already made, but still had to wait a bit for the table. Upon being seated, our waitress went over the menu and specials with us, and was very accommodating with our large party. I ended up sharing the margherita and big ham pizzas with 3 others, which was a pretty good portion. However, if you're really hungry you could probably finish an entire pizza on your own. It's neopolitan style so the crust is super thin and chewy, which is something I really enjoy. The toppings themselves all tasted super fresh, and I'm so glad I now know of a spot that serves these here in Berkeley! Definitely check this place out if you're looking for some authentic Italian food. read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Big Ham Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Can't even give this place a one star, the rudeness upon entering this small establishment was absolutely unnecessary . We are a family of 5 and although we did not have a reservation (arrived upon opening) still did not expect the discourteous manner the hostess displayed. His callousness was unnecessary , without even looking up he asked if we had a reservation. Upon informing him we did not, he motioned that we could sit out side. At which point his ill mannered and negative attitude made us uncomfortable so we left that establishment. This restaurant was recommended by our hotel and I will be sure to inform them of our treatment so that they no longer encourage patrons to visit this place. We were so fortunate to come upon Heroic Italian who were extremely gracious and the food was delicious! read more

Lucia’s Berkeley - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

I went to college in Berkeley about a decade ago and a lot has changed. I lived down the street from Lucia's and I think it was a video game store. Since then, there are a few nicer, more hipster eats. Next door is the popular Comal and across the street is Revival. I think these places cater to the Berkeley Rep crowd or grad students. I had dinner at Lucia's with my college roommates and we remarked how it was a step up from Fat Slice or Blondie's where we used to get our slices. Lucia's is more specialty pizza made in a wood burning oven with finer ingredients and a full bar. The pizza dough is yummy and chewy, the toppings seem sparse but I think they are trying to showcase the dough. They have the classic margherita, mushroom, and ham pizzas, as well as make your own pizzas. But the price for each ingredient is about $3-4 so choose well! "Ready made" pizzas are about $20. The drinks are about $9-12 for wine or mixed drinks. (Hence why I said Lucia's is for the college crowd with money. The place is casual- their chairs are the same ones you used to sit on to take notes in class, and the crowd is younger. It's a bit smaller so it's not a bad idea to make a reservation. All in all, I enjoyed it but maybe am going to try other pizza places in the area. read more

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Lucia's has the best gluten free pizza and pasta I've found anywhere. After discovering a gluten intolerance several years ago, I've longed for great pizza and pasta and always been disappointed with the offerings I've found. Lucia's gluten free pizzas and pastas are so much better than any that I've found elsewhere. Both the Diavola Pizza and the Norma were delicious, and the pasta bolognese was phenomenal. We will definitely be going back to Lucia's regularly for dinner. We're also not-so-secretly hoping that they'll open a San Francisco location sometime soon so that we can go even more often. read more