The portions are a tad on the smaller side, but we've never had anything less than a great meal here. Fresh ingredients, inventive recipes, and everything is executed exceptionally well. It's definitely worth a try. read more

Amazing the best batch cocktail ever! I loved Pizzaiolo before but was very impressed at how they have changed to adapt to our current times. You will feel very safe getting takeout from here. Please do and keep them in business. read more

This was one of my first choices of restaurants to try during my too short visit to the Bay Area. Their plates on Instagram are so pretty, but not fussy. I was not disappointed. The space is beautiful and comfortable. I had an excellent breakfast and on a second visit, cocktails and dinner. Our waiters on both visits were the best. read more

See all

Wow! I've never spent a lot of time in the Temescal neighborhood, but Pizzaiolo is definitely a restaurant worth the trek out from SF. I enjoyed a delicious dinner here, and I hear that their brunch is even more delicious, so I am planning to organize a group to come out to experience that soon. Had dinner with two co-workers here on a Tuesday evening. The place was hopping. The music list was one of the most creative I've ever heard, venturing from polka to alt rock remakes to sonnets - and some how every single song was cool, including (or especially) the polka. Tried two salads, one with persimmons and one with citrus, both were delish. Tried the roast pork, amazing. Had the roast broccoli with bread crumbs, it was great. Tried a pizza, it was pretty perfect. I don't think you can go wrong here! Decaf coffee for dessert somehow managed to be a wow as well - not sure where the beans were from, but they had an intense cacao taste that really stood out. I hear that reservations are an absolute must here for dinner, so plan ahead! Brunch, on the other hand, is order at the counter and grab a seat, so more casual. This place is about a 15 minute walk from MacArthur BART through a slightly sketchy neighborhood (got beeped at and followed for half a block only once). read more

I had dinner there last night, it was terrible. Arrived at 6:20 and was told by the host that the wait for a table was going to be and hour and fifteen maybe an hour and twenty. Ended up having to wait for over 2 hours with Minimal communication. Didn't enjoy the experience. read more

Warning this place will recharge your card a far higher amount than what is the receipt! I went in and shared a pizza and a few drinks. I received a bill for around $70 at the restaurant, well folks looks like I am going to have to start a dispute with my bank as the "edited" the amount to $160. PLEASE DO NOT GO HERE. THE FOOD IS NASTY (BURNED PIZZA) AND THEY WILL STEAL FROM YOU. Try Burma Superstar, it's a block down and the service is great. read more

Delicious :) They change their menu every day but this is definitely my to-go-splurge restaurant. The drinks are amazing and I am in love with their Gin & Tonics and Satsuma Sour. Because they make their own tonic water, I love how fresh and herb-y it tastes. It's super refreshing! Pizza is always a go-to and is always satisfying. Their mains are pricey and I always tend to order their seafood dishes when it's in season-- definitely a treat! The employees are very friendly and they really make you feel like you're at home :). read more

I can't believe how disappointed I am. My husband and I have lived here in Oakland for 20 years but had never tried this place. Decided to go for my birthday dinner because I thought it was a sure thing in terms of quality and service. I let them know ahead of time that it was my birthday and they confirmed it when my confirming my reservation. Instead of getting seated at the seat by the window or on the outdoor patio we got seated right next to the server station where no one saw us. Then we had a server try to deliver this the wrong meal at least two times. We had to wait much longer than we should have for our salad. The portions were so small I couldn't believe it. The quality of that pasta, wine list and salad were great but I didn't realize if you wanted to be full you should order a pizza. Ironically, last year we went to Commis for my birthday. I joked to my husband that if he were still hungry I would take him to Fentons (thankfully no need). However, after this meal at Pizzaiolo we ended up having to go somewhere else to have more food. Usually, we share an app or two (incl salad), each have an entree, and then dessert and coffee. Perfect day. Sadly I have learned my lesson and will do more research next time read more

Located on Telegraph, Pizzaiolo is easy to miss unless you're looking for it. The inside is pretty dark and romantic. Street parking or a parking lot across the street is available. We didn't want to wait too long for a table so just snagged some bar seats (first come, first serve!) We had really awesome service - they didn't bug us at all, just came and helped us when we needed. The only complaint I had was that the food took foreevvvvver to come out (but more of the kitchen's fault, not the servers). This was the November 5th menu* -Salame Calabrese & Piemontese with Parmigiano Reggiano & toast (5/5): wow! the salames were both very delicious and paired perfectly with the cheese. Was not expecting that much cheese!! But everything on this plate meshed together very well and it was great. -Tomato sauce, sausage, hot pepper, panna pizza (5/5): seriously amazing. everything on this was so fresh and the pizza was a great size to share w/ 2 people. Love this place and will keep coming back! read more

Awesome food. We had buffalo margherita, fried green tomatoes were incredible, cocktails wonderful. Truly one of the best places in the Bay Area. read more

This is my favorite date spot in the neighborhood. Also a great place for delicious coffee and pastries in the morning. Wonderful ambiance and friendly staff! House made bread makes for delicious (albeit pricey) toast and the firewood oven means fresh, delicious thin crust pizza. In the evening: Romantic and great cocktails. Highly recommend the potato pizza but I've had a number of other pizza's as well and never been disappointed. It's pricey for sure but not outrageous and the service is excellent :) read more

Pizzaiolo is a top choice in Oakland and probably the Bay Area for wood-fired Neapolitan style pizzas. The wait can be a little long, but if you're willing to hang for a minute it's well worth it. Drinks: an extensive cocktail menu awaits you, though I didn't get anything. My fiancee got a ginger lime soda which was delicious and non-alcoholic. Fiancee and I shared a starter of heirloom tomato, creme fraiche, avocado, and beans. The beans were a tad salty, but when combined with the other ingredients the saltiness was definitely cut. The portions were a little small here, only 2 slices of tomato. Margherita pizza was really good, I wish it had a little more basil on top, maybe hit it with some fresh basil? But the bottom was crispy and chewy and salty and all the goodness that you want from a pizza. Even better than the margherita was the squash pizza. Summer squash, fresh ricotta, and a persillade made this a fresh summer treat. The parsley was the perfect bright acid that contrasted with the cheese, dough, and squash. Yum. We didn't get dessert, but it looked pretty good. A little pricey, but you should be able to get leftovers. Definitely go here if you love pizza! read more

We had a 7:15 reservation here (they only take reservations starting late in the evening), but my friend got to the restaurant early, at 6:30 and was able to get us seats at the high top. The server was very nice and brought her olives on the house while she was waiting for us with a glass of wine. When we arrived, we were able to seamlessly "cancel" our 7:15 reservation and stay at our seats, though they offered for us to be able to move to a table. Sadly, they forgot to bring us our squash blossom appetizer and brought our entrees out as they became ready. We ended up canceling our appetizer, even though they offered to fire it up for us. My prosciutto and arugula pizza was a showstopper, with the prosciutto piled high. Pizza is just as I like it - thin crust. The desserts were not fantastic. Ginger cake with pear was a little too "spicy", the fruit crisp was not super fresh tasting, but the pot de creme was very good, with a deep rich chocolate flavor. I wish it came with more chocolate cookies, because those were amazing. read more

See all

dont understand the hype. personally, I've been to italy many times and have tried many great pizza place around the bay area, this place just falls short. first of all, the pizza crust was so burnt everything i ate tasted bitter. it didn't matter what the topping was, i couldn't help but to frown every bite because of how burnt the crust was (see my photo) next to the flavor, ordered, the Margherita and sweet/hot peeper with house made sausage pizza. neither was impressive at all. the sauce with marghertia pizza was bland, hot pepper and sausage pizza was even more bland and under seasoned. then to portion size. So before the pizza, we ordered a summer chicory salad. and when it arrived, it was the size of a side salad from any brunch place. and the salad costs $14? really? a few leaves with dressing costs that much? it's a bit ridiculous. all in all, i will not be returning, I've been wanting to try this place for a long time but honestly i cannot see the hype. there are so many other pizza places out there, if you crave the similar thin crust experience, Tony's and Una Pizza Napoletana make great ones and never fail. read more

Pizzaiolo - Patio dining - Italian Near Me - Oakland, California

See all

November 4, 2009, Tuesday, @ 7:45 PM If I were a super-model and earning my salaries in Euro or Yen, I would bribe the chef at Pizzaiolo to cook for me everyday. I would ask Mr/Ms. Chef to duplicate the dinner I had with BF last night: PUNTARELLE & ARTICHOKE JERUSALEM WITH ANCHOVIES, LEMON AND GRANA (5 stars): A wonderful combination of citrus-tangy and bitter taste. Very refreshing salad. I would ask Chef to quadruple the portions since I can eat a whole platter of this almost guilt-free! ($9) MEATBALLS W/ POLENTA & RAPINI (5 stars): 4 medium-sized meatballs in thick red sauce. I had one bite just to taste but my mouth exclaimed "WOW!" The meatballs had a nice smokey taste to it. The tomato sauce was divine and gooey. Too bad the server forgot to serve the bread we requested to soak up the sauce and polenta. Double-portions would have been nice. ($14) MARGHERITA PIZZA(3.5 stars): Don't get me wrong--it's good but it's also just okay good. No "Wow!" factor. I guess I got so spoiled with the choices of wonderful thin-crust pizzas in the Bay Area that Pizzaiolo's pizza was just on the average but can still be considered upper-crust in the thin-crust pizza world. (No pun intended.) ($13) POLENTA WITH GORGONZOLA (4.5 stars): Soooo creamy. Not like the gritty polenta that I cook at home. So simple, so comforting and perfectly paired with a glob of strong stinky cheese. ($5) TAB: $ 77.00 (including wine, 2 lemonades, tax and tip) Since I am not even close to any kind of model much less a super-model and very thankful for my modest wage, I will be happy to just eat at Pizzaiolo once in a while. However, BF was not wowed. Once again, we left the restaurant with him reporting: I'm still hungry." I left the place comfortably full but I do agree with him. The portions were not enough to even hit the spot for a regular folk with a regular-sized appetite. WINE: 5 Stars for a wonderful full-bodied Sangiovese ($10.75) FOOD: 3.5 to 5 Stars WAIT TIME: 2 Stars. 45 min wait. I recommend getting a reservation. SERVICE: 4.5 Stars. Very friendly except he forgot our bread. PORTIONS: 3 Stars for smallish portions. OVERALL: 4 Stars Casual-classy, dark with exposed brick walls. Open kitchen and huge well-stocked bar. Packed. Super-loud. Happy people Happy place. Delicious food. HAPPENING IN NORTH OAKLAND. (Special Thanks to BF for the wonderful Tuesday night dinner and beautiful flowers.) read more

Chef Charlie Halliwell is one of the many Chez Panisse alumns opening restaurants around the Bay Area, and his Pizzaiolo in Oakland's Temescal District has quickly became a local favorite. After heaping tons of praise on L.A.'s Pizzeria Mozza and Larkspur's Pizzeria Picco for their amazing wood-fired pizzas, I thought I should pay Pizzaiolo a visit since it's much closer to home. Pizzaiolo has received its share of rave reviews, including a nod from San Francisco Chronicle food critic Michael Bauer and mentions in Food and Wine and Cond Nast Traveler. Pizzaiolo is committed to supporting locally grown, seasonal, and organic meat and produce, so the menu changes daily based on what's available. We decided to split an appetizer, a pasta dish and two pizzas for our party of three. We started off with an order Il Fortetto Buratta di Bufala, which was served on toast with olive oil and sea salt. The burrata wasn't as smooth as the burrata they serve at Mozza, but it was still delicious, and I really loved the toast. Our primi was the potato gnocchi with braised lamb ragu. The gnocchi was light and fluffy, the lamb was tender and the ragu was smooth and rich. This was by far the best dish of the night, and I'd love to curl up with a big bowl of this on a cold winter's night. The Long-cooked Greens and Sausage Pizza was the first to arrive and it was okay. I thought the sausage was a little bland, especially when compared to the strong fennel flavor in the sausage served at Mozza or Picco. The crust was really good though...crispy in the right places and it had a really nice bite to it The next pizza, a Pizza Margherita with anchovies and an egg was really good. The tomato sauce was really vibrant and fresh, and I loved the salty kick from the anchovies. Unfortunately, there was only one egg on the pizza (you can also add an egg to any pizza for $2), and we didn't want to break the egg and spread its yolky goodness. Luckily, I got to eat most of the egg, including the yolk, and it was great. Egg on pizza is something everyone should try if they get a chance. (Come to think of it, a nice egg can enhance almost any dish -- burgers, fried rice, lomo saltado.) If you don't have a reservation, you're likely in store for a lengthy wait during peak dining hours. They take reservations as far back as a month, but I called about 5 days ahead and got a reservation for 7:30pm on a Saturday. If you encounter a long wait, and you're there before 7pm, I'd suggest walking to the end of the block to Bakesale Betty for a snack if you need something to tide you over. While Pizzaiolo didn't surpass Picco or Mozza in the pizza department in my book, it's still a great pizza. If their other pastas are as good as the gnocchi with lamb ragu, then I'm definitely going back for more. Plus, I hear their fried chicken is to die for... read more

I've tried to go to PIzzaiolo on 3 separate occasions with Jena C. after she raved about how great it was. The first time we didn't have reservations and they told us it would be an hour and a half wait for a table for two. No thanks (rule number 1 in my dining book is I will never wait longer for a table than it takes for the meal). The second time we called two days before and couldn't get a table until 9:30 So we called at the beginning of this week and got a table for 7:30. The place was beautiful with great light fixtures and so many warm colors in the restaurant. We had a window table and our server was very attentive without smothering us. Food was well timed, plates were removed in an efficient and timely manner, and our water carafe was never empty. We split everything, starting with a cabbage and sunchoke salad with an anchovy dressing. The sunchokes were thin and the anchovy taste was not overpowering. For our second course, we shared the butternut squash ravioli with a honey butter sauce which was AMAZING. The flavors were so complex yet not overpowering, and the texture of the fresh pasta coupled with the soft squash was just perfect. We then split their clam, parsley and red pepper pizza because their traditional second courses seemed unappealing at the time, for the most part. I'm normally not a fan of thin crust pizza and prefer thick crust. But this was thin the in the slightly burnt, rustic way without tomato sauce, just the right amount of cheese, lots of garlic and perfect flavors of toppings. The clams were fresh (not too fish tasting and not overcooked) which surprised me greatly. Also loved the flavor combination of everything taken together. I was quite pleased and it was just the right amount for the both of us. Overall, we had a lovely evening with great ingredients, amazing flavors and fantastic service. I will definitely go again without hesitation. read more

There are so many things I really like about this place. The warm, comforting ambiance. The beautiful back patio. The garden and chicken coop - not to mention to bocce court. The heavenly house-made tonic water and gracious bartenders/mixologists. The delicious, Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas (pizza margherita being one of my all-time favorite dishes ever in terms of perfect culinary simplicity) and supporting cast of thoughtful sides and entrees. Ok, so there's definitely more I love about Pizzaiolo than I don't. Overall service can be hit or miss at times. I've always had expert service at the bar, but floor waitstaff is sometimes distracted, forgetful, and apathetic. On my last visit with the fabulous Kristine G., the hostess acknowledged us briefly and then when we asked about our possible wait time, promptly turned away and ignored us for several minutes, leaving us wondering if we should just take the hint and go elsewhere. My only major gripe, I guess, would be with founder-chef Charlie Hallowell's "blog"-style ranting on Pizzaiolo's website, which just seems misplaced and surprisingly unprofessional. I've never been a huge fan of the, "I'm so cool and talented that I can do or say whatever I want and damn the establishment and fuck you if you don't like it" mentality, so maybe that's what bugs me about the whole thing. But perhaps that's my issue, not his. ------------ And yes, I know this is seriously old news I'm harping on, since "Charlie's Rants" hasn't been updated in almost a year and apparently he's already taken a ration of shit over a couple of the posts. However, it was new to me when I stumbled across it while browsing their website. All things considered, Pizzaiolo still solidly delivers (figuratively, not literally), and as long as I haven't pissed off Charlie too badly now, I'll be back to indulge in their awesome fare. read more

This is the kind of place that you take someone you enjoy having loooonnnngggg wonderful conversations with. The reason why I say this is because it took well over an hour to get our pizzas!! Good conversation is definitely necessary to keep your mind off the hunger pangs. This restaurant is obviously a popular spot due to the happening eclectic crowd. However, the wait to eat seemed like an eternity. My stomach was grumbling...FEED ME! The waitress was super friendly upon taking our order, but after the initial order, she didn't come by to say boo. She didn't even offer up more bread despite our pizzas not hitting our table till way over an hour. The best part about this place is that the pizza is really good and fresh. I love thin crust pizza and that's how they make it. Also, watching the cute chefs toss the dough to make the pizzas offered up a pretty good time. Here is what we ordered for the table. Pappa ala pomodoro: Breaded tomato soup. $10 - Good and tangy. Avocado Toast w/tomatoes $10 - interesting dish full of flavor 10" Margherita Pizza $13 - Basic but fresh and tasty. 10" Gypsy Peppers, pancetta, and parsley pizza $17 - Drop dead delicious 10" Rapini and housemade sausage $16 - The housemade sausage makes this pizza hot-spicey...very good if you like hot. Overall: The wait staff is friendly, but not attentive to your hunger needs. Great place to brings friends you enjoy conversing with while waiting for your delicious gourmet pizza. read more

I came here for breakfast and felt like I'd been bossed around, though I can't put my finger on why. No drip coffee, capisce? If you want one, you gotta have an Americano. No half-n-half or milk, capisce? Pizzaiolo puts a carton of HEAVY CREAM on the counter. Don't like it? You must not be gourmet enough. Oh, and the loud, blaring music (bouncing off the brick walls) was 70s hard rock or Hall & Oats (don't like that? You must not be ironic enough). The telling moment for me came when the person behind the register informed me that the breakfast donuts "have been written up in Sunset, Gourmet, East Bay Express (etc.) and on Eye on the Bay, Good Eats and a ton of other TV shows." That really makes me laugh, because as a print reporter myself, I am embarrassed to admit how lacking in originality a lot of the media is, and so if the number of "mentions" of a place reaches critical mass then that place becomes "The Place" to go. I think Pizzaiolo needs to get over itself. Next time I'm in Temescal I'll go back to the Mixing Bowl or Bakesale Betty's. read more

Mad props to the East Bay Yelp crew for showing me the awesomeness that is Pizzaiolo! Just now discovering how cool Oakland really is... took a little while, but better late than never. Love the fact that they're open late, even on Mondays. It was close to 9 pm when we rolled in, which isn't a server's dream. You never would have known it, though, as our waitress was peachy keen the entire meal. Drinks were in order as soon as we sat down. They serve delish craft cocktails as well as wine by the bottle/glass. Of course I had wine. Duh! Grenache blend is to die for. Had two glasses, thank you very much. Although everyone raved about the pizza at Pizzaiolo (hence the name), I tried their papperdelle. I ate the entire thing in about 2 minutes. What's not to like about freshly made pasta with tender pieces of meat on top? Makes me hungry just thinking about it... And of course we had to have dessert. Apple tart with ice cream on the side? Yes, please. Tried the panna cotta and it was also very good. Our group probably lingered a little too long, but no one said a word. Would love to come back on a busy night and try the pizza... Any takers? read more

Went in for dinner on Sunday night. The staff and our server were extremely nice and helpful. The side salad for $15 seemed over priced for what they were. We ordered the meatballs and added pasta for an additional $2 that was delicious. They didn't have a pepperoni option so we had sausage. The pizza was way too thin and soggy in the middle but the crust was burnt and we could taste it. My specialty drink was delicious, I think I would give this place one more try. read more

Decided to take our team here tonight to celebrate a huge milestone, what a mistake! The service was a little slow (trying to be polite), but they crossed the line when during dessert the hostess came over and asked us to "pay the bill and make your way to the door." Our party of eight was absolutely shocked. I remember Charlie the owner coming to a class at Cal to talk about food and service, and this is not what I would have ever expected. I won't ever go back to this place, nor would I ever recommend anyone visit here after that. The food could never overcome the lack of service and arrogance of the staff. Go somewhere else, you'll thank me. read more

Original May 2007 review: Fritto misto of artichoke, fennel & spring onion Margherita pizza Some strawberry pastry thing with OLIVE OIL GELATO~! $37 inc. tax + tip Two problems with dining with other people: (i) other people never want to go out; (ii) when they do want to grab a bite, they want to go to In-N-Out.* After too many attempts to get my friends to go anywhere better than "suprisingly not terrible", I decided to enter the world of semi-fine solo dining. So eager was I that I put on a buttoned shirt. I needn't have bothered. The place was ostensibly casual, with plaster half-peeled off the walls to reveal brick and staff dressed any which way. The food had the same unsophisticated vibe, which didn't obscure how good it was. The aptly-salted fritto misto made me despair at my own attempts to cook those vegetables, until I realised while biting a remarkably tender artichoke heart that they were using much better ingredients than I ever have. The ingredients of the thin-crust pizza were similarly superb: I regret the praise I've lavished on, say, Zachary's tomatoes, because this was that much better. After the pizza I was stuffed, but since this was a meal of the decade contender, I couldn't forego a third course. Two epiphanies while ordering dessert: (i) my meal was meat-free; (ii) I could eat a so-called meal of the decade contender like this, if not every week, then every other week, without driving myself to bankruptcy. Either my carb-filled state or my dislike of epiphanies meant that I didn't really appreciate the pastry, but the OLIVE OIL GELATO~! lived up to the hype, less for the flavour than for the smoothness. As I waddled back north to throw balsa wood airplanes off the tenth floor of Evans Hall, I wondered where else I could get a meal this good at this price**. *Nothing against that fine chain, but c'mon. **Besides at Cafe Bastille in Wellington, New Zealand. ________________________________________ Feb '08 update - reflections after five visits: - Daily-changing antipasti section is what gets me excited: Caesar salad was the best green salad I've ever had, salt cod mantecato (brandade) I just had was exceptional - Sausage pizza is possibly only the second-best ever, behind Pizeeria Picco in Larkspur (Nizza la Bella isn't far behind either); margherita pizza remains unmatched. Only disappointing one I've had was potato and pancetta - Contorni are good value though usually not special except the astonishing fried brussels sprouts - Dessert menu is hard to get a handle on but I liked the almond-olive oil torte I had recently read more

With an amazing roasted squid salad and a perfect cauliflower pasta, my first meal at Pizzaiolo was 5 stars. The next meal was a bit of a disaster. Writing it off as just a bad night, I kept coming back. But after half a dozen mediocre meals including last night's, I think I'm throwing in the towel. My final conclusion is that while the food can be decent here, it's not consistently good. And the service can be spotty and pretentious. And it's pricey. Last night, we arrived for dinner at 6 pm and although there were plenty of seats around, we were seated at the one table with the evening sun directly on it. It was a very hot day so we asked for a table away from the sun and our hostess seemed clearly irritated. As retribution perhaps, she walked us past several empty tables in the front room and sat us in the very back near the restrooms, threw the menu down and left. Whatever. I have to note that our server was a great force and was very helpful in ordering the wine and the food. He was the high point of our experience. We started with the caesar salad made of little gem lettuces. I do love little gems but I am a strong believer that caesar salad should always be made with crisp romaine hearts. The salad was not crisp nor cold and the dressing was just okay. There was one large oddly shaped clump of a crouton which made me question whether the croutons were home made. Next came the roasted sardines which I found to be rather bland and on the fishy side. Pasta alla Norma is essentially spaghetti with caponata. While it was flavorful, I was a little disheartened by the very large pool of oil the whole thing was sitting in. The squid and tomato pizza was not really pizza but a sauceless flatbread with squid and tomato sprinkled on it. Again, it was okay. All my previous meals with the exception to the first meal left me with a similar feeling of disappointment. Would I return? Maybe if it's chosen by my dining companions but I will not be the one to suggest it again. read more

It really is that good! Hubby and I came for a date night. Reservations are necessary, we tried last month the day of and it was an hour wait. We had the margherita pizza, gemelli pasta with fava beans & ricotta and the arugula and frisee salad. The pizza is to die for, it gets a wonderful flavor from the brick oven and while it looked pretty charred it didn't taste burnt like some pizza places. The pasta was perfectly cooked and not served in a ridiculously large portion. The combination of fava beans, ricotta and butter and olive oil were delicious. The salad was something I'm definitely going to recreate at home, arugula, frisee, mint, fennel and a lemony vinaigrette with what I think was ricotta salata. Service was attentive. Love the casual feel and the groovy music. I wasn't a huge fan of where we were seated (right across from the kitchen) because the floorboards were super squeaky so every time someone walked by (which was constant because it's the only way to the back room and patio) it was like a herd of elephants walking by. read more

Burnt crust--check! Char taste--check! A whole lot of attitude--check! Apart from that though, it's great. Their pizzas have the potential to be excellent. And indeed on days when they seem to care more--i.e. not burn the base to a crisp--it tastes that way. But when they are busy or couldn't care less or whatever else they are going through, it's a terrible, disrespectful service to customers paying so much for each pizza. I've been going here since 2013, less and less often, because the misses are getting to be more frequent than the hits. And WHAT is with that attitude! If I did my job with my nose up in the air...well I'm not sure WHY I would do that job. read more

Boy, has this little corner of Oakland cleaned up nicely! This is a bustling place, full of interesting people and faded brick walls. Our server was very attentive in his laid-back way, and the food was yummy. The Caesar salad was one of the best I've ever had, and the margarita pizza (with egg!) was quite tasty. I noted that they have a nice patio out back and a big stack o' highchairs if you're dining with young'uns. Notes for my perfect thin-crust pizza search: The crust was thin and crispy, but a little on the dry side - 3 stars The sauce was fresh and flavorful, a little on the spicy side - 4 stars Nice basil flavor throughout and the egg was a nice touch. I'd like to have seen a little more cheese, but overall, toppings merit 4 stars. read more

To echo David Byrne, a reputed Pizzaiolo fan, "this must be the place." I'm already a lover of Boot and Shoe (the sister pizza parlour in Lake Merritt), but Pizzaiolo started the trend and to give credit where credit's due, this homebase is the tits. Channeling the sensation that is thin crust pizza (think: Delfina), Pizzaiolo delivers bar none. Offering a casual, neighborhood-centric environment, the setting is super appropriate for a spontaneous stroll out along Temescal's Telegraph strip. Sure there's lots of quality eats to choose from, the culinary scene here is actually amazing, but for those in search of wood-fired pizza made with locally grown, organic, and seasonal meat and produce (when possible), Pizzaiolo is a must. The wait varies, but the quality never does. Service with a smile, and savory but light slice are just an order away. Where most pizzas fill me up in no time, I have no trouble mega-ordering the whole pizza menu. Even those who aren't pizza fans can be catered to. With a small but delicious variety of antipastis and primis, you can find something to please everyone. I think the Gourmet Ghetto may have found a new home between this bustling avenue of foodstuffs. read more

After my first dinner here, I can safely say it was one of the best meals I've eaten in years. We ordered: - Beet and avocado salad - Meatballs - Saffron taglioni with sand dabs - Potato, pancetta, fontina and rosemary pizza - Rapini and sausage pizza - Panna Cotta - Ginger and lemon ice cream We started off with bread and olives and they were really delicious. Crusty and chewy bread and lovely mixed olive. Washed down with gunpowder punch! The meatballs are easily the best I ever had, without too much filler and with a delicate meaty flavor. The pasta was delicately flavored with saffron and the sand dabs were perfectly cooked. This was an amazing dish, The pizzas shared the same thin crust of course, and they had just the right amount of time in the oven. Nicely blistered and crispy around the edges, but with a lovely chewy consistency in the middle. Not gummy or wet at all. The sausage pizza was peppery and bold, and the potato pancetta pizza nicely seasoned and flavorful, but mild. The desserts were great as well with the panna cotta taking the prize for best dessert. This was the creamiest and tastiest version of panna cotta that I have had. The experience was enhanced by the service, which was very attentive without being overly pushy. Our friendly and efficient server (who's name I have sadly forgotten) was able to discourse knowledgeably about the food and described it very accurately as it turned out. It was great to have such amazing food served by someone who seemed to actually care about what he was doing. The artwork in the bathrooms is heinous, but that is obviously a minor complaint. Also, I have seen other reviewers complaining about the prices but that is truly ridiculous. Most items are under $20, and while this is not cheap per se, the prices are totally reasonable for food of this caliber. If you have not been there yet, you owe it to yourself. read more

These Bay Area pizza places have to step it up. I was so pleased to get a reservation at the last minute and have a cute little table at this place in the back. Brother and I ordered foods - appetizer and 2 pizzas. I'm terribly sorry to report that everything was hella bland. I want to say I ordered a pizza with Arugula and poss Brussel sprouts as well as a Margherita. I don't know if meat entrees/pizzas are more flavorful but apart from the toasted bottom of the pizza, I did not taste much else and this made me sad. The ambiance of this place is quite nice with older, bougier white people and general SF/Bay tech elite peoples crowding tables, commenting on wine pairings and instagramming the shit out of their food. The food itself, at least for lil old vegetarian me, left a lot to be desired. I'm grateful for the presence of Cheeseboard pizza in my life. A cheaper alternative that can fix all my woes re: the Bay Area pizza scene. read more

***brunch only**** cute atmosphere, blue bottle coffee, yummy savory frittata, awesome bread (with apple butter). i believe there's wifi cuz the techies next to me were looking all productive, with their timbuk2 bags and mac books, clad in wrinkled khakis that they bought that way. all the makings of a perfect quick brunch. except it took 20 mins to actually order. i was the only one in line while everyone else interrupted the counterperson and which she apparently deemed more important than me. or perhaps she was banking on the vagueness of her statement, "i'll be with you in a second" to imply some other frame of time in a parallel universe. or perhaps the second coming? sheesh, it kinda felt that way. someone wipe the cobwebs off my onitsukas in the meantime. then it took another 5 mins to pay for the order after running to an atm after being told it was cash only. this part, i didn't mind so much since i've justified already enduring the worst. yes, it hurts less if i don't struggle. the latte and americano came out much later as well-- maybe another 10 mins, but TOTALLY worth it. i'd go back for dinner. there are many other better places for brunch, though. read more

Mmm... I heart this place. I love the ambiance - loud, vibrant, but still classy. I love the thin crusted pizza with the unique topping combo. Last night we got the butternut squash and gorgonzola pizza and the greens and homemade sausage pizza. I love that they have Stella on tap - only 4.50 a glass. I don't love that they are closed on Sunday - but maybe pizza seven nights a week is overkill. I don't love the wait - but they are now accepting limited reservations. I don't love the limited dessert selection - but kudos for supporting local bakeries and ice creameries (Bakesale Betty's, Sweet Adeline, and Ici). read more

This is a review by a vegetarian 3.5 stars The pizza is good enough but not excellent. As with Flour+Water, the crust seems engineered for non-sauce bearing loads and is good for the outer half of the radius but a little soggy with moisture in the inner half for a margarita. Though I might have gone 4 for the just the pizza alone. The DC wanted something a little more so we ordered the pumpkin ravioli which was fine but $15 for 5 medium sized pieces. That's just not enough value for a place that, though well appointed, is loud, crowded, and borderline unreserveable (that's right I made up a word) Salad and dessert were both inventive tasty. read more

The food was decent, but overpriced and the portions are tiny. If you like burnt bread, this is a place for you to consider. The main reason for the low rating is because I planned a surprise party here for my gf, but the table was not ready I'm time, so the surprise did not go as planned. Totally understand this and it can happen anywhere. However, a friend brought a nice cake, which they were happy to cut and serve for us, but they failed to mention a cake cutting fee. $3 per person without warning is absolutely ridiculous, it's ridiculous even with warning! Probably ended up paying more for the fee than we did for the cake. read more

I like this place but I definitely didn't love it. I was with a group of 7 in all and we were seated, with a reservation, pretty promptly, though the hostess was...I don't know. She had a weird air to her. Mostly polite, yet barked at my friend to sit down while he was trying to figure out the seating arrangement. The wine we ordered was yummy and reasonably priced. I did not try the heirloom tomato appetizer but my tablemates really enjoyed it. The pizzas were good, though the crust toward the center of the pie was SO thin that handling of slices required the utmost care. And even then, they fell apart. 4 stars for flavor, 1 star for practicality in the pizza department. I ordered the meatballs and the flavor was okay but I feel they were undercooked and, correct me if I'm wrong, pine nuts just do NOT belong in meatballs. That really threw me off. I like pine nuts with the best of 'em, but not in my meatballs. The sauce was a little bit lacking in flavor and solidly lacking in quantity for such large meatballs. Wasn't really too impressed with my dish. The desserts....mmmm, desserts.... were very nice. I was extremely surprised that I liked the ginger gelato (it sounds great but SO easy to mess up!) with the apple "pink surprise". Our bittersweet chocolate pot de creme was fantastic though the "cookies" left much to be desired. (That's okay, they weren't the highlight of the dish.) The upside down fig cake was alright at best but I'm not really a huge fan of figs to begin with. I would never wait more than 15 minutes or so for a table here (unless, maybe...MAYBE... if I had snagged a seat at the bar at which to wait) because I just really wasn't wowed but I would be happy to go there again with another small group with reservations and try some different dishes. I feel closer to three-ish stars but I had great company and I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. read more

Awesome service and delicious food! We order one of each of the pizzas (except the plain marinara) and each of them were delicious! I'm still thinking about it now and my mouth is just watering! I can't wait to go back for the pizzas. My 2 favorite pizzas were the potato one and the mushroom one. As for the service, the staff was very accommodating and provided us the best recommendation of which pizza we should add an egg to it. I will definitely come back when I'm in the area read more

If Arnold and Christel hadn't already initiated me into the sublimeness of Pizzeria Mozza and Pizzeria Pico, I'd be raving more about Pizzaiolo. Damn it. I knew Pizzeria Mozza would ruin me...and it's so far away. However, Pizzaiolo was the scene of my introduction to Burrata, that wonderful mozzarella cream concoction which makes me wish I was Italian. It's a nice sizable portion, sizable enough that Pizzaiolo should serve more toast with it. We also had the gnocchi with lamb. Very fluffy gnocchi. Delightful. For the pizza, we had one with long-cooked greens and sausage and a margherita with anchovies and egg. Both were slightly bland, oddly enough, and not exciting enough to the palate. Overall, I preferred the margherita, although it could have used about two more eggs. The crust is really excellent on the pizzas here, though. Service is congenial, friendly and casual. Oh, I also had the cardamom gimlet. Nice and refreshing when eating too much. Good enough place if you don't want to make an expedition to Larkspur or L.A., but just not ranking as high in my food memory bank. read more

I called in to get a same night reservation and she had told me 9 oclock but I had to be somewhere later that night and didn't think that would be enough time so she told me to come in 30 minutes and she would seat me. We got there in 30 minutes and were seated in a booth right away! I started off with a crab salad that was super refreshing and tasty. Between the 3 of us we shared 2 pizzas... a rosemary potato and pancetta pizza and a sausage with grana. Both were very tasty... the thin crust was flavorful and it was fun watching the pizza makers toss the pizza dough in the air. We were served right away and out of there with no long pauses waiting for anything. It was a great meal. read more

(Enter Tyra Banks) I WAS ROOTING FOR YOU, WE WERE ALL ROOTING FOR YOU! Pizzaiolo, I was really rooting for you, but you were the biggest letdown since the Mayweather v. Pacquiao fight. We had three pizzas among our party: margherita ($20); potato, pancetta, fontina & rosemary ($20); arugula, prosciutto di Parma & grana ($22). Christmas must've come early this year for the wrong reasons because our pizza was nothing but COAL!!!!! The drought is coming upon us faster than we know!!! They had three chances, but each one was scorched PITCH BLACK along the crusts and the underside to the point where we were able to pick at the charred flakes that budded off the air bubbles on the crust! Lord, they were so burnt that you could rub two slices together and start a fire. You could mine for this stuff and use it to fuel the entire City of Oakland. But y'all, there's an even larger issue at stake. If we don't act now, California just might end up like the pizza and no amount of holy water will be able to save us. The birthday girl gives this place a 3, another a 2.5. I'm not so forgiving. While we enjoyed the ambiance, the pizza did not live up to its price. For the naughty ones, you better get your act together or Santa Claus just might shove one of these pizzas up your stocking. Only difference, it'll be free of charge. read more