Just tried one of Bare Knuckle's collab pizzas today, made with Lion Dance Cafe (a former Oakland based, Michelin-mentioned restaurant created by James Beard Semifinalist Chefs, C-Y Chia and Shane Stanebridge). Oh my goodness was this one of the best vegan pizzas I've ever had! Special Pizza Collab with Lion Dance Cafe: FLAMING PUMPKIN PIZZA - Thinly shaved delicata squash marinated with garlic and evoo, vegan mozzarella cheese, drizzled with LDC's special recipe for Fresno chili sambal sauce with ginger and calamansi, roasted peanuts, and Thai basil leaves. All the flavors and textures melded so well together and it wasn't particularly 'hot' spicy. I especially loved the marinated slivers of delicata squash and LDC's special sambal sauce - especially since it contained calamansi! (one of my favorite citrus flavors). Even though the pizza is vegan (for those on this type of diet), honestly, I think everyone would enjoy and love this gourmet pizza. The thin crust had a perfectly nice mouthfeel and was baked just right. The LDC chef duo is relocating to Singapore next week, but this Collab Pizza will still be available at Bare Knuckle Pizza until tomorrow night, Saturday March 7th, this special collab is to help with the launch of LDC's new recipe book - so get a taste of this collab pizza while you can! read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Collab with Lion Dance Cafe: FLAMING PUMPKIN: Delicata squash, garlic/evoo, vegan mozz, ginger/calamansi sambal sauce, thai basil, peanuts - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

I tried the peaches version of their pear or peach pizza, which has fresh mozzarella, gorgonzola, sliced peaches, arugula prosciutto, and Parmesan, and used vegan bacon. The peaches aren't overwhelming and added a nice sweet tint. The cheese is more pungent. Overall I thought it was really good, the arugula actually balanced out well with the other sweet, salty, and savory ingredients. Bare Knuckle has some uncommon pizza flavors, but so far all of the ones I've tried have been good. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Peaches pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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Relatively plain as far as the sauce and the crust. The New Haven style pie "Rose" was burnt. TnT had the best flavor but the Thai chilis still had the stems on them. Amazing flavor in the peppers but solidly annoying to pick the stems off the peppers and placing them back on the pizza. read more

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My family a post memorial service meal here. The hosts are vegans and the pies ordered were vegan. We had a private room upstairs. There variety of pies even a cherry pie, mostly savory. The service was exceptional. Despite the occasion, the dining experience was very nice. read more

Amazing pizza!!!!! Had it for an event this past weekend and my family were really impressed! Amazing thin crust. Offered a variety of options. The peach and mushroom were so good! Love the sauce. Great staff serving us throughout the night. Can't wait to visit the store read more

Ok pizza alone would get a 5 - appreciate what they're dishing out! Just don't dine here if you can help it. They have indoor seating up a precarious set of stairs - great that they offer something since the pizza is best enjoyed immediately out the over - but the ambiance is quite lackluster (and smells oddly...cheesy??). Service was also close to non-existent. So just come for the good food! read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

My favs: TKO pizza with sausage, TNT (sans Thai chiles because I'm a wuss--LOL), David Mack, and fresh peach (seasonal). Since dining in has been closed since pandemic, I order half-baked pies ahead of arrival; my wait is minimal and I finish baking at home. Been a satisfied regular since 2017, when they opened. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had seen the lines at Bare Knuckle and, with curiosity piqued, I knew I had to one day give it a try. I went back but was disappointed after walking up to take a look that I didn't see any seats, and it appeared to be solely a take out joint. I don't like taking a pie home as a first impression because I know time in the box with its inevitable steam will alter the crust and the taste. I walked away disappointed. That was a couple years ago, and since I tried just about every other highly rated pizza haunt in the East Bay, I was seriously thinking of returning to Bare Knuckle and braving the take out route. Maybe hurriedly stealing bites from a slice in my car to make my tasting verdict. As I was being pulled to this last resort, I decided to go through Bare Knuckle's yelp pics. It was then I noticed there were tables with smiling diners! All this time there was seating?? Yes, there was! Upstairs in fact. Thank you my fellow yelpers and your sweet camera work! So I headed over. It's still set up like a mid-pandemic to-go spot with it's ordering table across the door. But after asking, they did indeed have an upstairs dining area, and they let me in to head up there. Reaching it, I saw that it was relatively small, but there were open tables and seats, and I gladly took one. The narrow, spiraling-high staircase to floor two totally gave speak-easy vibes. All that was missing was a fake phone booth in front of it. My order, The Roman, came oven hot. At first, the encompassing mesh of parmesan slivers hid the ingredients and put me off because I like to see what's on my pizza. But it turned out to be a masterful culinary stroke, veiling for surprise the beauty of the enticing ingredients underneath. Usually, the protein on the pizza is the star, but not in this case. There was no one star in this cast of sausage, red sauce, onions and mushrooms, but they were all brilliant support players making the pizza as a whole the star. The crust with its pillowing fluffy edges and a middle evincing a strong hearty chew and a hint of seasoning was the perfect stage. I usually take home a slice but couldn't resist enjoying the rest of this tantalizing performance hot until the curtain call. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Inside dining upstairs. - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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I LOVE the pizza here. They have a ton of really delicious vegan options, definitely the best vegan pizza I've had in the Bay Area that is currently open. Their vegan pepperoni in particular as well at the "TKO" are two of my faves. As far as service goes, they are quick with consistent quality. They no longer do any kind of dine in and there is not great parking or a waiting area, so keep that in mind when going to pick up! My only gripe is that the crust is quite chewy, which makes my TMJ hurt soooo bad... worth it for the pizza tho! read more

This was my first time trying Bare Knuckle Pizza. They are open Thursday to Saturday from 5pm to 9pm, so it's a fairly small window in order to try them out. I was thinking, I wish that was how much I could work secularly with the same pay, I think I'd be a pretty happy person. That being said I ordered three pizzas: Margherita: tomato sauce (from locally grown tomatoes), fresh mozz, parm, extra-virgin olive oil. DAVID MACK: sauce, fresh mozz, pepperoni, prosciutto, parm, and fresh basil. Sweet Revenge: sauce, mozz, pepperoni, chili, and honey. All the pizzas were solid. Pizzas were prepared quickly. Very small for close to $20 per pizza but I guess inflation is to blame. Overall a decent pizza but not my favorite. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Margherita with pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

Delicious! Bubbly crisp crust with the right amount of chew, combined with a robust red sauce. The best part is that they accommodate a wide range of dietary preferences (from vegan, to dairy free, to gluten free). Our go to is their double real pepperoni with vegan cheese. Because they use Butcher's Son vegan moz and know the perfect amount to melt on top, it's literally the closest you'll get to a real cheese pizza! Their vegan TKO is really special too. Plus, super nice owner and staff! An Oakland gem! read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Double real pepperoni with vegan cheese! So good! - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

Best pizza in Oakland ...... typing more to hit some stupid limit for yelp...... great pizza iykyk

First off, they make solid pizzas with a range of toppings/flavors. However, it comes with a caveat: For better or for worse, the pizza isn't greasy and doesn't feel too heavy. But you have to go in knowing this since a lot of us expect a greasy salty indulgence when we try a new pizza place. Small size for the price. Again, still delicious. Street parking only, watch your car closely since it's in downtown Oakland. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

The people that run this restaurant is amazing. The pizza is good also. I'm hooked on the mushroom one.

My pizza was late - I let the staff know I thought they should have told me rather than adding to my estimated wait time. They could see I was not ok with the excessive wait time - they obviously bumped my order to the front of the line - I appreciate that and hence am giving a five star review. read more

If you are avoiding seed oils and want a good healthy option this is the place as long as u avoid the vegan meats!

While visiting from SoCal we got some pizza delivered from here to our hotel. I really liked that they had so many vegan options. The crusts were all a little too done, but the flavors were spot on. My husband liked the mushroom truffle one. We called to see if the margherita pizza could be just regular cheese for the kids but they must have misunderstood bc it was still the fancy mozzarella so the kids didn't want it :( the vegan margherita pizza was fantastic! read more

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Our favorite pizza in Oakland! Great vegan options, nice staff, wish we could eat it every night.

Two small pizzas took an hour. Very soggy and all the toppings slide right off. Expensive for the tiny pizza you get. Too many other options to come back. read more

So many vegan options! Three of us got different types of pizza and all were wonderful!

Awesome pizza spot, the Margherita and David Mack were smacked. Gonna be my fave spot when visiting Oakland for sure. The Owner is chill too; cool dude and friendly staff. Keep it up guys, thanks for the awesome food and ambiance read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza makes a mean pie. If you are lucky enough to live nearby they might quickly become your number one spot. I, unfortunately, do not live nearby but have heard so many good things about BK over the years that I had to stop by when recently in Oakland. While there are definitely some all vegan pizza joints out there, BK has been lauded as a non-vegan spot that still delivers on the plant-based experience. You know they take their vegan options seriously when they use Butcher's Sons ingredients. Their menu is quite compact, giving you several personal-sized pizzas to choose from (but not much in the way of appetizers, salads, etc.) My partner and I ordered a vegan margherita and vegan Roman. The only adjustment we made was adding some arugula to the margherita. Both pizzas were excellent; the dough, sauce, veggies, and plant-based extras were all brilliant. And while we could have eaten more (since everything tasted so great), the portions were just the right size to keep us satisfied. Now that I know first-hand what all the fuss is about I will do my best to stop back in when I'm next in downtown Oakland and need some grub. FYI, their hours are fairly limited right now (due to the pandemic) so make sure you check/call ahead to be sure you can get your order. read more

I've been seeing the pictures of the pizzas for sometime now and reading a few articles about these them. I'm glad I finally got around to trying a couple of them. As the articles mention--great crust. I had the Margherita and it was tasty. Crust was good--nice and chewy but not tough. The crust was slightly soggy in the middle and that may have been caused by the 25 minute trip home. I would have preferred a little more basil on it. I also tried the Roman. That one was great too--lots of toppings. The pizzas are meant to be a personal one so you wouldn't get one to share as you commonly do with pizza. Of course, you can order more than one type and share. That would be the best so that you can try the different varieties. Parking was a little of a challenge, and we ended up double parking to pick up. The address is a 12th address but the entrance is on Webster. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Margherita - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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There are a ton of vegan choices for me. I love the crust. The chew is perfect. Prices have always been fair for what you are getting- Support your Oakland small POC owned businesses. read more

Tried only their margherita. It was simple and really delicious. They have a pretty cool set up. Definitely call ahead if you're hungry. The pick-up was super easy and smooth. The staff are friendly and realy good at qhat they do. I would recommend this place if you want quality pizza for a reasonable price. I'm excited to try their other specialty pizzas. read more

Check the hours before you come!! It's not opened every day (i think it's a Friday to Sunday kind of shop and it's only select hours). I tried this place because I've heard vegans rave about it and I must say, for a vegan pizza place, this is not bad at all. I've tried Cheeseboard (in Berkeley) vegan pizza and this is definitely superior to that. I've had their margherita (vegan) and their roman and thought they were both great. However, I will say that these are SINGLE PEOPLE kind of pizzas. I thought for some reason that they were more for sharing but if you're looking to have it as a meal, definitely expect 1 pizza per person. Their flavors are quite good but I feel like it does lack a little sauce (or something but I can't put my finger on what). I'll definitely come again to try other items on their menu but I don't know if i'd go so far as to drive all the way here from a different city just for their vegan pizza. read more

Speaking for the vegans. The best vegan you will find in the Bay Area. Also, gluten free option! The quality of each pie is very high and there are so many flavors!! Personally I love the 1. Tuscany 2. Margherita 3. Peach pie (seasonal) If you like Cheesboard, Sliver or Gioia. This pizza is even tastier! read more

Had the sausage. Great sauce, perfect amount of cheese, paper thin crust that I swear melts in your mouth. One of the best Neapolitan pizzas around, and there are a lot! read more

Well obviously people have a lot of different opinions when it comes to pizza because this place is rated so highly. Unfortunately I am not a fan of this place. I had the Roman and David Mac pizzas. The crust was paper thin, and not thin in a crispy good way. Like soggy and unappetizing. Once you got to the crust in was chewy but like a couple other reviews said they have a chard bottom and it's all I could taste. The other issue is there is hardly any cheese. I thought maybe I had ordered the vegan one on accident. Like I said a lot of people really liked this place but I would not go back. read more

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I would climb mountains to eat the vegan pizzas here!!! They are legendary stratus. God tier! Do you know how difficult it is to find a good vegan pizza?! Most vegan pizzas use that slimy cheese (daiya???) and those tofu pepperoni that taste like cardboard and are not meaty at all! But bare knuckle pizza?!!! I ordered the the vegan margarita pizza with sausage and added tofurkey sausage. And my bf ordered the vegan roman. Firstly, the cheese is so good! It is creamy and thick. No slimy at all. It is very reminiscent of mozzarella! It looks and acts like mozzarella. The tomato sauce was fresh, bright, acidic and tangy! The sausage had a lovely meaty texture and was seasoned to taste sort of like real sausage. It wasn't dry and kinda fatty, which was nice. The dough was chewy, had a nice char and just overall authentic! I ADORE how they sprinkle coarse salt on top. Many vegan pizzas can be too bland due to the lack of salty cheese and meat, but they just get it right here! They already know this! The vegan margherita pizza was perfection. As for The Roman --- too many onions. WAY TOO MANY ONIONS! It was a onion pizza...They were Over powering for me. There seemed to be less sauce. Or maybe, there it had the same amount, but was just over shadowed by the onions. The onions are not chopped. They're entire rings! Mushrooms were nice. Toppings too large for the size of the pizza. I would keep it simple if you decide to order here. read more

Excellent and creative pizzas, albeit on the pricey side. Strictly to-go for the 13.5 hours/week that they're open. There's a couple of small tables/chairs outside on the sidewalk which look more for waiting than for eating, but suit yourself. I miss the days when you could go upstairs to dig in. Came by this time on a Doordash pickup. I'll give them props for not inflating their online prices, but they've got a lead finger on that "ready" button. Doordash app said my 3-pie order was ready, but clearly not, as I ended up cooling my heels outside for another 5 minutes while they actually finished my order. Trying to game your metrics, eh? It's cool--I'm a sucker for your wares; I'll be back. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Menu part 1 of 2. Confirmed open _Thursday_ as of 23Mar2023. - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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Recently went to Bare Knuckle Pizza for dinner. Started w/ an arugula salad. I am a big fan of arugula. The salad was all arugula w/ a nice dressing & vegan parmesan cheese. Would have been nice to have some tomato or other salad greens or veggies to give it a bit more variety. The vegan parmesan cheese added a nice touch. Would recommend this simple yummy salad to pair w/ a pizza. Went w/ the vegan margarita pizza. It was solid. Before I went vegan went to Naples, Italy so have experienced a margarita pizza there. The margarita pizza here is authentic. Love the simplicity of this pizza. Fresh vegan mozzarella cheese from nearby Vegan Butcher's Son in Berkeley really made this pizza great. Loved the fresh basil & fresh tomato sauce. Super fresh pizza. 5 stars for the pizza. Probably the best vegan pizza in the SF Bay Area. Yet 1 star deduction for the atmosphere. Loud over stimulating music near the few seats by the bar. Opted to sit upstairs. It was really loud up there too. No doubt it was crowded & super busy w/ a family w/ a few children. when I went here. The acoustics of the restaurant aren't the best. Having said that come here for the amazing vegan pizza. For a quiet candlelight romantic dinner look elsewhere! read more

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This place is amazing! Best pizza in the bay! Local flavor, all fresh, cool staff. You gotta go.

Delicious! Just mouthwatering good Neapolitan pizza. Lots of selection for vegetarians and d vegans which i appreciate.

I've had this place bookmarked for awhile but never got around to it until the pandemic happened. I've order from them 3 times already and would honesty have ordered more often if I lived closer and if they open more frequently. I always order 4-5 pizzas each time to make my trip worth it. All the pizzas we've tried have been amazing but the favorites will be the TKO, margherita, and the newly added Nelly (spinach, mushroom, garlic, Parmesan and pecorino). Their crust is always cooked with the perfect chewiness consistency. The ingredients are always fresh and the tomato sauce has this bright balance taste that many pizzerias don't offer. Be careful of the T. N.T pizza! They do tell you that it's very spicy on the menu; to which I said "pfffttttt" because my Vietnamese part would scoff at those warnings. And boy I was so wrong.... Quick tip: Pack slices into the freezer if you over order as they reheat well in the oven. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

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Vegan reviewer here! We got two vegan pizzas - one pear pie and one roman pizza with the sausage replaced with pepperoni. The pear pie was interesting, probably good if that's your type of taste, but it was a little too adventurous for us with the arugula, bacon, pear, and bleu cheese. The Roman was much more classic and we really liked it with the mozzarella, pepperoni, red onion, and mushroom. I've never had a pepperoni pizza before so I was very excited to have pepperoni on pizza for the first time ever, which is why we asked for it to replace the sausage. It was definitely a momentous occasion. I liked it enough to get vegan pepperoni again in the future. Butcher's Son mozzarella is always a perfect choice so the cheese was great. The crusts on both pizzas were yummy. In the future, I look forward to exploring more of the pizzas with the different meats and some more of the classics with the cheese and veggies. I love that there is a whole vegan menu and the pizzas cost the same as the non-vegan pizzas. I will definitely be back for more. Things to know are that the pizzas are on the pricier side. I'd say one pizza is the right size for one person. It's a small location and there are about 4 or 5 tables outside. I'm grateful Bare Knuckle Pizza exists. Definitely go check it out! read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Vegan Pepperoni with Basil Pizza & Vegan TKO Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

Ever since The Kings Feet closed down in Berkeley, I was lost as to where I could find a vegan pizza I enjoyed again. I went to many locations just to be let down and I was okay with the disappointment. On my birthday my wife wanted to plan an evening which ended with me grabbing my favorite cuisine to bring back home, pizza. I've always looked over the menu and really never thought of much but being forced to go made no choice but to try it out. Pizza prices were very fair, size as well! Wanted to go with something a bit more simpler and traditional. Ultimate supreme to go with the mushroom impossible (vegan). It was exactly what I've been looking for, it's everything I've been needing. A good pizza that doesn't let down your standards to what you want from a pizza....and it's vegan! This will now be my go to vegan pizza joint ! read more

I'll l admit it, my reluctance was strong. I've never had vegan pizza I enjoy and being lactose intolerant literally sucks the joy out of eating pizza. With high praise from a formly omnivores coworker turned vegan, figured I should give it a shot. I'm glad I did. I ordered the vegan Roman, a vegan mozzarella, mushroom, and onion personal pie with a red sauce base. Praise the pizza gods, this pie was damn fine. For once the cheese didn't have the gross, goopy, cloying texture you often find with plant based cheese. The veggies were in abundance with a nice charred al dente texture. BEST PART: the crust, everything else was great too. I do wish they had a larger selection of beer though. read more

Bare Knuckle Pizza - Vegan Roman - Pizza Near Me - Oakland, California

Best vegan pizza I've ever had. I've been looking for a vegan pizza place for a long time and I've found it. Margarita pizza is where it's at you won't be disappointed. I'll never make my own pizza ever again. Yes I'm a fan. read more

If u want a DAMN excellent pizza, come here!! Perfectly chard bubbles, fluffy chewy crust and local ingredients. What more can u ask for? Having non-greasy hands after eating the pizza.. Don't walk...RUN and get some excellent pizza!!! Your mouth and tummy will thank you later!!!! read more

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