I was a little skeptical about the hype around Emilia's. You order online, hope they're available, get a very specific pickup time. After finally trying it, I was seriously impressed. The dough is perfect. It has great flavor with just a hint of sourdough. The crust is thin without being flimsy. You can pick up a slice and it holds steady with very little flop. Exactly the texture I want from this style of pizza. The balance is spot on. Perfect amount of cheese, delicious sauce, and the extra basil margherita is fantastic. I'm surprised it took me this long to try Emilia's. I loved it and I'm already excited to go back. Five stars all the way around. read more

This is one of the best pies I have had in the Bay Area. I dare say it unseats my current east bay fav, June's. There are no tables nearby, but I highly recommend eating this pizza as close to your pick up time as possible (which for me meant downing a couple slices in the car). There is diminishing returns as the pizza cools off but it is so so delicious when it is piping hot. The crust is thin and airy, the sauce is very flavorful and the cheese is delicious. The ordering system is definitely quirky, but not bad once it's done. the pick up system is fast and frictionless. I'm looking forward to trying some of the other pies as I went for a simple pepperoni on my first go but there are many toppings options available. read more

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

Pizza Perfection. The first bite brought me back to my childhood experience of pizza....the smell, the flavor, the texture....growing up in Queens, NY, this experience was available all day, any day. So, I agree, the ordering experience was a bit much, but I planned ahead and followed all the rules and was pleasantly rewarded. I would be happy to go through this process again anytime. One thing I did not appreciate was the $5+ tip, that was automatically added to my bill at checkout, ON TOP of my $37.44 sausage pizza. In my opinion, this automatic entitlement to a tip is wrong. So I deleted it on principle. read more

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

This place is hands down the best pizza in the east bay! The crust is perfectly thin and chewy, and the toppings are fresh. The menu is simple and easy to navigate. The only thing is that I wish their ordering experience was a bit easier without all of the planning ahead, but its honestly so worth it for this pizza! read more

After ordering a few pies from Emilia's, I'm confident to say that this is my favorite pizza place in the east bay. Every pizza I have had has been well balanced, the crust is amazing, and the sauce is delicious! I wish we could customize the pies, but it doesn't matter to me anymore because every pie has been sooo good! read more

Nothing less than 5 stars. Quirky place, kind chef and delicious pizzas - what more does more want!

As a parent you eat a lot of mediocre pizza. Good pizza is always nice, an opportunity to share with friends or family, have a beer. Excellent pizza, you actually enjoy it for its own sake, and it's a nice combination of flavors. This place, though, now I get it. Easily the best pizza I've ever had. I put in an order on their webpage in the morning. 7:43 pickup time. Huh, that's precise. Okay. I show up at 7:35, it's this little storefront with no seats and little signage, but can tell I'm in the right place from the amazing aroma. I wander around the street for a bit, check out the taco place next door. 7:41, come back. Guy greets me, asks my name, says "oh, you're 7:43. Almost ready." 7:43 on the dot he takes it out of the oven, puts it in a box, and hands it over. I take it home and devour. The crust is light, thin, bendable, with a nice chewiness and a delicious flavor on its own. The sauce a little spicy, not too thick, just to flavor the pizza. A sprinkle of cheese. I got pepperoni and mushroom to go with a classic, and can actually taste the mushrooms. Cremini, I think? Half of it is gone before I think to take a picture. Phenomenal. Definitely going back. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Pepperoni and Mushroom pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is the best NY style Pizza in Berkeley and perhaps the entire Bay Area. As someone from the East Coast it's incredibly hard to find a good slice, but this place nails it each and every time. It's takeout so no ambiance, service is quick and easy. He has a system, it works, the food is excellent quality. Everyone should try this place even if it's just once. You just need to decide in the morning that you want pizza for dinner and order online since that's the system. read more

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

Greatest pizza but the ordering and pickup is kinda strange and inconvenient if you are not close to the takeout pizzeria.

After learning about the mental illness ordering process, I knew I had to sign myself up. I woke up at 7 AM, got ready for the day, then logged into the dial-up, Neopetz-esque website at 8:54 AM for 8:55 AM ordering. Once I knew what to get and readied my cart, I then had to wait until 9:01 AM to enter a RANDOMIZED QUEUE into another waiting list at 9:08:51 AM to select a time slot. For most people, they'll go "WTF!!" but for me, each queue lead me to get giddy and say "Here we go!" I was able to snag a 6:09 PM pick-up, and hilariously, the owner pulled the pizza exactly at 6:09 PM from the oven. The man knows how to budget his time to a T. I have no notes for Emilia's Pizzeria other than it's excellent. The owner Keith, who I briefly interacted with, seems like a nice and passionate guy just slinging out pizzas. I have to pull a comparison card and say that other acclaimed pizzerias like Rose's and June's all possess a certain "wow" factor that makes them unique. Rose's has things like a romantic ambiance, the Caesar, and flavorful white pies, while June's has the best marg in town and shredded cheese beds on their pizzas - a true stoner's dream. Much like the owner, Keith, Emilia's Pizzeria is humble. It's probably the best NY style pizza in the Bay. It doesn't possess that ostentatious flair, but just from pure taste and fresh ingredients it has that something special. I got the fully loaded pizza of Sopressata, Sausage, Pepperoni, and Extra Cheese, which Keith labels "The Forbidden" since it's extremely difficult to get all those toppings onto the pizza. While being the King Arthur Supreme flavor of Emilia's, I still found it humble. I didn't feel myself heavy after eating half of this bicycle wheel of a pizza. I felt full, happy, and hearty. And that's the magic of Emilia's - the heart of it all. read more

See all

It's been a few years since we had our last Emilia's pizza. Have to drive through rush hour traffic to get there, we're old and don't like to drive at night anyway, wondered if it was really as good as we remembered it, etc. We cut through the noise tonight, and it immediately came back to us why it's worth whatever lame reason we had not to go. It is my favorite pizza. Of all time! And at 67 I've had quite a bit of pizza. I think pizza can be, in the right hands. the perfect food. The right hands can be found at Emilia's. Thank you, Keith! read more

Well. I had heard all of the hype and after watching Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza for the last few days I was craving some pizza so decided to pull the trigger. The ordering process is... odd. It seems like a form from 1999 and not in a cool way. I understand not wanting to pay for Toast or whatever other systems are out there these days but this was just plain bad. Saying that, I physically watched the pizza cook remove the pizza from the oven and box it so it was fresh exactly at my scheduled pickup time which was great. The pizza. I immediately noticed upon picking up my box how light the pizza felt. This is an 18" pie. I imagined it would feel slightly heavy. Upon further investigation I understood why. There was a minimalist aspect to the toppings. A thin layer of sauce, sparse amounts of cheese and a few pepperonis scattered around the pie. The crust was phenomenal, a crispy undercarriage and chewy center that is best enjoyed hot. Although I did wonder how much the sparse toppings attributed to the pizza not having any flop. All in all it wasn't a BAD pizza, but I wouldn't say it was a GREAT pizza either. For $36 I was expecting a little more. I'll probably be sticking with Pollara or Rose the next time I have a hankering for pizza. read more

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

Yes, you have to preorder that day and specify a time (8.55am to be guaranteed close to the time you want), Yes there is nowhere to sit/ take out only so you find a park or eat in your car, Yes it is pricey ($22 becomes $35 with Berkeley Tax and add ons but It is huge 18in with plenty left over), BUT it is PHENOMENAL pizza. The pizzaiola is a true artisan. There is real passion and pride in his craft. One of the best pizzas I have ever had. Super thin and super light. The tomato sauce was vibrant, fresh and popping with flavor. Perfect blend with the cheese. The crust/ dough is perfect and chewy, pillowy but not like Neapolitan style. Olive oil drizzle was high quality, the fine sprinkling of parmesan was just right and just enough cut basil to notice. I always test a place by ordering the plain cheese and t blew me away. I have to explore the rest of the menu as it looks amazing. The owner was friendly and helpful, providing napkins and plates as requested. read more

Emilia's Geocities-esque '90s-style website is best enjoyed from a dial-up modem, and their Gina Calabrese pizza has a strong case for being the best pizza in the United States, full stop. Keith's care and attention to every pizza really shows. I'm kicking myself that it took me so long to discover this place, and that I've missed out on years of potential pizza from Emilia's. If you live in the Bay Area and you've never eaten here, you're doing yourself a disservice. read more

Their pizza was very solid, but not outstanding in any manner. The service was prompt given the strict pickup rules, and overall I have no complaints here. read more

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

Great pizza, archaic system, pizza came out of the oven exactly at pickup time (gotta love NY efficiency) - so overall not too inconvenient and worth the try! -Gina Calabrese was yummy. Nice thin crust and tasty toppings. Personally I would've preferred more sauce and spiciness -I used the callback option - I filled out the form at 8:55am, waited until 9:01am for it to refresh, and there were many time options. Callback came between 3:30-4pm -Best of all was that the pizza came out of the oven right at my pickup time. So don't come too early or too late :) -Don't forget it is cash only -Only minus one star to be honest with myself - it was a good pizza but not a pizza I'd crave to go back to I recommend you try it! read more

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

Very good pizza. Very amusing homemade website and ordering process. No generic Square order site here! Very early 2000s web experience. Groovy. Did I say the pizza is very good? Yes. It is. Wish I could eat there while it's hot. But it's takeout only. My pizza was handed to me precisely at the order ready time of 7:29pm. Love the precision. Great owner. It's literally a one man operation. read more

Interesting pizza shop - not a sit-down place. Order ahead and pick it up at the estimated time. Simple menu with good and yummy pizza choices. The mushroom pizza was delicious and the crust was thin - just the way I like it. read more

Honestly, this might be the best pizza I've ever had. The crust was perfect, crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. You could tell it was made fresh with real care. The sauce had amazing flavor, well-balanced and not too sweet or acidic. The toppings were fresh and flavorful. Everything came together just right. It wasn't greasy or heavy, and every bite hit the spot. Just really, really good pizza. read more

The best pizza hands down. Shameful that I don't know his name, however, he is the kindest human and does this because he loves it! If you blink, you'll miss it. My favorite type of place. You pre order your pizza. Follow the directions and read what is written. When you arrive at the door, he'll likely be in process of placing your pizza in a box :) A precise one man operation. The level of care he takes can be tasted. There is no better pizza. Yes. I've eaten all the pizzas from all the places. This is still the best. The vibe is perfect. Completely focused on Pizza. I always feel lucky that we get to have Emilia's! read more

Ok it's definitely our favorite pie in the East Bay, light crust and fresh toppings. We kinda like that it feels like an adventure to score a pie and the online ordering system has gotten much simpler. Support a local guy making tasty pizzas...you won't be disappointed. Just plan ahead! read more

Amazing. For many years, the ordering process required advance planning, but it's now simple enough for spontaneous orders. Perfect every single time. read more

Amidst the East Bay's (surprisingly) standout pizza scene (Rose, Pizzaiolo, Lucia, Cheeseboard) Emilia's stands out. Evoking New York's finest, the pizza is low frills (with limited toppings) and makes its impression through the quality of its ingredients. The dough and the sauce particularly stand out. The former is chewy - like a Neapolitan - but with more resistance. There is enough of a underbelly char that the pizza has a slight crisp, yet it's not brittle or hard like a cracker. The sauce is tangy and fresh, I wish I knew which tomatoes they use! There is the perfect amount of cheese: you taste it's presence, yet the takeout box dodged the typical oil stains. My buddy and I felt limber and light after splitting this pizza! (That's not to say we weren't satiated, but just not utterly defeated). We got the Calabrian hot sauce, which was fantastic and simple. I do wish there was more basil, but that's just a personal preference, not a sine qua non. I would recommend this place highly! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Calabrian (the oil smear on my plate is olive oil I added to dip the crust in, not pizza oil) - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

I was really looking forward to trying this place after reading a few reviewers declaring this was the best pizza they've ever had. Unfortunately, Emilia's didn't live up to the hype. Firstly, I never experienced a more complicated ordering system. Online ordering opens at 9 am. I advise logging on precisely at 9 am, as I waited until 9:45 on my first attempt and they were completely sold out for the day by then. On my second attempt, I logged on exactly at 9, was placed in a que, and was able to submit an order by 9:15. Emelia's will then call you back in the afternoon between 3:30 - 4, where you tell them what specifically you want to order and then they give you a pick-up time, which is not really flexible. They told me 8:20 pm pick-up. Great. I understand it is a one-man show, and that is part of this place's appeal, but all the hoops and jumps to place an order weren't worth the trouble for me. It is also pretty pricey at around $30 for a pie with toppings. Cash-only (you can't pay by credit card online). Taste-wise, it was solid, quality New York style pizza. But I wouldn't say it was the best pizza I've ever had (or the best NY pizza I've had). It's good. But for all the trouble it was to get a pizza, it better be pretty epic. read more

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

See all

I ordered the standard pie. This pie definitely has fresh ingredients, like fresh, but very simple tomato sauce. For my taste, this pizza is nothing amazing, very forgettable. It just lacked so much flavor, mostly because of the fresh mozzarella, I didn't know that the mozzarella would be fresh mozzarella as opposed to regular "dry". It's pretty cool how light and airy it is, but it is entirely lacking that proper crisp. Also, $30 ain't cheap. read more

See all

Still the best pizza I've had in the Bay. Yea, I've tried most of the spots on most of the lists, including from the IG pizza "experts," and most are whatever. Your pizza was cold after 6 minutes? Try Papa John's. Emilia's isn't meant to sit, especially in some pizza heater. Not enough toppings? There's always Round Table. You missed the point here. Ordering system is old school? You might like Domino's--pairs well with Corporate Memphis and no sense of humor. Or if you really want an ~artisanal~ pie that shreds your mouth with shards of crust as sharp as glass and as dry as cardboard, then sure, stick to Rose Pizzeria. read more

If you are looking for the best pizza in bay or perhaps even in the country, this is it. Definitely worth waking up at 9. Even if you are ordering a few minutes late, that's fine as you should still see slots available past 7 PM. We got the hot honey pizza, pick up was very quick, there is no seating area there. There are a few places few blocks away where you can sit and enjoy it too. The size of the pizza was a normal large size too and the crust, toppings, taste, everything was perfect. read more

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

Delicious pizzas! The new online system is definitely easier to manage than the previous one. Best of Berkeley and with one bite, transports me to NY. The guy running the show is brief but always cordial. Consistently great pizza! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Sopressata and Roasted Peppers Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

What's not to like about this place - it's just a guy, he makes a quality pizza every single time. It's not precious, it's just good. Find me a better takeout. read more

There is something about a simple, perfect pizza that is so special. This is that. You may be intimidated by the ordering process, but don't be, after your first time, you will feel like you won the lottery, and then with each additional time you will realize they use this system because Emilia's Pizzeria is truly a one-man show and this system works. Use the callback system on their website -- you submit that you want to place an order for X pizzas and they will call you back later that afternoon to confirm the order. Done! This is simple, delicious Neopolitan pizza. The crust is just the right thickness, the sauce is simple, the cheese delicious and the toppings are nothing crazy, but exactly what you want. We usually get one Standard (like a margarita) and one speciality or custom. This time it was theO.G., which is a Standard pie plus sausage & red onion. YUM! read more

See all

It is cruel to have the best pizza anywhere close and also have the hardest hours and close the most often and so difficult to get. Fantastic pizza if you can get it the 20 minutes a week they're open. read more

Finally, some solid NY-style pizza in the SF Bay Area. The process to get a pie may seem like a lot of effort and more complicated as compared to other places, but it's actually straight forward and just takes some planning. Around 10AM the day we wanted to pick up, I submitted the online form on their website to get a call back (pro-tip). Around 330PM, we received a call from the owner to place our order. We wanted a half and half which if you try and add-up using the costs on the site didn't add up to what we paid, but I don't think it's worth sweating about, especially if you want something custom; 1/2 Gina Calabrese and 1/2 Veggie (+ Spicy Calabrian Chilies, which had to be on the entire pie, not 1/2) was $30 including tax. Available pick up time was pretty close to what we asked. We showed up, paid, and took it home. Now, the good stuff - the pizza itself. My favorite aspect of these slices are the crust. Super thin, well cooked, crisp bottom crust providing the ability to do a proper NY fold; the thicker part of the crust has good airiness and chew. The toppings aren't overwhelming, weighing down the slice but a good ratio with the thinness of the crust. Get on it! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - 1/2 Calabrian Chilies & 1/2 Veggie ($30) - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Call in your order early and get it to-go! Quality pizza but no ambience. CASH ONLY! Doesn't look like much from the outside, but is up there with my favorite pizzas in Berkeley. New York style slices (thin but large slices that you fold in half to eat by hand) with a soft, wood-fired crust and quality ingredients. They are a one-chef operated kitchen that take orders until they run out. Quirky setting on a busy intersection (Shattuck) with limited seating available. It is a casual and tight space, so I'd recommend placing an order by phone and taking the pizza to-go rather then trying to squeeze a seat inside. All that being said, they have quality pizzas and I would definitely order from them again. We had the Hoboken and there were no leftovers ;) Looking forward to trying more of their pizzas soon! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Hoboken Pizza (sausage and sweet peppers with basil) - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

See all

Literally the best pizza in the Bay. I haven't written a review til now cuz I wanted to keep it hidden, but I also want him to stay in business. So, pizza lovers who haven't yet been blessed with a pie from Keith: hit up the website now! You're welcome in advance :) read more

Look no further if you're itching for some authentic, Italian-style pizza. I hail from central Jersey and grew up eating good pizza from local Italian pizzerias for high school lunches or pre-sports games snacks, so sniffing out delicious pizza is what I do. Emilia's is a solid choice! The pie dough is thin and soft, and actually delicious just to eat by itself. This was rather necessary because the tomato sauce layer was thin and the cheese at times sparse such that one is left to nibble at dough for some bites. However, there are these great melted dollops of creamy mozz on parts of the pie, which add a lot of flavor and deliciousness. I don't think these pies are actually worth the ~$30 or so (including tip), but hey--if you're looking for authentic Italian pizza (not the thick, hard, flatbread-style pizza pies), at least you've found the right place. Logistics-wise, Z. ordered online at 9:30 (we got the callback at 3:40 or so, only to find out that the O.G. (onion and sausage) was sold out because the sausages were out.) We opted for the onion + pepperoni topping instead which was totally good with us. If you are looking for a specific order, seems like ordering at exactly 9 am is the way go (evidently, ~75% of all their orders are made between 9-9:01 am.) read more

The ordering is incredibly confusing, but I was still able to navigate and my pizza was literally ready at the time I went to pick it up. Best NY slice I've had outside of NYC! read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - The O.G. - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

My old boss told me I had to try this place! Well, I finally was able to and had the pepperoni pizza with hot honey. I placed the order on the website and it was made ready and popped out of the oven at the exact time it was scheduled for. It was flavorful, but light. Just the right amount of honey. I'd definitely grab this again but am keen to try some other toppings next time. Glad this is just a quick two minute drive from my house! read more

Of all the food businesses in the Bay Area Emilia's has probably changed the least in terms of operations - it's trucking along as before and turning out the finest pizzas in the East Bay, and possibly the whole region. But it's the same setup as pre-COVID - order, pick up, take home and inhale that za. But in order to get your hands on one of these marvelous pies you'll have to jump through some hoops first. Emilia's is only open Wednesday to Saturday, and only in the evening. To place an order you call and order and are given a time of pickup. Reservation calls start at 4pm, but you are highly advised to sign up early on the website - I got through at just after 4pm and the earliest slot was 9:10pm. It was worth the wait. Emilia's combines a great thin-crust pizza base, with a slightly puffy rim, with a roughly 18-inch pie. The chef uses a mix of cheeses and an amazing tomato sauce, and has five pre-set pizza types, or you can build your own, with a maximum of four toppings. My better half is a New Jersey girl (aka massive pizza snob :) and will never touch a West Coast pizza but was seduced by an Emilia's. It's also good enough that I cheerfully can leave a slice in the fridge and have it for breakfast the next morning, since good cold pizza is the food of the gods. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - An 18-inch custom pepperoni, mushroom and onion pizza, $30 and worth every penny. - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Good- the site is confusing, you have to click into it to select a time to pick up your pizza (not just refresh the front page like I did for several days). Crust is very good, just wish there was more tomato sauce. Pizza was ready exactly at the expected time- lots of metered parking right in front so picking up was not at an issue. read more

Emilia's Pizzeria - Custom pepperoni, onion, mushroom - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

Best pizza in the Bay. He does things his way, from how you place your order to how pick-up works, but it's so worth it. There's no dine-in; you place your order in advance on the website and pick it up at the scheduled time slot. I almost don't want to post because I don't want it to become swarmed every night, but everyone deserves pizza this good. read more