After walking by daily and watching Fieldwork slowly come together, we finally dropped by on Saturday, just a couple of days after they opened, and were really happy with our first experience here.
The open air courtyard is fantastic with its ample seating, fire pits, and a 75-year-old olive tree (which pays nice homage to the rich history of agriculture in San Leandro, though I'm not sure if that was part of the decision-making process in including the tree). Murals were nearly finished but still in-progress when we ate here, but looked really nice despite not being done. Seat yourself, order from the menu using the QR code on the table, and wait for your food and drinks to come by (or order at the counter inside if you prefer).
The menu is pretty beer and pizza heavy, with a number of different appetizers to round things out. Nearly every pizza on the menu sounded really delicious so it was hard to choose, but we went with the Delivery Boy (pepperoni, Castelvetrano olives, roasted jalapeños, onions, and mozzarella, $20) and shared an order of the shishito peppers ($10) and the hot pretzel ($8). My fiancé ordered a beer flight (I believe he said it was $3 per beer); while I don't know which beers he got, he enjoyed all of them.
The food was fantastic. Everything was very hot and fresh. The shishitos had a nice char and a great miso aioli, and the pretzel had a crunchy exterior with a super soft, chewy interior. The mustard served on the side had a good, spicy kick. The pizza was perfect; while I don't typically like olives, the Castelvetranos were a nice addition and all of the flavors came together well. These are thin crust pizzas, which held up well to all of the toppings and folded in half nicely for easier eating. However, without an appetizer I wouldn't have been full sharing this pizza, but would've at least left satisfied.
All the staff were super friendly and welcoming when we walked in and seemed genuinely enthused to be there, and asked us for our feedback after our meal. My biggest criticism is the lack of options on the non-alcoholic drink menu, which is limited to three different flavors of Boylan sodas. Yes, this is a brewery, but given that they serve food they should expect that people who don't drink much or at all will be tagging along with the people there for beer. Iced tea would be a good addition along with a couple of other options.
Additionally, I'm not crazy about QR code menus. I've mentioned this in a previous review, but I'm not a fan of the trend of limited service in restaurants, with wait staff that bring out your food and don't really interact at any other time except to clear plates (sometimes not even that). It at least matches the casual, easy vibe of Fieldwork, and there is the option of ordering at the counter like I mentioned above if you prefer human interaction.
Minor feedback aside, Fieldwork is a really great and much-welcomed addition to the San Leandro food scene. For those who may be curious and have never tried tried it, the menu at nearby Sons of Liberty is different (and just as delicious), with an assortment of dishes like duck carnitas, poutine, mac and cheese, a fried chicken sandwich, seasonal entrees and desserts, and more. Go to Fieldwork if you're in the mood for fantastic thin crust pizza, go to Sons of Liberty if you're looking for hearty entrees, and if you're looking for beer -- go to whichever has what you want on tap. read more