The pizza is the star at Little Star Pizza! Located on a busy stretch of Solano Avenue on the lower…read moreportion near the San Pablo Avenue intersection on Albany, California, Little Star Pizza is just one of many locations of this burgeoning franchise from owner Brian Sadigursky, who began his mini-pizza making empire of his signature cornmeal crust deep dish pizzas in a small location along Divisadero Street in San Francisco's Nopa neighborhood. That location has since closed down, but two locations remain, this one in Albany and another along Valencia Street in San Francisco's Mission District. The team also owns three The Star pizza restaurants with locations in Oakland, Alameda, and Portland, Oregon. With all these locations to keep track of what makes people keep coming back for all these wide varieties of pizza pies? It's the dough of course, but it is not just any dough, it is their beautifully crusty cornmeal dough that is cooked to perfection for their Chicago-style deep dish pizza that is what makes Little Star and all of their subsidiaries so worthwhile. I had originally been to this location when they were located literally right next door in a smaller location on the corner. Now, in a much larger location, with floor to ceiling windows that let in natural light on two sides, and their own communal parking lot, where there is a door for direct takeout orders, Little Star Pizza is thriving here in Albany. What brought me and a dining mate back for a first time visit to this newer location was the affordable lunchtime deal that they serve seemingly seven days a week. From open until 3 p.m. diners can order a Personal Signature Pizza either Deep Dish or Thin Crust for only 11 dollars. You can also build your own personal pizza for 9 dollars which is an affordable option. My fellow dining mate and I knew we wanted to select from their Seasonal Specials or their Signature Pies. I decided to order their Personal size All-Star Signature Pie, which was topped with bacon, meatballs, sausage, pepperoni, provolone cheese and served on their signature cornmeal crust, then filled with mozzarella cheese and house-made tomato sauce & finished with parmesan & oregano. My dining mate was intrigued by their Specials menu, and their Personal size Sweet Heat, which was topped with spicy sausage, caramelized red onions, cherry peppers, hot honey and served on their signature cornmeal crust, then filled with mozzarella cheese and house-made tomato sauce & finished with parmesan & oregano. Since both pizzas were so affordable at 11 dollars each, we decided to splurge and order two dessert drinks as I ordered their Golden Gate Orange Soda Float and my dining mate ordered their Dad's Root Beer Soda Float. The wait for our personal size pizzas would be a lengthy one, at least twenty minutes, which for about a nine inch pizza pie, is still a considerable amount of time. But once you do get the pizzas you order, I can report it is well worth the wait, as the pizza has that extra special graininess to it that makes it extra special good. Combined with the fresh tomatoes and an abundance of mozzarella cheese, you cannot go wrong with any type of pizza you order. I liked my All-Star pizza pie with its abundance of meat toppings and I tried my dining mates Sweet Heat pizza pie and it came as delivered as it has a combination of sweetness meets spiciness. Luckily our wait wasn't too long, as we had our ice cream and soda floats to keep us satiated while we waited for our pizzas to be handcrafted. Our total bill was $42.08, which was with tax but before gratuity, which in all reality was very reasonable considering we ordered two rather large personal deep dish pizzas, and our floats were a mere fraction less in terms of pricing. Since they have a Happy Hour on weeknights from 3-5:30 p.m. with reasonably priced cocktails, one-topping pizzas and other menu items at affordable pricing, you better believe it will not be another decade that passes by before I make another appearance. Here's to the continued success of Little Star Pizza, may more locations be in the future, and may their current locations continue to thrive thanks to their delectable Signature Deep Dish pizzas!

Went to Little Star Friday for lunch. The place was pretty empty, pretty dark inside and on the…read morecold side We ordered two side Cesar salads which were good. My partner got a personal Sweet Heat pizza, a very value. I ordered the personal Meatball pizza and it was awful. The thing was topped with huge gobs od mozarella cheese. Way too much cheese. I should have sent the thing back but I scrapped off the cheese and went to work. Not very good meatballs and the crust was lame. Def a waste of money

I came in for a pizza by the slice and decided to eat it in the restaurant. They call this 'Hangout…read morePizza' but I actually found it not a pleasant place to hang out. The guy working here didn't ask me if I wanted my slice to go or for here and just put it in a to go box. Eating it in the restaurant was not pleasant as the guy had DJ music blasting across the restaurant while he was working in the kitchen. He should have offered to turn it down for me. The pizza itself was just okay, about what you would get at like 7-11,v definitely not as good as a slice from the Costco food court. They only had cheese and pepperoni by the slice and I selected pepperoni. They may have good pizza here if you custom order your toppings, I don't know. I'm certainly not rushing to return back here but am glad I gave them a try out. Low customer service effort here.

What a fun place to hang out! You guys wont be disappointed with their pizza, all the ingredients…read moreare all fresh, we gave this place a try and it was wonderful experience.

Under the old ownership the food was already good. Now it's incredible! They've kept the menu…read moreintact but have really elevated everything, and have even made some tasty additions. The chicken wings were out of this world (the new owner, Jagroop, was really proud of them, as well he should be), we were amazed at how they could make garlic bread that wasn't at all greasy, and our pizza was fantastic! All the same flavors from the previous menu, but done better somehow...Tastier, cheesier, fluffier crust...We were blown away. And all the other reviews are true, the owners really are THAT nice...You don't get that kind of personal service very many places these days. They also told me they're going to be introducing a new lunch menu item this month - chipotle-style bowls but with Indian filling. I love how they want to innovate and serve up new and interesting dishes. Sounds delicious and I can't wait to come back and try it! If you haven't tried India pizza yet, La Val's Albany does it right.

We had stopped in here once before for a late night slice to go, but tonight we arrived early…read moreenough to order a whole pie and sit down to enjoy it. After contemplating a few different slice ideas, we agreed to split a butter chicken pizza. It was freshly made, hot and delicious. Great flavor, stretchy melted cheese, thin crust, but thick enough to hold up to the toppings and stay crispy. The owners were also delightful - super friendly and welcoming. Highly recommend - we'll be back!

Benchmark continues to be one of my favorite spots when a serious pizza craving hits. Last night, I…read morestopped in specifically hoping to try the eggplant pizza, but unfortunately they were sold out. Since the only other pie I'd previously had there was the brown butter sage -- delicious, though I've learned lemon on pizza simply isn't my thing -- I decided to go with their classic Benchmark margherita instead. It absolutely delivered. This is Neo-Neapolitan pizza done right: bright, fresh tomato sauce, creamy mozzarella, torn basil, and a beautifully balanced crust with a perfectly thin base, nicely charred underside, and those airy, leopard-spotted edges that make wood-fired pizza so satisfying. Simple, restrained, and incredibly well executed. It was an unusually warm evening, so I opted to sit outside. My only real complaint is that the tables closest to the street sit noticeably on a slant, making it a bit of a challenge to keep plates and glasses from slowly sliding downhill throughout the meal. A small detail, but worth noting. That said, the staff were genuinely lovely and welcoming, and the overall experience was exactly what I was hoping for. One final recommendation: do yourself a favor and ask for a side of olive oil for dipping the crusts. It's the perfect finishing touch. I'll absolutely be back the next time the craving strikes.

Delivery by Doordash: tough, because it was cold. Small and would only taste good it it were…read moreabsolutely fresh.

This is the real deal. I love pizza and if it wasn't for pizza and burritos, I might be in trouble…read more Maybe a little pasta too. A small space with a little pick up window and several individual slices to choose from in a lovely neighborhood, which has a handful of groovy, little eating spots, etc. This pizza is the way it should be, thin crust, well prepared, interesting toppings, and freaking delicious!!! The kind of place that could be on just about any corner in any city worldwide! Tonight I had a slice of spinach with garlic and chili oil with some terrific tomato sauce, which made my taste buds explode with "joy-uh"....... (Gioia is most commonly pronounced as "JOY-uh") In Italian, gioia primarily means joy or delight. This is as good as if not better than any pizza tossed within 500 miles! There is another location on Hayes Street in San Francisco. The only area that needs some improvement is in the staffing and service. I've been going there for years and it is reminiscent of a DMV facility. "Now serving G 30 at Window #8." *********************************** Have a slice, take a whole pie home!

20-year loyal customer shocked by the increasingly rude front staff…read more We have been coming to Gioia Pizzeria for over 20 years. It's our neighborhood go-to, and we eat here at least once a week because the pizza is truly excellent. For nearly two decades, the staff was always friendly, but over the last couple of years, the front-of-house service has drastically gone downhill. The people taking the orders consistently seem like they don't want to be there. I've been overlooking the cold attitude for a while now because we love the food, but my experience today was the last straw. I ordered a whole pie and politely asked to have it double-sliced. The cashier looked visibly annoyed by a simple, standard request. It got worse when the pizza was ready: after she handed me the box, I kindly asked for a few paper plates. She literally threw the plates at me with a glaring look of unhappiness. I was honestly in shock by her behavior. Stunned, I asked her what her name was, and she flat-out refused to tell me. There is absolutely no reason to treat a regular, polite customer with that level of hostility over plates and a name request. I believe people need to be held accountable for how they treat others, especially in customer service. Looking at other recent reviews, I see that I'm definitely not the only one feeling this way. Gioia has been one of our absolute favorite pizzerias in Berkeley for over 20 years, but it's a shame to see a great neighborhood spot ruined by the attitude of the people taking orders. I am truly hoping management and the owners will read this and take real action. The food is still great, but the toxic energy at the front counter is ruining the experience, and loyal customers shouldn't be treated like an inconvenience. This incident happened today at 1130am.

Solid food, quick, close to campus, and laid-back vibe…read more There is a pool table and seating area is nice, so they give the food in takeout containers. Honestly makes the experience better because you dont need to ask for boxes after you eat. The meatball calzone was good and balanced; sauce was decent, meatballs were juicy, and had a lot of fresh ricotta that cut the saltiness and heaviness. Valid and $15. Dough was pretty flavorful. I recommend their calzones over certain pizza and pastas. They are also open pretty late and on snack pass. Would come again.

LaVal's Berkeley is still solid pizza. Thank God. I used to come here all the time growing up and…read morewould love to stuff the video game machine with quarters. The pizza was solid and the price is pretty good. $8 for a slice and that includes a drink. Better than other old-school pizza places in Berkeley. The staff was nice, especially after we left a jean jacket there and they still had it for us when we came back looking for it. I've always been a fan of Northside Berkeley. Happy to say I can still go there.

I was a little skeptical about the hype around Emilia's. You order online, hope they're available,…read moreget 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.

This is one of the best pies I have had in the Bay Area. I dare say it unseats my current east bay…read morefav, 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.

This place is bomb! It's a no-brainer!!!…read moreFeaturing vegetarian pizza every day, a slice with a small sliver on top and only six bucks with tax and tip! You heard me correctly-$6.00!!! And all you can eat red or green sauce - help yourself! Today's pizza of the day: corn, zucchini, yellow onions, mozzarella cheese, french feta cheese, cilantro, garlic olive oil, and lime. Why are you not there right this minute? Take home a whole pie for $28 or half for $15. If I were king of the world, there'd be at least one in every city on the globe! I almost feel guilty like I should give them some more ca$h?! Clean, friendly, nice design and a price for almost any pocketbook..... Plenty of sitting, indoor and outdoor. And there's at least a half a dozen locations in the Bay Area!

3.5 stars On paper,…read morethis pizza chain should be right up my alley. Pizza with ingredients, more daring and more interesting than California pizza kitchen. After sitting down three or four times and eating different pizza of the day, I think I figured out what it is. I dislike the dough and, they just use too much oil for me.