So sad that Spinning Dough will be closing their Oakland restaurant on April 20. Had to stop by one…read moremore time for a round of pizzas. Jeff, the owner and pizza maker, is so nice, warmly welcoming us upon arrival and inquired if we'd prefer indoor or outdoor seating. Beautiful day so opted for outdoor on their expansive back patio. Miso mushroom - new to me, savory and bright flavor. Yuzu and lemon acidity cuts into the savory of the mushroom and miso. Might be one of my new favorites. Soppresata - an OG item on the menu and one of my favorites. Simple classic pizza with soppresata topped with scallions and honey. Savory, sweet. The honey is perfect on this pizza. Longanisa - Filipino inspired with longanisa, baked egg, and tomato. Savory and sweet. Heaviest of the three pizzas. Comes with a side of sweet vinegar to drizzle on top. All three of these pizzas easily are favorites for me. They're super large and best to share with 2-3 people. All thin crust. 6 of us had these three pizzas and were able to finish it but were super stuffed. Wishing the best to Jeff and Spinning Dough's next adventure.

I have been wanting to try this place for a while, but it took the news of them closing to get me…read morethere. At least I got to go a couple times before they closed and was able to try all the unique flavors that I wanted to try. The first time I went was with my family. We got a whole Ube pizza. The taste was good, and love the uniqueness of it. Even the dough is purple! There weren't that many people there when we went, so the service was quick. My second visit was closing weekend with a group of friends. I got to try two more flavors recommended by the server during my first visit - blackberry and longanisa. Both were very good in different ways. I think I preferred the blackberry slightly over longanisa. They had a lot of take out orders that day, and we got the last white dough (there were still Ube). Good thing we got what we got. Even though they were super busy, the service was still quick and pizza came out fast. I heard they opened up again in San Francisco but for take out only. So glad they reopened because after having the amazing pizzas right before they closed on Oakland, my friends and I were sad that we didn't go sooner. Can't wait to try again in the future.

Pizzeria Violetta in Oakland is firing on all cylinders right now, especially with their current…read moreRestaurant Week special. Their pizzas are already reliably delicious, but this deal is genuinely outstanding value since you get a large 18" pizza, your choice of a Caesar or dinner salad, and four very large sea salt chocolate chip cookies, all for $35. We grabbed two of these specials for a group of six and still had leftovers, so I'd say one combo easily feeds three people and could probably stretch to four as long as no one is absolutely starving. The pizzas themselves are ultra thin but still hold up structurally since you can lift and fold each slice without everything collapsing, which is exactly how I like to inhale my pizza. I personally wish the crust were just a touch more burnt and crackly on the edges, but even without that extra char, the flavor and bouncy chew of the dough were spot on. We ordered the Hot Italian and the Sausage & Roasted Garlic pies and absolutely loved both, especially the housemade sweet Italian sausage that appears on each, which is savory, slightly sweet, and super satisfying in every bite. Their house tomato sauce deserves its own shout out because it hits that ideal balance of sweetness and acidity and ties everything together perfectly. On the Sausage & Roasted Garlic it plays beautifully with the rich roasted garlic purée, and on the Hot Italian it stands up nicely to the Calabrian chilis and chili oil without getting lost. The sea salt chocolate chip cookies that come with the special are huge and packed with chocolate chips, and that little hit of salt really enhanced the flavors but the something about the texture was a bit off for me as it wasn't quite chewy or crumbly but rather something in between, which left me a little confused. Another big plus is that Violetta has a full bar so you can pair your meal with a beer, a glass of wine, or a cocktail to match whatever pie you are in the mood for. Between the quality of the ingredients, the thoughtfulness of the flavor combinations, and the generosity of the Restaurant Week deal, Pizzeria Violetta is an easy recommend and a spot I would happily return to with a group (or by myself with plenty of leftovers!).

My daughter and I get an 18-inch pie from this place every other weekend because she loves their…read moresweet little pig pie and pizza in general. I don't know why the pies cost so much, but they are only a few blocks from our place, so I want to support the few restaurants that set up shop in West Oakland. However, I'm starting to sour on this place. I don't mind overpaying for pizza; that's just edible, but on a few occasions, I've been appalled by what these folks try to get away with. A couple of months ago, they gave us a pie that was so burnt I had to call to complain, and they replaced it with a less burnt pie. Perhaps they don't know that extremely burnt food is full of carcinogens. This week, we ordered our usual 18-inch pie. This pie was a Frankenstein pie; half of it tasted like it had been sitting under the lamp all day. A telltale sign is how stiff the cheese is; the old dough feels as if I'm chewing on rubber, and the slices are stiff and salty overall, though some slices taste a bit fresher and crunchier. I was disappointed. If you're going to overcharge for mediocre pizza, the least you could do is give people what they are paying for. If I wanted old, stale pizza, I would've asked for the slices that sit under the lamp all day. Moving forward, if we order from this place, I will walk over, place the order, and wait for it, so we don't get cheated again. This place is a reminder of why certain restaurants often fail. The food is overpriced, and they are inconsistent with their service, if not disrespectful, in how they sometimes treat and feed their customers. We're not pigs; we just like eating the sweet little pig.

Finally got to try this Cali version of NY Pizza. I prefer these thin and crisp styles of pizzas…read moreover any other style...over deep dish, Detroit, suburban medium crust and even Neapolitan. Straight preference. Upon walking in this hole in the wall urban space I knew it was going to be decent to special. First no frills look, nothing fancy or hip, just a utilitarian vibe, where even though we don't have a subway system, it feels like one could have gotten off a train and straight into this store once you hit street level. The smell of NY style pizza also is thick in the air, the smell of baked yeast mingling with a melding of tomato sauce and sparse cheese. And this was all before I even received and/or tasted a slice. Pizzas by slice can be had, they have about 6 you can choose from. They par bake whole pies and just reheat the slices, which is super legit. That reheating makes a slice more crisp, which I tend to swoon for. And if you get it in slice form, it will get handed to you within 5 minutes. You can get whole pies here and I'm sure those are better called in as you can use your travel time as the wait time. Cheese Slice ($5/4.5*) Perfectly thin and crisp. And the sauce and cheese is so sparse and in balance that it won't weigh that thin crust down at all. The cheese is so sparse that there will be no cheese pull, which I think Californians don't understand/prefer. Cept I love it cuz it isn't as rich and oily. I do kinda wish the sauce had more umph but after a sprinkle of oregano and red pepper flakes, it turns out just fine. I also think the outer edge of the crust is a bit too big and tough, like you really have to chew that mofo. But I like to roll my slices so that crust is intergrated with the rest so it balances everything out nicely. And I ate this in one hand as I roamed the streets of Uptown. The crisp bites, the tomato and light cheese tandem all mingled with urban city air and just made perfect sense. Pepperoni ($5.50/4*) They use good quality pepperoni, small but thick slices. Definitely makes it greasier which may make this a one and done for me. Wish I could have added mushrooms to this to balance it out more, cuz as is, is just too salty and one note for me. But to a basic bish pepperoni eater, this should fit the bill just fine. But I'll round up to a fiver cuz we simply don't have many of these out here, so to offer this within my reach is quite the lucky circumstance. Gotta give them props on making my bar hopping for this area much more complete and complimentary. Hells ya!

Satisfies that New York Pizza craving…read more Quick with it, if you get slices. Whole pies will take longer.

Fantastic tiny pizza joint that reminds me so much of NYC- the owner and his staff are super…read morewelcoming and the pies are delicious!! Just go.

F-ing incredible pizza. I don't even know where to start. PIZZA SO GOOD you won't want to eat…read moreanything else. Seriously every time I'm hungry I'm thinking about this place. I went there ONCE. THREE WEEKS AGO. I'm still thinking about it. Allllllllllllll the time. I can't wait to go back. Yes it's a bit slow. It's 12/10 worth the wait. Order ahead if you're impatient. Yes it's slightly expensive but not at all overpriced. This is not quick cheap sustinence. This is edible heaven. Just go already. (Get the mushroom one.) Don't order to go. Sit down and eat it hot, fresh, PERFECT. PS the background music is really terrible. Bring headphones?

It's the PIZZA. Sooooooo good. Crispy crust. Fresh ingredients. Just the right blend of sauce to…read morecheese ratio. Love it.

We stumbled upon this kid friendly place after a hike through the redwoods in the area and had an…read moreincredible veggie pizza from their daily specials. It came with corn, zucchini, garlic, mozzarella, feta and a really really good pesto sauce on the side. It was flavor packed and our toddler devoured it. They were thoughtful to cut a slice up into smaller pieces that our little one could hold easily without us asking for it and even gave us an extra slice. There's also a large chalkboard wall that kept our toddler engaged while we enjoyed our meal. They also do individual slices and service was fast!

Was headed home and hungry after a social event on a Friday, but thought it's a good time to give…read moreHeshers a try. Live in Jack London square but haven't tried Heshers since the Crooked City Cider changeover. So glad I gave this a try. While Heshers gives this punk rock, aggro vibe online, inside the staff were warm and super friendly. My bartender helped me find the right drink (a Humboldt blueberry cider at 11% abv) and then I ordered the Meat Fungus pizza (lots of ground meat plus mushrooms). Sat at the bar and enjoyed my cider as well as convo with the other guests and bartender. In about 20 min, my pizza was ready. I took everything to go but was home in minutes. Couldn't wait for the first bite, and was NOT disappointed. Crisp crust pizza... not quite Detroit. Not Sicilian... def not New York style. But absolutely delicious. Came with a few packets of Parmesan and crushed peppers. Added it all and it was too good to leave a single slice for tomorrow. I'll be back, Heshers! Take my money! And thank you!

Ordered a pizza to go from Hesher's and it definitely delivered!…read more First off, the theme here is unapologetically metal. The decor, the attitude, and the music all lean into it--they were blasting metal while I was there, which gives the place a fun, high-energy vibe that feels a little different from your typical pizza spot. If you're into that scene, you'll probably love it. The setup is super casual. You order at the counter and can hang out while you wait. They've got a great beer selection, and there's even an arcade area where you can play some games while your food is being made. It feels like the kind of place where you could easily kick back with friends for a while. I went with the Mortian, their all-meat pizza, and it was absolutely packed with toppings--pepperoni, sausage, and bacon, all garnished with prosciutto. If you're a meat lover, this one delivers. Every slice was loaded and really flavorful. The crust deserves a shout-out too. It's not thin crust, but it's also not deep dish. It lands right in that perfect middle zone--crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside. Really satisfying and a great base for all those toppings. Even though I ordered it to go, the pizza held up great and was seriously delicious. I'd absolutely order their pizza again and look forward to trying more of the menu next time.

From Missouri, smells great! Excited to see what pizza is about! Have seen this on many TikToks so…read morewe had to try this out!

me and the boys came to oakland for Summerslam 2026, and we had to celebrate the OTC's victory,…read morewith some elite local pizza. my friend chris recommend this spot, and we were glad w the decision we got the Big Von pizza, we got the Lemon Pepper Pizza, Schezuan Wings and cheesy bread. the group agrees that the chicken pepper was the best, and the Cheesy Bread was also good. service was great, you can actually order from the QR code on the tables, or go upfront yourself Big Von Pizza (8.5/10) pepperoni and meat present, but tad sweet, maybe the sauce. great tho Chicken Pepper Pie (9/10) the best ingredient. the chicken: thick pizza, chicken was elite and sauce was thick Schezuan Wings (9/10) wings were cooked, amazingly seasoned and sauce wa good Cheesy Bread (8.5/10) cheesy pull on each bread, mariners sauce inside good, not eventful thx, Square Pie Guys: they some good pies fr

I actually haven't been here in quite some time. Very sad that they no longer make their awesome…read morepasta carbonara. * hint hint! That said, everything is usually Stella and good. Parking can be a challenge but this is one place that may just be worth it for the trouble.

Incredible. Everything we ate was delicious and artfully presented. Started with a warm focaccia…read morestyle bread, on the house! Got salad good balance blue cheese olive pistachio arugula. And ooooo the tortelli bolognese was exquisite, well portioned, rich but you know not too much. AND THE TIRAMISU. We get it any time it's on a menu. This was special one, extra liqueur bite on top. Yum! And great service. Mindful, patient, great suggestions. And has that "been here a long time for good reason" vibe. Yum!