I love their pizza size options, especially the mini! It's perfect for a hungry college female. The lady behind the register was really friendly and I felt really comfortable talking to her. The place is spacious but usually really crowded during dinner time or game seasons. I have come here so many times before so here's a few tips 1) their pizza is better than their pasta 2) if you get pasta, stay away from anything that involves shrimp! The last time I was here I was really disappointed because they use those small shrimps you get from the can. 3) drink machines are on the outside Today I ordered a mini BBQ chicken pizza since I feel sad about failing to sign up for January MCATs. Happy Munching! R read more

Used to my favorite pizza, must be new ownership because I'd go so far as to say: LA VAL'S SUCKS NOW. We ordered a thick crust pizza and I've had a La Val's thick crust many times before....it was always amazing, this was NOT a thick crust. We ordered it with tomatoes, onions, mushrooms, garlic and cilantro, half with pepperoni (my fiance is a vegetarian), The tomatoes were half white, obviously not ripened yet....I tasted no garlic and there was barely ANY cilantro...the cilantro that was on there was chopped up stems more than anything. When you pay $1.50 for something that comes in 2 bushels for $0.99, there should at least be some cilantro leaves on there. It was a soppy thin crust with barely any flavor. Not at all the La Val's I remember. Not at all. Anyways, I thought it was an extremely poor excuse for a pizza, and I will never eat there again. Don't you restaurants know there's Yelp out there?!?!?! read more

Ordered delivery on a Sunday. Took longer than the estimate and food was basically inedible. Garlic cheese bread was cold with rubbery cheese, salad was floating in salad dressing and we ordered a meatball sub but they chose to replace it with another random sub that's was gross because they ran out of meatballs. It would have been nice if they'd called to offer an alternative, or at least apologized when we called this out upon delivery. Mozzarella sticks and wings were OK but I wouldn't order from here again. Waste of time. Luckily ordered through Grubhub so I got a refund. After I got a refund the delivery person called me a couple times which made me nervous, since I already told him the order was wrong when he delivered it so I'm not sure what else there was to discuss... read more

Wow, what a difference a cashier makes! I came here on Sat 2/2 and had a fantastic experience- the girl was super nice, everything went smoothly and my order came out perfectly. Because I had a great experience, when my friends wanted me to grab some pizza and wings for the Superbowl today, Sun 2/3, I thought- "hey, I could go to La Vals, they'll make it good." NOT SO. The cashier who took my order today (went in at 2pm) was such a b*tch. She gave an attitude and gave me a hard time on everything I ordered. I told her I didn't want onions in my pizza, and what did I get- frigging onions my pizza, and I HATE onions. I told her I didn't want butter in my garlic bread and she just outright said no- that can't be done- when in fact they could just not slather on the butter when they're toasting the bread up. It could be done- she just lazy and didn't want to tell the people in the kitchen to not put the butter on. Then when I changed my mind and wanted to get a different flavor drink, (the one I initially picked out had 44g of sugar when I read the bottle) and I didn't want that much sugar, I simply asked if I could get another flavor and she gave me an attitude about that. What is the big deal- just go grab me another drink. It's not hard and not a big request. The drinks were just behind her back. When I wanted my order to go, she gave me a hard time about that too. She charged me an extra $2 just to take it out the door. WTF? As I was in a rush get my food (someone was picking me up to bring the food to the Superbowl game), I didn't feel like arguing so I said whatever, I'll pay the frigging "to-go fee." Then after I order, I take a seat to wait for my food - she just glares at me the whole time, giving me nasty looks. WTF. I didn't do anything to her. I didn't do or say anything mean or anything (If I did then I could understand why). I was just expecting my order to go through fine since I had such a pleasant experience just the day before, less than 24 hours ago, and today was such a horrible experience. LA VAL's- You need to teach one of your cashiers to be a nicer person. If the cashier gives customers an attitude and a hard time- AND messing up their orders, we will NOT be back. read more

I don't go here because it's the world's best pizza. I go because it's close, cheap and sastisfies the pizza craving. The crust is pretty good, and I find it only gets better after sticking the leftovers in the oven the next day. They can be a little stingy with the toppings, but that's okay when you're getting two meadium 3-topping pizzas for under $20. It won't knock your socks off, but it gets the job done! read more

Great place for pizza but unfortunately nothing compared to Cheeseboard. The pizzas are huge slices but very thin. The place also offers more than just pizza - pastas, sandwiches, salads, and appetizers. My favorite apps were the CHEESE STICKS! Super goood :) read more

I think the equation here is in favor of the business: acceptable pizza + reasonable prices Other than that.... read more

So alright, like mentioned earlier, Italian food is my favorite. And this one, in terms of the quality for the buck, is A-OK. La Val's is actually pretty much the same as Gypsy's in that they both cater to the busy and broke college student, but when I'm craving Italian (which is more often than you know), I'd much rather come here than go to Gypsy's for two reasons: they're much faster and efficient (your food arrives in a timely manner), plus their garlic bread is tastier than Gypsy's version (essentially bland even as we speak). However, although they are much better than Gypsy's, this is not to say they aren't faulty on certain things; their setup needs to be further organized for greater efficiency. Here are my suggestions to La Val's: 1) Please place trays next to the food pick-up window. I am coming from school with books in my hand, and I cannot possibly carry my books, 2 plates of food, and a drink in my two hands. Nada. 2) Why not have a bussing station so that customers can bus their own tables if you are not going to stay on top of it? Several times I've come in with my hands full, looking for available tables and shocked to find that dishes and dirty napkins from previous customers have been left sitting there for what seems to be a long time. 3) Your brewed ice tea, although from Lipton, tastes kind of weird. Please replace with a tastier version. 4) Please place utensils near the food pick-up window because when my hands are full with 2 places of food, a drink, and books, I really don't want to walk over to the other side of the room, and use another hand to get the fork. Essentially, I'd like to place everything from napkins to utensils onto my plate/tray before heading out to the dining area. Other than that, I think it's great La Val's has comfy seats, a big-screen TV to accomodate my Obama news, and a pool table. read more

I try and take perspective in to rating a place, and for a pizza place in the Bay Area, this comes highly recommended. The Bay doesn't do pizza well, and when it does it's either a million dollars, or Chicago style (or both). Not always of course, but it's not this area's strength. This place gets 4 stars because it serves enormous (!!) slices of New York style at a fantastic price. If this place was in San Jose, I'd probably eat there twice a week. a pitcher of Spaten Munich was 10.75, and the selection of higher end beers was great. good pizza, great portions, awesome prices. read more

There are a ton of things to like about La Val's Northside, making it hard for me to decide how to start off the review. I've eaten here MANY times, and I've never come upon anything on the menu that I didn't like. The great thing is that seemingly similar items actually give you vastly different impressions. My problem is that I'm always in the neighborhood, so I eat at the same places very frequently, causing me to branch out into different things on the menu that I wouldn't normally order. For example, I would never typically get any kind of pizza without meat, but the options at La Val's are actually superb. The days when I walk in and the Slice of the Day is their Margherita (light olive oil, mozzarella, feta cheese, fresh tomato, fresh basil, garlic) definitely give me that funny feeling inside because I love that slice SO MUCH. The Athenian style is also quite good despite the lack of meat. But lately I've been fixated on the plain cheese slice. I swear they must do something different to it because I've never tasted a "plain" cheese slice that tastes so complex. It's like they sprinkle MSG or THC or something else amazing on top, I can't stop eating it. Of course the combo and other meat-tastic slices and pies are good as well. What I like about the pizza probably comes down to the crust - you can tell they spent a while trying to get the right balance of crispy and sturdy, and I think they nailed it. For total value the "mini" pizza is the best way to go, you get a pie about twice the size of a "personal" you'd order anywhere else, they toss the dough right in front of you, and you can have whatever you want on it. Plus a free soda. I went through a phase where I had a mini mushroom salami linguica and black olive for lunch about 3 times a week. It's like 6 bucks out the door, which is pretty amazing if you ask me. The Ceasar salad (with or without chicken) is another favorite (and you get a load of it), the Greek Salad is also good, and the fruit salad and "Tiramisu" (totally inauthentic but delicious nonetheless) are also nice treats though I'd say those two are overpriced, particularly in comparison to the rest of what I usually get for lunch (a huge-ass slice and a soda with refill for three bucks? Sign me up!). The pastas are also good for a change of pace, I like when they have the Penne with meat sauce on special (six bucks for pasta, garlic bread and soda). Service is about what you'd expect - for the most part quick and efficient, usually friendly. But during lunch this place gets BUSY. So expect to have to wait a few extra minutes to pick up your food. They expect you to stay on top of your number and watch the electronic boards for when it comes up, they pretty much won't call the numbers out, so if you want your slice hot, you kinda have to lurk in the "lobby" area. I've had some pretty funny conversations with some of the cashiers they've got, which is nice to show some personality. There's also a sweet beer selection, though I normally don't take advantage of this because I'm usually eating lunch. I think the beers are like 3 bucks for a pint, which is pretty damn good considering you can get a Boont Amber or a Stella for half the price you'd pay at the Mallard or wherever. Atmosphere is cool, they usually have semi-indie rock playing on the overheads and ESPN showing on two big-screens in the dining rooms. Again, during lunch the place gets packed but if you can hold off til 1 or 2 in the afternoon you can pretty much have the run of the place. They'll even change the channel if there's something you wanna watch. For nice days there's picnic tables out in the courtyard too. I live in Albany so I don't get delivery from here that much, but I've talked with the drivers a few times when I was hanging around playing the arcade games, and they seem pretty cool. One guy told me some funny stories that I'd never have thought would really happen about delivering pizza. All in all I have to say this La Val's exemplifies what a 5-star Yelp review means to me. Good food, plentiful portions, good price, strong and fast service. I imagine I'll continue to eat here for a good long while. read more

At least the 5 little chicken wings were warmed up in a microwave oven before delivery. They certainly were not freshly made. As for the who knows when my 'Pizza La Vals' medium Combo Special way initially baked will always be a mystery to me. The pizza was barely warm at all. This for a pie that took less than 10 minutes to arrive. The cheese had hardened up. Almost like a pie that was baked in advance and was laying in wait and stuck in a warmer. read more

La Val's was originally meant to be a Cal student hangout, like an unofficial student union with locations in the north and south shopping areas. The one on Telegraph went out of business because it was underground and hella creepy. The north one still serves a decent slice of pizza, but has periods when it is a huge empty piece of real estate. The other thing that puzzles me is that a single slice looks the same size as a personal pizza for half the price and 2 slices are as big as a small pizza for half the price. I guess they figured no one would notice or say anything. Flavor isn't amazing, but it sure is better than Pizza Hut. Try the sandwiches, they have a bunch of different ones. read more

Northside sucks when you're a freshman, but having a kid makes this place so much...homier. La Vals was awesome as a freshman, but now it seems so much...crappier? When you're broke and deciding whether to eat or smoke cigarettes, this is a decent place to fill your belly and walk across the street and grab a pack with the rest of your money. read more

Solid thin crust pizza for a cheap price. You can get mini pizza and a drink or 2 large slices for 6 dollars. A bit on the greasy side but hey we're eating pizza so why not. read more

I've been forced to go here far too many times (darn Northside classes!). Avoid the flat and oily pizza! NEVER get the eggplant parmesean sandwich! NEVER. They don't do anything with the eggplant. No cooking whatsoever. They just slice it into two strips, place it in a sandwich, and expect it to cook as they toast the bread. It made me gag when I ate it. This place is a sleazy pizza joint. Expect to see tons of people stopping by solo just to grab a cheap-ish bite to eat. I'd say the price range is around $3-10. So yes, it is very college and purse friendly. But that is about it. read more

Like many others have said, La Val's is just...eh. It's not the best pizza around, but it's the only pizza place on North Side. There's much better places in downtown, and you can't go wrong with Blondie's or Fat Slice on Telegraph. The last time I was here, my professor treated the whole class out after our final project design expo. 40+ starving engineers in one room is quite a sight to see. Every time a pizza would come out, half the room would sprint to the table in hopes of getting a slice. Unlimited soft drinks made the heat that much more bearable as well. As an area for large groups, La Val's works perfectly, with plenty of tables and lot of room for movement. The pizza is pretty mediocre, though. They have pretty decent variety, but sometimes it feels like you're just eating a frozen pizza you bought from Safeway. Let's just say I don't think they'll ever be able to pull off a thin crust pizza. Having said that though, try it for yourself because when it comes to pizza, personal choice is king. read more

I love La Val's in Alameda - it's my absolute favorite pizza. The pizza at this La Val's location is good, but when you are expecting something else both the quality of the pizza and the customer experience at this place fell short. We came around 8:30 after the location had been hit by a post football rush - so perhaps the staff was tired, but when we ordered our food the place was dead and there were only 4 people in the restaurant eating. The staff was not very welcoming and no one was on the floor cleaning the tables, so we had to pick up garbage and move plates to find a table to sit at. It was a rather disappointing experience. Perhaps management had left for the night, but there staff did not execute well. read more

La Val's seems like your typical college hangout pizza spot, complete with big tv's to watch sports and a pool table, but the food is just meh. I've tried their pizza and while you get huge slices for what you pay, the quality is just okay and I'd MUCH prefer Cheeseboard which is the same price. I've also had the Veggie Sandwich (provolone, avocado, cucumber, lettuce, tomato, onion) which comes with a side of potato salad, but there's nothing special going on with that either. I don't really like potato salad in general, but sadly they don't let you substitute anything for it. There's lots of space and tables, so it's a good place if you have a large group or want to catch a sports game, but I probably wouldn't come here unless other friends wanted to since there's so many better choices around the area. read more

My office is within walking distance of La Val's, so I usually end up eating here about once a week. Basically, it's a great place to get a cheap, convenient, and tasty lunch. La Val's has a very large seating area which makes it great for if you have a large group of people. The service at the counter is friendly, and my order has been made correctly and in a timely manner every time. Don't get the slices (unless you are in a hurry). That's a rookie mistake. The mini pizzas taste way better, are a much better value, and don't take that long to get (about 10-12 min). My favorite mini pizza is the LaVal's special. It has pepperoni, salami, linguica, beef, black olives, sausage, mushrooms, bell Peppers and onions. The barbecue chicken pizza is also pretty good. They also usually have a daily pasta special (around $6.50) which includes garlic bread and a drink as well. My favorite pasta is the broccoli chicken penne. It has a rich cream sauce with walnuts that perfectly complements the chicken and broccoli. Overall, La Val's is a good place to go for lunch or an afternoon snack with your friends. read more

Despite it's name, the Pizza isn't why I go to La Val's. It's close to home, on the North-side of campus, and usually open late. While the Pizza is okay, especially for the price, for me the real magic of La Val's happens with the other selections on the menu. The Pizza is satisfying, but if you want the best La Val's has to offer... try the salads, pastas, and sandwiches. I usually will order a sandwich and the spinach salad, which comes loaded with onions, bleu cheese, tomatoes and balsamic vinaigrette. There's plenty of seating, a big screen TV usually showing a sporting event, and a pool table. Drinks are reasonably priced also. read more

Eating here is awesome. Eating the food here is not so awesome. Allow me to explain. The environment is fun and cool, especially for college students and sports fans. It's fun to watch football games here, hang out with friends, get pitchers of beer, and just have a great time. A great time, at least, until you order the pizza. I'm not saying the pizza is outright horrible or unedible, it's just not very good. I wish they would allow you to bring Blondie's or Fat Slice in, cuz then it would be awesome. read more

La Val's is a good campus pizza joint -- it's cheap, they have huge slices, and when you buy a slice or a personal pizza it comes with a free drink. $3.50 for lunch (slice + 16oz drink) can't be beaten on the Northside. My favorite slice is the Athenian but the combination and hawaiian slices are also good. BBQ chicken doesn't come in slices but if you "splurge" for a personal pizza (5.50 with drink) it can be yours. Delicious. That said: -1/2 star for greasiness (yes, it is possible to make pizza that doesn't drip grease) -1/2 star for putting my friend's slice and my slice in the same, tiny pizza box on a day when we had to take our pizza to go. They stacked my pizza on top of his so I ended up getting grease all over my hands and face 10 min before I had to give a presentation. Mostly my fault I guess but they could have definitely done a better packaging job. read more

Alright so this place has decent food. Personally I love their pizza, but if I had to compare it to somewhere else I would say that it tasted most like a pizza you buy at the market and pop into your oven but better. They give your large slices and at a great price. The four star rating is more weighted on the theater and shows downstairs. I've been able to catch a couple shows downstairs and it's an experience like no other. The shows feel intimate and enthralling because of the structure of the small downstairs. read more

I've had La Val's pizza by the slice several times and have always been underwhelmed. Yet, I keep coming back, mostly because the always fun Impact Theatre is in their basement. I decided to try a different tack on my latest visit. Instead of getting something premade I decided to order something made just for me. I opted to try the classic BLT, which has smoked bacon, spinach, and tomato. It was really delicious. The thin crust was crispy, the topping to topping ratio was balanced, and best of all it was piping hot. I could have used a tad more sauce, but other than that it was pretty perfect. Ordering one of their specialty pizzas takes about three times as long, but is well worth it. Next time, I might try the pasta. I saw some go by while I was waiting for my pizza and it looked pretty yummy. BTW, this is a prime spot for people watching. Especially when it is warm and dry enough to sit outside. read more

La Val's Pizza - Classic BLT - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

La Vals, I love you. You and your greasy, cheesy, melty-hot pizza goodness. You and your bland, but not unpleasant chicken alfredo. You are not the best pizza place around, but you are convenient, you are cheap and you ARE good. Daily special prices can't be beat- a soda and a slice bigger than my face for five bucks? Sign me up! La Vals has a neat variety of fancy-shmancy pizzas for adventurous folks like me, while also having the boring, but tasty tried-and-trues for people like my husband. I work on campus, just down the hill from Euclid, and sometimes, it is nothing more than proximity that drives my business to the doors of La Vals, but I never leave disappointed in what I've ordered. read more

We were thinking of getting burgers for dinner, but changed our mind when we saw this place. The pizzas were decently priced and they had a good selection of beers on tap. I wanted something traditional, so my friends and I got the medium margherita pizza. The crust was perfectly baked and thin and the pizza tasted good, but I do wish that more sauce was on it. I have to admit that I had better pizza, but I was satisfied with my meal. If I was a college student, I definitely come here for a quick meal between classes. Can't go wrong with pizza and a pint of Fat Tire. read more

I love this place! My friends recommended La Val's as a very nice Italian restaurant, so when I visited for the first time, I expected big bucks. But that was quite the contrary. HUGE servings, $3 pizza and $7-8 pasta is pretty darn reasonable. I've had their pizzas, pastas, and salads, and none of them failed to impress me. Another (a bit more person) reason I love La Val's is their service. I always take my friends to La Val's for their birthdays, and for a good reason, too. Free drinks hehe ;) read more

This place serves: - The blandest fettuccine alfredo I've ever had. No amount of parmesan cheese was able to save that dish. - The soggiest, least-appetizing Greek salad ever. - Mediocre Athenian (Greek-topping) pizza. It's amazing how even La Burrita next door serves more appetizing fare than La Val's. read more

First heard about this place from my parents-- they went to see a play, and then went to La Val's afterwards to top it off. Or was it the other way around? DOESN'T MATTER. Anyway. They brought home leftovers and it was literally the best pasta I've had in my life, something with marina sauce. THE. BEST. So I went with my buddy Rob to give it a try. Pretty empty on a Friday night, so I get the feeling it's not exactly a bumpin' college hangout~* but it had a few people studying, a family, and some quiet conversation. Interesting space. Very little decorating, but a Pirates of the Caribbean pinball machine, Time Crisis 3, and a pool table. Staff is relatively friendly, always a plus. Rob got a slice of pizza-- which was huge-- and a pastrami sandwich, I got the linguini with shrimp, eagerly anticipating more of The Best Pasta I'd Had In My Life... and was sorely disappointed. Not because the food was bad, but because I had ordered the wrong dish. Still though, it was amazing-- buttery sauce without being overwhelming, nice shrimp. Didn't quite get why we needed olives, but hey, whatever works. The garlic bread it came with was fantastic, though they were both end pieces (say what?!). Rob wasn't a big fan of his pizza, but he seemed to dig the sandwich well enough. You'd have to ask him. Definitely a place you could bring friends to, provided it's not a really crowded night. There's a plasma TV and plenty of space. Super affordable food, and it's damn good on top of that. Having had a dish besides what I got that I thought was stellar, along with a dish that I thought was pretty good, I'd put this place up there pretty high. Points to La Val's! read more

Large slices and different choices of toppings make for an OK pizza experience. There is ample seating indoors, but usually large tables that make you look like a loner or a douche when sitting alone, so bring a friend! Slices are made to order or reheated from a giant pizza, but it all tastes the same once it comes out of the oven. read more

Even though this place isn't over-hyped like Cheeseboard or Zachary's, I actually really like their pizza! I'm not a huge pizza fan, but I love their thin-crusted pizza, not to mention the HUGE serving size. A slice of pizza is almost as big as a mini pizza! If you get the mini, they give you a FREE drink. I usually get the hula, Hawaiian pizza. They always make is right after you order, so the pizza is always warm and fresh! Lots of space and a good place to chill, catch up, grab a bite w/ friends and colleagues. read more

Individual pizza = cheap and comes with a free drink. 4 stars for that! But the pasta dishes are underportioned and overpriced. They taste pretty good, but 3 stars for the lack of value. read more

Bumping up my rating of this place. Some friends and I visited La Val's again recently, which most of us haven't done since finishing college. We came here specifically to watch the Warriors playoff game since we figured a restaurant in northside wouldn't be crazy packed. For events like this, it's a great location because they actually put audio on. Lots of places have TVs that are just muted all the time, even during popular events, so it's great that this place not only has plenty of space but also has sound. We didn't order a whole pizza since everyone in our group arrived at different times. Instead, everyone got individual slices, which worked out nicely since the slices at this place are huge. One slice is more than enough for a regular meal. Add some beer and chicken wings and this place makes a great low key spot for watching some games. read more

So I have been to La Val's twice for dinner & a show. (Impact Theater does plays in the basement theater). The pizza is good.... this past time I got the combo slice. Slices are the way to go because you can try multiple toppings! We also shared a large salad- it was fresh and the dressing (vinaigrette) was tasty. It was a hearty salad--- no wilty iceberg here! There is a good selection of beer & a few wines (They gave me a generous pour) as well as sodas. There are a variety of areas to sit with TVs--- but for us the important part was that you can take your food down to eat in the theatre while you watch the show. La Val's is totally fun and affordable. It can be crowded- so take your patience. It is a Berkeley must taste! read more

Seriously, this place is amazing! For a "mini" which is about the size of any pizza place's small, it is only about $3.99 (for cheese) or $4.50 (for pep!) And, all pizzas come with a free refill drink. How can you go wrong? On a budget? Want good pizza? Need some grub between classes? Hello? La Val's Pizza is the place! read more

The best lunch place around campus. They have reasonably priced good quality food throughout the board. Salads, Sandwiches, Pizza, Pasta. I come here every week with colleagues and as there is a Mexican place connected and with the benches outside it's perfect. read more

A friend and I ordered a pizza for delivery last night and we waited 90 minutes for that pizza (and a side salad that we HAD to order to get it delivered). By the time we got the pizza, it was soggy and lukewarm. You know how it is . . . when you want pizza, you want pizza! We called the place twice checking on the order. It just sucked - I wish that wasn't my first experience with them. Soggy Pizza -- I can't really even judge that pizza, can I? Since it was the box's fault . . . but it's NOT the box's fault - it was the delivery strategy . . . Perhaps invest in a GPS (so the blame isn't on bad directions) - we were only 1 mile away. So . . . 2 stars for service . . . read more

Starving Student with a knack for pool? OK, go to North Side and up Euclid... I really like the pizza here. Also, a big screen TV. However, lots of football worshippers cheering. Loudly. The pool table is awesome. That's all. read more

Ok pizza. Ok pasta. Nothing fantastic, but certainly not bad. $2.50 Slice special from 11-4PM (slice of pizza and drink) makes a nice meal for students on budgets like me. Also a very nice and roomy restaurant for group meetings too, though it can get a bit crowded around noon. read more

The worst pizza I ever had. I ordered a small greek salad, that was o-k... not great, but ok, and the Athenian Pizza, thinking I would take the rest home for leftovers. Ate one slice of the pizza, got a to-go box and dropped it off with some homeless people on the way home. I actually felt bad even giving it away. Price: 1 Trumer beer, one small salad, 1 medium pizza = $25 - enough food for 2 people. If you're on a budget, and don't mind terrible pizza, the place is for you. I'll NEVER go there again. There's too many reasonably priced pizza joints in town that actually make a good pie. read more