La Val's is an institution and I feel guilty for even dissing it. But I have to be honest. I owe it to Yelp and to my elite status! Okay, when I was in law school, I had so much La Val's pizza. That's because it's the only place that APALSA could afford ("Come to the APALSA meeting today - free food! " How many times did I come to these meetings only to get disappointed when I saw those four boxes of La Val's pizza). Let's face it. It's cheap pizza for the masses. There's no nuance here. It's cardboard crust and gooey cheese definitely sustained me during law school, but I haven't been back since l graduated from law school...I will give La Val's one thing: it's cheap. And Cheap is always good. My Asian genes will always appreciate cheap, and when you're a student, you really don't have much choice! One plus for La Val's is that the Euclid location has a huge screen T.V. where you can watch baseball games and hang out with friends (I think the Durant location closed down). I know this sounds snotty but my hubby wanted to go in there during a game when we were hanging out and I made him order food elsewhere for us (Bongo Burger, I think), and then we watched the game from outside the storefront window! That's how opposed I am to eating La Val's. La Val's, you fed me during law school and I'll always be thankful...but man, I sure had to down those slices of pizza with lots of coke. read more

Probably one of the worst pizza places in Berkeley. I only went here when I was forced by other friends. They do have a huge big screen and cheap beer. So eh, I guess if you're into sports and beer, this was the place to be. read more

I have been enjoying lavals for years their pizza is so good the pasta is the best you can get in Berkeley .fresh salad ,excellent sandwiches and very reasonable prices. read more

La Val's was my first exposure to pizza in California. Coming from the pizza capital of America (Beverly, Massachusetts), pizza in La Vals is perfectly analogous to burritos in Beverly. Awful. It's as if La Vals had only heard of pizza -- bread, sauce, cheese, toppings "sure, we can do that" -- before opening a pizzeria. I'd put it head-to-head with the pizza my elementary school served on Fridays, and there you lost half your cheese to the wax paper. Bonus star because the beer is cheap and the TV is large. read more

Extra Large Athenian for pick-up please!!!! I wish they delivered to downtown Oakland. read more

I feel like this place is really underrated for watching games. They have a good selection of sports and will help you with the channels so you can watch what you want. Beer selection is actually pretty solid - at least 5 or 6 beers on tap on a daily basis. Food here is good for what it's worth. It's cheap, filling, and tasty, but definitely nothing 5-star worthy. I highly recommend the Broccoli Chicken Penne (it's virtually the only reason I keep coming back...so good!). Add a little parmesan and you're golden. This place is a perfect dive between classes for Berkeley students, except that it gets crowded. Great for graduate student happy hours or study group breaks! read more

My FIVE STAR rating is based mainly on the excellent memories that I acquired at LA VAL's PIZZA, during my good-old-days as a student and lab researcher at U.C. Berkeley, and on the inviting and relaxing ambiance of the out-of-doors dining area at La Val's. LA VAL's PIZZA is located on the quiet side of the Berkeley campus, and just a minute's walk from the busy intersection of Hearst and Euclid. I am favorably prejudiced towards La Val's Pizza for these reasons. During my graduate school years, I worked in a laboratory in the Dept. of Nutrition, where I did experiments on vitamins, amino acids, and food science. This lab provided the greatest of social environments, where this included monthly trips to La Val's Pizza, where we ordered beer and a couple of large pizza pies. The lab director was Prof. Stokstad. He was not exactly a charismatic conversationalist, and his contributions during our "happy hour" at the picnic tables in the out-of-doors courtyard at La Val's Pizza, consisted in his reading the list of ingredients from a bag of potato chips that we'd also ordered at La Val's. Because I was an impoverished graduate student, I picked up the bits of onions, olives, and sausage that remained in the large pizza box, after all of the slices had been taken. My point being, is that LA VAL'S PIZZA is a potential symbol of good times for all students and employees of U.C. Berkeley, and also for all people visiting Berkeley or Oakland or Albany, for any reason. RECENT IMPRESSIONS. More recently, in the years 1993 to 2019, I've returned to La Val's Pizza, once every few years. I noticed that the pizza pies have essential no tomato paste. Perhaps, they have no tomato paste at all. Also, noticed that the crusts of the La Val's pizza pies are extremely thin, almost as thin as a tortilla. Now, regarding another aspect of La Val's, the out-of-doors courtyard at La Val's is an excellent place for nursing a cool glass of LAGUNITAS IPA (or any other beer), while seated at one of the picnic tables. During repeat visits in the summer of 2019, I noticed that the servers are very careful in dispensing the Lagunitas IPA into the glass, where the brew is filled to within one millimeter of the rim of the glass. If choose your "happy hour" somewhere between the hours of 10am and 4pm, you are likely to have the entire courtyard to yourself. read more

I ordered delivery while working in Berkeley and while my order was correct and on time, I was disappointed in the pizza. I worked at the El Cerrito location (no longer there) many, many, many years ago and have had pizza from the Euclid location before, but not for many, many years. Both locations had consistent product so that is what I was anticipating when I ordered. I got the Supreme and while the toppings and flavors were as I remember, there was minimal sauce and the crust was like cardboard, edible cardboard, but cardboard just the same. I won't be patronizing them again as I'd like to just keep the memories of the good pizza that used to come out of that place... read more

I like it. I got the medium pizza with two toppings and it was pretty good. The crust is thin.

I think they have the best pizza in Berkeley! But get there before lunch because the line goes out the door. The price is unbeatable, $2.50 for a slice and a soda and their thin crust it deeelish!! mmmmm... the margharita slice is my favorite! They put tons of garlic! read more

On game day we wandered miserably downtown, every institution packed with a line with raging Vols. The only open spot was a couple of stools in the basement at Blake's. no no no no. We walked across campus, to northside to la val's, found immediate seating at a picnic table under a shady tree. Perfect. The median age was 10-20 years -- or more -- orlder than the undergrads on telegraph, but well we're not undergrads anymore. Cheap pitchers and thin crust pizza. read more

Not a bad place. The kitchen is the same for la burrita. The food was delicious and the price very reasonable. However, the wait was long. I came here on a monday night. read more

Oh north side ghetto, the sad younger brother of the Asian ghetto. La Val's is not as good as gypsy's. It's a reasonable place to eat if you're stuck over on that end of campus/are an EECS major. The prices aren't too bad. read more

Decent beer and pizza place near Berkeley. I come here after company softball games for the postgame, well, beer and pizza. Unsure of the pricing as our coach just takes money from us, but it's not bad. I've had the pepperoni, green pepper and onion pizza, as well as the La Val's Special. Can't touch NYC sadly, but definitely tasty. The beer we had last night (the always delicious Bud Light) was flat so we had to have them replace it, which they did free of charge with a fresher, higher grade (Sam Adams). Go early and send a scout to reserve a table, it fills up fast. They also have a decent burrito place next door if you are not pizza jones-ing. Just bring a coat, Berkeley gets chilly at night (I'm becoming a true Californian when I think 60 is cold). read more

This is a pretty cool hangout spot. It's close to "holy hill" where I am attending school for a year so that's a place. There are a lot of steep hills around here! So it's easy to walk to and grab some food when the dining hall isn't open. The place is fairy cheap and the food is good. I've had their pizza and their wings. Both of which were great. There are some regulars who say the pasta is good but it isn't my thing. Been there a couple of times. Will definitely go back again, especially to watch football on their big screen. They also have a pool table and outdoor seating which they share with a couple of other places. I'm not sure what's up with some of these ratings. it's a good hang out place to have cheap and good food. read more

Mediocre food but can serve it quickly. The woman behind the counter can be really nasty.

Mozzarella sticks are not worth the splurge. Yet, these folks make a mean pasta dish. Pesto with veggies FTW. I will certainly think about trying their pizza. Quick, well-priced, and tasty. read more

Used to go here rather frequently as it is one of the only places on the North side of campus that is opened late. The food wasn't very spectacular. I usually ordered one or two slices of the combination or hawaiian pizza. Slices were large but often very oily; I usually had to use some napkins to remove some of the grease. I don't recommend getting their pasta; the few times I tried it, the texture was rather hard and I felt it was overpriced for what it was. It can get quite noisy inside La Val's, especially at night. read more

Go online and use their coupons. They've raised their prices a little though. I used to get two medium pizzas up to 3 toppings or their specials for $15. It's now $17. $23 for 2 larges with coupon. Doh! Free delivery though, so yay! La Val's has good "New York Pizza", but it probably isn't actually anywhere close to the real stuff. Thin crust style pizza that's not too greasy, but tastes great. I don't feel guilty afterwards. I don't recommend anything else than their pizzas because their pasta and salads are super bland. Great for getting a group together because they have plenty of seating. Big TV's to watch sports also. I enjoy the BBQ chicken the most. They have a good daily special deal for two slices and a drink at lunch, but there tends to be a long line. Go try it! read more

Great pizza! Tastes way better than Fat Slice and any delivery place. The prices are great. The only thing is .... it's on north side! For those of us who live on southside, it is a pain to make the trek across campus, but if you're on northside, definitely hit up La Val's. Btw, quick unknown fact to many, La Val's has great pasta! read more

Large restaurant with plenty of seating. My friend said there's a lot of school events hosted here. The service was quick and there was only a couple people in line before me on a weekend evening. But my order came out in just a few minutes. I got a slice of pepperoni pizza (~$3). It's not amazing pizza by any means but it's cheap and a huge serving size. I was definitely full from just one slice. It's greasy but hits the spot for me. The menu is large - they also serve personal pizzas and pasta. Overall I'd come back here if I was craving cheap solid pizza. It's a plus that there's a lot of seating in the place so it's good for large groups. read more

This is a nice La Val's. It has big screen TVs playing sports and a pool table in the back. The pizza is just ok as always, but the garlic bread is delicious. Back in the days it was nice to take a break from the dreariness of Soda Hall have dinner, and play a game of pool, before going back to program. read more

La Val's doesn't really do much wrong. It has a great pizza lunch deal, $5ish sandwiches hot/cold, and plenty of seating with nice TV's. In addition they will take my prized American Express card. That said, nothing there is really...memorable. It's a pizza/sandwich/pasta/salad place that provides fair value and decent food. If I'm too busy thinking about more important things to agonize about where to eat, La Val's is a place to go. Plus they're open til 10p, which is rare on Northside. read more

I have nothing new to add to Jill K's review ;-) That is exactly why I go to La Val's: to watch Cal games. If grease is what you crave, then you might as well pick up a burrito from next door. read more

I feel this Rating system is inadequate for one of my favorite neighborhood restaurant. Their "Caezar's Chicken Pizza" under specialty pizza is a must have if you are a meat eater. If you are a college student, La Val's is a great option for late-night, Sunday eating. I know my hunger have been filled many times by their incredible late-night deals. I recommend getting a "Good Life Guide to Berkeley" book and using their couples in there to save some money. read more

I don't like La Val's. the pizza here is just not very good. The pasta dishes are meh and personally I've had better. They're a good place for college students but I don't like eating here. I try to avoid it. The only thing they got going for them is the place is awesome. Sitting inside is nice, its a bit loud especially during big games. It's got large booths and plenty of space for big large groups including post review session hang outs. read more

Decent pasta (broccoli chicken penne), decent pizza (bbq chicken), good location, and they deliver to the lounge* on the third floor of Cory. I like to come in here between classes sometimes for a quick bite. *Pro-tip: pizza makes a 6 hour problem set session much more tolerable. read more

Large slices of the day. Their pizzas are rolled out pretty thinly and not thick so it's not as filling comparatively. Tons of oil that did put me off for a little bit. I'll say one of the more decent pizza joints in Berkeley. read more

The pizza is perfectly good; stick with that. Avoid the pasta here. The pasta tastes fine and it's cheap. But it leaves me (and some of my friends) bloated and gassy for two hours after eating it. I've been here several times and their pasta has had this effect every time. read more

Had to grab something quick and on the way to the game for me and the kids. I ordered one slice of pizza because it was the quickest for each kid. I wish I would have known how huge they were! Most people think more is better but not when you're wasting half, in my book. $16 for 4 people and 2 whole slices went in the trash. The service was not good but the pizza was very good. read more

I've had two of their hot sandwiches, the Veggie and the Chicken Parmesan. I usually love love love breaded and deep fried chicken, but the Chicken Parmesan was just.. ehhh for me. But, the Veggie sandwich is really really good! Watch out for the red onions though, a little overpowering, unless you like it like that. They have a good variety in pizzas, check out the Classic BLT & the Margarita! read more

Pizza is great and their pasta is even better! Always get the chicken Alfredo every time I go. Also their speciality pizza never fails and the atmosphere is chill. The place is far up and if you have a car then parking might be an issue read more

We ordered half Eggplant, Olive, and Pesto Pizza and also the Barbeque Chicken. The Eggplant one was a bit sour to the taste because of the olives. However, the pesto sauce made it tasty and I was able to finish it. The barbeque chicken looked very healthy. Usually barbeque chicken is burnt and you can see all the oil skin on the chicken but not so in this pizza. The chicken tasted really soft and tender and there wasn't any oil on it. The food was good. The place is very spacious with very fun decorations. I saw a checkboard hanged on the wall and there was a big giant light decoration on the wall too. There is also a downstairs place for shows but it was closed when I went there. I don't really know what show they have but it's a plus that they have that option for you. I was never that into La Val's pizza before but now I decided to change my mind. I like it better than cheeseboard because it's not as greasy. Recently I've just become a health freak so I'm bias. read more

Pretty nice place, especially when you come here with friends. The pasta is pretty good, but a bit oily. Same goes for the pizza, although the pizza by far beats the pasta. They serve thin-crust pizza, which I find better than deep-dish, which you can find at Zachary's. The pizza portions are pretty big though! You definitely get your money's worth. I've tried a couple sandwiches as well - my favorite is the Torpedo. read more

After a hot afternoon baking in the sun and cheering our alma mater's football team to victory, a group of 6 friends and I decided to prolong our trip down memory lane and revisit an old hangout for pizza. We ordered a large La Val's Special, a large mushroom and sausage, a pitcher of beer and a pitcher of iced tea. All of this cost around $45 which came out to about $6.50 per person. What a deal and the pizza wasn't bad either. The crust was thin and chewy. The toppings were generous. The dough had a decidedly pronounced tang like sourdough bread. While I've had better pizza since my college days, this blast from the past is still A-OK in my book. read more

So I've had La Val's food twice before and while I never wrote a review, I know I very much enjoyed the chicken Caesar salad I had a few months back and the... 10-12 party slices of pizza I gorged myself on last week following a student function at my on-campus job. Yesterday evening, I actually walked up to Northside to finally try La Burrita, but upon seeing La Val's, I realized I could finally take care of this fettucine alfredo craving that's been plaguing me for weeks. I went with the basic, no chicken or shrimp fettucine alfredo as well as a slice of margherita pizza since they were out of plain cheese pizza at the time. My pasta was up really quickly, I was really pleasantly surprised. I had to wait a little longer for the pizza to be boxed up but it was all over and done with in less than 10 minutes I think. As somebody who runs out to grab food on breaks from work, speed is a huge plus. Opening the box of pizza was really, really exciting. I ordered (and paid for) a slice..... and I ended up with basically a half of a pizza. There were two big slices and one smaller slice in the box. And yes, I ate them all. Normally I'm not a big fan of pizza crust (the outside and the bottom both) but this stuff was great. It was thin without being too crunchy or crispy for me. The tomatoes were bright and fresh and flavorful. The crust around the outside was too dry for me but most crust is. The pasta hit the spot so perfectly. While I'm not a fan of mushrooms, mostly for their texture, I can appreciate the flavor they bring to a party and their place in things like a lot of sauces. I picked around the mushrooms in the alfredo sauce and the fact that doing that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the meal at all is pretty astounding. The sauce was a little watery at first but I ended up liking that since it didn't dry up by the time I was halfway through the pasta. It was super creamy and really comforting. It coated the noodles well and was the kind of cream sauce that just makes you smile. I have definitely found my comfort food go-to spot around the UC!! read more

I like their pizza with chicken and bacon! They don't skimp out on toppings and the pizzas are huge! I also tried their chicken and broccoli pasta, which was also very delicious. Decently priced and portioned, so it's definitely one of the better places in the gourmet ghetto! read more

La Val's Pizza - Better than their pizzas! - Pizza Near Me - Berkeley, California

I used to have a roommate who felt that LaVal's had the best pizza in Berkeley, mostly due to its superior sauce compared to its competitors. I have tried LaVal's a number of times over the years, and I'm sad to report that it's a clear third (at most) in the Berkeley area (not including Zachary's, which is like comparing Filet Mignon to McDonald's $1 Double Cheeseburger). For me, it's third amongst the pedestrian pizza places - Fat Slice and Blondie's. (I don't think it's a coincidence that LaVal's is the only one that had to close up shop on the South Side). Anyway, back to my original point, my friend stated that they had good sauce... sadly, however, I have trouble finding the pizza sauce on the slices I recently had. They were dry, undersauced (even if the sauce was good), and under-cheesed. Overall, sub-par. read more

The ambiance is great, but the real reason people go to restaurants --- the food --- absolutely stinks. The sandwiches have too much bread and not enough quality, and the pizza is worse than Domino's. The only redeeming feature of this place is that it's open late in Northside Berkeley. read more

Pros: -fine for a quick beer and a slice with the classmates or on your way to something else -cheap Cons: -pizza is just mediocre -pasta dishes are NOT very good -like everything on Euclid, the place gets crazy crowded at games and events -service can take a while depending on what you order read more