Pizzaiolo

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5008 Telegraph Ave
Oakland, CA 94609

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(510) 652-4888
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Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Pizzaiolo - Oakland, CA
Reviews
( 9 )
( 6 )
( 1 )
( 1 )
( 6 )

Best

After going to Pizzaiolo, I finally knew what it was like to taste true gormet food. I consider myself a picky eater, but just the presentation of the food alone made it appetizin...

Worst

Expecting good things, the overall dining experience was disappointing. The Margherita & Sweet/Hot Peppers with homemade sausage pizzas were excellent as was the Pappardelle alla...

Pizza Parlor with a Bistro Flair 1/6/2009

What a charming little place. My sister held a surprise birthday party for her husband, there were 16 of... more
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Pizza Parlor with a Bistro Flair 1/6/2009

Donna Provided by Partner
What a charming little place. My sister held a surprise birthday party for her husband, there were 16 of us. Although the venue does not open til 5... more
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Great Pizza, mediocre everything else... 1/3/2009

Ate here last night with a group of 4. We arrived early but because the bar was packed went across the street and down half a block to a great little wine bar we noticed on the way in. We returned right at our reservation time and were seated immediately. Pros: Pizza, value (most items) Cons: Disinterested Service more
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Best food on the planet, friendly service, party in your mouth 6/25/2008

After going to Pizzaiolo, I finally knew what it was like to taste true gormet food. I consider myself a picky eater, but just the presentation of the food alone made it appetizing to me. The food is a new experience every time I step foot in the restaurant. The creativity of each dish provides such a unique dining experience that I have not been able to find anywhere else. The pizzas are unlike anything you have ever tasted in your life. The potato pizza is amazing and my personal favorite dish is the pork meatballs. You haven't had meatballs until you have Pizzaiolo's meatballs. It is like a party of flavors in your mouth. Pros: Food, wine, everything Cons: Sometimes service can be slower than normal, but worth the wait. more
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My letter to Pizzaiolo 11/21/2007

I sent a letter to the owner (edited b/c of character limits): more
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My new fave place 7/27/2007

I haven't had a meal less than very good here since they opened, but recently I have had some rockin' great dishes. The pizzas of course are very good. The crowds and some poor seating options remain (secret -- if a warm night you can often grab an outdoor table on the back patio, but it can feel rather pedestrian and lonely back there on plastic lawn chairs). The wine list seems to have moved more high end pricey, so I've been hitting the cocktail list. Drinks are well balanced and innovative. Now the food: Best chicken potpie I think I've had; best deep fried whole NC prawn with hot pepper appetizer; some awesome salad combinations; good desserts and espresso. Generally friendly service, but can get scarce when the place is crowded which is often. Pros: Food is now hitting all cylinders with fresh ingredients and real care. Cons: away from the main dining room ambience lacking; front and bar often like a Japanese subway car more
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Delicious food, Service is better, Reservations now taken 5/19/2007

Tried Pizzaolo when it first opened and did not go back for over a year due to the long wait, cramped dining and petulant service. The food was the only thing that drew me back for one last try. Happy to say that they now take reservations, are trying harder on the service and the food is still delicious. Addition of fresh, interesting cocktails is a nice touch. Tip: call for a reservation - you'll have a much better experience. more
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Great pizza in a cool hip spot 11/11/2006

This pizza here is amazing. You will usually have to wait a long time to be seated but if you show up an hour before closing you can usually be seated quickly. I have always found the staff to be nice and knowledgable in regards to the menu and wines. Pros: food, wines, etc.. Cons: long wait more
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Inconsistency Worth Noting 10/3/2006

I first ate here right after Pizzaiolo opened. Everything, from the antipasti to the four pizzas we shared, were superb. The servers were very helpful without getting in your face. Fast forward to tonight....round two at Pizzaiolo. The woman who seated us was awfully rude and service was horrendous. After waiting for twenty minutes, our orders were finally taken. Antipasti was very good, so I figured maybe the night would turn out OK. Then, we waited. And waited. AND WAITED. 50 MINTUES LATER, our pizza arrived. To add to this, the pizza was very bland. Who knew that cherry tomatoes, genoa salami, bufala mozzarella and parsley could be such an uninspiring combo? So what does this mean? The next time I go, Pizzaiolo will be just an average experience, balancing out one awesome dinner with a second mediocre one? Maybe I should take a celebrity with me next time, to ensure speedy service and food that's made to wow the tastebuds. more
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Mediocre Food and Bad Service 8/7/2006

The pizza arrived charred and the entree arrived with hair on the polenta cake. After several attempts at flagging down our waiter, I mentioned this to him. He said, ""Oh"", grabbed two spoons, removed the polenta cake in front of me and left. There was NO apology, NO compensation and NO replacement polenta cake. more
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Great food, no respect for diners 6/12/2006

I've been to Pizzaiolo about 12 times, many times last fall, then tapering off since. The food is fantastic, the calamari and garbanzo beans are a revelation, the pizzas sublime. Good wine list and good service. The food is truly some of the finest I've had in many years. more
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Terrible experience!! 5/1/2006

One word describes our experiencemiserable. The food was mediocre at best (we didnt try the pizza though weve heard they are good) and very disappointing. But the biggest complaint is the service. The wait staff was rude and arrogant and not attentive at all. They didnt acknowledge our arrival for several minutes, only to make us wait and finally seat us at the communal table (which had been empty the whole time). There are much better places to dine than here. Cons: sevice, food more
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Good food, but... 4/25/2006

I went here the other night with my friend. Our salad was delicious, but small and cost $9. We also ordered the sand dabs. The plate was large enough for us to split. The service was great and the vibe in the restaurant is laid back and warm. The food is good, but there is a tremendous wait (45 mins. on a Tuesday night). There is no waiting area and the bar was packed. You can wait outside, but it's not an area like Rockridge where you can at least walk around and check out a couple of stores while you wait. This place does not take reservations. While the food is definitely good, the prices are high for what you get, so it's hard for me to justify returning here when there are so many other great restaurants in the area that take reservations and are comparable or better. Pros: Food, Ambience, Service Cons: Prices, No reservations, No waiting area more
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La pizza perfetta! 4/12/2006

We'd heard good things from the Chronicle and again from friends. We are so happy that we decided to try Pizzaiolo! We had to wait for 20 minutes for a table, but we ordered a bottle of wine at the bar, so that was no problem. If you're looking for pizza like you enjoyed in Italy - this is the place. Delicious! Original, but simple. We had a hard time finding the place (there's no sign outside!) It's directly across from Walgreen's - take the address. The ambiance was perfect. We highly recommend it! Pros: Food, Ambiance, Price Cons: Hard to find! more
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Best pizza in the bay area, tremendous value 2/19/2006

I came because the local magazine reviews raved about the place and I was not disappointed. Without a doubt one of the best gourmet pizza places in the bay area. I'm not sure why other reviewers complained about the service. The wait was long, but attests to the popularity of the place and the quality of the food. Once seated, I found the staff was knowledgeable and efficient. For the quality and quantity of the food, the prices are extremely reasonable. The wine list was a good mix. If you think $33 is too much for wine, then perhaps you should go back to eating at BK... more
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Not Worth the Wait or Aggravation 2/15/2006

I was looking forward to trying this place and was fine with the hour wait to get seated. We were given the worst seat in the place at the communal table in front of the kitchen door with the smell of bleach and the romantic ambiance of fluorescent lighting. We asked to be moved and were given the second worst table in the place next to the hallway to the bathroom. Simply put, the service stunk. The food was a bit simple and over priced. The lettuce salad was microscopic and salty. I had the beef short ribs, which were very fatty and salty. The pizzas were good but I would suggest the Cheeseboard. The food wasn't worth the poor service and long wait. The only saving grace of the night was talking to the couple next to us about how comically bad the service was. Cons: Abysmal Service, Mediocre Food, Over Priced more
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Please turn off the Sting album 2/15/2006

Yes, blasting a Sting album, not the Police, Sting. Doesn't really go....anyhow on to the food & wine. The food here is very mediocre, things you can make at home, but what makes it less pleasant than staying home is the loud corny music and the 3 servers who come to your table confused. The first was upset that we did not know what we wanted when he approached us 25 seconds after we were seated, then again 50 secnds later. The wine pours are CHINCY, maybe 2 oz for $7 to $9!!! The pizzas have a chewy, albeit, thin, crust, and a seafood stew was bland, cold and not fresh. Disappointing. Thought there would be something interesting in Oakland. more
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Pizza as it should always be! 12/11/2005

I was there with other two friends, all from italy, and let me tell you, this is by far some of the best pizzas I have ever had, definitely the kind I am used to at home. Perfectly-cooked crust, delicious tomato sauce. Even the garlic in the marinara was not at all overpowering, as it is too often the case. Good wines and desserts, very cozy atmosphere and nice service. All in all a quite honest value for what we had: it's slightly pricey for a pizzeria, but, hey, this is a fancy place, not a fast food joint! I've already suggested the place to everybody as the only pizza place they need to know. Pros: Perfect pizza, Friendly atmosphere, Nice service Cons: Long waiting lines more
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Sublime 9/26/2005

I've been to Pizzaiolo several times, and the food has always been sublime. Things like smoky wood-oven calamari with garbanzo beans. I go back for that one dish alone! And there is no comparable pizza in the whole Bay Area. more
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no rsvp's, but the wait is worth it! 9/15/2005

The restaurant doesn't take reservations, but the wait is worth it. The staff were always courteous to compensate for somewhat slow service. The place is packed with families with young kids - very friendly atmosphere. The food is what you come here for, and it is heavenly. You can taste the freshness of ingredients. The menu changes every day. We had the sausage pizza with greens (broccoli, how creative!), meatballs, and lasagna (very fluffy and light). Definite recommend! Pros: food, food, food Cons: no rsvp's more
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Menu for Pizzaiolo


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Housed in a former hardware store, this bustling eatery features stripped-down brick walls, hardwood floors and an exhibition kitchen with a beautifully tiled wood-fire oven....

  • 8/9/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: M-Th 5.30p-10p; F-Sa 5.30p-10.30p
  • Payments: American Express, Visa, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: Temescal
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