Zachary's Pizza In Oakland Tastes Like Life Has Just Begun

November 9, 2009 at 4:59 PM | by juliana | Comments (2)

Last month we mentioned that Oakland was one of Five Cities With a Bad Rap that really deserved another chance. Aside from visiting the land that shaped MC Hammer, we urged you to check out some of the city's noteworthy neighborhoods and restaurants including the Pican restaurant with its gourmet take on Southern comfort food.

But another reason to hit up Oakland is for Zachary's Deep Dish Pizza on pedestrian-friendly College Avenue.

Now we know deep dish pizza is best left to the Chicago folk and we're not trying to tread on their territory here but Zachary's is Chicago-style deep dish (they call it "stuffed") and its founders Zach Zachowski and Barbara Gabel came from Wisconsin and Chicago, where they learned the art of the deep dish.

And indeed Zachary's is deep. And thick. With perfectly roasted tomatoes and plenty of cheese and whatever topping your gluttonous heart desires. Above, witness the perfection that is a large stuffed pizza with pepperoni and garlic.

Oh and here's a close-up. (Yes, that's our mother-in-law's dishware.)

The wait for Zachary's is usually pretty long, given how popular this place is. It took us 20 minutes just to phone in an order because we kept getting busy signals. (Sidenote: How come this pizza shop doesn't have call-waiting?) And then it was torture to hold the pizza box on our laps for the five-minute ride home. We even had to Tweet about it. Yet, we can assure you the pizza is very much worth the wait.

Even better, Zachary's travels very well. We once ordered a half-baked Zachary's pizza which we boarded with us on a Southwest flight back to Los Angeles. We then finished cooking it at home. Ok, so we don't know how it would holdup on a cross-country flight but NorCal to SoCal is do-able.

Zachary's has two other locations in Berkeley and San Ramon. As for the all important slices, the Oakland and Berkeley shops serve them from 11am to 4pm and San Ramon from 11am to 3pm. But really, don't waste your time on the thin-crust slices. Just order a stuffed pizza and savor every last bite.

Related Stories:
· Five Cities With a Bad Rap: Oakland, 2 Legit 2 Quit [Jaunted]
· Zachary's Pizza [Official Site]

Comments (2)

Return to » Zachary's Pizza In Oakland Tastes Like Life Has Just Begun

I returned home a few years ago with 4 'half-baked' pies riding as carry-ons. I was chased through SFO by people asking if I was carrying Zachary's. I feared for my life - these people wanted my pizza! This article was a none-too-gentle reminder that it's time to head west for some Zachary's. Don't worry readers - these pies can fly cross country with no problem. Just beware of your fellow pizza-loving travelers....

Calling Zachary's a pizza is like calling Michelangelo a doodler. Zachary's is on another level. The topings are always top notch, the sauce is scrumptious, and you have to eat it with a fork. What's not to love about that?!?

Jaunted

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