Zachary's Chicago Pizza

Being from Chicago and an absolute foodie I was very interested in tasting what many (small minded locals) call "the best pizza ever". The original shop on college ave is a quaint shop with Chicago signage but little other Chicago paraphanalia. So I approched with skepticism to its autheniticity. They are famous for their spinach/mushroom cheese pizza (figures berkley hippes dont make the one with meat famous). I know that the spinach pizza is famous at Edwardo's in Chicago I began to wonder if this was stolen.....Since I wanted to make a true comparison to a classic chicago pie I chose to go with the Zachary special (Sausage, onion, green pepper, and mushrooms) a classic combo. I chose a 12 inch pie (medium) which translates to a small in Chicago. Sticker shock wold be the best word to describe the price. Almost $26 for 12" pizza. 35minutes later I get the pie. The weight was good, the aroma was that of your local deep dish shop in Chicago. Garlicky sweet with a small hint of the pool of cheese that awaits. Upon opening the box I noticed its authentic look. The thickness was a little shallow. The thick crust was sturdy enough to lift the pizza but the soft soggy bottom gave away its contents. The first bite was reminiscent of th pizza shop in my home town. Also a local favorite. HOWEVER that was where the Chicago in this "Chicago" pizza stops. The sausage was OK, The sausage is key to the pizza as it creates a base of flavor to which the onion and bell pepper acentuate. So needless to say the follow up was about as shallow as the pie its self. The attempt to fill in the space with italian spices and chunky tomatoes in the sauce is failed attempt to feed hungry senses. The dough left an old sour taste in my mouth as the dough cooled. Any good pizza can be eaten just as well cold as hot. THere is just something mising....somekind of authenticity that I can not point my finger on. Bottomline this pizza was WAY to over priced and MUCH TOO OVER hyped. True this may be the closest thing to Chicago pizza I have eaten in the Bay area. I have tasted better attempts in both Seattle and San Diego for much much less. The pizza was good and close to Chicago deep dish however its price, shallowness (less than 1/2 inch depth), poor dough, and lack of cratsfmanship keep me from saying "This is the best pizza ever". This pizza is far from it. While techincally baked in a pan or deep dish this pizza is far from thick. The pool of cheese was non existant. This is a regular pizza with a really tall crust. I could get a pizza twice as good for $12 at Lou Malnati's in Chicago. They even sell them frozen. Ill be bringing some back with me when I go home. Better than the dissappointment I just ate. Nice try Zacharys but you need more work. And shame on you Californians for tying to critique something you could not know anything about. more

Everyone loves this place. I think there's some sort of mind control beaming from all those "best of" awards lining the walls. First of all, the NY style pies suck. But don't complain about that because everyone says it's all about the deep dish. Sure... but I still haven't figured out how having good deep dish justifies having bad everything else? Oh, the other problem with this logic is that the deep dish isn't that great. I even made sure to order the most popular one, all filled with pepperoni and other assorted meat and it was mediocre at best. Not going to deconstruct it ingredient by ingredient, but it just wasn't all that. Especially considering you pay like, $30 bucks for a pizza. That's frickin' crazy! All around me people were gushing about how good it was… but, I'm here to tell you: don't believe the hype. more

Since being in Berkeley, all I've heard is how great Zachary's is. I don't know if it was just too hyped up for me. It was definately good...I guess I was just expecting something that was going to blow my socks off. Service is friendly and fast. The place is packed around any eating period and you have to wait about an hour or so to get a table. But the geat thing is that they let you order your pizza while you're still waiting so that when you get your table, your food is already there. Cool, huh? more

Zachary's pizza is the best pizza in town. Their pizzas look like a pie, the crust is big and the pizza full of fresh tomatoes. There is always a huge line, about 30 min wait, but it s worth waiting. Parking might be tough because it s located in a nice restaurant-type of street. more

Zachary's Pizza is awesome. They serve Chicago style deep dish pizzas and while the pizzas are a bit pricey, they serve the best pizza ever! The crust is tasty and the sauce is amazing. They have enough variations to choose from so anyone eating here will find something that he/she likes. My mouth is watering as I am writing this review!! more

Do you like Chicago style pizza? Then you will LOVE Zachary's Chicago Pizza located on Solano Avenue in Berkeley. There is also a location on College Avenue in Oakland. Zachary's Chicago Pizza is very flavorful, and you have to eat it with a knife and fork because it is about 2 inches thick! They also make a thin crust version for the "crunchy pizza" people. Their crust has a zesty flavor, and the toppings are actually "inside" of the pizza itself under a thin layer of dough. Then, if that isn't enough to make your mouth water, the top layer is loaded with chunky tomatoes! Zachary's Chicago Pizza is the best pizza I've ever had in my life, no kidding! They also have a coloring contest where your poster depicting how much you love Zachary's is posted in the restaurant. Zachary's has a minimum wait for a "stuffed" pizza of about 45 minutes, because they make it when you order it. It is well worth it. If you go there and there is a wait for a table, you can order your pizza to cut down on the wait time, so that's very helpful. more

The Chicago-style deep-dish pizza here is amazing! A perfect combination of cheese, crust, sauce and toppings. Very filling, but good to the last bite. Be prepared for a very long wait – you can occupy yourself by admiring the art on the walls (all featuring Zachary’s) or stare at your neighbors while they enjoy a yummy slice of Zachary’s pizza. more

The fantastic food here is worth braving the crowds for. The crusts are thick and the cooks aren't afraid to slather on the cheese, making the pizza here quite an unforgettable experience. Of course, my taste buds may have been influenced by my hunger, as I was just about ready to grab food of the nearby customers' table since I was so hungry by the time they delivered us our food. more

The pizza here is simply amazing. Although in general I prefer to eat the New York style thin crust pizzas, this place definitely satisfies my taste buds. Comparing it to a new york pizza is impossible since the two satisfy completely different tastes. But regardless, the pizza here is thick, crusty, and delicious. Be mindful of the wait, though. If you are hungry and in a pinch, I'd recommend ordering ahead for pick up. The wait can be quite long. more

I have been a pizza fanatic my entire life, and I have to say that Zachary's is the best pizza I have ever eaten. This is not a standard style pizza (although you can get that if you prfer). It is a deep dish PIE about 3 inches high. It has about 2 inches of cheese and fillings (what you would normally think of as toppings: pepperoni. mushrooms, veggies, etc.) and an inch of stewed tomatos on top. The tomatoes are cooked just enough to become a 'sauce' and are very flavourful, making a great complelent to the cheese/fillings portion. The only negative about this place is that it takes forever to eat. You have to sign your name and actually order your pizza before you sit down since table space is so limited. To help alleviate this problem Zachary's also sells 'half baked' pizzas that you can buy and bring home to finish off in your own ovwn. Awesome! more

If you haven't had pizza from zachary's, you're missing out. If you had, you know what I mean. Personally, I'd skip their regular/thin crust pizza, the deep dish pizza is what it's all about. You really can't go wrong with any of their specialties. If you're not a meat eater, the spinach mushroom is wonderful. If you want a little meat in your pizza, try the Zachary's Original. Even if you're on a low carb diet, there's a pizza for you (Good Health pizza). Ingredients are fresh and the pizza is delicious. You'll be full in two slices or less - you're start of thinking you can eat more, but will be full pretty quickly. Make sure you bring cash, they don't take credit cards and be ready for a wait, it's almost always crowded. more

Zachary’s never fails to fill me up in the best way. Not just any pizza, it’s a Chicago-style, deep dish, cheese first and chunky tomatoes on top pie. The pizza is always made fresh (which means at least a 20 minute wait), and the place is usually crowded in the evening but it’s worth the wait. It’s a pizza experience that you’re unable to find anywhere else in the Bay Area. For about the same price as an extra large at another pizza joint, eat phenomenal pizza. Zachary’s pizza is always about 1 ½ inches tall; the cheese is always gooey and abundant and the crust is perfectly toasted and crunchy. They’ve got pizza-making down! more

We've only had the "Good Health" pizza (Baked chicken breast and fresh spinach with part skim mozzarella on a whole wheat crust.) but it's been good enough to keep us coming back for more. The whole wheat crust is amazing. The ingredients are obviously super fresh -- the tomatoes, especially, are outstanding. Ever since I moved away from my beloved Star Pizza in Houston, TX, I've dreamed of a transcendent pizza experience. At Zachary's, I've finally found it. Mmm... (Web site at http://www..zacharys.com) more