Zachary's Chicago Pizza Inc

I came with some friends to this place for a nice simple meal. The pizzas they offer here is splendid, lots of choices and the staff here are very nice.

Posted 04/20/09 | Report Abuse

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You have just found the BEST PIZZA EVER!! You will love everything about this place. The wait is alittle long sometimes but you'll learn to love that too.

Posted 10/16/08 | Report Abuse

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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.

Posted 05/19/07 | Report Abuse

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We have friends in Sacramento who've actually been known to plan wekeends in the Bay Area simply so they can get pizza at Zachary's. It's almost more like a lasagne than a pizza -- deep layers of toppings, cheese, and some extra dough and tomatoes on top. Parking is very difficult, and it's often hard to find a table -- but you can buy pizzas to go, or even get a "half-baked" pizza to finish cooking at home.

Posted 03/10/06 | Report Abuse

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There's something special with the pizza. Even though it is very thick, it is not "heavy". I also love the fact that they put a lot of tomoatoes on their pizza.

Posted 03/09/06 | Report Abuse

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We go here whenever we get the chance when we're up in Berkeley. They have deep dish pizza which is different from the others around here. The sauce is on top and they put a lot of sauce on. I like the Zachary's Special and the Spinach and Mushroom. I've only gone in for whole pizzas, but I think you can order by the slice as well.

Posted 03/06/06 | Report Abuse

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Super-fresh ingredients top the delicious, gooey pizza that they do at Zachary's. We usually have the Good Health pizza, which is chicken, spinach and mozarella on a whole wheat crust. It's amazing, especially the crust. The vibe is decidedly laid back and though there's often a wait (and the pizza takes a long time) it's worth it. The salads are also excellent and they have a reasonable beer and wine selection.

PROS: laid back, delicious
CONS: a tad expensive

Posted 09/23/05 | Report Abuse

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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 Zacharys) or stare at your neighbors while they enjoy a yummy slice of Zacharys pizza.

Posted 09/09/05 | Report Abuse

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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.
It can get quite crowded in the evenings, though, and I think
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.
But the pizza we had was wonderful, I'd go back again (though probably not during the dinner hour).

Posted 08/24/05 | Report Abuse

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When we get Zachary's, there are never any leftovers. The quality of the pizza is worth the sometimes long line. The stuffed pizza is phenomenal, and the atmosphere of the restaurant is perfect for a pizza joint, should you choose to stay. If you take out, the pizza is still amazinly good, and always really hot so by the time you get home it is perfectly tempered to eat.

Posted 07/25/05 | Report Abuse

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I used to travel from SF State to Berkeley once a week to get their stuffed spinach and mushroom pizza with garlic. And that was when I was a student. It never disappointed then, over 10 years ago, (I can't believe I wrote that), and it does not disappoint now. Sometimes we get the healthy chicken, stuffed pizza of course, and that's good. The pizza is similar to lasagne. Never order a small because you'll want more. Trust me. They have good salads too. I've tried their thin crust and it was similar to lots of other pizzas that I've tried. But their stuffed crust is their masterpiece.

Posted 07/24/05 | Report Abuse

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I absolutely loved their stuffed pizzas. They don't deliver and dining there can mean a long table wait. But it's well worth it. Call ahead and get one to go - they'll make it all the way or half baked so you can take it home, finish cooking it and have it perfectly fresh.

Posted 07/21/05 | Report Abuse

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Yes, this really is great pizza. Rather than wait in line forever, though, just buy one of their pizzas uncooked and finish the job at home. Before I came to this place, I was afraid that I had left decent pizza behind when I went to California. I'm a dedicated carnivore, and I still loved the "Vegetarian" pizza with cheese and spinach.

Lines are long, but that can be easily solved by eating the pizza at home.

Posted 06/29/05 | Report Abuse

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The most famous pizza that ever emerged from Zachary's Pizza is their special Vegetarian pizza. Now although meat lovers are saying "Ew, vegetarian." they shouldn't. This pizza will make meat lovers forget that it doesn't have meat. The pizza is a Chicago style pizza with three cheeses and spinach inside and covered with chopped tomatoes. The pizza is excellent and has given the parlor an excellent name.

Posted 06/18/05 | Report Abuse

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Yum. Zacharys is fantastic. The restuarant is small, so I recomend calling in and getting one of their pizzas that are half baked and taking it home to finish it off and watch a great dvd with the pizza piping hot from your oven. Their lunch slices are a great deal as well. They consisently win awards year after year for their pizza, this is no secret pizza place, the words been out for years.

Posted 06/05/05 | Report Abuse

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Zachary's serves the best Chicago style pizza in California. They serve the stuffed crust variety with two layers of crust. They use the highest quality ingredients and an excellent dough to turn out spectacular pies. I love the plain pie and the Zachary's special but truly all of the combinations are wonderful. Zachary's is the best.

Posted 04/27/05 | Report Abuse

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This is a bustling vibrant pizza place and it has won alot of awards from local papers for 'Best Pizza' -The awards are hung proudly on the wall. There is alway a line out the door for seating and the seating is actually limited maybe 50 people at most. Despite the crowds service is usually pretty quick you place your order while you wait in line. Good pizza and beer.

PROS: good chicago style pizza
CONS: limited to on street parking in a busy shopping area

Posted 04/17/05 | Report Abuse

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