Cheeseboard Collective
Categories: Cheese Shops, Pizza [Edit]
Neighborhoods: Gourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley1512 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94701 (510) 549-3055
- Hours:
Tue-Fri 11:30 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Tue-Fri 4:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m.
Sat 12:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m.
Sat 4:30 p.m.-8:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: No
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
80 reviews
Alameda, CA
"I have stopped in here a few times to peruse, but yesterday spent time talking to Jeff, and it was lots of fun. I'm on a blue cheese kick…" read more »
138 Reviews for Cheeseboard Collective
A marvelous collection of cheeses that is hard to match. Also some good baked goods and a nice selection of accompaniments. Friendly and knowledgeable service.
When simplicity meets creativity, you get Cheeseboard Collective. This place ain't Pizza Hut, so get it out of your head that you are gonna get pizza, pasta, garlic bread, calzones, dippin dots, a chocolate sundae or a buffet at this place. Cheeseboard gives you one thing, and that one thing is delicious pizza. PERIOD!
This is basically all you need to know:
They serve a different pizza every day, so there is only ONE type of pizza.
About $3/ slice, $10/ half a pizza, $20/ pie & $2.50 for a bottle of beer.
Awesome live music in the evening
Plenty of seating inside or just take your tray outside to the grass
Don't be intimidated by the line, it moves quick.
and.... that's it! Enjoy!!
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I love the very concept of this spot. "Make one pizza per day with great fresh organic ingredients - yes, it must all be vegetarian being given that the fact that this is the city of Berkeley...".
This place was teeming with people of all ages that one faithful Thursday. That day, we chanced upon the corn, feta cheese, mozzarella, basil pesto, red onion - amazing! The full pizza satisfied the 3 of us (btw, the pizza also had an additional slice) for the decent price of $20 as we sat on the grassy island dividing traffic... it was the perfect lunch.
I'm sure many of folk have also pondered the Cheeseboard Collective Strategy of - make a scrumptious one dish per day for a which allows the masses to partake in without breaking the bank! Those thoughts ran through my mind as I licked my fingers ... symbolizing the rhythmic end of my first of many encounters with the Cheeseboard Collective...
The pizza is SO DELICIOUS. Definitely order more than you think you can eat, because you'll definitely finish all of it. :)
I came on a day when they were serving their sourdough, bell-pepper, asiago pizza. So, so good.
A whole large pizza is only 20 dollars even.
I would have given it 5 stars, but it looses a star because it's hard to find a place to sit down, and there are hobos around digging pizza out of garbage cans (yea, it's just that good).
The bakery is pretty good too. Everything is really fresh. Go there for your scones and breads!
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I would give Cheeseboard the perfect 5-star rating if it weren't so damn hard to get some food here, and I live in North Oakland. Pizza is on the top of my favorite-food lists, and I must admit that Cheeseboard pizza is definitely up there. But do you know how many times I've tried to get pizza here? The business hours seem totally random. My sister lives in Berkeley, we'll check it online right before we go and it'll be closed! Or I'll stop by in my short window of free time and there's a line around the block! I also work further away so usually can only come for dinner or on weekends - not good times apparently for Cheeseboard. The handful of times I've actually had the good graces of the Cheeseboard Pizza gods on my hands, I came during lunch in the middle of the week b/c I was sick at home or had a sprained knee. Maybe that's why their pizza tastes so good to me.
The difficulty in obtaining their much-heard-of pizza certainly builds hype, which THANKFULLY, they AT LEAST live up to, but it's frustrating enough that I never PLAN on going there to eat. It'll just be... oh I happen to be driving by, let's see if it's open... oh it's not. At least I sorta look forward to feeling sick b/c then there's a slim chance I could get some Cheeseboard Pizza.
That's a shame, b/c I live close enough to be a regular, but there's just no way. I'd have to live next door. Well, maybe it's for the best of mankind otherwise I'd buy all the pizzas before anyone else could get to them.
Quite a unique place, so much more than pizza! I love cheese, eat it regularly and still find something new every time I walk in. The staff is very knowledgeable and patient, even if it takes you 20 minutes to find the right cheese. True it can be crowded but what good place isn't on a Saturday in Berkeley? This is my favorite place to get pick nick supplies. Hunk of cheese, loaf of bread and your set.
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I have eaten pizza as far away as Tokyo (I don't recommend it).
And I would not be surprised if someone flew from Tokyo to the bay area just to get some Cheeseboard pizza. IT'S THAT GOOD.
I will go so far as to say that this is the best flat crust pizza on the planet. Yes, that includes Italy!
Speaking of crusts--they're different everyday to match the toppings making the pizza unique every day.
Every day there's just one pizza (which makes ordering easy!), and every day it's superb.
They're also generous--every $2.50 slice comes with a free half-slice!
Drawing from the Cheese shop next door's selection of fine cheeses, from simple mozzarella to complex goat cheeses, with lots of tangy feta in between.
What you'll never find here is tomato sauce--or meat.
Instead, you'll find onion of all kinds (including caramelized), garlic olive oil, basil pesto, mushrooms, eggplant, the thankfully only occasional cauliflower, along with surprises like fresh corn, chili pasilla and mini key limes on a south of the border type pizza.
You'll also find LIVE JAZZ every day, played by students from the local music school, and these cats are hep!
My recommendation -- buy a piece to eat there while it's hot. Then buy a half or full pie that's "lightbaked," take it home and finish baking it later (or freeze it, then bake it when you have people over).
MMMM MMM MMM MMM MMM!
P.S. They ONLY take cash. And there is usually a line (people don't line up for stuff that's not great, so it's kind of a clue!). But the line always moves fast, and it's WORTH THE WAIT!
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I'm sorry for not giving the perfecto, but the pizza's are $20 now... thats nuts.... to them it's probably $1.38 in dough, cheese and toppings (reguardless of what the flavor of the day is).... but hell, i guess if the demand is there you can do it, I'm just a broke ass that loves their pizza and it's harder on the pocket now
other than that the cheeseboard is just a fun place to go to when the line isn't halfway to the corner grocery market. the pizzas are delicious, the cheese selection is outstanding and the bread is usually on hit.
i love going in and spending 15 minutes trying the different cheese, and talking it out with the sales person, and making a psuedo-educated decision based on their vast knowlege of their products.... reguardless its goin to be dee-lish
when i work in the morning and walk by, the highlight of my day begins... with a cheese roll and delicious, INEXPENSIVE coffee... i love getting that cup of joe and walking out with the smell of fresh baked bread still lingering on my palate... it kinda makes work easier and for that i say, "Thank you, Cheeseboard, thank you"
Cheeseboard makes one of the best pizzas around. It's a unique "Bay Area" style, with a crispy sourdough crust and a cornucopia of ever-changing, locally inspired toppings (vegetarian only). They brush the top with extra-virgin olive oil (often times too much, I might complain), and voila, a pizza unlike the new york and chicago styles that seem to grab the headlines. Sometimes the pie tastes the same from day-to-day, regardless of the toppings (I blame all that olive oil), but it's a good taste either way. Still, five easy stars for this East Bay institution.
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There's not really a way to describe the magic of Cheeseboard, both the bakery and the pizza shop. The cheese shop has the constant aroma of exotic cheeses and fresh baking bread and is especially wonderful before 10am when you can add the smell of brewing coffee to the shop. They have an ever changing assortment of scones and muffins that always please, and the staff is friendly and helpful in that "co-operative spirit" that would be a little frightening to those not from the bay area.
Recommendations for breads: Sourdough cheese rolls, berkeley buns, wolverines, pecan rolls and every scone in the place! Also, I love Camembert more than life itself...
Now cheeseboard has a second component: the pizza shop. There's live jazz music and the pizza is distinctly cheeseboard, not California or Chicago or New York style. It has a crispy, thin sourdough crust and an assortment of cheeses and veggies as topping (always vegetarian). There is only one daily special, but it's always so great that the lack of selection doesn't matter. I especially love their (I know this sounds like a funky combination) poached pear, walnut and Gorgonzola pizza they have from time to time.
Yes, cheeseboard is amazing. Eat there next time you want pizza, and go there next time you need scones or any baked goods.
What can I say? Who would go anywhere else for cheese? The staff is so knowledgeable and friendly, they let you try everything before you buy, and all of their baked goods are outstanding as well. And of course the pizza is excellent as well...
It almost goes without saying that different daily mixes of cheese melted over a yummy crust with fresh spices and the occassional vegetable would make a great treat, but WOW!
As an omnivore with carnivore in my rising house, I generally lean away from vegetarian anything. The Cheeseboard still completely satisfies.
Oh yeah, they bring back the concept of baker's dozen. Order a whole pie and they throw an extra slice or two on the top. Great taste and good value all at once.
Choice is highly overrated. Be warned, when you go to cheeseboard you don't get to choose your toppings. They are only making one kind of pizza and it changes every day. Go to their website to see what is on the menu today. The only choice that matters is... To cheeseboard or not to cheeseboard.
I say - you ought to try it, I have never been dissappointed.
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without a doubt the very best place to buy cheese. they give tastes of everything so you can taste 10 goat cheeses and get only the ones that thrill. The people who work here are nice, usually extremely helpful and knowledgeable. The also make fantastic breads and treats. and they are a collective. Good stuff.
Damn that pizza is something else. It's... divine. After you fill your stomach with a little piece of heaven, walk a few feet over and hit up the cheese shop. I don't think I've ever seen such a large variety. I was actually a bit intimidated... taking a number is taking a card from a card deck and you'll hear your call "queen of hearts" (pretty rad). This is what Berkeley is all about.
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I suppose it's about time that I write a real yelp review for Cheeseboard Pizza. Note that this is not a review for the actual cheese shop, which I also adore, and will review at a later time (when I have a recent cheese experience fresh on my palette). Located strategically in the gourmet ghetto (or perhaps the ghetto became gourmet because of it's presence) Cheeseboard pizza is an extension of the famous cheeseboard collective, the neighboring cheese lover's mecca boasting over 200 different cheeses from around the world. A recent remodel renders the pizza producing portion of the cooperative the it place to be for lunch and dinner, Tuesday through Saturday (why must they be closed Sunday and Monday? Damn coop!) on North Shattuck. Don't run away at the sight of the line- it's a given, and it moves fast. And to appease you while you wait for your mouthwateringly delicious meal, live music is a pleasant distraction. Once you reach the counter, order the pizza or salad- there is just one flavor per day, and it is made with fresh local organic ingredients (how Berkeley can we be) and it is usually amazing. Their pizzas do not have tomato sauce, and the crust is made using a sourdough bread base similar to the baguettes sold next door. Yesterday for example, the pizza of the day had feta cheese, zucchini, fresh mozzarella, basil pesto, and onions. And a lot of olive oil- the cheeseboard's answer to removing the tomato sauce, in my opinion. Some of my favorite pizzas they serve from time to time are the sweet potato and goat cheese, as well as the corn pizza. I know, you're probably thinking who eats sweet potatoes and corn on pizza? But let me tell you, it works, and it is amazing. And this is coming from someone who doesn't even really like pizza. Note that you can buy entire pizzas, fully baked, or half baked. The half baked variety come with instructions so you can cook them at home, freezing them perhaps, and enjoying CB pizza whenever you feel like it, even on a Sunday. And should you happen to bring a pizza home, instead of devouring it on the spot, you won't leave hungry as they generously hand out half slices, as a "tasting sample" for your culinary pleasure as you head home. So, if you want a true Berkeley experience, hit the cheeseboard on a warm day, order a slice or two and enjoy it's oily goodness while picnicking on the grassy island in the middle of the street.
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On one side, The Cheeseboard is a world class cheese shop. On the other, they serve a different thin crust pizza every day made with a selection of their fine cheeses. I wouldn't classify their pizza in any of the normal categories (New York, Chicago, Sicilian, Neopolitan, California etc.). It's unique. i recently had a pie with fresh herbs, Roma tomatoes, carmelized onions and garlic, mozzarella and goat cheese. It was damn good.
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As you may or may not know, mice are nasty little critters when it comes to proximity to food, and their feces is especially a prob.
Okay, so here is the issue. I have a friend who used to work here, and he used to want to tell me negative things about Cheeseboard. I, however, was and am so in love with the pizza that I would put my hands over my ears and sing really loudly so that I could have one perfect thing in this world. Nonetheless, I could not help but hear him yell "mice" at one point which forced me to look at him to acknowledge that I had heard correctly.
Maybe the mice are gone. Maybe my friend was just an angry little prick who didn't like his job. Or maybe (and I fear this may be the case) there are still mice and this is something that I will have to mentally block if I want to have one thing sacred in my life...and by mentally block I mean only deduct one star although were this any other establishment I would deduct four.
Cheeseboard has reeeeeeally good pizza. Four stars. (Or five stars minus mouse poop.)
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Really not all that, was expecting much more as far as the pizza goes.
But loved the vibe, loved the live jazz, super quick (even with the lines) and pretty cheap for fresh, natural tasting pizza. It seems to be a well running, successful co-op assembly line, because they have pizza's (but only one kind - whatever the pizza of the day is) coming out of the oven nonstop for the endless hoards, er, lines and lines of cute Berkeley-ites. A cool business model, wonder if it'd work for anything else. Just wish the pizza was more special. It's just normal cheesy semi-thin crust pizza. The sourdough crust was kinda nice, but still, nothing special unless you're comparing it to one of the dirty bland chains. For good pizza, i'm sticking to Delfina and Little Star in the city. Berkeley's got trees, but apparently not pizza... sorry cute Berkeley-ites.
UPDATE UPDATE NEXT MORNING:
Well, my friend was not feeling good the next morning. Really not good. Go with caution, know yourself, don't eat the over 3 slices. (Minus one star).
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Every once inawhile-.. I look up yelp reviews of the Cheeseboard to see if I can find cheeselovers-oft-he-world for my new reality show about a boatload of cheeselovers cast away on a desert island on which the only animals are cows ( and their spouses) or goats ( little goatees).
Alas, not enough of the pizza lovers pop in next door to sample the cheeses or try the Chocolate loaf or scones, etc.
Cheese people, as you know, are all Peace Lovers , so maybe there would be no competitive types for such a show.
The Collectors ( or whoever one calls the people on the other side of the counter) are all love-ly people, who never lose patience, you can try every Spanish Goat cheese there is for hours or test them on their knowledge, ask for suggestions for a party .
I INSIST you go next time you are on Shattuck for the pizza!!!!!
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Cheeseboard Pizza provides me with a reason to live. ha ha. Well, something like that at least. Every single time I eat a slice, I'm in cloud nine.
Simply put, Cheeseboard is bad-ass because of the following:
1. They use fresh ingredients for the toppings (the veggies taste like they were just picked from the farm... tastes perfect)
2. Cheese is perfect & not overwhelming
3. Crust is perfectly thin
4. Cheap: $2.50 a slice
5. If you buy half or a whole box, they give you a bonus 1/4 slice
6. Service is friendly & fast
7. Love the vibe: jazz music sitting outside on a warm & beautiful sunny day
Seriously, what more can I ask for???
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firstly, and I have to say it, the PIZZA--five stars!
I haven't tried the cheese, but it's supposed to be really good (from what I've heard)
and things I have tried, and loved are:
--the "Chocolate Thing" (this thing is really good, it has bittersweet chocolate chunks packed in a fluffy white bread--try it if you're a chocolate lover!!)
--The olive bread is really tasty
--Cheese Roll
--they have this roll that is spicy, and usually placed near the olive bread, but i don't know it's name
--They have these sticky buns :) which are also yummy :)
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By the way, if you come in the mornings, they are usually busy
I went there today at 10:00AM and it was packed. I think a lot of people come here in the morning to get a roll or bun for breakfast (if that's what you're after this is a good place for break fast, and you can go up to Peet's Coffee for something to drink).
However, if you come later in the afternoon, they are usually not that busy, but they might be out of some stuff.
But the pizza room/the-room-with-the music, whenever I've gone, I always packed. However, you can order the pizza to go and walk across the street to the "Epicurious Garden" (a collection of small stores + a multi-level courtyard area with a nice atmosphere and plenty of benches) and sit down there to enjoy your pizza. however many slices you order, they'll always throw in an extra (smaller) piece
Finally, the people who work there are usually really friendly, know what they're doing, and some of them have been there for a long time
PS: I'm pretty sure they aren't open on sundays, and I also don't think that they are open on mondays
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I've eaten at this place numerous times. And I just can't seem to get enough!! The taste of all varieties is simply outstanding. I'm not really a big fan of thin crust, but there's just something in the pizzas that are so enticing. There is usually a long line, but the wait is well worth it. The crew are friendly. The restaurant is clean, but small -only a few tables. My only complain is that The Cheeseboard is closed on Mondays and Sundays. Other than that, the pizza is amazing!
The only thing that would make Cheeseboard better would be if it combined it's magical unicorn pizza-making powers with a butchershop (pepperoniboard? sausageboard? canadian baconboard?) Everytime I go there, one of my companions or a fellow patron waiting in the intimidatingly long (but fast-moving) line will inevitably say, "I don't even notice that they don't use meat on their pizzas!" This automatically makes me think how much better it would be if they put meat on their pizzas.
Their proximity to the distracting, annoying (and law breakingl!) median foodies who hang out in the island patch of grass (right under the signs that say "keep off the median") makes up for it. The pizza is cheap enough (and greasy enough by the end of the day) to make for good target shooting for the brave. I've never actually seen anyone throw pizza at those people from the sidewalk, but I've imagined myself doing so pretty much every time I'm in line and stuck watching their dramatic gesturing and hearing their loud hurrahing and whining Hey, hairy girl in the sun dress. Just because it's berkeley does not mean that everybody cares to see you and your chubby friend do cartwheels after finishing your paper plate of fallafel. You're in the middle of a fucking busy street.
Somtimes I wish the band would take off early because they take up a lot of much needed room in the actual building, but, at the same time, the music is usually good. I like that it's a cooperative work environment. The pizza is usually very tasty, well-cooked and tastes fresh. Although, as mentioned before, it can be a little oily by the end of the day as the ingredients have had some time to sit around.
It's the best thin curst pizza in the East Bay by far, Zachary's being the best for deeper dish. Note that they close early and only serve one kind of vegetarian pizza a day. I will absolutely meet with any Yelper who promises to throw, hurl, toss, slingshot or otherwise propel a piece of pizza into the median crowd. I'll pay for the pizza and most likely a glass of liquid courage for the two of us.
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I do recomend everyone to go here. I Pizza is good and everything. But its mostly the Jazz that I like. The people are cool. Im not up on too much garlic in the pizza , but its good and worth waiting the whole 30minutes for
My lactardedness does not stop me from enjoying the loveliness of cheese. I found myself here today while trying to figure out a place to lunch with a friend, and we stopped in. The cheese section is a madhouse, but well worth the wait...wheel after wheel after wedge after wedge of glorious cheese, manned by a staff who knows their wares. They also have a huge selection of breads - reminded me of Arizmendi Bakery in the Sunset. I am a sucker for scones, by the way. The smell of bread and cheese was making my stomach grumble.
While waiting in line, I pondered the irony of a cheese lover like myself suffering from lactose intolerance, then decided on a Jalapeno Cheese bread, my companion got a Cheese roll (still warm!) and we hightailed it out of there to find an appropriate second course.
Awesome little store!
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Great pizza! Great price! I really enjoyed the live jazz band they had (the kids looked pretty young...freshman maybe?). The place was really clean and there was just a positive/fresh ambiance in the air. I definitely will go back, and I look forward to whatever pizza they have!
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one gentle morning, with the dew rising, I found myself driving to work.
They promptly opened after a small collective of commuters stood patiently and in expectation of delivery of a hot, delectable morsel. The man standing in line chatted with me-talk of cheese rolls is downright foreplay, as he talked about how he would devour it and enjoy every bit of it, with a glint of flirtation in his eye.
Well, the mention of cheese is a good thing to me, so I did get the cheese roll. I paid my money, lady behind the counter was super nice to me as the guy kept eyeing me, with his shy smile.
Commuter love.
But the clock is ticking. So I say goodbye to cheese roll man, take a bite and exclaim YUM, since it's exactly what he said it was-hot, deliciously warm, slightly sweet, and salty, his favorite. Anything with cheese is my favorite too. That's a lot of sexual innuendo for one man to put in one baked good.
I hella love Berkeley.
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I'm going to be shameless and hop on the bandwagon full of hipsters and vegetarians, and say unabashedly these three statements:
1) I'm a carnivore.
2) I hate gourmet pizzas.
3) Cheeseboard pizzas taste better than the stuff your 65 year old Italian grandma named Camilla makes.
I don't know if it's the cheese they use, the lack of tomato sauce, or even the absence of real protein, but one thing is clear, even though I'm Asian and blessed with this thing called "lactose intolerance", I'll be coming back for more.
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Ahh Cheeseboard... Why are you so far away from me?? I wish there was a Cheeseboard down in San Jose so that I don't have to drive all the way up to Berkeley for this pizza. It might have been better if I had never tried their pizza; now that I know what I'm missing, I can't wait for my next visit up to Berkeley for my next round of pizza.
It's amazing how they only serve one type of pizza each day and yet still manage to have a steady, brisk-moving line going out their door. When I was there on Saturday, the pizza of the day was sweet corn, mozzarella, feta, cilantro pesto, and onions. (I might be missing a topping in there.) It was delicious. Even my usually carnivorous boyfriend affirms that he likes the place. (It's a vegetarian joint.)
They sell by the slice ($2.50), by the half ($10), and by the whole pie ($20). On most afternoons, they have musicians playing in the corner, entertaining those waiting in line and those inhaling their pizzas at the few tables set in the front.
Don't miss trying this place out!
I love Cheeseboard more than the average Cheeseboard lover. Case in point: 4 visits in one day.
If you go to the bakery, you should try out:
Corn cherry scone
Brioche
Chocolate cookies (OH GOD)
Tomato, olive, caper focaccia
Asiago bread (loaf, roll, or stick forms)
Apple apricot muffin (these go really fast)
Provolone olive bread (OH GOD some more)
Baguette (seeded and regular sourdough)
Challah
Chocolate loaf
Something pretty awesome about the bakery is that you can get (at least) the provolone olive bread unbaked in a little wooden box and pop it in your oven at home for some super fresh, super delicious fresh bread. It tastes wonderful no matter where it's baked, but I like it when the entire house smells like freshly baked bread. You have to come at a certain time for this though (when they're making the bread).
Also, if you really want to get some pizza, but don't have cash, you can get half or whole pies half-baked in the bakery with a credit or debit card.
Sometimes they have pizza dough for sale, which is great if you like the Cheeseboard crust, but want some meat on your pie. You can get awesome quality cheese (free samples!), olive oil and olives to go on your home-made pizzas there, too.
I'm going to stop writing and get some more Cheeseboard (only my second trip today..)
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All my bags are packed, I'm ready to go (across the bay). But I still have to eat while I tie up the loose ends and wave bye-bye to my old apartment.
I like how Cheeseboard, in the Gourmet Ghetto, is a co-op. It reminds me of a lot of collective grocery stores I liked when I lived in Davis, one coordinate in the Raging Liberals' Iron Triangle (SF Bay Area and Santa Cruz being the obvious other two).
I also like the good, natural-tasting pizza. I enjoy heavy, dripping slices on cool evenings, but hot, amazing weather, like we have today, calls for lighter fare.
There's little to no sauce on their slices and cheese is contained to the slice (not on your fingers, the wax paper, the plate, or your lap). They only serve one type of pizza daily (today was roma tomatoes and a greenie item I can't remember), but it's well-made, not oily and a nice alternative to my pizza dinner standbys. Good salad with bleu cheese-like dressing. Their shop next door would be my first stop in the East Bay for anything cheese.
The tables in and around the shop fill up quickly, but you can eat in the middle of the grassy median in the street. Yeah, that one that says "Stay off median."
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The pizza is usually really good. I have no problem with the line and the cool customer service. I would recommend the pizza side. If it wasnt for the pizza side, I would rate this place 1 and then comment it should be zero.
The cheese making side is over the top and not in a good way. The first time I went in, I was scolded for picking up the plastic covered cheese that was for sale. I must have had a deer in the headlights look about what was being said to me because the explanation I recieved was that Berkeley had some "weird rule" about customers touching the cheese and so as "not to make the customer uncomfortable or push them away" they chose to not put the items behind glass OR post a sign that stated to not touch. Umm.. right. I was in no way uncomfortable when I was being talked to like a 5 year old for playing in mommy's jewelry box. I have no problem with following the rules, but that seemed to make absolutely no sense to me. I decided then to buy my cheese elsewhere, but that I would still buy the baked goods offered.
This seemed a good trade for a while until one fateful Saturday when I walked in and was yelled at by a customer this time, because unlike previous times I had been there, people were standing in line not to pay, but to select the baked goods. I didnt realize this until I had already picked up a bag to fill with my choices and the customer had gotten considerably louder and more beligerent. I promptly left the store, vowing never to return.
The attitude that seems to radiate amongst the customers and staff is a bit on the arrogant side, like somehow they are better than others because they support a co-op or whatever makes them special, but I have had enough of the better than thou attitude from the Cheese Nazi place.
so good, there are no words. After a heavy duty berkeley bookshopping bananza I always come to the cheeseboard. The pizza crust is hin, the cheese is great and combination of veggie toppings is to die. With a head of roasted garlic and a ginger beer.. ohh yyeeeahh.
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LOVE LOVE LOVE this place, seriously some of the best, all natural pizza in the US - and I used to work at a New York Pizza place. Remember pizza lovers I like to categorize pizza into three categories 1) new york 2) chicago 3) gourmet
This is gourmet pizza at it's best, amazing ingredient combinations. NOTE: They make the same flavor all day so look up online to see if the day's special is something you would like - I'm 100% positive you will! I went to Cal and while in college I made it a point to go here at least once a month and it's not too pricey either.
If you are in Berkeley, make it a point to stop here for lunch and enjoy it on the grassy median that splits Shattuck Ave - and for dinner, Chez Panisse is across the street.
There are too many great eateries here in Berkeley, but only one Cheeseboard Pizza! RIght on! Check it out great food, beautiful service and the most warm hearted employees you'll ever meet.
There was this pizza i had the other day topped with chicken, artichoke, pesto sauce, and lightly sprinkled with lemon juice to give it that zing....and that one zing was all that was needed to make my taste buds dance! Great thing about this pizza joint is that they have a different selection everytime!
Try it out!
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I swear to you that for my 25th birthday I wanted to crawl into a whole and die for fear of aging one more day, but somehow my lovable and sweet little partner got me to leave the house. She also got my family to agree to trot all the way out to the remote side of Berkeley to go to dinner at the Cheeseboard collective as a surprise for me.
I have never been so happy on a birthday as I was watching most of my family be so very uncomfortable sitting at the big table by the door and trying to eat the wonderful pizza which they hated. Don't get me wrong I love my family and all, I just usually don't get to eat things I like, let alone get them to come a long with me to do so. My mother read this and reminded me that she tried the pizza, hi mom. Anyways... I have eaten here for a long time now and while the prices have gone up and the clientele have become a little more bourgeoisie, I still love it here.
The place was packed, but we got there early enough to wait everyone else out for the large table. We got two or three pizzas and two salads which no one really ate but my partner and I. My family looked confused when they saw that there were no empty seats, no fountain drinks and a line out the door. I reassured them, but the calm only lasted until they found out that there was only one type of pizza each day. Eventually we left, (they went and got themselves food) and I met them back at the house for some cake.
...but not before the live jazz and awesome pizza. I don't know if I really ever have had a birthday that nice and I don't know that I ever will again. If I do, I am sure it will be thanks to my large headed little partner in crime and some good food that makes my family feel awkward and a lot of warm happy feelings. Go to the Cheeseboard collective if you like good pizza, there is nowhere else quite like it.
CHAD
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The model T of pizza. You may have any type of pizza you like, as long as it's the one posted on the board for the day. Thin crust and always vegeterian, I have yet to be disappointed. And it's a cheap lunch too!
This place is going to be sorely missed when I graduate and (probably) move out of Berkeley (hmm, maybe I should reconsider...). Their pizza (varies every day), NEVER fails to absolutely amaze me and my taste buds! I'm a big fan of thin crust (and non-sauce), pizza and Cheeseboard definitely fits the bill. Service is FAST (they prepare for the typical rush hours ahead of time), and sometimes the friendliness gets compromised in the process because they want to help as many people as quickly as possible, but you'll forgive them after a bite of their pizza!! Seating is not so great and people often spill onto the grassy media (which is not supposed to be sat on), in the middle of the road. My friends and I have had to eat in Andronico's parking lot for lack of seating. Anyway, they also always have live music (local, too?), which is fabulous! For Cinco de Mayo, they actually had a Mariachi band!
BE SURE TO HAVE CASH on you, cause they don't take cards.
Love the pizza, love the localness, love Alice Waters!
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I will disregard my lactose intolerance to eat Cheeseboard Pizza. A few t