Cicero's Pizza
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat 11:00 a.m.-10:00 p.m.
Sun 3:00 p.m.-8:00 p.m. - Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- 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: No
- Good for: Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol: Beer & Wine Only
115 reviews
San Jose, CA
"I use to work in downtown San Jose. I will never forget the day I was walking to lunch and looked across the street and to my complete…" read more »
132 Reviews for Cicero's Pizza
Ah yah, this place is no joke! Great pizza! Thin crust! Very flavorful if thats even a word!
They had a lunch special going on for large pizzas with 3 free drinks. You really cant go wrong with it. A friend and I had the Hawaiian pizza and a little customized pizza. I'd definitely go back to this place.
Awesome place for thin crust pizza! And the spicy vegetarian is a definite must try!
My boyfriend first heard about this place at work, when there was a cold, leftover box of Cicero's on the counter. One cold slice, and he was wowed. He was surprised that a cold slice could taste so good! Thus, the trek to eat it fresh was on!
We ordered before arriving, we got a small spicy vegetarian, and a small pepperoni. Thin crust delight! The spicy vegetarian was light on the palette, the crust was thin and satisfying to munch, and the jalapenos were a nice kick (usually veggie pizzas can become too boring and predictable when it's the usual onion/mushroom/tomato). My boyfriend really enjoyed the pepperoni pizza as well!
The waitstaff behind the counter are pretty friendly and helpful also!
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The best thin crust pizza in the south bay. When I say thin I mean nipple through the shirt thin. Who doesnt love that?
Among my top three pizza places.
Davids bottom line- You HAVE to try Ciceros at least once. Get a pitcher of beer too. Again if you need help with the beer make sure to invite me.
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We tried a half spicy veggie and half sausage special large pizza. That was excellent. Much better than the now Amici. Amici used to be good...don't know what happened these days.
Cicero's SHITS on other pizza places (sorry for the profanity)
I seriously think they put crack in their pizza, because its THAT addicting. My family gets it almost every saturday for our UFC fight nights.
But anyway, if you love thin crust pizza, this is the place to go. I've never personally eaten in the restaurant itself, since i always get it to go, but everytime we go the staff is always very friendly and helpful. Which i think is EXCEPTIONAL since that place is always crazy.
Try their cheese pizza with linguica and you'll understand what I'm talking about.
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::4.5 stars::
I've waited 2.5 hours to eat pizza before . Check out my review on Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix. Anyways, that place set my standard for pizza and that bar is pretty high. I came back to California thinking it might be a very long time til I find a pizza that can compare. Then, my friend Venus H. took me to Cicero's. Oh dang! That was sooooooooooo good!! Thinking about it makes me salivate. The pizza felt like it was so light. that I can probably the devour the whole thing in one sitting by myself. It was made just the way I like it. Perfect ion in every bite. I can't wait to go back!! I can hold off on another trip to Phoenix now.
:)
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The pizza here is exceptional, if you're into eating thin crust pizza. The crust is super thin and crispy. The pizza always comes out freshly hot and the toppings are plentiful. However, the pizza is so thin that one person can eat a small or medium size to themselves. If you go during lunchtime they have a soda special where you get 3 sodas if you buy a large I think. They also serve beer for those who are of age since a majority of the customers who come here are in high school.
The dining area is quite large with booths and tables. They have a two or three televisions hung up to watch any sports. A small arcade area. I must include that the staff is very friendly to your needs! A family-oriented kind of place!
I ate three different kinds of Cicero's last night at a friend's house. They were all so good! The Veggie is SO good...surprised of the spicy kick and I love it! the crust is thin, so the toppings make the pizza so much better. I hope my friend orders more of this pizza whenever he holds another gathering :) They also cater to your needs, and the pizza is still delicious. (The friend is lactose intolerant, so it was a no cheese pizza). It must be the sauce or something...
I was almost always on the chicago deep dish style, but slowly, it seems like I'm liking the thin crust :)
EDIT: I ate six slices at the gathering Sunday night and took 4 more home to eat Monday morning. I couldn't help it...SOOOOOO good.
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My husband is kind enough to indulge me when I have my thin crust pizza cravings! We had Cicero's the other night, and I thought I should finally write a review.
Cicero's pizza is delicious! If you like crispy, thin crust pizza, then you're in luck. The pizza comes out piping hot, and the ingredients are plenty. My favorite is the "Cicero's Special" which has pepperoni, salami, mushrooms, olives.
Because the pizza is thin, we order a large for 2 people and have a few slices for leftovers. I don't think that two people can get full on a medium size pizza.
The dining area is large with lots of tables and booths. Child-friendly too.
A great place to enjoy a pizza!
I grew up up partially in Sunnyvale and had eaten here several times (when it was located on Stevens Creek in Cupertino), and then I moved to LA, Boston and New York City for a long time, and sort of forgot about their pizza. The most fascinating thing to me in the world is that New Yorkers pride themselves on having the best thin-crust pizza in the world. They call their thin crust pizza "Brick Oven" pizza over there (kinda like a Quarter Pounder from Mickey D's is a Royale with Cheese in France). Eager to always try new pizza, I think I probably frequented nearly every pizza place in that entire city, and never thought anything of it.
I recently returned back to the south bay, and have driven past their old Stevens Creek location many times, and just thought the place had shut down. A few weeks ago, I was driving in San Jose and saw their name in the corner of my eye, screeched to a halt and ordered a pizza. It was F-ing AWESOME!! I now know why all New York thin crust pizza tasted terrible to me. I was spoiled eating this stuff as a kid in Sunnyvale.
My recommendation to the manager there is to rent a large sign or a billboard to put near the old Stevens Creek location and let everyone know where you guys are. People like me would never know otherwise.
I tried the belly buster and the crust is really damn good. The toppings were pretty fresh as well and the service was friendly.
I need to go back and try a basic pepperoni and cheese to get a better feel for the joint but for now (A slice of new york) beats the pants off this joint.
Pretty damn good nonetheless.
My favorite pizza place in the South Bay...
I love Chicago deep dish and detest most thin crust, but somehow I have a soft spot for Cicero's pie. Presentation-wise the pies aren't that appealing, but the taste got me hooked. Close your eyes and take it in.
Move over Colonel Sander's we've got a rising trade secret. Wikipedia states: "According to the owners of Cicero's only 3 people currently have full knowledge of Nunzio Cicero's original pizza recipe." Something this good must be using one chief ingredient: BUTTER, BUTTER and more BUTTER! I've tried about 10 times to make a pizza like Cicero's and have failed miserably. The secret must be in their ingredients procurement.
A little amusing that the business bloomed after moving to its latest location which was formerly a Round Table establishment.
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They have one of, if not THE best pizza's around. The thin, crisp crust is perfect to eat, just make sure that if you have company, to order an extra pie or three! This pizza is really easy and light to eat.
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Yum! I usually feel really gross after eating pizza, but not after Cicero's. The crust is great, and the toppings were high quality. Good anchor steam on draught, too. I wish I didn't live so far away ... or maybe that's a blessing in disguise!
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One of the best pizza restaurants I've ever eaten at ! The pizza is just so good, so fresh and tasty. They have lots of good combo options and very good service. Cicero's is also a great family place to go as well. I always go here or order take out for any family parties w/ pizza. Anyway, if your looking for great pizza, Cicero's is the place to eat!
Note: On the delivery, if your ordering like 5-6+ pizzas, they deliver as long as your in a respectable distance.
This has awesome Italian pizza (not like Chicago or New York). I remember that before they moved out of their Blaine Ave. location, they would hand toss their pizza dough, but I don't know if they do it anymore.
The place is pretty big and usually filled with people and there's often soccer teams there with their parents (heck, that's how i first started going to cicero's ::D)
The service is obviously nothing to expect since it's just a pizza place where you pick it up and then eat.
There's a small arcade in the back where you can play some games, but there's usually a ton of kids back there and I don't want to be some type of pedophile trying to play games with them (plus its really cramped back there).
Greatest Pizza ever! Never gets soggy. We love the pepperoni. The thin crust is always crispy, even when you take it home and heat it up to have "leftovers" for the next day!
Family place. Gets kinda loud sometimes.... but after all, it is a pizza parlor. Family owned and run for years... awesome!
Only have a small selection of canned soft drinks and very bad "red" or "white" boxed wine. But decent beer on tap. Tables are bussed quickly and that's good because most nights the place is packed. Steady crowd eating in as well and many people picking up pizzas "to go".
Absolutely divine! If you're a fan of thin crust pizza, this place beats all. I would highly recommend ordering your pizza(s) togo and eating it in the comfort of your lovely home, because the place itself is not very inviting. High traffic nights are pretty annoying, because you fend for yourself when it comes to seating. Also something about watching the busboy repeatedly mop across tables/chairs with the SAME soggy rag, sending pizza crumbs fluttering onto the greasy floor is not very appetizing to me. But that's just me. I'm an organ donor, I'm Asian, I wear Chanel, I have high expectations from life! Dining on crumb-free surfaces doesn't cut it for me. I want to dine in a 1-mile radius of cleanliness!
Haha No seriously, do try this place out y'all!
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Best...Pizza...ever.
I have moved three times since I lived just around the corner from Cicero's and I refuse to allow a 1 hour drive prevent me from enjoying this pizza.
I'll drive down early for my hockey games just to enjoy a single slice of this perfect pizza.
When a pizza is just a good cold as it is fresh out of the oven, you know you're in heaven.
We went here because people had commented that this place is better than A Slice of New York. BUT GOOD LORD how wrong can they be. This pizza is so NOT like NYC pizza.
The crust was like a wafer, the slices tiny, the cheese horrible.
The only good thing about the place was the pitcher of beer for $12.
We actually thought about stopping at Slice of NY to get a real slice of pizza after leaving here.
A couple of friends had recommended this place, and I had never heard of it (I had seen it, as I live nearby). So after a particular tough evening in JCPenny and Macys, when we decided to eat out, I thought lets try Cicero's.
"Chic Pick" with half n half topings of mushroom-pineapple & jalapeno-olive and I guess that was one of the best pizza we had. My wife agreed.
We reached there kinda late, say about 8:45, there were a few families and groups, however the place had started cleaning. The reason I gave a 4 is a message to the guys at Cicero, If you say its open till 10PM for eat-in, make sure that the guests are not surrounded by vacs & brooms. Otherwise the pizza rocks,
If you are far from Berkeley, more specifically in South Bay and want a really great thin-crust pizza, go to Cicero's. I first went there about 4 years ago and every time I think of pizza, I think of Cicero's. It is not a cheap place but you should see the crowd. And after eating there twice, you would forget that there are national chains that sell pizza.
It is simply good.
Here's the deal..... Im on Death Row, and about to be executed.... "Your last meal Sir?" hmmmmm LMAO It seriously might be the Belly Buster pizza from Ciceros!!! Assuming I wouldnt be able to find any good catfish places....
Great Pizza, cool atmosphere...good cust. serv... will make a lover of thin crust outta ya!
Ok, I have to give this place 5 stars because I absolutely LOVE their pizza with sausage (not sliced...but ground/crumbly), red onions and jalepenos. I love their water cracker thin crust with this specific combination of toppings. Oh my gosh, it's just soooo good. I actually haven't had anything else. We always get a pitcher of Anchor Steam to go with it. YUM.
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I absolutely LOVE the thin crust pizza Cicero's offers!!! This place ROCKS with so many satisfied customers that come back time and time again! Service is not that great but once you get your pizza...you would have completely forgotten about the wait and the service....better yet..call and place an order ahead of time so the pizza is ready when you get there.....you'll love the toppings and the absolute super, crispy, flavorable thin crust! That's what Cicero's is known for!
One of my favorite family places to dine! Restaurant gets pretty packed with a mixed crowd and is frequented by many Middle Easterners and Asian ethnicities, probably due to their wide array of fresh vegetarian selections! Soda comes in can, beer on tap, and minimal bag tasting salads. I will admit though, I still always order one for only God knows the reason why! haha....
Thanks Sara (my hairstylist for the the recommendation!)
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As a family member and restaurant manager for Cicero's Pizza, I would like to thank all those people who took the time to write a review. The critiques are helpful, good or bad. We, at Cicero's, work hard to provide a wonderful product and are very proud to be running a true, loyal family business. I, of course, give Cicero's Pizza 5 stars, yet i always know there is room for improvement. I love our thin, crispy crust and i know that we use only high quality ingredients. I have been eating the pizza since I could eat, and I continue to eat it at least 4 days a week. So thank you for coming in, all you wonderful people. Thank you for your business
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My family used to go to their original location on Wolfe/Stevens Creek. This was back when it was a blue-collar joint to grab a beer after work, and they pretty much just served their pizza on napkins. It was mostly working class Joes back then until the Indian community (dot, not feather) rolled in and took the place by storm. Eventually they started providing paper plates in lieu of napkins.
After a few years, the owner died and the place closed down. A Chinese family came along and reopened the place under the name "Big Apple Pizza," but the pizza was never quite the same. Eventually they closed down too.
A few years after that, the owner's son-in-law and his family opened this new location on Bollinger/Miller. It was a much classier location with booth seating, and they even had... *gasp* ...real plates! Not too mention, the pizza had the same oomph as the original (there's a reason why they call it "The Pizza With the Secret"). Add to that a kickass beer selection (Sierra Nevada & Amber Bock are my mainstays) and it's pretty much the ideal place to grab a slice with some friends.
History aside, this might be my favorite pizza place in the Continental US. I always make sure to stop by or grab a pie to go when I'm back home.
Tips:
-Order on the phone so the pizza will be ready when you get there
-Order your pizza with light cheese & well done if you want it more crispy
-Dowse your slice with Frank's Red Hot
Favorites:
No Meat Treat
Pineapple & Bell Pepper
Baker's Pride
good ol' Pepperoni
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I'd say this is the best pizza in the South Bay, and I'm a pizza lover.
Crowded family type place.
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This is some of the best pizza I've had (outside of Napoli of course). I wouldn't say it's authentic, but I would say that it's got an ultra tasty melt in your mouth crust. Those who can't taste the greatness of the crust leave me completely confused, but then again, I'm reviewing Cicero's not lack discerning reviews below and above. This is no Round Table people.
The crust is definitely something special and anytime I can support a local business, you better believe you'll find me there. Their quality is constant and they even have Vernor's Ginger Soda! I usually go with the black olive pizza, but have also been know to hit up a nice jalapeno and pineapple. My wife always opts for the spicy vegetarian, so that's got to be good too.
I agree that their salads aren't special, but it's a pizzeria not a salad bar, so get over it!
Cicero's gets a big fat and greasy five stars from this Italian!
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Great pizza. Good prices. Okay service. Free WiFi :)
There is no doubt that the pizza here tastes great. Probably one of my favorite places to get thin crust pizza. However, service here is average at best. I had asked for some hot sauce to go but charged me $2.50 for it. Hmmm... ok... no.
Although, they do have a great lunch special where you get a small pizza and soda for $7.50.
Being a Chicago native, I had to see how close this was to original Chicago pizza. It's pretty damn close.
They make the best thin-crust pizza that I've ever had in California. Screw Dominos, or Little Caesars (although I can't hate on the 5 dollar pizzas), they have a great selection of specialty pizzas ever. You can also customize your pizza to how you like it.
I seriously wish they delivered though. If they delivered, GAME OVER. Downtown SJ pizza isn't half as good as this place, but they lack a 5 star rating from me due to the fact that they don't deliver.
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Paper thin pizza and super greasy = total sogginess. I got this pizza to-go... when I opened up the box I had the urge to take a paper towel and soak up all the grease pockets that formed. Not my favorite pizza, not even close.
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Undoubtedly the best thin crust pizza in South Bay!! Absolutely delicious!! I dont know what they put in their dough, but I am hooked. I like the option where you can buy a single pizza with two sets of toppings split 50-50 that gives you more value for money. They always suggest options to reduce your bill like this one time they suggested that instead of building my own topping pizza, I just pick the closest one on the menu and substitute with toppings I wanted. No other pizza place I've ever been to has matched up to their pizza.
It gets pretty busy on weekends so you may want to call ahead with your order.
The best thin sliced pizza I've had. Although you'll have to eat twice as much because they are thin. :D
I have been coming here since like 1987. For real like this is part of my childhood. And to be honest I was never the biggest fan of this place growing up. My family was. But not me. Until..
They closed for a couple years and reappeared in a strip mall on bollinger. F'en great pizza. F'en cheap pizza. Everytime I eat there pizza it brings back flavor memories. I love you taste buds......
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Their Baker's Pride is pretty flavorful, but I prefer driving the extra 5 minutes to JT McHart's or even the extra 15 to Slice of NY. If you need to pick up a to-go pizza and also need to grocery shop, order from Cicero's and then do your thing at Safeway next door as you wait.
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Was looking for a place to eat a light-ish dinner and was talking about pizza with Sam C. when he suggested this place. It was a high school hang out of choice, and he had remembered the pizza being really good. So I whipped out my iPhone, went onto the mobile yelp site to get the address and off we went to revisit his youth.
Upon arrival the place was packed with families and teenagers. Usually when I go to great pizza places the sheer smell makes my mouth water, maybe it was because it was a cold day, but I just didn't get that feeling here. We got a table near the door which was kind of chilly, and it's the kind of place where you clean the table off yourself.
They served beer, and sodas as their staple refreshments. We ended up getting the onion and chicken pizza. It was not bad, but not amazing either. However the one truly redeeming quality was that the purple onions were sweet. The crust was thin and crunchy which was good. Personally however I prefer Amici's for similar thin crust pizza and for pizza in general I love Jake's of Saratoga.
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I remembered this place being really good back in high school when it used to be at the old location on Steven's Creek. So I brought my friend to it since we were in the neighborhood. When we arrived, the place was packed with people. Lots of families and high school kids. We ordered a medium pizza which came out to $16 with a drink. Not bad considering what i've been used to lately. Their crust is thin and very crisp. It's the highlight of the pizza. Other then that, the flavors and ingredients were nothing special. Nothing stood out for their pizza other then the crust.
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I've lived in Cupertino for a long time now and I've tried this place a long time ago in their long time location on Stevens Creek before they moved to their new place. And back then, I really don't remember the pizza standing out whatsoever, but until I started a job around there, I didn't realize what I was missing for so long.
This is great pizza.
I normally don't like thin crust pizza as much as thick or pan-fried pizza, and this being a New York styled pizza gave me some lower expectations at first, but after going there due to a coworker's recommendation, I think should've shaked his hand. I think the first time I bit into it, the pizza was so hot that it burned the roof of my mouth, but that's how fresh and thorough they are with the pizza. It's no holds bar, here's your effin pizza straight from the oven. No Pizza My Heart styled "freshness." One thing that I noticed right off the bat besides the burning sensation in my mouth melting was that the pizza is very crunchy. It might be the extra grease they use for their pizza, but it has such a rich crisp texture to it that I haven't tasted in a pizza before. The flavors of the pizza seem to jump out more than other pizzas that I've had in the past and I really can't describe how that is so; I feel that they just put the right amount of ingredients that makes it what it is. I can't really rate how all their toppings are because I almost always go there for lunch and I get their lunch special (a small one-topping pizza with drink for $6.50), but their cheese and pepperoni is good. It's so good you can say that I've never gotten sick of it out of the many times that I have gone there. I have tried other toppings a long time ago, but all I can remember was that I never had a bad slice there.
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