Emilia's Pizzeria

Their pizza was very solid, but not outstanding in any manner.
The service was prompt given the strict pickup rules, and overall I have no complaints here.

Well. I had heard all of the hype and after watching Netflix's Chef's Table: Pizza for the last few days I was craving some pizza so decided to pull the trigger.

The ordering process is... odd. It seems like a form from 1999 and not in a cool way. I understand not wanting to pay for Toast or whatever other systems are out there these days but this was just plain bad. Saying that, I physically watched the pizza cook remove the pizza from the oven and box it so it was fresh exactly at my scheduled pickup time which was great.

The pizza. I immediately noticed upon picking up my box how light the pizza felt. This is an 18" pie. I imagined it would feel slightly heavy. Upon further investigation I understood why. There was a minimalist aspect to the toppings. A thin layer of sauce, sparse amounts of cheese and a few pepperonis scattered around the pie. The crust was phenomenal, a crispy undercarriage and chewy center that is best enjoyed hot. Although I did wonder how much the sparse toppings attributed to the pizza not having any flop.

All in all it wasn't a BAD pizza, but I wouldn't say it was a GREAT pizza either. For $36 I was expecting a little more. I'll probably be sticking with Pollara or Rose the next time I have a hankering for pizza.

I love a great thin slice pizza, and this place does not disappoint! I got the Gina calabrese, and it was frickin amazing!
- Crust: it has that slightly black char, with such an amazing sourdough-like chew.
- Ingredients: fresh and very flavorful
- Cheese: fresh, flavorful, and break down nicely without the need for excessive chewing.
- red peppers: They actually have great flavor, not just the spice, and they're uniquely ground down to a powder. This is brilliant because it imparts more flavor, and you don't have to worry about getting red pepper pieces stuck in your teeth.
Reheatability: No joke, this pizza tastes as good or better after being reheated in the oven.

Still the best pizza I've had in the Bay. Yea, I've tried most of the spots on most of the lists, including from the IG pizza "experts," and most are whatever.

Your pizza was cold after 6 minutes? Try Papa John's. Emilia's isn't meant to sit, especially in some pizza heater.

Not enough toppings? There's always Round Table. You missed the point here.

Ordering system is old school? You might like Domino's--pairs well with Corporate Memphis and no sense of humor.

Or if you really want an ~artisanal~ pie that shreds your mouth with shards of crust as sharp as glass and as dry as cardboard, then sure, stick to Rose Pizzeria.

Great pizza, archaic system, pizza came out of the oven exactly at pickup time (gotta love NY efficiency) - so overall not too inconvenient and worth the try!

-Gina Calabrese was yummy. Nice thin crust and tasty toppings. Personally I would've preferred more sauce and spiciness
-I used the callback option - I filled out the form at 8:55am, waited until 9:01am for it to refresh, and there were many time options. Callback came between 3:30-4pm
-Best of all was that the pizza came out of the oven right at my pickup time. So don't come too early or too late :)
-Don't forget it is cash only
-Only minus one star to be honest with myself - it was a good pizza but not a pizza I'd crave to go back to

I recommend you try it!

Waited a while to try this pizza but did not disappoint!
Perfect cracker undercarriage- One of the best pizzas I've had!

The sauce is amazing- You can tell their is a level of expertise and craft in the making of this pizza :)

Literally the best pizza in the Bay.

I haven't written a review til now cuz I wanted to keep it hidden, but I also want him to stay in business. So, pizza lovers who haven't yet been blessed with a pie from Keith: hit up the website now! You're welcome in advance :)

One of the very, very few that gets the salt/sugar balance just right. This guy has really gotten the whole thing right.

Amidst the East Bay's (surprisingly) standout pizza scene (Rose, Pizzaiolo, Lucia, Cheeseboard) Emilia's stands out. Evoking New York's finest, the pizza is low frills (with limited toppings) and makes its impression through the quality of its ingredients. The dough and the sauce particularly stand out. The former is chewy - like a Neapolitan - but with more resistance. There is enough of a underbelly char that the pizza has a slight crisp, yet it's not brittle or hard like a cracker. The sauce is tangy and fresh, I wish I knew which tomatoes they use! There is the perfect amount of cheese: you taste it's presence, yet the takeout box dodged the typical oil stains. My buddy and I felt limber and light after splitting this pizza! (That's not to say we weren't satiated, but just not utterly defeated).

We got the Calabrian hot sauce, which was fantastic and simple. I do wish there was more basil, but that's just a personal preference, not a sine qua non. I would recommend this place highly!

The ordering is incredibly confusing, but I was still able to navigate and my pizza was literally ready at the time I went to pick it up.

Best NY slice I've had outside of NYC!