Pizza at Berkeley’s Cheeseboard Collective

This past weekend my little sister was in town, so we headed across the bridge to check out some of Berkeley’s shopping gems and stop for a much overdue visit to The Cheeseboard Collective. I have heard about this place from countless friends who know of my obsessive love of thin crust pizza but I have somehow managed to never make it there for a slice. Man was I living under a rock!

Every day The Cheeseboard Collective creates one pizza style using local ingredients and the best quality cheeses available — it’s always vegetarian, but trust me you wont miss the meat. Our daily menu offering was roasted potatoes and chili pasilla, onions, feta and mozzarella cheeses, garlic, olive oil and Mexican key lime. Can you imagine anything more magical than that combination? Um no, because let me tell you, it was the BEST pizza I’ve had in the Bay Area. Hands down. It was baked to perfection. And to top it off, the whole pizza was only 20 dollars!

The Cheeseboard Collective has been around since 1967 and was built from the ground up by a couple who believed that all workers should have equal power and work for equal wages. They have kept that practice intact since the beginning, which means that all 12 current members of the collective are all equal shareholders in the business. And I have to tell you, they must be on to something because the staff was engaging, friendly and seemed genuinely excited to be there.

A lot of food joints in this area get over-hyped, in my humble opinion, but The Cheeseboard Collective is not one of them. It is most definitely worth the trip. And on top of the great food, there is a lively crowd that all seem excited to be sharing in this culinary treasure as well as a jazz band that plays on the weekends. Before you stop everything you are doing to rush over there and stuff your face, here are a few tips before you go:

-Bring cash, they don’t take credit cards
-Be ready to eat what they’re serving, no substituting or removing ingredients.
-Prepare to wait in line, but it moves fast and as soon as you order they hand you your pizza.
-Next to the pizza place is their store with a mega-selection of cheeses and homemade baked goods. So after you have filled up on pizza make sure to stop in to store up on goodies for home.

Can’t wait to hear what you guys think of The Cheeseboard Collective and let me know if you have other suggestions for must-try pizza joints, I can never pass up a good slice!

Tagged as: Berkeley, cheese, In the Field, pizza, restaurant