The Star on Park — Restaurant in Alameda

There are meals that sing, meals that shout, and, on rare occasion, meals that whisper so hauntingly, they linger in the memory long after the plate is cleared. The pizza I encountered was none of these.

It was a murmur — indistinct, unsure of itself, a culinary composition struggling to decide if it wanted to be taken seriously or not.

I ordered a deep dish pizza, that most indulgent of formats — a pie that rises like a monument to excess — and requested it topped with pineapple and pepperoni. I did not expect tradition; I expected risk. What I received was something far worse: hesitation.

The crust was, I admit, a triumph — golden, buttery, and firm without falling to the soggy demise so common in its kind. It held its structure with pride, as though unaware of the mediocrity it bore.

The cheese, alas, was the edible equivalent of elevator music — pleasant, inoffensive, and utterly forgettable. It neither delighted nor disappointed, but hovered in that gray purgatory of mediocrity that so many cooks confuse for “safe.”

Then, the sauce. Oh, the sauce.

What a sad little affair it was. It arrived on the tongue like a promise unkept — there, and yet... not. One searches in vain for herbs, for acidity, for any echo of the sun-ripened tomatoes that should be its soul. Instead, it is a wet red smear — passionless and mute.

And now, the toppings — or rather, the conflict.

Pepperoni, the eternal provocateur: salty, oily, brazen. Pineapple, the eternal controversy: sweet, tangy, defiant. Together, they could have danced — a fire-and-ice pas de deux. But here, they simply coexisted, glaring at one another from opposite corners of the slice. They did not marry; they merely tolerated. A cold civility, nothing more.

In short, this pizza was not a disaster. Disasters at least possess the virtue of decisiveness. No — this was something far more damning.

It was forgettable.

And in the world of food, as in art, there is no...

Update:I want to sincerely apologize for my previous review. After reading the managers response and reflecting on the situation, I realized there was a misunderstanding on my part. I had confused the pizza I ordered with the deep dish version, which does come with sauce, and didn’t realize the one I ordered did not include it by default.

While I was frustrated in the moment, I now recognize that the mistake was mine. That said, I do still feel that clearer communication from the staff when I asked about the sauce over the phone could have helped avoid the confusion, also the attitude I experienced over the phone added to my frustration.

I truly appreciate the manager reaching out and showing kindness despite my initial review. Thank you for taking the time to follow up — it shows you care about your customers. I take responsibility for the mix-up and hope my revised review reflects that.

Ordered a Pizza and salad for pick up, received no sauce on the pizza... didn't obviously see this untill returning home. Called to see if they could make ammends on the next order since it's 9pm, and I didn't want to drive all the way back for them to remake the pizza. The guy on the phone told me all they could do is remake it now and make me pick it up.. no compromise, I have to return to a restaurant for them to fix Their mistake. I'm sorry but you work at a pizza joint and forget the sauce? Low key ridiculous. Insulting for you to go back and forth as if it's my fault someone doesn't know the 3 main ingredients to a pizza. The salad to top it off had cheese dust instead of fresh parm, like the kind they give you as peppers and cheese... which had I known that's what I'd be getting, I wouldn't have even ordered the salad. Absolute waste of...

"You're being rude I'm going to hang up on you!" That's how the conversation started when my friend called Star Pizza to ask them why her delivery order was missing the Bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks she had ordered and paid extra with the wings. Yes wings where you have to order the obligatory sides. Now this order was lunch for two: small gluten free 4 topping pizza cauliflower, salad and wings. Add Door dash fees plus tip let's call it $130. So when the manager of Star answered the phone and immediately became defensive you're drawn to wonder, does this type of phone call happen frequently? My friend did not want a gift card in the mail which seemed to be the only solution in the playbook for this manager. She wanted the chicken wings to have their dressing and celery sticks!! She was holding out hope that they would deliver them. That was a decisive "no-go" After much back and forth (10 min at least) they did refund the wings and I believe the delivery charge I'm not sure. This is May 2022. Gas is $6.00 gallon families with 2/3 incomes are going to food banks and we placed a $130 lunch order which my mate doesn't think twice about. But too many order foul ups and in reality sticker shock and Star Pizza has lost a customer that will drop 200 bucks in a heartbeat. The food is good but it doesn't correspond to the prices. Granted this is Park Street Alameda the most expensive retail space to lease in the Bay...