GIOIA Pizzeria — Restaurant in Berkeley

I ordered directly from their website, not via a third party delivery, expecting Gioia Pizzeria to deliver with their own drivers, or at least be more in control of the delivery experience. Two pizzas, two cokes and a bill of $70.00. After checkout it was revealed they are using DoorDash, a third party delivery service I do my best to avoid. Why? Experience has shown that the drivers don't have hot boxes in their cars, nor hot bags to keep pizza or any food warm. As this was a pizzeria direct order, they own the relationship with the customer, not DoorDash.

Both pizza's arrived cool, not hot. My hotel is a mile and a half from the pizzeria, but the driver, wasn't even the driver the text message showed would be be driving. I said to the driver - these are cold-meaning either they sat in at Gioia's waiting to be picked up or the driver didn't have a hot box. He had no hot bag either when he handed me the cold pizzas.

I called and spoke to whoever was working as no manager was at Gioia Pizzeria. He said this is DoorDash's problem and said someone would call me back, no one ever did.

Two pizza's went less than 1/3rd eaten as we tried both but being in a hotel, we don't exactly have ovens or microwaves in rooms.

If this had been ordered through a delivery company like DoorDash this experience is what I would have expected. But when a pizzeria like Gioia contracts with them, they have the ability to control the experience and could have done the following:

Timed the pizza to be made after the driver shows up so it leaves hot. Insisted that hot bags or hot boxes are part of the delivery process. Owned the experience end to end and remade the order and had it delivered by one of their employees.

Instead what I go from the person who answered the phone was "not our fault" and "we're so busy here we can't deal with your problem."

This is not MY problem. This is THEIR problem As tasty as their pizza's may be, spending $70.00 or so for two cold Mexican Coke's is a lot of money, and to toss away pizza that someone took the time to make that looked great but were...

Gioia is low-key that spot if you’re craving East Coast vibes with West Coast energy. The crust? Straight-up feral—in the best way. It’s light, just thick enough to keep the slice from folding like a lawn chair, and hits you with this tangy, long-fermented sourness that makes your brain go “skrrt.” The amount of char they’re getting from a gas-fired brick oven is actually bananas. It’s not soft or doughy—it’s crisp, crunchy, and totally serving.

Flavor-wise, it’s giving New York slice science: crust, sauce, cheese all in balance. But the toppings? That’s where Gioia flexes hard. There’s a roasted mushroom slice that tastes like a Druid made it. Asparagus with almond pesto, ricotta, and mint that’s full goblin-core. You’ll also catch kale with sausage, pickled jalapeño with red onion, and that fire Ezzo pepperoni that crisps up like tiny grease chalices of joy. It’s bougie but in a “yes chef” way.

Slice size? More California chill than New York challenge. You’ll probably crush four and still be thinking about grabbing a fifth. For comparison, two slices at Arinell’s or Arthur Mac’s is a full meal on a budget—this place is more “treat yourself” energy. Definitely more coins per slice, but the quality’s no cap.

Now the vibes? Gioia keeps it moving. The staff’s got that “be ready or be gone” energy. Not rude, just quick with it—like, don’t be the NPC holding up the line. No tables, no seating, just pure grab-n-ghost action. Honestly, it adds to the lore. You’re not here to vibe, you’re here to eat and dip.

TL;DR: The crust slaps, the toppings go hard, the staff is on turbo mode, and the whole thing feels like a speedrun of pizza greatness. Gioia’s is (at least in North...

I walked in and ordered a single slice of cheese (pizza by the slice); after waiting for 15 minutes I inquired about my order only to be told that it did not and would not exist as they had both completely forgotten about it in addition to selling out of cheese. So, I received absolutely nothing.

The quality of the pizza at Gioia has been on the decline for years but now it seems the service has also gone out the window. I must sadly say that I can no longer recommend this place to anyone. In fact, I would go so far as to warn people away from patronizing this crumbling business. (Which is quite sad as I enjoyed their pizza for many years during my childhood).

I would say to anyone who wants to check out their mediocre pizza that you should ensure their subpar staff actually fulfills your order. Though with all of the far better options for pizza in Berkeley I can only assume that nostalgia is the only reason someone would bother to go to Gioia.

Am I mad? Yeah, a bit, but the fact that I have still yet to waste nearly as much time writing this brutally honest review as was wasted not receiving the pizza I paid for is making me feel much better. -_- (pie, ny style pizza, dough, tip, slices, bench, funghi,...