June's Pizza — Restaurant in Oakland

One of the overhyped, overpriced, and nothing special basic pizzeria stand (besides offering you a cafeteria seating and blocking you from entering into the restaurant while waiting in line. There is NO customer service, all self served/ clean up, yet the restaurant insisted on a 20% more tip after 3 hours of waiting in line and another 45 min wait for the ordering). We went at 4:30PM. It’s an instagram trap! As a restaurant, June fails, as a restaurant that understands the importance of social media influence and news media marketing strategy, June is a winner! It’s “not bad” for the food “very superior” at utilizing the basic consumer psychology: long line equals to great food. Sadly, We fell for the trap! After 3.5 hours later, waiting in hot summer day without being offered a sip of water, I just felt stupider. The line was longer than food kitchen and we paid close to $100 with 2 pizzas after tips. The honest review of the pizza is “Just OK” but “not that good for this ridiculous amount of wait and the hype”. There were only 2 items on menu, without alternation. A red or white sauced pizza. We ordered both. Both are fresh from the oven as seen bit NOT even close to the ”good” ones we had in the Bay Area. Places in SF Tenderloin or other well known Italian pizzeria have more authenticity and variety. Sour dough crust seems good and chewy but the crust to ingredients ratio was off, I felt like it’s more like a flatbread. That reminded me of the cheese pizza on the kid’s menu on some fancy restaurants. The hype was the owner chef who made all the dough/ crust himself and was working at a Michelin rated restaurant in the past. Thus, the pizzas sold out fast (set quantity with one man operation). If the wait was min or even 30min I would rate a 3-star, if I lived in Oakland and wanted to support local businesses, I’d rate it a 3.5 star. However, If you were an Oakland resident, a vegetarian, and like pizza stand type of self service, this place may be a 4-star, because no meat is served. Overall. I just few like I was waiting in line for the hot food kitchen. The hungry eaters were allowed in a few people at a time. The rest of the customers would have to wait for the next round after the previous group finished. The desperate eaters were peeking through the tinted windows to sneak peeked what would be offered for the day with hungry bellies. How the only ironic thing is that there was a charge of $100 for the experience and 2 pizzas Vegetarian option: yes no meat options Kids friendly: may be if the kid likes to wait in line with you for 3 hours quietly. Parking: no. the road was blocked for construction Dietary restrictions: no alteration to the menu of 2 pizza. They may give you extra leaves of basil if you asked nicely Wheelchair...

Review of June’s Pizza – Oakland’s Hip, High-Concept Pizzeria

June’s Pizza is the kind of place that feels effortlessly cool—maybe even too cool. Nestled in West Oakland, this wood-fired pizzeria operates on its own terms, with a tight schedule (Wednesday through Sunday, 4 PM to midnight) and an even tighter menu. You won’t find a sprawling list of options here—just a classic margherita and a rotating special that highlights seasonal, locally sourced ingredients. Past highlights have included stone fruit with bacon and aged gouda or Early Girl tomatoes paired with guanciale—flavors that lean more “farmers’ market chic” than “pepperoni and ranch.”

It’s no surprise that June’s has already racked up accolades, including being named the East Bay’s best new restaurant of 2024. The pizzas themselves are singular in taste—delightfully tart with a Neapolitan-style crust that has a texture reminiscent of naan bread. The toppings are playful and well-executed, but if you’re expecting a meat-lovers supreme or a side of dipping sauce, this is not your spot. June’s caters to a more refined, minimalist pizza experience, one where you get what’s offered and nothing more.

The wine selection follows the same ethos—just two house options that are passable but reasonably priced, keeping with the restaurant’s curated, stripped-down aesthetic. The interior is striking, with an open kitchen concept that feels more like a showpiece than a functional workspace. It’s beautifully designed but seems optimized for visual impact rather than pure efficiency. Meanwhile, the dining area feels more like an afterthought—fine for a quick meal but lacking the same sense of design intention as the kitchen.

It’s a place that leans heavily into its identity: hip, high-concept, and just exclusive enough to make you feel like you're in the know if you manage to snag a seat. The dim lighting and pumping music add to the vibe, making it a great hangout for the young and trendy but a tougher fit for families with small kids. There’s a definite air of “hipster tech money at play” in the staffing model and overall execution, but the quality of the food makes it easy to overlook.

Ultimately, June’s Pizza is bound to be a go-to Oakland hotspot for the next few years, and for good reason. The concept is tight, the execution is strong, and the experience—while not for everyone—delivers on its promise. If you’re in the mood for a beautifully crafted, no-compromises pizza in a space that screams “this is where you want to be,” June’s is absolutely worth the trip. Just don’t ask for...

This is a a pizza worth having 🍕. When you step into this establishment you are surrounded with an elevated yet no frills esthetic that leaves you thinking - wow I am going to eat something amazing. The yellow squash tiled, large double wood fired pizza oven warms the place while the sounds of conversations fill the walls. The eclectic speakers scattered through the building casually playing joyful music while whisps of pizza orders fly down a wired expo line framing the open concept kitchen. Behind the row of skillful and smiling team members hand assembling each element of these pizzas, you see rows of see through refrigerators where the dough patiently rises waiting to be hand crafted into a pizza. Just as the pizza comes out the oven, crisp and charred to perfection - the pizza is blessed with a thin layer of freshly grated parmesans as if you woke up to a layer of snow on Christmas morning. This place leaves everything open to welcome you to experience the joy of their food while Junes staff enjoy the pleasure of you coming to eat it. Despite not having a pepperoni pizza (sorry I’m a sucker for pepperoni) this place left my wife and I full to the brim with a few slices to take home for the next day and a new place ready to recommend to our...