When it comes to comfort food, few dishes evoke the same level of universal love and satisfaction as pizza. It’s the ultimate canvas for culinary creativity and capable of satisfying a variety of tastes and preferences. That’s why we’re excited to be unveiling the five winning pizzas from our first ever pizza contest on March 21st! The crews at each of our five restaurants selected a winner for their respective locations after a taste test of finalists. Below are the five winning pizzas- each one as unique and amazing as the individuals that created them- with their chefs! Each pizza will start at it’s winning restaurant this Thursday, March 21st. Visit all five Zachary’s to taste each winning pizza and see which one is your favorite!

Special thanks again to everyone who participated in this contest and congratulations to all of our winners! We had so much fun and we think our communities are going to love these pies as much as we do 🎉🤗

NORTH BERKELEY-

PIZZA BAYOU, by Kenny Khan
Blackened seasoned chicken, sliced Andouille sausage, red and green bell peppers, garlic and mozzarella cheese.

Kenny being chosen as the winner at Zachary’s North Berkeley just felt right. Born and raised locally and having gone to elementary and high school in El Cerrito, Kenny literally grew up eating at and sharing special moments with us at Zachary’s North Berkeley, including his first date with his wife! Even his time away during college at UC Santa Cruz couldn’t deter his love of Zachary’s- he just made sure to stock up on half-baked pizzas to take with him. For Kenny, Zachary’s is more than just a pizza shop. It’s community and family. We couldn’t agree more and are so grateful and thankful to be a part of both. Having a strong knowledge of our pizza composition and flavors, Kenny was able to build his recipe from there, knowing exactly what flavors would pair perfectly with our sauce and crust. And let us tell ya, he didn’t miss. Cheers to Kenny, and cheers to many more years to come of sharing special moments and meals! Can’t wait to see the kiddos in wearing their Zachary’s t-shirts for pizza night soon 😊

PLEASANT HILL-

INDIAN SUNRISE, by Sheetal Randev
Tikka masala seasoned chicken, roasted red peppers, garlic, onions, mozzarella, topped with fresh cilantro. Available stuffed or thin crust.

When you meet Sheetal, the first thing you notice is the joy and enthusiasm she radiates, which made sitting down to chat with her a real treat! The inspiration for the Indian Sunrise came from her mother, Mama Randev. Thinking of how Mama Randev expresses love through food and how her food brings family and friends together, Sheetal wanted to connect her favorite American pizza to her mother’s home kitchen in London. With a “from our kitchen to yours” concept, she did exactly that with this delicious and comforting pizza, successfully merging our kitchen with Mama Randev’s. Our favorite part of the interview though? FaceTiming with Mama Randev in London to show her her award winning pizza recipe! Congratulations, Sheetal and Mama Randev! We can’t wait for everyone to taste this love imbued creation.

PLEASANTON-

LOADED BAKED POTATO, by Cristina Solano
Sliced russet potatoes, crumbled bacon, Monterey Jack & cheddar cheese, topped with fresh green onions and swirl of crema after baking. Available stuffed or thin crust.

Cristina’s love of Zachary’s spans an amazing 26 years! She fondly remembers date nights at Zachary’s in Rockridge with her husband when they first began dating, and when they moved away from Oakland, they became regulars at our San Ramon restaurant before it relocated to Pleasanton. That relocation didn’t stop them however, they followed right along with us to Downtown Pleasanton where they remain loyal regulars. The motivation for Cristina’s pizza was combining a little of everything her family loves and enjoys into one savory and mouth watering pizza. And may we just say, well done Cristina! If you’re questioning potatoes on pizza- don’t. This masterpiece proves why potatoes absolutely belong on pizza.

ROCKRIDGE-

HONEY TRAP, by Finn Liss
Salami, serrano chilies, onion, roasted red peppers, mozzarella cheese, and finished with a drizzle of honey after baking. Available as a thin crust pizza only.

GRAND LAKE-

TO BEEF OR NOT TO BEEF, by Yui Ueno
Seasoned ground beef, green bell peppers, giardiniera, mozzarella cheese, sliced pepperoncinis. Available stuffed or thin crust.

Finn and his brother Yui won the pizza lottery by BOTH being chosen as winners! Finn won at Zachary’s Rockridge and Yui won at Zachary’s Grand Lake. So, it only felt right to sit down to chat with the two brothers together. Yui and Finn have a mutual love of cooking that works well with Finn’s creative focus and Yui’s technical angle. When Yui bought a house in Oakland with a brick pizza oven in the backyard, it only seemed right to start experimenting with pizza! When the brothers cook together they like to incorporate and think of the diversity of Oakland with bold, standout flavors that push boundaries while still maintaining deliciousness.

Finn’s first time at Zachary’s was in middle school where he tasted and fell in love with our classic Spinach & Mushroom pizza (can you blame him? 😉). His inspiration for the Honey Trap was to create a pizza that made you stop and think of flavors- especially how the combination of spicy and sweet flow together. You’ll notice this right away with the heat of the serrano chilis and the sweet honey that comes in to both add to, and minimize, that heat.

Yui went to school in the Midwest and Chicago areas, where the Italian Beef sandwich reigns supreme. So, obviously, creating a Chicago-style pizza that incorporated those flavors was the natural direction for him to go! The end result is a pizza that has a perfect blend of acidity and brine from the pepperoncinis and giardiniera, a mild touch of heat, and a delicious melding of seasoned ground beef with our signature chunky tomato sauce. But hey, don’t take our word for it, try it out at Zachary’s Grand Lake and taste for yourself!

Berkeley Restaurant Week kicks off on March 21st and runs through March 31st and Zachary’s North Berkeley is participating once again. Check out the specials we’ll be offering below and be sure to mention you are there for restaurant week to take advantage of our deals!

COMBO DEAL
(Dine-in, takeout, online pickup orders. Third-party delivery orders excluded)
$45
Medium stuffed or Large thin Zachary’s Favorite pizza 
+ Entrée salad of choice
Promo Code: BRW45

BEER SPECIAL
$2 off all canned beer & cider options

HALF-BAKE SPECIAL
$5 off our ‘Grab-n-Go’ refrigerated Medium stuffed Spinach & Mushroom half-baked pizzas
(Limit one person and first come, first served. Walk-in only. Orders cannot be placed over the phone)

———————

Valid only at Zachary’s North Berkeley March 21-March 31, 2024. 
Must reference Berkeley Restaurant Week to receive promotional pricing. 
No Substitutions. Half & Half pizzas excluded. Cannot be combined with any other discount. Third-party delivery orders excluded. Tax and gratuity not included. 

Oakland Restaurant Week returns on March 14th and runs through March 24th. Both Zachary’s Grand Lake & Rockridge are participating. Check out the specials we’ll be offering below and be sure to mention you are there for restaurant week to take advantage of our deals!

COMBO DEAL
(Dine-in, takeout, online pickup orders. Third-party delivery orders excluded)
$45
Medium stuffed or Large thin Zachary’s Favorite pizza 
+ Entrée salad of choice
Promo Code: ORW45

COCKTAIL SPECIAL
(Available for Dine-In at Grand Lake only)
Buy one Signature Cocktail, get a second half off

BEER SPECIAL
$2 off all canned beer & cider options

PALETAS SPECIAL
(Available at Grand Lake only)
Buy one Paleta, get a second free
(Fried Banana or Honey Strawberry flavors)

HALF-BAKE SPECIAL
$5 off our ‘Grab-n-Go’ refrigerated Medium stuffed Spinach & Mushroom half-baked pizzas
(Limit one person and first come, first served. Walk-in only. Orders cannot be placed over the phone)

———————

Valid only at Zachary’s Grand Lake & Zachary’s Rockridge March 14-March 24, 2024. 
Must reference Oakland Restaurant Week to receive promotional pricing. 
No Substitutions. Half & Half pizzas excluded. Cannot be combined with any other discount. Third-party delivery orders excluded. Tax and gratuity not included. 

Join us on December 20th for the last Pizza Mind Trivia of the year- and to make it fun, we’re making it an Ugly Sweater Edition! Come wearing your favorite or worst or most clever ugly sweater and enjoy a fun festive night with us filled with trivia, friends, drinks, and delicious pizza. As always, the games kick off at 6:30pm at Zachary’s Grand Lake and first place goes home with a $50 Zachary’s Gift Certificate.

See you there!

Announcing the winners from the first ever Zachary’s Pizza Contest!

Recipe submissions were tasted by our awesome crew who then chose one winner for each Zachary’s location. We had so many amazing and creative submissions, and it was a tough (but delicious) challenge choosing just 5 winners. Super huge thank you to everyone who participated- you’re all winners in our hearts!

And now without further ado, the winners are…

ROCKRIDGE:
The Honey Trap, by Finn Liss
Calabrese salami, Calabrian peppers, roasted red peppers, red onion, finished with a honey drizzle. Thin crust only.

NORTH BERKELEY:
Pizza Bayou, by Kenny Kahn
Blackened chicken, andouille sausage, green and red bell peppers, red onions, garlic. 

GRAND LAKE:
To Beef or Not to Beef, by Yui Ueno
Roast beef, provolone, mozzarella, giardiniera, pepperoncini.

PLEASANT HILL:
The Indian Sunrise, by Sheetal Randev
Tikka masala spiced chicken, onions, garlic, roasted red peppers, cilantro, mozzarella.

PLEASANTON:
The Loaded Baked Potato, by Cristina Solano
Potatoes, goat cheese, bacon crumbles, cheddar jack blend, fresh green onions.

Each pizza will be featured for a limited time at its winning location in the coming months. The winning chefs and their creations will also be spotlighted on our social media. Stay tuned for the official launch date of each pizza in the new year. Congratulations to our five winners! We can’t wait for folks to try your yummy masterpieces!

Bianca Alvarez’s Let’s All Go to Zachary’s is the third of four shirts we’re releasing from our first ever t-shirt contest, with winners voted on and chosen by you, our amazing communities. These super fun shirts have a festive holiday feel that we can’t get enough of!

All four shirts will be limited-edition, single runs – meaning once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. So if you like one, be sure to snatch it up before it sells out.

These shirts don’t just look great, in addition, part of their sales are being donated to two great organizations! To help celebrate our 40th Anniversary this year, we’re donating 50% of the profits from these limited-edition shirts to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Monument Crisis Center in Concord. Click the link below to purchase, or visit any Zachary’s location.

$25+ tax

Adult Unisex: S, M, L, XL, 2XL
Shipping & handling not included in price.

CLICK TO PURCHASE

National Pizza Month is here and to celebrate, we’re holding a Pizza Special Contest!

From now through Sunday, October 15th, submit your best recipe and pizza name for a chance to win a $200 Zachary’s Gift Certificate and be featured on our social media along with your pizza special! Here are the details of the competition.

-Recipes must be original. Proposed pizza names must be family friendly (think about the kiddos y’all!) Zachary’s reserves the right to change a proposed special name to better adhere to our guidelines.
–All recipes must be emailed to hello@zacharys.com by 11:59pm, Sunday October 15th and include the location (Rockridge, Grand Lake, North Berkeley, Pleasant Hill, or Pleasanton) they are being submitted for.
-Recipes will be taste tested and voted on by Zachary’s crew.
-One winner per location will be chosen. Winners will be notified and announced to the public the week of October 22nd.
-Each winner (5 total) will receive a $200 Zachary’s Gift Certificate and a be featured on Zachary’s social media alongside their special.

Please email hello@zacharys.com if you have any questions!

Halloween (sadly) only comes once a year, so we plan to fully celebrate it this year with a special Halloween edition of Pizza Mind Trivia!

On October 18th we invite you to come to trivia night at Zachary’s Grand Lake in your wildest, scariest, punniest (it’s a word- don’t @ us), and most silly costumes to take part in our Halloween Costume Competition! Trivia will go down as normal at 6:30pm, we’re just tossing in the added bonus of a costume competition cuz WHY NOT?!

First Prize Costume: $50 Zachary’s Gift Certificate
Second Prize Costume: Zachary’s Swag Pack (T-shirt, hat, pint glass)
Third Place Costume: Zachary’s Hat & Pint Glass)

Winners will be chosen by the audience! Plus, don’t forget the Grand Prize winner of Pizza Mind Trivia also wins a $50 Zachary’s Gift Certificate and second place goes home with a $30 Zachary’s Gift Certificate! That means you have the opportunity to double up if your team wins trivia AND you win the costume contest. Winner, winner, pizza dinner 😜🤗

See you October 18th at Zachary’s Grand Lake!

Why do we love the month of October? Not only is it Employee-Ownership Month, it’s also National Pizza Month, National Coming Out Day October 11th, and the absolute cherry on top- HALLOWEEN! So. Many. Things. To. Love!

National Pizza Month is here and to celebrate, we’re holding a Pizza Special Contest!

From now through Sunday, October 15th submit your best recipe and pizza name for a chance to win a $200 Zachary’s Gift Certificate and be featured on our social media along with your pizza special! Here are the details of the competition.

-Recipes must be original. Proposed pizza names must be family friendly (think about the kiddos y’all!) Zachary’s reserves the right to change a proposed special name to better adhere to our guidelines.
–All recipes must be emailed to hello@zacharys.com by 11:59pm, Sunday October 15th and include the location (Rockridge, Grand Lake, North Berkeley, Pleasant Hill, or Pleasanton) they are being submitted for.
-Recipes will be taste tested and voted on by Zachary’s crew.
-One winner per location will be chosen. Winners will be notified and announced to the public the week of October 22nd.
-Each winner (5 total) will receive a $200 Zachary’s Gift Certificate and a be featured on Zachary’s social media alongside their special.

Please email hello@zacharys.com if you have any questions!

Celebrating our 40th Anniversary and 20 Years of Employee-Ownership During National Employee-Ownership Month!

This employee-ownership month is especially special to us as we are celebrating our 40th anniversary and 20 years of being employee-owned! The absolute WOW factor to all that? Employee-Owner, Mario, celebrated his 40 YEAR ANNIVERSARY with the company on September 16th! Yes, that means Mario has been a steadfast Zachary’s pillar for our entire history, joining the company a mere 2 months after we opened in 1983. Shortly after celebrating his anniversary, we celebrated Mario’s extremely well deserved retirement on September 28th. Believe us when we say it was an emotional, bittersweet, joyful, celebration of the career of a true Zachary’s legend. We love you, Mario! You will be sorely missed but we are so happy for this next chapter of your life!❤️

Jay Firestone’s, Zachary’s University, tee is now for sale!

This is the second of four shirts we’re releasing from our first ever t-shirt contest, with winners voted on and chosen by you, our amazing communities. We (and we’re guessing you!) loved this design for multiple reasons, one of which being the color scheme nod to our Cal neighbors around the corner from Zachary’s Rockridge and North Berkeley! (#calbearsgreat 🐻)

All four shirts will be limited-edition, single runs – meaning once they’re gone, they’re gone for good. So if you like one, or think a Zachary’s (or Cal 😉) fan in your life might, be sure to snatch one up before they sell out.

These shirts don’t just look great, part of their sales is also being donated to two great organizations! To help celebrate our 40th Anniversary this year, we’re donating 50% of the profits from these limited-edition shirts to the Alameda County Community Food Bank and the Monument Crisis Center in Concord. Click the link below to purchase, or visit any Zachary’s location.

$25+ tax

Adult Unisex: S, M, 2XL (Sold out of sizes L & XL)
Shipping & handling not included in price.

CLICK TO PURCHASE