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!

A new special has ridden into our Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill locations- The Zachary’s Western! Made with Italian sausage, onions, crumbled bacon, mozzarella cheese, and topped with a swirl of smoky-sweet barbecue sauce, it’s sure to satisfy even the most demanding of appetites. Available stuffed or thin crust but only for a limited time, so be sure to mosey on down to Zachary’s Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill to rope you one before it rides off into the sunset.

Click HERE to order online for delivery or pickup.

The Hot Link special is back at our Oakland and Berkeley locations! This simple, but so so delicious, special is made with sliced Louisiana hot link sausage, cilantro, and mozzarella cheese. Available stuffed or thin but only for a limited time, so be sure to get one while you can!

Click HERE to order online for delivery or pickup.

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!❤️

The Gourmet Mushroom Special is now available
at Zachary’s Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill!

This mushroom lover’s delight is a yummy blend of shiitake, portabella, and oyster mushrooms, whole roasted garlic and mozzarella cheese. Available as a stuffed or thin crust pizza at both Zachary’s Pleasanton and Pleasant Hill for a limited time! Click the link below to order online for takeout or delivery.

ORDER ONLINE

The Roma Special is now available at
Zachary’s Rockridge, Grand Lake, and North Berkeley!

So simple, so delicious. Sliced Roma tomatoes, Kalamata olives, and red onions combine in a delectable dance of flavors that will have your tastebuds thanking you and asking for more! Available as stuffed or thin crust pizza at Zachary’s Rockridge, Grand Lake, and North Berkeley for a limited time. Click the link below to order for takeout or delivery!

ORDER ONLINE

There’s a new kid on the block at Zachary’s in Pleasant Hill and Pleasanton. We’re debuting the Hot Giardiniera. Pronounced jar-din-AIR-uh, this delicious and spicy new pizza is made with Italian sausage, sliced onions, and mozzarella cheese, all topped with authentic Chicago-style hot giardiniera. This classic Chicago condiment is a pickled blend of cauliflower, peppers, celery, and carrots, and adds a delicious heat to both stuffed and thin crust pizzas. Available now, but only for a limited time so be sure to get it while you can!

PLACE AN ONLINE ORDER NOW

 

Saddle up, partners, the Zachary’s Western rides into our Pleasant Hill and Pleasanton locations today! This bucking bronco of a pizza is a delicious combination of Italian sausage, onions, crumbled bacon, and mozzarella, all topped with a swirl of smoky-sweet barbecue sauce. It ain’t no balderdash, this buckeroo is the real deal. Mosey on over to Zachary’s in Pleasant Hill or Pleasanton and rope you one of these rascals before it rides off into the sunset…

The Zachary’s Western is available stuffed or thin-crust, but only for a limited time! Click your preferred location below to order online for takeout or delivery.

Pleasant Hill

Downtown Pleasanton

 

 

Oakland and Berkeley the Hot Link Special is back! This classic pizza is sliced Louisiana hot link sausage, fresh cilantro, and mozzarella cheese. It’s simple, yet oh so delicious. Available stuffed or thin crust, but only for a limited time. Click the link to place an online order for delivery or pickup!

ORDER NOW

Chorizo con Papas Special

The Chorizo con Papas is a soul satisfying pizza made with Mexican Chorizo sausage, roasted red potatoes, green onions, and Monterey Jack cheese- and is SUPER YUMMY! Available stuffed or thin for a limited time. Click HERE to place an online order for delivery or pickup!