The Cheese Board

Best pizza place in bay area. Really casual atmosphere, live music and high quality ingredients the pizza was absolutely delicious and i could tell all the ingredients were high quality will definitely hit this place up again

Always a favorite place to grab some breakfast treats. Their wolverines, their cheese breads, their scones… OH MY… every time I visit Berkeley I try to grab some to bring back.

I think that establishments which are indicative of their communities are truly rare. This place has so much history in Berkeley that it has become an icon.
More importantly, it is not as if the collective enjoyed its popularity because of its past success, but rather it manages to stay relevant, everyday.
For example, last year they did a cheese pairing with Triple Rock’s beer. Beer gurus from Triple Rock, and cheese gurus from Cheeseboard both gave presentations, and it was fun!
The ambiance is small but powerful and attractive to everyone who passes by their windows. And the food is as equally enticing. Especially if you can manage to catch some of the goods right out of the oven, it may change your life!
I find it fascinating how the business is bifurcated into (1) a pizza side, & (2) a cheese /​bakery side. Moreover, that both sides managed to stand on their own two feet by producing completely different products that are separately delicious in their own unique ways.
Coupled with the ambiance, the members of the collective are always friendly, always. It’s also nice to know nothing about cheese, but feel comfortable asking questions and being offered of cheeses I’ve never heard of, ever. And growing up on crap like Kraft, I have a lot of questions.
They also have great coffee, Americanos, or whatever you want. My personal favorite is the Donald Trump. The park like they set up for the public is also beautiful and thoughtful. Although it set up in front of their business, they have a sign that straight up says it is for the use of all the public for anybody who wants to sit down.
Whether you’re in the mood for pizza, cheese, or baked goods. Do not let the long lines deter you. They move very, very quickly, especially if you just use cash.
So the food is great, the ambiance is great, the people are friendly, what about price? I will end by inferring the price not only is manageable, but it almost difficult to believe how inexpensive the food is, and how high the quality is. It is the most bang for your buck that you will ever see when it comes to eating out.
Cheese board is not just good, it is truly an experience.

Cheese Board is the place to go if you’re looking for a flavorful no-​nonsense pizza. They are not the traditional dominos or papa John’s style who would fill up toppings and cheese. They have a single vegetarian pizza on menu everyday and no brainer that there is always going to be a long line outside their restaurant. Seldom they also have musicians performing. One of my favorite places in the SF area to go get a pizza.

This place is absolutely bread and cheese heaven!
Right next to the famous Cheeseboard Pizza, this is the Cheeseboard bakery that sells assorted bread, baked goods, and artisan cheeses. All the bread is freshly baked and you can see more delicious bread baking in the back.
When I went I got the cherry corn scone and cheese roll. The cheese roll may sound simple but it had asiago, provolone, and other cheeses baked in. The bread itself tasted like sourdough and the cheese wasn’t simply sprinkled on top, but generously spread throughout the bread so you got a nice cheesy, crisp bite each time. The cherry corn scone had a nice sweetness from the cornmeal and was dense and filling. I also tried my friend’s scone which was Mexican chocolate scone. I liked it more than mine! The chocolate was bittersweet and perfectly complemented the chocolate scone.
In addition, they have a great assortment of cheeses and you can try whatever cheese you want before buying it. Also the scones have rotating flavors so try them all!
Be sure to know that they’re not open Sundays though!

Ahhhh! the corn cherry scone… for a while I was wondering what happened to it. It had started out as something wonderfully divine, scrumptious, yummy, oh so gooood!
Then there seemed a stretch where it took a nosedive for some reason… it had shrunk and tasted slightly different. It just wasn’t what it used to be.
But, its back up to par again. YES!!! Cheeseboard is always a stop when visiting my hometown, Berkeley, and corn cherry scones along with the cheese bun… oh I’m all smiles again. These two items are my favorites but hey there is lots more other goodies: wolverines,
sticky buns, warm delicious baguettes, cheeses etc and so on an so forth. Pizza next door too!!! Can’t go wrong at this place.

I was in bread and cheese heaven when I came here. I had one bite of a Rosemary roll and had to buy ten for a dinner I was hosting. Their cheeses are also incredible. Im sure they’re all great but I would definitely recommend the herb Boursin cheese. I came here in the late afternoon so they were sold out of most pastries but I will be back soon! We also got half of a pizza to cook when we got home. It was great but nothing extraordinary. They also sell their pizza dough of you want to make your own!

I’m very happy they have more days with no onion. I can eat here now, sometimes! Woohoo!

Best bakery in the Bay Area. Best bialy ever! The scones are to die for. The pizza is awesome!
Oh yeah, their cheese ain’t too shabby either, but I rarely ever buy cheese there. I go once or twice a week for bialys, zampanos, and scones.

I LOVE THIS PLACE!
Ryan was our cheese «tour guide», an incredibly helpful, friendly, knowledgeable and funny guy. He patiently allowed us to taste test as many cheeses as we wanted, which ended up being a dozen. He made great suggestions.
We bought about a slice of 6 cheeses; dill havarti, goat gouda, raw milk cheddar, Stilton blue, and two Gruyère’s; a sourdough baguette, Cheese roll, and a shortbread cookie all for only $ 32. BEST LUNCH with plenty of cheese left over.
I will definitely be back, in fact it’ll be a go to destination for everytime I’m in Berkeley.

It’s good pizza, but I just don’t get it. all the madness/​craze is kind of over the top. And a part of me feels sacrilegious. there’s simply nothing quite like New York pizza. But damn good job to Berkeley for trying its own take.

Amazing selection of cheeses. Love the artisan feel. Staff is super helpful and attentive.

Love, love, love this place.
You wait in line for your pizza, but man, it’s worth it.
I remember my first slice. The flavors danced on my tongue and I swear… it was near orgasmic. Next time I’m in Berkeley, I’m going back.

I’ve only had the pizza, never been to the cheese shop. And it’s perfect.
This place knows what it is and it doesn’t pretend to be anything else. It’s a bare-​bones, fast-​paced, all vegetarian mass-​production pizza factory for the masses, making the best damn pre-​made pizza you’ve ever had the pleasure of eating. The line may look intimidating, but don’t you worry, it goes fast, because the stressed-​out hippies that run the place are working frantically to get you your incredible pie and get you out the door to enjoy it.
But why are they closed on Sundays? Now that part just doesn’t make sense to me. Close on a Monday or sumpin.‘
Oh, and get the garlic sauce, but don’t eat too much of it if you plan on interacting with human beings in the next 24 hours. You’ll stink.

Oh, wow… are you up for having some cheese, bread and wine tonight? Look no further!
They have an insane selection of cheeses. Not to mention the yummy bread. Finally some non-​sourdough bread (sorry people, but Europeans prefer the «normal» kind of bread, no sour business).
We ran into this place by chance, when we were looking for something else around the corner. The lines were long, but the sight of all those cheeses… we just had to see/​try it for ourselves.
The store is not that big and there’s quite a bit of employees that will help you with your cheese selection (and one person is at the register). The bread is on your own (they make it and bake it, you choose and pick), so no need to wait in line to get some.
Tip: Try the Rosemary Olive Oil Bread, Cheese Roll and Olive Foccacia. As for the cheese, we love goat cheeses, but that’s up to you (see the cheese board in the store and then try to decide). :)
You can also buy the Cheese Board pizza here (half of it or a whole one). It’s light-​baked so you’ll have do the last step at home. But it’ll probably be faster than waiting in line for one next door. They also come in gluten free versions.

I mean, this place is insane for what it does and what it doesn’t do doesn’t matter does it?
So, I was in Berkeley as I had a few morning errands to do. I was thinking of the new Whole Foods for breakfast but I said wait a minute young whippersnapper… think of Philz and the Cheese Board. Well, dag nabit that is what I did. First the Philz, the best coffee in the land and then off down the street. What to have, what to have. Well, they had these wonderful Bialy’s (yes the Bialy, beaten worse then Ali beat Liston in 64, by the bagel) but there was no cream cheese or toaster around to do it right. Then there is the cheese bread which is wonderful but I wanted to smear the free butter that they have around. I went with the brioche. What a wise choice I made, made even better by the better butter.
What a nice morning.

Wow! People have been talking about this place for so long and we finally got a chance to go. Love the simplicity of it. They have one kind of pizza, you either get half a pizza or full… you order and pay and pick up your order right then and there! Ambiance was great, the concept was awesome and the pizza is to die for! I want to go back because I’ve heard it’s THAT good every time!

Ask any Berkeley resident and most of them have eaten Cheeseboard Pizza. What they’re missing out on is the insanely great bakery next door! Walk in and you’re immediately greeted with that heavenly fresh bread smell. I get up in the morning for this feeling.
The bakery has a rotating weekly schedule and a different muffin/​scone of the day. They also have different seasonal breads. Some of my favorite savory breads are the asiago bread (Thursdays only), zampano (parmesan and chilli flakes on sourdough), rosemary bun (sooooooo fluffy), and bialys (onion and poppy seed on sourdough).
As for sweets, the pecan roll is delicious and the muffin of the day is always a good choice.
Be warned, they don’t always have everything in stock all the time. Popular breads sell out or the baskets are empty between batches. If you really want something, be sure to reserve it beforehand.
My only complaint is the bread turnover here isn’t always fast enough to get warm, fresh-​out-​of-​the-​oven bread. Still a solid bakery, and I find myself coming back again and again.

Baked breads and cheese?! When I’m in the neighborhood, I’ll try to pick up a cheeseboard pizza next door and score the two extra slices that come with them before coming in here to see what is available.
I’ve tried the cheese scone, the cheese roll, the jalapeño roll, french baguette, chocolate chip cookie, double chocolate chip cookie, and a few more I probably missed. Grabbing a cheese of choice, I pay for my goods and go home a happy camper. Now you can purchase a light-​baked pizza on this side without lining up next door. Just make sure you grab the full pizza or ½ pizza as it is labeled so. I made a mistake when I thought I grabbed 2 full pizzas and came home to find 2 ½ pizzas… it was a sad day since I paid for a full extra pizza. Luckily I called in before they closed and the person who answered looked into their inventory/​sales and talked to her manager. After getting my info, they sent me a gift card by mail. Thank you thank you so much for your kindness! Best food and customer service ever.

Welcome to the busiest little bakery and cheese shop there ever was!
I spent a good ten minutes in here deciding what to get and there is a constant flow of guests! The line moves very fast and when the cheese side is slow, they will assist in moving people through the line.
BAKERY — Lots of yummy goods to choose from, such as: scones (regular or special — $ 2.25), muffins ($ 2), chocolate things ($ 2.50) single bread rolls ($ 0.75), sticky buns, cookies, english muffins, loaves of bread, brioche, cheese rolls, and more. If you’re lucky, you’ll get something while it’s warm and fresh out of the oven!
I decided to go with the chocolate thing and that was pretty good, but nothing exceptional. Will choose the cheese roll next time!
CHEESE — I didn’t buy any cheese but they have a great selection and do give samples. I feel quite confident that you will find the cheese you are looking for here :).
STAFF — Very nice and friendly!

Das Cheeseboard ist einfach klasse!
Als ich damals noch Student an der hiesigen Uni war, bin ich hier fast täglich vor den Vorlesungen hingekommen, um einen Korinthen-​Muffin mit Butter & hausgemachter Erdbeer-​Marmelade zu essen. Oder, wenn ich es morgens nicht geschafft habe, bin ich mittags vorbeigekommen, um ein oder zwei Stücke Pizza hier zu essen. Kurz gesagt: das Cheeseboard und ich hatten sozusagen eine langjährige Affäre! Diese Affäre war in der Tat so leidenschaftlich, dass ich — nachdem ich nach London gezogen war, um dort mein Studium fortzusetzen — wieder nach Berkeley zurückgekommen bin, um über das Cheeseboard und die Genossenschaftsbewegung hier in der Bay Area meine Dissertation zu schreiben. (Siehe Link am Endes des Reviews)
Das Cheeseboard ist eine Mischung aus Bäckerei und Käsefachgeschäft. Ich bin ein großer Fan von ihren Backwaren und habe mir auch deshalb das Kochbuch gekauft, wo genau beschreiben wird, wie man ihre Brote nachbacken kann. An der Käsetheke wird man erstklassig beraten: am besten probiert man so ein paar Käsesorten durch, bevor man sich entscheidet. Jeder hier ist einfach total nett!
Wie bereits oben erwähnt ist das Cheeseboard eine Arbeitergenossenschaft, sprich: jeder der hier arbeitet hat Mitspracherecht und ist gleichberechtigter Entscheidungsträger. Außerdem verdient jeder genau das gleiche… und auch wenn man hier nicht reich wird, so verdienen die Arbeiter hier weit über dem Durchschnitt, den man in der Dienstleistungsbranche ansonsten erwarten kann.
Was ich am Cheeseboard am tollsten finde, ist die Atmosphäre: jeder ist hier super nett; sowohl die Menschen hinter, als auch vor der Theke. Oft findet man Leute vor dem Laden sitzend und diskutieren. Zur Mittagszeit, wenn im Pizzladen Hochbetrieb ist, sammeln sich die Studenten auf dem gräsernen Mittelstreifen der Straße. Es ist genauso wie man sich Berkeley halt vorstellt!