The Star on Grand

Best pizza in the bay. Hands down. Always solid. Sandwiches are as good. I love this place it keeps me on the west coast.

Went here for two reasons — a friend recommended it and Oakland Restaurant week. They had a $ 20 lunch meal for two, which I thought was a great prize.
Made a reservation and arrived about 5 minutes late. It was a rainy Saturday, and the restaurant was busy, but not crazy. Had to wait for my table of three to be set up. As I looked around at the empty tables, I realized there may be a problem with staffing.
Turns out, I was right, which is why I cannot give them a four or five star rating.
Everyone who served our table was really nice. There were just understaffed, which meant waiting. Waiting for our order to be taken, waiting to receive our drinks from the bar (the bartender was also our server at one point), and on.
For restaurant week, you received any salad (except for the Greek), any pizza (thin crust or deep dish) and cheesecake. We ordered the tonno salad, deep dish Gold Coast, spicy baked wings and roasted Brussels sprouts (the bacon was what sold us).
The salad, wings, Brussels sprouts came out first. Salad was enough for the three of use to share. We all liked the flavor and light dressing. We were not impressed with either the wings or Brussels sprouts. Good? Yes. Exciting? Nope.
The pizza was really good — nice crust, good amount of cheese and sauce and flavor was good.
Was it enough to make me go back? No, which is disappointing because I really wanted to love this place.
This ended up being a 3-​hour dining experience for us. Granted we were catching up, but if we were in a rush, it might have been tight on us getting out of there quickly.

Came here on a Sunday late afternoon, after a show at the Paramount. The service was good, and the overall vibe was ok. We split a greek salad (pretty large salad if you are getting it for one). And, then had what I call the «on fire» pizza. Both were really good on a rainy afternoon. We ordered a thin crust pizza, and I saw a deep dish come out of the kitchen, it was huge!. . not sure I would want that kind of a commitment. Just so you know.. .

So great and pretty inside. Deep dish pizza came out faster then the 45min wait! Will deff come back.

My girlfriend and I went here as a backup; her pizza place of choice was closed on MLK Day. We wound up here, and that was fortunate, because we really enjoyed ourselves!
First impressions were just so-​so. We split the garlic bread, and that was only OK (really, it’s regular bread with garlic and mayo on the side). However, things got a lot better when the pizza came out. She had the thin crust, I had the thick crust, and we both really liked our meals. Service was great, too, and we had a really good time.
All in all, highly recommended!

The management was super diligent in addressing a bad experience I had at the restaurant. They sent me a gift card, and asked that I give them another shot. We did, though we took the food to go. The pizzas were great, and the fact that they cared enough to win us back made it worth a try. I intend to rekindle the love affair with The Star’s deep dish.

I have been here many, many times and I have yet to be disappointed! I’m surprised at myself for never having written a review before this one, but because I went today, here we are. I’ve been here on weekdays, weekends, and evenings. Today I went for lunch with the hubs and two friends (who are also fans). Now, I know there are east coast pizza purists out there. I salute you. I have never been to the east coast, or to Chicago so I can speak only to what I know, and what I know is, I love the Star on Grand.
Food — the deep dish anything is oh-​so-​satisfying. Today we had the Town. Mushrooms, feta, provolone, ham and the most beautifully piped ricotta cheese on top. Dear God, save me from this madness! Super delicious. I’ve also had the Mt. Diablo, The Port, Gold Coast, and Adams Point. All special. All wonderful for different reasons. I’ve had thin crust versions of these pizzas, but really I come here for deep dish heaven. You can eat them all without fail. The quality and flavor are always consistent.
Beverages — I’ve had both beer and cocktails here. Not a super huge selection of stuff on tap, but I’m spoiled by every bay area restaurant having more than 10 beers on tap, so that’s my problem, not theirs. I always get the Downtown Brown when I come here. They do have a local rotating tap as well.
I’m not sure if they do this special every year, but today when I went for lunch we got a KILLER lunch special for two. It’s Oakland Restaurant week, so the promotion was a salad of your choice (except the Greek), small pizza of your choice, and cheesecake for dessert for $ 20. Did you read that right? Twenty. Dollars. Needless to say I left fat and happy. If you come and eat here, you will too.

Yummy. Came here for Restaurant Week. Ordered the Tonno salad for started and had the Port deep dish. Finished with a coffee cheese cake. Everything was very delicious. I would come here again.

Came here to celebrate my brother’s birthday bc he is a huge pizza fan. I thankfully, suggested to come here for dinner and he agreed just bc he was eager to try deep dish pizza here. Sidenote: He was in Chicago in Oct. where he had deep dish pizza for the first time and couldn’t stop talking about how good it was.
Well he and our party of 8 gave this place a huge thumbs up! It was all of our first time coming and loved the pizza. We highly recommend the Mt. Diablo thin crust pizza. That was mostly everyone’s favorite, we loved the spiciness of it! We also ordered the Adam’s Point thin crust, also pretty tasty. For deep dish we had The Port and that was really good too. We left extremely stuffed with pizza to take home. Birthday boy said it wasn’t Chicago deep dish pizza but it was pretty damn good. ;)
Also would like to give a huge thumbs up for accommodating our party given that I didn’t make reservations. Now that I know they do take reservations, will keep that in mind for the next time.
We’ll be coming back for sure!

Went to this place and had sandwiches, not pizza (I know right). I had the East Coast and my bf had the Italian Sausage sandwich. My sandwich was good and quite large but both my bf and I were annoyed that his sandwich had a ton of jalapeños which were not listed in the sandwich description on the menu. He had to dig through his sandwich to take them all out. I would hate for someone with food allergens to have this kind of surprise ingredient in their food.
I might be back to try the pizza but hope we don’t deal with surprises again.

Delicious pizza with interesting combinations named after local streets, landmarks, or neighborhoods. The Tribune, for example, is a tomato sauce-​free pizza that comes topped with ham, ricotta, emmentaler, bacon, and olive oil. Quite a cheesy combination that made the whole pizza feel deep dish even though it wasn’t. I’ll have to come back for more, particularly one of the deep dish options.
The large, airy venue looks like it could be a grand, formal dining room, but has the casual, unpretentious, welcoming vibe of Oakland today. Service is also super friendly, and there’s a good selection of beer and drinks too. Highly recommended, especially if you’re on Grand Avenue and are in the mood for pizza.

I’m going to get straight to the point and keep this short: THIS PLACE IS LEGIT, THE BOMB. I can honestly say I don’t know when was the last time I had really good pizza, and half of my pizza was vegetarian!
I ordered a personal deep dish — half Golden Gate (meatballs, ricotta, onions, fresh
mozzarella), half Grand (mushrooms, onions, spinach blended with ricotta &
feta (with roasted garlic upon request AND IF YOU’RE A GARLIC LOVER MAKE SURE TO ASK FOR THE ROASTED GARLIC!!! It makes a noticeable difference)). We were told they normally don’t do it this way because the personal is so small but they did it anyway, which is awesome in my book. The fact that they fulfilled our order even though they normally don’t make their personal pan that way meant a lot.
Wait wasn’t that long (about 10 mins) and there were four of us that ordered our own personal deep dish. It really was amazing. Each bite was savory, you can see all the ingredients, and the crust OMG the crust! I am not a crust person but I couldn’t get enough of it. I actually saved the crust for last because it was so good.
I can’t wait to come back here and I would definitely recommend this place to anyone in the area who’s craving pizza/​just looking for a place to eat.

This is the best pizza I HAVE EVER HAD. I am a pizza lover who lived for years in Brooklyn, and have tried a multitude of pizzas on both coasts, but The Star on Grand takes the pie. Seriously, The Star makes Zachary’s taste like tombstone pizza /​an actual tombstone. Why? Because nothing I have ever tried beats…
— THE SAUCE is fresh, flavorful and plentiful. This is the most important part of a pizza, and done well here.
— The DEEP DISH cornmeal crust. — I could eat i without toppings, so savory and soft.
— The diversity of toppings — even green olives, my hard to find favorite topping, is available here.
I come here often, and will never stop. I also recommend the wedge salad. GO THERE.
Nuff said.

The Star is a great deep dish option other than Zachary’s, that steps it up with a cornmeal crust. This had to be one of the better deep dish crusts I’ve had. The pizza combinations themselves are fairly standard, and there is probably room to add a few more combinations to the menu.
My only gripe (and this is the case with most deep dish Pizza joints) is the 45 minute wait for our pizza. When you’re starving, the wait seems like forever and suckers you in for appetizers and a salad.
Nevertheless, The Star is worth checking out if you love deep dish and are you in the Grandlake area.

#123
I just feel like I have to update my older review as I come here so often and I AM NEVER DISAPPOINTED!
I brought a friend for lunch, as this really is one of my favorite lunch spots by the house. I never get tired of Star. Maybe it is the venue – clean, open, spacious, beautifully organized. Maybe it is the great food, from appetizers to salad to sandwich to pizza. Maybe it is the hospitable environment – yes that must be it – the impeccable service!
KeriAnne ALWAYS welcomes me, knows my name, knows my drink, knows the things I order (even the things I try only «sometimes»). If I were to forget my order or was late meeting a friend here, they could say, «I’m meeting Stephani,» and she would know exactly what to do. She makes me want to buy a restaurant just so I can steal her away and ask her to manage my establishment.
Ahhh…dreams.
We opted to sit at the bar for today’s visit. I had no idea that meant KeriAnne would not be our server. It made me mad at my friend for a second. But, I would like to say we were well taken care of even if it was not by KeriAnne.
Patrick greeted us and made us feel ultra welcomed. I am used to Ismael at the bar as I would sit there often when I dinned alone as to not take up a table for long periods of study time. I would sit and work on my translation homework at the bar for hours at a time and he would take great care of me, making intermittent conversation, never intrusive, just genuinely friendly. Alas, Ismael will be moving on soon, and I am super sad ;(Good for Ismael, bad for Stephani…
Patrick offered us menus, and drinks and conversation. He even talked me into a pizza I have never tried before, which is odd. We began with the usual delicious Goddess salad and absolutely smashed it. It was so amazing, and always is. Toasted almonds, the perfect amount of a house made delicious dressing. Then the pizza arrived. Two kinds of peppers with tons of cheese, thin crust and pepperoni and salami. I never order meat pizzas, but the bffl demanded it, and Patrick gave his 100% approval rating, so here goes… WOW! Great choice Patrick.
The service is always incredible at the Star and the food is its equivalent.
Stephani Smiles Very BIG for the Star on Grand ;)

For deep dish, The Star on Grand, is my number 1 pick. It’s most reminiscent of a true Chicago deep dish. The buttery crust, the flavorful toppings and the variety of toppings! Plus, they also offer a gluten free crust option for their thin crust offering.
Today we went with The Golden Gate with the Gluten free crust — sausage instead of meatballs, onions, ricotta, and fresh mozzarella. Super crispy crust and fresh toppings! Also, the goddess salad is one of my favorites — baby greens, chives, and creamy pesto dressing.
If you haven’t been here yet, definitely worth the visit!

Holy awesome pizza.
The Star on Grand is pretty freaking great.
The ambiance is very nice, with a full bar and beautiful brick walls. They offer a solid menu with plenty of veggie appetizers and vegan options. Our large-​sized custom deep dish pizza with pepperoni, fresh basil and roasted garlic was about $ 25 and fed 3 women very well. A take-​out box was even needed for the leftovers. That cornmeal crust, melted cheese, and house-​made sauce are so perfect as a combo. This is some really good pizza, guys.
Roasted brussel sprouts appetizer with bacon and graded parmesan was very tasty, as was the Caesar salad; which comes with full pieces of romaine that you cut, making it perfectly sharable. Pair all this with a round of prosecco.
I had the best lady date birthday dinner here with my friends the other night. The best part is they’re open late — you can come get dinner and drinks at 9:30, they close at 11.

Regardless of whether you consider it to be «authentic» pizza or not, there’s no denying that deep dish pizza is a thing around here. How else do you explain the popularity and growth of spots like Patxi’s, Zachary’s, and Little Star? Chicago may have both the reputation and the wider range of choices, but the Bay Area definitely has its fair share of quality deep dish eats!
Owned by the same folks as SF’s Little Star (and Blue Line Pizza, by extension), the menu is similarly narrow, focusing on a handful of starters and salads to go with their cornbread crusted pan and deep dish pizzas. Offered in various sizes (including personal), a large goes a long way (eight slices), so keep that in mind when you order. Also, for those who care, The Star offers gluten free options, utilizes non-​GMO foods whenever possible, and avoids high fructose corn syrup.
– GODDESS SALAD — Baby Greens, Chives, Toasted Almonds, and House Creamy Pesto Dressing…$ 14
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I’m no goddess (clearly), but I loved this salad! The leaves were so crisp and fresh and I liked how the almonds were only lightly toasted and added that bit of texture. However, the star was the dressing — flavorful, lightly creamy, and not overdone. Our table shared the order, but I could have eaten the whole thing alone.
– GOLD COAST — Chicken, Artichoke Hearts, Red Bell Peppers, Green Olives, Onions, Feta…$ 27
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I suspected I wouldn’t care for my friends’ pick, just because of the toppings. In general, I’m not high on chicken or artichokes on pizza, olives, and red sauce, which this had a lot of. The rest of the pizza was fine though; nice crust, decently cheesy, and loaded with toppings. I can see why people would like this one, but it just wasn’t for me.
– YERBA BUENA — Sausage, Onions, Mushrooms, Provolone, Black Olives…$ 27
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Now THIS is my kind of pizza! I prefer thin crusts and this one was great, though a little «crunchy» from the cornbread. Talk about loaded though! The sausage and mushroom gave the pizza a meaty, earthy flavor and the onions added a bit of sweetness. Less of the olives would have been nice, but that’s a minor thing.
While our group of six probably didn’t need the reservation we made, I wouldn’t suggest taking the chance. Rather, I think it was an aberration that it was so quiet on a Saturday night, likely due to the fact a lot of people were probably at Burning Man or out of town for Labor Day. In any case, making reservations would definitely be the way to go, especially if you are coming with a group larger than four.
Ironically, much like my experiences at Blue Line and Little Star, I thought the pan pizza at The Star was better. However, that’s not to say the deep dish was bad; it was pretty solid and probably would have ranked higher had we chosen another pie (like the Golden Gate or even The Town). All in all, I’m not sure when I’ll be back here, given there are locations closer to me, but it’s great to know I have the option the next time I’m in the area!

Still consistently great pizzas. Came in too early and only two staff. Learned to come in after 5:00 when more staff are on.
Happy Hour is perfect here.
Folks are very friendly here.

Dinner 5÷30÷15
Family-​run pizzeria on Grand with an urban rustic vibe. They are known for the deep dish pizza but we opted for thin crust.
Yerba Buena ($ 20, 12-​inch) with sausage, onion, provolone and black olives is tasty. The crust, partially made with corn meal, is crusty throughout. One of the best pizzas we’ve had. Gluten-​free crust available.
Meatball ($ 8 for 3) is simmered in a tomato pasta with mozzarella. Good for an appetizer. House salad ($ 6, small) with balsamic vinaigrette enough for two to share.
They have a full bar and the cocktails are pretty delicious. Moscow Mule and Cosmopolitans ($ 9 each) are good.
They do get busy so I recommend a reservation.