Leaning Tower

Ordered a couple of slices not expecting much and I was blown away. Best pizza I have had by the slice in the Bay Area compared to other overhyped places that don’t deserve the recognition. You won’t be disappointed.

The pizza is good but the way they only take payment through their website is dumb. Has prevented me from spending money there multiple times.

Disappointed ugh...i ordered with a curbside pickup for delivery. I followed the instructions to call when i arrived, left tip thinking they would deliver to my car. I had to go in to get my pie, asked about the curbside, he just looked at me like he didn't know anything. The place was pretty much closed down, when i asked what was going on, why no table seating as if it were 2020 again. My receipt literally says my name and Curbside with the description of my vehicle....he could of said, sorry we don't do curbside any longer. The reason this place is slow is there own doing.

Pretty good crust ,perhaps a lil bit too thick .tried a vegan chz pie with mushrooms .the vegan chz they use isn't my favorite,but I get it's hard w vegan chz . Sauce sadly didn't have much flavor . I will get pizza here again .it wasnt bad by any means . score would be higher if the sauce was a lil more flavorable .And I might ask them to keep it in the oven and extra minute or two .No pail riders please ... Also its to go only and doesn't take cash

Great pizza (we tried the pepperoni, margarita and the veggie one) and beer during happy hour. Sausage roasted pepper pizza rocks as well!!! Tad expensive though :(. This place is literally 1 min from our house but it's a little expensive for our budget, but happy hour deal is not bad! Love the design (outside and inside) of the place and the staff is very friendly and young!

Your pizza is amazing! The dough/toppings are for sure much better quality than any chain, tastes great, and the price is very reasonable. Also the online order system is easy to use Is there any chance y’all could put in a bell to ring or something? I’d be WAY more likely to order more often (and for sure tip more) if picking up the pizza was a painless process Edit: (5/9/25) Really encourage everyone to check the place out, it’s a nice local pizza shop for carry out. And I’m happy that maybe they’ll add a bell to ring in the future that hopefully doesn’t get stolen!

Very good. Caesar salad was different--flavorful and colorful. Now I know to request greens only instead of the additional purple lettuce since I don't care for the bitter taste of purple lettuce

Very nice thin crust; probably one of the best in the area for that classic NY style thin and crisp crust but with sourdough

Liked the pepperoni pizza a lot. Reminded me of an idealized version of the pizza my kid self would want. Also had the mushroom pizza. Would have liked that much better with a little less toppings. It was very heavy with salt and garlic. Would be much better in a more moderate amount.

I dog sit around the corner and hadn't had a chance to try this place out yet. Decided to give it a go. You order online only. Prices are little high. I ordered a 12" Hawaiian and a singular cookie and it was almost $30. Took about 40 minutes, and I walked over and picked it up. Walked back to the apartment, and dug in. The crust and ingredients were all good. The cookie was a little dry, but nothing a little milk wouldn't fix. Would I eat here again? Maybe next time I dog sit. Would I go out of my way? Probably not.

Classic, comforting pizza. This place is a casual pizza joint with to-go only service. The mushroom special was umami packed, fresh, and had a super soft, bread-y crust. The Caesar salad was the real MVP for me. Instead of croutons, you can expect toasty, crunchy breadcrumbs, ensuring that once mixed, you will get a nice crunch in every bite. Perfect meal for a night in pared with a glass of wine!

So tasty!! It's take out only so you'll have to prepare accordingly. They haven't built back the restaurant after Covid, so it's not cozy, aka you can't eat there. The staff was kind when we picked up the food. It's fairly pricy. 100$ for 2 pizzas (large and small) and a salad.

Delicious pizza walkable to my house but I'm not sure how often I'll return. Unfortunately, they seem to be stuck in 2020 and have closed down their indoor seating area. Takeout only, it seems. This is unfortunate because it could be a wonderful neighborhood restaurant. Reopen please!

Wow. I have finally met a pizza I do not like. Soggy and gummy crust. Something about the pineapple and sausage pie made it completely inedible. We all woke up feeling like dog-shit after. I can only eat sourdough crust but wow, was this bad. Better to go to Red Boy or Nick's. We tried to support an old local spot but that was terrible.

Love love their pizza and always warm and fast service. Especially big fan of the margherita and the mushroom special kicks ass too. Highly recommend!

Old school since 1972. I called first to make sure they were open as they do not open up early even on a weekend. They have slices for sale to our surprise so we ordered a cheese and a pepperoni and sat outside on their sidewalk chairs and table. The slices are $4 each and they are big slices but super oily which I used a napkin to absorb the oil before taking a bite. It had good flavor and even the crust was yummy.

I've gotten the Margherita pizza here a few times. I think it is excellent. This pizza does not travel well. It's super thin so it gets super soggy which I do not like. When I've gotten slices at the shop, they were excellent and crispy (perhaps a recook, but no complaints). Might be my favorite pizza in Oakland.

I've always wanted to try the leaning tower of pizza but they closed during the pandemic. One night while doing laundry across the street I put in a pickup order at around 8:15pm and they kindly fulfilled my order that night even though the website scheduled my order for the next day. The Detroit pepper special pizza was made fresh and came with fresh basil. I love Chicago deep dish pizza but this Detroit style pizza has Zachary's and the Star beat. I wish they could do walk-in or phone orders but it's a small inconvenience for such great quality pizza. Much love for the leaning tower!!

the pizza's pizza, not worth a review. a $74 tab for two non-special 12" pizzas (one that didn't have the toppings we added on) & one salad though? lots to say about that. the $16 ceasar was spring mix, spinach (yellowed & hidden at the bottom), and onions (why?) with a dusting of bread crumbs. the meat pizza was a LOT of crusty edge with a handful of toppings. and then we ended up with a plain cheese. attention & care has really gone downhill here. better value & quality: pizza ponte drake's square pie guys mama's hell, even domino's

From the outside, this place looks like your typical pizza joint. However, this really is a great little spot. COVID procedures, they ask everyone to order online, but are willing to take notes on orders from the phone. They also ask you to call when you arrive, so they can deliver curbside to you. Online ordering is fairly simple, my only complaint is that there isn't anywhere to add notes. I really enjoy how you can order regular (small) size pizzas, as well as al taglio style XL pizzas! The prices are very reasonable as well, much better than most of the Bay Area.

Our family has ordered the Mushroom Special previously over the four (4) years we've been taking out from Leaning Tower. On this particular visit, it seemed as though the quality of the mozzarella cheese had been diminished and the mushroom topping recipe also did not have the same savoriness as in the past. Something changed and unfortunately not for the good. Also, the crust's elasticity and crispness was difficult to discern as it was burnt. We also thought the dough was sourdough in the past...this is also not the case anymore. The Mushroom Special used to possess a flavor profile and quality that made it worthy of being higher priced, but no longer as it is seemingly no longer prepared in the manner that qualified to be "special". Please bring back the quality of the Mushroom Special that earned its claim to fame otherwise please scratch it from the Leaning Tower menu.

I'd highly recommend their New York style pizza, their Detroit style is pretty good but a little too spongy for me. Great overall pizza place though.

July 7,2024 order a large combination pizza soggy under cooked. No mushrooms little meat. Very disappointing. I do not recommend leaning tower. Take out and order online only. I give it one star.

Pizza looked great at first glance, loaded with toppings,covered in arugula..i asked my boyfriend pizza doesn't have red sauce? He yeah it should..first piece was okay. Second piece and rest of the pizza was soggy and uneatable...the whole bottom of the box soggy

I love a pizza place that offers vegan alternatives. The vegan cheese is sticky and gooey which is pretty ideal for pizza. I also liked the sourness of the dough. It's a cute spot and I will look forward to coming again sometime.

I admit it: I wanted to eat at this pizza place only because of the name. As an incurable punster, I love the name Leaning Tower of Pizza. I've been following its reviews on Yelp for a few years. First it was good. Then ownership changed and it got far worse. Then ownership changed again and it got better again, which, as of this review, is where Leaning Tower is. My family has pizza every Saturday night, usually bought in a store. But the girl was helping at an event and did fantastic, and I promised her that if that happened, we'd go to a pizza place to celebrate. When I read the list of possibilities, she wanted the Leaning Tower of Pizza. It's quite a drive for us, but not too far, so off we went. Leaning Tower is in an older and nice neighborhood on the banks of Lake Merritt. The restaurant itself is one block from Lakeshore. Only on-street parking, and there's little of it. It looks like it was meant to serve the neighborhood, with residents walking here, and not expect outsiders driving in. Nearly everything about Leaning Tower has the personal touch. A mural of Pisa on the wall. Small custom-printed menu. Drinks are bottles of either beer or soda made in Mexico. People who work here have an interest in providing the diners with a good experience. The tables can be moved around so that a large group can enjoy themselves. Okay, what about the grub? It was slightly different, and good. Thin crust, the girl laughed as she flapped her pepperoni slice back and forth. The Hunny and I had pepperoni and sausage; the sausage was like breakfast sausage with an Italian spice to it, adding a different flavor. Not loaded with meat, so it's easy to get a bite that's only cheese. All three of us loved our pizza. The three improvements I can think of are more meat on the meat pizza (I'd love to have more of that sausage), listing what ingredients are available for the build-your-own option, and more combinations for the pizza. But overall, the Leaning Tower of Pizza is a winner.

So good. 'Nuff said. Except that Yelp has a minimum word count to post! I imagine the interior of Leaning Tower is what heaven smells like. Don't overthink it, just go and enjoy.

If I could give this place 10 stars I WOULD! Definitely a hidden gem of Oakland. Their pizza dough is . Sourdough with the best bite and just the right tang. Sauce and topping out of this world. Another note, their croissant is a pleasant surprise. Guava ~ very nice touch

At first glance it looks gorgeous; fresh toppings on a lightly charred crust in an east coast style thin crust. But the flavors are all wrong. The sausage tastes like a low quality Midwestern breakfast sausage patty, just randomly chopped up and sparsely sprinkled on top (nothing Italian tasting about it at all). The cheese is quite salty, which I don't mind, but so was the tomato sauce; together it's too much. Ended up not finishing it once my hunger subsided. At least the crust was nice and chewy inside with the obvs crispy outside, but the other flavors being off ruined it's flavor. My wife was not as kind with her review. After her first bite into the margherita, it started with, "Ewww, what is this..." I'm omitting the rest since that's a pretty blunt statement by itself: others might like it, but it's not for us.

They don't do dine-in currently but their pizzas were AMAZING. We tried their leaning tower pizza and mushroom pizza and we ate both until we couldn't breathe anymore lol PLEASE GO TRY THIS PLACE!!!

My husband and I were staying at an Airbnb nearby and decided to order a large mushroom, sausage, and pepperoni pizza and a market salad (arugula, goat cheese, walnuts, red onion, and mustard vinaigrette). Granted we're only 2 people, but this fed us for 3/4 more meals LOL. The pizza was delicious and the pepperonis were addicting. The salad was huge and could feed a small army. Waiting for the day I can come back to eat at the restaurant so I can get it STRAIGHT from the oven.

Sadly! Pre being vegan I use to love this place. The homemade crust and sauce is something I have missed. Yesterday I called to see if they had a vegan option. They said yes and told me to select vegan cheese at the end of ordering. I asked what brand vegan cheese they used and the guy said he wasn't sure the brand but it's potato based. I was so hoping it wasn't Daiya, because it sucks. I picked up my pizza and looked in the box. The way the vegan cheese wasn't melted looked like Daiya. I came home , my daughter and I tried to get a slice out for each of us. The cheese looked like sauce and the pizza was so soggy from the amount of cheese used. Took one bite and both said yuck, Couldn't taste the veggies or the sauce only the nasty vegan cheese It's great they have a vegan option but to add that amount of cheese to a pizza that turns into sauce and makes the slices soggy is a total No $35 wasted Just yuck Change your vegan cheese or list the kind of cheese you are using so that guest can choose if they want that. Nobody wants soggy pizza vegan or not. It was just the worse

Liked their old crust better. Was a bit disappointed when I went because of the change. But it's good enough for me to go back and give it another shot. I'll give them three stars for now

Waited little over 20min after my order said it was ready to pick up, when i got in nobody bothered to help me even though the same chef walked past me twice bringing in creusants and didn't ask me if i had been helped... 20 min later an older white Guy walks in and someone comes out immediately and they ask him for his order name and serve him immediately ... yea i just asked them to refund me and not coming here again.

It's really great delicious wood burning oven pizzas! The pain is though that need to order online only. Even if you stop by then need to order online at the store! Service is extremely slow! Consider to order hours before when you need your pizza!

I ordered a combination pizza and the cook must have had the oven too high because the crust and pepperoni was Burt the dough underneath was soggy and un cooked. When I called to let them know the guy who takes your order response was it wasn't burnt... I am mad I tipped him 5 dollars and ordered from there. Never again. Thanks for being rude....

Consistently good pizza! Came here last weekend with another couple for dinner and had a great time. We shared full pie and customised it half pepperoni sausage and half mushroom from special menu. Both were delicious! Love this style pizza and the staff is always friendly and laid back. We played scrabble from their table games and had lots of fun! Place is super casual with no frills. Come for some good pizza and beer in a comfortable environment :)

Leaning tower is great again! This is as close as you can get to that East coast style slice in Oakland. Although it's not that NYC dollar slice price, I also find this to be my cheapest and quickest delivery option in the area. I usually order the hawaiian ~ judge me ~ but I ordered the pepperoni tonight and it's crispy and so so fantastic.

Finally found some good pizza in the Bay! Been searching for months and finally found Leaning Tower! All the ingredients they use are high quality, especially the tomatoes and cheese (go figure). They also come out with a good crispy but still chewy crust. The Detroit style is especially delicious, I really have no complaints about this place. If you're looking for New York quality pies or an amazing square slice, this is the place!

Amazing pizza! I don't care about your childhood pizza. I care about delicious crispy flavorful crust and great ingredients. Hand tossed perfectly proofed dough shines through when you bite into a slice of heaven. Don't be afraid of the leoparding(it is not burnt. Don't be ignorant)on the crust! It is the key to amazing pizza. Check out their Detroit style pizza. Salads are great too.

Really tasty pizza, generously portioned salad with delicious dressing. Very convenient to my house.

In Oakland California for a a one week stay with my younger daughter who's a Grad Student at University of California Santa Cruz. We were looking for a pizza and my daughter recommended Leaning Tower. The Pizza had a nice, thin and chewy crust. Each Pepperoni had cooked crisp and had cupped the fat. The Pizza was gone in a matter of minutes. I highly recommend Leaning Tower as a good dependable spot to find consistently good quality in the Oakland area.

Best pizza in Oakland hands down. Not even close. Also great service, they called me early to tell me if I wanted the could fire the pizza earlier.

Ordered a mushroom small ($17) and pepperoni Detroit-style ($13) pizza and both were divine! The regular pizzas are just how I like it, fluffy crust, thin dough on the body but hearty with the cheese and toppings. And the Detroit was just as greasy, doughy, crispy-pepp as you'd imagine a delicious slice of guilty-pizza. These two pizzas fed three hungry girls after a hike during the pandemic, enough for leftover lunch slices! My one tiff is that when we called to order pizzas, the man on the phone said "mushroom/pesto pizza", and the pizza was simply "mushroom" (super delicious still). It was a bit cold when we picked up the pizzas at 25-min (was told 30-min wait), but a quick five-min in the oven and we were all happy campers.

I'm a local and come to this spot ever so often when I want a good pie. They also are forgiving of loyal customers in the event that you make a mistake or order on the wrong day. They don't make you feel bad they just accommodate you and move on. Because of this they will always have my business. Thanks Leaning Tower for the amazing customer service.

Low-key the best pizza spot in Oakland. Just like the best taco or burrito is all about the little details, like nailing the tortilla, they nail the bread/crust here. It's fluffy where it needs to be, crispy where it needs to be, and it tastes like good bread instead of just filler/structural-support. All the other stuff is good too, but that really stands out to me above any of the other spots in the East Bay. I miss wandering inside for a slice/beer happy hour special, but takeout is good for now. I guess I have noticed with takeout sometimes the edges are a bit too burnt, I wonder if that's because of high-volume or because I'm ordering smaller/personal-sized pizzas now. Just the one knock, but I don't recall that happening before quarantine.

Everything is perfect here. Fresh ingredients, and made with love. A true hidden gem. Best pizza in the town. Period.

This spot just keeps getting better. If you didn't have a good experience here in the passed I recommend giving it a chance again. I can tell that they are passionate about using fresh ingredients, keeping a new and diverse menu, having friendly staff, and getting orders out quickly. What more can you ask for from your local pizza joint? The salads are giant and the crust on the pies are delicious. My favorite is still the mushroom. Highly recommended!

Sauce and cheese occupied a small portion of the pizza in the middle. Leaving a couple inches of inedible crust at the edges. Crust was a bit burnt which didn't help either. Detroit style pizza was better. Tastes like focaccia bread not crispy at the bottom.

The pizza deserves two stars; that third star is for its great location, close to Lake Merritt and the laundromat. The crust was flavorless and although there was some nice pesto on the pizza, they went and put tomato slices on it. I love tomatoes but that is so unimaginative. Seriously, tomato slices plunked down on top of a pizza just fail.

I used to love there pizza! But recently ordered a cheese pizza and it was not cooked all the way the pizza was doughy and so soggy it was really disappointing. I really loved there pizza I want to like this place but not a good experience.

Ordered a large Three Mushroom with sausage and small Burrata Pistachios Special. Both of were so good but the Three Mushroom might be some of the best pizza I've ever had. Loved the savory umami flavor of the mushroom pie and the sausage was the perfect crumbly meaty addition. My family raved about the burrata pistachio pie with fig and arugula. Definitely adding this to the takeout rotation.

It was very chill when I got there. The guy that helped my out was really friendly. They serve pizza by the slice, but you need to ask what pizza they have available. I was hoping there might have been a Detroit style, but there wasn't. I got two slices of pizza and he ended up giving me a bonus slice. I also got a pint of Portland Cider Sangria. Apparently they just tapped it today. It was super good and refreshing on this hot day. I was also told that they have a happy hour. Get a drink on tap and get a free slice of pizza. I didn't ask more about the happy hour other than that it ends at 6pm. Definitely worth checking out. I'll most likely order delivery from them in the future.

Leaning tower is a great pizza choice around lake merrit because there arent too many! We usually get just the cheese pizza and love it! On another occasion, I accidentally placed an online order on Sunday when they were closed and after reading my receipt it said that it would be ready monday morning at 8am. I messaged them through yelp to please cancel the order and the next morning my card was refunded! Thank you so much i really appreciate it! I really expected no response so that was amazing, you guys rock!

So glad to have some detroit style pizza in the East Bay! I ordered the pepperoni and added basil and arugula- so tasty! Curbside ordering was super easy too.

Ordered at 11:40am. The online order confirmation said the order should be picked up and ready after 12pm. It's now 12:30pm and haven't gotten our order of a small pizza. I think the food here is great that's why I come back regularly but the service takes a long time, which is strange especially when I'm the only one here waiting.

Usually they have wonderful pizza and pretty friendly staff. This time around we received extra pizza slices on top of our pizza- which I'm not complaining about, it's just a little strange. Additionally, we ordered two 1-Pint white claws with our pizza. Unfortunately, they only had one 1-pint and one 12 oz. This would be fine, except for the fact that I paid for two pints, and there was no way to be refunded for the extra amount I paid, or to be given a substitute. I love this place, it's just sad that they tend to be out of items on a regular basis.