Little Star Pizza

Who doesn't love pizza. This pizza joint was highly recommended in Albany. I hate the parking as it's only street parking. The restaurant is easy to find. Plenty of seats and good for groups. The restaurant is modern and nicely decorated. We ordered two large pizza's. One is a thin crust Chicken Pesto. It was very good but pesto is really strong. We also ordered the Detroit style All star pizza. These were pretty good. We also ordered their large Caesar salad for the family. That was pretty good even if the leaves were whole and had to cut it up. I had a sangria as well, and it was good and strong. Service was very good. Prices are little pricey though but I enjoyed myself there. They were training a new hire but they still served us well. I think I would come back again if in the area.

Casual but nice atmosphere. First came here to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday in a group of 8. Been back several times for the food, location, and service. It’s one of my favorite spots to stop at on our way to San Francisco. Parking can be a little tough but you can find it (check the parking lot in the back). The pizzas are amazing, great variety, fresh, high quality ingredients. The salads and appetizers are also great. They also have a full bar if you want to get down like that 😜

Ordered the happy hour meatballs they tasted alright . The wings awesome. The pizza was good as well. Beers on happy hour ipa. The waitress not that good. Had to track her down every time we needed something. They were not busy. Other waitress had more customers and was on her toes. Men’s bathroom was broken. Next time I’ll just order to go.

This is the best deep dish pizza in the Bay Area. They have excellent cornmeal crust, which is the thing that pushes them over the top. In addition, their tomato sauce and sausage are definitely Chicago style, and this is one of the few pizza places I have found that would actually survive in Chicago

Great service ! This was a good spot for a Sunday lunch. The tasty personal pizza was the perfect size paired with one of their draft beers. The location set in a vibrant neighborhood helped create a great setting for a leisure afternoon.

Remarkably disappointing Caesar salad and meatball deep dish pizza, which had half a meatball per slice. Service was slow and inattentive.

As a Chicagoan, I think this is pretty solid pizza! Appreciate the different size options. Server was friendly and helpful to explain the menu. Plentiful indoor and outdoor seating.

We use to go to the Oakland one and discovered that there is one closer to home and just as delicious. Love the ambiance. They have a full bar, plays the games on their tv and best yet, their pizza is a place that whomever I bring instantly fall in love. This round we came for my birthday and I got a build your own with gluten free crust, they had the wings and a small deep dish build your own. Crust here is very notable. Street parking, indoor and outdoor seating. I’ve ordered through the food apps and it’s great service whether dining or picking up.

Review for 3 adults and 1 child on a Saturday night dinner (6p and later arrival): - still had some tables around 6p on a Saturday night - easy to order - small ceasar salad fed the 4 of us hungry people as appetizer - ordered 12" deep dish pizza - wonderful crispy crust. A little salty but really good. - 9" square Detroit pizza: great flavors and again, great crust! - note for next time: might make reservations just in case. - would go there again!

Decided to try this new place. I've driven past it so many days going up Solano but never stopped. Went in for lunch time. The decor is cute but a little dark. The service was quick. Ordered their personal pizza Old School not realizing that the garlic was raw. That was on me. Had the mixed salad- quite tasty but the walnuts were bitter. Was definitely an interesting meal and I have to go back again to try another pizza and salad before I write them off

I wrote a review of my experience a couple weeks ago, and strangely I don't see it--- so I'm going to rewrite it.... Went there for a gluten-free pizza (just sauce and cheese)--- asked the waitress if the kitchen can add some extra sauce. The pizza came back covered, I mean COVERED in so much cheese--- swimming in cheese and oil. I asked her what happened--- it seemed the chefs put extra cheese, and she said she wasn't sure. (?) I was so hungry and didn't want to waste it, so I ate a few pieces, cutting away the cheese I didn't want to eat. Wound up feeling bad later that night. :( Please--- kitchen staff--- if someone asks for some extra sauce, put some extra sauce, and that's it!! Otherwise the place was ok--- the waitress was pretty nice, that hostess seemed pretty bored--- but it was a quiet night. I'll come back and try Little Star another time, but that's it.

TIP: order half and half to try 2 different themed pizzas! 1 of my favorite spots for a great deep dish pizza. My current favorite specialty is the Deep Brass Monkey which is considered a secret menu item! It has sausage, spinach blended with ricotta & feta, mushrooms, onions, choice of fresh or roasted garlic, such a great combo. The little star deep dish is another classic with spinach blended with ricotta & feta, mushrooms, onions, choice of fresh or roasted garlic. 1 thing I'm sad about Little Star Pizza is that they may have seasonal or limited time specialty pizzas but I usually order online for pick-up and don't see the limited time specialty items which are only written on a board in-store for in-store ordering. Maybe I need to try calling in for my order next time and ask about any current specials!

I went to Little Star after a long day at work. It was delicious. I would go back for sure during Happy Hour. It definitely hit the spot and I am pleasantly surprised. I can't wait to go back. Happy hour salad, personal size pizzas and meatballs!

Cool, modern style Italian pizza spot in Albany. Good variety of pizza options and sizes. You can even have it thin, deep dish or Detroit style. They also have a full bar (which I like). Ordered the Little Star with thin crust, which came out fast. Pizza was just as I would expect and will come back and try other pizzas. Want to try the happy hour times as well. Nice locale on Solano Ave.

I believe in giving credit when credit is due, and man little star hits it out of the park again! On this early Friday night, the place was completely full...line out the door full. Food and drinks were pouring out of the kitchen wicked fast. Happy hour (now 3-530) is still the BEST happy hour in Albany. The happy hour salads are what keep bringing me back. My favorite Greek salad is just $7 and add a glass of wine for $7 and I'm very happy during happy hour. The new cheesy garlic bread sticks made my midwestern husband swoon. Kids love the pizza. Staff are A+. A true local gem. Keep up the great work!

The flavors of the pizza were decent. I wasn't the biggest fan of the crust. I had this delivered for lunch, so I'm unsure about the service/ ambiance of the restaurant. Not the worst pizza, but not the best.

As a kid, Little Star was a decadently filling dinner! The sad thing is that pizza is never on my radar, since I don't eat dairy. But fast forward now, I finally paid a visit since they offer dairy-free options! I made reservations at 5:00 pm for my Dad and me to enjoy happy hour and sit outside with my puppy. That in itself is a pro--vegan-friendly, dog-friendly, and happy hour options! Outside seating is in a small semi-alley, super casual, breezy, and quieter. Inside is quite nice, spacious, and relaxed--I wouldn't mind coming back to dine inside. Service was as expected--friendly and prompt. Dad and I shared a Small White Pie. We subbed the feta with vegan cheese. It was a lighter pizza, fresh with zucchini and tomatoes, and had a nice garlic and olive oil crust. Loved that it was thin crust and so easy to eat! Since it's vegan cheese don't expect any traditional dairy cheese looks or tastes. The cheese pull was nonexistent, it was sort of gooey and greasy, and had a particular taste and texture. My dad was not a fan but had to suck it up for me. I thought it was enjoyable but I wouldn't get it if I didn't need to. We also enjoyed happy hour drinks and he got the happy hour Meatballs. I didn't have any but he ate them all up. Little Star is a small but mighty pizza shop located in the Bay Area plus Oregon. Their location in Albany is popular and a must-visit on Solano Ave. for pizza lovers! Parking is easily found on the street, in the back lot, or the neighborhood. I'll be back with friends, family, and my pup!

After I got my haircut yesterday in Berkeley, we came here for lunch. Service was very slow. We had to wait a while to get seated even though they were only two tables that had people seated. I think there was only one staff member walking around at the time. After we got seated we waited a bit until we could get our menus. There's a lot of waiting. Food came out pretty quick. Our waitress was friendly. We ordered a 9 inch All-Star Pizza deep dish. There were six decent size slices in one pizza. All Star flavor is the tastiest because it has so many different things in it. It's probably the least healthy because it has a lot of processed meats like bacon and sausage. It also has meatballs and pepperoni. The pepperoni is really good when it comes out because it's crunchy. Eating in the restaurant is really nice because the crust is perfect and super crispy. We really enjoyed the salad as well. We order a small little gem with candy walnuts but the small size was actually quite large. The Little gems are not that little. You have to cut them in smaller pieces to eat it. All in all, the salad was very fresh tasting and we enjoyed it. Definitely will come back and have more food when we're in the mood for it in Berkeley.. Good clean ambience. The bathroom lighting needs to be better. Very dark in the bathroom but the lights that are on the mirror are too bright.

Eh, This place is OK. A little overpriced for what you get, but I did meet a really cute girl who was smart but she was married and that sucked but you know at least you can meet girls here.

Pizza was hella good! The drinks could have been stronger but overall great experience. Great casual spot to grab some pizza with friends, have a couple drinks, and chow down! Staff was super attentive and friendly but not overbearing. A little expensive but worth it if you want an elevated pizza rather than cheap fast pizza.

Little Star Pizza is a favorite place to meet our daughter, her husband, and grandkids(coloring sheets for kids). Appetizers were excellent - roasted broccolini and burrata crostini. The thin crust pizza is pizza pie perfection - crispy and chewy. Love the sangria! The Tiramisu was very good. Our waitress, Silvana was wonderful, and Joe was great and friendly with the kids.

We arrived at Little Star Pizza ten minutes before closing and we were greeted with open arms. The restaurant was well lit and we were able to sit against the wall in their comfortable high back semi booth couch style seating facing the bar and front door. The dining area is wide open with floor to ceiling windows looking out to the street and side alley. We ordered two small salads (big enough for leftovers), a thin crust pizza and a deep dish pizza (again more than enough for leftovers)...view our images below...we were the last to leave the restaurant and close the place down. The service was hospitable...they told us to take our time. Overall we enjoyed our time and the best part is that we have plenty of leftovers for lunch and/or dinner tomorrow!

I used to come here all the time for happy hour drinks with coworkers :) they have some pretty strong drinks that pair well with their deep dish pizza, or if you're looking for something lighter, any appetizer will do! Service was great, quick, friendly, prompt. I came here recently with family and service was not good :( we had to ask our server three times for a side of pepperoncinis, and our water pitcher never got refilled, despite two reminders from my parents. I wouldn't normally complain, but only six other tables were taken, and there were 4 servers and two people working the bar. Besides that part of the experience, the pizza was still delicious and I enjoyed their roasted cauliflower for the first time!

we ordered our usual - and besides the fact that it was lacking cheese inside - we were still fairly happy. until the salad. no nuts. no walnuts. no candied walnuts. no nothing. hopefully we can make this right next order. it's a big ass crime. c'mon - we wanna keep lovin' ya

Food is good Clean place Service need a lot improvement every time we go it looks like the don't know what they are doing and the are little rough on customer service

The pizza was excellent, but DoorDash left it sitting on the sidewalk outside of my gate and didn't call me so it was pretty cold when we got it. I'm not sure how to correct this because little star doesn't really like to do its own delivery. Otherwise, this is certainly the best pizza in town.

I always wanted to come to this restaurant. But I was waiting until my wife would come with me so I got a little bit tired of waiting and came on my own anyway. I've been here several times but i've actually finally got my wife to come along with when she loves the food here. I have enjoyed the food and there are nice selection of draft beers that are microbrews very delicious. The place is always clean handicap friendly plenty of windows to people watch and really good food beer and wine selections. I never really know who's in charge here because they have a lot of employees but every one of them has been extremely polite to me and helpful. The pizza crust is definitely a star at this place in the toppings are always fresh. Be sure to look at their appetizer menu to the barrada on toast with the reduced basalt macminager on top it's just amazing. Today I'm having the Italian sausage sandwich and I gotta tell you. It's really delicious with the surprises. They use the jalapeno and escabeche, which gives it a lot of savory heat. This is a great neighborhood spot and Conveniently located on Solano Avenue in Albany. Thanks Francisco, for allowing me to also show respect to my fallen brothers on this Veterans Day weekend.

Great pizza, deep dish style is definitely the favorite. I've had the wings like twice and last time they were a bit disappointing. Also, the cheesecake and tiramisu were Walmart quality at best.

We love this pizza restaurant. Great food and good ambiance but there's a red flag with our server when we went the last time. When she gave us our check, she must have noticed that we looked at our check in detail, there were two extra drinks added. Before you know it, she came back and abruptly took the check back and gave us a check that had the correct amount. We are familiar with this game because we experienced exactly the same thing at a restaurant in Portland. It's very common with restaurants. My recommendation to diners, always look through your check & make sure it's correct. The more ticket items the bigger tip is expected. It's really sad....it leaves a bad taste in your mouth.

First time ordering and it was through DoorDash. Food came in nice and fresh, even when Dasher had an additional stop to make. Packaging was of sturdy quality that kept the food safe, neat, and sealed. The 9" Deep Dish Pizza is a good size for two meals (or one if you're really hungry). Very satisfying after 2-3 slices so you're less likely to overeat if that is an issue. Mine had sausages and chicken which were both great toppings. The chicken in particular was most satisfying as it was tender abd provided a nice bedding for all the cheese and tomato sauce to lay on. The crust was okay. More on the harder side when you get to the end, but provided a nice crunch. Not much to say in terms of flavor, but it provided good structure for the pizza and crunchy texture. Overall, satisfied. The Chocolate Chip Cookie, however, left much to be desired. First, site says "deep dish cookie" but it looked like a normal big, flat cookie. What surprised me is that it tasted reminiscent to an oatmeal cookie, so I didn't get that traditional cookie flavor I was expecting. It also arrived fresh, but not warm, and had a nice soft texture. Could easily scoop out chunks with a spoon, which made it easy to eat it with the ice cream it came with. The ice cream was vanilla, but didn't have much vanilla flavor. Kind of like French Vanilla, but way less sweet and just a hint if vanilla. Ice cream was partially melted on arrival. Overall, just okay. Total experience was still good. Wasn't too amazed, but it still made for a satisfying dinner.

Seems most people come here for the Chicago style deep dish, but the Detroit style is where it's at. Aside from the fact that Chicago style is essentially heavy lasagna, Detroit style gives you fluffy crust with a crispy outside, and Little Star does it well! Very thick fluffy and chewy crust with a crispy outside that's either seasoned or some hard cheese is added and gets crispy when baked. The edges were a deep brown, almost too burnt, but still amazing overall. We got this pizza to go, and while I love the ability to do a half n half pizza, our pizza that feeds 2 adults max, ran nearly $40 after tax and tip. Granted we did get about 4 toppings (two each half), this is still super steep for some pizza. We did do take out, so no insight on service or general ambiance. And while we do like their pizza, I think the price maybe high enough that this is a very very limited treat.

Delicious is an understatement this place is soo good I loved their wings and the pizza was something special as well the Italian salad was very good also can't wait to visit this place again

Ordered gluten free pizza. Got a pizza with gluten. Got sick. Ordered through doordash so I'm not sure whos to blame. This is my go to place for gluten free pizza so it's a tough one. Idk if I'll go back. If you don't hAve food allergies I highly recommend their pizzas.

Nina and I had lunch here last week. We had the watermelon feta salad w/o the tomatoes and the Little Star deep dish pizzas, mine w/ sausage. Everything was delicious and we had leftovers. As we were leaving we noticed their summer pizza had corn and poblano chiles on it. We asked how long they would be having it and the person we asked thought it would be ending this week. I called to check Monday and the woman I spoke w/ checked and learned that they would be having the summer specials until the 17th, so Nina and I made a date to come back today. Nina was already seated at a table by the front window and I joined her. Our server was Silvana, who had been our server last week. She was wonderful, warm, sweet and helpful. Nina ordered the small salad and I ordered the large, thinking the leftovers would be the perfect hot weather dinner tonight, again both w/o tomatoes. Silvana asked if we wanted the croutons on the side so they didn't get soggy. So thoughtful. We both ordered the summer pizza, thin crust. We both had water to drink. When the salads were brought I was astonished by the size of the large. I could have done w/ the small, but I was assuming the pizza would be smaller than it was, being it was thin crust. Silvana brought me a large spoon to serve the salad. When the pizzas were brought they were personal size, but still bigger than expected, 6 slices rather than 4. In addition to corn and thinly sliced poblanos they had sweet pear tomatoes and cheese and garlic oil. It was tasty and I ended up bringing 4 slices home. Silvana brought us boxes and boxed up the leftovers for us, bringing extra croutons for me. As I said, she was wonderful! She did all these thoughtful things on her own. The restaurant was air conditioned, so it was very comfortable in today's heat.

Personable servers every visit. Cute decor and vibe. Great lunch deal $11 mini pizza and $4 salad. Food always hot and yummy. Haven't found a pizza that wasn't amazing. Every bite is always eaten.

Always great food and service, great mixed drinks, flor de agave is my favorite. Staff always attentive

We order EVERY WEEK. Cannot say enough good things about this pizza joint ! Every time we think of pizza there is one go-to. Deep dish is crispy and airy! You are transported into another dimension of pizza!

I heard this place so hyped up from so many people that I was skeptical but it totally lives up to the hype. It's incredibly good and perfectly cooked and whatever the dough recipe is makes for really good crust. I don't always finish my crust when I eat pizza because I want to save room for more slices but this crust was on point.

Hands down the best gluten free pizza I have probably ever had. Service was good and it wasn't too busy for a Sunday afternoon. We can't wait to go back.

Little star is my favorite pizza place. Their signature deep dish Little Star pizza with cornmeal crust and roasted garlic is the best! Nice ambience and good service round out the experience.

I LOVE Little Star. Their crust is arguably the best crust I've ever had. They use corn meal and it's delicious! My parents introduced me to this spot several years ago and we've frequented both this location and their spot in San Francisco. Most recently we dined outside at the Albany location and brought my brother's dog. It was a perfect evening. The service is excellent and the speed of our order coming out was perfect. They're in a great spot downtown, though parking can be a challenge. They have a pretty extensive drink menu and even some rotating beer options. They do not offer pitchers of beer, though. I love the amount of customization options they offer for pizza toppings.

What a great spot.. my darling ordered the Detroit style last night and it was a homerun.. From Long Island so I take my pizza pretty seriously.. Hard to find great pizza on the west coast but think I found gold.. so satisfying after a long day.. I honestly couldn't stop taking about it last night.. menu looks great with a ton of excellent reviews.. looking forward to checking out the establishment in person..

Little star is our special pizza spot on Solano. The food is consistently well seasoned--Greek salad please! And we range from having our favorites to trying out the restaurants combinations. The bar is attractive but seats are limited. Offers indoor, well lit environment. I have not sat outside, but I see plenty of people enjoying the fresh air. I like that the clientele is a mix of folks. The servers are attentive and friendly

This is probably my favorite place to eat with my partner. It's small and intimate, the drinks are great and the bruschetta is to die for! Veggie pizza is one of the best! I always look forward to having dinner here. The waiters are always friendly and welcoming.

The thick, golden crust held a symphony of flavors, with generous layers of gooey cheese and abundant, fresh toppings. A delicious experience that showcases their culinary expertise.

Went to Star in Alameda on a Sunday afternoon. The hostess asked if we had a reservation we said no at least 10 tables open but she said it would be an hour wait. We left and came to Little Star. We came here the hostess asked if we had a reservation we didn't but she found us a table right away. Lots of people here but the service was very good. My husband had a old fashioned it was very good. I can't remember what my drink was but it was nice. The wedge salad was really good so was the wings and big dippers. The pizza was excellent. We enjoyed the whole meal we will definitely be back.

Gotta ask for the Brass Monkey! It was awesome!!! We will definitely be back! Service was just as good as the food!

I had already been to the Little Star in Oakland and was thrilled to see it in Albany. My friends stay in El Cerrito and we were feeling like having pizza so opted for the Litte Star :) We enjoyed the broccoli parmesan to start with and furtherly enjoyed the simple margherita pizza thin crust (we asked for it as they don't have it on the menu) which was delicious - my 4 years old enjoyed it to the fullest :). The deep dish was nice and light and very flavorful! Lovely place and buzzing with life which is good to see post a pandemic :)

Ok only fair I come back and update this one last time. I swore I'd never do Little Star again after the last time I had it and their reluctance to actually reach out to me and make things right. But I was gifted a Little Star pizza gift card and I don't believe in wasting things, especially gifts from people. So I went back last night. Changed up my order a bit, custom stuffed pizza, cheese for the kiddos and a wedge salad. And it was actually delicious! While I still prefer Zachary's, I did enjoy my meal and would go back if I were in the mood for it again. Thanks little Star for a nice Friday pizza night!

Had the Greek salad and chicken wings, with an Arnold Palmer. It was all delicious. The wife had the meatballs and burrata. I gave her a wing for a meatball and I got the better deal I think. Fun place, great service. I would definitely come back

This place not only has some AMAZING pizza but the espresso martinis are too die for!!! The cheesy garlic bread sticks were a home run.

Pros: food is fantastic. Cons: service takes FOREVER. I waited NINETY MiNUTES for a 9 inch pizza! I could have gone to the store and made it myself from scratch in that time.

Another One!! Little Star pizza in Albany is a hidden gem! This is a review of their Happy Hour menu! Sister and I came here on a Thursday and we ordered some good eats and libations! - meatballs 3 served BIG lol - arugula salad - wedge salad - margaritas - tequila - house white The salads were also served BIG !! Lol honestly we were so full after having them we were like this is a proper meal ! Customer service was excellent! We had plenty of space sat in the booths and enjoyed the afternoon! Everything was less than $7 and quite frankly the quality was top notch! We arrived and it was emptyish! By the time we left it was quite a packed situation! Ltd of families and kids and lots of pizza! We will be back for sure soon !

Excellent pizza best corn meal crust. We would not miss this place when visiting. Very important we go here

I've been a fan of Little Star since before they came to the East Bay. When they opened a restaurant in Albany I was ecstatic. I've since calmed down, but it's still probably my favorite go-to spot for a delicious thick crust pan pizza (my family's faves are the Vegetarian & All-Star). We even love the thin crust pies (our faves are the White pie which is veggie with no red sauce and a BYO pepperoni and olives, sometimes with meatballs). The mixed salad and wings are also great. We regularly dine-in and pick-up, and I've literally never had a less-than delicious pizza from here in the past...10+ they've been located in Albany. It's not an inexpensive pizza place, but you cannot go wrong with a Little Star pie!

This is my 2nd time trying Little Star Pizza. We decided to do pickup & order a large half & half. He chose the classic & I requested meatball. Pro Tip: pickup / takeout is in the back. You can walk through the outdoor seating or wander in like my boyfriend & I because we didn't know. The pizza was hot and smelled amazing. They gave us peppers, cheese, and ranch I decided to try a slice of meatball first. First bite & I was dazzled - it reminded me of lasagna but in pizza form. Really yummy My 2nd slice which filled me up was the Classic. Also good but it doesn't compare to the meatball. Also - I may be wrong but I believe there's fennel in the sausage so if you don't like that flavor. And - I think there's garlic in the meatball BUT it's not over powering. I think I will get a full meatball pizza next time.

After many years of passing by, we finally stopped in for another visit to see if anything has changed. My husband and I had the winter special pizza (bacon, mushroom, arugula), small order of meat balls and roasted broccolini. The pizza was ok; expensive for its size. ($25 for 12 in). The meatballs were hard, dry and over cooked ($10 for 3 golf ball sized). The broccolini was so over cooked that the stems were like chewing on sticks! I never leave food behind and I didn't want to take home more than half of the overcooked broccolini twigs. So disappointing as the space is actually super nice and it doesn't give pizzeria vibes. 2 stars for the decor.