Artichoke Basille’s Pizza

Let me tell you a story about Artichoke Basille.
Once, in my later years of college, I found myself at Smoke’s Poutine (about a block down from Artichoke Basille) around 3:00 in the morning. As you might imagine, my friends and I had had a drink or two, and poutine seemed like the best late-​night option.
As I was coming out of Smoke’s, I happened to see another friend who had a similar late-​night Durant street food run idea, except she was holding not poutine, but a huge slice of artichoke pizza from Artichoke Basille. Being the great friend that I am, I yelled probably too loudly and ran (or stumbled, not quite sure) over to give her a hug, after which I enthusiastically asked for a bite of the pizza, which seemed in the moment to be the most delicious thing I could ever imagine.
It was only when I saw my friend again the next day that she told me the aforementioned slice of pizza had just moments earlier fallen on the ground and become covered in little bits of cement from the construction that was going on nearby. Yes: that day, I had eaten cement pizza.
So, that’s how good this place is: good enough that, given the right mindset, you might think it’s the best thing in the world, but bad enough that, if you ever find yourself eating pizza covered with cement, it’s probably going to be from Artichoke Basille.

I had this place bookmarked for when I was in NY to try but we never got the chance. So when I saw they had a location in Berkeley I was pretty damn excited.
It was late after a Warriors game and the BF and I wanted a snack so we decided to head to downtown Berkeley near CAL. We were going to Top Dog when I spotted Artichoke Basille’s. First and foremost, I had to snapchat a pic to my friends that moved to the East Coast.
They’re known for their artichoke pizza but the BF doesn’t like artichoke so we ordered the crab and lobster. They do sell by the slice for a hefty $ 4 – 5. More on the expensive side for a slice of pizza. We ordered a slice to share and the server was nice enough to cut our slice in half without us asking. They have the pizzas in display but they freshly toast it in the oven when you order your slice. We were quite impressed with the slice we had despite the low star rating on Unilocal.The crust is thin with barely any dough and a nice crispy crunchy crust. The crab and lobster pizza has a lobster bisque sauce topped with shredded crab meat. The crab and lobster flavor was distinct, rich and flavorful. I would definitely recommend it to friends.
I would definitely try the artichoke and spinach when I’m back in the area.
They accept credit cards with a fee. If you want to pay the extra few cents ($ 0.30) then I would recommend bringing cash.
They also open late! A great option for those late night cravings especially after a fun night. 2am on weekdays and 3 am on weekends.

I LOVE this little pizza joint. Been a fan ever since it first opened. They have about 4 pizzas on display to choose from. The way it usually works is that you get in line and choose your slice (s) of pizza. They’ll pop it in oven during which you’ll head over to pay. After a short little while your pizza will be nicely heated and ready for you.
I recommend the artichoke one. It is so amazing. It tastes like clam chowder on pizza. I also tried the crab one. Definitely worth trying but don’t get too much of it cuz it gets tiring — at least for me. The margherita one is amazing but it isn’t as filling as the others so if you want something light!
Overall, each pizza slice is huge and worth the ~$ 4.50
Definitely hit up this place when you’re drunk ;p its open til 2am.

I like to say I travelled allllll the way to California to have some of my favorite New York pizza (as in pizza that is in New York, not pizza that is in the New York style).
It was a late, late Friday night when we found Artichoke Basille Berkeley. See, I had just finished my first clerkship of third year (med school), and immediately hopped on a train to get on a plane to ride the BART and then walk a considerable distance to the Hotel Durant, rolling suitcase in hand. I wanted to celebrate the successful completion of my first clerkship with something special (though the weekend trip to California was honestly enough), and I was complaining about how the hunger was real when lo and behold, there is Artichoke Basille, right across the street from our hotel.
Such an excellent surprise. Such a welcome surprise. Especially because there was no line a la NYC.
Unfortunately, we waited a disproportionate amount of time for the amount of line. But the pizza came and it was pretty good. Not quite as thick, hot, and gooey as it is back in New York, but it had the same creamy taste. I do wish that it was more slathered in artichoke and spinach and cheese and sauce and cream and happiness, but it was pretty good nonetheless.

I love pizza, but I’m not a huge fan of this pizza. The margarita is just sort of bland, and the artichoke one makes me feel like I am drowning in fatty artichoke dip. It’s fine for a quick slice at lunch if you’re craving pizza, but I’d never choose to come here otherwise. Especially not with all the other restaurants around!

I WAS CRAVING THIS FOREVER SINCE I HAD IT IN NEW YORK! I was so incredibly excited it opened in Berkeley, my college town!
Finally got to devour a slice after a Cal game and man was it heaven!
I had the Crab and Lobster one.
I feel like they need to keep it a little more fresh, it was still delicious but I would have wanted it a little more crunchy and hot.

Our third stop on our Berkeley food tour, our cousin convinced us we needed to try the artichoke and crab pizza. I am so glad we listened to him as we got a slice of both to share amongst each other.
Once you pick a slice, they’ll throw it in the oven to heat it up for you. Each slice is as big as your face and they throw that piece on two paper plates or if you ask they’ll toss it in a box.
Erm my goodness, this was like a little slice of heaven goodness! The cheese on the artichoke was so thick that all you could taste was cheese with a hint of artichoke. But I ain’t complaining because that cheese was melt in your mouth perfect. Moving onto the crab, I thought it would be too much seafood but it wasn’t. The cheese and sauce they used was a perfect complement to the crab. It was just yummy goodness with every bite. All the pizzas are pretty thin so this was like an appetizer on our food tour lol.
I can understand why they have a continuous line like any of the other restaurants within the block. My mouth is just watering and salivating as I write this review haha. Buon appetite!

Where to start…
The pizza itself is pretty gross (I got the artichoke, their flagship slice). It’s super creamy, cold on the inside, burnt on the bottom, on the saltier side. Not really my favorite combination. I do not know how this passes as good in NYC.
More importantly, the guy working the register was a total douche to me. I order and I notice there’s a charge for using credit cards. I pay, pizza’s ready, and he hands it to me on a paper plate. I let him know that I’ll need a box since I’m taking it to go. He says, «no.» What? I flat out can’t have a box? Who just tells a customer no like that? So I say I’d like one of those millions of boxes on the wall over there. He then explains that a box is 50 cents extra. Well, that’s a different answer. Not sure why he said no up front. Then I realize if I wanted the box it would cost extra to charge my card again since they charge for that too. If they charge for every little thing, they should notify you up front. Why didn’t douche register man ask if I wanted it to go up front?
End of story, I ate half a slice of pizza and he refused to give me a box. I threw the other half out because it was gross anyway. Would’ve liked that box though.
Also, what’s with all the small charges? Just raise the price of a slice or a drink and just include those costs in that price. What is this, Frontier Airlines?
P. S. I wasn’t the only one having problems with douche register dude. The guy after me was complaining because he only gave him one slice when he ordered two. Register dude argued with him saying he was wrong. Guy was like, «dude, I JUST paid you ten bucks. That was for one slice???»
Don’t go here, you have so many better options in the area. And they’ll treat you better.

When I found out Artichoke Basil had opened in Berkeley I had flash back visions to my visit to the Greenwich Village AB one cold late night a few years back: thin crispy light tasty pizza that I thought I would never have again or could ever replicate in California.
Well one thing certainly was true. I don’t quite know what happened here at the Berkeley BA. It started promising as I ordered two slices from their selection of 4 pies (marguerita and the special creamy artichoke). The pizzas looked fine although the basil was a little withered. It is a big slice for about $ 5 which is not a bad price. They heated up the slices and put it in a sturdy paper box with the AB branches in NYC listed. As soon as I got back in the car I started on the creamy artichoke. Barely any artichoke on it and the cream was so intense the smell would linger on my hands and car for another hour after. The crust was the worst ever. Soggy and wet. Ok I thought maybe a bad day with the artichoke pizza. Let’s judge it on the margherita… I picked up the slice and literally half the cheese falls off. What’s was left was another soggy and wet mess. And what was left of the cheese was not completely melted. Needless to say the rest of the pizza slices went into the box and tossed into garbage. Maybe it is true they cannot make NYC pizza in California because of the water here. Otherwise there is no way pizza could be this bad.

Went here Halloween night, and fell in love with the crab pizza.
The line was ridiculously long probably because I swear it was around 2 AM and so many people out that night.
Anyways, we ordered the crab, and Margherita pizza.
The crab was so delicious! I want to go back just for that one.
The margherita as I remember was ok, still good but compared to the crab… I’d say its alright.
Next time I go back I’m definitely trying the artichoke pizza!
Some people are saying that the pizza was cold, but when we went they were fresh out of the oven because there were so many people. YUM!

As a native of Chicago, I have a hard time reviewing pizza. That being said, I’m very impressed with the meatball and artichoke pizzas that I’ve eaten here.
I don’t know why the rating is so low. For under $ 5 you get a very large slice of pizza and the servers have always been nice to me. Also, because of the high traffic, the pizza is always pretty fresh.

This place is absolutely fantastic. This place opened about a year after I graduated. The spot itself never seemed to be able to keep any business. I visit Berkeley often, but never tried this spot. Until now. A co-​worker told me that the place was great, so I decided to drop by after seeing a movie. My friend and I each got a slice of artichoke pizza. The guy behind the counter was nice, but didn’t speak too much. He put the pizza in the oven and brought them out fresh to us. The pizza was so so good. I’ll say this right off the bat I’m not a huge fan or artichokes, but this was maybe one of the best pizzas I’ve ever had. The crust is very crispy and the sauce just melts off the pizza. I will definitely come back and eat here again!

4 stars for artichoke pizza 2 stars for the rest.
Their artichoke pizza was very tasty and almost tasted like clam chowder on a slice of pizza? That’s exactly how I would describe it. Good thing I love clam chowder.
Their margherita pizza was very bland and had almost no cheese. It was also not heated up and barely warm which lacked so much in comparison to the steaming artichoke.
They need to pay more attention to their other pizzas. But the slices were huge which was good.

Two words. Cold Pizza. Ya’ll have a massive pizza oven that probably runs at hundreds of degrees and our slices got put in this said hot oven… and yet my pizza feels and tastes like it’s been in sitting around in the cold air for hours… oh wait it has.
Pizza dough itself is pretty authentic NY style. The flavors of the pizza toppings though we’re just non-​existent. The Margherita was so bland and ugh COLD as I said. The Artichoke had slightly more flavor but it was way too creamy for my liking and the flavor was so one note… cream…cream…and more cream. Not really any artichoke, garlic, or anything flavor. And even worse… COLD.
And no I did not run around waving my pizza to cool it off. We ate quickly at the counter by the windows. Sorry guys your first spot out of NY needs some MAJOR help.

As an older sister, you know you need to exit the partying scene when your baby brothers tell you about «awesome places to satisfy your drunchies.» With so many popular Berkeley staples, I was kind of reluctant to get pizza for dinner, but my brothers promised Artichoke Basille’s Pizza would be worth it.
Paying $ 4.50 for a huge slice of pizza is definitely like finding a pot of gold for a college student. They have about 4 – 5 different kinds of pizza to choose from. Although the pizzas on display are already baked, they re-​fire it for you. I got to try their Artichoke and Margherita pizzas. The Artichoke pizza is thick, creamy, and very artichoke-​y. Don’t get me wrong, I love artichokes and artichoke dip, but I couldn’t see myself being able to stomach that whole thing because it was pretty heavy (taste-​wise). The Margherita pizza was very lackluster. I’ve definitely had better!
There are some counter seats inside and 3 – 4 tables outside. But don’t expect this to be a semi-​nice sit down pizza joint because they don’t even have a restroom!
I probably need to knock back a few shots or beers before dining here next time to see if it really does taste better when I’m inebriated!

This place is a solid late night drunk munchie stop for pizza. I live right up the block on Dwight and have been here a handful of times.
Honestly, nothing amazing. The artichoke pizza is good but really heavy. The margherita is better. The service is friendly though and its always a decent place to stop.

Not sure what my other review for this place was other than friggin awesome. I think it depends on who you have making the pizza because it’s not consistent with texture. Sometimes the artichoke and seafood pizzas are creamier than usual, which can be ok, but I’d rather have it be more firm, so maybe if you get a freshly made pizza it’s better, but the pizzas are still good no matter what, just different each time I’ve gone. Love the crunchy crust and how it’s done like their NY sister facilities. Still one of my favorite places to go if looking for non-​cheese standard pizzas. I would go more of lived closer.

MUST TRY at least once.
It’s not a New York slice, but it’s damn close to it. It’s a solid 3.5 here.
What I like:
1. The crab slice — It’s lighter than the artichoke one. It’s unique and worth a try. I prefer the thin crust and the crab slice is closest to it.
2. The vodka slice — Also tasty, I prefer this one over artichoke as well. The vodka sauce is a good flavor, but I don’t like the shape. The dough is also tough. Kinna on the dry side.
3. The Artichoke slice — My friends love this one. It’s a bit much for me. Too much artichoke sauce. It’s kinna heavy and it’s also a bit dry.
Great slice: good ingredients and creative combinations/​signature slices, awesome idea, a little over-​priced for pizza, dough kinna dry and a little on the heavy side.
Don’t go here for a healthy slice.
The local girl with a local heart,
Renee from the Bay

There are many great pizza options in Berkeley, so it took me a while to get around to trying Artichoke Basille’s. When I finally did, I tried a slice of the Artichoke pizza which cost $ 4.50.
The slices are an awkward size. They are large, but not quite large enough to be a full dinner for a person with a healthy appetite (in this case, me). At the same time, I wasn’t about to get a second slice because that would be way too much for one meal. I know they are a chain and that they won’t change their policy because of my Unilocal review, but if they just made the slices half the size and half the price, people like me would be three of the smaller slices and they would make more money.
Anyway, my slice of artichoke pizza was tasty but seemed to be lacking in one major area: artichokes. There were only a few tiny pieces of artichoke on the pizza and the taste was almost unnoticeable for most of the bites that I took. On the plus side, I enjoyed the gooey, semi-​molten cheese and the sturdy, thick crust.
While I thought the pizza at Artichoke’s was okay, I probably wouldn’t go back given that Pieology and Blondie’s are only a few blocks away.

Was walking through Berkeley and stopped by here for a quickie snack. Only tried the artichoke, and it was delicious! Creamy cheese right out of the oven!