Carbona Pizza

Carbona is basically a ghost kitchen inside Grand Lake Kitchen. You enter on the side street that has a Carbona pizza sign. You can only order take out which is noted at the counter when I picked up my pizza. I thought it was strange when I placed my order online that it says 1 hour for my order to ready. No text message notification when my pizza was done. When I arrived to get my pizza, it was sitting there, even when I arrived 10 minutes before the ready time. It wasn't hot but warm.When I opened up my pizza, I immediately noticed my pizza was burnt on the edges. I got the half half (half cheese and half pepperoni. It had potential but the person who made my pizza did not have a care in the world. The sauce was exposed on some parts and cheese on bread on some parts. I also wasn't a fan of the greasy pepperoni on the other side. The taste was good but because my pizza preparation and burnt edges, I would not recommend Carbona pizza.

They came through big time and the pizza was good this time as ordered. Thanks Jenn for making sure I'll be back

On a rainy and stormy Sunday afternoon, I ordered a "50/50 Thick Pizza" from Carbona Pizza in Oakland's Dimond District. (As a GrubHub+ member, I was offered $6-off to try this place). Carbona Pizza is linked to the Grand Lake Kitchen (GLK). Carbona's menu items include:- Detroit Style 10" x 14" Pan Pizza- Pizza Bowls- salads- Desserts- beer, wine, cocktails and sodasI had my pizza delivered, so I can't comment on the restaurant service. I popped my pizza in the oven and warmed it up at 300* for 10-mins. It came out near perfect for a Detroit style pizza. I like how a Carbona pizza is 10" x 14", which is larger than the pizza from Square Pie Guys (SPG). My 50/50 Pizza had a thick chewy dough, crisp cheesy edges, and a good dose of pepperoni. The pie featured half brick cheese, half pepperoni, marinara, and parmesan. This pizza was better than SPGs. Besides being larger, this pizza was delicious with it's chewy inside, crispy cheesy outside, and slightly burnt edges. They also ask how you want it sliced. I asked for 10 rectangular pieces. The other option is 20-pc squares. In general, a great pizza.

My friend and I were excited about the thick mahalo & thick Bertha, so much so we ordered both for two people. No regrets. The online ordering system was easy and convenient (they accept Apple Pay, which made things extra easy). The system gave us an estimated time for pick up, so we hung out a bit before heading over to the Dimond. We arrived and street parking was a bit of a pain. I ended up parking along a bank drive way and waited while my bff ran in. There were big signs which made pick up easy. My friend said the staff were friendly and efficient. We headed home with the tantalizing smells seeping their way into the car. When we arrived, we immediately opened the boxes and were greeted with a beautiful site. The pizzas were large and thickkkkkkkkkk. We liked a few slices on our plates and jumped right in the pools of crispy deliciousness. I'll note that these both are on the salty side and lots of tomato sauce. I wish the Mahalo had chopped pieces of prosciutto (tough to bite) and more pineapple. The jalapeños were perfect additions. I thought the sauce overpowered the other flavors (if I didn't see them, I'm not sure I tasted them). Bertha was also saucy, but the flavors were better balanced and I loved the variety of mushrooms.The benefit of ordering two pizzas for two people was LEFTOVERSSSSS! I reheated these in the toaster oven and it was even better than when I enjoyed fresh. Crisped up and all the flavors melded together I think I preferred it in leftover form vs. fresh. Both were good, but the leftovers were *chef's kiss* (edited from*chef's kids*--spelling is hard).

As a fan of Sicilian and Detroit style pizzas I have been trying to find a replacement for Cellarmakers in SF after moving to the east bay this past year. This isn't it, but it's a damn good pizza in its own right. The toppings were generous and of quality. I will definitely be eating this again.

Born out of pandemic need for Detroit style pizza, Carbona fills a great niche in Oakland. As I mentioned in my review of Grand Lake Kitchen, Detroit style pizza is a burgeoning force in the pizza world: Think of the thick and bready Sicilian style pizza framed by a border of crispy cheese. The pizza should usually have two types of cheese, including cheddar; Sauce on top for good measure. And, while it may not be everyone's favorite style, Carbona does Detroit style wonderfully. I'm very glad they brought this pizza genre to the East Bay. If the pictures I posted don't make your mouth water then nothing will. I am still working on my list of my favorite ranked Detroit style places in SF, but I'm pretty sure Carbona will be on it!

Great pizza! Horrible price increase!I really like Carbona pizza, but they just doubled the price of their pizza overnight. That's insane. We used to order this all the time but I don't think I will be doing that anymore. Almost $40 with delivery fees for 4 slices!! That's insane. Hugely disappointing. Still way better pizza than Square Pie Guys, but damn.

My favorite pizza in Oakland, easily. Get the Thick Bertha. Desserts not worth it but the pizza is incredible.

We got two pizzas and ended up tossing half of each.The crust was *not* crispy at all, even when consuming within 7 minutes after pick-up. Maybe there was too much moisture trapped under the cheese; but there was just too much oil weighing down the dough overall. It was so dense that the chewing the bottom of the pizza actually made one of my teeth hurt.Things improved with a trip to the air frier, but that shouldn't be necesssary. Maybe it was an off night, but we're not going to give this place another chance.They use brick cheese, which gives off a strong funky, lactonic taste. This is a matter of personal preference, but I much prefer a more neutral cheese. Sorry, but I'll take Square Pie Guys over this any day.

Were I reviewing just the mysteriously delicious Brussels sprouts (without cheese to make them vegan), this review would be five stars. I'll probably get them every time I go here. I also got the Courtney vegan pizza. Loved it EXCEPT the nice puffy crispy crust was unpleasantly bitter. I think the chef rushed the dough rise by putting a lot of yeast in. They should have used much less yeast and let the dough rise for much longer. It was like halfway between a usual beer and an IPA. The "cheese" is softly gooey, and not oily like the other Courtney review so far says IMHO. I might try this pizza again, but will otherwise go with my standby, the California bowl.