The 8 Best Places for Indian Pizza Around the Bay Area
There’s just something so Bay Area about Indian pizza, and the local trend has exploded in recent years. You can now get fresh Indian-style pizza at dozens of places around the bay, from fast-growing franchises to family restaurants. There’s something for everyone at these eateries, where spice lovers can get pizzas topped with curries and other Indian favorites, while any spice-averse party members can get away with it. stick to plain cheese. Hoodline has rounded up an assortment of local restaurants and chains serving this modern classic. Many of the newer places specialize only in pizza and offer an impressive selection, while some of the older restaurants are Indian restaurants with (pizza) perks.
Got a favorite that didn’t make the list? Let us know your recommendations in the comments!
Since the 1980s, the first Indian pizzeria in San Francisco, Pizza and Indian cuisine from Zante, serves the curry pizzas we crave, as well as an extensive menu of traditional Indian dishes. There’s also plain cheese or other “classic” pizzas for anyone in your party who isn’t (yet) a fan of spice. Zante’s famously best Indian pizza comes in meat or vegetarian options and costs around $21 for a 12-inch, $25 for a 14-inch, $30 for a 16-inch or $35 for an 18-inch. You can also create your own pizza with topping options including spinach curry sauce, lamb, tandoori chicken, shrimp, and all the traditional vegetarian and non-vegetarian pizza accessories. A San Francisco favorite with generations of fans, Zante has 7×7last year for the best Indian pizza in town. orderzantepizzandiancuisine.com
The Homemade Pizza Curry the chain originated from Fremont Pizzeria Bombay, a casual pizzeria with sports shown on a number of large TVs and beer and wine for sale, as well as a mango lassis fridge. Since opening in 2015, Curry Pizza House now has 10 restaurants in the Bay Area, plus various others in California and Texas — and a location in Berkeley is expected to arrive soon. You can order from a full range of Indian and “classic” pizzas (classic combo or meat lover to Hawaiian and more), or build your own pizza with curry, marinara or the sauce of your choice. Perennial favorites include chicken tikka and chicken curry masala pies, but you’ll also find chili paneer, aloo chaat and many other Indian fusion pizzas. All are heavily laden with toppings. Vegan cheese is also available, as are gluten-free options and cauliflower. Extras include a range of chicken wings and other starters, as well as desserts. Expect to pay around $18 for a 10-inch, $23 for a 12-inch, $28 for a 14-inch, or $38 for an 18-inch. currypizzahouse.com
Pizza Namaste was opened in 2015 and currently has three locations in Oakland, Fremont and Pleasanton. You’ll find the now classic chicken tikka masala pizza, as well as a wide range of other Indian and world cuisine-inspired pizzas, from “Greek Sheek” to korma or paneer-and-veggie. Hawaiian pizza lovers might want to try the “Mango Monsoon” with mangoes, peppers and red onions, plus Indian chutneys, spices and curry sauce. They also offer vegan pizzas and a small selection of starters and sweets, or you can design your own pizza. A Namaste pie will run you around $24 for a 12-inch, $29 for a 14-inch, or $36 for a 16-inch. www.namastepizza.com
With locations in San Jose, Sunnyvale, Union City, Fremont, San Ramon, Dublin and Tracy, Tandoori Pizza serves fusion pies with toppings sautéed in a tandoor oven to give them a “tandoori finish” before the pizzas are baked. Many chicken and vegetarian options include tandoori chicken (of course), tandoori barbecue chicken, chicken malai with curry malai sauce (made with cashew nuts), paneer malai and gobi achari. A wide choice of “traditional” pizzas is also offered, and customers can opt for gluten-free or cauliflower crusts. Wings, cheese sticks and a selection of Indian desserts complete the menu. Tandoori Pizza also serves beer, wine and various soft drinks including mango lassis, nimbu pani (lemonade/Indian limeade) and badam milk. Expect to pay around $17 for a small pizza, $22 for a medium, $27 for a large, or $35 for a very large. www.tandooripizza.com
Fremont’s Pizzas & Curries offers a wide variety of Indian meat and vegetable pizzas including tikka, butter chicken, tandoori, many paneer options and a mango pizza with spicy mangoes, red onions, green peppers and cilantro over mozzarella cheese and a base of spicy curry sauce. There are also 10 traditional pizzas available, or you can build your own pie from a wide choice of toppings on the base sauce of your choice: curry sauce, original or spicy red sauce, original garlic sauce or spicy, BBQ, pesto, chili sauce. or more. They also serve beer, mango lassis, and even milk tea, for a true Bay Area fusion dining experience. Appetizers are chicken wings or spiced or non-spicy cheese bread, and dessert options include kulfi or Ben & Jerry’s ice cream. Pizzas are $13 for a personal pie, $17 for a small, $22 for a medium, $27 for a large or $36 for an extra large. pizzaandcurry.com
In Sunnyvale, my indian pizza is a local restaurant that has been serving Indian fusion pizza for years. Choose from twenty combinations of Indian and traditional style meat or vegetarian pizzas, including butter chicken or butter paneer and extra-spicy Vijayawada and gongura specialties. You can also build your own pie on any of their homemade sauces: curry, butter, tandoor, vijayawada, gongura, haryali or saag. They also serve salads and a selection of starters, as well as non-alcoholic drinks, including the very popular mango lassi. Bonus: My Indian Pizza is open until midnight on weekends! www.myindianpizza.com
San Francisco hole in the wall Indian cuisine and Golden Gate pizza has been open for 20 years and serves a selection of handmade pizzas as well as a full menu of Indian cuisine and a lunch buffet. The handful of Indian fusion pizza options include vegetarian or chicken tikka masala pizza and Indian vegetarian pizza with cauliflower, eggplant, tomato, red onion, ginger and garlic on a garlic sauce. spinach curry and classic mozzarella cheese. This small, local eatery is open all week for lunch and dinner, and offers free delivery nearby for orders of $25 or more. Pizzas are around $22 for a small, $26 for a medium, $31 for a large or $34 for a very large. They serve a variety of Indian and other beers, as well as lassis, chai tea, etc. goldengateindian.com(415) 564-5514
Another Indian restaurant-slash-pizzeria in San Francisco, Tadka Indian restaurant, pizzeria and sports bar, sums up the joys for everyone of Bay Area Indian pizza right there in its name. It offers a full range of Indian dishes, with chicken, lamb, goat, seafood and vegetarian dishes, as well as drinks (including alcohol) and a selection of pizzas. Pizza combinations include chicken curry, chicken tikka, and palak paneer, as well as classic cheese or pepperoni and other traditional pizza flavors. A chicken curry pizza will currently cost you $16 for a small, $22 for a medium, $26 for a large, or $30 for an extra large. tadkasf.com
