“At Dimond Slice the topping combinations are obviously well thought out, that combined with the high quality ingredients, makes a spectacular pizza.” -- Daisha Williams, 11th Grade
Dimond Slice is a pizza restaurant on 220 MacArthur Blvd in Oakland and opened on November 15th, 2017. This restaurant replaced a McDonalds, and although there were already a few pizza places on the block, Dimond Slice was a welcome change to the community. All of the pizzas are vegetarian, and they have multiple vegan cheese options as well as an option for a gluten-free crust. This alone makes Dimond Slice different from other restaurants in the area. Though it's near two other pizza places, a Cybelles and a Little Caesars, those pizzas aren’t comparable to those at Dimon Slice. Instead of the normal options of cheese and pepperoni, Dimond Slice offers pizzas with unique combinations of toppings that you won’t find anywhere else. Out of the many other restaurants in the area, Dimond Slice is the only one that is a vegetarian restaurant. All of these factors add to what makes Dimond Slice one of the best, if not the best restaurant in the area.
Dimond Slice opened when I was in middle school. Every day after we got off the school bus we would go and ask for free samples before walking home. The employees were always really nice and generous when we came in. They gave us samples and small cups of water and sometimes even little pieces of candy. The manager and some of the employees talked to us about our school days. Eventually they began to prepare samples as soon as we walked in, without us even having to ask. On the last day of seventh grade, we scrounged up enough money to buy half a pizza to share. They gave us a whole pizza for this amount of money because that’s just the type of people they are.
Their menu is also different from the other pizza places around. Instead of having a set menu they have a pizza of the day that changes daily. Gloria Barron had been the manager of Dimond Slice since it opened in 2017. When asked what pizzas are the most popular she replied, “We do have one [pizza] that’s the most popular one. And that’s the corn and chile pasilla.” When asked what his favorite pizza is, Santiago DeRayo, a cook and supervisor, replied, “I guess my most favorite would be the mushroom, goat cheese, with the red onions, and mozzarella cheese with the fresh herbs on top.” I usually don’t like goat cheese or onions but the way that those toppings meld with the rest of them make the pizza something I thoroughly enjoy. Their pizza(s) of the day don’t have sauce on them. Because of this the pizza is more of a cheesy bread with toppings, which is a completely different experience than a traditional pizza. It’s crucial that all of the toppings on a pizza compliment each other. At Dimond Slice the topping combinations are obviously well thought out, that combined with the high quality ingredients, makes a spectacular pizza. The restaurant also offers a plain cheese pizza everyday, which is one of the best cheese pizzas I’ve ever had. The cheese pizza has just a standard tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The sauce is thick and well seasoned, and the pizza has a wonderful cheese to sauce ratio.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad pizza from Dimond Slice. Even when some of the toppings are things I don’t like, I still really enjoy my meal. My favorite is the one with corn, zucchini, and feta cheese. The sweetness of the corn paired with the creaminess of the feta combines to create a wonderfully unique taste unlike any other pizza I’ve ever had. I would recommend absolutely any of their pizzas.
Dimond Slice brings in a wide variety of people. There are older folks who come into the restaurant to share half a pie and a pleasant conversation. There are middle schoolers with nothing more than a quarter in their pockets that come in asking for samples. There are high schoolers with their baggy jeans and skateboards who come in for their favorite pizza. There are parents whose kids draw on the chalkboard while they order. If one were to ask someone who lives in the Dimond District for the best place to eat, the answer would likely be Dimond Slice. This is a pizza place for everyone, and the community truly loves it.
Dimond Slice opened when I was in middle school. Every day after we got off the school bus we would go and ask for free samples before walking home. The employees were always really nice and generous when we came in. They gave us samples and small cups of water and sometimes even little pieces of candy. The manager and some of the employees talked to us about our school days. Eventually they began to prepare samples as soon as we walked in, without us even having to ask. On the last day of seventh grade, we scrounged up enough money to buy half a pizza to share. They gave us a whole pizza for this amount of money because that’s just the type of people they are.
Their menu is also different from the other pizza places around. Instead of having a set menu they have a pizza of the day that changes daily. Gloria Barron had been the manager of Dimond Slice since it opened in 2017. When asked what pizzas are the most popular she replied, “We do have one [pizza] that’s the most popular one. And that’s the corn and chile pasilla.” When asked what his favorite pizza is, Santiago DeRayo, a cook and supervisor, replied, “I guess my most favorite would be the mushroom, goat cheese, with the red onions, and mozzarella cheese with the fresh herbs on top.” I usually don’t like goat cheese or onions but the way that those toppings meld with the rest of them make the pizza something I thoroughly enjoy. Their pizza(s) of the day don’t have sauce on them. Because of this the pizza is more of a cheesy bread with toppings, which is a completely different experience than a traditional pizza. It’s crucial that all of the toppings on a pizza compliment each other. At Dimond Slice the topping combinations are obviously well thought out, that combined with the high quality ingredients, makes a spectacular pizza. The restaurant also offers a plain cheese pizza everyday, which is one of the best cheese pizzas I’ve ever had. The cheese pizza has just a standard tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese. The sauce is thick and well seasoned, and the pizza has a wonderful cheese to sauce ratio.
I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad pizza from Dimond Slice. Even when some of the toppings are things I don’t like, I still really enjoy my meal. My favorite is the one with corn, zucchini, and feta cheese. The sweetness of the corn paired with the creaminess of the feta combines to create a wonderfully unique taste unlike any other pizza I’ve ever had. I would recommend absolutely any of their pizzas.
Dimond Slice brings in a wide variety of people. There are older folks who come into the restaurant to share half a pie and a pleasant conversation. There are middle schoolers with nothing more than a quarter in their pockets that come in asking for samples. There are high schoolers with their baggy jeans and skateboards who come in for their favorite pizza. There are parents whose kids draw on the chalkboard while they order. If one were to ask someone who lives in the Dimond District for the best place to eat, the answer would likely be Dimond Slice. This is a pizza place for everyone, and the community truly loves it.
