San Leandro Reviews Bay Area Reviews e-mail

A Caveat Summary: Great place for small kids to run around while parents eat good pizza Updates We first went to Porky's Pizza Palace a few years ago, soon after we moved to San Leandro. At that time, our experience with this type of dark, dive-ish pizza parlor was very limited. It seemed stereotypically blue collar and small town to us. Back then, we felt out of place. Now, five years later, it's a regular hang out. It's the one restaurant in town where we can sit down and have dinner while our small children run around. The dining area of Porky's comprises one very large room in its Washington Manor building. There is one large counter by the door, where you order, pay for and pick up your food, and a separate bar where you get your drinks. There are some booths on one side of the restaurant and tables and chairs everywhere else. There are TVs showing games, though I don't think anyone watches. There are video games and other game machines in the back, as well as gumball and "prize" machines. We usually sit in this area, so that our kids can play around. Porky's can get busy; they sponsors a lot of local Babe Ruth and Little League teams and it looks like many of those teams come to Porky's after their games, but it's usually relatively quiet by 8pm. Porky's menu includes pizzas, pastas and chicken. We've tried many of their pizzas and they're generally as good as any in town (though Angelina fans may think differently). They have lightly salted thin crusts and fresh-tasting toppings. Sometimes the toppings are a bit unbalanced (e.g. too much green pepper), but in all it's pretty good. Their pastas are also OK; they taste very middle-American with sauces perhaps one step above Prego or Ragu. Portions are generally generous though not big enough for leftovers. We still haven't tried the chicken. In all, what keeps drawing us to Porky's is the ability to get together with friends in an adult-like place and have some decent food while the kids run wild. Porky's Pizza Palace 1221 Manor Blvd. San Leandro, CA (510) 357-4323 http//www.porkyspizzapalace.com