WALNUT CREEK, CALIFORNIA – Some restaurants have exteriors that totally misrepresent what you’ll find inside.
Usually, it’s a drab outside that fails to reveal something fancy inside—like the case of a boring strip mall in Lafayette that happens to hide two of the area’s best restaurants.
But in Walnut Creek, there’s a pizza place that suffers from the opposite affliction.
Rocco’s Pizza, from the outside, looks like just another boring corporate pizza joint.
Step inside, though, and you’ll find a generations-old, family-owned pizza icon that has been serving Walnut Creek for 25 years.
I originally learned about Rocco’s from several readers who wrote in to tell me it would be a great alternative to Skipolini’s, which sadly closed this year. I had driven by Rocco’s at the Encina Grande Shopping Center in Walnut Creek, California, many times, but I never thought much of it.
Again, from the outside, it looks like some kind of giant franchise restaurant. That’s probably because Encina Grande was recently renovated, and Rocco’s was probably forced to update its exterior.
Inside, though, everything has blessedly not been updated in a very long time. And that makes it an absolute gem.
The Ambiance
Rocco’s is massive. There’s a front room with high ceilings leading to the kitchen, a side area with an extensive bar and more seating, and a special interior room dedicated to larger parties. Rocco’s is apparently well known locally as the best place for kids’ sports teams to celebrate after a victory or recover after a loss.
Absolutely every surface in Rocco’s is completely covered with memorabilia—items celebrating Italian and American heritage, local photographs, sports and music items, and even a Vespa scooter suspended from the ceiling.
It’s the kind of eclectic decor that corporate chains try to match, but in this case, it’s authentic—looks like it’s been accumulated over decades.
That interior—combined with big, comfy booths and tables—makes Rocco’s a fantastically family-friendly and cozy place to have a meal.
The Food
Then, there’s the food. Rocco’s has a gigantic menu with all kinds of Italian specialties. I visited with my family, and we tried the pizza and pastas.
Rocco’s penne Bolognese and other pasta dishes were excellent. The pasta was cooked perfectly, and the meat sauce was clearly made fresh in-house.
Pizzas are really the highlight here, though. We tried the pepperoni and cheese pizza.
As I’ve shared before, it’s incredibly hard to find good pizza in the Bay Area. Yes, there are lots of great fancy pizza options, which tend to highlight Naples-style pies.
For that, I love Delarosa down in San Ramon. And of course, there are local hippie pizza staples like Cheeseboard Pizza in Berkeley that are fantastic.
But for the kind of traditional New York–style pizza that I grew up eating on the East Coast, it’s slim pickings here. Slice House in Walnut Creek is a highlight, but they have limited seating, and their pies are massive and expensive.
Rocco’s is exactly the kind of casual, inexpensive, delicious East Coast–style pizza I was looking for.
The crust is a highlight—glutinous, chewy, and delicious. The pizza comes out fresh and hot, and the toppings are clearly very high-quality.
It has that melty pull of cheese you expect from a good slice of New York pizza, and the prices are incredibly reasonable by Bay Area standards.
Where many places charge $25 or more for a small pizza, a medium pie—enough to feed a family with young kids—is around $20 at Rocco’s.
They even have a take out special that’s a salad, pasta, sauce, meatballs, garlic bread and a bottle of wine for $49. Try to beat that in the pricey East Bay.
The Verdict
The huge size of the restaurant, friendly service, comparatively low prices, and eclectic and cheerful interior all combine to make it an amazing place to eat.
A reader wrote in to tell me that the pizza is better than Skipolini’s, and I agree with them. Once known for a certain strange charm with its aging interior arcade and “Prego Pizza,” Skipolini’s has its appeal, but Rocco’s is indeed tastier in my book.
I’ll still be heading to the Skipolini’s in Concord, but Rocco’s is absolutely now on my list of go-to places—especially for family-friendly dining.
You can check out Rocco’s at the Encina Grande Shopping Center. Thanks to the readers who wrote in to let me know about it. If you have a tip for a great restaurant in the area, make sure to email it to me at tom@bayareatelegraph.com.
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I’m sorry. I know that Rocco is a good guy, but that picture of a slice of cheese pizza looks nothing like a NY slice. Way too much blobby cheese. Try Melo’s pizza for more of a NY experience.
Thanks !!!!!!!!