Cheap Eats: Extreme Pizza

Extreme Pizza's slices are pretty "extreme" —  double-sized and loaded almost beyond capacity on a crisp base, and cooked fresh to order. 

Grabbing a "slice" actually means grabbing two, since 's portions are weighted in favor of the exceptionally hungry.

The lunch specials chalked on the board in front of the kitchen are temptingly good value. Deal number one offers a two-topping slice, plus either a house salad or Caesar salad, and a fountain drink, for 8 bucks and change. Or, enjoy your own individual ("indee") pizza, plus salad and a drink, for just over $9 with deal number two. Not in a pizza mood? The "monster sub" deal is around $9, with chips and a drink in deal three. If you're less hungry, or want to skip the accessories, deal four offers a one-topping slice and a drink for under $5.

The range of toppings to choose from is extensive, including all the usual meats and vegetables, plus a few delicious extras like walnuts, artichoke hearts and shredded BBQ pork. Even the range of sauces is "extreme" — instead of opting for the regular tomato base, try pesto, black bean and salsa, hummus, tangy ranch, spicy hoisin style, sweet BBQ or buffalo wing sauce.

If you're expecting bargain pizza to taste like cardboard and string cheese, you might be surprised. Extreme's pizza is crisp and fresh, although often a little light on the sauce and heavy on the cheese. The slices could use more browning in the oven, but the toppings are piled on without reserve, creating a heap that threatens to buckle paper plates and promises the need for a take-home box.

There are two locations for Extreme Pizza in Berkeley: one at , and another at 2352 Shattuck Avenue.