Pizza has the advantage of not needing to be expensive or difficult to yet be quite delicious. However, despite the fact that San Franciscans endured many years of genuinely poor pizza. Be extremely thankful if you don’t remember that time. Things have improved significantly over the past ten or so years. Although San Francisco may not be the first place that comes to mind when thinking of a pizza town, there are several fantastic pizzerias here.
Furthermore, each of those pizzerias offers something distinctive. From traditional Neapolitan-style pies to foldable NY slices to light and crispy Roman-style pizzas. So you can eat a different kind of crust and topping every night of the week without ever feeling bored. Here are the best places to get pizza in San Francisco when you’re in the mood for a gooey, scrumptious slice.
Flour+Water Pizzeria
The first contender for our Best Pizza in San Francisco is Flour+Water Pizzeria. The popular pies from Chef Thomas McNaughton are available at this location. Which is less than a mile away, even though Flour + Water is temporarily closed for remodeling. What makes it so unique? The dough is still left to ferment for three days, but the recipe has been changed. And it is now baked in a deck oven to give it the char of a Neapolitan pizza while yet maintaining a crunch and chew that can withstand delivery.
Though pizza is the reason you’re likely going to this pizzeria, there are other tasty things on the menu. Including mozzarella sticks that are well-seasoned and gooey and just crispy enough on the outside, a couple of salads, and soft serve for which you definitely need to save room.
Delarosa
You won’t have to travel very far in this 24/7 town to satisfy your craving for Roman-style pizza because there are two Delarosa’s located around three miles apart. This pizza place is our favorite since the beverages are excellent and the thin, crunchy wood-fired pizza always satisfies our late-night pizza cravings. However, it should be noted that “late night” is not quite as late as it once was.
One can opt for a traditional flavor like Margherita. Although the more creative selections. The Bartender Pizza with marinara, burrata, olives, spicy fennel sausage, and Calabrian chiles is hard to pass up. If you choose, there is even vegan sausage and cheese. Both locations are now available for indoor and outdoor drinking and dining.
Capo’s
You can try basically all of Tony Gemignani’s 13-time World Pizza Champion Tony Gemignani’s pizza varieties at Tony’s Pizza Napoletana, which has 12 different pizza types on the menu. However, if you want true Chicago-style pizza offered on five different crusts (deep dish, eight-inch deep dish, cast iron pan, cracker-thin, and filled), you’ll just have to travel two blocks to Capo’s, a local institution that caters to both visitors and residents and feels like it has always supposed to be a part of the North Beach food scene.
Our favorite is the Italian Stallion, which is baked from Ceresota Flour from one of Chicago’s oldest mills. It has mozzarella, fontina, Italian beef, Chicago Italian sausage, horseradish cream sauce, chives, sweet peppers, and Romano. While the pizza is reason enough to return, it’s worth noting that there are over 100 whiskies on the menu. Capo’s has also lately added Detroit-style pizza, but that’s not the reason you’re there, so keep focused.
Del Popolo
Del Popolo’s 20-foot glass-enclosed shipping container truck, which holds a wood-fired oven, was our first love. Though our love for the famed Neapolitan-inspired pizza will never wane. We’re overjoyed that we can now eat it at the brick and mortar establishment without going on a treasure hunt to find the truck. The wood-fired oven remains the focal point, and the pies with their blistered crusts and inventive toppings, may be even better than the originals.
Which are the favorites? The anchovy, margherita, and salami piccante are our favorites. Del Popolo now accepts bookings and has an outdoor terrace that welcomes well-behaved pets. And it is now ready for takeout and delivery across the United States.
Gialina Pizzeria
Pizza lovers won’t mind traveling “all the way” to Glen Park to purchase Gialina’s pies, which some claim to be the best in the Bay Area. The handmade, thin-crust pizzas in the Neapolitan style are outstanding, though we’re not sure if we’d go that far. If the Wild Nettles with pancetta, mushrooms, red onions, and aged Italian provolone is offered, order it. There are more than ten rotating pizzas to pick from with ingredients dependent on seasonality. Any pizza may have a farm egg added to it, and they all come with gluten-free crust options.
Square Pie Guys
Square Pie Guys’ pan-baked deep-dish Detroit-style pizza is something we can’t get enough of. These pizzas include dough that is both chewy, crunchy, and crispy, and you may choose from more creative toppings like buffalo chicken pie, vegan carbonara, and others.
However, we will admit that traditional pepperoni is our fave. Although you’re actually here at Square Pie Guys for the pizza. We want you to know that the burger is a must-try. It is made of grass-fed patties, American cheese, grilled white onion, pickles, shredded lettuce, special sauce, and mayo on a brioche bun. You’ll also want to order the house Szechuan dry-fried wings. For your information, you can use vegan cheese or gluten-free dough to make any of the pies.
Tony’s Pizza Napoletana
Since you’ve made it this far, we’ll also let you know that many of the ingredients are imported from Naples. Tony Gemignani, the 13-time World Pizza Champion, is a resident of Tony’s, which is about all you really need to know. In addition, they have seven separate ovens that can cook 12 various types of pizza. Including Napoletana, Californian, classic American, classic Italian, coal-fired, New York, Sicilian, Pizza Romana, Detroit, St. Louis, grandmother, and gluten-free varieties. All of these are easy contenders for some of the best pizza you’ll ever have in San Francisco.
The Margherita Napoletana, the World Pizza Cup champion in Naples, Italy (only 73 are prepared each day), and the Don Giovanni, which is coal-fired in a 1,000° oven and covered with vodka tomato cream sauce, are two varieties we recommend trying first.
Additionally, there are some fantastic starters. Such as the meatball Gigante, which contains possibly a pound of veal, pork, and beef. There are excellent cocktails and a wonderful assortment of wines, of course. For the fifth consecutive year, Tony’s got the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for its exceptional wine program.
