San Francisco is known for many foodstuffs: cioppino, chowder in a sourdough bread bowl, and Anchor Steam. But pizza? While it's not New York (or Naples), San Francisco does have a booming pie scene—and North Beach, thanks to its Italian roots, has a number of notable spots to grab a slice. From the home of the first brick-oven pizza on the West Coast to the domain of an international pizza champion, here's where to eat pizza in the neighborhood.
1570 Stockton St.
Tony’s is world-famous for its Neapolitan-style margherita pizza, a World Cup pizza winner in Naples in 2007. The number of pies is limited to 73 per day, and when they're gone, they're gone. And while owner Tony Gemignani cooks up a lot of his menu items Napoletana-style, he also serves more than a dozen other styles of pizza from around the world, including Rome, New York, Detroit, and New Haven, Connecticut. There's also a slice shop next door to the restaurant, for those who prefer their pizza to go.
490 Pacific St.
On the fancier side of the pizza scene, Jackson Square's Cotogna (which means 'quince' in Italian) is what its website calls a “complement” to its sibling, freshly christened three-Michelin-star restaurant Quince, located right next door. The wood-fired pies change seasonally: right now, you can sample topping combos like Cinderella squash, burrata, 'nduja & basil; ricotta, spigarello & anchovy; and octopus arrabbiata.
1462 Grant St.
Best known for takeout and delivery, North Beach Pizza has been around for over 20 years. Some of their pizzas are named after the neighborhood, such as the North Beach Special Pizza, which comes with pepperoni, sausage, bell peppers, mushrooms and onions, or the Coit Tower Special, with sausage, salami, pepperoni, and mushrooms. In addition to their Grant street location, they have outposts around the Haight area and in San Mateo.
641 Vallejo St.
The second pizzeria from Tony's Pizza Napoletana chef Tony Gemignani specializes in Chicago-style pies. Capo's offers deep-dish, cast-iron pan, stuffed, and cracker-thin pies, all of which are made with Ceresota flour from Chicago. Gemignani's signature dish is the Quattro Forni pizza, which is cooked four times in four different ovens—but he only makes 20 a day, due to the extensive preparation required.
Tommaso’s Restaurante Italiano
1042 Kearny St.
Back in 1935, the Contalupo family opened the first brick-oven pizza restaurant on the West Coast. Immigrants from Naples, the family set out to serve the pizza they remembered from their home, and they've succeeded—Tomasso’s is now in its 81st year in North Beach. All pizzas come in two sizes (small or large) and toppings include sliced meatballs, arugula and shaved parmesan, or clams and garlic.
Il Casaro Pizza & Mozzarella Bar
348 Columbus St.
This newer pizzeria moved into the former Steps of Rome space in 2014, offering genuine Neapolitan-style pizza cooked in an authentic Stefano Ferrara wood-fired oven. Their concept is “cibo da strada,” fare reminiscent of Italian late-night street food you find in Italy. They also make homemade cheese (casaro means “cheesemaker”), such as burrata and raspadura (a cow’s milk cheese).
618 Broadway
While Sam's may be known for "the last honest burger" in the city, which earned it a starring role on Anthony Bourdain's TV show The Layover, they serve pizza too. Owner Mike "Pops" Shawa passed away earlier this year, but his son and nephew are still running the show. While the pizza is nothing fancy, if you're looking for a late-night slice, this is the place to go after all the bars have closed—it's open until 3am nightly.
542 Green St.
Peter Sodini (the original owner of Sodini's Green Valley Restaurant, located up the street) opened his first pizza joint, Golden Boy, on Green Street in 1978. It serves five different Sicilian pizzas (they call it "San Francisicilian" style) by the slice or sheet, and is popular with the late-night crowd, as it's open until 2:30am on weekends. Whether you're dining in or taking it to go, be sure to look up at the walls to see artwork from local North Beach artist Jeremy Fish.
