Best Pizza Places in San Francisco: Where to Go for a Proper Slice

If you are hunting for the best pizza places in San Francisco, you have picked the right city. I have spent years eating my way through this town's neighborhoods, from North Beach's old-school Italian joints to the Mission's experimental pie makers pushing the boundaries of what a pizza even is. This San Francisco pizza guide is the accumulation of dozens of late nights, missed lunch orders, wrong turns down side streets, and more than a few cheese burns on the roof of my mouth. Every place listed below I have personally visited, eaten at, and in some cases, argued with the staff about whether their slice really deserves the hype.

1. Golden Boy Pizza, Columbus Avenue

The first time I walked into Golden Boy Pizza on Columbus, it was raining, which is basically the default state of San Francisco in spring. A guy behind the counter handed me a slice of pepperoni and garlic without me even asking. That is the whole deal here. You walk in, you get a slice, you eat it standing up. The dough is thick and airy, almost like focaccia, stacked with toppings until the thing barely holds together. People have been doing this since 1978, and the recipe has not changed much, which is exactly the point.

This is the kind of place locals drag friends to when they want to prove that San Francisco pizza does not need to be fancy. The square format is unique, almost like Sicilian but lighter. The pepperoni cup and crisp at the edges, and the garlic is roasted until it is almost sweet. You can add hot peppers on the request, and I always do. On weekend nights after the bars fill up, there is usually a line out the door, but it moves fast because nobody lingers, you grab your paper plate and go.

What I did not know the first time is that the dough is made fresh every single morning, and if you show up right when they open around 11 a.m., you can sometimes catch them pulling trays out of the oven that are still steaming. That first-of-the-day slice, before the rush, is a completely different experience. The crust has a texture you simply cannot replicate later in the afternoon.

Local Insider Tip: "Skip the tables outside on weekend nights. Walk straight to the back counter where they keep the fresh-out-of-oven trays. Ask for the 'special' which is whatever they just pulled, usually pepperoni and garlic, still too hot to eat. That five-minute window is the best pizza moment in North Beach."

Golden Boy sits right in the heart of North Beach, the old Italian neighborhood that has been the soul of San Francisco's pizza culture since the Gold Rush era. It connects directly to the city's immigrant roots, the working-class food traditions that predate the tech boom by over a century.

2. Tony's Pizza Napoletana, Stockton Street

Tony Gemignani's place on Stockton Street is the showstopper of any San Francisco pizza guide. Tony himself is a legend, the only American to win a world pizza championship in Naples, and he turned that credibility into a restaurant that serves over 20 different styles of pizza. I went on a Tuesday afternoon and still waited 40 minutes for a table, which tells you everything. The Margherita is the classic order, made in a wood-fired oven that reaches 900 degrees, but the real move is the New York style slice, which is enormous and foldable in the way that actual New Yorkers would respect.

The restaurant is loud, almost aggressively so, with an open kitchen where you can watch the dough being stretched and tossed. The staff moves with the kind of choreographed intensity you see in actual Neapolitan pizzerias. Every pie that comes out looks like it belongs in a magazine, and the ingredients are imported directly from Italy, the San Marzano tomatoes, the buffalo mozzarella, the specific flour blends for each style. It is the kind of place where you feel like you are eating inside a competition, and honestly, you kind of are.

One thing most tourists do not realize is that Tony's has a whole back menu of competition-winning pies that are not listed on the main menu. If you ask your server about the "championship specials," they will tell you what is available that week. I tried a Detroit-style pie that was not advertised anywhere, and it was one of the best things I ate all year. The caramelized cheese edges, the sauce on top, the crunch, it was unreal.

Local Insider Tip: "Go on a Wednesday or Thursday around 2 p.m. for lunch. The after-lunch lull means you skip the dinner wait, and the kitchen is still firing at full intensity. Ask about the off-menu competition pies. They rotate weekly and are never posted online."

Tony's anchors the North Beach pizza corridor and represents the city's obsession with craft and competition. It is the kind of place that puts San Francisco on the national food map, connecting the city's Italian heritage with a modern competitive food culture that feels very Californian.

3. Pizzeria Delfina, 18th Street in the Mission

The Mission District has its own pizza identity, and Pizzeria Delfina on 18th Street is where it really crystallized for me. I first went there on a Sunday evening after walking through the murals on nearby Clarion Alley, and the contrast between the street art outside and the warm, wood-fired interior felt like a perfect San Francisco moment. The Delfina pizza, their signature, has a thin crust with a slight char, topped with house-made sausage, fennel, and a hit of chili flake. It is not trying to be Neapolitan or New York. It is its own thing, and that is what makes it work.

The restaurant is small, maybe 40 seats, and the energy is neighborhood casual. You will see families, couples on dates, and solo diners reading books at the bar. The wine list leans Italian but with a California sensibility, and the staff knows the menu well enough to guide you without being pushy. I have been back at least a dozen times, and the consistency is remarkable. Every pie comes out looking and tasting the same, which is harder than it sounds.

What surprised me on a recent visit is how well the appetizers hold up. The burrata with grilled bread is creamy and rich, and the seasonal salads are genuinely good, not afterthoughts. If you are with a group, start with the antipasti plate and then order one pizza per person because sharing here is a mistake you will regret.

Local Insider Tip: "Sit at the bar if you can. You get a direct view of the oven, and the bartenders will sometimes slide you a taste of whatever new seasonal topping they are testing. I once got a free sample of a chanterole and ricotta pie that never made it to the menu."

Pizzeria Delfina is part of the Mission's transformation from a working-class Latino neighborhood into one of the top pizza restaurants San Francisco has to offer. It respects the neighborhood's history while adding something new, which is the story of the Mission in miniature.

4. Little Star Pizza, Divisadero Street

Deep dish is not something most people associate with San Francisco, but Little Star Pizza on Divisadero Street has been making the case since 2004. I remember my first visit vividly because I ordered a small deep dish for myself and it arrived looking like a casserole dish full of cheese and sauce. It took 25 minutes to bake, which felt like an eternity, but when it came out, the buttery cornmeal crust and the layers of mozzarella and homemade sauce made the wait worth it. This is Chicago-style pizza executed with California ingredients, and it works better than it has any right to.

The Divisadero location is the original, and it has that neighborhood pizzeria feel, exposed brick, dim lighting, a jukebox in the corner. The thin crust options are also solid, but you come here for the deep dish. The spinach and mushroom version is a sleeper hit, loaded with fresh greens and a garlic-heavy sauce that cuts through the richness. On cold San Francisco nights, which happen more often than tourists expect, this is the place you want to be.

One thing I learned after multiple visits is that the deep dish freezes incredibly well. You can order one to go, take it home, and reheat it in the oven the next day, and it tastes almost as good as fresh. I have done this after late nights when I did not feel like cooking, and it has saved me more than once.

Local Insider Tip: "Order the deep dish for pickup about 30 minutes before you plan to eat. Call it in, go for a walk around the Western Addition, and come back when it is ready. You skip the 25-minute bake wait inside, and the pizza is perfect when you sit down."

Little Star represents the city's willingness to adopt and adapt food traditions from elsewhere. It is not trying to be authentic Chicago, it is trying to be the best version of that style in San Francisco, and it succeeds.

5. Flour + Water, 24th Street in the Mission

Flour + Water on 24th Street is where the best pizza places in San Francisco start to blur the line between pizza and fine dining. I went for the first time on a Friday night and was immediately struck by the space, a converted warehouse with high ceilings, an open kitchen, and the kind of lighting that makes everyone look good. The pizzas here are wood-fired, thin-crusted, and topped with ingredients that change with the seasons. On my last visit, I had one with squash blossoms, ricotta, and a drizzle of honey that was so good I almost ordered a second.

The restaurant is part of the Flour + Water Pasta Company group, which means the dough program is taken extremely seriously. The fermentation process takes days, and you can taste the difference. The crust has a complexity, a slight tang, that you do not get from quick-rise doughs. The menu rotates frequently, so what I had last month might not be available next month, but that is part of the appeal. You are eating something that exists in this moment, made from whatever was best at the market that week.

The downside, and I will be honest about this, is that the prices have crept up over the years. A pizza here runs close to $25, which is steep even by San Francisco standards. The portions are not huge either, so if you are hungry, you will want to add a salad or an appetizer, and suddenly your bill is $40 before drinks. It is worth it for a special occasion, but it is not your everyday slice.

Local Insider Tip: "Check their Instagram the morning of your visit. They post the daily pizza specials there before they update the website. I have caught seasonal pies that sold out by 7 p.m. because I saw them posted at 10 a.m. and made a reservation for 6."

Flour + Water is a product of the Mission's food renaissance, the wave of chef-driven restaurants that transformed 24th Street into one of the top pizza restaurants San Francisco destinations. It connects to the city's farm-to-table ethos and its obsession with seasonal, local ingredients.

6. Arinell Pizza, Third Street in the Bayview

If you want to know where to eat pizza San Francisco locals actually go when nobody is watching, Arinell Pizza on Third Street in the Bayview is the answer. This is a no-frills, cash-only slice shop that has been serving the neighborhood since the 1970s. I found it on a recommendation from a friend who grew up in the Bayview, and the first thing I noticed was the line of people who all seemed to know each other. The slices are New York style, thin and foldable, with a sauce that has a noticeable sweetness and a cheese blend that stretches properly.

The pepperoni slice is the move here. It is not fancy, it is not artisanal, it is just a really good slice of pizza for a fair price. The crust has a slight crunch on the bottom, the sauce is applied with restraint, and the cheese is melted evenly across the whole surface. I have eaten here at 11 a.m. and at 11 p.m., and it hits the same way every time. There is no indoor seating to speak of, just a counter and a few stools, so most people take their slices to go or eat them standing on the sidewalk.

What most tourists do not know is that Arinell has been a Bayview institution for decades, surviving the neighborhood's economic struggles and the waves of change that have reshaped the surrounding blocks. It is one of the few remaining businesses from the old Bayview, and the people who run it know that. There is a pride in the place that you can feel when you walk in, a sense that this slice matters to the community in a way that goes beyond food.

Local Insider Tip: "Bring cash. They do not take cards, and there is no ATM nearby. Also, the lunch rush between 12 and 1 p.m. on weekdays is when the line stretches out the door. Go at 11:30 or 1:30 and you walk right up."

Arinell is a reminder that the best pizza places in San Francisco are not always the ones with the longest lines or the most Instagram followers. Sometimes they are the ones that have been quietly feeding a neighborhood for 50 years.

7. Del Popolo, Nob Hill

Del Popolo on Nob Hill started as a pizza truck, literally a truck that drove around San Francisco selling wood-fired pies at street corners and events. I remember eating from the truck years ago at a market in the Mission, and the pizza was so good I wrote down the name. When they opened a permanent spot on Nob Hill, I was there within the week. The space is sleek and modern, with a wood-fired oven as the centerpiece and a bar that looks out onto the street. The pizzas are Neapolitan inspired, with a puffy, leopard-spotted crust and toppings that lean seasonal and local.

The funghi pizza is my go-to, loaded with a mix of wild mushrooms, fontina, and thyme. It is earthy and rich without being heavy, and the crust has a chew that tells you the dough was treated with care. The restaurant also does a killer antipasti plate, with house-cured meats and pickled vegetables that pair well with their cocktail program. On a recent visit, I tried a Negroni variation that was specifically designed to complement the smokiness of the wood-fired pies, and it worked beautifully.

The one complaint I have, and it is a real one, is that the Nob Hill location gets uncomfortably warm in the evening when the oven is running at full capacity and the dining room is packed. If you are sensitive to heat, ask for a table near the door or on the patio when the weather allows. It is a small thing, but it can make a difference over the course of a two-hour dinner.

Local Insider Tip: "If you are going for a date or a special night, request the corner table by the window. It has the best view of the street, and the lighting is perfect. Also, ask about the 'truck special,' a pizza they still make that is a throwback to their mobile days. It is not on the menu, but they will make it if you ask."

Del Popolo's journey from food truck to brick-and-mortar is a very San Francisco story. It mirrors the city's startup culture, the idea that you can begin with something small and scrappy and build it into something permanent if the product is good enough.

8. Pauline's Pizza, 26th Street in the Mission

Pauline's Pizza on 26th Street is the kind of place that makes you question why you would ever go anywhere else. I stumbled on it during a walk through the southern Mission, drawn in by the smell of wood smoke and the sound of a crowded dining room. The pizzas here are Neapolitan style, cooked in a wood-fired oven at high heat, and the crust is everything, soft, slightly charred, with a flavor that comes from a long fermentation process. The Margherita is the benchmark, and it is outstanding, but the real star is the seasonal specials that rotate based on what is available from local farms.

The restaurant is small and intimate, with maybe 30 seats and a vibe that feels more like someone's dining room than a commercial space. The staff is friendly without being overbearing, and they clearly care about the food. On my last visit, our server spent five minutes explaining the provenance of the tomatoes on the Margherita, which were from a farm in the Central Valley that supplies only a handful of restaurants in the city. That level of detail is not performative, it is genuine, and it makes you appreciate the pie more.

One thing that sets Pauline's apart from other top pizza restaurants San Francisco has to offer is their commitment to sustainability. The restaurant composts all food waste, sources ingredients locally whenever possible, and uses a delivery service for their takeout that runs on electric vehicles. It is a small thing, but in a city that takes environmentalism seriously, it matters.

Local Insider Tip: "Go on a Sunday afternoon between 3 and 5 p.m. The dinner rush has not started, the kitchen is relaxed, and you can actually have a conversation without shouting. Also, if you are ordering takeout, call directly instead of using an app. They prioritize phone orders and your pizza will be ready faster."

Pauline's represents the newer wave of San Francisco pizzerias, the ones that combine traditional technique with a modern sensibility about sourcing, sustainability, and community. It is the Mission at its best, rooted in tradition but always moving forward.

When to Go and What to Know

San Francisco's pizza scene does not follow the same rhythms as other cities. Dinner reservations at the popular spots, Tony's, Flour + Water, Del Popolo, should be made at least a week in advance, especially on weekends. For the slice shops like Golden Boy and Arinell, the best time is mid-afternoon, around 2 to 4 p.m., when the lunch rush has died down and the dinner prep has not yet begun. The weather matters more than you think. San Francisco evenings are cold and foggy, even in summer, so outdoor seating at places like Pizzeria Delfina can be uncomfortable after 7 p.m. unless you bring a layer. Parking is a nightmare in North Beach and the Mission on weekend nights, so take public transit or a rideshare. The Muni Metro and BART both serve these neighborhoods well, and you will save yourself the frustration of circling the block for 30 minutes. Finally, do not sleep on the lesser-known spots. The best pizza places in San Francisco are not always the ones with the longest lines or the most Yelp reviews. Sometimes they are the ones on side streets in neighborhoods tourists rarely visit, serving slices to people who have been coming back for decades. That is the real San Francisco pizza guide, the one written not by algorithms but by appetite.