Top Rated Pizza Joints in San Francisco That Locals Swear By
Words by
Sophia Martinez
The Real Slice of San Francisco
I have spent the better part of a decade eating my way through San Francisco, and if there is one thing I have learned, it is that the top rated pizza joints in San Francisco are not the ones with the longest lines on Yelp. They are the ones where the owner still remembers your name after your third visit, where the dough has been fermenting since yesterday morning, and where the neighborhood regulars will tell you, without hesitation, that this is the only place worth walking ten blocks out of the way for. San Francisco's pizza culture is a living, breathing thing, shaped by waves of Italian immigration, the sourdough obsession that defines this city, and a generation of young chefs who decided that a perfect Margherita could be just as revolutionary as a tasting menu at a Michelin starred restaurant. What follows is not a listicle. It is a map drawn from my own worn out shoes, my own grease stained notebooks, and my own stubborn belief that pizza in this city tells you more about its soul than any cable car ride ever could.
Tony's Pizza Napoletana: Where Champions Make Their Home
North Beach
Tony Gemignani's name is practically synonymous with competitive pizza making, and his flagship spot on Stockton Street in North Beach is where he brings all of that championship energy to the table. The space is loud, packed, and unapologetically theatrical, with a wood fired oven that reaches temperatures north of 900 degrees and a menu that spans styles from Neapolitan to Sicilian to New York. I always order the Margherita, which won Tony the World Pizza Cup in Naples back in 2007, and the crust arrives blistered and tender in a way that makes you understand why he flew across an ocean to prove a point. The restaurant gets absolutely slammed on Friday and Saturday nights, so if you want a table without a forty minute wait, aim for a Tuesday or Wednesday evening around six. One thing most tourists do not realize is that Tony's also runs a smaller, more casual counter called Capo's just around the corner on Powell Street, which serves deep dish and Chicago style pies that are worth a detour if you are already in the neighborhood. The connection to San Francisco's North Beach identity is direct, this is the old Italian quarter, the neighborhood of City Lights Bookstore and beat poetry, and Tony's feels like a modern extension of that immigrant tradition of feeding a community with flour, fire, and pride.
Golden Boy Pizza: The Late Night Legend
North Beach
If you are wandering North Beach after midnight, possibly a little worse for wear, you will almost certainly end up at the window of Golden Boy Pizza on Columbus Avenue. This is not a sit down restaurant. It is a counter with a window, and it has been serving square slices to the post bar crowd since 1978. The garlic slice is the one to get, thick crusted and heavy on the garlic, and it costs just a few dollars, making it one of the best cheap pizza San Francisco has to offer at any hour. I have stood in line here next to drag performers, tech workers, and taxi drivers, and that mix is pure San Francisco. The line moves fast, and the staff behind the counter have the efficiency of people who have done this ten thousand times. A local tip: the line is shortest between two and four in the morning, after the bars have closed but before the early risers start showing up. Golden Boy is a piece of living history, a reminder that North Beach has always been a neighborhood of night owls, and that some of the best food in this city comes from a window with no seating and no pretension.
Pizzeria Delfina: The Neighborhood Standard Bearer
Mission District
On Valencia Street in the Mission, Pizzeria Delfina has been quietly setting the bar for local pizza spots San Francisco locals rely on since 2005. The space is small, warm, and almost always full, with a wood fired oven turning out thin crusted pizzas that balance simplicity and precision. I always start with the Margherita D.O.C., made with San Marzano tomatoes, fior di latte, and basil, and then move on to the Funghi, which is loaded with wild mushrooms and truffle oil in a way that feels indulgent without being heavy. The restaurant sources ingredients from local farms, and you can taste the difference in the brightness of the sauce and the quality of the cheese. Weekday lunches are the best time to go if you want to avoid the dinner rush, and even then you might wait twenty minutes. One detail most visitors miss is that Delfina also operates a more casual sister restaurant called Pizzeria Delfina on 24th Street, which has a slightly different menu and a bit more space. The Mission has always been a neighborhood of reinvention, from its Latino roots to its tech era gentrification, and Delfina sits right at that intersection, feeding everyone from longtime residents to the newest arrivals with equal generosity.
Flour + Water: Where Pizza Meets the Farm
Mission District
Flour + Water on 24th Street is technically a pasta restaurant, but the pizza program here is so good that it deserves its own mention among the best casual pizza San Francisco has to offer. The kitchen uses a wood fired oven to produce pizzas with a sourdough influenced crust that is distinctly San Francisco, tangy and chewy in a way that nods to the city's most famous bread tradition. I love the pizza with house made ricotta, seasonal greens, and a drizzle of chili oil, which changes with whatever is coming from the farms that week. The dining room is sleek and modern, with an open kitchen that lets you watch the pizzaiolos work, and the wine list leans heavily Italian in a way that complements the food perfectly. Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on weekends, and the best time to snag a table is early in the week. A local insider note: the bar area does not take reservations and often has shorter waits, plus you get a front row view of the oven. Flour + Water represents a certain strand of San Francisco dining, the farm to table ethos that took root in the 2010s and turned the Mission into one of the most exciting food neighborhoods in the country.
Del Popolo: The Nomadic Pizza Pioneer
Various Locations (Originally the Mission)
Del Popolo started as a food truck, and that mobile spirit still defines the brand even though they now have a brick and mortar presence. The pizzas are made in a wood fired oven with a focus on high quality ingredients and a crust that is light, airy, and slightly charred at the edges. I always go for the classic Margherita or the one with house made sausage and broccoli rabe, which has a bitter, peppery kick that cuts through the richness of the cheese. The current location carries forward the Mission District roots that defined the early days, and the vibe is casual and communal, with long tables and a bar that serves natural wines. Weekday evenings are your best bet for a relaxed experience, and the lunch service on weekends can be surprisingly quiet. One thing most people do not know is that the original food truck concept was born out of a desire to bring restaurant quality pizza to street level, and that ethos of accessibility still runs through everything Del Popolo does. The story of Del Popolo is the story of San Francisco's food truck revolution, a movement that democratized good food in a city where restaurant prices can be punishing.
Pauline's Pizza: The Mission's Oldest Pizzeria
Mission District
Pauline's Pizza on Valencia Street has been around since 1966, making it one of the oldest pizzerias in the Mission and a true piece of San Francisco history. The interior is no frills, with checkered tablecloths and a jukebox that still works, and the pizza is classic New York style, thin and foldable with a sauce that leans sweet. I always get a plain cheese slice and a pepperoni, and the combination of the crispy bottom and the generous mozzarella is exactly what you want at two in the afternoon on a lazy Saturday. This is cheap pizza San Francisco style, with slices that will not break the bank and a vibe that feels like stepping back in time. The best time to go is mid afternoon, when the lunch crowd has cleared but the dinner rush has not yet started. A local tip: Pauline's does not take credit cards, so bring cash, a detail that feels almost quaint in a city that runs on Apple Pay. Pauline's survived the decades of change in the Mission, from the Chicano movement to the dot com boom to the tech explosion, and its continued existence is a small act of resistance against the forces that have reshaped this neighborhood.
Montesacro: The Roman Import
North Beach / Telegraph Hill Border
Montesacro sits right on the border of North Beach and Telegraph Hill, and it brings a distinctly Roman sensibility to the San Francisco pizza scene. The specialty here is pizza al taglio, the rectangular, by the slice style that you find at bakeries and counters across Rome, and the crust is thick, airy, and almost focaccia like. I always order a few different slices to try, the Margherita, the potato and rosemary, and whatever seasonal special they are running, and I eat them standing at the counter or walking down the hill toward the Embarcadero. The prices are reasonable, making this another strong option for cheap pizza San Francisco visitors can enjoy without guilt. The best time to visit is late morning, right when they open, because the slices are freshest and the selection is widest before the lunch rush picks up. One detail most tourists miss is that Montesacro also serves excellent Roman style pasta dishes, so if you are with a group, it is worth ordering a few of those to share. The restaurant connects to San Beach's deep Italian heritage while also feeling completely contemporary, a bridge between the old world and the new that this city has always been good at building.
Tommaso's: The Old School Institution
North Beach
Tommaso's on Kearny Street has been serving pizza since 1935, and walking through the door feels like entering a time capsule of old San Francisco. The oven is a coal fired beast that has been running for decades, and it produces a pizza with a smoky, slightly charred crust that you simply cannot replicate with gas or wood. I always order the classic Margherita or the one with Italian sausage and mushrooms, and the combination of the blistered crust and the rich, tangy sauce is something I have never found anywhere else. The dining room is dark and cozy, with red leather booths and a bar that has seen generations of North Beach regulars come and go. Reservations are a must on weekends, and even on weekdays the place fills up quickly after six. A local insider note: Tommaso's is cash only, and there is an ATM nearby, but it is worth coming prepared. This restaurant is a direct link to the Italian American community that built North Beach, and eating here feels like participating in a tradition that stretches back nearly a century.
Beretta: The Pizza and Cocktail Hybrid
Mission District
Beretta on 18th Street in the Mission is one of those places that blurs the line between restaurant and bar, and the pizza is good enough to justify the visit even if you are not there for the cocktails. The kitchen turns out thin crusted, wood fired pizzas with creative toppings, and I always go for the one with Calabrian chili, honey, and soppressata, which hits a sweet and spicy balance that keeps me coming back. The cocktail program is serious, with a rotating menu of Italian inspired drinks that pair well with the food, and the bar area has a buzzy, social energy that makes it a great spot for groups. The best time to go is early evening, before the bar gets too crowded, and weeknights are generally more relaxed than weekends. One thing most visitors do not know is that Beretta has a back patio that is easy to miss if you are not looking for it, and it is one of the most pleasant outdoor dining spots in the Mission when the fog stays away. Beretta represents a newer wave of San Francisco dining, the kind of place that takes pizza seriously but refuses to be precious about it, and that attitude feels very much of this city.
When to Go and What to Know
San Francisco's pizza scene does not follow the same rhythms as other cities. The fog rolls in most evenings, especially in summer, so if you are planning an outdoor meal, aim for late morning or early afternoon when the sun is most likely to show up. Parking is a nightmare in North Beach and the Mission, so take public transit or a rideshare, and be prepared to walk a few blocks. Most of these places are cash friendly but not always card friendly, so having a twenty in your pocket is never a bad idea. The best day to visit any of these spots is a Tuesday or Wednesday, when the weekend crowds have thinned but the kitchens are still running at full strength. And finally, do not be afraid to ask the person behind the counter what they recommend. In a city where the people making the food actually care about it, that question will always lead you somewhere good.
Enjoyed this guide? Support the work
