On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Mon-Wed. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Thu-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
Sun. 1:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
"Excellent pizza and really friendly delivery guy - pizza comes fast and warm with a yummy crispy crust! I had the turkey ham and pineapple -…" read more »
Loading...
Great thin slices at a fair price...
And I love how the help can give a shit. I think that is part of the charm...
Decent size slice, pretty good taste, but nothing compared to Serrano's up the street.
On top of that, a guy who works there (I haven't been back in a while so he may not anymore) is a complete and utter douchebag.
... naturally this made my desire to want to eat there diminish....
But 3 stars rather than 2 for low price and fast good pizza slices.
Thin and fast (that's what she said) slices.
Best slice in the city.
ginormous slice of pizza with mushrooms, needed a bit of spicing up with pepper flakes and even salt, crust was perfectly crisp but lacked a bit in flavor, all in all a delightful slice of pizza that completely satiated my craving. The service is what one would expect at a place like Arinell's-to the point, no frills and I don't think it needs to change.
Arinell = yummy NY style pizza. That's the bottom line.
Great for late night cravings. I just wish I lived a little closer so my pizza wouldn't get cold before I got home. It's only a 5-10 minute drive, but there's not much on a thin crust pizza to keep the heat in. Arinell is definitely worth 5 stars if there was a more of a place to sit and eat or if there was a location within walking distance of where I am.
As fate would have it, we happened to arrive here at the end of the night when just the last four slices remained. Had we been further back in line, I probably would have bit the person in front of me to have at their pizza.
The NY pizza is pretty much as good as it gets in Cali. It's not QUITE there; the crust is a little blander than I care for, but it is really burn-the-roof-of-your-mouth fantastic.
Arinell in the Mission is nearly a carbon copy of the Berkeley digs. Complete with the dickhead-ish hippies running the counter.
But for this level of quality, I'm willing to put up with a little attitude.
I have found there to be three kinds of pizza.
1. Yuppie-tastic.
2. Bastardized American Greasy Deliciousness.
3. Ellio's.
If you want the first don't come in to the mission. If you want the third go to the grocery store and make it yourself to eat while watching the latest episode of heroes. If you want the second, and want it done right then move to New York. If you don't want to move to New York (and why would you SF is waaaaay nicer and slightly cheaper) then check this place out. It's cheap(ish) thin, greasy, and delicious. True, that this is for a specific demographic, but having a steady diet of New York pizza for 4 years certainly makes me part of that demographic. Even if the pbr and tight jeans didn't.
I like bastardized american greasy deliciousness when it comes to pizza. Don't hate.
Ugh. How to Have a Successful Shitty Restaurant in San Francisco:
1. Find a niche that hasn't been filled (NY-style pizza).
2. Locate your restaurant in an area where people care more about how unique their food is than how it tastes (the Mission).
3. Hire workers who fit in in aforementioned area (PBR-drinking tight jean-wearing hipsters.
4. Produce bland food at a low cost that's still more expensive than its competitors.
Ta-da!
This is New York style maybe in size and appearance, but not in flavor. Bland, chewy, rubbery...ugh
After a crazy day of Seward Slidin' and Dolores Parkin', I was a hungry girl in dire need of deliciousness. I'm on a roll this week, so I decided to cross another off the Big Eat SF List:
#86: A cheese slice at Arinell Pizza
Arinell has my two main pizza criteria covered...thin crust and lots of sauce. The sauce is nice and sweet too. I didn't get any toppings so I cannot comment on the topping generosity.
The shop itself is small, with just a few stools at the bar. We ate in anyway, so we had the pleasure of watching ourselves shove in pizza in the mirror lined walls. Why do restaurants have tables/bars that face mirrors? No one wants to watch themself get fatter.
The slices are huge, but the crust is so thin that I was still a little hungry after one.
I am secretly happy Arinell's is so far from my house, for if it were closer, I'd be here all the time!
It looked so good. It smelled so good. It seemed to have all the qualities that a really good slice of New York-style pizza should possess...
Then I took a bite into what was quite possibly THE BLANDEST piece of pizza that I have ever tasted!!!!
Imagine my disappointment. As I pondered how something that even had the physical consistency in my mouth of a really good slice of New York-style pizza could be such a flavorless imposter, my mind boggled. I tried another bite. And another. Okay, let's face it, I was hungry and had just spent a lousy $23 on this cardboardy atrocity, so I ate my fill. But I was beyond disappointed, especially after having elected to order from Arinell's after having read all of the over-the-moon reviews here on Yelp! How could everyone have led me so astray?? Had none of these so-called pizza aficionados ever really had a good New York-style pizza pie?! Or have they just lived out in SF too long and lost their East Coast taste buds from too many bland slices?
It remains a mystery to me. But what I DO know is that I won't be ordering from here again. I like my pizza to taste like something, preferably pizza, not cardboard.
I am reminded of my youth in Philadelphia when I sit down for a cheese slice and a coke.
I have not had a bad slice here. 4 stars for pizza slices. I love that it is cash only. Keep the line moving. They have a no cell phone rule. Shut up and eat your damn slice, yo. The zen of not hearing anyone on their phones is not to be discounted.
Why don't I ever get an entire pie from this place?
Come on!!!
Probably the best attempt at NY-style pizza in San Francisco! The slices are huge. The pizza is cooked fresh and then reheated by the slice on demand: essential to get the bottom crunchy. The sauce and cheese are thinly smeared on. No reason for any toppings except from the free shakers: red pepper flaks, oregano, garlic salt and parmesan. The main issue is that they're not open after the bars close... because that's really then time when you get pizza in NY!
As I enter Arinell, I note the aging food equipment in the kitchen. Certainly, the place does not look clean. I quickly glance at my food options. I place my order.
The man who took my order was surly. Nonetheless, after my pizza was heated, I took a bite.
Excellent pizza. How a plain, cheese pizza could taste so great is a mystery to me.
This restaurant is a rare exception. Normally, I am not too endearing of poor service. However, the pizza at this restaurant certainly makes up for it.
Additional Notes:
- I have tried Arinell's takeout/call ahead service. I have not found takeout/call ahead to be reliable -- as the employees do not take phone orders seriously.
If you are from the east coast and are feeling homesick for a NY/NJ cheese slice - don't waste your time looking elsewhere. I've had lots of other pizza out here and nothing else comes anywhere near Arinell.
If you know what I'm talking about, you know I don't need to say any more than that.
PRO: They sell it by the slice, good if you're in a hurry
CON: One slice is about all you'd want, and they don't serve beer
***If ya want the full VinDivine review & more reviews, check our profile.
So we'd heard tons about the wicked-good slices at Arinell's. "Yo, bro ya want real NY pizza in SF ya gotta try Arinell's, bro" and all that. Well, bro, maybe ya wanna actually go to NY, try Ray's, Original Ray's, Sbarro or just about any other corner pizza joint and Shut Your Pie Hole...
The crust was too chewy for only being 1/8" thick, and had a slightly stale and flavorless taste (can you have a flavorless taste?). The sauce and cheese, you ask? Hmmm. Really, 'OK' is about all I can muster up. Nothing special. No 'bada bing'. So in addition to looking and smelling like an average pizza joint pie, it tasted like any other average pizza joint pie.
So bottom line, if you're in the hood with the munchies and hankerin' for a slice, go for it. Or if you're in the hood, shitfaced drunk and need some soakage, mange! Or if you can eat carbohydrates with sheer abandon and not pack on a single ounce, enjoy. Or if you really don't know great NY pizza, knock yourself out - ignorance can be bliss! OK, that was snobby. Hint: maybe try adding pepperoni or something, maybe that would give it the zing it needs.
Oh yeah, cash only, bitches! But at $2.75 hopefully that won't put the big hurt on your wallet. And if it does there's an ATM right out front.
***If ya want the full VinDivine review & more reviews, check our profile.
I lived in NY for over ten years and even lived above a pizzeria for a while--so I know my NY slice. (I used to eat a slice a day at various locations) This is an ALMOST authentic NY slice, a bit too much sauce and not quite crisp enough when reheated, I will certainly try again as I may just have been a "off" slice. I frequent Village pizzeria (both locations) a lot and really feel they DO have an authentic NY slice, but they too can have an "off" slice now and again...
I say 86 #86 on 7X7's Top 100.
I'm not buyin' it, sorry. New York is still tops...
I completely agree with Rocco, the pizza here is a pretty close match to NY pizza but the crust is a bit bland. Even so, it's delicious, thin, cheesy and the sauce is perfect. Great late night food!
Delicious!!! The best thin crust pizza around. Love the cheese slices and the homey feel. They rock hard. sometimes better than others but then again always awesome.
It's definitely NY-style, and it's damn good. Not as good as an actual NY place, but it's infinitely better than any other pizza-by-the-slice joint I've been to in SF.
The guy who was working here wasn't very friendly, he clearly expected everyone to understand how he would prefer that they order, but oh well. Maybe people think it's more authentic NY if the guy's an ass. Or maybe all these Mission hipsters think that kind of attitude is cool.
The lamest and most un-NYC aspect of Arinell is the hours. Closing at 10 pm on weeknights and at midnight on Fridays and Saturdays = weak.
But hey, it's a cheap, good slice of pizza.
#86 on the 7x7 List: Cheese slice
-Tasty? The cheese sure stretches with a generous amount of mozzarella. The thin crust deserves a thumbs-up for not being limp. There are so many other cheese slices out there that are so oily and drippy. Not this slice.
-Service: Two dudes working the joint to pay the bills - one takes your money and the other heats your pizza up. That's about it and that's all you need anyway
-Ambiance: Two sides of against the wall - counter space for eating; The place is a little dirty but you wouldn't expect less in this area
-Worth the trip/try? For a quick, cheap lunch in the area - yes. Otherwise, unless this is one of many stops on the food train, I will shrug at the question
Okay so obviously this is nothing new but Arinell's makes some darn good cheese pizza. I come from living in the east for almost a decade so I was dying to find some good NYC pizza. This is pretty freaking close!
The thing I don't like about it (but is exactly how many NYC places do it) is that they put the toppings on after the cheese pizza has been cooked and warm it up. This is not a big issue for me since I'm a pizza purist who almost always gets the cheese or margherita pizza.
Another great option is pizza by the slice. Perfect for singles or people on the go. Hubby and I are lardies though and can eat an extra large pie (only $24!) between the two of us. One warning though, if you are ordering for take out, call at least 30 minutes in advance! This is no dominos! You'll end up circling the area with the "Mission" impossible task of finding parking. The least amount of time it's taken them to bake a pie from beginning to end is half an hour!
Also, for those spice lovers, don't forget to dump on the free jalapenos before you go! And don't forget to tip the pizza dudes.
Ok you wankers , that wax lyrical about pizza at A16, Delfina, Pizza Napoletana , and Flour and Water etc etc ... keep well away . This is similar to Jersey Pizza at its best.
You want historically the best Pizza in the city ......Arinell is the place and if you find it a little greasy ...just dab the oil off ...jeeeze
GET A SLICE ...IT FOLDS DOWN THE MIDDLE AND STAYS ERECT !
WITHOUT THE CHEESE COMING OFF QUICKLY IN A STICKY MESS (no pun intended).
GO GET A SLICE OR 3 AND SHUDUP
Great music and real people behind the counter ( like an out take from The BBC show "The Young Ones")
Thank you for being there.
So I came back to this place (3 years later) to see if I missed something from my last visit. Nope. Just as shitty as I remember.
2 stars for predictability and consistency.
can't figure out the appeal to this place. the canned toppings they use only ruin the pre-made pie… Read more »
I'm prepared to say that this is the best slice of pizza I've eaten in San Francisco. Foreals.
For $2.75, you get a simple, thin slice of NY-style pizza. I totally recommend just getting a simple slice of cheese pizza, no extra toppings. Well, except for sprinkling some more parmesan and pepper. The guy working there cuts you a fattyass slice, heats it up, and hands it to you all piping hot on top and crispy on the bottom. It's super greasy, but that's what makes it excellent. It's also super wide, so I think I now understand why some people fold their pizza.
The place is really a hole in the wall, so I think it's better to just take your slice and walk and eat down Valencia. Make sure to take lots of napkins, though, because the thing is extremely greasy, and the oil will not only get all over your mouth and face but also drip all over your hands.
Oh, but it's so worth it. I have a craving right now as I'm sitting at work. I just might hit it up after work even though it's totally out of my way. . .it's THAT good.
How the hell can a plain cheese pizza taste so damn good?!?!?!?
No idea, but the razor thin crust and the cheese and tomato sauce and tasty crust and the semi-stretchy cheese and the hotness hit the spot 10 times in a row with every single bite. Oh. my. god. We even got the last two slices of the old batch and it was tasty as hell.
BTW, one slice is about $2.75. Definitely a disgusting looking hole in the wall place, but soooooo worth going to. There's a legitimate reason why this place always has a line.
Not worth 5 stars only because this is the first time I've had this style of pizza. I'll have to try other places to compare. But still. Definitely has become a place that I will go to several times and crave.
Cheeeeseee pizzaaaaa. YUMMMMMMMM.
Oh how I love me some Arinell!
Stopped off last night to grab a slice before heading home and mmm mmm I am still jonesin' for another.
However, I have 2 problems with Arinell-
1- The big ass, foldable plain cheese slice is plenty, however, I always find that I want more out of pure gluttony.
2- I get super nostalgic and miss my old "digs" in the East Village :(
#86 on the 7by7 Top 100 things to Eat in San Francisco
Was good, but I'm sure it could've been better. They gave me the last slice which was probably the reason it was dry and rubbery. Although I do need to give the thin crust props. It was nice and crispy.
Cost- around 3 bucks.
Place- hole in the wall, 1-2 dudes working. They grab a slice that's on display, toss it in the oven, and in less then 5 minutes, bam!! you got pizza.
Parking- Decent during the weekdays. Standard Mission style parking.
I'll roll by again in the near future and order a fresher slice and re rate this joint.
Ordered a slice. It looked thin enough. I asked for it to be hot and extra crispy, so it was put in the oven. It was warm, but not scortching hot and not crispy. The sauce was bland and the cheese gooey, but in a rubbery way. Not the best yet not the worst. Sadly it gave me a bellyache that stuck around for quite a while so I have to knock it down a star.
duhhhh, is that what NY pizza is supposed to taste like (forgive me for tho ist not fromst there) or at least closely resemble? Ok, fine with me. I've worked and lived within walking distance of the Berkeley and SF Arinell's and this place has served me well at $2.50 a slice. A little greasy, but two thin slices of cheese or pepperoni goes a long way. I must say that the SF employees are wee bit more surly than their counterparts across the bay, but who cares. Since when is a NY style Pizza slice joint supposed to be like the cheesecake factory with an over-smiley hostess and paid to smile staff
This place is sooo freakishly delish... This is not your sit down w/ your family and let's listen to some italian music restaurant.. It's small-easy to miss, grunge-rock-why-did-kirk-cobain-have-to-die-so-ear ly type of joint that gives you big bang for your buck.
thin crust, extra cheesy, slightly oily
And after your slice, go down a block, grab Bi-rite ice cream and head over to the park for the best sunday afternoon ever.
THE ONLY PLACE IN SF WITH NYC-STYLE PIZZA.
Anyone with any shred of dignity for decent "street" pizza (we seem to be an endangered species out here) needs to eat here. And repeat.
This is such a classy place; I would recommend anyone to go there. Every time I'm in there, I hear someone go to the counter and say something like "You guys have the best damn slices in San Francisco!" And it's true. They're simple and delicious. Nothing fancy here. It's a true neighborhood experience and great pizza, fast.
Perfect at what it delivers: a huge slice of cheesy, greasy thin-crust pizza. $2.75 a slice, a buck… Read more »
My favorite place for a basic cheese slice.
I had their cheese and pepperoni slices and I'm drooling right now just thinking about them. They make a mean slice of pie! This is the closest you can get to New York Style pizza in Nor.Cal. Nice thin slices, fold it up and you're good to go! Also try their fountain drinks, I usually get the "red" flavor...I think it's suppose to be some kind of tropical fruit punch. A couples slices of pie + red drink= happy tummy.
I like my pizza the same way I like my men-- hot, quick, and dirty.
.....haha, just kidding (kind of).
Seriously though, I was torn whether I wanted to try this place or not because so many people talked smack about it. Well, Arinell must've done a serious business overhaul or I'm just lucky, because when I walked in, the guy behind the counter actually half-smiled and said "Hey, what's up." I looked down at his hands for a quick inspection of his fingernails: they were clean. The metal music was loud but not blasting. The counter was (gasp!) not greasy at all.
And most importantly, the pizza was fabulous. I got it to go in a bag so I could walk over and eat in Dolores Park, and in the short time it took me to get to the park, the pizza grease had practically obliterated the bag. That's how you know you're eating real NY style pizza!! All the west coast low-cal junk is nice, but every once in a while, a girl needs some real food, and this is where it's at!
Second stop on the pizza crawl...
First though: Dear Man at the Counter, Please smile. Thanks, Sara.
This drop in New York style joint was incredibly convenient. But to say it was New York style is a stretch. I could not fold my pizza!!!! This was because of two reasons: 1. the crust was too hard and 2. the slices were cut in very awkward shapes. And one of my crawl companions actually had a hole in the bottom of his slice... yes just cheese and sauce... no crust.
I would also like to note there was not enough grease.
The cheese however was very tasty.
As part of our SF pizza crawl, Arinell was the most convenient. There really just aren't that many places in the city that you can get a good slice. We walked in, paid a few bucks, and got a slice. The other stops on the crawl were far less efficient.
New York Style? Um maybe, but it doesn't really hold a candle to pizza I've actually eaten in New York.
The crust was nice and thin, but the taste was a tad sweet and floury for me. The sauce was sweetish too... but there was not enough of it to be offensice (this was a good thing). The cheese was perfect... stringy and salty and greasy. Yum!
Overall, a great value and a satisfying eating experience.
YUM-O!!
I was headed to my first Yelp Elite Event at Morak Lounge which was just half a block away, and I realized HMM WOW HEIDI C. IS HUNGRY! I remembered the event stating that Arinell Pizza was right around the corner so I decided to scope it out. Let me tell you, stepping foot into Arinell Pizza at 7pm on a Tuesday evening was the best decision I made that night.
Let me give you the run down. I came in here, hoping to get a slice of a sausage pizza. I stared at the counter and they only had out a huge cheese pizza. Then next to it, there was a thicker deep dish-esque cheese pizza. I stared at that, stared at the menu to find slices listed as mushroom, sausage, pepperoni, etc. I was so confused.
Heidi C.: Hi do you have anything else besides cheese?
Worker: We have everything.
Heidi C.: (looking dumbfounded) Oh...? Then can I get 2 slices of sausage?
Worker: Yup!
(Worker proceeds to pick up two slices of cheese, moves the two over to his topping counter, puts on a few slices of sausage, then reheats the pizza in a huge oven)
At this point in time, that's when it clicked to me. You order whatever topping you want, and they put it on the cheese pizza for you! That's pretty clever since they only have to make 1 kind of pizza. Cuts down on manual labor. Very very very smart....
Slice of cheese: $2.75
Toppings: $0.75
OHHHHHHH and if you're a pizza oil dabber, get ready to dab your pizza here b/c it's pretty oily!
Why is it so hard to find a pizza in SF that's as a good as a NY pizza? It seems like a simple formula...thin, crispy crust, not too much sauce, and topping (I'm not too picky on that last point, I never met a pepperoni I didn't like), and still no one does it right.
Arinell's pizza is the closest thing I've had to the real deal and it's quite satisfying. A medium with 2 toppings will stuff 2 hungry people, teh crust is thin and the cheese/ topping combo is great. They don't deliver and it's really best to eat the pizza on the spot to avoid a softer crust. Also, cash only.
My pizza go-to!
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: Mission
Category: Pizza
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Pizza
I can't get enough of pizza. I like to eat, sleep…
The City by the Bay has many redeeming qualities,…
My local dry cleaner, watering hole, deli, cafe,…
Food to be easily eaten while waiting for Muni to…
Various pizza joints I have tried in search of the…
Places in and around San Francisco where I like to…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
pizza anywhere and everywhere... if it didn't…
