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I was with my friends, camped out for this year's There's Something in the Cupcake Mix event at Johnny Cupcakes. One of my friends was following a certain Aquabats song the whole week for lunch. Don't know what I'm talking about? Check out the Aquabats' Pizza Day:
Monday - Hot Dog
Tuesday - Taco
Wednesday - Hamburgers and Chocolate Milk
Thursday - Sloppy Joes or burritos in a bag
Friday was Pizza Day, the best day of the week
It was Friday (Pizza day, the best day of the week), so we walked to Mr. Pizza. It's only a couple minutes walk from Johnny Cupcakes'.
First thing I noticed was the big letter grade of B on the window. That made me chuckle a little bit. Next thing I noticed was a bunch of coolers with a LOT of different sodas and beers.
We all got individual slices of pepperoni pizza. The slices were hot, big, floppy, and greasy (hurrrrrr). It was not bad at all. A little pricey, but it was not bad.
They do have a lot of toppings available, but to be honest, with a grade like B on the front window, I'm a bit afraid to try anything else.
I used to live a block away in my single days and ate here all the time. This has been my favorite pizza place for 15+ years. The only pizza that came close to NY pizza.
Well, what the hell happened??
I went here this week for the first time in about a year and it was atrocious. Not even close to what it used to be. It was almost not even pizza. floppy soft crust. sauce that was bitter. cheese with no flavor. even my 5 year old wouldn't eat it. It was hands down the worst pizza I have ever had. How does this happen?
Are there new owners? The sauce used to have a little onion in it. The crust was a little crispy. There was nothing in common with what it used to be. It was terrible. The place is such a hole and always has a "B" rating but that was just part of the experience of getting a great NYC style pizza but now it's just depressing.
Also just to mention from reading the reviews here almost everyone who likes it is writing about having been here in the past- fond memories of it. I have fond memories too- but it has changed. It is not the Damiano's of even a year ago. A real loss for LA as pizza sucks out here. My husband is from Brooklyn and I know pizza...
I used to order late night from this place, until they started to not give a crap about you! I consider myself a very good customer, some friends would come over and we'd order an XL pizza almost every weekend, until they decided to send me the wrong pizza and then offered me $5 credit for a $50 dollar order.
Are you kidding me? I would like to speak to your supervisor...
....
....
Ok sure, he's taking orders at the moment now, would you like to stay on hold or accept my $5 credit?
30 minutes later.... still no supervisor
I hung up.
I don't blame the person on the line, since she was obviously doing her job as being the restaurant clown, but I blame management. It seems like this place has been around for quite a while... and thus has caused them to think very highly of themselves and not care about the mistakes they have made.
So what I really want say is that I don't support businesses that treat customers in that manner, and hope this entry will help persuade you not support this kind of establishment. They don't deserve your money, go somewhere that will appreciate your business.
Can't compare to Tomato Pie on Melrose. The only reason I'd ever call them for pizza is that Tomato Pie closes at 10pm.
I went over to a friend's house and we ordered a medium sausage and mushroom pizza at midnight in a drunken haze. Even in my stupor I couldn't help noticing this pizza was lacking in every way. The crust, the cheese, the sausage, the mushrooms, the price... nothing was what it should be.
It's not inedible, but I wouldn't eat there unless I had no other choice. I still have a bad taste in my mouth. Try something else.
Stinkum! There exists no thinner pizza in the freaking free world! These dumbbell's pizzas give new meaning to the phrase 'pan pizza'. Waaaay too expensive and tastes like cardboard. Yuuuuucckkk!!!
I and a friend were cruising Fairfax and spotted the Mr. Pizza sign as we crossed Beverly. I remembered how much I liked the pizza I had in the past at that restaurant so we decided to stop in for a slice.
Two slices, one with anchovies and mushroom and one with clams, two bottles of root beer, and we were proper. That is where it started to go wrong.
Two slices granted ,with premium toppings, and 2 bottled sodas was $15 and change. That was more than a one topping large according to the menu. I was about to ask them to recalculate the bill, there must have been a mistake.
But my friend reminded me, this was a real pizza joint, where the dough was thrown by a person, not formed by a machine. You pay for the best.
Our slices came and they were horrible, the crust was soddened with grease and reduced to soft mush. The sauce was industrial red that was a bit more peppery than its Smart and Final roots, and the cheese was overcooked and leathery bag mozzerella.
My friend had to fold her clam slice up like a burrito and it was so soddened with grease that she then had to wrap it in a napkin to eat it. I had to use a knife and fork to eat mine as I could not even lift it properly without the toppings falling off.
This was not the crispy crusted fresh flavored pizza I remembered, what the hell happened? I thought at first I had gotten the wrong restaurant, the food was horrible. Had they been bought by another owner? Did they just not care? How could they justify these prices for such horrible product. We left witjhout a word, there was just nothing left to say.
The bottom line here is that for this experience,we paid premium prices for inferior food, and we will not be back. There are far better pizza joints within walking distance, its just sad that the present is never as good as your memories.
It was the worst pizza I've ever had. I didn't want to pay but instead settled on a tip so bad I felt GUILTY about it.
Damianos, please remove the words "New York" from anything on or in the vicinity of your sacrilege restaurant. Campbell's tomato soup on high fructose corn syrup dough is not good and CERTAINLY not worth a $40 price tag. This place should be illegal.
When I'm being lazy, I'm a big fan of ordering pasta from Damiano's. It reminds me a lot of the inexpensive pizza joints back in NY and while I don't expect to be bowled over by their simple plate of spaghetti and meatballs, it more than satisfies me every time. They get busy and delivery can sometimes take a while so keep that in mind when ordering.
This place gets on my list because it's open late. Often it's hard to find a place open late that you can dine in. The pizza is soso, the salad I had was soso. Overall if you're hungry it's better than Canters.
Seriously guys, if you came here and ordered anything other than a pizza from a place called Damiano's Mr. Pizza, then you should be less inclined to make a negative review :)
I've been a fan of Damiano's for several years now that I've lived in West Hollywood and Damiano's, though more of an expensive splurge for us, is always deliciously fulfilling. We get an XL pie with ricotta, peperoni, and the standard cheeses & I've never been disappointed in it. it's our staple item and sure they have other goodies you could go out on a limb and try but you may as well try something they know how to do well.
I admit, there's not much of an ambiance at the restaurant but that's why they have this wonderful thing called delivery. Ahh the modern age.
Ok so earlier I wrote a review for this place and gave it like 4 stars. Unfortunately that review was based my experience from many years ago. I came back recently, maybe like a month ago and I didnt have the same experience, in fact it was worse.
So first of all my bf and I were really hungry and couldnt decide on where to go. I finally made the decision for pizza and took him here. Big mistake.
We decided we'd just take our food to go and enjoy it at home. After some time looking at the menu we made our choice. We waited in front near the register to make our order, but we were ignore by the girl behind the register because she decided that instead of helping the customers right infront of her, she was going to argue with the delivery guy about some customer who refused to pay for the order delivered. We heard the whole conversation because both the deliver man and the waitress were arguing right next to us. We waited patiently for a while until another waitress who was sitting in a booth making boxes noticed us. She smiled at us, looked at the arguing employees and decided she'd take our order.
I ordered a large lasagna and my boyfriend ordered the chicken bbq with bacon and artichoke hearts pizza. We also got an order of garlic bread and a drink. We waited for a while. The pizza was made first so they had to hold it in the oven until the rest was made.
No joke we spent about $40. So we take our food home and at this point I'm so hungry I'm drooling. We get situated and now comes the problem.
Lets start with pizza. This was a large bbq chicken with bacon and artichoke hearts pizza. Sounds yummy. The problem is that the artichoke hearts were not hearts at all but leaves, thats right folks they put the hard, nasty, inedible leaves on the pizza. My boyfriend called them and talked to that girl that was arguing before about the pizza, so she took it off the charge.
Now lets continue with the lasagna. What does a lasagna look like? Anyone know? Apparently this "Italian" establishment doesnt know what a lasagna is. Lasagna has layers of lasagna pasta, with layers of meat, and layers of cheese with sauce. In my round tin plate I find some melted cheese in a square shape, covered with red sauce. It smelled good and I was really hungry. When I put my fork in the lasagna, the cheese sank and the facade of the lasagna disappeared. In its place were long flat strips of dough stuck together maybe a half inch in a circle around the plate with meat and fetta cheese all around it and inside it. It was not a lasagna but something else. It was just some meat, cheese, pasta sauce in a mess with some flat pasta dough that has not been cut into pasta shape. WTF??? was this can anyone explain.
DO NOT EAT HERE!!!
Well dont order take out at least. Maybe if you complain about the food while you're there they might get it right but I'm never coming back here.
I gave it 2 stars because they're open really late and they have a really nice beer collection
Look this is a dark, dingy, moody place. You don't bring your first dates here, but if this is your… Read more »
The pizza here is soooo good. They have all kinds of toppings and everything is made to order. The appetizer shrimp scampi is really good, I dip the pizza in the sauce. I have had almost everything here and while it is pricey it is worth it. Now I did read a review where someone says the pizza that they sell by the slice sits there all day, I can guarantee that the pizza is freshly made because my friend works there. AND the pizza slices don't last long. I do give it 4 stars though because the service if iffy and if you go when it's crowded expect to wait for a table and your food once you sit down.
Good:
Open super late
Can deliver anywhere
Can buy pizza by the slice
Homemade sausage is delicious
Huge calzones (the small is enormous!)
Bad:
Ugly inside
Parking can be bad
Can get expensive
I find it funny that there is such a disparity in the reviews here. Personally, I like this place. Yes, it looks pretty bad on the inside and even from the outside it looks ghetto. However, I find their pizza good! I like the thin crust and flavorful tomato sauce. And, I don't think their pizzas are greasy. I've been to pizza places where you lift the pizza slice off the paper plate and there's an imprint. Not here. My favorite part is that when you're done with your hollywood activities, and you want something quick and not a full on meal, you can count on Damiano's for a good portioned yummy slice of pizza to tide you over.
This place brings back a lot of memories. I'd go here back in the early/mid 90's to have late night slices and sober up before driving (so LA, no?) after the bars closed (and lemme tell ya, they close early in these parts). Somewhere in my mind at the time, I managed to convince myself that I was eating something that resembled decent NY pizza. I think if you spend enough time outside New York and you might be able to do that. Perhaps you've never had real NY pizza and this is the peak for you.
I'm spoiled, because I do, in fact, live in the freakin' pizza capital of the world, aka Da En-Wahy-Cee. Damiano's would be average at the very best in New York, and perhaps not even that. One reviewer mentioned that the ovens in NYC are allowed to run hotter according to city ordinance. Not sure what this would account for, as I found the crust to be the most compelling part; it was lightly crispy, and therefore seemingly unaffected by a cool oven. The cheese, however, is low quality and not distributed with conviction. A Damiano's pie really does just look like dough, sauce and cheese all kind of thrown together. The sauce is thick and flavorless; loading up with garlic and oregano didn't really aid the situation.
But this place is an institution. There hasn't been a physical update since I lived in LA, and it didn't look like there'd been one in some time back then, either.
The hilarious part? They have sliding door glass refrigerators that are LOCKED... with gourmet root/birch/other sodas inside. They actually had to bring over a KEY to unlock the door so I could have a Boylan's Birch Beer. Another similar fridge has half bottles of champagne which is somewhat understandable (if not tacky), but seriously, locking up soda on Fairfax? How exactly bad IS the crime around that area? You really have to be a desperate criminal to steel a gourmet soda.
All of the above issues notwithstanding, the memories are still fond, and I'm glad I stopped back in Damiano's Bizarro World for a slice and blast from the past. Oh, and late night you can park in Cantor's parking, which is a bonus.
this place is about as divey as it can possibly get....however....i love the pizza here. its as good as mulberry and i love mulberry.
get the slice of pizza, not a whole pizza. its two different pizzas really it is.
its open 24/7 and will deliver any where in the city....really anywhere. can't beat that shit
still my go to pizza spot.
nothing's changed besides the bathrooms being cleaned.
well there are xmas lights over the tables now, no more candle power.
the pizza is still amazing. i tried a new brew from their great selection. and the service is just right.
big ups squared infinity.
i been going here since i was a wee lad. i love the ambiance of the place. the oldies on the radio,… Read more »
So here's the thing.... I have an affinity for hole in the wall joints. The cave-like dining room is right up my alley. And yet, I usually avoid spots that both look dirty, and have a "B" in the window, but when it comes to Damiano's I pretend not to notice.
The service is not great, be it delivery or dine-in, and the pies can take awhile. Also it is expensive; my pizza of choice is $30.
It's kind of like a bad relationship with amazing sex (in a old motel room). I know I will be treated sub par, but I can't keep my will up to stay away.
So, there was this whole incident, where my $5 topping didn't make it on the Pizza; and they argued that it was in fact there. I like to argue as much as the next girl, but not when I'm hungry. So I left the pizza on the counter, and took my money home. In less than 24 hours I was back for more, nothing else could satiate me. While I relinquished myself to the splendor that is their thin crust, perfect sauce (slightly sweet), mozzarella, and my signature toppings of gorgonzola and red onion I didn't feel the least bit guilty for giving in.
Later... when I finished, and tidied up, I felt a tad dirty. Then it hit me, Damiano's and I both know I can't get that anywhere else. So I will just stop telling my friends Mr. Pizza does me wrong... keep it on the down-low, and eat it for what its worth.
P.S. Try the house salad. It looks strange, but it is an excellent pre-pizza activity.
Up until last night, I had only tasted Damiano's delicious pizza by delivery. My best friend lived in hollywood for a year, and we probably ate their vegan pepperoni pizza more times than we slept.
let me break last night down: 12-3 am. 200 different beers to choose from. Two large pizzas, one vegan, one not. Vegan stuffed artichoke (better in theory). Laura v got a ridiculous calzone (vegan cheese, pesta, garlic, avocado + way more) which she ended up pouring beer over. She thought it was hot sauce. It was one of those nights.
I'd give it five stars if i wasn't broke now.
this place changed the way i think about vegan pizza...and i'm pretty sure pizza in general.
i don't…
Read more »
Avoid this place. It's expensive ($6 for a slice and a soda). The pizza tastes terrible and has the weight and consistency of a dead fish. The service is terrible. The wait is forever. Unless you're lucky enough to get a slice from a fresh pie, which you won't be, expect your reheated slice to have been sitting out on the rack all night.
One star for being open late.
One star for a ridiculous collection of hard to find sodas and beers.
| why go |
Because you are drunk on Fairfax and passing the time here is better than a DUI checkpoint; you can stay here after last call; it's kind of like daycare, in which the latch-key kids are swapped for grinning drunks.
Because you like thin and crispy pizza, the way it crackles between your teeth and the way it unleashes more flavor than the fluffy pizzas and their franchises, always sending you coupons in the mail.
Now, for hard-core New Yorkers, this pizza is in no way the West Coast cousin of Grimaldi's in Brooklyn. And we, Californians, have come to terms with this: we will never replicate NY-style pizza. We couldn't if we tried. Blame physics and chemistry for that: the Big Apple's water has different minerals, the fire codes over there allow for higher temperature ovens, etc.
| why you shouldn't go |
For a bargain bite. While it isn't terribly expensive, it isn't the best way to eat on a budget either.
| one night in September |
I ate two crispy slices at the counter and ignored their repository of chilled beer, as Diet Coke diluted my blood chemistry. A Korean teenager worked the cash register and wore a lip piercing. Her hair measured the length of her back. I asked how long it took to grow.
"Ten minutes," she said. "They're hair extensions."
"I couldn't even tell."
The rest of the night, her hands ran through her hair, guiding it this way and that. Two Asian guys sat down by me.
The red-faced-one said to the girl, "Hey, you can smile, you know."
She didn't oblige.
"Do you know her name?" he asked me.
"No." And if I had, I wouldn't have told him.
The other turned to me and said, "Hey, this guy's smart sitting up here. How long did it take to get your pizza?"
"Not long."
"We've been sitting in the back, waiting forever."
"It's too dark back there," I said glancing at the dingy recess.
He asked where I'd been tonight, so I gave him a recap. He asked what I did, so I said I was working on a novel. He pointed to his blushed friend: "Hey, he just finished a screenplay," so I didn't say anything; I didn't write screenplays anymore.
He said his name was Mike and he was an engineer for automotive parts.
"Polymers," I said.
"How do you know that?"
"Plastic makes the world."
The red-faced-one laughed, as though privy to my thoughts.
"Don't laugh again. It's scary," the girl said. "Don't you think it's scary?" she asked me and chuckled, "Ho, ho, ho!" like the old Jolly Green Giant commercials. After the men left, the girl told me her name, Amy, and that she was from Vancouver and still in high school. Her biography continued; she had dated one bartender at The Dime before; he had a thing for Asian girls; she had encountered many "a$$holes" as a pizza cashier -- one memorable offender punching her right across the counter.
New customers appeared: a stalwart man, arms printed in tattoos, and his drunken companion, a girl in a ruffle dress. Her eyes were lapidary, with lashes just as sharp. She wanted my seat in order to be close to Amy. The man admonished her. I didn't mind. I moved. The man mentioned a job with Blackwater to the girl.
"Blackwater, huh?" I said.
"You know them?"
"I hear about them in the news. They've done private security in Iraq," I said and kept quiet the popular opinion about Blackwater -- that it harvested mercenaries. His name was Kent and his contract would start soon. He was visiting from Atlanta. His friend, Stacia, was from there too, but lived in Los Angeles now, sometimes working at Damiano's for eight dollars an hour. The South was in their voices. Stacia spoke to Amy a lot, so Kent spoke to me a lot. I asked when he was going to marry Stacia.
"She thinks of me as her brother," he sighed.
"He's like my brother!" she echoed.
"Yeah, I've f*cked every one of her roommates. I've f*cked everyone except for her," Kent said.
Her smile took pleasure in this fact.
Kent pointed out that Amy was cute, but underage. He then said the age of consent in Alabama was 15, so if I were in a different state, f*cking Amy could be possible. I only listened. He was stating the facts, but not my wishes, as Amy didn't appeal to me that way. She was just a girl.
Stacia said she dropped a quarter down her dress.
I offered to find it.
Kent dipped his hand into her cleavage.
Around 3 a.m., I realized that I had work in the morning. I said bye to Amy, stepped outside, and right into the drama on Fairfax Ave; a man yelled at Stacia about how she shouldn't insult strangers. Cool and calm, Kent was holding back Stacia. I stood between the Southerners and the insulted man, but I didn't arbitrate. Eventually, the sidewalk cleared except for me and Kent.
In between cigarette drags, Kent provided the back story: Stacia never backed down; in Atlanta, she had confronted a white-supremacist-chick, well-known for trampling a woman's face into the gutter. Kent had also f*cked this neo-Nazi-girl until discovering his cousin was doing the same -- an honest mistake.
People are actually writing novel size reviews for this dump?
We wentin there during the day to get a drink ended up ordering food..
Buffalo Wings, Fried Zucchini & A Roast Beef Sandwich.
Tthe cooks were chillen & eating, probably the reason our food took so damn long.
Long story short The guy came out and said they didnt have buffalo wings...really? the food was bland, the drinks were warm. I felt like I was in a basement and being served by a guy who obviously hated his job.
Not Pleasant & Never Again.
Their cheese tastes kind of funny. Not gonna lie. Def not normal cheese.
That being said funny doesn't mean bad, it's really pretty tasty. A slice of cheese is 3 bucks, throw in another 30 cents if u want some pepperoni on that ish. They also have a pretty damn good beer selection and an absolutely bizarre ambiance due to their weird green lighting.
Yea canters is across the street is alot better but it costs almost 5 times as much depending on what you get so if u just want a snack and it's late this place is where you wanna be
if it's during the hours that normal people eat though, i'd hit up the ethiopian joints down the street
The inside of this place is ugly with a side of depressing, but it does have the best vegan pizza I've had in LA so far. Vegan cheese with vegan pepperoni? I've never found something that tasted as close to the real thing without crossing over into the creepy meat zone. A few weeks back I ordered up two slices and felt a pizza-fied satiation I haven't felt since I moved back to LA. The fact that this place is open late only sweetens the deal. I'll be sure to steer my drunk friends here over Denny's or Mel's the next time we're in the area.
My girlfriend and I almost never fight but one of our biggest disputes is over this place.
I think it is just OK.
She insists I need to try the Calzone.
I used to work a graveyard shift and it was known that after 4am, your last chance for food was this place and here is what happened on NUMEROUS occasions:
-They have delivered pizza to me with the cheese all the way on one side of the pizza.
-They have delivered pizza to me with NO CHEESE.
-They have delivered a sandwich to me that was on burnt BLACK bread.
but she is right, I've never tried the Calzone.
Now, I do enjoy Damiano's sometimes.
I like a slice to cap off an evening of drinking. Sometimes Canters is too expensive and Benito's is not in the cards but here is a scientific fact:
You will have a worse hangover on the morning after your consumption of a Damiano's pizza slice than if you did not eat at all. Don't dispute me. There are years of research in the above statement. That is SCIENTIFIC LAW. SCIENCE!
but she is right, they do use real ricotta on the Calzone. Not everyone does that.
An extra star for being open until 7am.
This place is really cool. Why? Well, how many pizza joints are like this one? None. The pizza is good. I am not saying it's the greatest, but the pizza is good, and when you try out some of their non-traditional ingredients you realize how good this place is. I've been to this place many times with my friends. We have a good time and we eat good food.
I've had a variety of different slices with different toppings and all have been good. Once I also ordered and chicken parmesan sandwich and it was huge and good.
I am not rating their soups, but if I did I would take one star away. The last time I was here, which was a few weeks ago, I ordered minestrone soup and you could tell it was from the can, yuck!! However, their infinite selections of beer balances out the soup.
My colleague ordered pizza from Damiano's the other day, and when we opened the box, this was what his pizza looked like:
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
Um, yeah...it did not look good and that's what the pizza tasted like. The cheese was rubbery. The slice was sadly limping. Now I remembered why I haven't ate at Damiano's for a very long time. I told my colleague that he should order from Vito's next time.
I cant give this place 5 stars, not because it doesnt deserve it, just because its not the type of place that should ever receive 5 stars. What I mean by that is, that this place is a landmark - its been a part of the Fairfax area for ages. I grew up in that area and this place has not changed a bit. Sure, the service changes like the weather, but thats mostly due to the waiters and waitresses that get hired & fired by the week. I think the boss must be a real jerk because on one works there for long, I can tell you that much. It seems the only staff that stays consistent would be the chef and the manager. I can only assume this because this would be the only consistency in Damiano's REMAINING as Damianos throughout the years.
Now, lets get down to the nitty gritty. The place is a slum. The food is just grub, simple as that. Dont over-rate the place and expect anything more from it. Its open ALL THE TIME and only closes for a few hours, this alone should make you understand the drab environment.
I like their pizza, any and every topping you can imagine.. nice and greasy the way its always been. Its one of those things you just take and eat after a night of partying.
Sure, there are low lives hanging around outside.. the usual locals. Funny that one of the crazies outside actually used to live in the same apartment building as me! But hey, we're all wacky... what can you do.
I love this place. I dont even live in the neighborhood but on occasion, dip out to revisit and rekindle the relationship. This place is great. I'de give 5 stars but that would make management cocky and I'de prefer them knowing that they are indeed operating a DUMP.
ps: To the guy who posted a pic of his pizza, good for you.. its supposed to be like that. Your pizza shifted around a bit, big deal. Eat it and shuttup, cry baby.
The only reason I'm writing this review is because I just attempted to order delivery from MR. PIZZA but he put me "on hold" for over 5 minutes. In the past, the pizza has actually been pretty solid. But time after time, the employees have demonstrated themselves to be total jerkoffs. I don't know if this is somehow part of their "New York" authenticity, or if they're all just bitter unpaid interns...avoiding customers, taking forever to bring out food, and bad attitudes are all things to expect. At the same time, these kids do have to deal with drunk assholes until 5 am. But regardless, it should be reserved as absolute last ditch effort when you need pizza and everything else is closed. if you wanna save yourself the grief, ENZO's (Melrose) has their shit together.
***UPDATE***
My roommate ordered Mr. Pizza last weekend, and everyone who ate it got food poisoining. I also talked to someone else who said they got food poisoning from there as well on a separate occasion. Thumbs down.
One of the best things about this place is that it's open late. That, and they have chicken marsala! Any place that serves a marsala gets place points in my book. But that's about it. I've had their calzone, while it's a pretty big portion and stuff with filling, the taste was just mediocre. It wasn't something that blew me away and say, "Oh my god, I HAVE to come back for this!" Nope, didn't do it for me.
As for the seating, when we went we got seated near the back of the place and I could barely even see my food. I wish they'd invest in some better lighting. I'm the kind of person who likes to see what I am eating... unless I'm at one of those eat-in-the-dark places, like Opaque, then I can make the exception. But Damiano's isn't advertised as an eat-in-the-dark type of joint so I can't make that exception.
I'll come back if I'm in Hollywood again drunk but hungry late at night. Or if I want a strawberry flavored beer. Other than that, I'll take myself over to Molly's for some greasy heart attack kinda food.
Blarg!
No thank you folks. Moving to L.A. was bad enough, expecting goat cheese pizza and toppings better suited for a salad than a slice, but man.... this pizza was cardboardy, even flatter than a NYC pizza if you can believe it, greasy as hell, and worst of all the sauce lacked flavor and tasted more like plain tomato paste from a can. And not say a can of Hunts-- more like that 30 cent store-brand can you find on the bottom shelf that was packaged in New Jersey.
I'm just glad I didn't have to pay for this, since our office treated us... but I think I was better off walking over to Subway after all.
Damiano Mr. Pizza has an impressive menu. A large selection of unique pizza toppings (probably the largest I know) and an abundance of various other dinners, pastas, sauces, appetizers, sandwiches, and beverages makes this restaurant a gem. Additionally, the ingredients are fresh and homemade, such as their meatballs and sausages. The ambiance either works to its advantage or against it, I can't decide. On the one hand, it's perfectly sketchy with dark lighting, 1970s worn-out feaux wood tables and booths, complete with tears, rips, and uncomfortable protruding springs. There's something pleasantly kitsch about that. On the other hand, it's just plain sketchy; the lighting makes it hard to see anything and it looks like a front for a drug dealing operation.
Yet price is the main reason it lacks a fourth star. While the pizza and selection is far better than most restaurants in LA, especially generic pizza chains, it's not that much better than other mom-and-pop places that charge far less. Consider Village Pizzeria in Larchmont Village. However better Damiano Mr. Pizza might be, especially in its selection, it's not $9 better than the other guy, which is roughly how much more they charge. And the selection of toppings doesn't make up for it. At some point, the toppings become relative (you can't put ALL toppings on one pizza, not least because of price), so ultimately the menu is more impressive than the pizza. Much more fundamentally, though, pizza should be inexpensive. Damiano Mr. Pizza is worth a try, but I will be hard pressed to revisit.
A big fat D-oh! For not reviewing this earlier.
As quarrygirl q. stated this place does break the pizza bank, but it's vegan. And vegan cheez pizza comes second only to the sweet nectar of the gods, otherwise known as coffee.
I recommend it highly to all the lacto-hating and vegan folks out there just looking for a slice.... of vegan heaven, that is.
This place is open till morning like 7am. Also they will almost deliver anywhere. We used to have them deliver in Long Beach for about $35 extra, but who delivers pizza at 3am. Also the pizza is hand tossed and excellent. This crust. I think this is one of the best pizza places I have had in Los Angeles.
((((Drunk Talk))))
This place is the joint! No complaints since its 3:30am, Im hungry, and I have 5 bucks left!
))))Sober Talk(((((
I just feel I don't need to bring my flashlight ever time I want to eat here. Sorry, but I like to see what my pizza looks like. Bring extra change for those bums that harass you in front. Don't they know I'm going through the same damn recession. Here's some crust for you, didn't want it anyways.
I'm lucky to have this place in walking distance from my office. I've been here a couple times with my co workers and I was very impressed with the quality of food. The food is fresh and a the portions are a good size. I've ordered the seafood pasta and the salad, both were good. My coworkers had the potato pizza and it looked so good, I have to try this next time. The restaurant is clean and modern.
A good place to stop by when you're in korea town, try it before your concert at the Wiltern.
:)
minus 2stars because its expensive & parking can suck
ive been here on sober occasions so yes, its good if youre sober.
pesto large enough for 2
dont order a slice & think that'll be enough..
bottle beer $4
vast vast beer selection
not the brightest waitresses ive encountered, but they probably get bad tips if these girls work the graveyard
i actually like the dark depressing vibe..
suits the fact that im eating greasy pizza all the way out in the boondocks
oh, & they deliver. & all hours.. my bf's friend lived down the street & he would get his stuff delivered in the middle of the night.. & i remember years ago, i had some stuff delivered out to the hollywood/highland area in the mid of the pm as well
My bf took me here for dinner because we were around the area and he wanted me to try korean style pizza because i've never had it before... and i'm so happy yet so mad that he did! I'm not a huge fan of pizza but now i am totally addicted to this! Sweet potatoes in the crust?! genius! My bf and I shared the regular sized Hanchi Pizza (i think it was about $16.50) and it was the perfect size to fill both of us up! Next time I'm coming back to try the spaghetti because he keeps raving about how good those are... well, we'll see what i end up ordering because the pizza was incredibly good!
oh, and for those of you who are curious, the place is really clean and the staff are extremely friendly.
HOLY CRAPSHIT! .. it tastes like middle school cafe food, again ....
$23.66 for a 1 topping, medium - with thin crust.
outrageous!
we were drunk and it was still horrible. .
i dont want to talk about it anymore, it's giving me a headache ..
open late, serves cheap wine by the glass and the pizza was friggin awesome.... the onions still had a bit of a bite to it.... there was other toppings on it, cant remember.... sausage and olives?? Anyway, if ur in the area.... its GREAT!!
when my buddies lived in hollywood we used to order delivery from here all the time. always great drunk food at 3am.
a few weeks ago we actually went in and had (late night easter) dinner. the pizza was delicious. the huge beer selection was almost overwhelming (almost). the calzones were amazing. the group of friends in the dimly lit low-key atmosphere was great. the bill that came at the end of it all hurt my feelings, tho.
ordered delivery again a few nights ago. 3am, the delivered all the way to echo park(!). we were drunk, and extremely impressed that they would deliver this far. i can't tell if the pizza really took 2 hours to get here, or if we were just intoxicated and starving....but it felt like forever.
minus one star just for the time factor and the priciness.
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Category: Pizza
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Neighborhood: Koreatown
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