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Little Joe's Pizzeria
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
5006 Mission St(between Italy Ave & Seneca Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94112
Neighborhood: Excelsior
(415) 333-3684
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- Yes
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Quiet
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
102 reviews for Little Joe's Pizzeria
Review Highlights
"The pizza crust is the best crust I've ever tasted."
(in 33 reviews)
"...w/anchovies) is simply the best old school Italian."
(in 6 reviews)
"I haven't tried the Mexican food here but why would you."
(in 7 reviews)
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102 reviews in English
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Review from Darcey K.
San Francisco, CA
8/19/2011
Best Pizza once again!!! Thin crust, extra delicious sauce, olives, mushrooms, snausage, garlic... mmmmmmmm
The main dinning area has deep red w/black velvet wall paper and padded black patten leather doors and booths. Makes it worth it going there to eat for the atmosphere alone. A photo shoot here would be pretty HOT too! -
Review from Nick C.
11/7/2011
Not sure why this place has 4 STARS. Some possibilities could be that there are few options for pizza in this area, so they rate it accordingly. While this may be the case, I find it far from 4 STAR quality.
Here are some of the reasons why this place does not earn 4 STARS:
Let's start off with their Crust: It has this texture of something that is oily, chewy, and stale. I know, it's a weird combination, but that is what me and my friend experienced.
Moving on to their Sauce: This is where I am completely baffled by some of the fellow yelpers raving about their "pizza sauce". I use quotes because I honestly don't think it qualifies as pizza sauce. So what is it? I have no clue, some sort of canned tomato ketchup flavored sauce? There is no way that their sauce is fresh. To make matters worse, there was hardly any on the pizza to begin with...which might have been a pro.
Finally there is their toppings: While they may be plentiful on the pizza, chopping up a bunch of toppings and throwing them on a pizza WITHOUT cooking them is pretty poor performance. It is like they cooked the pizza, then when the pizza was ready to come out they threw toppings on it.
Bottom Line: If you want good ole fashion greasy style but authentic NY Pizza go to Arinell Pizza on Valencia between 16th and 17th. If you want some good ole fashion Italian/Neopolitan style pizza head to North Beach...one of the better joints is Tony's Neopolitan.
If you still are persistent in trying this place, at least compare the amount of reviews and rating to other places in SF. -
Review from Justin H.
San Francisco, CA
11/8/2011
I'm not quite sure why this place has four stars? Am I missing something? Is it possible that the restaurants close to this place are so bad they prop up Joe's ratings?
Anyway, I stopped here for pizza based on its four star rating. The interior of the place looks like the restaurants on Restaurant Impossible before Robert Irvine fixes them up. The carpet was worn and dirty, the decor was antiquated, and the guy at the register was curt and not very helpful. However, my waiter was great.
So, I get it...this place gets it's high reviews for its food since it's probably mostly take out. Well that can't be the case. My pizza (pepperoni and mushroom) was very mediocre. I've had the same quality pizza from the little mediterranean market on Polk Street at 3am.
If people in this neighborhood think this is quality pizza, then there is a huge open market for a new pizza place in this area. -
Review from Alice E.
San Francisco, CA
6/22/2011 15 Check-ins Here
YUM. 4.5 Stars!
Pros: Close to my house.. fast delivery.. pizza with the perfect amount of sauce to topping to crust ratio.. I had the "yelp" recommended, pepperoni, mushroom and garlic... DAMN good.
Cons: None that I can think of...
If you order XL pizzas for take-out or delivery they give you a coupon that is on your pizza box. Collect XX amount of coupons for a free XL pizza. Sadly I didn't know it was only for take-out, so when we ate in I asked for one, and they told me this information :( I wish I would've asked before cuz I could've easily taken it home... -
Review from Christine K.
San Francisco, CA
7/13/2011
BEST NEIGHBORHOOD PIZZA JOINT!
I don't know how my Chinese immigrant parents discovered this place, but my family would order Little Joe's pizza all the time. We earned many a fair share of the free XL pizza with our cut-out coupons.
So literally more than 10 years later, I find myself dragging the hubby out here to get my Little Joe's on.
That pizza was SO GOOD!
Granted the inside is a little odd- a family bar and restaurant feel with fuzzy walls and vinyl booths filled with 49er paraphernalia. But all that doesn't matter because the Little Joe's Special (salami, sausage, and mushroom) gets in your belly and you are a happy camper! -
Review from David W.
Jersey City, NJ
7/21/2011
The bomb!
Period.
I'm from Jersey, lived in NYC, and have been to all the New Haven pizza joints you've read about.
This place is just great. Great people, great food, great atmosphere.
Good for kids, and good for anyone else.
I had their pizza delivered and it wasn't AS good, but when I go there I really love it. It feels like home to me; like Sonny and Michael are going to walk in any minute.
And their calzones are f-f-f-fantastic.
Thanks for being you.
(Sidenote: They use milk in their dough to add texture, so no pizzas are Vegan). -
Review from Pilan C.
5/27/2011
This place isn't fancy and doesn't look like much from the outside, but for what it is, Little Joe's is awesome. Little Joe's has been our post-softball hangout for years, and we keep coming back because the pizza is so good. Recently, we've been loving the pepperoni, sausage, and garlic pizza -- you better be ready because they aren't shy with their garlic! I don't like pineapple on my pizza, but some of my softball mates swear by the Hawaiian pizza there. Also, you must order the cheesy garlic bread, which is probably a heart attack in a basket, but it might be worth it.
Give this place a try, and you won't be sorry!Listed in: PIZZA!!!
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Review from Christin C.
San Francisco, CA
6/1/2011
Wow, I can't believe I haven't written a review for this restaurant yet considering how often we eat dinner here.
When you first walk in, it seems like any normal pizza joint but when you walk down the short hallway with the walls covered in Giants & 49ers memorabilia, the place opens up to a cute Italian restaurant. The walls are covered in this gorgeous red & black wall paper that gives off a sort of a Victorian gothic feel. The seats are made of black leather...even the door to the bathroom.
They have a lot of on the menu. I've never ordered anything other than their amazing lasagna though, which is the reason why we always come here. When I'm being awesome, I deserve their lasagna for sure lol. The mister usually orders either a pepperoni pizza or chicken pesto, both are delicious. Their pizzas are NY style, really good crust. They also bring out freshly baked bread with room temperature butter. Room temperature butter always deserves an extra star.
They also have Mexican food on the menu, kind of weird. I always try to get the mister to order something Mexican but he never does. He's no fun.
Hm, I think I'm going to suggest eating here tomorrow night. -
Review from Saul S.
South San Francisco, CA
3/12/2011
Little Joe's is probably one of the best pizzerias on earth and should be tried by everyone at least once, especially if you're from the 415/650. This has been our family pizza spot since I was 5 years old and still is to this day....even way back when they had a second location on Templeton Avenue in DC. We used to have pizza every friday night and took advantage of the pizza box stamp special (save 10 and get a free XL) which they still do to this day. I have taken my friends here and they all now go here whenever possible as well, even those from outside California. Fred and his family are the best, and we love going there for dinner.
Anyone that's from the neighborhood knows LJ's pizza has the best flavor, crust, and natural ingredients as toppings. If you can, I recommend that you go there to eat so that you can have fresh, out of the over, piping hot pizza as it should be enjoyed. It's a small spot and has a bit of a mafioso feel, but if you're a true local....Freddy's Niner/Giants sports wall will make you feel right at home within seconds. Friday/Sat nights get packed so the wait might be a bit longer, but its worth it. Take out is good as well so that you can take advantage of the pizza box coupon, but you might have a bit of a wait.....cuz you cant rush BOMB ASS PIZZA!! Plus you wont be the only one ordering....trust me. Try a large Pep/Mush/Garlic and you'll probably never want another kind of pizza again, trust me.... -
Review from Jack C.
San Francisco, CA
5/29/2011
My neighborhood go-to pizza spot. It's true Italian food by Italian chefs.
The competitor, Bravos Pizza up the block dont have sliced pizzas, so it's their loss.
Little Joe's pizza is decent and the guy behind the counter is always cool. Except that older big lady (the owner's sister I think.) She can be harsh some times and dont appreciate your business. But its no big deal since I always get to go.
The atmosphere is Italian.
I only ordered the pizzas there so I cant comment on their other food. But I am sure its equally great. Their pizza is fresh and made to order. You can taste it.
It's best to eat the pizza out of the oven asap when the cheese is melty. And ask for parmesan cheese. -
Review from Jay W.
San Francisco, CA
3/18/2011
Little Joe's pizza is the essence of the best San Francisco pizza! Try the Joe's Special... total carnivorous splendor! We also custom order a sausage, mushroom, and pesto pizza w/ red sauce that is superb. Little Joe's pizza has a quality that gets even better as cold pizza in the morning, and that's a treat!
My family has been ordering pizza here since the first 49er Super Bowl season in 1981 and they have been part of our family tradition since. We still order here at least twice a month and they continue to deliver that local quality that can not be replaced! God bless Little Joe's Pizzeria! -
Review from A J.
Palo Alto, CA
1/16/2011
We were near the Mission today and our trusty GPS led us to this pizzeria. Amazing slices for so cheap. We got 3 slices and a diet coke for $9. Try doing that at Pizza My Heart in Palo Alto.
Little Joe's uses awesome pizza sauce that actually covers the entire slice and the ingredients tasted fresh. They also customized the slices which was really nice.
2 thumbs up and 5 stars. -
Review from Peter B.
Tucson, AZ
2/1/2011
Little Joe's . . . I MIss You So . . .
While I'm a Bay Area Native, I only lived in your delivery area for 8-months. From the day I found you on Yelp, we ordered an extra-large, extra sauce, mushroom, sausage, pepperoni ~ at least twice a month; saved the 'buy 10-get one free' squares, and the night before I moved to Arizona, cashed in.
Thank You for the best pizza in SF (ranking, in my opinion, tied with Bambino's in Cole Valley; and I never made it to Little Star ~ so, you're still in my Book, upon my return. -
Review from Erin M.
San Francisco, CA
12/12/2011
Best pizza place I have found in SF. I order from them all the time.
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Review from Jimmy H.
Oakland, CA
4/5/2011 1 Check-in Here
Little Joe's is my favorite pizza place in the city. I order the the XL sausage, mushroom and garlic to go most of the time. When I'm feening for meat, I order the Little Joe's special. It's cool too that they give you coupons for a free pizza every time you accumulate 10 of them.
I haven't tried much of anything else on the menu but I hear that they're excellent, too. The wall of memorabilias is pretty impressive. I dont' dine in often. The lighting is a bit too dim for me.
Definitely give the XL sausage, mushroom and garlic a try! -
Review from Sachi P.
Santa Monica, CA
8/19/2010
I feel like domino's gives me better service
Now to be fair I've never dined in always take out...because its pizza and that's what you do
So whoever answers the phone has crap ettiquette and constantly makes me repeat myself....makes me wonder if he's going deaf, no speaka english or all of the above???
When the deliver guy finally got to our house (a whopping hour later!) he asked for cash when I had already told the man in the restuarant I was paying with my card....he never asked or the # or the expiration date which in hindsight was odd but I figured hey it's his business he knows how to work it...so that became an unneccessary ordeal which of course got resolved by paying cash
Now the acctual pizza did taste like they used fresh ingredients however they didn't include any pepper/parmesan packets and the pizza was not very hot when it arrived (and we only live 3 blocks away?????)
Overall not a great pizza, not great service, and maybe I should stick to what the mission does best...Farolito's anyone? -
Review from Squ E.
San Francisco, CA
7/22/2011
Hands down the best pizza in the city! The sauce is what makes this gem of a pie that makes the taste buds drool. They also get high marks for the decor of 49ers, Giants and Warriors memorabilia that transforms the walls into a walking museum...You haven't had Pizza til you've had Little Joes!
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Review from Carlos C.
San Francisco, CA
7/20/2011
Excellent pizza. I always order the pepperoni, mushrooms and sausage pizza and it is delicious. I like the fact that they deliver quite fast to the neighborhood or I can go to their place and enjoy it fresh off the oven.
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Review from Wilhelm Y.
San Francisco, CA
5/2/2009 4 photos
This is old school Italian the way I remembered it growing up in San Francisco. Little Joe's Pizzeria in the Excelsior has been around for a long time. I remember having their pizza as far back as the 1970's when my brother would drive down to the restaurant to pick up a big pizza for the family.
Over the years I'd order from them for home delivery, but it's taken me until now to finally step inside the restaurant for a dine-in meal. I walked in to spot a group of regulars hanging around the front of the restaurant, enjoying their food and watching the Giants game on a small television set. I told the gentleman at the front counter I wanted to dine in. He rang a bell to alert the waitress that I was on my way to the dining room located in the back of the restaurant.
If you like the color scheme of red on black and vice versa you will love the interior at Little Joe's Pizzeria. The bright red walls have ornamental black stencils applied on them and all of the seating is in soft pillowy vinyl decorated with buttons throughout (http://static.px.yelp....). All of the booth seating is in black vinyl and the individual chairs are in red vinyl. The entire room is decorated as such including the unique restroom door which was also upholstered in vinyl (http://static.px.yelp....).
There was only one waitress during my visit, and as other diners began to enter she proved that she could service each table quite efficiently. This included waiting, serving, busing and cleaning. Since I was the first of many to arrive she greeted me with a smile, gave me a booth space and a menu. Little Joe's pizzas and calzones are at the start of the menu with pasta, Italian dinner entrees, Mexican dinner entrees, sandwiches, desserts and drinks rounding off the rest of the menu. Since I've had lots of pizza lately I went straight to the dinner entrees and selected something I had not had in a very long time, Chicken Cacciatore.
Like a real Italian dinner one selection is geared towards filling you up and includes choice of soup or salad, French bread, pasta, vegetables and dessert, although dessert is not stated on the menu. I chose the soup. I had a choice between clam chowder and minestrone. I selected the minestrone, and asked for a Coke. The menu states that soft drinks include one refill. They also serve beer both on tap or in bottles and they have a huge wine list.
The first thing to arrive (other than my soda) was a cup of minestrone and a big basket with a big chunk of hot, crusty French bread and a dish of butter (http://static.px.yelp....). The fresh bread was delicious as I wasted no time smearing a thick film of butter on slice after slice and munching away. The cup of minestrone was super thick with lots of vegetables, beans and pasta in a rich vegetable stock. I was very surprised to not find any tomato in the soup, but the soup was very good nonetheless.
As I continued working on the delicious bread my big plate of Chicken Cacciatore arrived served with a side of steamed vegetables and spaghetti with chunky meat sauce (http://static.px.yelp....). The big chicken quarter was topped with a tomato-based sauce with big chunks of green bell pepper, sliced mushrooms, creamy soft onions, chunks of tomato and chopped black olives. The moist chicken meat was fall off the bone tender and actually absorbed much of the flavor from the rich sauce. I loved it. The spaghetti was slightly overcooked but the meat sauce was excellent. I wasn't fond of the steamed vegetable medley of cauliflower, zucchini, lima beans, carrot and green beans which was way overcooked and extremely bland.
I cleaned up everything on my plate with the exception of the steamed veggies. I even devoured all of the bread, and I was so stuffed that I had to turn away from my soda refill. When I asked the waitress for the check she suggested I stay for dessert first since it was included in the price of my meal. Surprise! I couldn't though. I was really stuffed! Wish I had known about the dessert beforehand; I wouldn't have devoured those last two slices of bread! Oh well, it was an excellent meal. I'll have to go back again whenever I'm feeling really hungry!Listed in: Viva Italia!, Excelsior Area Eats
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Review from kim w.
San Francisco, CA
4/4/2010
The wallpaper here is exactly what i wanted for my walk-in closet! I wouldnt have found this place if bffffffffff didnt bring me here. From what we ate, 3.5 stars, plus splendid service and very clean bathrooms=4.5stars!
Parking was a doozy, because we came to eat at 5:45pm, first ones there. Probably why the bathrooms were so clean. A man, dressed exactly like Luigi from the simpsons is at the front kneading dough for pizza! Gotta order one of those.
So we ordered 1 medium clam and garlic pizza, and the sausage spaghetti.
PIZZA was awesome! Spaghetti was a little watery, but i still liked it.
The bread was the best part! I dont know if they make it there, but they take it out from the oven, and its hot and crispy. I stuffed my face, and Little Joe's left me satisfied. (That's what she said)
The only thing i took off half a star was that it was pretty pricey for pasta and pizza. $45 plus tip is a lot of 2 ppl. :[ id come back again lol. -
Review from Ming S.
San Francisco, CA
11/3/2009
Dry, Salty, and over-priced - three words that pop into my mind when I ate here.
2 stars for the speed, order was ready in about 10 minutes. -
Review from Jeff S.
Mission Viejo, CA
7/8/2011
I would love to give this place four or five stars. It makes me happy to support quality local businesses when I can. The truth is, their pizza is very good (for SF standards), the sandwiches are decent for the area, and the prices are fair.
I rarely, if ever, drop stars for the "service" aspect of a place, but the fact is I'm subtracting two or three stars because the woman who works behind the counter is quite possibly the most miserable and rude person I've encountered in the food service industry throughout my fairly long (and gluttonous) eating career.
Let me begin by saying I have east coast roots. I get pizza in Brooklyn all the time and I've dealt with my fair share of rude restaurant workers. In fact, in an Italian place, it can even be charming if done properly (Mr. Grimaldi, anyone?)
However, this woman is just flat-out rude. It is one thing to be a bit of a pushy smartass, it's another to almost hold contempt for your customers. There are no smiles, no thank yous, no "how may I help you?"s. No, she just looks at you (when she finally decides it's convenient for her to make eye contact) and frowns and tells you how much money to hand over (in the form of a demand, not a request). She is very terse, including on the phone. I asked what came on the meatball sandwich to make sure there wouldn't be any mushrooms. She tersely responded, "meatballs, sauce, and parmesean." And then, what do you know? Mushrooms. At the end of the day, if she wasn't so rude to begin with, it wouldn't be a big deal at all. But seriously, sometimes people ask questions for a reason, ma'am.
I hope the owner and the extremely tan guy who work there (and are nice/decent to their customers) take note, especially since I can tell from reading other reviews that I'm not the only one saying this. The place is not exactly booming with business when I show up (I rarely see anyone inside, actually) and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who goes here much less often than I would if it weren't for this woman's terrible attitude. Moods and attitudes are contagious and I definitely do not leave Little Joe's feeling happy that I went there when she's working.
None of this is meant to be personally insulting. It's the truth. -
Review from OLGA M.
San Francisco, CA
11/18/2007
Originally, I would have given this pizza 2 or 3 stars...but not after tonight. I have had this pizza before, it's ok, but for the price, you're better off somewhere else. Try Venice it's good!
If it's absolutely a MUST to eat from here, order it to be delivered because the dine in service is horrible. Just that alone is making me never ever come back.
**Read on if you want to know the details of my experience**
So, my boyfriend and I were super hungry tonight, and he calls in so that they can start working on our order so we could dine in. They tell him that you can only order dine in while you're in the restaurant. Not wanting to argue, he agrees to pick up.
So we get there, and I, once again, ask the person who helps us if it's okay if we eat it there. I mean, why the f*** not? It's clearly visible that their dining room is empty and their waitress is sitting down, chatting with her co-workers.
And so he answers, "It costs more."
Having worked in customer service, there are tons of responses to that, like "Sure, not a problem...it's a bit more, I hope that that's ok."
Me: Ok......how much more?
5 mins later after heavy calculations.
Him: $1 plus tax.
Me: Ok, we'll take it for here...........(in my head: if its not too much work, we don't want to inconvenience you......)
Which at that point, I felt like just taking it home...which I should have.
Him: Any drinks? (indifferent)
Me: Yes, 2 cokes....
So we go sit down and the waitress brings out our pizza, and I say "thank you." Hmm, no response. Maybe because she had to actually get up, or maybe because we interrupted her television show.......or her conversation........ or both. She leaves for a few minutes, comes back with the drinks and 2 plates. Places them on the table, very indifferent, not even eye contact, not even a smile, nothing.
I felt like I was gonna be getting the pizza for free, NOT paying for it. I thought maybe I was getting something so extraordinary that they were doing US a favor. But no, I was wrong. Just regular, lukewarm pizza, the kind you get at a buffet or something. Not even, at least that one is hot.
I mean I wasn't expecting hot pizza, we had ordered it for take out...I'm reasonable. But being that we were going to eat it there, they could have, say popped it in the oven for a minute....even the microwave for heaven's sake. But no, I guess I was expecting too much for a $26 large pizza.
Not a word from her through out the entire meal....and she was our waitress...awkward....bad service.......no, horrible service, and overall, a horrible experience.
And all why? Because we asked for a free pizza??? NO! I think that I would have gotten better service if I would have been homeless, walked in and asked for food.
BUT Because we wanted to eat our order THERE? Because we chose to give your business more money by not only eating there and ordering some of your overpriced drinks? Who knows....beats me.
Any how, she brings our check out with a box and just "places" them on the table and walks away. Not a word. I don't even know if she can speak. Oh wait, I saw her speak to another table. Nevermind. No excuse. So we place $32.27 on the table, not a penny more. $32.27! For a medium looking, "large pizza" and 2 ice cups with a hint of soda?? Judging from the price and the temperature, I thought they had imported the damn pizza all the way from Italy.
And I ALWAYS tip at least 20%. But the service was just sooooooooo unacceptable....I just couldn't leave anything...nothing....no tip....tips are for either ok to good service OR good food.
I will definitely not come back here again or order for delivery. I understand that some employees are sometimes rude and that's the way it is. And there is not a high expectation from restaurant employees.
But this wasn't fast food or a chain restaurant where bland customer service is expected. Even the people at McDonald's are friendlier...and if that doesn't say enough about this restaurant's service, then I don't know what does.
This is a small, probably family owned. And this was bad service not from one sour person, it was from the THREE people that we came into contact this evening and no hunger will ever be enough to come back here.
I'm big on customer service and this was much more than a disappointment-- it was a disaster. I have come to dine in about two times before, and never was the service good. It passed unannounced before, but not tonight.
Bad service can ruin your meal and that is exactly what it did. Service is like a side dish, it can make or break your appetite.
How bad must have the service been to ruin MY appetite?? Must have been terrible....I love to eat...anybody can tell you that. But tonight, after two small slices, the once grueling tiger in my stomach was sound asleep. -
Review from brian w.
San Francisco, CA
2/25/2011
Horrible customer service . Ordered my pizza at 6:05 finally canceling my order at 7:40 , this is after I had called twice and was told each 15 more minutes , mind you I live a few blocks away on Russia . To top it off the woman on the phone had the audacity to be extremely rude to me on the phone , I don't care how good the pizza is with customer service like that I'll go across the street to bravo just as good but better service
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Review from Perci N.
San Francisco, CA
9/4/2009
SALTY.
Great, fresh toppings. Great cheese. SALTY tomato sauce. SALTY dough. Notice the things that taste good are things they do not make themselves.
So SALTY, I got a headache after two slices.
I almost wanted to like it. It's definitely better than Pizzeria Craptastica. Both have around the same number of stars. Both also cost almost $30 for one pie. I'm sorry, but this is highway robbery, when you realize the ingredients cost under $3, and the cook time is under 5 minutes.
Also, anyone who considers this thin crust needs to get their heads checked. It's doughy, not crisp, and around an inch thick at the edges. Just look at the picture. That is not thin crust.
If I had knocked back two cheap American beers before starting the pizza, I wouldn't be bothered by ALL THE SALT. But hell, at that point, why am I paying $30? I could get a $10 pizza from Domino's and not taste the difference.
If you eat out all the time, you're used to much saltier food than most people. Restaurant food always has extra salt. It's a cheap flavor enhancer. You might not mind it. I do. This place has saltier pizza than anywhere else I've tried. Two and a half stars. -
Review from Xta F.
Houston, TX
7/23/2011
Ordered a delivery from this place. The person taking my order was rude and kept trying to cut me off before I'd finished placing my order. When I asked for sauce on the side of my spaghetti, she told me the kitchen was going to kill her, as if my request was going to ruin their whole routine. COME ON! After all the grief she gave me for the business I was giving them, our order showed up at the house incomplete.
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Review from Rick C.
San Francisco, CA
6/4/2008
Something about pizza that taste better the next day has me giving this place a mixed review.
Ordered the Little Joe's Special. Got it home and the noticed the box was almost soaked through. Some wax paper would have probably fixed that. Needless to say the pizza was pretty much glued to the box once it started cooling down. Trying to get a slice out of the box was like performing open heart surgery. Once I was finally able to extrapolate a slice, it wasn't very good. (1star)
Next day, decided to warm a slice in the oven (don't ask me why) and man...it was good (3 star)
I'm gonna rate them based on the average of the "two different" pies and give em 2 stars. -
Review from Matt S.
San Francisco, CA
10/3/2006
This is the best pizza place I've found in my area so far (quality and value wise-- north beach is a bit better, but overpriced).
Order an x-large for delivery, and each box comes with a cutout proof of purchase. Get ten and they give you one for free. The pizza isn't the best in the world, but so far it's way better than Bravo, Roma, and Venice. It's still pretty damn good.
Edit: I've been going there for a while, and it keeps growing on me. The crust is nice.Listed in: Excelsior
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Review from Bacala B.
1/4/2008
First a note to the poor lost Yelpers:
If the address at the top of the listing says 5006 Mission St, and the neighborhood is listed as the Excelsior, you can be reasonably sure this is not your favorite little place on Columbus, Broadway or Van Ness that closed down and has now relocated to Eddy St.
As for this Little Joe's, the one on Mission in the Excelsior, it's a throwback. They've been making great pizza for decades and I've been eating it for most of that time. Simple stuff done very well. What more do you need? The crust is perfect, the sauce is delicious and they are generous with the toppings. Vintage decor that I hope stays forever. They do offer full restaurant menu including Mexican food, but to be honest it's been so long since I've had any of it I do not remember what it's like. We did see some very good looking Fettuccini Alfredo delivered to the table next to us last time....
Check it out and fill your belly. -
Review from Erin M.
San Francisco, CA
8/29/2011
OMG! Best pizza ever and only $2 for a slice of cheese. Honestly I can't get enough, and open late for a late night snack after going out. Everyone I have introduced to the place loves it!
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Review from Mike V.
8/31/2005
I hate to admit it but sometimes, when we've made fresh pasta, we just go there for the sauce, take-out of course.
Please don't tell my Nonna! (fear the malocchio)...ps: if you read this and actually know what this is, you are welcome to come to dinner anytime.
You can park in front while a hungry passenger sprints inside.
Narrow spaces though so if you can, and this takes some timing since you are on Van Ness, try to back in.
You could park around the corner, or circle the block, but that would give said passenger ample time to dip one or more spongy pieces of sourdough into the sauce, pasta or both. You have been warned.
On a personal note, I miss the old location(s)
And for to the previous reviewer:
1) how could you possibly not like this place
and
2) HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY NOT LIKE THIS PLACE ON 4/20!?!?! .....It boggles the mind, stoner or not. -
Review from crutonic l.
San Francisco, CA
10/16/2010
Really nice old family style pizza place.
Has that old sopranos aesthetic. Very friendly staff and delivery guy.
I go for jalepeno, pepperoni and pineapple. -
Review from Mariela D.
San Francisco, CA
Don't let the antiquated 1970's decor throw you off. Yes, they may have red and black wallpaper, fake plants and ceramic ducks, but they also have AWESOME pizza.
The Everything (toppings are self explanatory) pizza is my favorite. Not only do they pile on the toppings, but the vegetables have just the right amount of crispness - not soft like other pizza places. The crust is actually soft, so you want to eat it instead of tearing through it like a chew toy.
Although I haven't tried them, they also serve calzone, pasta, and even Mexican food. But pizza is definitely their forte. They've been around for decades for a reason! -
Review from Mike J.
San Francisco, CA
7/3/2011
I'm a regular at Little Joe's and Fred and his crew always serve up fantastic pizza with a smile. I love Gialina, Delfina, Tony's and all the other great pizza places in this city but don't always want to spend the money or time that it requires to get a pie from those places. This a great Excelsior tradition and should be supported by all pizza lovers in the area.
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Review from Günter v.
San Francisco, CA
7/8/2011
Little Joe's, your pizza tastes like jesus. Keep up the good work.
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Review from Monica G.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 7/23/2010
I've been a customer of Little Joes for the past two years, and they're super awesome!
The owner always says hi to me, and chats with me whenever I'm waiting for my order at the restaurant.
I typically buy the Meat Ravioli (which is delicious!) and a caesar salad. Their pizzas are very good too! Not dripping in oil, and their pizzas have thick crusts.Listed in: #1 SF Best of the Best, Take out / To go/ Delivery, Best of my neighborhood
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/14/2008
I stumbled upon Little Joe's about 2 years ago. I was doing a video community project for the… Read more »
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Review from Carla C.
San Francisco, CA
12/26/2006
I can't give this place less than 5 stars because otherwise my family would disown me.
With that out of the way, the new location has nothing on the old Broadway spot. Is it odd that as a small child I knew we were close to the restaurant when we began to see strip clubs? Well, at least it didn't scar me. Side note: anyone else remember the creepy stairs down to the old bathrooms?
Back to the present, and rest assured that the Van Ness location has equally odd facilities, but the food remains unchanged and Franco the owner is just as unsettling/amazing as always. If your dish comes with a side, hit the rigatoni with meat sauce. Trust me.Listed in: Russian Hill, Family Legacies
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Review from Smooth R.
San Francisco, CA
7/12/2008
I love pizza myself among other fine Italian foods but this place is lame. I was in there like 10:30 pm one night and the joint was empty. (no customers) They had more delivery boys there than anything else. I did them a favor. First off I came in and gained eye contact with this young lady at the register. She was all talking to this guy (the boss) I assume and they didn't even say anything. No "Hello or How Are You?" OK, I walked in there with my lady and grabbed a fold up paper menu. The boss guy asked "what I wanted"..I should of said a greetings..
To make a long story short after I got the pizza they never said "Thank you" The hell with them. I just think if I'm a customer that customer service is appropriate..The pizza was lame as well, Soggy after 10 minuites. The topping falls right off when you pick up a slice.There was hardly any taste!. Next time it's going to be Round Table! -
Review from Roger P.
Daly City, CA
2/23/2011
I really like the pizza at little joes.They have good sauce and fresh ingredients. It has an old Italian vibe to it which gives it character. I love places like that
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Review from Lauren D.
Plano, TX
2/1/2010
All of the negative reviews cried about salty pizza so I figured hey...I like salty, maybe this ones for me.
I liked the pizza and the crust. I did not feel that any of the components were salty in the slightest. The crust was a little bland but was a good texture and soft on the inside. The sauce was so-so..very plain but it wasn't smothering the pizza which I was happy for.
The pie was reasonably priced and I will likely order from this place again. My mind still boggles at the salty comments unless the owners read the reviews and changed their recipe since those were written.
This is the *only* delivery where they've actually required me to present my credit card. Weird.
