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Little Star Pizza
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
400 Valencia St(between 15th St & Sparrow St)
San Francisco, CA 94103
Neighborhood: Mission
(415) 551-7827
- Hours:
Mon-Thu, Sun 12 pm - 10 pm
Fri-Sat 12 pm - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Hipster, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1349 reviews for Little Star Pizza
Review Highlights
"This by far is my favorite place for deep dish pizza."
(in 808 reviews)
"Cornmeal crust is crunchy and moist, love it."
(in 132 reviews)
"Garlic bread- was possibly the best I've had."
(in 156 reviews)
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1349 reviews in English
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Review from Joyce L.
Updated - 2/4/2012
all I want to say is when it comes to deep dish pizzas around the east bay and SF, there are a few places that do it well, but what makes Little Star my favorite is their cornmeal crust and that perfect amount of tomato sauce that allows me to taste the other toppings in the pizza.
ahhhhhh.....1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/29/2010
The Mission has so much great food and this little corner restaurant did not disappoint! The… Read more »
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Review from Johnny W.
2/8/2012 3 Check-ins Here
Having been back several times now, I maintain my stance that Little Star is far tastier than Zachary's over in East Bay. But, I will admit that the cornmeal crusts are a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing. I find them reminiscent of croutons: airy, crunchy, and almost cookie-like in texture. Personally, I like this more than I do regular crusts (which I'll often toss away), but I know a fair number of people who dislike it, and/or consider it too "healthy".
Not that they don't suffer from a slight saltiness problem though. While the flavor is great, and the first slice is usually fine, the salt starts creeping up on you by the time you hit your second or third piece. Fortunately, I'm usually comfortably full after a single slice, so this becomes a somewhat moot issue for me.
Waits can be a bit long around dinner time, with my longest having been almost 45 minutes. Pro tip: order in line about 30 minutes before you're to be seated. That way, your deep dish pizza will be there to greet you by the time you sit down at your table!
If you'd rather wait, or manage to be seated quickly, and want an appetizer, the garlic bread is a popular, and interesting, choice: a loaf of sourdough is served alongside butter, and an entire glove of roasted garlic, resulting in a DIY garlic bread of sorts. -
Review from leslie t.
Washington, DC
1/31/2012
The deep dish pizza at Little Star is fabulous-- the buttery cornmeal crust is what makes it truly standout in comparison to other pies.
The ambiance of this location fits the vibe of the Mission quite well-- artsy, dimly lit, and packed with loyal fans.
My friend and I ended up ordering a small deep dish, which is the perfect size for two hungry people. The garlic bread is tasty-- served with a whole head of roasted garlic which you can rub on your bread with butter. -
Review from Mel G.
San Francisco, CA
1/29/2012
Yup, this place definitely lives up to the hype. Tip: coming in the middle of a weekend afternoon is a score -- Joe and I came in around 3 or 3:30 pm on a Sunday afternoon, and there was no wait, and just a few other tables worth of patrons. (I tried coming here on Friday w/some buddies, the wait was about an hour).
We ordered the Classic thin crust pizza, and it was delicious: the sauce had the right amount of sweetness (definitely prefer my pizza a bit on the sweeter side), the crust was unbelievably good without being too doughy, and the toppings were fresh and crisp. Yum.
Definitely a contender for some of the best SF pizza I've had to date! -
Review from John S.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
I live down the street from the Divis Little Star, so there's really no reason for me to ever venture out to the Mission for Little Star. But when Delfina's Pizzeria--which is apparently different from Delfina, as I was snobbily apprised of by staff members at each "separate" establishment--couldn't hold the big homecoming party of a certain gallerina-turned-second-curator-in-command in a certain Southern state whose state university's mascot is an octopus for some baffling reason, we moseyed on up Valencia because, well, Little Star is a certain kind of it.
I had what I always have at LS, the vegetarian special or whatever. There were many of us, and I did some stuff I hadn't done in a while. I didn't follow up on any of it, but I was a gentleman and walked a certain lady to the 16th Street BART station because, well, I'm a gentleman. And I care about people, even if I don't know them and may never see them again. And it's 16th Street, after all.
But because we were all being prim and proper and because I was doing less scarfing down than I normally do, there was pizza left over. And exactly three of us lived in San Francisco, so I got the veggie-pizza take-home box. So as I rode the 22 home and tried not to think about how badly I had to pee and how long it would take me to walk home from the corner of Fillmore and Oak in the cold and with a remarkably smaller or less able or whatever bladder than I've ever known, I thought about how much I would enjoy this leftover pizza. And how I always seem to screw things up in the least awful way possible.
So here's to attractive, affable artists and a certain adorable nephew who confuses the words "crime" and chime," rather habitually. -
Review from Emily D.
1/15/2012
1/2 of the Dream Team had their 24th birthday yesterday, and picked up pizza to go before our night of libations. She got the Little Star, and they included a slice of cheesecake.
I really loved the thick cheese, acidic tomato sauce, and punchy garlic. But the crust reminded me of Chuck E Cheese. Straight up. (It tastes NOTHING like Chuck E Cheese pizza, I swear, it just reminded me of eating pizza at Chuck E Cheese. Probably because we were eating it for a birthday celebration and there was a gigantic cake and a lot of beer. You'd think both of those would have not reminded me of Chuck E Cheese.... I mean, what kind of messed up childhood did I have? But it did.)
And their cheesecake.... oh... my.... that was some of the best I've had in SF. Well done, Little Star. -
Review from georgefromsf g.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
I love pizza. Being from the east coast, I have an expectation of what is the best pizza. Going to a fancy restaurant to have pizza is not important. My favorite pizza in New York and Philadelphia are little places where you order pizza slices to go or call in and have it delivered to your home. Little Star is one of the few sit down pizza restaurants that serves pizza I would recommend out here on the west coast.
I do not like most of the pizza places I have tried in San Francisco, but Little Star and Arinell's are an exception because their pizzas are similar to east coast pizza in appearance and taste.. -
Review from Kelly T.
1/23/2012
Maybe the best Chicago style pizza I have ever had. I mean it!
There is something special about the crust that I love. I feel like everything is always very, very tasty here and the service has always been simple and straightforward.
It is a bummer to have to wait a while for a table, but if you plan on it, it's not so bad.
I've done takeout here before as well, and it's the way to go if you have a larger group or are in a hurry.
Also, just know that whatever zesty goodness is in the sauce, it seems like it's better the next day, so save your leftovers and DO NOT leave them in the car like I sometimes do! -
Review from Erin C.
San Francisco, CA
1/23/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hard to not have to wait at least 30 minutes to get in, but it's well worth the wait. Deep dish pizza is the way to go! And the roasted garlic bread. For two, you can easily share a small depending on your appetite or get a large and take some home. The cheesecake is nom nomy.
I'm always happy and satisfied after leaving Little Star - you really can't go wrong. -
Review from Patricia Q.
San Francisco, CA
1/9/2012 1 photo
Little Star exists to destroy new years resolutions. I went here last weekend for a friends 22nd birthday dinner. We endured the irresistable smell of deep dish wafting through the doors for 2 whole hours while we waited outside for our party of 10 to be seated.
Needless to say, I was very hungry by the time I sat down and my resolve to stick to just one slice of pizza crumbled along with my new years resolutions by the time I had my third slice.
Oh well, resolutions were made to be broken. This place is no joke--the crust is so good and who knew, the thin crust pizza is dare I say it--even better?
Come here with a good appetite and lots of patience. -
Review from Frank A.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
The thin crust white pie is awesome. The dry rub chicken wings are incredible. The Boont Amber was a great beer. My mouth is watering as I write this.
I would honestly give this place five stars but, and this is a big but for me, the tables are so close you are practically sitting in other peoples laps. Your definitely involved in their lives and know a little too much about them by the end of the meal. Last night I had to experience this couples awkward first date on the right side of me and several other conversations I wish I would have missed on the left. Seriously, you have to squeeze between the tables. -
Review from Nija M.
Mountain View, CA
1/28/2012
While I would love to give this place more stars, the service is the worst I've ever encountered. We were quoted an hour wait for 6 people. 90 minutes later, we gave up and ordered take out as we saw multiple parties of 2 walk in and get seated immediately. I understand it's a small space; it is, however, not small enough that pushing two tables together is impossible.
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Review from Mike P.
Eldridge, CA
2/3/2012
The pizza was good, but the service was really awkward.
Once I was seated, one of the servers kept squeezing in between the table next to us and our table. What made this awkward was that her bottom was pretty much six inches on our table every time she squeezed by. She spilled my beer a few times by doing bumping in to it. I understood the place was crowded, but an excuse me or a fore warning would have been nice. I was also concerned for sanitary reasons, because she was wearing really short shorts.
Her necklace said Blake, I'm assuming that was her name? On top of that, she gave overall bad service. I'd be willing to go back again for the pizza under the condition there is a different server working. -
Review from Melissa L.
San Francisco, CA
2/2/2012
Okay there's lots of good pizza in SF despite what some might say. Little Star is still my favorite. I prefer the deep dish but the thin is also great. Perfect for takeout on the way home.
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Review from Trishie L.
Pacifica, CA
12/22/2011 1 Check-in Here
blah blah blah bandwagon fan
blah blah blah garlic deep dish pizza with extra cheese and their specialty garlic sourdough bread that comes with a whole roasted garlic to go, Double yum. Service was so/so but i'm starting to think that's an SF thing and maybe people who work in the city have to be serious and not friendly, is it some sort of unknown law? who knows pizza's great, parking sucks. service..so so. I'll come back but only if i dont find another place with awesome deep dish pizza and fantastic service, sorry little star! -
Review from Corinna K.
Seattle, WA
12/14/2011 1 Check-in Here
Mmmmm, pizza. Mmmmm, thin crust. Wait, deep dish? No, thin crust. Screw it, BOTH.
Little Star somehow manages to make excellent deep dish AND thin crust, which is fairly unusual. We sampled the Classic (deep dish, sausage, mushrooms, onions, green bell peppers), the White Pie (thin crust, garlic olive oil base, mozzarella, roasted zucchini, fresh tomatoes, feta), and because my family is a bunch of fatties, the chicken wings. The wings came out first and had this amazing crunchy crust - not breaded, thank god, but just seared with spices. I'm not typically a wing person but I was fighting my brother off with every utensil I had to get at those wings.
When the pizzas came out I got very, very excited. And then I put them in my mouth. The white pie had a perfect crust, crunchy and substantial enough to hold onto the toppings but thin enough not to overwhelm. That pie was GOOD. I was pleased to note the cornmeal crusting the outsides of the deep dish classic, and was doubly pleased when I forked off my first bite. Perfect sauce, good balance of ingredients, substantial and satisfying crust...I honestly can't say which pizza I preferred. They were both outstanding.
Little Star definitely makes it onto my short list of "I'm in the Mission but don't want a burrito or a booze dinner" restaurants. Which, granted, is not a list I have to turn to often - but perhaps now I will consider it more often.Listed in: Yay Area
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Review from Ali A.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
I dont know what the hype is about little star. I ate here two years ago and it was really average lots of tomato sauce and virtually no ingredients on the pie. I remember leaving, feeling underwhelmed and kinda ripped off. Lol
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Review from Thomas K.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
The classic deep dish pizza with mozzarella, tomatoes, sausage, olives and ricotta was excellent! Prices are very fair given the quality of the food.
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Review from Shirley P.
San Francisco, CA
Best of both worlds, thin crust and deep dish. Little Star makes 'em so good I can't help but to order both!
I'm a red pepper flake girl, on my pasta and on my pizza... anytime and anywhere. The zesty sauce that tops the sausage and veggies in the Classic is one of the best I've ever tried. I completely forget about the red pepper flakes! The deep dish crust is unbelievably light and crisp at the same time, with a hint of sweetness from the cornmeal crust. I can easily order one of these and keep it to myself. Easy.
The thin crust is just as amazing, and if dining in, order this first and eat it as you wait for your deep dish. The pesto in the Pesto Chicken has a nice thickness to it, and is swirled around your thin crust pizza topped with chicken, onions and mushrooms. Not too filling, but delish! Leftovers stay crisp.
I've eaten in and also have ordered for pick up. I've heard such great things about the garlic bread, so I ordered it for pick up. Big mistake. The concept of assembling your own garlic bread just loses it's appeal as you unpack the warm bread out of the foil, take the container of melted butter out and look at your roasted garlic thinking... now what? It's also not as enjoyable when you already have your pizzas there in front of you! Skip this if it's to go!
Eat in or take out... Thin crust or deep dish... Little Star is the way to go! -
Review from Jason B.
12/21/2011
Little stars.
Even though there are quite a few things to like.
Exposed brick interior is just my style. Pie is ready within thirty minutes of calling in an order. Space is buzzing with pretty much the entire neighborhood anxious for a slice. And the cheese, chicken and artichoke pizza was very good.
Perfect.
If they charged $15 for a large two topping pizza. Not $23. At that price I expect to be left needing to grab the nearest sketchy stranger on Muni and process my love for Little Star. Wasn't inspired to do that. Not even close.
Good. And overpriced. -
Review from Ruby R.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
great pizza spot! the hostess and our waitress were really sweet and very informative when we had questions about their wine selection. The ambiance and aesthetics were great, loved the brick wall. We ordered garlic bread, half classic and half Mediterranean deep dish, and a bottle of wine. Everything was great and the service was excellent. We were one of the last parties there that night and they did not rush us to finish even when all the other servers were by the bar waiting to close. The entire staff was great and very relaxed.
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Review from Athena S.
12/6/2011
C A R B A L I C I O U S!
With only a 5 minutes wait last night *note Mondays are not busy* A friend and I split a small (though big) delicious mixed green salad to start followed by the Mediterranean chicken deep dish. The thin is good too (especialy the white pie) but the deep corn crust is the only proper way to introduce a newbie to Little Star. AND one must get the pesto dressing to dip in. But that's only if you can handle garlic.
Damn oh Damn, I just can't understand why some people eliminate carbs from their world. That would be my definition of hell on earth.
Little star is an absolutely terrible place if you are concerned with calories. :) If you are, definitely skip this joint and nosh on your iceberg lettuce diet.
Like it matters but I still like the Divis location better, maybe because I've been there so many more times.
So Oakland has Zach's and yes it's amazing but SF has Little Star and it's pretty fkucing amazing too.
Yum,
MEListed in: This SF Native speaks...so…, why I work out
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Review from Dominique Y.
Campbell, CA
12/26/2011
Little Star, please invest in a sign ! Newbies like me will NOT be able to find you otherwise ! They have tinted windows, NO SIGN and as for as I can remember, no actual lights or anything indicating that this place isn`t actually vacant.
That said, this place is good ! It`s definitely a "fancy" pizza place--nothing like Papa John`s [which, don`t get me wrong, I LOVE]. The setting is a bit intimate and the wait can be pretty lengthy. But.. their pizzas are really, really good ! Thin crust + deep dish + not too oily = :D :D
My two girlfriends and I ordered the Mixed Salad and the Little Star [spinach, ricotta and feta cheese, mushrooms, onions, garlic]. We almost got talked into ordering a large, but two of the three of us had been snacking like little monsters beforehand, so we settled on a small. The salad was surprisingly tasty ! I was left wanting more [always a good sign]. Then came the pizza. At 9" and a good 2" deep, it was enough for three small appetites. I was a tiny bit hesitant about the mushrooms [yuck], but you can`t even taste them. Instead what you taste is just.. deliciousness. The ingredients meshed well with each other and nothing overpowered the other. Despite being a deep-dish, it wasn`t overwhelmingly heavy either.
My *only* complaint is that prices could be just a liittlee bit cheaper. But that`s just me. Certainly won`t prevent me from coming back ! -
Review from S.R. N.
San Francisco, CA
1/1/2012
Heard about this place from a guy that works at the bowling alley we frequent with friends of ours.
This is the 1st time I've ever had deep dish pizza and it was AMAZING!!! We ordered the BrassMonkey and everything about it was absolutely DELISH!!! The filling was so fresh tasting at the buttery crust was to DIE FOR!!!
The service was just so-so which is why I knocked off a star but everything else was just fabulous.
Its a small quaint place that gets packed really quick so plan your visit accordingly. -
Review from Stefanie F.
Long Beach, CA
1/26/2012
Caprese salad was so delicious and the thin crust pizza was awesome!
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Review from Adrienne g.
San Francisco, CA
11/16/2011
If you're a deep dish, thick crust loving girl like me, then Little Star is totally for you
If you're a thin crust loving individual, Little Star is still totally for you
Ordered a bunch of take out for movie night at a sick friend's place b/c pizza allows us to each get our ideal combo - as we're all picky, persnickety, so-n-sos - & this sets us up for maximum movie enjoyment
Thin Crust - pepperoni & mushroom for the diseased one.....she really liked how the crust wasn't too thin to be floppy but not thick for too much bread ( I don't know what the heck this last comment means since there's no such thing as too much crust )
Veggie Deep Dish w/ Pepperoccini & Sundried Tomatoes added - the bf said this was nice & spicy
I chose the Deep Dish w/ Mushrooms, Olives & Gorgonzola - wow was this thing flavorful. Tomato sauce was very tomatoie yet didn't take away from the other toppings like I've found w/ places who don't really have deep dish but rather offer stuffed pizzas (cough, Zachery's)
We both also thought the cornmealy texture to the crust made it outstanding & provided just a bit of extra crunch & it was thick enough to be the perfect ratio of bread to toppings
it was all super yummy & stood the refrigerator test b/c it was likewise just as scrumptious the next couple days
Future movie nights will totally see us back here at Little Star!Listed in: Pizza! Pizza!!
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Review from Janet O.
12/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
The crust is the worst part about this pizza. It tasted like cardboard.
The wait is horrendous.
The place is dark and cramped.
I was so excited to try another deep dish find, but it did not live up to my palate's expectations.
I think there was way too much sauce and not 'toppings' to balance it out.
All sauce and crust.
I want some meat people! -
Review from Jennifer L.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2012
Went for lunch on the Friday before New year's. Service was quick. We ordered the classic deep dish and garlic bread. The garlic bread arrived in DIY style, with several slices of bread, a large amount of butter and two heads of roasted garlic. Probably the best garlic bread I have had at restaurant. The cornmeal crust on the pizza was as yummy as i had expected. The amount of toppings were both overwhelming and amazing.
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Review from Jamal W.
Chino, CA
1/23/2012
This place is a really place if you are a fan of deep dish pizza. Highly recommend.
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Review from Lynn m.
San Francisco, CA
1/22/2012
A-ma-zing. Delicious salads & pizza & wine list. WIll be going back for more soon. Yum!
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Review from Mulberry S.
San Francisco, CA
12/23/2011
if i had ordered nachos then it would make sense why i was eating a dry crunchy corn chip with cheese on top. instead i distinctly remember ordering a pizza. anyone who serves pizza crust so dry that it cracks like a chip is obviously unaware of the need to squeeze the ends of a crust and have it curl to support the weight of cheese on a supple crust. this pizza was so dry and overcooked it was stale by the time we had finished the first slice. it was like a giant single nacho chip that you could use to pound nails.
i felt bad for the russian couple next to us who desperately tried to saw their way through with fork and knife. the woman was practically sweating from the workout of trying to cut a piece off to eat.
service was non-existent. a woman busied herself with little errands like raising the shades, lowering the shades, lighting candles, arranging napkins, wiping down the bar, but was too afraid or unable to ask the basics like "can i get you anything" or "how is your meal". several times she walked by looking away and we eventually had to send an emissary from our table to negotiate for some of her obviously scarce attention and to get another round of drinks to wash down the disgusting cardboard our pizza had turned into. -
Review from Elizabeth G.
San Francisco, CA
10/19/2011
Let me start with admitting that I feel like I owe this place another try because clearly the other reviews are pretty stellar.... but, I just was a bit underwhelmed by this place when I went.
I live nearby and had tried to come eat in the restaurant 2-3 times and every time there was "an hour to hour and a half" wait.... twice I came on Thursday nights... really? And they don't take reservations? Ugh.
So finally we decided to just do take out so we could finally experience te hype of Little Star Pizza. They're daily specials are pretty rad and usually worth going for since I think they do put effort into thinking what might be good to feature. We got a medium pizza and it easily fed two (very hungry) 20-somethings. The crust was very good, but pretty crunchy. The toppings were not overdone or too sparse and certainly added a lot of flavor.
We also got garlic bread to go - it was literally a loaf of bread with a clove of garlic on the side.... um, what? Forgive me if I'm overlooking some impressive preparation that was not immediately obvious, but seriously? Not worth it... The garlic wasn't even roasted enough to spread. Oh well.. we got a loaf of bread out of it.
Lastly (please no threats).... Delfina is better. Sorry. If you're looking for great *THIN CRUST* pizza, go to Delfina. The deep dish at Little Star does look awesome so I won't make any sweeping statements about deep dish... but overall, Delfina triumphs in the pizza arena. -
Review from Patrick S.
Oakland, CA
11/7/2011
I had the original sausage stuffed pizza recently when visiting a friend to help with some home improvements. It was perfect cold weather take out and held up well on the journey home. We paired it with a simple but perfectly fresh salad with a great creamy balsamic dressing. Would go back for sure.
By comparison with Zachary's, I would call this style similar but a bit less rich. There is a single layer of crust and topping which made it hearty but not out of control gluttonous. -
Review from Cheerio A.
El Paso, TX
11/28/2011
This is my third trip to SF, and we always stop here for pizza. The spicy wings are a great appetizer. I wasn't crazy for the glass of Rosé. The staff is great. We had the cheesecake, it was good! I'd
Give it 5 stars, but they got rid of "great white" beer :-( -
Review from b h.
San Francisco, CA
10/6/2011
Wonderful atmosphere, not bad for a part of town that I used to be afraid to park my car in and got mugged at 12 years ago, way to usher in this new environment to the hood. We went early at 6pm to beat the rush, folks from the neighborhood were in their with their screaming children, so maybe being there at the rush wouldn't have been such a been such a bad idea.
Our waitress mentioned a delicious sounding pizza of the day with prosciutto and heirloom tomatoes, but advised it would be better on a thin crust. (Love a waitstaff with an honest opinion) I was dying to try their deep dish so I stuck with my instincts but have to say I will definitely be back to try the thin crust we settled on one of the gorgeous salads paired with the Mediterranean Deep dish pizza, a draft IPA to wash it down and I loved everything.
A well deserved welcome to the Mission for this place! -
Review from Lis M.
San Lorenzo, CA
11/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
We had the classic and little star deep dish pizzas and even though they were delicious in their own unique way, I don't think it's fair to compare these pies to Zachary's. If I happen to be in the neighborhood i will probably try it again but I would prob opt for Zachary's if I had to choose a deep dish pizza spot.
Oh yeah, their chicken wings were pretty tasty but could have been better if they offered ranch instead of blue cheese. -
Review from A W.
Berkeley, CA
1/29/2012
This review is for two things in particular: the bar and dining with more than 2 people. The people behind the bar last night (two women) were singularly bitchy. Our small group arrived at 7:30 and immediately ordered a bottle of wine while we waited for a table. I thought the wine would be in a carafe (you know, because the WINE LIST SAID IT WOULD), and so I was confused when she brought out a bottle. She said "we only have one Sangiovese" and rolled her eyes. Fine. So I took the bottle back to my crew on the couch and didn't realize I'd forgotten my credit card. About 45 minutes into our 90 minute wait (more on that in a second), she came over to me and stuck her hand in my face. My credit card was in her hand. "Oh my gosh, thanks so much!" I said. She scowled and walked away. I thought I was maybe a little sensitive about it, but before I could ask my friends if they saw that, they were talking about "what an angry bartender", "nice bitchface", etc. So that blew. Particularly because I was the host of this small party, and I wanted to show them a good time.
The hostess was in NO HURRY to seat us. Sure, there were a lot of people there, but as we sat and waited, couples would come in, get seated, eat a deep dish (read: slow cook time) pizza, linger over wine, pay the bill, and walk out, full. Still we sat, with our bottle of wine, playing musical chairs while we waited. This happened over and over -- couple comes in, gets seated, eats, leaves. Finally, she says "you know, you can order takeout from the bar". So we did. When we finally got a table, an hour-and-a-half after arriving, and after half a dozen couples had come in, eaten, and left, our pizza was ready and all the server had to do was keep the water filled. But of course, we still had gratuity added to the check.
(Why did we not leave earlier, you ask? I dunno. Probably the stupid bottle of wine.)
Long story short, the pizza is decent (Zachary's is better), but the attitude raised so much bile that I could barely taste it.
If you want to "dine in", then bring one friend. ONE. And warn the small groups waiting on the couch that they're in for a doozy of a wait, because the hostess apparently hates groups. But really, with a place like that, takeout is definitely the way to go. And finally, just do takeout from Zachary's, where the people are happy to have your business and don't treat you like a nuisance. -
Review from Abby S.
9/6/2011 1 Check-in Here
Can't believe that I haven't yet written a review for Little Star, one of the first pizza places I tried when moving to the Bay Area...
Little Star has a great reputation around these parts - everyone I know recommends it. So of course I had to stop by and see for myself what all the fuss was about. As soon as I walked inside, a familiar smell greeted me at the door. What was it? OMG! It was Pi, one of my favorite pizza places back in St. Louis. And then it dawned on me - this IS the same pizza as Pi, just a different name.
The owner/founder of Little Star sold his delicious cornmeal crust recipe to the owner of Pi in St. Louis a few years ago. They have some sort of agreement in regards to who can make the pizza in which state. Little Star obviously has dibs on California and Pi in St. Louis. I think Pi also has a location in Washington, D.C., but don't quote me on that one...
Anyhoo, I was elated to taste something delicious and familiar on that fated evening back in February. And whenever I'm given the opportunity, I eat Little Star. Both the locations on Mission and Divisadero are fun places to dine-in, but if you don't feel like waiting, order the pizza ahead of time and take it home.
P.S. This is NOT Chicago-style pizza, so don't let anyone tell you otherwise. It's its own thing, a deep dish, cornmeal crust that you'll never forget.Listed in: To-Go, Please!, Pizza!, Coming Back For More
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Review from peters g.
Campbell, CA
The BEst pizza iv ever had.
We had the thick crust and it felt it was like a dessert. wasn't heavy at all. -
Review from Caralisa L.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've never had REAL deep dish pizza (unless you count BJ's) so I came here to cross that off my list (and to see what all the praise for this place was about).. Stopped by on a weekday for lunch and there was no wait (and plenty of empty tables). We started off with the garlic bread. This is NOT the garlic bread you are used to getting. It's do-it-yourself with slices of bread, two roasted garlic bulbs, and butter (which had the consistency of mayo....easy to spread but a little odd). While this is a fresh way to eat garlic bread, it was bland for me. We also had a 12 inch Classic deep dish pizza. Personally, I found the crust to be too hard! I'm not sure if deep dish pizza is supposed to have a really, really crispy crust but it ruined the whole pizza for me, even if the toppings/sauce put up a noble fight to win me over. If I ever do return, it would be to try their thin crust pizza. Sadly, I guess I'm just not a deep dish pizza girl...
