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Mon-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 1:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
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Great pizza, great service.
With only 1 waitress, she managed about 8 tables. Friendly, quick and awesome.. she was always moving, always serving, always taking orders. I love this lady!
The pizza was very delicious and the Eggplant Marinara appetizer is amazing. (especially if you put it on the pizza.) It's surprisingly sweet and sour and has a nice kick!
When we lived in Silverlake, we ate at Pizza Buona once a week. We still make the drive from the Valley a few times a year to have some pasta (shrimp linquine with red sauce-Mmmm) & pizza! This place has been on my favorite list for over 15 years...
Family owned and operated, they make great pizzas and pastas... and they are the first place to serve me chilled red wine, which is just fine, so you know. Fyi, they close for 2 weeks in August for vacation.
Really lovely people, who are constantly busy - Sunset & Alvarado is a hectic intersection. Yeah, it's not in the nicest part of town, but Pizza Buona's food tastes fabulous! Great selections on the jukebox too. Pizza Buona indeed!
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This [__] is/[__] is not like New York pizza. I'm [__] elated/[__] disappointed/[__] totally appalled that anyone would suggest this remotely resembles NY pizza. I [__] was born in New York/[__] lived in New York for a time/[__] went to New York on vacation/[__] have never been to New York before, and I think New York pizza [__] is/[__] is not/[__] just might be the best fucking pizza in the world!
Please feel free to fill out the above yourself because I couldn't really give a crap about any of it.
Pizza is obviously a very personal experience and---personally---my favorite time to have it is when it's Shark Week and I'm feeling emo. I'll take a cheese pizza, a pepperoni pizza, a pizza with bacon, leak, roasted garlic, and goat cheese; just about all of it tastes good to me. Especially with beer. But everything tastes good with beer.
As someone else hilariously pointed out: no, Pizza Buona does not have feta, Greek olives, or sun-dried tomatoes. They have the usual standbys like cheese, pepperoni, and mushrooms (white ones). If you live in Downtown or the surrounding area and are unable or unwilling to travel to Village Pizza, Vito's Pizza, Lamonica's Pizza, D'Amore's Pizza, Mulberry's Pizzaria, Pizzeria Mozza, New York, or Italy, Pizza Buona delivers and is a handsome alternative to Domino's or Pizza Hut. The delivery is quick, the toppings are fresh, and the crust---which is crisp on the outside and chewy on the inside---goes nicely with ranch.
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Very good food for really good prices ^__^
I don't like to bash a restaurant like this because its a small, non-chain joint. I went only because everyone on Yelp gave it either 4 or 5 stars so I had to try it for myself. If interested in experimenting with different places, go ahead and check it out.
Some observations:
Atmosphere: The place is straight-up ghetto. There's graffiti all over the windows and entrance. If you're a hipster, and looking for a really authentic looking place this will work for you.
Food: My girlfriend got the pasta. It was okay, but I had to order pizza. I mean it's Pizza Buona. The pizza is GREASY because of all of the extra cheese. I can get better pizza at Trader Joe's. Whatever works for you.
Service: This is difficult to be objective about. I only visited it once, so some else's experience can be different and equally valid. Our waitress completely went out to lunch after our food arrived. After we finished, it took about 10 min. to get her again for the check.
Recommendation: Just go to Masa's down the block for a better dining experience, better food, wider selection of menu options, and better service.
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I am from San Francisco, My wife and I came down to LA to visit for Memorial Day weekend. We were so hungry that night we decided to try LA pizza. This pizza was soo good. Full of flavor, crispy just how I like my Pizza. Anyone going down to LA try this place, it's the best I've had in a while.
As a Brooklyn native making her way in LA, I often feel misty eyed when I think about the corner pizza joints that I left behind in my home city. When walking on sunset in Echo Park I got a whiff of Pizza Buona, and my nostalgic side was immediately engaged. It took me awhile to actually sit down and try it (mostly for fear that it would disappoint) but now that I have I can say that it was worth it.
First of all, the place has the charm that comes hand in hand with any establishment that seems to have not updated its decor since the 70s. The staff is small, but incredibly friendly (holla shorts guy!). While the pizza is not the stuff that you get in New York, it hits the spot hard, and is made with love. It is not the overly thick, bland fare that you often get served in California by any degree. A perfect spot for a group of friends, or a laid back date.
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Their pizza is thin crust and delicious, just the way I like them! The service is pretty good. The only reason why I didn't give them 5 stars is because it is cash only and a rather small space. But, it's an old school joint and their pizza comes out rather quick.
Also, I would highly recommend their breadsticks. Trust me, you will thank me later.
Great pizza (better than Casa Bianca) if you are willing to look past the graffiti on the windows of this cash-only establishment in Echo Park. It sits on the corner of Alvarado and Sunset and has since 1959. The current owners bought it from the original family 16 years ago and continued with their original recipes.
It's not thin crust nor deep dish pizza. The crust is thick and doughy and browned nicely on the bottom. We had the Rustica which is a sauceless pizza with green peppers, mushrooms, parmesan and mozzarella cheeses, marinated tomatoes, garlic, olive oil and Italian parsley. It was the BEST vegetarian pie I've ever had. Yes, the cheese tends to slide off if you grab it too soon and without some care. I slid my slice onto my plate and ate the first couple of bites with a knife and fork to let it cool down. Then it was good to go. The cheese is thick and the toppings so flavorful that you don't miss the sauce at all.
If you need something more on crunchy side, add an order of their breadsticks. They are baked golden brown, saturated in olive oil and covered in minced garlic.
This place isn't decorated with murals of Italy or photos of celebrities. It doesn't feature singing waitors. There is no selection of vino beyond the house wine. But, Pizza Buona definitely offers great pizza.
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I only tried the pizza and I must agree with the other reviewers when they say the pizza is greasy, mostly due to all the extra cheese they hook you up with. The crust was a bit tough and slightly burnt. Toppings were just ok but stellar. Lady who took the order over the phone was short and kind of rude, not too sure I'll back unfortunately :(
Was apartment hunting the other day and decided to stop in for some Italian food. The place was quaint and cute. The people who work here were SUPER SUPER nice and friendly. Service was awesome. Now onto the food:
Minestrone soup: Delicious.
Garlic Bread: Perfect.
Spaghetti & meatballs: Mmmm....I'd definitely order this again. Totally unexpected.
Only bummer was that it's cash only.
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Great pizza and Italian food delivered with lightening speed straight to your door. The pizza is delicious, mounds of cheese. The Chicken Parmigiano is delicious too. The portions are excellent and the price is fair for the quality. I have never dined in but I love the delivery and service.
This is my go to pizza joint on the East Side. Dirt cheap. This is some damn fine pizza. There's something about the crust that truly sets it apart. Stella Artois is served ice cold. I drop a dollar into the juke box and pick some Frank Sinatra. The place sort of hums. After all, it is located at the corner of Sunset Blvd and Alvarado. There's graffiti scribed onto the windows and a big neon sign that says PIZZA out front. Best time to dine is in the evening, when they fire up the candles and dim the lights. Truly, an urban rats oasis.
This awesome neighborhood joint just goes to show that you can never judge a thing based on its cover. Case in point: I live in the area and would always pass by here, not really wanting to know more about what was going on inside because the exterior can come off as fairly sketchy. However, curiosity got the better of me and hats off to my boyfriend who nudged me through the doors.
Inside, you are at once at home in this cozy pizzeria that is decked out with comfy booths and tables, a rockin' jukebox, pretty white lights hanging from plant-age, and memorabilia from the past (as the place has been around since the 1950's!). Service from the family that operates the spot is fast and friendly, as well as very accommodating.
The menu is yet another pleasure to peruse, as patrons are offered a wide range of healthy, garlic-filled, savory options. Also, the drink list is reasonably priced (glass of vino for $2, nice!) and the bread sticks with marinara dipping sauce are a must-try. Even the pathway to bathrooms in the back is an adventure as you are able to take in a sweeping view of the entire inner-workings of the restaurant's kitchen and staff hard at work.
So you'll know for when you go: it's cash only, be prepared. Hungry now, just thinking about my leftovers!
So me and two friends were really hungover and bitching why no one would deliver a pizza to us on a Monday morning at 10am.
We found Pizza Buona and ordered a large pepperoni at 11:50am. It arrived at 1:10pm-OUCH
It was how do I say this, not warm, but it tasted good. Anything would've, but the longer it was exposed to air, the more rubbery the cheese got, you know what I mean.
It was greasy and rubbery with cheese, but it was fine. AND CHEAP!
$16 for a large pepperoni, which was the best part.
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I wanted to like this place because the people working here were so nice but the pizza just didn't work for me. If you can believe it, they put too much cheese on the pizza and it is not the greatest quality so it gets chewy and greasy. Not terrible but there is better pizza around for the price. The dough also lacked a little bit of flavor luster.
It would do in a pinch.....
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Look, I am not gonna pull punches here. This ain't the best, or the worst pie you are going to get.
The crust was a decent "American" middle thickness style. Crispy on the bottom, but still kinda doughy. I suppose it had sauce on it, I couldn't really taste it. The cheese was super salty and left our pie with an unexpected topping, a large orange grease pool.
If I were drunk, I wouldn't have cared. But I wasn't, I was hungry for pizza.
So they don't get a 2 star, because the open kitchen area is a marvel of design with their canned ingredients lined up perfectly on pantry shelves, but they don't get a 4 star because my pie was an initiate into OPEC.
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Best Pizza in LA. Pretty cheap but very good. Quick delivery time too.
Big, Cheap, Delicious! Chewy crust, tasty toppings. Not frilly, not pretentious. It's old school Little Italy in echo park. There's always some left-over. They deliver! It's as good as Village Pizzaria, perhaps a bit chewier. Yum fever magic.
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I think Pizzeria Buona is probably the best pizza on the East Side. I guess I'm a little crazy because I did not like the one time I went to Casa Bianca which is everyone else's favorite place. But I lived for years in pizza-crazy towns like New York and Chicago so I feel like my opinion should not be too invalidated. Pizzeria Buona is much more the New York style, but then almost everything is.
Anyway, Pizzeria Buona has a great location in the middle of Echo Park; I even used to live around the corner from it, and it's probably good that I don't anymore because too often we would say "what should we eat tonight?" and the answer would be "Pizzeria Buona!" One can only eat so many pizzas without looking like a monster. My favorite was something with a bunch of letters - T.B.G. or something like that - with Tomato, Basil and Garlic. I like Buona despite its quirks, like taking forever to get your pizza (it's not deep dish - it better be out in 20!) and being closed for the entire month of June. I don't think I'd recommend ordering anything that's not pizza here; the only thing I've done that with was the garlic bread, and it was okay but not great. The pasta dishes I've seen other people order have looked pretty gross and 'Old-Brooklyn'.
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Multo Bene!
They use good cheese and quite a bit of it, you can get half a carafe of wine for like 6 bucks which is pretty nice, decent ambiance and solid portions. No pizza by the slice, but other than that, one of my favorite places to get pizza.
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OMG I miss Pizza Buona!! I miss it so much!!
They have great salad, great pasta and AWESOME pizza. If you are ever in this area for any reason, you have to check this place out. The interior is pretty small and there is no air conditioning in the summer, but it's well worth the trip.
They do have a parking "lot" but there are only 3 spots available. Otherwise you can park at a meter on the street.
Let me just start out by saying that the pizza here is my favorite in Northeast LA. I'm not a pizza connoisseur but I know when it's good and Pizza Buona is good.
While there is a wait, the pizza is always hot and fresh when it comes out. The place is home-y and small even though it's regularly frequented by the infamous hipster-type. The waitstaff is always friendly & entertaining (whether they realize it or not).
My only minor complaint is that they won't let you alter their menu pizzas (although you have the option of building your own). I wanted to add sauce to one of their sauce-less pizzas and was told no.
I used to live right down the street from here but now I'm in the Eagle Rock area so there are plenty of other places for me to get pizza. When I want good pizza though, I go here and am never disappointed.
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I would love to like this place, but the pizza just isn't up to par. Great atmosphere, urban/hip neighborhood, good prices and passionate staff make this place worth trying if you are looking for a ma and pa pizza place and are in the area. Street parking only which can be a pain, limited seating areas, some street noise and cash only.
My girlfriend threw up in her mouth and my stomach hurts...
I had heard from several sources that Pizza Buona served fantastic pizza. I read the reviews on citysearch as well as yelp site and since they were predominantly and overwhelmingly positive, we thought we would check it out. We laughed about the harsh reviews and thought that the average of stars made it worth a try. So, last night we made our way down Sunset to the graffiti covered building, parked and took a seat in the empty restaurant. I take my Pizza very seriously. For those of you who praised this joint, I have to say that this pizza does not deserve 5 stars by any standard. There are a couple of nasty reviews here, giving PB a mere one star. Well, that's not fair either. I am giving it 2 stars for being incredibly mediocre. The negative reviewers did make some great comments with which we do agree. From the first piece, the cheese slid off the crust as if it were desperate to stay on the platter. It was a balancing act after that. Just trying to keep the cheese and crust together was impossible. The toppings were simply ok and the crust was not bad. We ordered the pizza well done in an attempt to guarantee that the cheese would fuse with the crust as we had read some reviews that mentioned a cheese-sliding issue. The plan failed. If you are thinking about ordering pizza from Pizza Buona and absolutely want it delivered, I don't recommend it at all. It was mediocre in the restaurant, so delivery wont help keep the cheese in place. For delivery I do recommend Garage Pizza if they will deliver to your area. For my money... I would rather make the trip to Eagle Rock and wait in line for pizza at Casa Bianca... by far the best thin crust in LA).
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Eh-
first of all I want to say that I tried this place because of some comparisons I had read- namely to casa bianca. I have to say that this is nothing like casa bianca, and does not even hold a candle to it.
First of all- the restaurant itself is quaint, but as far as atmosphere goes, I would notnot give it high marks.... and trust me i LOVE me a dive.
Second- ordered a salad and meatballs as an appetizer..... dry meatballs, and the salad was all iceberg with two olives and one slice of onion. boring, and overpriced (for iceberg)
Third- the cheese and ALL the toppings slid off the pizza (yes I did let it cool). Plust the crust was well, mediocre at best.
Fourth- they only take cash, therefore you must run accross the street (a scetchy intersection at that) into a not so cool liquor store to get cash + pay service charge.
- Maybe the delivery is good, but I will not be trying it.
Stick to casa bianca or Nicky D's or even Palermo.....
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Delivery was within 35 mins - and I ordered at 7.30 on a Friday.
Pizza was still hot and cheesy.
Matt liked the crust because it was chewy, but I prefer crisper crust.
I have to say - we ordered the Rustica - which is basically just the usual ingredients of tomato, basil, garlic, mushroom, etc.
The topping was awesome - something about the sauce or the seasonings made it extry good.
Garlic breadsticks were meh, I guess pretty good, made with real garlic.
CLASSY POINT: Small wax paper envelopes of fresh parmesan and chili pepper flakes. Nice.
It's just down the hill from our house, so I'm sure we'll go there again.
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Great local Place!
Staff perfect, friendly, helpful, and went out of their way to facilitate over 30 of us.
Draw back here is parking, street only!
There was lots of table space to seat all of our group!
The pizza was tasty, priced accordingly, and appears we all left on our Pizza Crawl happy!
So I had ice tea, and I was surprised as the waitress asked me if I wanted a refill!
Then a OK place being large enough to comfortable seat all us us, plus other customers, and was not loud as the size led to decent acoustics and sound levels!
I like Pizza Buona. The food tastes good and they deliver fast. It isn't groundbreaking, and it doesn't need to be. We typically order the pizza when we are suffering from severe hangovers. Once every week or two we order a couple pastas. I order clams in a white wine sauce (NO bell peppers, please), and the DH orders shrimps in marinara (NOT on the menu but they happily throw it together for him. We love you, Buona. You are a mainstay!
I forgot to mention your garlic bread. Delicious.
This place is so wonderful. It very neighborhoody and full of families and hipster locals. I've sat in between members of local bands and kids having birthday parties.
I almost always get the pizza rustica with shrimp. They always warn me that it takes way longer than their other pizzas so I know that when I go there that I am in for a long leisurely relaxed meal. I have never finished it. I always end up taking a few slices home with me. It is one of those foods where it feels like 18 perfect tastes are exploding in your mouth.
I'll usually start with one of their refreshing salads or their slap-your-mom-good homemade minestrone.
The people that work here are so nice. They never remember me or anything but they always make me feel welcome and very much at home. They also have a bit of European flavor as they tend to close for an entire month or two towards the end of the Summer.
I love sitting at a window and looking at future stomach ache sufferers lining up for Burrito King and hipsters purchasing clothes from American Apparel through the spray painted windows. I sit back and just picture how much better my pizza will be than their grease bomb burrito or their baby laxative cut cocaine.
Go Here.
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i can't quite put my finger on it, but pizza buona just isn't my cup-o-tea. i mean the food was decent, took a bit longer than i would've liked but whatevs, the staff were friendly enough. but it just didn't quite do the trick.
plus being enlightened to their cash-only policy after i'd finished my meal wasn't very cool. i'm used to attending cash-only establishments, but typically these places aren't dine-in sit-down italian restaurants. i had to walk to king liquor (which rules) across sunset to use their atm, just to go back and pay. what a hassle!
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Aw'ight I role into this joint one afternoon because I'm craving a slice of pizza. There was no one there other then what I presume to be is the owner. She's smoking a cig at a table with what I presume to be is a friend.
Without bothering to get up she says "Can I help you."
Me "Yeah, you have pizza by the slice?"
Her "No but we have lovely sanwiches."
Me "no thanx, I really want pizza."
Her under her breath "awww fuck you."
Me "Fuck me, fuck you, fuck everybody."
Pizza No Buona
I got a taco instead.
two for da 'tude
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Ordered an anchovy. Was ok. B-. Too salty. Comes from using cheap anchovies. But the sauce and crust are nice.
Fast polite delivery.
MENU LINK:
http://www.sporq.com/l...
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I don't know if this is true NY style pizza, because I've never actually been to NY. What I do know is that this pizza is damn good!
Every time I go to Pizza Buona I have one of those moments where I blurt out "I'm so full I can't eat one more bite..... o wait, yes I can." This place makes me feel like a real life Eric Cartman... and I'm not one bit ashamed.
Try the Garlic, Basil & Tomato pizza.
Also try their cold fizzy red wine. [The name escapes me].
I know what you're thinking , "cold red fizzy wine, that sounds hella nasty!"
First, stop saying "hella," cause it's wack. And second, trust me on this one folks, a friend recommended it, and now I get it every time!
They are cash only, but they aren't smug about it. Once I forgot and rolled in without cash. They took my word that I would return to pay them after I found an ATM machine. That's the kind of service & trust you get at Pizza Buona.
No dirty looks, no snotty attitudes, just good hard core pizza.
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Best Pizza in Echo Park!
The Bread sticks are also supper good; lots of olive oil and garlic
The crust on the Pizza is really perfect. Sauce is pretty good.
This Pizza Joint is pretty basic but I think that's a good thing.
You can get it delivered or eat in.
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since only one person has mentioned it.... i may as well put this on blast!
PIZZA BUONA IS CLOSED DURING AUGUST FOR VACATION. august is stay away from pizza delivery month for us Echo Park dwellas.
outside of that, this place is the Only option in Echo Park for killer pizza.
this is coming from an italian who grew up eating his mom's home made pizza on the reg. THEY USE GOOD CHEESE, and have good crust. Shite for toppings, however at all the best pizza places, toppings take 3rd place in order of importance.
Pizza here? no thank you.
Hot Italian Sandwiches.? There is nowhere better!
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Great crust, but way too much cheese causing to make the curst soggy after 5 minutes out of the oven. Ice tea is gross...was frozen...hmm...CASH only.
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When I first moved to the area one of my major concerns was finding a good pizza/Italian delivery. Sure I could just order from Damiano's with their all city coverage but they are pricier than most. My second week in the area I found Pizza Buono and haven't looked back since.
The chicken parm dinner and the sandwich are excellent. Accompany that with the antipasto it makes a filling meal that leaves you satisfied. Most of the dishes and pizza pies have a strong southern Italian taste. The pizzas I favor are the tomato, basil and garlic. And when I'm feeling carnivorous, the Meatball.The breads are freshly baked on site.
The atmosphere of the restaurant is pleasant and very quiet for the location on the corner. I like it for solo dinners with a book or mag. The staff are usually friendly and prompt.
Good solid Italian in the family tradition for very good prices.
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I used to frequent this joint when I lived in the Echo Park/ Silver Lake area. Their pizza is really, really good. I'm also a huge fan of their garlic breadsticks-- soft, freshly baked and covered in olive oil and chunks of fresh garlic. So much drool face.
Parking's a huge pain in the posterior. I used to park in the 7-11 lot way way down the street and walk up to pick up my to-go orders, but I wouldn't recommend that.
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