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Tue-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Sun. 4:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
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Tommaso makes some of the best pizza you will ever eat. It is expertly wood fired, and the ingredients are perfectly proportioned.
On top of the great eats, the service is great. The host remembers your name, and the servers do their job and then just let you enjoy the food -- it is a great dining experience.
The main reason people seem to be knocking it is because of the wait, which I personally think is ridiculous. The building is tucked away, as you enter you have to go down a flight of stairs and there it is -- a small dining area that has likely remained unchanged for years. It makes perfect sense that they cannot accommodate reservations based on the size of the dining room and the high volume of business. Instead of whining about the wait, you should come prepared and have a game plan. I prefer putting in a name, grabbing a drink and coming back about 15 minutes before the table is supposed to be ready.
Thanks yelpers!!! My fiance, being a California native had never been to SF before - I know, shocking and I still want the rock he was living under.
I wanted to make it a memorable non-touristy trip for him, taking him to great places to eat - and before I read the yelp reviews I was iffy on Tommaso's....but decided to take the plunge.
We had a little wait, only about 25 minutes, not bad at all, thought it was going to be a longer. Fiance loved it and his pizza, and my ravioli's... ;) Next time we'll call ahead and put our name down.
Incredible, I CANNOT believe I haven't written a review for my favorite pizza place in the city. I guess I was holding off, waiting for another experience to have more to write about. Truth is, I don't go here nearly as much as I would like because no one wants to wait with me, but lord, and I mean LORD - pray to jesus, the angles, and god herself - this place is fan-fucking-tastically delicious.
So what makes it special? They use incredible cheese. You remember that cheese is an important component of pizza when you eat their pizza. You adore it. You want more. The sauce compliments, though I wish i could say more about it than that. The crust is sturdy enough to hold up whatever is put on it, but has a lightly crispy feel that makes it break so easily but so naturally in your mouth when you take a bite. The back of the pizza is slightly burnt, reminding me of some pies I've had in NYC. It's never excessive though, it's always done lightly and just right.
I had one of the best eating experiences ever here when I ordered a pie with prosciutto, but I have since gone back with vegetarians and also had a good time - not that I can't wait to get that prosciutto pizza again. I also went gaga over the ceasar salad, and have also enjoyed their spinach salad.
The service is friendly and QUICK. They get you you're food fast and they don't forget you. The owner is sweet and will get you glasses of wine while you're waiting. Overall, if I had a choice I'd eat here at least twice a week. It's what my dreams are made of.
I visited this restaurant last night.
It is official,"Grilled Halibut and Asparagus" is a secret menu.
By the way, if you are seated in the booth, bottles of olive oil and Balsamic vinegar are right in front of the mural. They are for your bread dipping.
Most of the people think they are decorations or they don't notice them.
And the hot water in the rest rooms can get hot like we can use it for "Cup Noodles" so be careful when you wash your hands.
I always ask myself while in the line here.
"Why do people order pasta at a restaurant which is…
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I've been wanting to go to this pizza joint for years, but every time I've tried Tomasso's was closed (lunch or on a Monday). Then finally yesterday afternoon at 5pm, we happened to be finished with our typical gallivanting in the city and started head home toward the south bay. On the way to the freeway, since we were in North Beach anyway we took a quick look at Tomasso's. It "looked" closed from the outside.
It was our LUCKY day in SF. The parking gods took favor on us, and we were delighted to find the doors unlocked. The smell of the place as we walked in was incredible. Inside was a small-ish restaurant with almost every table taken. The owner(?) quickly greeted us and sat us at the "last free table." Within 5 minutes, there was about a dozen people waiting to be seated.
As newbies, our friendly table neighbors highly recommended the pizza (we were seated at the middle table, practically rubbing elbows with our neighbors). My husband and I split the house salad, and ordered a large pizza - half Italian sausage and half garlic/clam. All together the meal with absolutely delish!!!! I agree that it's the best pizza in the city...done just right!
I was already stuffed but I couldn't resist eying our neighbor's cannoli. She said it was good, but the tiramisu is better. Before she finished her sentence, I had made up my mind on the tiramisu. Loved it too! My husband (not a sweets eater) and I gobbled up the tiramisu with already full stomachs.
Overall, great food and great dining experience. We will certainly be back for another round to try out the pasta.
There are only a handful of things that are just about perfect in life. Zooey Deschanel (http://www.youtube.com...) comes to mind. So does the Tendercrisp Bacon Cheddar Ranch (http://www.youtube.com...). And then there's Tommaso's pepperoni pizza. It's magnificent, I tell you.
Somehow knowing that the restaurant is named after Tommy Chin, the long-time chef when the joint was Lupo's (http://tommasos.com/it...), just makes each bite somehow more compelling. My advice is go early in the week and in the evening to avoid the wait.
Old school North Beach Italian, pizzas done right. Sauce, the right amount of cheese, fresh… Read more »
I absolutely adore restaurants like these, where everything about them is surprising. Its location, nestled in the midst of strip clubs and stores hawking pornography, is surprising. Its decor, unassuming and completely devoid of loud, manufactured, Disney-esque props alluding to the restaurant's Italian roots, is surprising. Its line of hopeful diners, reaching far out the door, is surprising.
And its food, so simply presented but so deliciously rich and satisfying, is most surprising of all.
I ordered the lasagna, which was served in a perfectly plain way; I like to think that, had I been born into an Italian family, my mother would serve lasagna in exactly the same way: plated only with a hearty portion of red meat sauce on top. Sprigs of parsley to add more color? Psh, none of that here. Garnishes are for chefs with too much time on their hands.
The lasagna tasted amazing. The red meat sauce was tart without being overwhelmingly so, and full of rich, meaty flavors. The pasta was beautifully evenly cooked and the perfect softness. The cheese layer was incredible -- I'm used to it being slightly dry or chunky, so to have it so wonderfully smooth and creamy was a revelation. In short, I don't think I've ever had lasagna that was as soft, as smooth, or as deliciously creamy, and I'd be incredulous if someone claimed there was better out there.
With just one meal and one dish, Tommaso has completely won me over. I can't wait to come back and try the rest of the things on their menu.
Tommaso is definitely the epitome of old school San Francisco restaurants. It has been around for about 75 years or so, located right on Columbus on the edge of FIDI, Chinatown and North Beach.
It's been around since San Franciscans were wearing Zoot Suits. It's seen the Beat Generation kool kat Beatniks recite poems in North Beach, or Jack Kerouac hang out at City Lights Books across the street. It has seen the Smothers Brothers, Phylis Diller and Mort Saul earn their comedy chops at the Purple Onion when it was a comedy club. It was there when Carol Doda bared her 44DD breasts and started the topless nightclubs with barkers on Broadway. It's seen the Embarcadero freeway get torn down along the waterfront leading to Broadway and Chinatown. It's seen the Golden Gate Bridge completed, and the Bay Bridge completed, as well as damaged in an Earthquake, and now a wind storm.
Its a small, old, funky place, dressed up with white tablecloths that you would think would be red gingham checkered cloths with Chianti bottles on top of them stuffed with dried, dripping candles.
It's famous for its brick oven pizza. But they also have a good variety of mostly southern Italian food. The wait to get part of the community table in the middle or one of the private cubby hole tables on the weekends can be 30 minutes to 2 hours.
We went here one weekend, and waited about 30 minutes, in the doorway with the rest of the crowd. We got a piece of the communal table. We didn't want pizza, we wanted what we wanted.
That was Carpaccio and Caprese appetizers. The Caprese was great, with about 6 tomato slices. The Carpaccio was good, but overdone with cheese. Also, no freshly ground pepper. I had to take the pepper shaker's top off and pour into my hand to get enough, then pinch and sprinkle over the raw beef. Carpaccio needs the right mixture of beef, dry cheese bits, pepper, lemon juice, capers, and olive oil. This one didn't.
The red wines were decent and not too costly. The two pastas that we ordered (spaghetti with meat balls, and tomato sauce linguini and clams) were heavy handed, served in a small bowl to make them look bigger, then piled high inside, making them dry on top and not attractively plated. There was not much nuance of the flavors, more of a slop it on type of approach. But hey, this is an SF institution for good, reasonable food, so who's complaining? Well, I ain't complaining, but I am not screaming pleasure either.
Go on a week night for less wait. And try the pizza. The pasta's are, meh at best. Go with the Caprese over the Carpaccio appetizer. Service is solid, from the same ladies that were here back in one of the aformentioned memories above.
I've heard about this place on two fronts. On one hand are the people that claim that there is no such thing as good pizza outside of the 5 boroughs. But then they say under their breath, "If you must have pizza in SF, go here." On the other hand are the people that decry good veal in SF, but single this place as out as a lone standout.
I waited to write this review until I'd had the chance to try both, and I'm here to tell you that both are right. The meatball and pepperoni pizzas are both amazing; addictive even. And the veal is as good as it gets; no knife necessary. I had the piccata (they strangely call it Piccante), and the lemon/caper sauce was perfect.
The location is great, a block from the crossroads of Broadway & Columbus. In fact, the only knock on the restaurant is that they don't take reservations. However, both times we've been over the past 2 weeks we haven't had to wait longer than 5 minutes.
This place is in my opinion the best pizza/Italian place in the City. They use the highes quality cheese and ingredients. They only open for dinner and it is hard to get in, but there is a reason for that. I've only eaten there twice and I am a native of the City and I have been meaning to get back there to try it again along with a trying out some salads and pastas also. Its a thin crust and it isn't a true NY style, but it is great pizza. I can tell they use whole milk mozzarella which is greasy, but the best for a great pizza. Their crust is a good blend of crispy, but still a bit moist inside. I can tell they cut their pizza sauce with some cinnamon to reduce the acidity of the tomatoes and it was not overwhelming as some sauces can be.
There is a reason why this place so many stars and a ridiculous amount of reviews: as hard as it is to believe, it really is THAT GOOD.
I came here twice and both times left feeling stuffed and happy. Possibly my favorite Italian place in the city. Although the wait on weekends can be brutal (don't go with a big group on Saturday night, unless you don't care about standing around for 1.5+ hours) when you sit down and get your food, your line-waiting angst just disappears.
I highly recommend:
1. The lasagna
2. The meatball pizza
3. The calzone (for people who love ricotta and hearty, hearty meals)
4. The spaghetti. Yes, I know, blah blah, you can get that anywhere. But I bet you that it won't be as tasty as the one at Tommaso's.
Oh....but stay away from creme brulee. Sure, you're probably too full anyway, but even if you have enough room, I recommend just going somewhere else.
I had very high expectations of this place because of all the Yelp reviews I had read. I didn't mind that the place had a 40 minute wait on a Saturday evening ... we went to their family owned Vin Bar across the street (I have a review of that as well) as we waited for our table to get ready, since the lobby in this restaurant is non-existent, and the line extends out the front door.
The Cheese Ravioli with Marinara Sauce was very good. You could tell the ravioli was handmade ... they were like mini-pillows, all fluffy and cute. The veggie pizza was ok ... but I think these days I'm not feeling super veggie pizzas as much. I prefer the simpler stuff. Their simple tomatoes, basil & garlic pizza was really good. We also ordered a chocolate cannoli, which I wasn't too fond of ... but I'd like to give them the benefit of the doubt on that, in that perhaps I'm just not a fan of Cannoli's in general -- maybe that's why?
Anyway, I would rather go to Il Borga over this place. Parking is way easier too.
It's been a while since my visit here so I don't remember much but I do remember having to wait a longggg time for our table but the owner was really friendly and nice. The restaurant itself is very small and the tables are tiny and really close together. The walkways are narrow too so people are brushing against you here and there. It could get quite loud as well.
As for the food, all I remember is that the lasagna and tiramisu was damn good. Enough for me to remember the food was tasty here. We didn't have the pizza but from the sounds of it, it should be good too. I'm going to have to go back and try their pizza and update this review afterwards!
I know people rave about this place, and while it was good,it wasn't phenomenal. It's a small restaurant and tables are close to each other. Unfortunately we were seated to a large group who tended to shriek while speaking. It was hard to maintain a conversation to say the least.
We had the spinach salad which they split for us and I liked the shaved almonds. I had spaghetti with meatballs and I felt that there wasn't enough sauce. Thy also didn't come around with cheese. I had a few bites of the eggplant parmigiana which was decent. All in all, a good meal, but nothing that really impressed us. Maybe we should've gotten the pizza.
My boyfriend and I went here for dinner while in San Francisco for a weekend. It was incredible -- well worth the 40 minutes or so we had to wait in order to get a table for 2. While waiting in line, we met 2 fellow Michigan State University alumni and ended up seated next to them, so we had a great time rehashing MSU memories.
The food was amazing. We ordered the antipasta appetizer and a pizza. Just the right amount of food for 2 people, and so delicious! Very authentic, and the owner was very nice. I will seek this place out again next time we are in the city.
Like most authentic Italian restaurants, it's all about the food. And Tommaso's fits this mold. They offer one of the best pizzas in the city and although their pies are a bit pricier than other pizzerias, they're worth every penny. The thin crust is really what makes their pizza.
As I mentioned, it's all about food here, and not so much about ambiance. I wouldn't recommend this place for a romantic date since it's a bit cramped. Most of the tables are so close together that they touch and as a result, it's really loud. If you can make a reservation for one of the more secluded tables against the wall, I would do so.
This is a must try for pizza fanatics!
So this is defiently one of those restaurants that looks a little bit shady on the outside but once you go in your completly amazed at how rustic and warm you feel. There is almost always been a wait here however it it completly worth it because it has the most amazing pizza that i have tasted in north beach! The entire restaurant is fantastic, great service, dinks while you wait from water to wine, and pretty moderatly priced for being such a treat to your taste buds!!
I came here for the high rating on Yelp. I ordered the pizza because of the Yelp review. I came back to rate it because Yelp was wrong. This place was severely lacking in flavor and stars... In short, ambiance was quite nice, feeling homey with it's little white "walls" between tables, though quite loud for conversation since the tables were still quite close to one another. But, we did get our table quite quickly (since they don't take reservations). Word of the day is "quite".
The biggest drawback was the food and the hospitality. Namely, we ordered three large pizzas for five people. Yes, it sounds like a lot, but with pizza sizes being 12-14" these days, it's really not that much--until they come out larger than described and you're left with one extra pizza. For five slender individuals, I believe the waiter should have told us to order less, hence a mark off for hospitality.
Then again, had we liked the pizza, perhaps we would have eaten more. Surprisingly, we were gagging down the white house wine as well (overly sour and tasting like something out of a box). Still, feeling a slight buzz, you'd think we'd eat more pizza--and think it tasted better than it did. But, it didn't. The one with meatball was the best, but lacked sauce and didn't have a flavorful crust (like all the pizzas). The chicken and artichoke had overly dry chicken and WAY too much artichoke, giving it a sour taste that matched the wine. The veggie one was supposedly good, but with my disappointment with the rest, I didn't even venture to try that one. I stuck with two slices and called it a night.
On a Wednesday night Tommaso's was pretty crowded, in addition the 4.5 star avg. yelp rating had me real excited about this place.
***Atmosphere: The ristorante is not very big, and the tables are tightly packed in. During my time at the ristorante I was continually brushed up against by people walking behind me. With a full house on this Wednesday night it was loud. Escape to the bathroom if you need some peace and quiet for a while. Note: this bathroom is competing in the all U.S. Smallest Bathroom Competition, so if your (big, curvy, healthy), beware. (3 Stars)
**The Service: Our waiter was okay, I think he had a tough time hearing what we were saying, after all its loud. I wish he had explained to us the portion size. A large pizza is about equal to a supreme pizza at any of the chain pizza places. So for 5 people order three large pizzas was a very bad idea. We barely finished 2. (2 stars)
**The Food/Drinks: The large is very large. We ordered the meatball pizza, the vegetarian pizza, and the chicken artichoke pizza. The meatball pizza was the best. It wasn't too oily and the thin crust made it enjoyable. Spare me some more meatballs on the pizza please. The chicken & artichoke wasn't very good, although it wasn't bad, just lacked moisture/sauce. (2.5 stars)
The house white wine was awful. (No Stars)
Parking: since this is close to Broadway parking can be challenging.
Overall: I think this is a decent place if you're in town and feel like a pizza on this side of Broadway and don't really want to walk any further towards the other many many Italian restaurants.
It's better than most italian restaurants in san francisco, which isn't saying much but I'd go back. Had the eggplant parm. it wasn't breaded or fried like it traditionally was, yet it had good flavor and i liked the cheese.
Tucked away behind a green and white door lies a cozy little Italian place- Tomasso. The restaurant consists of 4-5 wooden booths on each side of the restaurants and some tightly packed tables running up the middle. This place was overflowing with people trying to get a table and while the "wait area" felt more like a cattle call, it almost added to the anticipation of the meal. It was obvious that people are excited about this place.
Dinner started off with some simple dinner salads, which were surprisingly good. After devouring those, along with some of the excellent bread left at the table the mains become arriving...
Raviolis with Meat Balls- I don't how to describe these other than they taste seriously old-fashion, in a good way. Imagine Grandma in the kitchen making raviolis and you'll have the idea.
Lasagna-it was good... but... didn't knock my socks off, simply tasted like a decent, classic lasagna.
Seafood pasta w/ linguine- hands down the favorite at the table. Normally, I never order seafood pasta because the seafood is consistently over cooked at other restaurants, not the case here. The seafood was perfectly cooked, the sauce was spicy and not overpowering and the pasta was perfectly al dente. One of the best dishes I had all weekend (and I ate a lot that weekend).
Pizza w/ rosemary ham and leeks- unfortunately, no one at the table was that impressed with it. The crust was crisp like I normally like and it seemed as if there was too much cheese, which weighed down the pizza. Definitely not the best pie I've had.
On the flip side, the service, atmosphere and energy of this place was spot on. If you're looking for some solid Italian eats in the seedy part of SF, it's well worth a visit.
Not a better pizza / Italian dining experience out there. Classy, romantic, warm, family owned type of restaurant.
If I'm anywhere within an hour of this place I make the trip. It's worth it! All the pizza's are great; I've had almost all of them. I'm usually a veggie pizza guy but the meats on these pizzas make me lean the other way, especially the pepperoni. The veggie-type pizzas can't be beat either.
Desserts: ABSOLUTELY THE BEST TIRAMISU I'VE EVER HAD... EVER!!! (and I've had way too much from just about everywhere). Unfortunately, I discovered this after going there multiple times because I always ate too much pizza to have dessert. I've tried a few other desserts and they were good also but the relative goodness of the tiramisu is undeniable.
Appitizers: I've tried them all. The Coo-Coo Clams are very good, and even better, the sauce they're in makes the slightly dry bread you get taste excellent when you dip it in the juice. The Carpaccio somehow makes eating thinly sliced raw beef taste great.
The only down side is that the sodas come in cans. I'm a big fan of sucking down about 5 glasses of diet cola with my meals. Despite this drawback, I somehow feel like fountain drinks could detract from the feel of this restaurant.
I went there on Sunday over the Labor Day weekend. My girlfriend and I ordered the Italian Sausage and Mushroom pizza. It was really good. The service was excellent and the staff was very friendly. I pizza was at our table shortly after we ordered, probably less than 15 minutes. They also serve you free bread and butter. The bread was a nice filler while waiting on our food. The only downfall to this restaurant is the size, but it is in San Francisco, so I didn't expect a mammoth seating area. If you are going in a group of four or more you might have to wait about 30 minutes to sit. If you are going with just two people, you will probably get right in.
The seating consists of around 6-8 booths that can accommodate 4 -6 people and then a line of tables down the center of the restaurant that are so close, they look like it is one really long table. That is where my girlfriend and I sat, very European seating. The overall will with a $5 tip was around $31. I believe it was really worth it and I would definitely go back again.
MMmm. Been wanting to try this place for months and was not disappointed: 4.5 stars. Some Yelpers groan about the wait, but Vin Club is right around the corner so grab yourself a glass of the Novy Russian River Syrah and chill out until your table is ready.
Between the three of us we had the:
-vegetable antipasto
-seafood linguine
-half spaghetti w/meatballs, half ravioli
-prosciutto wrapped veal, stuffed with cheese
Uhmazing. Across the board, the pasta was cooked to the perfect al dente and the dishes were wonderfully rich and succulent. The meatballs were juicy heaven and that veal was out of this world. Dying to come back for the pizza. Oh, and the fresh grated parmesan must have been good. We polished off over half of the shaker. YUM.
Hey,
it's a ...... right cross from the Hustler Club!!!
( I haven't been there yet.)
And also right next to a peep show!!!
( I haven't been there either!)
My kind of pizza place.
My Gf dominates when it comes to Pizza.
I have NO problem with that.
What can i do? She is from Massachusetts.
Well, i do the same to Sushi.
So, we ordered,
a small size sliced sausage and bell pepper pizza.
Heirloom tomato salad.
I have to say that I really enjoy the pizza also because the people who work here were such a low-keyed.
Yes, it was great service.
My Gf has been thinking about the place for a long time and her friend strongly recommended.
Great place indeed.
We had a cannoli for dessert.
Reminded me the famous last word.
http://www.youtube.com...
I think F. Coppola signed the poster in 1992.
Btw, we saw a couple after the great Pizza on the same street, the girl was blond hold the hair up, wear a black short one piece dress with low heel black shoes, about 5'6", and the guy who had a wide shoulder, 5'7", shaved black hair dark skin, wear a gray suit with black shiny good shoes with sun-glasses.
I said, " is he a pimp?"
There were many couple like that on the street.
Oh Tommaso... I wasn't sure if the wait was going to be worth it cuz trust me, you'll wait! But, it was. We waited for 30-45 minutes for a party of two (which isn't too bad cuz if you look around it's a very small place).
We ordered the Shrimp with Marinara Sauce (spicy) : Wasn't really spicy but the shrimp was cooked nicely and the bread they served in the beginning was yummy to dip into the sauce.
Then the Mushroom and Sausage Pizza came and... It was delicious! The crust is thin and tasted great on it's own. The pizza was a little greasy on the bottom but hey, it's pizza. Not as good as Joe's Pizza but that's in NY so Tommaso will do for now as a replacement.
Def a place to try at least once in the city cuz it has that local-vibe to it but it's a bit awkward to get to cuz it's surrounded by adult stores and strip clubs.
*Remember to get the attention of the hostess (which is a game in itself) to get your name written down ASAP! Do not just wait behind the group of people that will most likely be standing at the door cuz ppl will cut in front you*
I'm changing them to a 5 star. It's 5 star for San Francisco.
I've learned that there is no good reason to compare san francisco Italian (esp not pizza) to New York Italian.. or even Chicago.
Best ravioli I have had anywhere though.. anywhere.
Pizza in general in SF sucks.. it really does, but its actually good at Tommaso. Darned good in fact.
Long wait but the servers are nice and remember you.. that's nice.
mmm best Italian that I've had in San Francisco!
Knocked off a star because I've had better in…
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I was dragged here kicking and screaming. One, having recently joined Yelp, I might have learned how to recognize a destination from a tourist spot and two, my friends talked me out of a 4 month held reservation at Frascati because they wanted spaghetti and meatballs! This was a long weekend away and I had long been looking forward to many-a-Yelper's highly rec'd, Hyde Sreet fav.
So going in with an attitude probably didn't help Tommaso line up the stars on my review. But, in all honesty, I am fair to a fault and I wouldn't be an a-hole with a grudge and let that cloud a fair review.
Well, the truth is...it was what I expected. The Sangiovese was good enough to have a second. My meal was surprisingly bland. It was the Macaroni w/mushrooms, olive oil, garlic, parsley and sausage. You'd think that maybe they'd have one or two of those items contain some flavor. No. The sausage tasted like a distributor, boxed in 48's, drive-thru, night owl special. Hey Tom, ask some of your neighbors if anyone in North Beach might know of a good Italian butcher! But that's not your style. I'm sure the same guy sold Tomasso the macaroni and can of mushrooms he emptied on top.
My friends were so impressed with their spaghetti and meatballs that I think I noticed a shrug. One of them stopped short of half-way and stepped outside for some fresh air.
My quick, first impression on the spot...if Disney had a walk-up Italian shack off Main Street, USA, this would be that quality meal to satisfy your kids- as much for the flavor as for the fact that my meal was ready on the kitchen shelf waiting to be ordered any minute by a turkey leg connoisseur.
I so wanted my first Yelp review to be of a much better experience. I especially wanted my Friday night dinner to be better than my review. Not a great review- not even a good meal.
Read about this place on yelp and it definitely lived up to the hype. We got a pepperoni and a spinach pizza. Both were amazing. The chicken Marsala was good, not great, but the lasagna knocked my socks off. Hands down the best I've ever had. Great service and we only had to wait about 15 minutes.
My group of five decided to order one of each of the desserts that they serve. They were all great, but the tiramisu and creme brulee were the definite favorites.
I continue to give this place 5 stars because it is nothing but the best. Again, Eddy greets us and proves that all it takes is kindness. While others are sitting around pouting and complaining about the wait for, lets face it, the most amazing pizza, we are smiling and more than happy to be seated at the most awkward table in the place- as long as we get our hands on some pizza.
My advice to those that haven't tried it but have heard the rumor that "you must try": go with intention to wait, be patient, and once you are seated wrap your lips around the flavor explosion (might I suggest the classic pepperoni pizza) that is called Tommaso's and enjoy. Of course, tip your waiter and thank Eddy for the nice table as you leave.
Can I offer a 6-star rating?!
Seriously, Eddy is fantastic! Not only did he recognize us when we…
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This is the best pizza on the west coast and one of the reasons to love San Francisco. I've been going there for decades (yes decades), and it remains a place I hold dear, with outstanding food, wonderful people (who've been working there for years too - it must be a good place to work!), and the owner is always in the house and greats you with a smile and makes you feel like you are home. And for those of us that have been eating at Tommaso's since we were kids, we are.
But go early, there is a wait - although well worth it so be patient, or do take away.
Eh my friend loved the lasagna but i wasn't too thrilled with the linguine with clams. I ate all the clams becuase I love seafood but the pasta was too bland in the sauce. The tiramisu however was delightful!
Geez, waiting for ever to get in! Ridiculous long line! Beside that, speech less... Great food, nice serves and homie internal design. Pizza is great, pasta is great, wine is great. All the waiting is worth it. Ends up I even bought a bottle of tomato sauce for home cooking. lol oh man, sooo full... one of the best italian place in town for sure.
You want legit pizza then come here! It's great Italian-style thin crust pizza.
The pasta is ok and the wait is long on a weekend for dinner, but the pizza alone is worth the 5 stars. Yowza!
I felt like a postal worker...through rain, sleet, snow or rain............
Through Litty Italy, parts of Chinatown (when we made wrong turns), a whole street of nudie clubs, we finally made it to the green doors of Tommaso. We were determined to visit this lauded place and didn't care if we had to wait. I HATE waiting. But we waited.
We got pretty lucky...I think we had to stand around about 30 minutes, entertaining ourselves by watching the different types of individuals stepping into either the Lusty Lady Theater or the Hustler Club across the street from the restaurant.
My chatty gal pal stopped a few kids heading out from their delicious meal and hit them up for their recommendations. Their first was pizza, any pizza. Okay, we figured that. The disappointment was that they didn't care so much for the pasta. Sadface!
Nevertheless, when we sat down, we decided on a team approach to the situation. We shared a dinner salad which was large enough to share and tossed in a garlicky vinaigrette. Then we shared a pasta which was a half spaghetti and half (homemade) ravioli with two meatballs. The spaghetti and sauce on their own were unremarkable. HOWEVER, the meatballs and raviolis truly impressed me. We savored each little bite and ruefully smiled at each other when we split the final ravioli left on the plate.
Next came our pizza...we went with the Italian sausage and mushroom variety. Phenomenal. My dining companion was already stuffed and was unbelievably upset she can only fit 2 slices of pizza in her already very-full stomach. I managed three slices before throwing in the towel. The crust was utter perfection. The pizza did suffer from the soggy center syndrome...the steam from under the pizza mixing with the juices to pull in the middle, thereby wreaking havoc on the pizza's crust in the center. We remedied this situation by dunking our pizza slices into the juices after each bite.
We asked the busboy to pack up our leftovers (to be savored later that night, of course). We were pleasantly surprised that they went through the trouble of wrapping each of our leftover 3 slices individually in foil By request, he also included some red pepper and parmesan cheese packets.
Couple gripes - I wasn't a huge fan of the bread service. They obviously make it in-house but the crust was too thick and hard. I decided to save space for our dinner. Also, we found the food a little pricey for what you get. I think our meal in Lombardi's in NY was the same cost but we got more food.
Nonetheless, we had a great time there. Service was adequate and friendly and we didn't have to wait TOO long. This was a great recommend and I hope to be able to go there again next time we're in SF.
I'm really neither conosseur nor finicky when it comes to Italian food staples.
Carbs + garlic + tomato+ wine= ALWAYS great in my book.
Something about the underground, cellar-like ambiance, coupled with dim lights, communal tables, and usually Tommaso himself scurrying around= a memorable Italian dining experience.
I have been blown away by the spinach pizza and I always love the house wine served in pitchers..
Always worth the wait to experience this true North Beach Italian treasure!
With such boasting reviews, my expectations might have been a little over the top. Regardless, the food was great, but that is something I expect from a restaurant.
We started by ordering a bottle of '03 Barbera D'Asti they had on the menu and were definitely pleased with our decision. I've had it before, but the three girls I was with had not and they all loved it (one of which admitted to primarily be a white wine lover). The reviews for the pizza were great so we ordered the Sausage and Mushroom (our server said it was one of the most ordered and enjoyed) and a spinach salad to start.
The salad, oddly enough, was memorable. There aren't many salads that really taste that refreshing, but their's definitely did the trick. We all loved it.
The bread, however, was mediocre. Again, maybe it is just the amazing reviews, but my expectations were higher. The bread wasn't oven fresh and was difficult to slice for the table.
The pizza itself was good, not great. The crusts weren't buttery/flaky (a little olive oil would have gone a long way...) but still good. The sausage was delicious (definitely the high point of the pizza).
So, all in all, Tommaso was definitely a delicious meal....it just wasn't over-the-top delicious as the reviews had built up.
Waited forever to get seated. Probably my fault for bringing out of town friends on a Saturday night to a place that doesn't take reservations, but regardless, heard great things and wanted to give it a try. Least to say, it didn't disappoint, had one of their thin crust pizzas (can't remember the name, but had sausage in it) and the Chicken Marsala. The food tasted super fresh, the flavors were outstanding and filled us up pretty good. Forget about that other "pizza" place in Northbeach.
I'd definitely go back again, just be prepared to wait.
This place is good, but I wouldn't come here out of my way to take guests. We were a group of 7 and we arrived and put our name down at around 7:15. We didn't get seated until about 8:15, which I was anticipating based on the reviews and description of the restaurant set up (small dining area).
We got a spinach and parmesan pizza to share (large). There were 10 decent sized slices. The pizza sauce to cheese ratio was good (I don't like excessive sauce or cheese). I wish that the pizza crust was a little thicker, but there was nothing wrong with how the pizza tasted. They were generous with the spinach, but I wish they were more generous with the shaved parmesan cheese. hehe. My friend and I shared the seafood linguini dish. The shrimp was good, and the menu describes the dish as being spicy, which it wasn't. I had to add some red pepper flakes. It was good. Portion size was enough to share between the two of us girls (since we did have a slice of pizza earlier). Pricewise, it was pretty expensive (18.50?!). I tried my friend's eggplant parmesian - I think I should have gotten that instead. It wasn't deep fried, but intsead, resembled a lasagna where the pasta sheets were replaced with flat eggplant slices (no skin). It was REALLY good. haha. It had a nice thick cheesy layer on top. YUM! Would I come here again? Probably.
One thing I liked was that we were seated at the booth and it was spacious enough for 7 people and the booth walls reached higher than our seated heights, so it felt more private.
Should you come here? If you don't mind looking for parking for a few minutes and don't mind waiting for a few minutes then try it out. They are A-OK.
A little hole in the wall spot full of Italian spirit and verve. The locals mingle effortlessly with the out of towners who are brought in by a long standing reputation. The atmosphere is crowded and cramped and feels great.
We immediately hit it off with our waiter who shared a similar ancestry of my wife. The menu was simple but his enthusiasm at helping us explore its depths personified the attraction to dining out. We stuck with a couple of staples, house salad and sausage pizza. The portions were more then generous and the pizza had a nice smoky, crispy texture that you'd expect from a wood fired pizza.
A great meal, a fun part of town, some great San Fransisco history, and a promise to visit next time we are back.
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Italian
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
Category: Italian
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