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Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Categories: Restaurants Pizza Restaurants Italian Pizza, Italian [Edit]
1570 Stockton St(at Union St)
San Francisco, CA 94133
Neighborhood: North Beach/Telegraph Hill
(415) 835-9888
- Hours:
Wed-Sun 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:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Foodie D. said: "The remodel turned out spectacular! This is a great place to come have a beer, sit at the bar and daydream out of the window.. I seem to always get the Dungeness Crab Melt! Amazing. The best way for locals to get here... take the…" read more »
1059 reviews for Tony's Pizza Napoletana
Review Highlights
"And the Cal Italia is a really lovely combination."
(in 87 reviews)
"Tony's margherita pizza is simply sublime."
(in 385 reviews)
"drooling just thinking about the new yorker."
(in 66 reviews)
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1059 reviews in English
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Review from JayDee L.
Orange County, CA
2/7/2012 1 Check-in Here
yumm!
Basically, I came here with my hubby. We ordered their Margherita Pizza which was deeeee-licioussss. Thin crust, thin everything.. (5/5) After you eat it, you don't feel yucky like other pizzas. This is perfect for 2 people.
I usually like meatballs so we also ordered 3 meatballs from them. It was also really good (4.5/5) It wasn't salty like other places and it had a little spice to it. Not sure if it was from pepper or something inside but I loved it!
Price was pretty reasonably.. Not too high, not too low.. I can say one negative thing about this place: I DON'T LIVE IN SAN FRANCISCO and I'm already craving their pizza!!!! sigh.. I must visit SF a little more often to visit wonderful restaurant like this one.. I will definitely be back soon.. :D -
Review from Chuck D.
Glendale, CA
2/9/2012 7 photos
Had lunch here on a Sunday. Same day the San Francisco marathon was running, so the city & more particularly North Beach was very busy. We waited about 30-35 mins for our party to be seated. The wait wasn't too bad. Anything worth eating in the city had a little bit of a wait & we really wanted to try the famous margherita pizza. The hostess assured us they weren't running out anytime soon because the first lunch seating had just started... We just needed our table to be ready and we were golden.
We started off with a calamari appetizer and went with half traditional style batter and the other half with some seasoning/spice or what they call calabrese style. Both were very tasty especially with a squeeze of lemon. The portion was enough for us 3 hungry folks.Good stuff.
We, of course, ordered their famous margherita pizza. It was good. The crust was pretty damn good. The basil & mozzarella flavors really shined through. I would order it again, for sure. These people are the pizza experts. On the menu, they list the temperature and type of oven each pizza is baked. Name it, they make it. Amazing...
We also had the deep fried Manhattan calzone. It was filled with meatballs, mozzarella & ricotta cheeses and garlic. It was sooo good. Never had anything like that before. It was crunchy, cheesy... flavorful. I suggest you order the calzone deep fried. Delish.
For dessert we went with the pistachio panna cotta. It was very good. Panna cotta is usually a winner. But this pistachio version Tony's serves is real good. I recommend it.
Service was good. Our server was attentive but not smothering. I have no complaints. -
Review from Julio G.
Dallas, TX
2/9/2012
So our trip to San Francisco could not be complete without trying out the greatest pizza in the world of 2007. We ordered the Margherita Pizza and I must say that it melted in my mouth. Other than having great texture, it didn't blow my mind in terms of taste. We also ordered a Proscuitto e Pomodirini. I must say that it was the leafiest pizza ever with tons of fresh arugula leaves on it. Very different from anything I've ever had and I enjoyed it slightly better than the Margherita.
We waited about 45 minutes for a table on a Friday night. They do call backs so just check in and give them your phone number. Then you can go explore all of the area and not worry about losing your place in line. We ate outside and they have heaters to warm up. It gets packed and I think this place is slightly overrated. -
Review from Tammy C.
(See pics) A recent visit had us tried some dishes that we had not had a chance before. White anchovies antipasti was very nice if you love anchovies. Quail Egg potato chorizo pizza was interesting and not traditional. It was experimental but not sure if I want to order it again. Caputo margherita pizza was very delicious, almost as great as the limited classic ones. The bucatini was rich in taste.
Drinks wise, I usually prefer a draft Peroni but had paired the food with Gragnano and Tempranillo and they were all very good. Italian wines are very food friendly for its lighter taste and not overwhelm the dishes.
Service was very very good even they seated us close to closing time and we stayed quite late while they were cleaning up without interrupting our meals.
Right on for all your great food and service!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/10/2010
(See drooling pics)
I have to say this indeed has some of the best pizzas I have ever tried. Bar… Read more »
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Review from Erin H.
2/2/2012
For our 7 year anniversary, the BF decided to take me to San Francisco and eat at all the places I've had bookmarked on Yelp for months! (I'm a lucky gal). Anywho, we arrived at Tony's at around 2pm on Saturday.
We walked up to the hostess and asked how long the wait would be for 2. She said it would be around 20-25 minutes. Considering that we drove all the way from Santa Cruz, we decided to wait.
A few minutes later she came back and said that she could seat us right away if we didn't mind sitting at one of the tables in the bar area. Woohoo!
We sat down and were immediately given water and tasty crusty bread with various dipping sauces (olive oil, roasted red pepper and garlic/honey) which were all very tasty.
A while later (15-20 mins, ish) our waiter takes our order: Margherita for me, and Tomato with red peppers for the BF.
15-20 mins after that our pizza arrives and oh my goodness, was it a sight to behold. Steamy, bubbly, cheesy, all around yumminess heading my way; then there was the BF's which wasn't quite as impressive, but tasty looking all the same.
Let me tell you, the Margherita did not disappoint. I loved the sweetness of the tomato sauce mixed with the salty, creaminess of the globs of cheese. YUM.
Overall, our experience at Tony's was worthy of 5 stars. The only downside was that our waiter wasn't spectacular; he took a REALLY long time to even acknowledge us, and didn't come back to our table until we were ready to pay. The rest of the staff, on the other hand, was fantastic. My water was never empty and I didn't even have to ask for a box.
Oh, and it turns out that I'd been here before years ago and didn't even know it! My memory works in mysterious ways....
4 stars.Listed in: Pizza, San Francisco
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Review from Alex C.
Falls Church, VA
2/6/2012 1 Check-in Here
One of the best meals of my life. Got the limited run Margarita pizza with my girl and we were blown away (she is from NY and admitted it was the best pizza she's ever had.)
The homemade penne was equally delicious - we live in DC and were seriously contemplating getting a plane ticket back next weekend to get some more of this amazing food.
You won't be disappointed!! -
Review from Nick B.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Let me just say:
Sono nato e cresciuto in Italia... essendo italiano di origine e di stomaco di pizza napoletana me ne intendo!
I came here last weekend with all my coworkers for a going away party.
The pizza after all is indeed very good. I tried the Vito's pizza which seemed to be the most delicious one. Not Italian style but definitely perfectly baked crust: crispy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.
I also tried the calamari which were decent and pasta carbonara was alright. A little bit greasy and too heavy on the cream... DEFINITELY AMERICANIZED!
Service I would say was also pretty decent, a tall skinny almost bold guy served us (we were the party of 10 sitting by the far right window. He seemed annoyed when we asked him too many questions about the menu... service was super quick but it would've been better to have a more experienced maybe Italian server knowing what he was talking about..
Overall good experience. Yay! I'm a fan :) -
Review from Laura I.
Boyes Hot Springs, CA
2/8/2012
Great place to go with friends, friendly service, fab margarita as well as pepperoni pizzas. Also try the meatball
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Review from Brian D.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
Came in on Sunday January 29th, 2012 around 8 PM - wait was about 1 hour long - however, they did take our number and call when a table was available.
Server was busy but nice - and came buy after a few minutes of being seated to take a drink order; and a busser dropped off some bread with a variety of dipping sauces which were tasty.
We ordered the spinach salad - quite tasty as well as the Wild Robiola with mozzarella, straciatella, & robiola cheese, wild mushrooms, truffle oil, speck (smoked cured pork), piave, arugula - without the speck as I am a vegeterian. The pizza while tasty - did not reach the expectations that I had for this place after all of the lengthy reviews.
I will have to come earlier for the margherita pizza - as it sold out hours before I arrived. -
Review from henry w.
1/24/2012
If you're looking for some authentic (and good) New York style pizza, this place is one of the few in the Bay Area that is the real deal. They use a wood fired oven which makes a big difference in taste and the finished texture of the pizza crust. The crust itself is perfect - crispy yet chewy doughy in the right places.
You can't go wrong with almost any of the pizzas here, but I love the Margherita and the New Yorker.
Sometimes there can be a massive wait, so you should try to time your arrival here around peak hours to avoid seating time shock. -
Review from Susan D.
Dropped in recently for lunch and noticed the menu had been updated. I didn't see my beloved Truffle Fries. Asked the waiter and he said they do change the menu and some things may not be listed, but if it's been on the menu in the past you can request it and they'll make it!!!
Tried a different pizza as much as I love the Marguerite, Detroit Style and let me tell you the crispy square pizza is a cheese coma waiting to happen. Oh it's sooo cheesy and over the top and crunchy crust is shear heaven.
I don't think there is a bad pizza on this menu. There may be a wait for this place but its well worth it. Stellar Pizza folks.Listed in: Needing some City time in SF, Food Porn
2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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8/21/2010
Love Love Love it! Friday nite and yes we did have to wait, but we left our phone number with the… Read more »
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Review from Renae K.
San Francisco, CA
1/30/2012
I have been frequenting Tony's for almost 2 years since joining the neighborhood and have FINALLY decided to write a yelp review.
There have been ups and downs (mostly related to the looong wait), but ultimately it's a favorite, so I come in at least once every week or two. Tony's has a comfortable vibe and really friendly service, but what stands out the most is the great food you can count on.
My favorites over the years...
Margherita Pizza - simple delightful flavors that really make this an authentic winner
Meatballs - soo juicy and flavorful, a must for 1st timers
Cal Italia - really flavorful if you don't mind sweeter pizzas
Best Value (for larger groups) - Pizza Romana (serves closer to 4-6)
Only Item I'd Recommend Against - St. Louis Style (tastes like velveeta cheese pizza)
I could go on and on, but just check this place out!!! -
Review from Erica H.
Ontario, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
So thankful for the recommendation I received for this place. I was told, "Best Pizza in the US". And that is most certainly confirmed! We sat at the bar because the place was packed. The bartender was fantastic and very hospitable. Bread and sauces were served and it was so delicious! I ordered a Vodka Ginger Ale and the Ginger ale was the best I had ever tasted. The drink was perfect. I then ordered the Margharita pizza, I believe they only make 75? per day. It was so AMAZING! I cannot wait to go back to San Fran and eat at Tony's again! Love the area it was in as well, very nice restaurants and shops.
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Review from Joshua M.
Menlo Park, CA
2/3/2012
I am not a huge pizza person nor do I eagerly search out italian dinners. However, this may have been the best pizza I have ever had. A perfect place for friends or family to get together over a great slice or two, or in my case a bunch. Great service, friendly staff, and just unbelievable food.
We had the half-half Calamari and the New Yorker. The food was so good it prompted me to write my first Yelp review. Easy 5 stars. -
Review from Karin Z.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
Best pizza in the city - hands down.
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Review from Ron L.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
I need a five star review to start off the New Year right and live up to my new shiny 2012 Elite badge.
I won't talk about the great signature award winning Margherita pizza, baked 90 seconds at 900 degrees.
I won't talk about the genuine Negroni cocktail, complete with the orange twist (next time burn the twist to release the oil).
I won't talk about the environment nor location, right on North Beach in the middle of the Italian district of San Francisco.
What I will tell you is there was a hot bombshell sitting across from me that made me forget how great my dining experience was. -
Review from Steve E.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
I would give 5 stars to this place, because the Napoli style pizza is damn good; unfortunately it gets only three for the following reasons:
1) It's overpriced ($19 for a pizza margherita, really?).
2) There's a constant line.
3) The ambiance is just okay.
That being said, if you are really craving for a Napoli style pizza, that's the place where you wanna be. -
Review from Patrick S.
Oakland, CA
2/2/2012
Slice place next door, not the main restaurant. Not sure that the slice places gives the same mind blowing pizza experience as inside, but the pizza was very good. Tried a few styles and thought all were well executed.
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Review from Grace K.
1/10/2012
Oh perfect Christmas Eve! Who knew I would experience you before the end of the world. And I almost believed the Mayans too with the way SF was looking- deserted, slightly eerie and even more romantic. We even had awesome weather- cool, crisp, with just enough warmth radiating from the one sunny day in Norcal Winter.
We walked hand in hand to Tony's, the one and only, hahah. Okay maybe there are a few places with the same name in Little Italy, but this is the only Tony's that matters. We walked through the door and stood at the desk where they greeted us and seated us within five minutes, not bad.
Our server recommended a carafe of pinot. It was smooth, velvety, and opened up like a rose. Then our meatballs arrived. I cut into my steaming hot ball, so damn juicy. I moved each piece around in sauce for perfect flavor all the way to the very last bite.
Finally our Margherita, "900 degrees wood fired to perfection pizza" was delivered and I sat mesmerized. I was taking a mental picture of little mozzarella pools slightly bubbled up on our thin fluffed up crust. Was this dough brought back in a time machine from 19th century Naples. Did they bring back Raffaele Esposito to make his pizza for our last meal? What a way to go!
"Drinking good wine with good food in good company is one of life's most civilized pleasures."--- Michael Broadbent
Good wine? Check
Good food? Check
Good company? CHECK
Our dining experience may have been a civilized pleasure, but an experience like this made me want to do uncivilized things.
This review is dedicated to :! -
Review from Jason T.
San Francisco, CA
2/4/2012
Best pizza in San Francisco. But be prepared to wait if you want to eat there. Strongly recommend the Margherita pizza & three-cheese stromboli.
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Review from anthony s.
Lawndale, CA
2/5/2012
Good pizza and good service no Dout, but an hour and half wait? Makes it not worth the wait. $9 for a bloody Mary? Heck I can buy a 750ml of vodka for $9 bucks. Prices are high for a pizza joint which as a previous pizza restaurant owner has the cheapest cost. At best a thick pizza with everything is costing the owner maybe $4, but he's selling it for $30!!!
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Review from raymond b.
Brooklyn, NY
2/5/2012
Wow! I would consider Tony's as a factor in moving to San Francisco.
I am a lifetime Brooklynite who has had Celiac disease for a few years and thus, has had a lot less pizza recently than I'd like. Most places that serve Gluten Free pizza do a miserable job of it and act like they're doing you a favor.
Not so here! Tony's pizza was amazing. My wife found it on-line when she was looking for Gluten Free restaurants in preparation for a recent trip to SF. We both fell in love with Tony's so much that we went back the next day for our last meal in SF before we flew back.
What makes a good meal? Let's break it down.
Taste: the crust was great - it was firm and unlike many non-wheat doughs, it did not fall apart or stay "wet." Tony's obviously put a lot more care into their GF crust than others do and the quality was the equal of their regular pizza. The cheese was good, the mozzarella was fresh and the ricotta was just slightly sweet. All of the sauce and herbs were fresh.
A special shout out for the appetizer: deep fried String Beans - it's hard to believe that String Beans could be comfort food but they were. Unique and delicious.
Looks: The pizza is - well - beautiful. My wife's pizza looked like a Van Gogh. There is something to be said for a meal's appearance; while it *has* to taste good, when you pay a bit for a meal, it does help that it looks good as well.
And the last important factor: the service was exemplary: Here's an example: One of the menu items had 2 ingredients that my wife is allergic to. We only noticed one of them and asked our waitress; Rose, who we had already decided was fantastic; if we could have it substituted. Rose spoke to the chef and found a good alternative which we ordered. Only when it arrived, we noticed the second allergen and asked if we could have one without that, and told her [Rose] that we'd of course, pay for both as it was clearly our fault. She went and ordered the new dish and then took it to her manager and arranged that we only pay for one.
So... one a scale of 10, this one goes to 11!
The only caveat I will offer is: get there when they open or be prepared to wait for a table. They don't take reservations but they're worth the wait! -
Review from carlos a.
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
This place is always busy...and with good reason.
Apparently it won some World Pizza award, and I can see why.
We ordered the Margherita and it was fantastic. They have a limited number made with the recipe that won the World Pizza award and we got the one they give you when that runs out and that was very good so curious as to how good the other one is. The Cal Italia pizza looks amazing. The couple next to us was having it and I will definitely get it next time. If you come during a peak time you could easily wait 45 minutes so keep that in mind. I look forward to going back. -
Review from Sandra S.
Fort Worth, TX
2/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
Best pizza I've had since Florence Italy and great atmosphere.
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Review from Steven C.
1/6/2012 3 Check-ins Here
So good, this place is epic and in my opinion, best pizza in SF!
Last few times I have gone there is always a wait, BUT the awesome thing about Tony's is that you leave your name and number and the hostess calls you when the table is ready! In the meantime, we get some drinks at the bars in the area (Church Key)
We always get a Coal-Fire and a margherita pizza. Those 2 pizza's have NEVER failed me. we also tell them to go buckwild on the calabrese peppers and throw that ish on every pizza we order!
When i eat the pizzas I seriously believe it is the sauce that makes it so epic. When people used to tell me the sauce is diff here blah blah, I wrote them off thinking all sauce tastes the same. This place, its just different! There is something magical in that sauce, I hope its not animal semen (from harold and kumar) -
Review from Matthew D.
Irvine, CA
1/23/2012
My wife and I went here late one night, massively craving pizza. When we arrived, we were told it would be a 90 minute wait for a table. I expressed my disappointment with the hostess, and stood there a moment to decide if it was worth the wait. The hostess was NOT accommodating, and seemed annoyed that I was even considering it.
We went outside and then overheard someone saying they were going NEXT DOOR to Tony's by-the-slice take out restaurant.
Wait, what?!?
Why didn't the hostess tell us that? Why was she so quick to usher us out, and not even have the courtesy to say "Oh hey, if you want pizza, there's an extension of the restaurant next door where you can get it IMMEDIATELY."
Quite lame. -
Review from Byron C.
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
Order the Chirizo Mussels! It's awsome! Ok now that I got that out of the way. Tony's is pretty awesome I give them much credit for being able to bring solid Italian style rustic yet modern pizza to the bay area. This is def my fav pizza in the bay so far. If you are just with a few people go for the Roman style pizza. Its pretty impressive and gives you 3 distinctly different flavors. The crust here is thin but not paper thin and the texture is just a tad chewy, just like how it should be. I must say tho, maybe its just me but I wish the crust just had a little more crunch to it but that's just me.
See Christina L's review for a more detailed synopsis of our foodventure.
Enjoy! -
Review from Durif M.
Foster City, CA
1/12/2012
We had the Margherita pizza (not the "San Felice flour", the waiter said we won't be able to tell the difference anyway :D), Cal Italia pizza, and the Meatball Gigante here and the food is fantastic. They serve a lot of different styles of pizzas and it's interesting to taste the different dough textures etc. Personally we liked the Cal Italia better than the Margherita, but we should return to try the others as well.
Giving them minus one stars for the extremely long waits. Apparently this place is popular among out-of-town tourists. -
Review from edward k.
1/5/2012 1 Check-in Here
First off, I have to say that you have to be nuts not give this place at least 4 stars. My friends and I came here on a Friday night and it was 1.5 hours wait. Sounds long but the good thing is that after you put your name down, they take down your phone number as well so you can totally hit up a bar or something nearby and wait for the hostess to call you. Now that is customer service!
We got three pizzas between us and a bottle of wine. First we got the Prosciutto Pomodorini. Usually, I don't like arugula but on this pizza it was really good w/ the cherry tomatoes and prosciutto. Then the New Yorker and it was freaking AMAZING. really good italian sausage and the ricotta.. holy cow it is to die for. Super creamy and rich, takes pizza to a new level. Lastly we had the award winning Cal Italia. A white pizza that was also seriously to die for. The wine our waiter paired with our meal was also quite delish and complimented everything.
This is one of those places where you think to yourself 'Man I gotta try everything on the menu and just go down the list' and that is exactly what I am going to do. Every time I come back I'm gonna get something I've never gotten. -
Review from Kory T.
San Francisco, CA
1/26/2012
Grrrrrreat pizza!
The place is packed and I see why! The pizzas were really awesome. Dough was a perfect crunchy and doughy, with meat, sauce and cheese perfectly blended. Man what an orgasm in your mouth!
Bartenders were very cool. They also give out different dipping sauces with bread while you wait.
New spot!!! -
Review from Susie W.
1/9/2012 1 photo
Tony and I were meant to be. Arrived 6:30 on a Saturday night to hear there was a 1.75 hour wait. A minute later two bar stools opened up. 10 minutes later we had our draft beers and bread with olive oil and garlic to dip. 15 minutes later a sublime pizza with a chewy crust I also dipped into olive oil along with a caesar salad made with dark green Romaine leaves that perfectly balanced healthy with decadence.
I'm not sure how I'd have felt if we'd waited for 2 hours for the same meal, but this first experience was pure magic. Can't wait to return. -
Review from Vithiet L.
San Francisco, CA
1/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
USA Today claimed that this is the best pizza in the country (http://travel.usatoday...) and I thought I'd try.
FI don't eat pizza that often and am far from being a connoisseur but I did find it very good. A shame they ran out of their award winning Margherita so I couldn't try that one, but what we had (New Yorker, Fear & Loathing and forgot the third one) was excellent.
Service was nice even though they were super busy.
The annoying part is that they are very popular so there was like an hour wait or something. We left our number and went for a drink and they called us, which is cool but I wish I had known in advance because I was super hungry and that hour wait was torture.
Another issue is the freaking North Beach parking situation, but if you don't drive, it's all good I guess. -
Review from Robert S.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012
Forgive me Tony's Pizza, I was wrong.
I actually wrote a review for the Pizza place up the block saying that they were better than Tony's and that there was no reason to bother with the wait.
WRONG
What happened was I called and tried to order a mushroom and sausage pizza to go and that was a whole confusing ordeal because there are like 10 types of crust and 5 ways to cook it. I ended up with an ordinary pizza that was no better than the place up the block, which I like anyway.
I have been here a few times now and had the full explanation of the menu and have tried a few different pizza types.
Wow, they make Pizza exciting again. Pizza is delicious, we all know this, but these guys are the experts. It's like they're putting on a pizza clinic.
Each time I go I love what I order and I see something else on the menu that get's me excited for the next visit. -
Review from James V.
Garden Grove, CA
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
I love thin crust pizza and this place has been the best thus far. 5 stars until I find a different place
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Review from Cindy P.
Mountain Home, AR
2/3/2012
Love Tony's
Lived in North Beach and ate there a lot. Gosh! just that great smell of pasta Garlic and Marinara sauce coming out the door is enough to draw you in. Great food, great service. -
Review from Tony S.
Durango, CO
1/16/2012 1 Check-in Here
NOTE: We only purchased a slice to-go. But, would definitely come back and sit down at the restaurant. All the pizzas being served looked great. Wished we lived closer!
Awesome to-go operation...
* Well organized (shorter wait than dining room)
* Helpful staff
* Several outside seating options
* GREAT NY Slice:
- Crust had perfect balance of crisp & chewy
- Sauce was one of THE best we've ever tried
- Cheese was good, but a bit heavy for us (yes, I know tons of cheese is the American way and you see it on all the TV commercials. But, more is not always better.)
The only downside was that you could not get the Napoletana pizza by the slice ;-( -
Review from Laura f.
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Their margherita pizza is very good and I really enjoyed the parklet benches outside. These are very useful when you get the pizza to go but have to stop and sit down and eat a piece, before you go home!
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Review from L C.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
Because pizza is one of my favorite foods, I have very high standards.
Twice I've been here now. Both times I've waited over 30 minutes for a table. I never wait more than 10 minutes to get seated for a restaurant. So that should say something... I'm being patient here! :)
There is seemingly, no "perfect" time to go to Tony's. I've been when they first opened in the afternoon and two hours after they've opened. I've watched the line form and disappear, people wait for 30-45 minutes -- people standing in line in front of me...and me getting seated first because I have a smaller group. FYI, this is a great place for two people to go. If you're a family or group, you'll wait some time and if you're really grubbing -- you should try next door for the to go pizza.
In addition to the wait, don't let the hostess scare you away with her crabbiness either. She's the last down-side to this restaurant. Wait in line, put up with the crabby hostess and you'll be rewarded with the most amazing pizza and MEATBALLS evar.
Amazing food makes you do the impossible, like putting up with the wait time and the crabby hostess. I'm breaking new barriers! :D
Anyway, I like the 3 for 5 (smaller meatballs), although the gigante meatball isn't so bad either. They have different flavors. The smaller ones are traditional and the gigante one has spices.
Oh, and can't forget about the complimentary bread. I think they have 2 or 3 kinds. One has olive oil and some herbs spread on top. The others are plain and are good for sopping up the sauce from the meatballs. Sop it up. I swear, you won't regret it.
Pizza:
Barcelona - think of breakfast. It's got scrambled eggs on top, among some other yummy, rustic flavors.
New Yorker - I admit I'm not much of a meat eater -- in fact, I'm almost a vegetarian. Though I find that when I come here I eat meatballs, sausage, and pepperoni. This New Yorker makes me a lover of pepperoni. History in the making. This place is one of the reasons why I probably won't ever become a vegetarian.
Beers and cocktails are good here. Overall, great place to eat if you're in North Beach and are patient enough to wait for a table. -
Review from Erich D.
12/21/2011 1 Check-in Here
When an establishment has an award winning item on their menu that they are limited to making a certain amount of each day, you're practically obligated to order it. When they have more than one award winning item you have a difficult choice to make unless you're really hungry.
I suppose I have a decent appetite as I ordered both of their award winning pizzas -- the Margherita (2007 World Pizza Cup winner in Naples, Italy) and the Cal-Italia (gold medal winner Food Network's Pizza Champions Challenge).
The pizza margherita was very good, living up to some lofty expectations that they set for themselves. It was the best classic Neapolitan pizza that I've ever had (though, admittedly I haven't had too many) and I enjoyed it more than Delfina's. The tomato sauce was light and surprisingly sweet but didn't cause the pizza to be too soggy, mozzarella was slightly gooey and very flavorful/savory, and the crust was chewy and doughy with minimal charred-blistering.
The Cal-Italia resembles a pizza that could be served at CPK, but you can certainly taste the difference. It has some tasty toppings and a mix of a variety of awesome different cheeses, each with distinct flavors such as asiago, mozzarella and gorgonzola. I really enjoyed the crust on this pizza as well.
If you don't feel like waiting for a table just call ahead and order for pick-up. Pick-up orders can be picked up two doors south of the main restaurant entrance.Listed in: Golden Gate-r-aid, Pizza
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Review from Nicole Mandy S.
San Francisco, CA
2/1/2012 1 Check-in Here
The line is pretty long, so come before dinner time or so ... but the pizza was HUGE :)) it was so good !!
