People love pizza based on their personality. Pizza is a planetary passion–adored by all the world’s inhabitants. Some love thin, others swear by the deep dish. Some need  layers of cheese, others see it as a condiment to be used sparingly. Sausage? Pepperoni? Mushrooms? Arugula? Anchovies? Pineapple? Whether you can agree or disagree matters not, because at the end of the order the resolution is to only top half of the pie with any controversial topping. That’s not something you can do with just any kind of food, either, which is why, hands down, pizza will always win the popularity contest. Among the legends of Pizza in San Diego - we have classy, we have artisanal, and we have traditional.  

1.) Bronx Pizza

Bronx Pizza - Hillcrest, San Diego, CA

With an attitude matching its namesake, this thirty-five year old institution has won awards like Yelp’s #7 top 100 pizza joints in the U.S.

Thin crust pizza by the slice will evoke memories (even made up ones) of standing “on line” for “take away” and walking another 30,000 steps to finish your hectic New York Minute.

I’m talking about pizza so thin you can fold it.

Cooked in 500 degree heat creating a crust with a slight char.

That’s the standard and that’s what you get.

This ain’t about toppings or fancy sauces.

In fact, you’ll get a funny look if you ask for pineapple.

Just.

Don’t.

2.) Fillippi's

Filippi's Pizza Grotto – Little Italy, San Diego, CA

You might say that Little Italy was born the day Filippi’s opened their Filippi’s Cash & Carry in 1950.

Mona Lisa (also still there) arrived six years later in 1956.

Family owned Italian businesses set the scene in a booming neighborhood acclaimed for great dining and memorable date nights.

Filippi’s is best known for red and white checkered tablecloths, empty chianti bottles strung up in corners, and cheese.

Yes, cheese.

Indeed, this place packs on nearly a pound for every pizza they make.

They also make excellent traditional Italian pasta meals and the gluten free crust is the best we’ve ever had. 

Additional Locations - Chula Vista, Escondido, Kearny Mesa, Mission Valley, Pacific Beach, Santee, and Scripps Ranch

3.) Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza

Sammy's Wood Fired Pizza - La Jolla

Thai Chicken pizza OR Brie Cheese and Truffle Oil pizza?

I had never heard of Barbeque Chicken Pizza until I tried it here, and that was so many moons ago.

Talk about a food legacy.

Sami Ladeki, restaurateur–entrepreneur, introduced Woodfired Pizza to La Jolla in 1989 and built an empire around a concept - wood fired pizza ovens - we now take very much for granted.

The menu was ahead of its time back in the day and still shines to this day.

The decor is upscale for a pizza place, perfect for a planned family celebration, friends night out, or a cozy dinner date.

And the food is trendy, healthy, and tasty all at the same time. Magical.

Additional Locations - Chula Vista, Del Mar, La Mesa, Mission Valley, San Marcos, Scripps Ranch

4.) Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria

Blue Ribbon Artisan Pizzeria - Encinitas

This is a great spot for Happy Hour.

It's got rock star parking and a solid outdoor set-up in the lumberyard of Encinitas.

Actually, it's a great spot for ANY hour for that matter.

Start things off with the Heirloom Truffled Popcorn Appetizer...

Seriously, not kidding, popcorn appetizer creativity here folks!! ..

and then dive into a Roasted Organic Beet or a BLT salad, both amazing,

and then follow that with a "My Father’s" pizza pie

Or the Staff Favorite with sausage and creamy sauce.

The Signature Lemon EVOO is a lemon lover’s dream.

Yes, lemon.

Do not even think about NOT trying the famous Butterscotch pudding.

It’s the stuff of a last supper,

the thing you dream of the next time you're trapped on a deserted island.

Great food that’s not in the least bit pretentious

and oh so creative!

5.) Corner Pizza

Corner PIzza – Leucadia

If the Killer Bee Pizza doesn’t get you buzzing..

..with the chili honey drizzled over two kinds of thinly sliced Italian ham,

then go for the Mushroom Queen with truffle oil..

..or the Lemon and Pesto.

Did someone say lemon again?

Yes, they did!!

And it’s vying for a spot near the Margarita

and may someday become as classic as a New Yorker.

What sets this pizza place apart are the oysters and wine.

Run by the same restaurant group that dreamed up Moto Deli and Valentina,

the wine is terrific and the ambience has a great coastal feel.

Suck down some Kumamoto oysters while waiting for your Sausage Fest pizza.

The perfect appetizer to go with great wine and great company,

so splurge on the oysters.

You won’t be disappointed.

6.) urbn North Park

urbn Pizza - North Park, San Diego, CA

Thin crispy crust, yes to the Mashed Potato Pizza with bacon!

Or try the white pizza with spinach, artichokes, tomatoes, olives and sausage.

Because it’s coal fired, New Haven Style, this is the greatest flat crust pie known to man.

So many topping choices,

so little time…

oh well, that’s what repeat visits are for!

Additional Locations - Downtown, El Cajon, Encinitas, Vista + Catering

7.) Blind Lady Ale House

Blind Lady Ale House Craft Pizza and Beer - Normal Heights

Aside from the fabulous beer and the music events, the pizza anchors its peeps in place like no other.

This curated menu narrows down the options with a laser focus on the details.

Starting with Chorizo (theirs is made in-house–bonus!),

there’s nothing tender or tentative with the base of epazote,

the Mexican herb that resembles a mixture of mint, tarragon, and oregano.

Then there’s poblano chilis, a mild pepper with more punch than a green pepper but less than jalapeno.

Lace in fontina and cotija, sharp followed by mild, and you’ve got Mexican magic pizza pie.

The rest of their menu is just as thoughtful,

with an Egg and Bacon Pizza taking breakfast beyond the bar.

Try the Mountain Meadow Mushroom with three types of mushrooms and cheeses

with a hoppy beer and you will know happy.

8.) Surfrider Pizza

Surf Rider Pizza Co. – La Mesa, CA

An easy stop on Friday’s Farmer’s markets in La Mesa or any other street fair/car show that’s going on.

Cohn Family restaurants always get the vibe right and this menu surfs a big swell, especially the bakery.

We love walking in and ordering several slices of pie–

The Godfather (good ol’ pepperoni),

the signature Surfrider (white sauce, gorgonzola),

and the So Cal Heat (jalapeno, bacon, and cilantro) are my family’s personal favorites.

House made meatballs and garlic knots are not to be missed, either.

Follow with a double chocolate cookie for dessert–

yes they make cookies and cannolis on-site.

Take in the artfully placed surf boards and catch a wave of surf nostalgia .

9.) Woodstock's

Woodstock Pizza – San Diego

For the last forty years, Woodstock’s has been making the pizza work by keeping in with quality ingredients and barely nodding at food fads.

Catering to college kids in seven California towns, it’s no wonder the Grateful Veg and Sriracha-Cha are two of the most popular items.

I love watching people get to the crust and eat the tomato sauce that’s been worked and rolled into the top bit.

Nobody else does it like that, and it’s a very effective practice to create no waste.

Speaking of waste, their compostable silverware and biodegradable takeout boxes are just another reason to add this place into the rotation.

Keeping it real and staying relevant sounds like Woodstock’s to me.

Additional Locations - Pacific Beach and five more spots in California college towns

9.) Pizza Port

PIzza Port – Solana Beach

One of the best places to eat in Solana Beach is Pizza Port,

the brew-pub that’s been killing it in all the Craft beer festivals and contests for the last three decades.

There are four other locations across San Diego County including the one that cans the beer, in Bressi Ranch, Carlsbad, also known as the Bottle Shop.

Two kinds of pizza styles are offered in the menu:

Original and Anti-Wimpy. 

The Originals are named after fun towns that feature some of the ingredients,

like Pizza Monterrey with pepperoni, shrooms, onions and artichokes.

Loaded with heartier, more filling ingredients, like BBQ Bacon Cheeseburger,

Anti-Wimpy pizzas are not poking fun at their healthier siblings.

They are just asserting the inherent value in protein loading.

Amen.

And you can wash it all back with a flight sampler of award winning craft brew.

Additional Locations - Bressi Ranch & Bottle Shop, Carlsbad, Ocean Beach & San Clemente