Chain Pizza Coming Soon

Aaaugh!! I’ve been meaning to go to Tortas El Primo since day one, never got around to it, now it’s chain pizza. Thanks a lot, self.

[via Eater SF]

34 Responses to “Chain Pizza Coming Soon”

  1. fsharp says:

    You didn’t miss much. The people at El Primo were nice but the Tortas were not so. Make sure to try La Torta Gorda though.

  2. meave says:

    And such a gross chain, too. That other place, “Pizzeria,” looks plenty bland already, and it has space in the former Tropicana Hotel (or whatever that building was, I swear it used to be a hotel).

    If people (read: the IT’S YOUR MISSION folk) are worried about turning Valencia/the Mission into the/Haight, Escape From New York is a prime candidate for protesting.

    • jekka says:

      What *is* that Tropicana Hotel anyway? I’ve been meaning to ask this site for awhile. Recently refurbished building with no apparent residents, atop two impeccably clean but almost entirely empty, bland chain restaurants. How do they stay in business? Or are they just some crazy drug front?

      • SFDoggy says:

        I have had the same question; I assume that they must be a front for something, because there is no way they are making money selling food.

  3. henry says:

    Yeah, sad to say I tried El Primo twice and each time had regret in the form of an awful stomach.

  4. guero says:

    to bad the chain from LA “La Pizza Loca” http://www.lapizzaloca.com/ doesn’t open here. I used to love their Carne Asada and Jalapeño pizzas!

  5. Ciaran says:

    I like EFNY pizza. But then I live in the Haight.

  6. teamawesome says:

    bring on the potato pesto!

  7. Allan Hough says:

    Yeah the potato pesto is pretty good.

  8. Glenparker says:

    I’ll bet all the hipsters next door at the Rev wont be protesting this one.

  9. mark says:

    one block away from serranos? really?

  10. 24th & Bryant is where I live says:

    Serrano’s completely obliterates EFNY. Please shut these clowns out of our hood asap.

    Fuck (Escape From) New York.

  11. johnny0 says:

    Excellent, this will allow me to continue to bitch about craptacular slices in SF.

  12. fsharp says:

    Serrano’s is pretty good. I’d go to both. They’re pretty different pizzas.
    Sadly, I think the Valencia st. crowd will organize and fight to make sure that that the place stays empty and vandalized for years to come.

  13. Broozler says:

    I don’t care for EFNY or Serrano’s. There is an unpleasant gastronomical phenomenon my gal & I have come to refer to as “Serrano’s Revenge.”

    if only Arinell delivered…

  14. it will bring a tore vibe on this tight lil street.

  15. Garrett in SF says:

    Escape from New York was great for pizza in Portland — but never understood how they managed to survive down here. I swing by to grab a slice, look at the interior design (which is a knock off of Machismo Mouse in Portland), and feel a little homesick.

  16. Brandon says:

    “If only Arinell’s delivered”. Amen.

    There could be an entire (short-lived) blog dedicated to the lack of pizza delivery in the Mission.

    and moreover, I mean, Serrano’s is fine if you like to wait thirty minutes for a mediocre slice. EFNY is blah. Pizza Love gets no love. Zante, actually, kills it but sometimes you want non-Indian pizza, you know? If only Arinell’s delivered.

    That’s a movement I would fight for.

  17. tk says:

    Seriously, is there going to be an American Apparel-type throwdown? I enjoyed the last one a lot.

  18. SFSquee says:

    Good for EFNY Pizza — at least somebody is trying to open a new business even after all the NIMBYism. There will probably be too many pizza places in the Mission soon. People will vote on which ones should stay and which ones should go by getting pizza from the places they like best. There were better tortas in the Mission than Tortas El Primo, so they closed.

    I don’t know much about planning/zoning rules but I don’t think the hipsters can protest this one. The space is changing from one restaurant to another, so there is no permit review to protest.

  19. Pbot says:

    While i’m not a fan of American Apparel and their “too fookin’ hip for my own spandex” employees, whats the justification for letting the pizza in and not the clothes?

    Maybe the neighborhood association that drove away AA have an unhealthy penchant for pizza slices?

  20. sangroncito says:

    I rather liked Tortas El Primo, although it didn’t stay open very long. Just what the hood needs…a chain Pizza place….I won’t be crossing their door.

  21. kiya says:

    Don’t mess with the Tropicana hotel.
    The owners of the “weekly/monthly hotel” also own the buffalo wing spot downstairs and also the new Pizzeria place, and also the building next door that says “FURNITURE” across the facade.

  22. zinzin says:

    there’s less PR value / more PR risk in fighting this company than there is in fighting AA.

  23. SFDoggy says:

    I can’t believe people are such fans of Arinell’s — you must have a much higher tolerance for grease than I do. Serrano’s is so much better; sure you have to wait 10 minutes for a slice but what you get is hot and and freshly baked.

    I don’t think anybody is in favor of EFNY moving in here. Could we pass a hat and raise the funds to put in a good Chinese restaurant. Just a thought.

  24. LINDYLULA says:

    Phew! For a second I thought it was Torta Gorda on 24th that was closing.
    Don’t let that one pass you by. Goat cheese and grilled veggie sammy is the best!

  25. McAwkward says:

    Both Serrano’s and Tortas el Whateva have done me dirty. I welcome EFNY and its pesto potato pizza with open, albeit flabby, arms.

  26. MBinSF says:

    The failure of hipsters to keep a legit Mexican joint like El Primo in business only half a block west of Mission, shows how truly hollow the hipster belief system can be in practice. Now they’ve got a douchie pizza chain instead.

    But… fear not El Primo fans. The original El Primo at 21st and Folsom is still going strong, serving up the extra fat tortas at recession busting prices. Pollo and pescado milanesa tortas are off the chain! They also serve huaraches, sopes and gorditas with tasty mole rojo or mole verde.

    Instead of protesting EFNY and AA, hipsters should just show some love to El Primo and other indigenous businesses.

    p.s. Arinell’s rocks! They don’t need to deliver to get business.

  27. ryanb says:

    Good riddance. Tortas el Primo sucked hugely. Not sure that there needs to be another pizza place, but it’s better than nothing.

  28. 18th at Harrison says:

    American Pizza would fail like a poorly crafted over priced tee shirt.

  29. someJuan says:

    Tortas el Primo makes great tortas. Those that think they suck just don’t know how, or what, to order. I won’t miss this location as I avoided it anyway because I can’t stand the hipsters that hang out at the Rev.

  30. lindylula says:

    Hipsters? Really? Look like burner dorks to me.

  31. codesmith says:

    The Tortas el Primo on 21st and Folsom is awesome – they make great sandwiches. I ate at the somehow related one on 22nd once and it was mediocre.

    I don’t think EFNY Pizza could be protested as a chain. From the look of their website http://www.escapefromnewyorkpizza.com they just have 4 locations, all in SF. I think you need to have >10 to be considered a chain.

    Serrano’s makes a great slice and is the best value in town. Don’t want to wait? Phone in your order ahead of time!