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The best thing to come of all this Pizza by Farina news? The knowledge that a living, breathing person has not only set foot inside of — but actually, physically DINED at — the perpetually empty Pizzeria, that weird pizzeria on the ground floor of the Tropicana Hotel on Valencia.
TJ’s review begins:
Honestly- Pizzeria is one of my favorite spots around the Mission. They won’t sell you beer, which is part of why it’s empty. But they’ll let you bring your own in and drink for free, which is even better.
The hotel tropicana is a comical story, actually. Its right across the street from one of the epicenters of SF’s non-profit mafia HQ’s, and was an experiment in pig lipstick if there ever was one — how to disguise yet another SRO as something else. You know, like maybe a real hotel instead of a tax payer subsidized safe haven for parolees. I strolled in one day, and asked cheerfully for a rate card, pretending to be a European tourist, and the response was awkward. Lots of averted gazes and doublespeak. Rest your eyes on these little outpost survivors of Soviet “supermarkets.” State run business, which we should all know by now is an oxymoron. Emphasis on moron.
I’ve eaten at Pizzeria! I can second TJ here, the pizza is actually good! But I always forget it’s there and, honestly, eating by yourself in a giant restaurant like that kinda keeps me away, even when I do remember. But I would actually really recommend it if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you. I wonder how they stay in business, though? They definitely need to spend some money on flyering or something.
Pizzeria is what we get for delivery. It’s world’s better than the other pizza delivery options.
Allan, you took the post right out of my keyboard.
What on earth is wrong with Pizzeria? No beer? That’s it? I generally don’t go to restaurants for booze anyways. I would count that place as the best I’ve had in SF. (granted, I haven’t eaten at tons of them because like many east coasters I know agree, the bay area has embarrassingly shitty pizza. Little Star excepted.) Pizzeria makes high quality food and are extra nice. They call you if they’re going to be a few min. late delivering. I left a 5 star yelp review and they got in touch to say thanks, and next time I ordered they gave me a special for the price of a cheese, AND threw in free drinks I didn’t even order. I feel bad for them when I see lazy opinions like “they’re not busy so they must be bad” or cheap jokes like this. Try it and let the food speak for itself.
I cannot speak on why this place exists or the people behind it publicly.
Pizzeria’s milkshakes are actually really good too.
Are they better than Speedy Pizza?
Hope some of you give it a try.
I had always wondered about it as well, got it via delivery and was really happy with it, went to pick up a pie one day and the guy behind the counter mentioned that they don’t serve booze but we could bring it in if we wanted. Bam, I was sold. The pasta is also great, especially the pesto sauce.
Then again, they’ve got the double 100.
no joke, pizzeria is actually the best pizza I’ve had outside of italy. after eating there, I was also left wondering why the damn place is always empty. prices are really reasonable for quality.
Since the place is always empty and they never do any kind of promotion, I assume it’s a front for a drug dealer or something. What else could it be?
tikka masala pizza
The pizza IS good. I suspect this is a Muslim-owned operation which would explain A. No serving of alcohol and B. No pork on the menu. Unfortunately, their sausage is beef. Preferring traditional pork sausage I’ll usually wander down to Little Star or Pauline’s instead.
glad to hear ppl have actually gone there. i have to walk by there twice a day every day and there’s nothing sadder than the sight of a failed individual-run business. i don’t like pizza though so i can’t help the cause.
Are they better than Serrano’s?
MUCH better than Serrano’s. Ever since I saw roaches around my table at Serrano’s (not to mention the mediorcre pizza) I never went there again. Tops of course is Arinell’s. But the back story on Pizzeria is that it is owned by the family that runs the hotel and the Buffalo Wings place next door, so they don’t really need to make money from it obviously. The second back story is that the son of that family runs the place, and while he is VERY friendly and nice, he is stubborn about certain things that he doesn’t have a clue about, and will not listen to anyone’s advice or suggestions. Obviously, having the place empty all the time makes others assume it is no good. I’ve eaten there once, and as other commenters mentioned, the food is quite good. But it is a bit creepy to be the only people eating in there. The music was awful — some kind of muzak type crap. The restaurant itself is quite nice, but what the son / manager doesn’t understand, is that ambiance is 1/2 the dining experience at least — and muzak does not a good ambiance make. Try some JAZZ, or some slightly funky drum and base, or even the kind of music they pipe into the southwest airline planes for chrissakes. But nooooo… he won’t listen. (2) The guy should rent the place out to parties from time to time to fill it up, get some extra business and make it look popular.
Honestly, there’s nothing like need to get someone working to make their place successful, and this guy obviously doesn’t NEEd the business to make money. Plus, he must not be that into it. I mean, it’s not like he started the business himself… it’s more like it was handed to him (maybe against his will? I don’t know). In any case, he does not get very creative to promote a restaurant that must have cost a small fortune to build — have you seen that Pizza oven (!!!??), so methinks it was not his own money that built it (thanks Dad~!!). This is conjecture, based on the fact that the son of the owner of the building (and the hotel and Buffalo Wings) runs the place.
The back story is all very interesting. I often walk by the Pizzeria and the Wings Place and wonder why they are always empty yet somehow stay operational. Certainly, from the way they look, one would not expect good food — they look like fast food operations done by people who didn’t want to pay for an actual franchise. Maybe the pizza is good but I will probably stick with Pauline’s, or Delfina’s or Little Star or Flour and Water or anyway…. you get the idea.
I think if the place were smaller it’d actually do more business. No one wants to go into a hella huge restaurant and be the only dudes eating there.
I 2nd the food is delicious and the marinara sauce a suprising but welcome spicy flavor. I also 2nd the booze policy, which my household has taken advantage of on several occasions with bottles of wine bought around the corner at Ray’s.
Well, I’ll be the lone dissenter, I was stoked when this place opened because I don’t think the pizza around the Mission is all that good generally (I’ve seen roaches at Arrinell’s myself, more than once, yes I went back, what of it?). The dude running the place was very friendly but I thought the pizza just wasn’t very good, and like some other folks I found it a little creepy to be in there when my g/f and I were the only diners. After that I didn’t go back in person, and when I tried their delivery I wasn’t blown away either. But maybe I’ll give it another shot based on the comments here.