Tony’s Pizza Napoletana is a popular and well-known pizza spot in North Beach. Located on Stockton Street across from Washington Square and St Peter and Paul Catholic Church, it’s in a central location that is walkable to many bars (hit them up after dinner!) But, does it live up to the hype?
Tony has won numerous awards at top pizza championships, (he is a 13-time winning world champion) including the Best Pizza Margherita at the World Pizza Cup in Naples (the first American to do so!) and Best Pizza Romana at the World Championship of Pizza Makers. Tony was the first American and non-Neapolitan to win this coveted award in Naples.
Ingredients are either imported are from Italy, or they’re local (including herbs from his own garden). They support various local charities centered around both hunger and children (including George Mark House, which I).
There’s usually a wait outside. Their website says that they don’t take reservations, however, you CAN get on their waitlist.
They have outdoor seating in the front (thanks Covid)!, which is a great opportunity to be in the bustling North Beach area. The heat lamps make it toasty and cozy.
If it’s a long wait, grab a stool at the bar and pick from their very extensive list of US or Italian wines, or one of their craft cocktails like the Noisy Boy. Yes, you can order pizza there.
And, for those late nights or when the wait is just too long, you can grab takeout next door, where they offer pizza by the slice.
Tony owns the International School of Pizza, located on the same street, as well as various Slice House locations. Yes, this guy’s busy bringing his delicious pizza to the people.
Now, Onto the Food…
You have to get the giant meatball. .Our waitress highly recommended with one with burrata (they have about 4 options), and she knew what she was talking about. It was amazing. The sauce was unbelievably flavorful and each bite with the burrata was tender and rich.
The caprese salad was incredibly fresh, with the tomatoes slightly roasted for incredible flavor. There was no balsamic, and although my daughter was initially disappointed, after the first bite it was clear that it wasn’t needed. The fresh flavors of the rest of the ingredients spoke for themselves.
Now, the pizza.
The pizza menu is fairly extensive, with a variety of pizza oven/crust options. The waitress explained that it was all about the crust. Find the crust that you are most interested in, and look for the pizzas in that section.
I don’t think that you can go wrong with whatever pizza you do end up ordering. The freshness and authenticity of the ingredients are obvious in the flavors.
So, yes, Tony’s Pizza in SF is more than good. This North Beach treasure is a culinary adventure not to be missed.
