San Diego’s Best Pizza: Long Island Mike’s Pizza Review
New York thin-crust style pizza is my personal favorite. In our search for the best pizza in San Diego we naturally had to try out a place named after Long Island. This is the Fun Diego Family review of Long Island Mike’s Pizza.
WEBSITE: http://longislandmikespizza.com/
UPDATE: Long Island Mike’s now has a second location in Spring Valley. We have not been to this location yet.
Spring Valley WEBSITE: https://www.longislandmikespizzaspringvalley.com/
Long Island Mike’s Pizza is slightly off the beaten track. It is located in a small strip mall along the I-15 interstate at the Clairemont Mesa Rd exit. The nearest neighborhoods are Kearney Mesa, Serra Mesa and Tierrasanta. Many people work in this area, so they have a booming lunch crowd.
The focus at Long Island Mike’s Pizza is on pizza by the slice. We have always going for the lunch special of 2 slices and a soda for $7. Most times they will have about 20 different pizzas by the slice. Individual slices are $2.75. For $19 you can pick any 8 slices.
I have not made a dent in trying all the specialty slices. My two go-to favorites are the meat lovers and the meatball with ricotta. They have several chicken pizzas, as well as white pizzas and pesto sauce. 18-inch pizzas start at only $15 with extra toppings at $2.50. Most specialty pizzas are $20 to $22.
I admit we have never tried a full pizza. However, I can say that in almost every case a full pizza will be better than pizza by the slice. The slices at Long Island Mike’s Pizza are excellent so I imagine the full pies are even better.
Long Island Mike’s Pizza also does a square Sicilian-style pizza. I have always said, Sicilian style is not my favorite so I have never tried this version. I am trying to get a Sicilian pizza loving expert to help me with this category.
The focus at Long Island Mike’s Pizza is pretty much all on pizza. Outside of some appetizers, there is only salads, stromboli, and calzones. In our book that is always a good sign for a NY-style pizza place.
The eating area is quite large but bare bones. The highlight of the décor is a large illustration of Long Island on the wall. There used to be a large back room at Long Island Mike’s Pizza, but on our last visit that area had been sealed off.
During weekday lunch rush hour Long Island Mike’s Pizza gets pretty busy. This is because this is truly some of the best NY-style pizza in San Diego. In Fun Diego Family’s quest for the best pizza in San Diego, Long Island Mike’s is a top contender for top NY-style pizza in San Diego. Like most of the top places in this category, it is a fairly modest establishment that focuses on substance over style.
UPDATE 2022: A second location in Spring Valley has opened. We have yet to visit that location.
For an overview of the top pizza places in San Diego go here.
Long Island Mike’s was a top place in out best NY-style Pizza in San Diego.
Is this the place that’s owned by an ex employee from Bronx Pizza? That’s hands down my favorite pizza spot in SD. Although, I’ve never been here so I can’t compare.
I think Sicilian Thing Pizza was founded by a Bronx Pizza employee. Not sure about Long Island Mike’s (I don’t think so).