San Diego’s Top 10 Pizza Parlors
There is nothing like a good old American pizza parlor. These places may not have the fanciest pizza, but they are crowd pleasers. This is our list of San Diego’s Top 10 Pizza Parlors.
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Overview
In our list of best pizza we divide places into four categories. Category number four is the Good Old American Pizza Parlor. This is the type of pizza that most people have grown up on.
Pizza parlor as a style of pizza was discussed in Peter Reinhart’s book American Pie and in Serious Eats’ discussion of types of pizza.
When I think of pizza parlor style I think of Shakey’s. My first pizza experience was at the Shakey’s chain in Virginia in the late 1960s/1970s. My wife was also introduced to pizza via the local San Diego Shakey’s.
After almost going out of business Shakey’s is actually making somewhat of a comeback. They have a restaurant in Chula Vista and in 2019 opened another in Escondido. We have yet to go back to Shakey’s so it isn’t on the list. If you want a similar experience you can try Mountain Mike’s or Woodstock’s Pizza.
Most pizza parlors are good places to hold a party or get together with a group to watch a sports event. In many cases, the pizza is often secondary. Some of these places run the pizza through a conveyor belt. This style will never be as good as a top NY-slice spot or wood-fired Neapolitan pizza.
Pizza expert Adam Kuban described pizza parlor as contextual, circumstantial, or philosophical saying:
After visiting a bunch of high-end pizzerias in October, I kept longing for what I’d call “pizza parlor pizza.” It’s not striving for sustainorganica toppings or Neapartisanal perfection. These places are just making pizza the way they’ve always done it–passed on from generation to generation.
This is probably the best description we have found and helped guide our selection. Some of these places are older than me!
Top 10 List
- Oggi’s
- Pizza Port
- Filippi’s Pizza Grotto
- Regents Pizza
- Tony Pepperoni
- Killer Pizza from Mars
- Carino’s
- Mountain Mike’s Pizza
- Woodstock’s Pizza
- Besta-Wan Pizza House
A Closer Look at the Top 10
Oggi’s
We have been going to the original Oggi’s in Del Mar and Carmel Mountain Ranch before they were called Oggi’s (Stuft Pizza). This is an early example of combining a sports bar and brewery along with food. Oggi’s now has many locations in San Diego and is spreading throughout California. I have always thought the pizza at Oggi’s was really good. Over the years they have expanded their menu to phone book size. I find most items are hit or miss, but I still really like the pizza.
Pizza Port
This is another place I have been going to since the early 1990s. I remember Pizza Port building a brewery into the original Solana Beach location. Today there are multiple locations and this is probably the best place in town for beer and pizza. The pizza comes off a conveyor belt but is surprisingly good. Some people really love the pizza at Pizza Port and like Oggi’s it can get packed. Our favorite location now is the one in Ocean Beach.
Filippi’s Pizza Grotto
The original Filippi’s in Little Italy opened in 1950 and is one of the most popular restaurants in San Diego. Filippi’s is an old-school red check tablecloth Italian style restaurant. There are now many locations throughout the area. Filippi’s represents the dozen of family run Italian places that specialize in red sauce pasta and serve a solid pizza. The pizza here is a thicker crust and heavy on cheese. I have found some people love it, while others are simply not fans.
Regent’s Pizza
Regent’s serves both a NY-style thin crust and a Chicago deep dish. The NY-style is by far the best but it is expensive and not as good as a Bronx, Pizzeria Luigi and the other top 20 or so NY-pizza places. However, Regent’s works as a crowd pleaser with great beers, a festive atmosphere and a wide variety of food. This is probably the most upscale pizza place on this list.
Tony Pepperoni
Tony Pepperoni started in Oceanside, but we have only been to the Carmel Mountain Ranch location. This has been home to a classic neighborhood pizza parlor for years (Graziano’s). However, Tony’s has really upped the game with all kinds of TVs, pool tables, and games for the kids. This is a place to have a party. The pizza is cooked on a conveyor belt but got raves from the San Diego Reader as “top rate, American style pizza. Not gourmet, not New York, not Chicago, nor brick oven Neapolitan.”
Killer Pizza from Mars
This funky alien themed restaurant is on the fringes of San Diego with locations in Oceanside and Escondido. We have only been to the Escondido location. This place is great fun with plenty of TVs, arcade games and eye candy for sci-fi/Star Wars lovers.
Carino’s
Carino’s is the most off-beat place on this list. It is a tiny bare bones joint near the beach in La Jolla that has been around for years. I have been coming here since 1991. This is my wife’s absolute favorite pizza in the world. It is on the expensive side, the restaurant is shabby and some people hate it. I think it is a unique experience of old school La Jolla.
Mountain Mike’s Pizza
We were introduced to Mountain Mike’s in our travels to North California. There are two locations in San Diego. Both are classic pizza parlor restaurants with plenty of activities for the kids. A highlight here is the pepperoni, our favorite curly kind.
Woodstock’s Pizza
Our introduction to Woodstock was in our travels to San Luis Obispo. Friends raved about Woodstock as a must stop. This was back in 1992 when good pizza was hard to find. Today, Woodstock stands out as a solid pizza parlor with a hippy theme. There are now two in San Diego, the original 1980s location near SDSU and one in Pacific Beach we have yet to try.
Besta-Wan Pizza House
Besta-Wan is a funky place near the beach in the small community of Cardiff-by-the-Sea. It opened way back in 1965, the year I was born. The menu is huge, going far beyond pizza into Mexican food and beyond. Along with Carino’s, Besta-Wan is the place to go if you really want to go back in time.
Other Types of Pizza
Pizza Parlor style pizza is one of only many types of pizza that can be found in San Diego. Be sure and check out our full overview of San Diego pizza.
You can also check out our guide to other great pizza places including NY-style, thick crust pizza and Neapolitan.
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