Monday, August 31, 2026

The Best Pizza Near Equator Coffees, by the Record

  1. Bagels hang in metal racks draped with white sheets, a nod to the coin-operated laundry this place used to be. Now it's an all-day pizza and bagel shop on Balboa, mornings given over to coffee from Grand Coffee and a solid bagel lineup that runs from egg to rye, with schmears folded through green onion or spiked with Calabrian chiles. The San Francisco Chronicle named it among the top bagels in the Bay Area, and a Top 100 restaurant pick followed.


  2. Seven ovens, eleven styles of pizza, and one corner spot in North Beach that takes the whole argument about which regional pie is superior and simply refuses to pick a side. Tony Gemignani's pizzeria runs Neapolitan next to Detroit next to New Haven next to Roman, all under one roof, which is either heresy or the only sane position. It lands at number two on 50 Top Pizza USA and number ten in the world.


  3. Rank 3. A16

    Italian Pizza

    The wood-burning oven is the heart of this Marina pizzeria, turning out Neapolitan-style pies with a smoky char while the open kitchen keeps the whole room warm and lively. The menu leans rustic Italian, pies and pastas shifting with the season, and the wine list ranges across regions most Italian restaurants ignore. Counter seats facing the oven are the ones to ask for. The Michelin Guide has given it a Bib Gourmand, and the room fills fast with families and regulars who booked ahead.


  4. Rank 4. Outta Sight Pizza

    Thin-crust Pizza

    A painting of Mos Def watches over the counter at this white-walled thin-crust slice shop on Larkin, where skate photos and a boombox fill out the vibe. The pizza is the main event, but the sandwiches, including a mortadella melt with cheese and pesto, have earned their own press. They bake the bread in-house now, which tells you something about how seriously the team takes the side project.





  5. Rank 8. Pizzetta 211

    Thin-crust Pizza


  6. Rank 9. Rose Pizzeria

    Thin-crust Pizza


  7. Rank 10. Pizzeria Delfina

    Neapolitan Pizza


  8. The dough does double duty here: the same flour-and-water base becomes both pizza and pasta, which is either a philosophy or a very good way to halve your mise en place. This North Beach pizzeria turns out thin-crust pies that lean Italian in spirit but drift Californian in practice, in a wood-warmed room that moves with easy efficiency. Save room for the spoon desserts, which the regulars treat as non-negotiable.


  9. Rank 12. Pizzeria Delfina

    Neapolitan Pizza


  10. Rank 13. DAMNFiNE pizza

    Wood-fired Pizza



  11. The grandma slice is the reason to linger: airy crumb, crackery bottom, and a sauce that tastes like someone had strong feelings about it. Mama's Boy is a two-floor NY-style slice shop in Uptown Oakland, counter orders downstairs and a little more breathing room above. The 20-inch pies go whole or by the slice, with garlic knots and local draft to round things out. It landed at #9 on 50 Top Pizza's national slice list, which is a specific thing to brag about.


  12. Rank 16. Rose Pizzeria

    Pizza Wine Bar

    The flower-ringed patio on University Avenue is not accidental: this is Rose Pizzeria, and it commits to the bit. Thin, crispy pies here borrow from every regional tradition and answer to none of them, landing somewhere between Neapolitan char and California confidence. The Caesar with miso and Calabrian chiles is the kind of side dish that makes you forget you ordered pizza. A spot on 50 Top Pizza USA keeps the room lively most nights.



  13. Rank 18. Montesacro

    Roman Pizza Wine Bar


  14. Rank 19. Square Pie Guys

    Detroit-style Pizza


  15. Rank 20. Cheese Board Pizza

    Vegetarian Pizza

    A worker-owned collective in the Gourmet Ghetto, Cheese Board bakes one vegetarian sourdough pizza per day, rotating with the seasons, and you either want it or you don't. You probably want it. The line wraps around the block most days, but it moves fast, and the green sauce, herby and quietly ferocious, is non-negotiable. Grab a slice, claim a parklet table, and settle into the reliably frenetic sidewalk energy Berkeley does so well.


  16. Rank 21. Angie’s Pizza

    Wood-fired Pizza


  17. Pan pizza is the move at this Berkeley slice shop, where the chef cycles through New York, Sicilian, Detroit, and Grandma styles depending on what she's feeling. The dough is the point, soft with a good crisp edge, and the toppings stay fresh and unfussy enough not to compete with it. The blue-painted room is cozy without trying too hard. Save room for the Sicilian cannoli.


  18. Rank 23. Hi Hat

    New York-style Pizza




  19. Rank 26. Gialina

    Thin-crust Pizza



  20. Rank 28. Cafe Reyes

    Wood-Fired Pizza

    Wood is stacked floor to ceiling against the walls and under the counter, which tells you everything about the priorities here. Cafe Reyes is a wood-fired pizza shop in Point Reyes Station, the kind of barn-sized, unfussy room that makes sense after a morning on the coast. The pies are named after local landmarks, the crust has real char, and the whole operation gives day-trippers a very good reason to stop before the drive back.


  21. Rank 29. Emilia's Pizzeria

    NY-Style Pizza

    A one-person takeout operation in Berkeley where the pre-orders open at 9 a.m. sharp and are often gone before the place does. The pies are 18-inch, NY-style, with charred and pillowy crusts, and you have to plan around them rather than the other way around. The San Francisco Chronicle named it among the best Berkeley restaurants, which feels about right for something this inconvenient to obtain.


  22. Rank 30. Pizzeria Delfina

    Neapolitan Pizza


  23. Four styles sit behind the glass at this casual slice shop from celebrity pizzaiolo Tony Gemignani: New York thin, Sicilian, grandma, and Detroit. You point, they reheat, you fold. The New York slices have that stiff-but-pliable thing that makes eating while standing feel like a skill. The grandma squares come thick, with ricotta pooled on top. Everything is straightforward, no reservations, no ambiance to speak of, just good pizza by the slice.


  24. Rank 32. Croccante Pizza

    Detroit-Style Pizza

    Detroit-style pizza in Napa Valley is a mild act of defiance, and Croccante leans into it. The thick, airy dough goes soft in the middle and properly crunchy at the caramelized edges, with toppings piled on hot and generous. The menu rounds out with sandwiches, meat dishes, and salads, and weekends bring brunch. The bar corner is well stocked with wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic options, which fits the neighborhood. Named among 50 Top Pizza USA's Excellent Pizzerias.


  25. Rank 33. Vesta

    Wood-fired Pizza

    The marinara here is just tomato, olive oil, and blistered basil, and it doesn't need a single thing more. Vesta is a wood-fired pizza shop in downtown Redwood City where the oven does the heavy lifting, scorching pies to a proper, crackling crisp. The sausage and honey pie, mascarpone folded in, is the crowd favorite if minimalism isn't your move. The San Francisco Chronicle put it on their Peninsula and South Bay best list.


  26. Rectangular pizzas sold by the meal-size slice anchor the menu at this busy Cal-Italian bakery and kitchen on Highway One in Tomales, a natural pit stop for anyone driving or cycling the coast. The menu is tight, meatballs and salads alongside the pizza, but the bread is its own reason to pull over. The olive loaf, dense with Kalamata and green olives, travels well. The San Francisco Chronicle named it one of the Bay Area's best sandwich spots.


  27. Rank 35. Terún

    Neapolitan Pizza

    The wood-fired oven runs hot enough that the Neapolitan crusts come out blistered and light, with char spots that mean someone is paying attention. Terún is a pizza shop on California Ave that has been a gathering spot for the Italian expat crowd on the Peninsula for a while now. The black and white dining room is spare, which makes the olive oil and the colors on the plates look even more vivid by contrast.



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