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Arinell Pizza: NYC Quality Slices In San Fran

Arinell Pizza: NYC Quality Slices In San Fran

There’s a slice join in San Francisco’s Mission District that has lines out the door every evening. It’s on a strip where bars outnumber any other establishment…. which begs the question: Good sober pizza or just good drunk pizza? To answer this question, I visited Arinell Pizza (509 Valencia Street) on a Sunday afternoon… completely …

Review Overview

Overall Experience - 9.4

9.4

Summary : This San Francisco slice joint rivals New York's best. Crunchy and oily slices galore, it's no wonder this Mission storefront is packed, especially around last call at the neighborhood bars.

9

There’s a slice join in San Francisco’s Mission District that has lines out the door every evening. It’s on a strip where bars outnumber any other establishment…. which begs the question: Good sober pizza or just good drunk pizza? To answer this question, I visited Arinell Pizza (509 Valencia Street) on a Sunday afternoon… completely sober. What I discovered was that the crowds at this spot are justified. Their pizza is delicious.

I’m always weary of any place that promotes itself as “New York Style” pizza outside of New York. It might generate some incentive for non-New Yorkers to stop by. But most people from the east coast know that its hard to find a slice joint comparable to what you’d actually find in New York.

I’d heard good things about Arinell, so I was cautiously optimistic when I walked in. Immediately, I felt at home. The place is bare-bones — a counter to order and few bar stools to scarf down your pizza. Slices are $2.75 (NY prices) and you can add nine different toppings. I didn’t get any, but I noticed that they will put your topping on an already prepared cheese slice and then reheat it in the oven. Not a great method — and perhaps the place’s only fault.

My cheese slice was crunch and chewy… oily and cheesy. It had every quality I love about a New York slice joint. Add in the sustainable San Francisco advantage (they don’t offer paper plates and compost/recycle any waste) and you have what has been one of my favorite San Francisco pizza experiences thus far. Most places I’ve visited have been decent. But this is the first that truly reminds me of home.

About I Dream Of Pizza

Some guys dream about winning the Powerball jackpot, making love to Kate Upton, or scoring the winning touchdown in the Super Bowl. But personally, I spend most of my time dreaming about digging my face into a mouth watering slice of pizza. Fireworks are ignited. Music comes out of nowhere. And just like that, I’ve fallen in love once again. Since 2008, I've chronicled my pizza eating adventures in New York City and around the world on I Dream Of Pizza -- the web's most popular blog dedicated entirely to pizza.
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