If your kids are anything like mine, they probably request pizza for dinner at least four times a week. I admit that I’m often too quick to cave to their requests because I love a good slice myself, But this also means that I’m uniquely qualified to weigh in on the best pizza places in Los Angeles!
The next time your kids request pizza for dinner, take them to one of these spots for the perfect pizza pie. Whether you prefer deep dish or thin crust, these 10 pizza places bake up delicious pies that will please kids and their parents, babysitters, and nannies alike.
Address: 131 N. Larchmont Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90004
Phone: 323-465-5566
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 9:30 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Sunday, noon – 9 p.m.
If you’re craving classic New York-style pizza — meaning giant, thin-crust slices that you can fold in half — Village Pizzeria is the place to go. A stalwart of Larchmont Village since 1997, Village Pizzeria is a little bit of New York in the middle of Southern California. The owner was born and raised in Brooklyn, and the walls are covered with memories of his years on the East Coast. So if you remember when the Knicks were a great team, you’ll feel right at home at Village Pizzeria.
Go for the pizza, but don’t miss out on the meatballs and the chicken parmesan. The giant meatballs come two to an order and are one of my son’s most-requested dinner items, and the chicken parm is crispy, crunchy, and smothered in homemade marinara sauce and melted cheese. Keep in mind, Village Pizzeria gets really busy on weekend evenings, so go early when plenty of tables are available.
Pizzanista!
Locations:
- DTLA: 2019 E. Seventh St., Los Angeles, CA 90021 | P: 213-627-1430
- Long Beach: 1837 E. Seventh St., Long Beach, CA 90813 | P: 562-591-6929
Hours:
- DTLA: Tuesday – Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight | Sunday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Long Beach: Sunday & Tuesday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight
Don’t let the gritty Arts District location dissuade you from checking out Pizzanista! It’s a hidden gem with some of the best pizza in town. Considering it’s owned by professional skateboarder Salman Agah, who recruited his friend Chef Steve Samson (of Sotto fame) to create the recipes, Pizzanista is surprisingly under-the-radar. They specialize in pizza-by-the-slice and always have a large selection of toppings to choose from, including quite a few vegan options. They also offer great salads, a gluten-free crust alternative (available on 12” pizzas only), and beer and wine.
The DTLA location is directly across the street from the Museum of Ice Cream, which makes Pizzanista the ideal spot to fuel up before (or after) the sugar rush. On weekends, they serve brunch pizzas, which may sound weird, but they taste delicious. Kids will love the fresh berries and ricotta with honey, and the Smoked Salmon pizza is essentially a bagel pizza.
Vito’s Pizza
Address: 846 N. La Cienega Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90069
Phone: 310-652-6859
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – midnight
Tucked into a nondescript strip mall on the border of West Hollywood, Vito’s is definitely not a tourist destination. That being said, the pizzas here are fantastic New York-style pies made with fresh dough and quality ingredients. Vito’s is also one of the few restaurants in L.A. that serves authentic calzone, so if you’re an East Coast transplant who’s been in search of a pizza pocket full of gooey cheese, tomato sauce, and all the fillings, get to Vito’s, stat.
Kids will love the homemade bread sticks, and adults will get a kick out of the tongue-in-cheek menu descriptions, like the Cheri O’ “Chi Chi” which states, “Cheri left the neighborhood and came back talking crazy ideas about pizza. This one’s for her.” The pizzas come in one size (18 inches) and range in price from $18.50 for plain cheese to $32.50 for a fancy prosciutto and arugula pie.
Settebello
Locations:
- 625 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena, CA 91101 | P: 626-765-9550
- 13455 Maxella Ave., Ste. 250, Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 | P: 310-306-8204
- 7864 E. Coast Highway, Newport Coast, CA 92657 | P: 949-717-2072
Hours:
- Pasadena: Sunday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
- Marina Del Rey: Sunday – Thursday, noon – 10 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, noon – 11 p.m.
- Newport Coast: Sunday – Thursday, noon – 9 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, noon – 10:30 p.m.
Settebello is all about Neapolitan-style pizza, which means the dough is cooked in a wood-fired oven at a very high temperature for only a minute or two. The resulting char on the crust gives the pizza a smoky flavor, and the short cooking time results in pizza with a wetter texture, which makes it the perfect choice for babies who are new to solids.
Settebello’s pizza menu is pretty traditional (read: no wacky topping combos) but the top-of-the-line ingredients, many of which are imported from Italy, will have you singing the praises of the simplest pies. The cocktails are refreshing and their beer and wine menu is comprehensive, which makes Settebello great for a date night or a family dinner.
The Luggage Room
Address: 260 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena, CA 91105
Phone: 626-356-4440
Hours: Monday – Thursday, 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. | Friday, 4 p.m. – 11 p.m. | Saturday, noon – 11 p.m. | Sunday, noon – 9 p.m.
Tucked into the former Del Mar train station, the Luggage Room specializes in artisanal homemade pies. The pizzas, which are designed to serve one to two people, are handcrafted from a live starter — which gives them a unique, yeasty flavor — and cooked in a wood-fired oven. In addition to the regular pizza offerings, there’s always a seasonal farmers market pie, and they offer vegan and gluten-free options, as well.
The Luggage Room is a great choice when dining out with kids, as there’s a large outdoor seating area, and they give little diners individual packs of Wikki Stix to pass the time until the pizzas arrive. Parents will be fans of the outstanding handcrafted cocktails, beers on tap, and reasonably priced wine list.
Address: 1800 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026
Phone: 213-989-1558
Hours: Open daily, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m.
If you’ve been searching for authentic Chicago deep dish pizza in Los Angeles, look no further than Masa of Echo Park. The unassuming cafe is a casual, family-friendly spot owned by a local husband-and-wife duo who hail from the Windy City. This is traditional deep dish pizza in the best sense: 2-inches deep, cornmeal crust, whole tomatoes, and tons of melted cheese baked in pizza pans crafted in Chicago. Keep in mind, Masa’s pizzas take 40 minutes to cook, so order the delicious risotto croquette appetizer to keep hungry kiddos at bay.
In addition to deep dish pizzas, Masa offers a full menu of thin crust pizzas, burgers, and outstanding entrees, as well. Be sure to save room for dessert, because the warm croissant bread pudding is out of this world.
Locations:
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2000 Main St., Santa Monica, CA 90405 | P: 310-396-9250
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6372 W. Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90028 | P: 323-301-4001
Hours:
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Santa Monica: Monday – Thursday, 11 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Friday, 11 a.m. – midnight | Saturday, 10 a.m. – midnight | Sunday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
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Hollywood: Monday – Thursday, 8 a.m. – 11 p.m. | Friday, 8 a.m. – midnight | Saturday, 9 a.m. – midnight | Sunday, 9 a.m. – 11 p.m.
As the parent of a kid who doesn’t like red sauce, I’m a huge fan of Stella Barra’s extensive selection of white pizzas, made with parmesan cream instead of tomato sauce. Take the kids to an early dinner, and enjoy the daily happy hour deals (4 p.m. – 6:30 p.m.), which include drink specials and discounts on tasty parmesan wings, meatball sliders, and seasonal bruschetta. Whether you’re craving something traditional, like Margherita, or artisanal Farm Fresh Peach, Stella Barra has you covered.
Don’t fill up on the delicious pizza alone, because the brown butter chocolate chip cookies are not-to-be missed. They’re so good that you might even want to take home a package to enjoy alone once the kids are asleep.
Casa Bianca Pizza Pie
Address: 1650 Colorado Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041
Phone: 323-256-9617
Hours: Tuesday – Thursday, 4 p.m. – midnight | Friday & Saturday, 4 p.m. – 1 a.m.
If you’re looking for an old-school pizza parlor with red-checked tablecloths and classic Italian specialties, you’ll find it all at Casa Bianca Pizza Pie. An Eagle Rock institution since 1955, this is family-friendly Italian at its best. Keep an eye out for the vintage neon “Pizza Pie” sign, and get ready to be transported to the Italian restaurants of your childhood.
The pizzas have a thin crust, and the sauce and cheese is spread all the way to the edge, so you won’t end up eating dry pieces of crust that your kids have rejected. Choose your own toppings, or go with one of the house favorites like the Deluxe Pizza, which is a delicious blend of sausage, mushrooms, and green peppers. Save room for a scoop of Spumoni ice cream or an order of cannoli. Take note: Casa Bianca is so old school they only take cash. So be sure and stop by the ATM before dinner.
Santino’s NY Pizza
Address: 4319 Woodman Ave., Sherman Oaks, CA 91423
Phone: 818-784-3226
Hours: Sunday – Thursday, 11:30 a.m. – 9 p.m. | Friday & Saturday, 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Good news, pizza lovers: There is New York-style pizza in the San Fernando Valley! Santino’s is a tiny spot located on a nondescript block of Woodman Boulevard, but they serve fantastic thin-crust, giant-slice pizza pies. There aren’t a huge number of tables inside the restaurant, but they do a bustling business in take-out, and the pizzas are great wherever they are consumed.
Our family favorite is the Baked Eggplant pizza, which is topped with pieces of crunchy, breaded eggplant and lots of garlic. The salads are generous, and the housemade Italian dressing is so good you’ll want to ask for an extra side to take home.
Cecconi’s
Address: 8764 Melrose Ave., West Hollywood, CA 90069
Phone: 310-432-2000
Hours: Sunday, 4 p.m. – 7 p.m. (Family Supper)
Cecconi’s is probably not the first place that comes to mind when one says “family-friendly pizza restaurant,” but if you want to mark a special occasion with the kids in tow, make a reservation for their Sunday night Family Supper. Every Sunday from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Cecconi’s offers a prix fixe dinner for four for $50 that includes salad, pasta, and wood-fired pizza. Everything is served family-style, and there’s a roving magician who goes from table to table doing sleight-of-hand magic tricks.
The pasta is fantastic — we practically licked the plate of our bolognese — and the pizzas are crispy, crunchy, and perfectly charred. The portions are generous, too, so we always end up with quite a few leftovers to take home for lunch the following day. Dessert isn’t included in the Family Supper price, but add on a scoop of Cecconi’s homemade gelato for only $1. It’s well-worth the price considering it tastes as rich and chocolatey as the gelato found in Italy.
