REFRESHED JUNE 2026 · EDITED BY ERIC

BEST PIZZA BY THE SLICE IN SAN FRANCISCO

Five slice joints worth a detour. Edited by Eric. The rule for inclusion: hand-made dough on premises, a cheese slice good enough to order without toppings, fair pricing, and a counter that knows how to reheat. No chains. No celebrity-driven spots. No pre-made frozen distribution. Refreshed quarterly.

01 · Tony’s Slice House

North Beach · 1556 Stockton Street

The slice arm of Tony Gemignani’s empire. Sit at the counter. Order the New York-style cheese. Watch them reheat it for ninety seconds in the deck oven, not the microwave. They are open until 1 a.m. on weekends, which is when the slice is best. Cash discount.

02 · Cheese Board Pizza

Berkeley · 1512 Shattuck Avenue (technically not SF, but worth the BART)

The cooperative-owned slice spot in the Gourmet Ghetto. One flavor per day. Vegetarian. Whatever the flavor is, get it. There is no choice and that is the point. They run out by 9 p.m. on most nights. Get there at 5 if you want a sure thing. The cornmeal-dusted crust is the move.

03 · Golden Boy Pizza

North Beach · 542 Green Street

Open since 1978. Sicilian-style square slices. The corner slices are the move. The line moves fast even when it looks long. The sauce is the specific San Marzano-and-garlic ratio that Italian-American slice joints rarely get right. Cash only. Until 2 a.m. on weekends.

04 · Pizzeria Delfina (Slice Counter)

Mission · 3611 18th Street

The full Delfina restaurant is across the street. The slice counter is separate. The Margherita slice is the simplest and the best. They use the same dough as the restaurant. The slice price is two-thirds the per-slice math of the restaurant pie, which makes the counter the value play. Open lunch through dinner, closed Mondays.

05 · Arinell Pizza

Mission · 509 Valencia Street

The dingy original. Opened in 1989. The pepperoni-and-jalapeño slice is the order. The folding crust is correct. The bathroom is what you remember. They have not raised the price beyond inflation in 35 years. The line moves. The counter staff is the same three people on rotation. Open late. Cash only.

Editor’s note

A few obvious slice joints did not make this list. One has gotten famously inconsistent since the owner’s son took over. One has gone from $4 a slice to $7.50 in two years, which is fine if the slice got 88% better, but it didn’t. One has hours so unreliable I have walked there four times to find them closed; they do not get the cut until the hours become predictable.

If you have a slice place you want me to walk, send it to me. I’ll do it.

Eric.