I could give Delfina 5 stars for just one single item that they have on their menu: Cheerwine. Yes, the 4 cheese pizza was super delicious and the tempura spring onion appetizer disappeared in 1.5 seconds, but they have CHEERWINE. If have ever visited any of the Southern states surrounding South Carolina, you might have had this delightful little indie cola. It is a soda similar to Cherry Coke, but it is oh-so-much-better considering that it holds a special place in my memory alongside trips to Clemson to see my grandparents and listening to the top 40 with Casey Kasem on the Datsun 510 wagon's stereo. read more

Delfina has been recommended to me by just about everyone, and I'm skeptical of Italian food on the west coast. (Do you trust the tacos on the east coast? No? There you go, some places just know how to do it better.) But the pizza at Delfina was spot on. My friend and I munched on the kale soaked in garlic/lemon and the arancini before the pizza arrived. I wanted a mountain of meat, so we got the salsiccia with some picante sausage on there. Ask and you shall receive, there was so much meat I could barely see the cheese below. (And if you know me, this is what I imagine pizza heaven looks like.) I Tasmanian Deviled that pie faster than it took me to spell-check 'Tasmanian' just now. The wine selection was decent, and although it makes sense to have a full Italian wine selection, I would have preferred some California choices in there too. read more

Mmmmm.....Margarhetta pizza. Here's a rated breakdown of the ingredients: Sauce 10! .. fresh tomato,sweet,light Crust 10!...thin and slightly crispy Cheese 8 ... more please! A dish of dried oregano, grated pecorino cheese, dried red pepper condiments were available, but I didn't even need them. Next time, I'll have to add a glass of red wine and cannoli dessert to my order. The place is small and parking is limited but it's definitely worth a visit. I miss it already. read more

****Amazing food, SHITTY SHITTY SERVICE for to-go service**** The cashier guy for to go orders is the most arrogant, useless, and rude person ever. This is my second time getting a to go order and he is consistently rude. He throws credit card for you to sign. Never says thank you, never answers your questions. Repeats like a broken record. This time, he put my pizza boxes on top of the receipt I signed. While I was trying to pick up my pizza boxes he just reached in and tried to take the receipt while tugging at my pizza boxes. Three times. Just wait a few seconds and I'll get out the way dude! The paper is already signed for. Such a douche. read more

Great pizza in the mission! Its cute to sit outside with friends and people watch... Eat pizza drink wine.. Can life get any better? The servers are always nice. read more

They let you drink outside while waiting for your party to be called - I love this. While we were waiting we saw Rachel Ray dining in the delfina restaurant! crazy! We tried to see what she was having but couldn't tell. We ordered 4 pizzas for the five of us. Each one was perfect temp, and super tasty. You could taste every spice and topping on the pizza, like you should. The Margherita of course was the best, keeping it OG is always best with pizza unless it's like 3am or unless you've been smoking the funny stuff. Sitting outside at night was fun, it actually felt like you were in Europe. The heat lamp sufficed and the people watching on 18th St. and Guerrero is awesome on a Saturday night. read more

Came back again recently and I had a much more pleasant experience. This time we started with the pulled mozzarella which was delicious (served with a side of arugala) And again ordered the Panna pizza. It was actually better than I remembered. Music was still loud and weird and our waitress wasn't quite as nice as last time but still got the job done. 4 stars! read more

Ok I'm torn because I really wanted to like this place but I'm one of those people that actually eats their crust and I can't eat a burnt piece of wood passed off as crust. I definitely prefer Joe's pizzeria in North Beach who knows how to get it crispy without burning all the crust. I was still hungry after this pizza ); read more

Sure, bro, it's way too fucking small, grandma rubbed her ass on your pizza when she was trying to sit down, you don't like Elvis Costello turned up so loud, a Dominoes personal pizza is bigger, you needed more toppings, you need less crust, you prefer bread to bread sticks, you hate chefs with stretched earlobes, you want a Greek salad, you need more Parmesan, you hate sitting outside, you hate sitting inside, you hate waitresses with tattoos, you can't wait more than five minutes and goddamnit, you demand a fucking Coors lite whenever you eat pizza. Newsflash: fuck you. You've gotten so submerged in the accouterments of modern banality that you've forgotten what it's like to have a simple pleasure. So let me tell you how to do it and you can thank me later with a lazy afternoon taint rub: (1) Go at a weird time. We have a baby, so we eat dinner at 4pm anyhow, and that's the time to go. (2) If you have to wait, great! There's no better place for people watching in SF than on 18th, and GOSH, they'll serve you drinks out there on the sidewalk. If downing a cheap Peroni and watching the cavalcade of Mission freaks isn't fun for you, there's a strong possibility you're a tea partier and should bust some Harakiri immediately. (3) Further to (2), sit outside. That way you won't get bumped by anyone, god forbid, and you won't have to hear music that makes you feel uncomfortably young. Is it cold? No! They have heat lamps! I mean, what's wrong with you? When did you get so scared of life? Sack up and enjoy the adventure of sitting outside, you have the rest of your life to sit inside and be boring! (3) Tricolor salad, veggie appetizer, margarita pizza. That's all you need, and they're all dependably balsamic. Keep drinking, too, those Peronis are slammin. And that's it. This plan also works at the California location, where they also have a wicked grilled chicken that's as good or better than the pizza. TTFN! read more

Yes, call me a pizza crust snob. I'm perfectly fine with it, and I'm not afraid to defend myself with a beat-up pizza cutter. I will cut you (or slice!). I've had this place bookmarked for a while now, and it took a second visit and an hour and half wait later to finally start eating Delfina's darn pizza. It was good, but I've got a few bones to pick. Long wait aside, I was very surprised that the staff was so pleasant and friendly. After writing our name on the chalkboard, they kept us updated on the wait time and even offered us something to drink while waiting on the sidewalk. We just opted for water, while others enjoyed the vino of their choice. Between people (and dog) watching, the hour and half wait passed by rather quickly. Our party of 4 squeezed into one of those outdoor patio tables right outside the window. I had to keep my elbows tight for fear of knocking over someone's teeth while chomping on a slice. No need to waste time, we ordered the mussels for appetizer and 3 pizzas -- the margherita, panna, and the clam. It may sound like a lot of food, but this was thin crust pizza and I had plenty of stomach room. The mussels was a nice way to start things off. It seems to be a favorite dish to order no matter where we go. Tender, flavorful broth, and a great liberal way of using white wine. After that, the pizzas came out one after another. My favorite had to be the panna, where all of the flavors just perfectly complimented each other. It's a very "Italian" tasting pizza, with the tomato sauce, cream, basil, and shaved parm. The clam pie had tomato, oregano, pecorino, and melt-in-your-mouth cherrystone clams. I could taste every ingredient harmoniously at once, and those clams were not overpowering at all. Many times, pizza places overcook the clams or use less than stellar quality seafood. All the flavors were on point for this particular clam pizza. Here's where I get picky. When it comes to pizza, I have high standards for the crust. I've eaten pizza from all over the place, from Brooklyn NY to LA's Mozza. There's something inexplicable about fantastic thin crust that, of course, like DNA, is different with everybody. I personally was not that big of a fan of Delfina's crust. While the outside bubbly crust was a bit dry, the bottom of every pizza was extremely limp and soggy. I'm talking paper-wet-towel, soggy. I'd say the combined flavors for each pizza made up a bit for the lackluster crust. I still devoured about 6 slices or so (I lost count), easily more than anyone else in my party. Overall, I had a pleasant experience trying out one of SF's pizza joints, and would probably visit again if there's no wait. But there's just so many more SF eateries to try first. read more

Call ahead or stop by and order everything togo if you decide its too cold outside to wait. Yes, it is nice to wait outside, wine bottle on a bench, and the selections are so delicious...... Well its also nice to eat in bed too. Note: Minus one star for not having tiramisu on the menu. That also would have been nice to take home. read more

Home to great tasting thin crust pizza, Crazy Melon and a ridiculously long wait. We can be faulted with the last, since we decided spontaneously to eat here on a gorgeous Friday night. The pizzeria is small. Seats a few outside, a few at the bar, and a few more inside. We luckily got a great seat inside flush against the kitchen. Preventing any neighboring eaters getting whacked with my flailing arms as we went to town on the bread sticks. When coming here, walk promptly in and inscirve your name on the chalk board. Order a beer and some wine and get into the que outside. If you get tired of standing, look for some spare chairs. Grab some as we did and give you feet a rest. The wait surely will be long, since people will milk their seats. The menu is laid out well, with tons of good choices. While we did not try the Mussels, they seem to be a hit. They were sold out this evening without even being listed. So always good to ask! A pizza will fill you up, go with the three cheese. And get some of the Crazy Melon for an appetizer. A cut up yellow watermelon with an interesting mix of fresh mint, feta, red pepper flakes and a bit of olive oil. A great combination of tastes. And the bread sticks which are about a foot long each will quickly disappear in front of you. Always ask for more! read more

If I were a pizza I'd live at Delfina Pizzeria. Hot, tasty and slightly salty, I'd kiss Mission hipsters all day. DP hits all of the right notes with its fresh simplicity. The tricolore salad is crisp and bursts with flavor, while the panna pizza provides an offsetting creamy indulgence. Sitting at the bar and watching the chefs is a voyeurist's dream come true. After seeing ravioli made from scratch and mozzarella lovingly stretched and massaged, I left the place vowing to cook a mean Italian dinner. More likely I'll just return to DP and leave it to the pros. :) read more

BURRATA. MARGHERITA with ARUGULA. GLASS OF RED VINO. That's all you really need. That's all you'll ever need. Can I just say, the customer service at this location is absolutely amazing, warm, and friendly. Aside from A Slice of New York in San Jose/Sunnyvale, Delfina is the only pizza this eastcoaster would not snub. Best part? The grade A on their food safety record and 100% on their last health department inspection. read more

In another life, I may have liked thin crust pizza. In this one, I abhor it. I don't like my pizzas to fall apart when I pick them up. I don't like a mouthful of tomato sauce with very little to balance it out. I worry about thin crusts because the centers also burn so easily. Delfina's paper thin slices just didn't satisfy. We got the margherita pizza and the fennel sausage to share. The ingredients were fresh and wonderful, I'll give em that, but I had one slice, got annoyed at my thin, fastly-turning-into-paper-mache pizza, and stopped eating. Their green bean salad, on the other hand, was excellent. I'd go back just to have appetizers. Their roasted fennel soup? Unbelievably good. Pizzeria Delfina? It's alright. read more

Two eggs over easy over a pizza. Genius. And then homemade italian sausage served in a skillet so that every bite is piping hot, even when you're sitting outside during a San Francisco freak cold spell. Yeah, the heat lamps really aren't enough. So disclaimer: I'm one of those types that can eat breakfast at any time of day. (Yes, I think aloud almost every time I'm in McDonalds which is only about once maybe half a time a year, that they should keep serving egg mcmuffins after 11am.) But I understand that not everyone shares my particular craving. Even still, Pizzeria D took some good ol' fashioned breakfast ingredients, thus satisfying my breakfast craving, but still successfully masked it for my dinner companion as an artisan dinner meal. Oh and they have lots of other non-breakfast-ingredient dishes to choose from too. I was just fixated on the two delicious things I had. In fact, they have specials that they hand-write into their menu every day. How sweet is that? Plus service was super friendly - what my not-so-basketball-savvy self would classify as zone coverage instead of man-on-man. Wait - is man-on-man really the right term? I don't know the sports-strategy advantage to that, but it sure felt friendly in the restaurant setting. read more

The pizza at Delfina's the kind of pizza that makes you forget all the other pizzas you've ever had. This pizza makes you want to brush your hair, floss every day, pay your taxes, donate blood and help old ladies across the street. Just one slice and your life is changed forever. It's like that movie "Pleasantville" where the dreary black and white world starts turning vibrant shades of red and green and blue and every beautiful color you can imagine. I came here on a Monday night and the place was packed. Luckily the wait wasn't too long and we sat outside since it was a nice evening. It felt cozy and romantic. We ordered some drinks and the cheese and mushroom pizza. Maybe it was a four cheese and mushroom pizza. I was in such a daze that I forget the exact name and it doesn't exactly help with recall since the menu changes every day. It was quite charming how the menus are actually dated and the special items have been carefully handwritten like the most poetic love letter. The crust was thin and bubbly and crispy but not overly flaky. It came with a light cream sauce that went perfectly with the cheeses and mushrooms. It was like eating crack with truffle oil on the best crust ever. Very addicting! On the table our server had set an assortment of oregano, grated Parmesan and red pepper flakes. I tried them on one slice and they couldn't add or take away from the amazing flavor the pizza already had. That's when I knew that my life was never going to be the same again. read more

Tips for those who order take out: -They charge $1.50 for take out -Whatever time they say it will be ready in, add another 10-15 minutes -Wait in line to pay then wait until your Pizza is ready -_- -They have a pie called the Purgatory (spicy cheese/sauce with egg), i think its the best one on the menu Tips for dining in: -Expect to wait over an hour on any weeknight, on the weekends forget it -You may notice diners done with their food for awhile and the staff will do nothing but watch them talk for an hour while 50 people are waiting outside The pies here are meant for one person and on average are around $15. The service, price, and wait makes this place way too overrated. read more

Simple and delicious Neapolitan pizzas. The pizzaiolos work strenuously in a very cramped space behind the small counter to churn out mouth-watering pizzas and keep the queue of patrons moving in and out of this popular eatery conjoined at the hip with Delfina. Wasn't really willing to wait 30+ minutes for a table so I opted for take-out instead and my margherita pizza and prosciutto pie were ready in 20 minutes. The margherita pizza pretty much consists of four ingredients -- the hand-kneaded dough, a light tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil. It works so well. The taste of the melted mozzarella on the thin and chewy crust is excellent. The prosciutto pie topped with prosciutto (obviously), mozzarella and arugula is very good as well, but I prefer the simple and traditional taste of the margherita. read more

4.5 stars. Tiny & cramped but I would come back in a heartbeat for the perfectly thin & crisp pizza with lovely, puffed up crust ends. Started with the fresh pulled mozzarella & arugula drizzled in olive oil. Just a simple oval of milky mozza and I love when it's paired with a grassy and peppery herb like arugula. Also ordered the tricolore salad, which came with endive, red cabbage and baby spinach in a lemon-vinaigrette, yet another fresh and tasty salad. Then came our 12-inch pie, topped with razor thin prosciutto, arugula and mozzarella. At first was disappointed there was no marinara, but pizza was delish enough to be sans my beloved red sauce. We did order a side of the marinara and it was delicious, very homemade. Right kiss of garlic and not cloyingly sweet at all, yay, perfect for dunking the thick crust ends into. Next time, and there will be a next time even though Delfina is oh, 400 some miles away, I will order the margherita, because I really had to refrain from snatching it away from the lucky folks next to us who ordered it. Great service, too. read more

Delfina, At first, I must admit that I was not a very happy camper to have waited for more than an hour to be seated for pizza. But, oh my.. now I know that it is not just pizza, but Pizza that makes me beyond whet -allowing me to enter a surreal happy place. The way the seasonal cherry tomato pie just takes its own initiative and explodes in my mouth with every consecutive bite. To being struck with the realization as I looked down at my empty plate, that there was now a sizable (it felt like at least a pound) amount of tomatoes sitting idle in my belly. The way the sensational prosciutto di parma + arugula combination, was able to tantalize, salt, and spice my tongue all within the same breath. Actually, I am not sure if I recall much breathing action when I was enjoying this second pizza. Simply delicious. Undeniably mouth-watering, and worth it. read more

The food was fine. This review is for their customer service. It's hard not to get the impression that the staff thinks it's cool to be rude and disrespectful. I have never left a restaurant so frustrated and pissed. The waitress was completely confrontational and aggressive. It felt personal and uncalled for. I was told by the manager that she is a hard worker. I think you could find plenty of hard workers in this city with better attitudes and customer service skills. I was also shocked that, while helping the waitress make room for our pizza, the rest of my $11 beer spilled and she failed to offer me another one. A case of this beer costs a little over $11, it would have just been good business practice to offer another. The food isn't worth getting disrespected by the staff. Save your money and go someplace where your business will be appreciated. read more

This pizzeria has average food at slightly above average prices and below average service, not to mention a long wait. I went there with one person, and a third on the way. They wouldn't seat us until our third arrived, and offered us no place to wait and kind of a rude brush off. I went in to ask if we could sit at the bar, which was empty, while we waited. We were told that no one could be seated until their party was complete...at the bar, where we would have ordered a glass of wine and waited...and it was empty. Having already arranged to meet there, we stayed. When our third arrived, we were seated at a table fit for a sardine. We had to ask the people seated at the table next to us to move in order to get into our chairs. The table was small, the service warmed up, but was never what I would call good. We ordered a variety of appetizers, all of which I found small for the price and pretty average. Sardines were overcooked. The charred sweet peppers were greasy and shy on anchovies, and the skins were a little tough. We also had the little gems salad. It was under dressed and pretty ordinary. Finally, we ordered a bottle of wine and a broccoli raab pizza. The wine was well priced and well recommended. But the pizza was really average. Maybe it's because we moved to the Bay Area from New York that we found this pizza wanting, but it was pretty limp, a little salty, and greasy. It looked a bit like our favorite pizza at Franny's in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, but was sadly nothing like it in taste or texture. We could have gotten a better pizza from an ordinary vendor with delivery in New York. Over all, I would say, over-priced, sub-par service caused, it seems, by harried staff having to enforce dumb rules, and generally blah food. Not recommended. We'll never return. read more

Properly soft, thin and blistery dough but the bubbled edges were literally burnt and if not scraped off imparted enough carcinogenic bitterness to make one want to frown. The good was that it was very easy to knock off to the side of a plate. Margherita with quality mozz and chiffonade basil was worthy in a simple manner. The sauce was a fresh tomato sauce (not canned and concentrated) which unfortunately many people associate with traditional pizza sauce. The sauce was light and loose which I found charming. The Napoli with anchovies, olives and capers added just the right amount of Mediterranean saltiness to compliment my Northern Italian Red, which I unfortunately cannot remember the name. Just watch out for that fresh but loose sauce as it tends to slide off the crust pretty easily. I managed to stain my shirt in not one spot but in 3 friggin' different areas. *note to self* carry a Tide stain stick when eating here. read more

Ah, man, good pizza. 10-12 arrangements, one size feeds 2 for $10-15, lots of olive oil and fresh veggies plopped randomly on a chewy thin fantasy crust, light on cheese and sauce. Sleek decor, buzzing with action, a food lover place. Parking sucks. read more

Finalllllllllly, I'm Pizzeria Delfina-ized...It's about damn time after living here for four years. The opportunity came along this evening and I obviously couldn't pass it up, especially considering the Margherita Pizza, #21, is on the Big Eat SF list. The margherita pizza I thought was just ok, definitely not my favorite out of the 3 we ordered...I'm a huge sucker for meatballs and ricotta cheese, so my favorite had to be the calzone, which was a special of the evening. We also had the warm olives to start, a side of anchovies (sick, not my decision), and the salsiccia pizza, which had fennel sausage, bell peppers, red onions, and mozzarella cheese. Two of us also split the butter bean soup and OMG, that was outstanding...Sooo oily, but I honestly don't think it would've been as good if it didn't have as much oil in it...Yummy in my belly. Now onto the service. We had to wait a whole hour and 1/2, partially due to the fact that our entire party didn't show up for an hour and partially because they were slammed, as usual. Our driver didn't find parking for 45ish minutes and they don't seat you at Delfina until the entire party has arrived (I guess it makes sense). We waited outside and was still served drinks by all the friendly servers. One of the servers was extra nice and chatted it up with us, profusely apologized and even asked a table to move over one table, so she could accommodate us. She even brought us a free appetizer of the sardines...They were pretty good, even though I haven't had a sardine in years! I wish I knew her name! read more

This place is simple and charming in many aspects, and their pizza and pasta is THE quintessential comfort food that hits the spot. First thing to note: -Delfina itself does NOT serve pizza. "Pizzeria Delfina" next doors does! Levi and I learned this mistake after seating ourselves in Delfina...and realizing there was no pizza on the menu. Sheepish, blushing escape..Doh! Hehe. 2nd thing to note: -The wait on Wednesday night (around 9pm) for a party of 2 took about 45 minutes. You may want to entertain yourself by sharing a glass of wine (I think the party next to us did that while they were waiting; smarts!) or just immerse yourself in conversation and time will pass :). 3rd thing to note: - Don't come here and expect healthy. Expect your pizza to be dosed in oozing cheese, butter, and all of the wonders of saturated fats. Almost ironic how the juicy, savory wonderfulness of the toppings could lay upon an incredibly CRISP thin crust! (Best thin crust imo!) Specifically, the Prosciutto Pizza Pie made me close my eyes in sensual bliss. It's topped with this well-seasoned arugula which is tossed in some sort of delicious vinaigrette and crisp, thin hot slices of prosciutto. And the pasta we ordered...I'm sorry I forget the exact name of the dish, but just describe it like this to your waitress and I'm pretty sure she'll know what you're talking about: - The comfort of macaroni and cheese + spaghetti all in one. So, you've got this scrumptious center of a heart-attack of mac n' cheese (baked to perfection) surrounded by a pool of meaty marinara sauce. It's like...pure GENIUS. Like I might have licked the bowl if I had been at the abyss of my gluttony. As for the service and ambiance: comforting on both ends. No fancy frills. Smiles, attentiveness, and charm all the way through. All in all, this place was definitely worth the wait! read more

Wow, I spent like 6 months waiting for an excuse to go out to the city to try this place. First off, the service was horrible. I can sometimes excuse this if the food is worthy enough of the pain, but honestly, the food was pretty paltry too. My friends and I wanted to get some pizza to go. We weren't really sure at first if we were supposed to order at the counter or wait around for someone to help us. There was a waiting list on the wall which we assumed was for dine-in seating only. We eventually went up the counter where there was a cash register, and after we told the host that we wanted to take-out, he replied (quite rudely) that he had to help "all these other people" and that he would "get around" to us after them. Ok, apparently we wait around for him to help us. After about 20 minutes or so, and no sign of him coming to us, we put our names on the board. Maybe he won't forget about us then, and in any case, we apparently have to wait to get our order taken until everyone on the waiting list is served, so we might as well eat in. Some 30 or 40 minutes later, we get seated. We order the spicy cauliflower dish, which was basically roasted cauliflower with some mild peppers, capers, and garlic. Nice texture, but a little on the salty side. And I couldn't quite figure out if it was supposed to be served warm or cold, because aside from the one lukewarm spot on the bottom of the plate, the rest of it was cold. Given that it took them about 30 minutes to get it to us, I assume it was supposed to be warm. We ordered two pizzas, the Margherita and the Napoletana. The Margherita had all of like, two pieces of crumpled, obviously badly beaten basil (I know basil is the third ingredient listed on the description, but still) and an extremely soggy crust. My cheese kept falling off like some kind of gastric landslide. The Napoletana was wayyyyy salty. Maybe this is how they normally make it, but it was like eating tomatoey crustacean salt cakes. At some point, we asked the waiter for one of those little plates with parmesan, herbs, and chili flakes that EVERYONE else gets. Maybe we aren't dressed rich enough and my diamonds don't flash enough to earn one. I typically like a friendly response like, "Oh, I'll be right back with that," or "Sorry about that, I'll grab one for you" so I know my question has been heard. But... he looked dreamily at the table, walked away, and didn't come back with one for about 10 minutes. I'm glad at least he was listening. I want to dismiss it as an off day; I'll try again some day and update my review. read more

*update 3/20/07* I'm bumping them up to five stars. Why? I've been to Pizzeria Delfina at least five times and have had an outstanding pizza each and every time. So there. *update 6/20/06* scored an outdoor table on a beautiful afternoon with Willie and a couple of friends from out of town. Pizza was great (as usual) and we couldn't have asked for a better place to catch up. *original review* Lazy Saturday afternoon and craving pizza? Beat the evening rush and head down to Pizzeria Delfina. Grab a table outside, order the broccoli rabe pizza and a glass of red. All is good in the world. read more

Oh gosh... I love pizza! My trip to Pizzeria Delfina was a little random. I was meeting up with one of my good high school friends and her only stipulation is that she wanted to go to Bi-Rite Creamery after wherever we eat... as you can see she has her priorities straight! So I set out to find a good place to grab lunch in the area and Pizzeria Delfina looked like a winner. I got there just before noon and added myself to the waitlist. The restaurant is small, only seating maybe 20 inside and another 8-10 outside. It ended up being around a 20-30 min wait before we were seated... it wasn't too bad. THE FOOD My friend and I split a Salsiccia which has their housemade fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions and topped with a nice amount of mozzarella. WOW! Easy 5 out of 5! The crust was super crunchy and hand a nice hint of "woodiness" from the wood fire oven. The sausage was the real star of the real star. It may be the best sausage pizza I've ever had. The fennel in the sausage gave it a nice sweetness and depth which played well with the tomatoes, onions and bell peppers. This is how thin crust pizza is done! SERVICE This was the real downer of the downer of the day. Once we were seated it took at least 10 mins to get menus and another 15 mins before we put our order in. I kept looking around for a server, any server to flag down, but there was no one. Once we got our pizza we were happy, but when it came to trying to get the check.... oh boy! All in all we were at the restaurant for almost an hour and a half...most of it just waiting. OVERALL Service issues aside, I do want to go back and try more of their different pizzas... I may just get them to go thought.... read more

Pros: *great cute spot *great value/price point *friendly, professional staff *Order: salsicce and veggie pizzas. They are all thin crust here and absolutely delicious, reminiscent of Gjelina's pizzas but less gourmet and more to the point. Fried sardines if they have them, delicious and delicately fried. Cons: *wait can be long on weekends Verdict: *will go back anytime I have hankering for pizza in the Bay. Bi-Rite ice cream is nearby too, which is a great plus! read more

This place needs to work on their customer service. I ordered a beer and waited for my friends to park their car when the the staff kept telling me to order something or I'd have to give up my seats. I explained that they were just parking their car and they again told me I had to order something. Finally I just paid for my beer and left. This place sucks! I will never stop here again. Good day, sir! read more

While not complimented with enough time or co-diners to engage in another pizza-crawl (a la Brooklyn or Columbus) during this trip, a second mandatory stop during this visit to San Francisco was to another Mission favorite - this time the oft-raved Pizzeria Delfina; a location not only open 7 days a week for dinner but also open six days per week for lunch and featuring a wide variety of toppings and choices thereby making it far more accessible than Una Pizzeria. Having heard excellent things about the small storefront but horror stories of the limited seating leading to waits greater than two hours I planned my arrival to Delfina well and having spent the morning wandering the Mission I walked up to the front doors mere minutes after 11:30am to find myself the first guest to arrive and greeted by a pleasant young woman I was told to sit anywhere I liked - the bar being the most logical option given the comfortable looking backed-stools and the opportunity to watch the kitchen in action. With a menu in place but my order largely pre-determined by my research I politely listened to a list of the day's specials and hearing none that sounded better than my original target I made my selections and was left to nibble on the crisp grissini while sipping water and listening to The Shins and Band of Horses as the restaurant slowly filled to capacity. With the small kitchen plainly visible through the array of fresh ingredients before me it was interesting to watch the cooks at Delfina in jovial spirits assemble my pizza and place it in the oven with other pies while chatting about work and life with their co-workers - a stark contrast to Anthony Mangieri's zen-like approach days prior and with the smell of fresh herbs and yeasty dough in the air I grew more excited as I waited approximately fifteen minutes for my pizza to be baked, sliced, and served up hot and bubbling. Considered by some publications to be the best pizza in San Francisco proper my selection of the Panna Pizza with added Prosciutto di Parma turned out to be an absolutely stellar decision and one of those fortuitous moments where something definitely lived up to the hype. Beginning first with a cracker thin crust with a small amount of bubbly char and blistered air pockets I'll simply say that this is crust done right and while not as perfect as that at Una at the edges, actually better at the center where a slight doughiness held up well to the wet ingredients; a lovely amalgam of sweet yet mildly acidic tomato sauce and smooth and tangy cream plus fresh basil, sea salt, and shavings of both parmigiano and prosciutto - each in perfect balance. Making short work of the $16 pie my server made her way back over to check in and see if I wanted anything else - an obvious "yes" to anyone who knows me and my love for Baba Au Rhum, in this case a seasonal selection entitled Baba Rum with Peach Sauce that arrived in short order as the cake was already prepped and stored in the refrigerator ready to be filled, soaked, topped, and served. Beginning first with the cake I will note that this Neapolitan-styled version of the French classic utilized a fairly open sponge to great effect allowing the dish to soak up a substantial amount of rum yet by filling it with cream and currants the team at Delfina actually managed to temper the booze quite admirably while a pool of reduced peach puree added a touch of sweetness that made everything all the more fragrant. Simple in presentation and light on the stomach despite its large size and flavor this baba proved to be a veritable bargain at $7, as well. With the restaurant now full and a small line beginning to form my waitress returned surprised I'd finished the baba so quickly and declining coffee the check was presented as the soundtrack progressed to Radiohead - ironically "Everything in its Right Place" which is pretty much exactly how I felt about the food, style, and service at Pizzeria Delfina. read more

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Update 9/25/08: Upgraded from 1 star to 2 stars. Their manager sent me an email apologizing about the service and sent me a gift card for either the Pizzeria or Delfina. The boy and I had a great dinner at Delfina. I'll never be going here again due to the insulting service. People are extremely unfriendly, it takes 10 minutes just to get seated when a table is available, and another 10-15 minutes to actually have someone pay attention to you in order to place an order. Another 30 minutes for the actual pizza to arrive. After waiting patiently for 10 minutes and being completely ignored even though my name was on the board and there was an open table, I had to ask to be seated. After waiting at the table with my menu closed for 10+ minutes, I got up and let my server know I was ready to order. Another 5 minute wait, and she took my order. It's not just what happened, but the attitude that all of the employees were doing me a favor by taking my order, and that I was inconveniencing them with my requests to be seated and to place an order. The pizza that finally arrived was decent, but didn't compare at all to 2 other favorites: Pizzaiolo (in Oakland) and Little Star Pizza (17th & Valencia, San Francisco). The flavor of the toppings was boring and lacking depth, and the crust was too doughy. Finally, the service and the place are devoid of character -- the servers have no personality, are extremely aloof, and are extremely robotic. They also didn't tell me about the $1.50/person Healthy California surcharge. There are so many choices, and I find it extremely offensive that the staff here feel that they're entitled to the foot traffic that goes by, so much that they don't care about welcoming their guests or providing a hospitable experience. What they don't realize is that service is one reason that people can swear off a place even if the food is decent (in this case it's boring and not worth the wait or insulting service). I'll definitely be taking my business elsewhere. read more

Good pizza is a fabulous thing. Craving that yummy goodness, the boy and I headed to Delfina. How had I not been here before?!? The waitress was happy and friendly. I was really happy that when I asked her my standard "what is your favourite on the menu?" she launched into a long conflict between the two specials of the day. I really don't like it when restaurant staff don't have an answer for the questions, so I was very happy :) The boy and I went with the Chicory Pie ($15), one of the specials of the day. It had a sunny side up egg on it that was oozy and wonderful. I have to say that the pie is not really big enough for 2 people (if you are hungry, as I was), but way too big for 1. About 3/4 of a pie would be good for one person. But, the plus side about this is that there is room for dessert. I took the advice of a Yelp review and ordered the Canolli ($5). It was good, especially of the candies pistachios that are on it, but I don't know if it's worth the $5. I mean, Tartine is right next door... I can't wait for my next pizza craving! read more

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... cool, we're finally going in. omg that looks so f-ing good ... ... ... ... nice waitress, but enough with the chit-chat let's get this meal movin ... ... omg omg omg here it comes HERE IT COMES omg omg omg ... O-M-F-G!!! OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG I'M SO FUCKING GLAD WE GOT 2 PIZZAS FOR 2 PEOPLE nom nom nom scarf scarf yum *burp* scarf yum ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... ... ... *totally* worth the wait. The pizza's like sex, I tell you. read more

UPDATE my previous gushing over the glories of Delfina are null and void. we are getting a divorce. Delfina did me wrong and i am not quite sure how, but i have taken my food safety classes and i know the symptoms of food-borne-illness. sorry sweet-hart about a month ago Delfina pizzeria and i took another dance. we swayed, held each other close, and made quite beautiful music together. then her soul disappeared - later my soul made every attempt to extricate itself from my body...for about 10 hours. now, Delfina, my dear sweet Delfina, i am not the hit-it-and-quit-it type...i had PLANS for us...i saw a future together. but black magic woman, you nearly sent me to the ER and that ain't cool. you don't hurt the ones who love you...sniff. read more

Cute pizza place on 18th... but seriously overpriced. Sure sure the food is pretty good, but I wouldn't say it was spectacular in comparison to other pizza joints in the area. I spent $56 on two individual sized pizzas... that is OUTRAGEOUS. Prosciutto Pie - porsciutto di parma, mozzarella, panna, and arugula. Flavors were a bit salty, and it was annoying since the prosciutto kept falling off the pizza with every bite. Salsiccia - fennel sausage, tomato, bell peppers, onions, and mozzarella (we also added salami). Standard pizza toppings, nothing too special. I've always been deterred from eating at Delfina because of their long wait! Now that I know what's up, I probably won't be back too soon. read more

Order regularly from pizzeria Delfina and it is consistently delicious! My favorite item by far is the prosciutto pizza, but you really can't go wrong with anything you order! I've also really loved their salads, broccoli, and desserts. The chocolate pot in particular is really delicious, and my partner gets super excited when he sees it in our delivery bag. Overall: a great spot to order from for a casual dinner in! read more

Pizzeria Delfina definitely lived up to all the hype and expectations. Yes, we had to wait at while for a table, but it was a rare, warm SF evening, so that was fine. Pat S., Erin S. and I ended up sitting at the bar, where we could watch the mouthwatering creations being made. It was so hard to choose, but we ended up with a broccoli rabe pizza, a side order of Brussels sprouts, and a prosciutto pie. The prosciutto pie with its fresh arugula on top was my favorite, but there was nothing to dislike! Pizzeria Delfina makes thin crust, Neapolitan-style pizza, which happens to be my favorite type (though I'll eat just about any kind, who am I kidding?!). The pizza comes out with a blistering crust, and just the right amount of crunchiness and chewiness. Our server was sweet and friendly. and she helped me choose a wine from the all-Italian list. I was very happy with it. Now, I just have to remember the name so I can try it again! read more