BEST PIZZA IN DOWNEY? Absolutely! BIGGEST REASON FOR THE STATEMENT:Hands down For me the first thing of note is that they have a meatball pizza... and not any meatball pizza, but ground turkey, made into meatballs, sliced and put on pizza. Who does that? The best pizza place in Downey does! I grew up I just got back from deployment, I was goen from June until September (2025), I found myself at sea salivating for their pizza. I literally just got back, took care of family and business stuff and realized that I now have time to scroll through Yelp and write reviews based on Yelp suggestions (meaning if you check-in, but fail to write a review, yelp will remind you by adding the business to a list of suggested businesses. Let me start by saying that I will now pledge my loyalty, despite deployments getting in the way, to this shop from hestrip mall. THE STAFF: The staff is super courteous and they handle their phone orders flawlessly every time (Imperial Domminos could learn a lot from this place). I have even interacted with the guy making the pizza... he did so with a smile. SEATING: It is truly unfortunate that the limits set by the interior and exterior of this business make it so they cannot provide tables and seating in which patrons could dine. I would most definitely opt to dine in, if it was a choice. INTERIOR: This small carry out only shop is always immaculately clean. From the floors to the reflection of myself that I can see in the glass cases, this place wins the white glove treatment award every time. FAVORITE ORDERS: Cheese pizza, yep plain cheese pizza is the best way to review a pizza. Once you establish that the crust, sauce and cheese are amazing and worth the money, then it is time to sample, or as I like to say "experiment with" the quality found in a pizzeria's toppings I am usually a chicken, bell pepper, green olive type east coast pizza (so thick Sicilian is acceptable, and of late in the city of Portland, OR, I recently fell in love with Detroit style pizza) fanturkey meatball pizza is to die for. I do feel their sauce is a bit under applied, so asking for extra either on the pizza or to take home package separately is recommended. In the distant past, I have made my own sauce and actually topped store and shop bought pizza with it and the retopped the pizza with more cheese. I may start doing this with Leslie. PARKING: Ample parking is available outside, as this location is in a sizable stripmall. read more

Leslies has become my go-to for pizza by the slice in Downey. It def competes with Avenue Pizza, i actually prefer Leslies. More variety and a bigger menu. Dont sleep on the Samiches. The Meatball sub is super cheesy with lots of sauce. Usually they tend to be dry, but Leslies was not. The Italian Sausage & Peppers was pretty fire too. Not super traditional but delicious. Pro-Tio: call ahead even for a slice. Flavors change depending on whats available and needs time for them to re-heat in the oven. You also have ti try their Cannolis, the cream cheese stuffing was fire. Staff is friendly, the owner is there sometimes and has always been friendly. Place is cozy, mainly a take out style with couple of stand up tables. Plenty of parking. read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Meatball Sub was Fire! - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Leslie's is the most unexpected surprise! In a strip mall within walking distance from my house it brings back nostalgia from when I was a kid! The New York style pizza is like none I've ever had...except in New York! SUPERB!!! The cannoli was made to order and we will be getting it with every meal! It's a small place? Two tables! But I think it's meant for take out! The girls are super friendly and courtesy! The storefront is spotless! I'm not sure of a bathroom. Ample lighting and parking! Great hours! This will go into our rotation for certain! For me it's their homemade sauce and crispy bottom!! Excellent job Leslie's read more

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Hands down one of my favorite pizza places now. The absolute joy from eating this pizza was unexpected but very satisfying! I got the 18 inch chicken vodka. The sauce was serving and paired well with all the ingredients on there. The pizza maker made the sauce from scratch and in front of us with some nice fire display. The workers were nice and helped us before closing since we came at 8:30pm. That was very sweet of them to still take our order. I would have also tried the slices they had for the day. I was so pleasantly surprised by how clean their stations were and how clean the shop was while making food. Very awesome experience. Thank you. read more

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I used to love this place but each time I go the quality of the food has gone downhill. Flavors are lacking. Half my pizza is stuck to the top of the box! Pizza crust so hard and dried out, it felt like I would break a tooth on it. To say the least, I was far from pleased. Because I called in my order, service was quick, not friendly or welcoming. Since this is a "hole in the wall" place, there isn't much seating. If you order, it's better to get it to go or eat in your car. I had called in before to have my order 'fixed' although I would have called again, I would not want it replaced! I don't understand why it got went bad so quickly but I will have to let this place fail on its own and keep my money in my pocket and my dental work intact. read more

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We went here because we were getting our car fixed nearby and were pleasantly surprised how much we liked this pizza. Like it's noted, it is New York style with the thin hard crust on the bottom. And they have a few lunch specials that aren't actually only for lunch, which make it an excellent deal any time of the day. I think the only downside is that this place is only takeout, so we had to eat in our car, but if you're okay with that, it's an excellent place to get pizza that is not only delicious, but it's priced incredibly well, especially since the slices are also very large. Also, I would say that they have regular pizza slices and a deeper dish style. Not exactly like Chicago deep dish, but sort of I guess. Anyway, I thought the regular slices were better. The square deep dish ones had too much dough without enough sauce and toppings, but still good overall. read more

The pics and positive reviews drove me to Leslie's; however, the pizza was mediocre at best. They are situated in a retail center with other small businesses. This spot promotes pizza by the slice and there is no dining area. Negatives: 1. Dough was super bland. Could compare it to those Water Crackers. 2. Dough on the square slice was too bready for me. Almost like a thick slice of toast. 3. Tomato sauce was also flavorless. 4. Cheese was super mild. Positives: 1. Ease of ordering and getting in/out. 2. Nice slice portions. 3. Slice prices are budget friendly. 4. Employee was courteous. Final comments: Try their New York style pizza. Good concept but they have room for improvement. read more

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This new NY style pizza spot is pretty good! Went to try it for lunch and they were tasty. They have pasta salads, subs, whole pizzas, and pizza by the slice. I tried the cheese, sweet & spicy, and spicy pepperoni pan slice. We're were good but the cheese was the best! Service was friendly and helpful. Decor was not much, but it's not meant to be a sit down restaurant. Definitely a great spot for NY style pizza! read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Sweet & Spicy. Good! - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

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I went in there with the expectations of having a crispy and paper-plane friendly slice of pizza and that I did have! I need to return to try a whole pizza pie for the full experience. I do appreciate the the option of choosing multiple flavors, however, I think that single slices compromises the quality of the flavors (I missed the dough aroma and flavor). If you like garlic, you will definitely enjoy their garlic knots. The Detroit square pizza definitely had more flavor, but also tasted more like a pizza flavored bread stick. read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

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Pizza was ready when arrived after calling the order in and piping hot. The crust was just as we asked. Good customer service and friendly employees. Will continue to come here. As to New York style as I have found in the area. read more

Store - no indoor seating, to-go only. Busy Plaza but plenty of parking. Didn't have a problem grabbing parking. Food - ordered the Baked Ziti (actually penne pasta which was okay because I prefer the penne over ziti). I initially went here to try a slice but noticed ththey had a pasta on the menu. The pasta was tasty and I would definitely reorder it. It took about 10 minutes and it came with two (2), garlic knots. I like the fact that the knots was not over Baked but I think im going to order me more garlic knots on the side. I wouldn't mind having the knots as a sweet one (butter, sugar, and cinnamon). Service - was awesome. The staff were nice and inviting. I will definitely come back to try the different slices read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - 11/22/24 - Baked Ziti Pasta - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

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Ordered pizza for pickup one large Bbq chicken, one medium half cheese/pepperoni(they ran out of medium dough and so gave me a large for the price of a medium. A small antipasto salad. The pizza's are solid, slices are huge. I can usually eat four plus slices of most pizza's I was overall good with two slices and half the small salad. Bbq chicken pizza tasty abit sweet because of the pineapple but still good. Pepperoni pizza was very solid. I really loved the antipasto salad it was a great mix of veggies read more

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The service is always amazing, this is my third time here, I popped in today to get a slice for lunch and it was a filling slice :) I'd post a picture of my slice but it was just too good to wait! Thanks Leslie's for a great lunch and amazing customer service!! read more

Delicious thin crust pizza! I tried the Buffalo chicken And pepperoni. Both were so good and flavorful. Service was excellent. Will definitely be back soon! read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

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A good option for a quick meal because of the pizza by the slice options they have. But unfortunately no dine in option here as there isn't much space. Regardless, service was prompt and friendly. Now for the food. Hefty slices at solid prices. Thin crust with good crunch as you'd expect from NY style. Regular pepperoni was the favorite. Spicy pepperoni definitely had some kick to it. But definitely don't skip on the garlic knots, soft, buttery, garlicky goodness. Would recommend and will return. read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Spicy Pepperoni, Buffalo Chicken, Garlic Knots - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

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Ordered for pick up on a sat night. They said 30 minutes and was surprised when it was actually on time. They called me to make sure I was coming after 35 minutes. I was driving thru to my girls and misjudged time. anyway, pizza was awesome. I ordered the meat lovers. Pizza was plenty enough for two adults and two kids. We had leftovers. Slices were cut so big! Taste was so good as well! Loved that it was thin crust! Good balance of bread to topping and sauce. read more

Very very solid mom and pop shop pizza. A little on the pricey side considering but the large is a real big pie. Perfect cheese and pep. The sauce is what kept this away from a 5 for me but very close. There's no eating space inside read more

I was looking for a yummy pizza spot to order from and stumbled on this place. The pictures looked decent and so did the reviews. I ordered half deluxe and half bbq chicken. The pizza looked cool when it arrived. However, it was just ok. The toppings were decent but it just did not hit the spot. The sauce on the deluxe side was too sweet for me. But my husband liked it! I probably should have stuck to just pepperoni. read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Half deluxe and Half bbq chicken - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Pizza tastes great! Made fresh! Two girls Working the night we went and they were popping! Impressive! read more

My new favorite pizza place. I always as for my pizza to be extra crispy. I love that their pizza is thin and not too bready.

Since this place opened, my brothers and I have been here practically every week. You can choose from either round or square pizza (both are good, but I prefer the latter). The choice of quality ingredients is extensive. Everything from the sandwiches, salads, and strombolis are amazing. The fettuccine alfredo is the best I've ever tasted... seriously. They often have items not listed on their menu available, such as slices of Luna (stuffed pizza). In true New York style, they have whole pizzas in the display case which you can buy by the slice. It's not cheap, but you are paying for quality. One of the BEST pizzerias in the Los Angeles area. read more

So tasty, my brother was craving New York style pizza and he found this place. It was so tasty, I loved it. Will be coming back soon. read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Pepperoni - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Phoned the order in for carry out. Quick and easy. Pizza was ready on time and no complaints with the service. About $28 for half deluxe and half bbq chicken. Pizza surpassed my expectations. Will return! read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Half deluxe and half BBQ Chicken - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Got the pepperoni, Hawaiian and sweet and spicy pizza to go. Pepperoni pizza is perfect even if you take it home and heat it up in an oven 5 hours later. It literally is better than most pizza that came out fresh from the oven. The Hawaiian was also very good. But the sweet and spicy was the bomb if you like spicy. The flavor really works on the pizza. Reminds me of a spicy round table Maui zaui. This place is so good. Why does it have to be so far from me? read more

VERY EXCITED!!!! I have been searching for a genuine New York style pizza place, near me, for sooooo long! I FOUND ONE!!! I grew up on the East Coast and love NY style pizza. i've lived in California for 18 years, including the Southbay and downtown LA. Since I moved over to the Downey, Santa Fe Springs area around 10 years ago, I have been searching for a good pizza place. My opinion in this area is a dead zone for a good New York style pizza. There was great pizza downtown. There's great pizza over in the south bay and great pizza in Long Beach but this area is void of it. I either googled or yelped for pizza places again a couple days ago wanting something for the World Series and Leslie came up. And it had great reviews. And I was shocked because I've never seen this place before. So today I had the opportunity to stop in and very excited that they offer pizza by the slice so I could try it out without committing to a whole pizza. Just by looking at the display pizzas that it was going to be at least semi decent. I spoke to the owner Leslie and had a good conversation with her about her company. They opened in August and have a second location on the west side. I tried cheese slice and a Bianco slice and a slice of the Detroit pizza. I took a bite of each in the car on the way home and was so excited. I finally found a good pizza place nearby. Try them out! Try both styles! Tell your friends! They are good and a small business. Woot! read more

Great new spot here in Downey. Must try! Owner comes from a well respected pizza place. Happy for him on his new adventure I am sure he will do well! Nice guy and even better pizza read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Square thin crust excellent choice - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Really like this place, but the flavor of the crust has changed from when they first opened like that crust more than now

Tried this place for the first time today and i'm hooked! Authentic, savory and the smell it gave off was tantalizing. The pizza slices are HUGE and delicious. The establishment was clean, well lit, plenty of parking and the workers were friendly and quick to provide service. I will be returning as a frequent customer now read more

Leslie’s Pizzeria - Pepperoni and sausage - Pizza Near Me - Downey, California

Amazing pizza and customer service from a super nice friendly owner Leslie herself. I look forward to going back next time I am in the area.

A good quick lunch. The crust is nice and crunchy. Good flavor all around. Service was great very friendly people read more

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I ordered the pepperoni and basil and it was soooo good. Been looking for a place similar to Bonnellos in San Pedro which are from New York. Too far for me to drive there unless I go hiking out that way. But seriously practically the same sauce and crust. Definitely New York style. Never going to another pizza joint around here. This is truly my fav. read more

They would have gotten 5 stars from me but the Caeser Salad wasn't cold enough maybe cause it was on top of some chicken wings. Chicken wings were fire and the pizza reminded us of NY. Good crunch on the crust, didn't bottom out and good flavor. Nice whole in the wall wish they had a dine in would definitely frequent this place. read more

Not a great start..called multiple times to order a pizza because I heard and read good things but no one picks up. I've tried calling at 3, 4, 5 and then now and no answer. read more

This place is really great! We've been here several times and all the pizzas we have tried have been amazing! My husband is a pretty picky eater and even he is impressed with the crust and the tase overall. It has become a family favorite :) read more

I'm from New York and I have to say Leslie's is the closest thing to NY pizza that I have had living in California.

Great pizza crust is on point love the crisp it has .good ingredients friend hospitality

This is one of my favorite pizza places in Downey. The margarita pizza is the best thing I have ever tasted and I always have to knock down a couple garlic knots before I leave the parking lot lol today the owner reached over the counter and let us try some with marinara sauce. I have to say they were 10 out of 10. BEST PIZZA IN DOWNEY !!!! read more

Love it you can't go wrong with it and very fast service and delicious pizza I recommend it

This is probably the closest thing to New York style you can get in the area. Pizza by the slice. Great crust char the whole nine. Having been to NY a more than most people this reminds me of a Brooklyn pizza shop on a corner. Will definitely be coming back as soon as I get hungry for NY style pizza. read more

loved this little spot! great pizza slices and whole pies in an unassuming strip mall plaza, doesnt get better. Tasted just like a NY street slice. Will definitely be making a return to this place to try more. read more