Pazzia Restaurant

This is a great lunch spot if you're willing to spend a touch over $10. The pizza's are delicious. The place is kind of small, so if you're group is over 6 people it might be a little tough to get a seat. more

I've been eating at this restaurant since it opened many years ago. I have never had anything short of an excellent experience there. The food is consistently superb. The atmosphere genuinely Italian friendly and the service is always right on the mark. It is small and usually crowded and a bit noisy but it all fits perfectly. Everyone i've taken there has loved the place. If you've had a less than ideal experience there, it's an aberration, I assure you. Go back and try it again. You'll be glad you did. Pros: great everything more

I was looking for some neopolitan pizza and a decent glass of red wine after 9:00 on a Wednesday evening. I've lived in the area for several years so I am stupefied as to why I have not discovered this place yet. The place was packed and alive and I was promptly greeted and seated by Massimo. I ordered the minestrone (MMH, soup of the day), prosciuto and arugula pizza (delicious) and I saved room for the tiramisu and grappa. I cannot wait to come back to try some of the fresh pasta as well as the seafood dishes. The servers were attentive w/out being obtrusive and I appreciated their passion for the food and wine. I'm looking forward to making this my neighborhood haunt. Pros: Excellent pizza, exemplary service more

I visited Pazzia after it was highly recommeded, and WOW what a great find!\r \r The wait was about 20mins (weeknight), but well worth it. I ordered the seafood rissotto ($14), which was excellent, it had the best tomato flavor. I accompanied this dish with a bottle of chianti (can't remember the exact brand; $30), one of the best red wines I've ever had. The tiramisu ($6) was perfect, it went great with the wine as well!\r \r The patio seating was small but very homey. The owner came by to introduce himself and was very friendly. This is VERY small place, but they are expanding soon. I will definitely be coming back here the next time I'm in the Bay Area. Pros: Food, service, price and location Cons: Long wait more

Wow. Great meal. I had the bruschetta and the veal chop. GREAT veal chop. For dessert I had a cappuccino and tiramisu. Capp was excellent, one of the best I've ever had and I drink a lot of good coffee. Service was also really good and the owner is very friendly. more

Love this place. It is small but very busy. I like that. All the different types of pasta to choose from are excellent, try the torteillni. Asked the server for a recommendation on wine, she came right back with a great selection. The Owner is out to greet all of the guest. Great place, please try. Pros: Everything is Fresh more

Pasta was fresh and delicious. Pizza was thin-crusted and delicious.\r Service was friendly and willing. Went out of their way to check to make sure that we were enjoying the food. The server was particularly kind to our 11 year old boyl\r My family was reminded of a local trattoria in Italy.\r We'll be back. Pros: Great food & service. Cons: A little noisy. more

We heard this place had great pizza, but we never found out.\r \r We were abandoned by the host at our table. Neither of the two servers acknowledged us or gave us any menus. Thank goodness for the busser who dropped off some bread and water. The host had time to canoodle with almost every other patron, but none to give us a menu? Are you kidding?\r \r After 30 minutes of watching the busser work and the others stand around dumbfounded, we left. What a waste of time. Good luck staying in business, people! Pros: Easy to find Cons: They don't care for your business more

Upon reading some of the reviews about their pizza, I had to try this place out, since I was in the area. Walking up, it was a cute little italian place that was packed. No mind though, I'm patient. Upon being seated, it took 20 minutes for anybody to acknowledge us. We were about to just walk out, but finally someone came and brought water and took our order (I didn't want to wait another 20 minutes to order)! The pizza was not bad I must say, but nothing all that special. My fiance ordered a pasta dish. Now, I'm not a picky eater, but it was not quality food. I could have done better at home. On top of not-great food, the utensils were disgustingly dirty, did they even run them through a dishwasher?! It just had been so talked up, but in the end, was such a let down. more

After reading two reviews below, the only two with a single star, I have to write and set the record straight and say that in the first case, I have been to this restaurant many, many times in ten years and I have NEVER seen the owner belittle anyone, much less his staff. Many of his staff have been with him all these ten years I have been dining here. In an industry where frequent turnover is the norm, if he was indeed so horrible, I think he would have much more turnover than he does. She must have this place confused with another.\r \r In the second instance, I don't think you can hold someone to online prices since anyone can write ANYTHING on the web and information is outdated rapidly. If you did call IN ADVANCE of ordering to confirm the prices, then how can you argue when you find out, that, like most things in the world the price has gone up instead of down. I checked online in curiosity and have not found a menu with the prices mentioned in her review, nor have I found an official restaurant website, so I wouldn't necessarily trust another site's menu with prices to be accurate.\r \r Most importantly, each time we have been there, we were made to feel that our business was appreciated by being greeted upon arrival and personally thanked upon departure which is something he does for all of his customers, not just us. This place is ALWAYS very busy (reservations recommended BTW) because the food is fabulous and because of the personal demeanor of the owner who makes his patrons feel welcome and appreciated. I can't say the same for very many places.\r \r This place is a must go, especially for the arugula and prosciutto thin-crust pizza and the to-die-for funghi pasta (that is if you can eat mushrooms). I cannot recommend this place enough! I think the two sour reviews are an anomaly rather than the norm. After all, look at all the other positive reviews...\r Pros: Great food, great personalized attention, friendly service, ample portions. Cons: Can get VERY loud at times, sometimes slow service, but you never wait long for food. more

One- I am Italian, from Florence. My family owns a pizzeria IN Florience. \r I also happen to be good friends with many of the staff- We Italians all hang out together. This is the best Pizza in San Francisco, and frankly would even be competition in Italy. The owner, not only is friends with the staff members, but has gone above and beyond the call of duty in making sure that their experience here in America is right. The other review was completely out of line, and saying that the owner should be deported only shows what kind of close-minded person he or she is. \r The restaurant busiess is difficult. Over the past 10 years, I don't think I have ever gone in there and NOT seen the owner. He is passionate about the business, and his food. The fact that ANYONE on THIRD STREET has been able to remain profitable for all these years (dot GONE) speaks for itself. \r If you want a REAL Italian experience, then go there. If you want a fake experience, then go somewhere else. more

The BEST pizza I've had in SF. Pregnant and desparate for exactly the perfect thin crust fresh pizza, I stumbled on this place because it was near my work. Wow -- homestyle light tomato sauce, melted gewy fresh mozarella, high-end sausage, white floury crispy crust. The kind of pizza you could fold over and devour. I fantasize about it. Don't think the pregnacy thing gives me tunnel vision -- I have since ventured out and tried several other places. Nothing beats it. \r \r I had actually eaten here once years before on a double date. I remember the food was good, traditional fare -- real Italian. \r \r I haven't witnessed any trouble with owner and the waitress always seems happy. The chefs smile at me when I come to pick up. If the management or owner is uncool, that's unfortunate. But whoever said the owner should be ""deported"" might revist their prejudice. Only perfect people allowed in this country? Pros: Excellent pizza, good place to sit for lunch for real food, good prices, traditional Ital Cons: Smallish (but serene), outdoor tables face noisy 3rd street. more

We agree with the other review wholeheartedly- the food is no good and the ""owner"" needs to be deported. We witnessed him belittling his servers and staff on several occasions, rolling his eyes at other customers, making horribly rude gestures and drinking much of his profits away. Under no circumstances would we EVER patronize someone that treats his staff and customers as poorly as this ""owner"" did, regardless of how good the food is, (or in this case in particular, isn't.) I would settle for mediocre food at a restaurant whose owner appreciated and treated his staff in a respectable fashion long before the opposite. \r \r Part of owning a business is building a client base and a reputation for being grateful for them. An ""owner"" must be cognizant at all times of how his behavior is going to affect his bottom line. We were so taken aback by this man's behavior that we will never return and plan on telling anyone who will listen, including Citysearch, our feelings!\r \r If you have ever had a miserable boss before, you can relate. Our sympathies to the staff. Do not patronize this establishment. This ""owner"" does not deserve your business. Oh, and the food is no good, too. This is our first review and we truly felt compelled to write it after such a terrible experience. more

I never thought I'd write a bad review on any establishment until this happened to me. My husband & I were craving for pizzas on a Wed night, and thought to try out this ""highly-rated"" neighborhood trattoria. I ordered from their website menu a margherita pizza ($7.00) & a Capricciosa pizza ($8.50), and had my husband picked them up. I had mentioned to him about the great prices online but when he came back, he said the total charge was a $23.15 (which is $7 more than the online prices). So I called to verify, and the person who answered the phone said, ""...well the prices online are incorrect because the website has not been updated in 10 years.."" So I suggested that it's probably time for them to update the site then. He immediately cut me off and launched into a rant about how ""his"" business has been doing so well & it's been so busy, & that it's the customers' responsibility to obtain the updated menu from the restaurant. I said ""..Sir it's great that your business is doing well but it's important to have an updated site for customers.."" He cut me off again with more rambling of excuses, and I was like ""..you know what sir, your horrible attitude & service is really ruining this whole experience for me, & I haven't even tried your pizzas yet, so have a good night."" As I was hanging up, he rambled on & I believe he cused at me for ""making this a big deal"", so I sure called back again. He denied saying it, but disregard whether or not he said it, it was a very upsetting first and will be the last experience with them.\r \r Despite the horrible attitude coming from who I think it's the owner, the pizzas were okay. The Margherita looked boring but at least was tasty (just sauce & no mozzarella/fresh tomato). The Capricciosa was better but would've been better if the ingredients were evenly distributed. The slices were not cut thru but the thin crust was great. \r \r No matter how great the food is, it's just not worth the disrespectful service of any kind. Pros: Thin crust Cons: HORRIBLE service, ABRASIVE ""owner"" more

Just great, thin crust pizza. Nothing overly fancy or exotic, but if you've traveled in Italy and long for the kind of pizza you had there, you must try Pazzia.\r \r Also, the salads and pasta are excellent. And to top it off, the wait staff is friendly, knowledgeabe and Italian!\r \r Pros: Fantastic food, great outdoor seating on a sunny day more

Great Pizza, Great Pasta...mmm. The waiter even cross dressed one year for Halloween-well he tried. The food is so good there you want to try evertyhing on the menu, slowly so you can savor it. Over the years it has always been very consistent, high quality. Not too heavy, not too much, so good. Pros: always good Cons: i dont live nearby : ( more

I actually want to write a good review of this place, and I do have some great points to highlight. Sidewalk tables are lovely on a sunny day, theres a decent wine selection at good prices. We ordered a delicious caprese salad (fresh mozzarella and tomatoes). We had the pizza with anchovies, and it's probably among the finest pie I've ever had in SF. Very authentic -- crispy crust, thin layer of sauce, just enough cheese and a generous amount of anchovies. Again, delicious. Waiters walked by with other pizzas, loaded with fat olives and big slices of proscuitto, and huge pasta plates. All of it looked divine. So what am I complaining about? The service. It was truly awful. My fiance called it ""pleasantly absent,"" and I would have to agree. No one was rude to us in the slightest, but they obviously couldn't care less that we were there either. I had to get my own cutlery. Get back up to get my own napkins when the food arrived. They never once checked on us to see if the food was good or we needed more drinks. Then I had go into the restaurant and ask for my check. What does our waitress do? Smile at me, say sure, then starts refilling the sugar containers on the tables that were being re-set -- for dinner, mind you. Sure, lady, just forget about the customers sitting outside NOW!! So I asked again, and eventually they dropped it off. Then I had to flag them down again to hand it to them. The service was so completely horrendous, and I walked out of there so furious (not to mention late -- you'd think they'd be a little quicker on the draw w/ a professional lunch crowd on weekdays), that we A) gave her a less than 10 percent tip (which is a BIG deal for me. A former waitress, I'm always overly charitable that way) and B) determined to never return. I do NOT recommend. more

ok, this is one of those secret that I should keep for myself. To those Italians and non out there who loves the real/authentic Italian Pizza,the one that you can't even find in North Beach...this is the place ! Non only te pizza is so far the only authentic I have ecver found around but imported staff is really nice as well and greet you in Italian. What else to add when I want to feel like I am back in Milan I go to Pazzia Pros: pizza, authentic italian food and atmosphere (staff included) more

I consider myself a pizza connosieur. Pazzia definitely tops my list of best Northern Italy pizza. Thin, crunchy, thin layer of fresh tomato sauce, fresh cheese. You get the picture. Maximum seating capacity is about 40. Every night it's packed for dinner so try to be there before the dinner rush or about 20 minutes before they close. Romantic? Sure if you like to be seated elbow-to-elbow with other patrons. It's that intimate. Still a great place for dinner before after a movie at Metreon. Pros: value, service Cons: parking, small more

Located on 3rd Street between Harrison and Folsom, Pazzia may look just like a hole in wall eatery, but once you take a seat and have a meal there, you too will realize just how wonderful the food is. The owner Massimo is usually there to welcome you and make you feel like you're eating in his home. The pasta is to die for as well as their pizza and other main courses. Try the seafood risotto when it's on the specials menu and the veal saltimbacco!! For all you cheese lovers, the gorgonzola pizza is to die for!! PROS: Small family style type of restaurant with EXCELLENT FOOD CONS: There are none.. everyone that works there is friendly! more