Pauline's Pizza Pie

Like the veggies on th pies. I don't write about pizza, only when in NYC or Chicago each is great in it's unique way. Sorry I am hard to please in this area, just like the "NY style bagels that I tried around the country - no comparison".

But it is worth stopping by and getting a pie. If you are looking for service this not the place to go, this should be dealt with in a better way, but the food was good.…

Horrible Dinning Experience, Would Not Recommend.. This was not a good dinning experience. Tables were open down stairs but we were told we could only be seated up stairs. There was four of us in our party. The room was dark and we were seated in a small room along with a childs birthday party. The service was not there. We sat at the table for 30 minutes before being addressed or even asked if we wanted water. The server kept saying he was busy and would get back to us. However, they were right there to collect the tab. The pizza was cold when it arrived our table. We did not complain as the experience was so bad we wanted out. This was one of those dinning experiences that was so bad, we would not return.…

Fabulous Pizza!. Pauline's Pizza is NOT the place to compare to NYC-style pizza. If you want that, go to Arnell's on Valencia. Pauline's is a completely different style of pizza (just as Zachary's is Chicago-style) that in its own right is really amazing. I just went for the first time last night with 4 friends. We had a fantastic salad and the Veggie pizza special and it was REALLY great. Our server was also very accommodating. We're all very picky eaters and are very critical when it comes to dining out, as are most San Franciscans. If you have a kid and want a cheap nasty pizza, don't go here. Stay at Pizza Hut. The ambiance is OK, but if you want a great meal and welcome new ideas for pizza, check it out. Oh, and our bill with a bottle of wine and salads was about $70. I think that's pretty damn good.…

the point is... the pizza is killer.. I am just laughing reading all the other reviews. I can see where some of them are coming from. First of all, this is my favorite thin-crust pizza place anywhere, bar none. (I also like Zachary's-type pizza, but that is a different category.) We are about to move to the 'burbs after almost 10 years living in SF, and this is on our list of restaurants to hi t one more time before we leave.

It is true that the servers don't waste time with saccharin smiles for fussy diners. This is mainly due to SF or Mission culture though. When waiters don't act like your robotic smiling servant in SF, that is part of the fun/challenge, if you appreciate that sort of thing. Cf. Paris or New York - totally the same thing. Enthuse about their unusual tattoo, that is sure to break the ice. Bring your young kid and you get smiles all around.

Also the comments about the expense are basically true... that's SF for you.

The point is the pizza, and it is awesome, with unusual, organic ingredients. A little corn meal dusted on the prep table so that the dough picks it up and it crisps on the bottom. There is always one meat special and one veggie special, you can't go wrong with those. Mmmm when it comes out piping hot, and you take a bite with a sip of the house merlot... killer.

This is an authentically SF place. A little expensive, a lot of character, interesting people working there, awesome food, which they are deservedly a little snobby about.…