Even though I had long been curious about Little Original Joe's, I had never felt super motivated…read moreto check it out given how underwhelmed I was by my visit to their location down in North Beach. However, after from my buddy about their $4 pizza slices of the day, I finally had all of the motivation I needed to come here. And now that I have (multiple times), I totally get why they almost always have a steady stream of folks stopping in!
From almost the moment you step inside, it doesn't take long to see that this place has so much to offer, including a "market" stocked with heat-and-serve meals for your fridge/freezer, bread, pantry staples, even the famed Zanze's cheesecakes! Even still, the main thing that most people come into Little Original Joe's for is their menu, which is chock full of appealing options. In addition to the aforementioned slices of the day (lunch only), they've also got a terrific variety of pizza combinations, pastas, salads, entrees, sandwiches, cheesesteaks, wraps, and more.
-- HAWAIIAN PUNCH - Rosemary Italian Ham, Pineapple, Red Onion, Pickled Jalapenos, and Chives
Essentially a Hawaiian pizza, but so much better. The ham in this is so flavorful and the sweetness from the pineapples is perfect. However, what really takes this over the top are the pickled jalapenos, which add a bit of heat and tartness.
-- GARDEN MARG & SWEET ITALIAN SAUSAGE - Mushrooms, Roasted Red Peppers, Roasted Cherry Tomatoes, Basil, and Black Olives
Far more classic than their other varieties, but no less solid either. The veggies tasted really fresh and they certainly didn't skimp on them either. The chunks of sausage were tasty as well, but I wish the chunks had been a bit bigger.
-- ITALIAN JOB - Sausage, Broccoli Rabe, Ricotta, and Chili Oil
Of all of their pizzas that I've tried, this just might be my favorite. It's simpler and not quite as unique as some of the others, but I love how well the sausage and broccoli rabe complemented each other. I do wish there had been more of both, though.
-- CALIFORNIA DREAMIN' - Smoked Gouda, BBQ Chicken, Pickled Jalapeno, Red Onion, and Cilantro
I've never really seen a pizza combination like this, but, aside from the cilantro (yuck), it works! Between the chicken and the gouda, this had a nice bit of smokiness to it and tasted even cheesier. Delicious!
-- HARRY THE GREEK - Tomato Sauce, Mozzarella, Rotisserie Chicken, Feta Baby Spinach, Grilled Artichoke, Pepperoncini, Kalamata Olives, and Sundried Tomatoes
They all worked together relatively well, but, admittedly, this has a lot of different flavors going on. The pepperoncini, olives, and sundried tomatoes are all a little strong, but they're fairly classic and worked well with the artichokes and rotisserie chicken.
-- CBR Wrap - Romaine, Rotisserie Chicken, Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, Tomatoes, Cucumbers, Green Onions, Chives, Housemade Croutons, and Ranch Dressing...$15
Pretty good, but part of me wishes I stuck with the Caesar Wrap that I originally planned to try. While I liked how this had so many different components that worked together, I think this might have been better with melted cheese and if it was warm (or not cold).
-- FUSILLI PESTO with Rotisserie Chicken (+$5), Toasted Breadcrumbs, Parmesan, and Lemon...$23
The container made the portion look a little light, but this was actually heftier than I feared it would be. While the sauce was runnier/wetter than I would've preferred, but the taste of it was great, the pasta was perfectly al dente, and the rotisserie chicken was really moist.
Another thing that I liked about all of the pizzas that I've tried here is how the crust is soft yet still has a bit of a crispiness to it. As far as service goes, the workers have always been really nice and do a good job of managing orders, even with so many customers and delivery folks coming and going. The one thing I would recommend, though, is to order ahead online, even if you're planning on just eating at one of the handful of tables they have outside. If you wait to order in person, you'll end up at the end of the very same queue, and your food will still come out in a to-go container, so you might as well get it in earlier and try to time your arrival to when your food will be ready.
Considering how there are so many menu items that I've been wanting to try, part of me wanted to continue holding off on writing this until I get through more of them. At the same time, if I waited to try them all, this might not ever get done either! All in all, I can see why this place might be closer to a four for others, but for me, it wasn't hard to round up from FOUR AND A HALF STARS. Some of their dishes may not have been as good as they could be, but, if nothing else, they've only given me even more reason to keep coming back, especially so that I can finally try the likes of their Chicken Caesar Wrap, Chicken Parm, and Italian Panini!