Absolutely one of the best meals (and the best Italian meal regardless of price point) that we've had in our 6 years of traveling to/from San Diego. While their pizza is legendary, it is only a fraction of their menu. My group recommends the lasagna and fettuccini alfredo with chicken (or shrimp). We will be making this a regular stop on all future trips and sharing this hidden gem with our local family and friends. Our check for three with drinks and tip was just under $100. This place is just off heart of downtown area (5 minutes by car) not far from the airport. Sam, the owner & chef, stopped by before and after the meal to check on us. The sauces and dough are his handiwork ... amazing! Very casual atmosphere with great service (attentive without hovering, helpful in navigating the broad menu of offerings) from the staff. Our server (Isaiah, sp?) has been with Sam for over 10 years - says a lot about a place to me. Parking can be a challenge in this neighborhood so wear good shoes for the short walk down and up the adjacent street (very steep but easy for designated driver to unload guests curbside). Thank you, Sam and Isaiah, for a wonderful evening!! read more

I was looking for pizza places near the airport for my family to enjoy, and Yelp showed this option as a great place to try. It's located at the bottom of the Mission Hills/Midtown Neighborhoods, down the street (South) from El Indio and Shakespeare Pub. Upon walking up, it just looks a bit unappealing and somewhat grungy outside. We stopped for a few minutes to view the menu posted outside on the window. Everything looked delicious on the menu. A nice man came out to tell us that since the FIFA Game was on, it's now Happy Hour, with great specials. We decided to come in and check it out. Despite the grungy storefront look, when you walk in, you're instantly greeted by the staff and they are very nice about a warm welcome. Tables are clean and tableware is cloth napkin with utensils, nice touch! We were seated immediately, and we were able to choose the seat that we wanted. The FIFA games were on and the place had about 10 customers enjoying their meals. There is an outside patio that looks a bit dark in lonely for dining. There's also patio dining in the front of the storefront which looks a bit more promising. Inside there are counter height, tables, and a bar seating area as well as normal dining room tables. Our family decided on a large Genovese Pizza and a large Meat Lovers Pizza. My Husband had the nonalcoholic beer, our kids had water, and I chose a root beer. Our server was a really nice lady and she was very customer service oriented. We decided, once the pizzas came out, that we didn't have enough table space at the regular height dining table for 4 of us. We ended up moving to a counter height table, which is more of a rectangle shape and has more surface space. This was a great choice because we were able to fit all of our glasses with water, beverages, and both pizzas and plates for serving at the counter height table. I'm glad that we've made this choice because it worked out well. Our food was piping hot and the pizza was freshly made. I will say that the crust is delicious here as well as the toppings of the pizza. The meat lovers was traditional, but tasted very very authentic and had really good flavor and quality toppings. The Jean, VC pizza is a pesto, chicken, pine nuts, potato topping pizza. I absolutely love anything pesto. Wow this pizza was delicious. It probably could use a little bit more salty to the pesto sauce. I recommend adding some Parmesan cheese to the pesto sauce or just sort of doing something to enhance the salt flavor to bring out the basil. Everything was delicious. The service is excellent and I highly recommend coming here. The AUTHENTIC PIZZA OVEN was in full service tonight! See my photo. The only thing that I would suggest is that the owners clean the front windows and blinds. Also, possibly spruce up the side patio with more lighting and possibly some nice greenery or a fresh coat of paint so that more customers would feel comfortable dining in the space. We want to be regulars here because the food is yummy, customer service is great, and the vibe is nice. read more

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Walked to this spot from our hotel near Old Town about a half mile away. This is a solid spot for a break from the Mexican restaurants Old Town is famous for. When you've had as many - or more - margaritas than you, perhaps, should and want to try some delicious carbs and fats, head to PeB! Isaiah greeted us warmly, seated us and took our orders, while we sat back and talked. Vibe is neighborhood bar, but in a chilled way. Dimly lit and cozy. One guy was eating pizza and drinking beer at the bar while watching a sports thingy and another couple was at a table near the front, enjoying some wine and conversation. Hubs decided to change it up and ordered Fettuccine Alfredo, no protein added, which came with a house side salad and piece of garlic bread. I was happy to enjoy his salad - since he's allergic to veggies, dontcha know - and the House Salad was SO GOOD! I was surprised. I mean, it's just a house salad, right? But ingredients, prep and presentation can go a looooong way, when done with care and consideration, like they do at PeB. Mixed greens, cherry tomatoes, roasted red peppers(shredded), pepperoncini(shredded), carrots(shredded), fresh Parmesan(shredded) and tossed in a signature PeB dressing which was a delicious balsamic! I don't even care for red peppers or pepperoncini, but having them shredded made all the difference! So simple, but so delicious! Hubs fettuccini was the same, simple but far far from basic. Really delicious, fresh cream sauce and perfectly cooked noodles. The garlic bread was a perfect ration of garlic and butter on a lightly toasted slice of heaven. MY PIZZA! Y'all, I know I'm a sucker for a Chicago deep dish, but that's not what I had here. Since Hubs was having pasta, I got to choose whichever thin crust, brick oven, wood fired pizza I wanted! I figured, go with something small, it's only 12", it's early, you can always reheat it later at the hotel. NO! I demolished that incredible concoction called the Buffa-Leo! It's a Buffalo sauce base with mozzarella, roasted garlic, grilled chicken, and another drizzle of Buffalo sauce AND ranch over the top, with a light and slightly crispy dough that was SO DELICIOUS I couldn't stop shoving it into my mouth! I have NEVER eaten an entire pizza by myself - THAT'S how good it was! To this day, I think about that Buffa-Leo. Yes, some with a tinge of guilt that I ate an entire pizza solo, but also with a wry smile, knowing I would definitely do it again. Cheers! "CC" read more

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3 of us had an impromptu dinner last night on the lovely covered patio, so enjoyable. We shared large Quattro stagioni & meat lovers pizzas, a notorious P.I.G sandwich & variety of drinks. That was an excellent sandwich we would come back just for that. Rich slightly spicy. We dug into the meat lovers too. We are big pizza fans & have an annual NYC pizza trip, we love pizza. I bake a variety of sourdough products as well as whatever sounds good so I can be critical of baked goods. The service was warm, helpful and thorough. Thank you to the lovely people working last We will be back. read more

Have been coming to pizza e Birra for a few years now every time has been amazing food and service always on point thanks to Isaiah for everything read more

Pizza e Birra - The San Diego - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

Wonderful pizza! They make their own dough and it's delicious! Love the meatball pizza, had it two days in a row it was so good we went back for more! Great service, wonderful kind and attentive staff. Met the owner and he is awesome! read more

Pizza e Birra - Meatball Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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Very nice Service, we had the meat Burgers and the veggie calzone. Both were delicious. The ambience is very nice. Everything looks clean. And there is an outdoor patio, which is also beautiful. read more

Pizza e Birra - Calzone. Yum! - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

Such nice staff! Wandered into this chill spot hoping to catch a slate of NFL games, only to discover (after we'd already been seated and our water glasses filled...) that they can only broadcast what's nationally televised. Is it alright if we come back later, we sheepishly asked? Of course, replied our gracious server! True to our word, we returned after the morning games concluded, and the same server was as warm as if we'd never left in the first place. Since we'd already had lunch by this time, we opted for dessert. The Nutella Pizza was simply delicious, and typically comes with a choice of Strawberries *or* Crushed Oreos and Marshmallow Drizzle, but we requested all of the above, adding that we'd be happy to pay a surcharge. To our surprise, there was none on our final bill. This place is so customer-friendly! read more

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The very BEST pizza I have eaten since I moved here from NY to San Diego! Did I mention, This is by far the best... the dough... the crust with the slight chew! Perfectly baked in their fired oven! Now I see why you yelpers gave this spot such a high rating!!! Birra on tap!!! Yes please! We got here early around 3ish and they have happy hour everyday! The wings, house salad and got a cheesy bread too!! Everything was superb! Make sure to get their pizza!!! Or anything that requires their crust.. their baked sandwich, the cheesy bread etc... eat the carbs! Thank you Sam!!! I will return soon to get my pizza fix!! Dessert was yummy too! read more

Pizza e Birra - Best Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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A very unassuming location and hard to miss in the Five Points area, we were recommended to check this place out. It was a quiet Saturday when we went for lunch and the owner was friendly and took our order. The Meat Lovers Calzone was amazing! The calzone was huge and was a great starter for our group of 3. I'd recommend getting a calzone for sure. The Bollente Pizza came with jalapenos, spicy sopressata, pepperoni, and pepperoncinis. It was very flavorful and quite spicy but I really liked it! The crust was a bit on the thicker side and crispy. We also got the Tropicana which is their remixed version of a Hawaiian pizza. It has mango habanero+bbq sauce, bacon, pepperoni, crumbled bacon, pineapple and ricotta. It had a ton of flavor with a lot of different elements. Really tasty but maybe too many things happening for one pizza. Overall a solid pizza joint! read more

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I dropped by Pizza e Birria on a whim as I was going to a comedy show at the National Comedy Theatre. I was a little confused by the addition of the Birria as the menu seemed mainly Italian/Italian-American to me. The restaurant was pretty empty and there were few staff members. Decor was simple, and there were many TV screens playing the Olympics and basketball. My party sat at the bar and the bartender was very helpful for us choosing drinks. He offered a sample of the kombucha they had on tap, and that and the beer that the other member of my party got were smooth, chilled, and delicious. We ordered a small Hawaiian pizza to split. They made it fresh so there was quite a long wait, and their pizzas are on the thin crusted side. We only ended up getting to eat a slice each before having to pack up the rest and run to the theatre. However, the pizza was quite enjoyable with a flavorful sauce and melty, soft mozzarella. I think the crust could have been a bit crispier and more flavorful, but it was overall a good pizza! I would come back here to try their other offerings, perhaps even the birria! read more

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Everything we ordered was excellent! I've never had such an all around great experience at a pizza restaurant. We started with a pear, goat cheese, and candied walnut salad, followed by an order of garlic parm wings. At that point we knew we were in the right place. I ordered the wings for my husband, tried one, he had to split them with me. I don't usually care for wings, these were exceptional. Then the pizza arrived and it was so delicious. The owner was engaging and welcoming and our waiter was right on top of things and offered great suggestions. We will be back. read more

THIS PLACE IS INCREDIBLE! We loved this place! The pizza was so yum? The staff was so friendly! Isaiah and Sarah are who helped us tonight and they were so friendly and patient with us and our 2 wild toddlers! This is a fantastic place! They even make their own dough and sauce, like CMON GUYS! Definitely a MUST TRY. read more

Pizza e Birra - Double Pepperoni Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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We walked in and was told to set outside, I asked for a heater they said no heaters, asked to move inside the waiter was not pleasant and said he will clean a table we had to eye a table and tell him it was free, ordered pizza fries nasty, ordered home syracha wings they brought the wrong ones, they did replace them, ordered some nasty pizza! Our waitress never really came to check on us, worse service read more

Pizza e Birra - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

Difficult to find too many places which specialize in Neopolitan Pizza, but luckily we found a great one in SD on a recent visit. We started off with an order of meatballs, which were bathed in a magical tasting marinara sauce. We then split a Contadina pizza, which included gorgonzola cheese, olives, onions, and sausage. All three of us are way too much and couldn't stop without finishing. Service was good and the atmosphere was quite lively (this was trivia night). Definitely give this a try....really good food and easy location. read more

Pizza and beer! And more of course, it's a friendly space serving freshly fired pizzas, wings, baked sandwiches, salads, and of course a great selection of beer. You can even get wings on your pizza. Casual atmosphere, great service, and lots of TVs inside to watch the games. read more

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best pizza in town, or close, with Oltre Mare. Fantastic staff as well. The outdoor section is perfect for larger parties. read more

We had the best time here today!! My girlfriends and I got some beer flights and an amazing couple of pizzas after spending all day moving our friend out of her apartment. The staff were sweet and attentive and Sam brought us complimentary cannolis! We will be back soon! Also loved the ambiance of the patio, so sunny and nice read more

Pizza e Birra - Cannoli and Contadina Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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The pizza is amazing!! We also got salad, wings, and pasta and all of it was so good! I wish we lived closer so I could get it all the time. The staff were so helpful and made sure I was well taken care of even though I came in close to closing. read more

Took my kids here because of gift certificates they got from school. The kids LOVED IT. We got two personal pizzas, the cheesy garlic bread, and a 12-piece chicken wings (half bbq, half lemon pepper). My 7-yr old son is a picky eater; he hates cheese and is a "no" on pizza. But he absolutely loooved the fluffy crust on the cheesy garlic bread. He said the bbq wings are "really good, you should try it." As he kept eating the food, he said things I've never heard him say of any restaurant. "We should leave this place a review, it's so good" "It was worth the wait" My other, 5-year old child regularly exclaimed as she ate, "YUM," "mmmm". The chicken wings were excellent too. The ranch sauce was nuanced and delightful, so good I took it to go. And the service was so hospitable and friendly. We'll be back! read more

Great service! My family was visiting the city from out of town and we were hungry so after dropping by the airport, we found this pizza place to grab a quick lunch! It was fairly empty on a weekend but there was a large party in the back corner of kids for lunch and we were a party of 6. There was no host and we only saw 1 lady sitting at the bar and a cook grabbing her a drink. He called out to us from the kitchen for us to grab any table we wanted and he was grabbing glasses of water for each of us and menus. When chef came out, he let us know that he was by himself so bare with him on everything as he was also training someone new in the back. He gave us a few minutes to look over the menu and we all decided to order 2 pizzas and 2 salads to share between all of us. We got the san diego pizza and the hawaiian (12 in) and the house salads. Salads came out very quickly after ordering and pizzas took about 25-30 minutes. The Pizzas were so good! Crispy and crunchy crust an delicious wings! The mozz sticks on the SDP were so crispy! I left dreaming about that place so on Sunday I came back at night to order a pepperoni pizza. Chef wasn't there but 2 others were. I placed a to-go order and it took about 30 minutes for them to box it up. I got ranch to-go which was $0.60 per amount which I should have only gotten 3 instead because apparently not everyone at the airbnb wanted a slice of pizza. The to-go pizza wasn't as crispy, not because of the sitting int he box but we could tell that the dough hadn't been in the oven long enough to get to that crispy texture we loved. I toasted the slices I ate in a pan which made the difference. Definitely recommend! Great for casual dining and everyone there is friendly! read more

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My family and I found this place on a whim and so glad we got to try it! The owner took our order and made our food. We got wings and pizza and everything was amazing! The owner sat and talked with us for a bit and kept checking on us the entire time. We all loved it and would definitely return :) Service 10/10 Food 10/10 read more

Pizza e Birra - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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Pizza e Birra is one of the hidden gems of Midtown. My wife and I stopped in today and had one of the best lunches we've had in a long time. The service was incredible. The owner was super warm and engaging. Took excellent care of us. The pizza was outstanding. Excellent authentic feel and not greasy at all. We both ordered the lunch specials and were told the pizza was the equivalent of two slices. Well, each order seemed like it was a whole pizza! Very generous portions and neither of us could finish, leaving us with excellent leftovers for later. We didn't have any beer, but they had a great selection. We sat outside in their charming covered patio area, perfect for a San Diego Saturday afternoon. We highly recommend it! read more

My coworker and I wanted to eat something right before we returned the rental car so I stumbled upon this place. This is super close to the rental place and it's got 5 stars. When we arrived, there was only one guy who was doing everything. Right after we arrived, a family of 6 arrived as well. I knew it was gonna take a while to get the food because there was only this guy and there were 8 customers/8 orders. I think we waited for almost 30 minutes. I was a little frustrated because it had already way passed my normal lunch time. The food finally came and it was HOT!!!!! It was worth the wait! I could taste that the dough was freshly made. Oh my good and the small is not small at all!! I could only have half of my small pizza and have to take it home. My coworker got a sandwich and it was humongous too. She only ate 1/3 of it. My husband air fried it later that same night and I asked him how it was. Being one of the most pickiest eaters I've ever known, surprisingly he said it was good! I'll definitely come back if I'm ever in this area again! read more

Pizza e Birra - Hawaiian pizza (small) - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

Wings fall off the bone and great buffalo sauce. Pizza was good and give it a 7/10. Nice soft dough . $12 wings for $21. Pizza small 8 slices $22 Parking might suck but wings worth it read more

Recently I was craving a meatball sandwich and so, I turned to Yelp! Someone described their meatball sandwich as "the best I ever ate." While I appreciated all the meatball, I wasn't super excited about the bread. It seemed to me like it was a pizza crust folded in half. It was good, but I was expecting more like an Italian roll instead of a dense, pizza crust-like bread. Oh and it's pretty big! The Strawberry Summer Salad was fresh & flavorful and to be honest the reason I chose this place for a meatball sandwich instead of a different restaurant. The guys working there were very friendly, and had my to-go order ready a few minutes sooner than promised. read more

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This is a one man shop run by a very enthusiastic and awesome owner. Despite the rude and ignorant customers in the restaurant he kept up with the numerous customers and did his best to multitask. You can tell he puts his all in the restaurant to make it feel like a proper sports pub. Tucked away in a hard to get to area but worth the stop if you're in the neighborhood! read more

Pizza e Birra - Pizza Fries - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

I'm so glad we found this place! We went on Thursday night and we also go to play trivia! My kids loved it! The service was great and the food was amazing!!! I loved the garlic cheese bread and the pizza was so good! The pizza crust is sweet and just yummy! I loved it and I will be back! Great cute place! Street parking is pretty easy. read more

Pizza e Birra - Philly Cheesesteak Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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The food was great! We ordered a pizza, chicken sandwich and wings and everything was really good. The owner Sam was really nice and helpful, give my husband some samples of beer to see what he liked. The space was nice and open, only drawn back was it was a little warm inside. I think cause we were across from the kitchen where they were doing the pizzas. read more

Came in mid day Saturday. While looking at the menu outside, Sam welcomed us in, inviting us to sit wherever we liked in his spacious and immaculately clean restaurant, which included a very lovely outdoor patio space with lots of beautiful plans overhanging the patio. Plenty of choices on the menu. Sam went out of his way to make us feel welcome. He took our order quickly and gave us samples of beers before we decided to order. He also quickly but nicely made our salad and pizza. A lovely treat. The pear salad with balsamic vinaigrette and walnuts was refreshing on a hot day. Generous serving. We also had a nice sized pizza, the contadina, with plenty of toppings and it came hot and bubbly out of the large pizza oven. The crust was springy and flavorful. I'd be back. Parking on the street was easy. Sam says they have all day happy hour on Sunday. read more

Pizza e Birra - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

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Love this small, local spot! Been coming here for years and gotta give them the credit they deserve. The service is always really solid and the vibe is super laid back. Pizzas are also really good and fresh, but their bruscetta is my personal favorite. They have a ton of taps too if you want a good ale with your pizza. Never have had a bad time here and I always leave with a full belly and in a good mood! read more

We came here after a bike ride and were really hungry. Since we were in a hurry we phoned in our order for a large vegetarian pizza. We were told it would take 15 minutes. When we were arrived the owner Sal greeted us and the pizza was ready. We went back to our van and started to eat it and I was surprised how good it was. This is the best pizza I can remember having in San Diego county. I felt compelled to call Sal and thank him for such a great piece of work. I make my own sourdough bread every week at home and occasionally make my own pizza in a Ooni pizza oven so I know good pizza when have it. Prices are similar to other places but you are getting much more for your dollar. read more

So we were looking for pizza and wanted to make sure it was dog friendly. Pizza e Birra has a patio and some outdoor seating in front. When we walked up, we weren't sure they were open, but the owner came out and said hello and if the open sign is on, they are open. He even said it was alright to bring in Cako. Me: I really thought it said "birria" He: Yes, we get that sometimes. Dang, I felt dumb! I think I was just excited that the two of them were together...LOL! We ordered the pear and pecan salad to start...very good! The owner said they also had the best wings so I ordered 6 and he recommended the mango habenero sauce. These were really good! A sweet start with a very spicy kick which lingers. Such a great change from the ordinary buffalo. They had a great bottle of chianti that we shared. We then had a large Genovese with pesto, chicken, potatoes, pine nuts and garlic. This was soooooooo good! I mean, I didn't even think potatoes would work on a pizza but it all works well together. Also, amazing crust! PeB is a great little gem! I can't wait to come back and eat my way through the menu because there's other dishes that I want to try! A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon! Cako loved being there, because she laid down as we ate and she only does that when she loves the place. Cako Approves! read more

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We hosted a celebratory gathering at Pizza e Birra, and it was honestly the perfect spot for our event. The coordination on the front end with Sam was easy and helpful, and he was very kind throughout the entire process in making sure everything went smoothly. The food and beverages were great, the patio was a perfect setup for our group, and the staff made the whole experience feel very easy and enjoyable. I would absolutely recommend hosting an event here, especially on their patio. We had a great experience overall and would definitely come back. read more

The pizza is 10/10 but can we take a second to appreciate how his the house salad is!?? The HOMEMADE DRESSING IS THE BEST I'VE EVER HAD. AND THE Calabrese Pizza is 10/10 read more

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Great little place w/ wood fired pizzas. Atmosphere is awesome and the owner is awesome. Definitely recommend. read more

Pizza e Birra - Margarita pizza was amazing - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

Very unassuming spot with delicious wings and pizza. Went on a Saturday evening and it was a mellow, clean vibe.

Sam the owner is really cool! The food was good, I got penne al limone. Most dishes I've had with penne are on the blander side but this pasta had all the flavor!! The table also order pizzas and they were great. Good crust. read more

Cool neighborhood spot with delicious pizza, good beer on draft, a chill vibe, and friendly service! read more

Pizza e Birra - Mike High IPA flight - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California

First time coming here and the owner is welcoming and such a workhorse! Running the whole place by himself! The beer and pizza options were good, we got the calabrese and the Philly cheese steak pizza. Both delicious, soprasata was a little too salty for my taste but overall delicious pizza. The Philly cheese steak, is what I'd expect to be but in pizza form. Still delicious and more balanced. Would come back again to try the happy hour deals for sure! read more

Pizza e Birra - Calabrese Pizza and Philly Cheesesteak Pizza - Pizza Near Me - San Diego, California