Zelo — Restaurant in Arcadia

First time here and I’ll definitely be coming back. I was greeted warmly and explained this was my first visit so I wasn’t sure what to get. The guy at the counter patiently talked about how their pizzas are made with cornmeal, and everything was really good, a nice little hole in the wall spot here in Arcadia. I asked what slices they had available thinking of those pizza places that make a couple pies each day and just heat it up, but everything was made fresh to order including the single slices! He told me what the specials were and that the salami toscano was really good. I went with a slice of that. He rung me up and said it’ll take about 8 mins or so.

After about 7 mins things started to smell really good in there! The chef handed me my slice, nicely wrapped in wax paper and into a paper bag and told me to enjoy and to come back again. 😊 though we forgot the napkins, whoops

When I got home 20 mins later, I was again surprised to find that the crust was still crunchy! It was so good! The blue cheese was a little funky and rich, so maybe a little marinara sauce would’ve helped cut the richness.

There’s plenty of seating inside and some tables outside. And I loved the music they’d had playing. As I was leaving a group came in for a birthday I think. The workers quickly got them seated and situated with water, plates and utensils. And put the cake in the fridge. Everyone who worked there seemed really friendly and I appreciate the care and attention they had, even into my single slice of pizza.

I’m looking forward to coming back and trying all of the other pizzas!...

I will not eat here ever again, and I strongly suggest no one else does either. I witnessed the cooks not wearing gloves and handling all the food. In the time that I was noticing this, I had not seen one single person wash their hands. The place looks like it hasnt been properly cleaned in decades. Just when I thought that place couldnt get any worse, I went to the bathroom. The cleanliness of the bathrooms in a restaurant tell you how clean the kitchen is. 🤢🤮 To make matters worse, on my way out of the bathroom, I noticed a few rat traps in the sink area of the kitchen. Does anyone clean in there ever? What about having a food handlers? Seems like no one is aware of these things or they just dont care? The food was talked up only for it to be subpar. The dough of the pizza was terrible. Its a shame because years ago this place was so good. And the dough was to die for. Though I had never actually dined in until recently. Had always gotten my food to go. Should have stuck to that. Oh, and get this, my server was drunk and openly drinking beers in the kitchen. Such a shame seeing places be ruined. Thought about not leaving this review but a friend of mine changed my mind and convinced me to inform others. Stay safe out there everyone. Dont go get yourself...

Served by the slice, half, or whole pizza- you need to try this cornmeal crust pizza brought to Arcadia and the SGV by way of San Francisco! It's deep-dish style, and the cornmeal flavor and texture are so unique and sets it apart in my opinion from other pizza joints. It's crispy, crunchy, and meal-y. Two slices are super filling.

I tasted fresh ingredients for the sausage pizza, and just perfect marinated peppers, eggplant, onions, and mushrooms on each slice. Our party also tried appetizer meatballs and garlic bread, and they were good for the meat-eaters in our dining party. Our only mistake - we need leave room for dessert next time!

Everyone was nice and offered to take our group picture after dinner. What a special space, with a neat mix of Americana and music and pop culture memorabilia adorning the walls. The friendly and responsive staff really put up with our (many) questions.

Whoever was playing DJ that night for ambiance— you have incredible music taste. I heard songs that made me bust out my music ID app...