Topanga Pizza — Restaurant in Los Angeles

June 2024 Oh YES! This Hidden Gem of a place knows how to please.

I have passed by this place so many times, without even knowing it was there. Tucked away about 100ft off Ventura boulevard, in a small shopping center, lies this little slice of heaven... literally.

I came in for the pizza this time, my first time, and I was quite impressed. Ordered the large, and figured I'd have some leftovers for lunch tomorrow. It's a solid 16 inches in diameter. The price for a three topping was about $27 and change with tax and all that.

Crust: it's thin enough (1/4") for the California Weight Watcher types, but also thick enough for those Detroit thicker crust peeps. And crispy! It's flour, water, salt and yeast, very natural tasting for sure. This is real dough.

Topanga Pizza is NOT like those other places that I've been to which use a pre-made, restaurant supply product. On the contrary, I can tell that the dough here was probably made in a batch this morning, or maybe yesterday, which is even better. Then you get some of that tangy fermenting action going on.

Toppings: they don't skimp, that's for sure lots of toppings, lots of each topping, and even distribution of the toppings. The toppings, the whole toppings, and nothing but the toppings... so help me God. Lol. Mushrooms, fresh, check. Sausage, like it was hand cut out of the casing, check. Anchovy, straight out of a Sardinian small town. Maybe not. Lol. But still good! I love that briny, salty burst of flavor every now and then. Cheese: stretchy and real. It pulls, stretches, and then tears. Those are all telltale signs that it's real, not imitation. I also love the fact that you do get a little "oil sweating" going on, to add a little more flavor when the cheese melts. Fat = Flavor. So in my opinion, just a little bit of oily is okay.

Sauce, perfect layering, not too much, not too little. Tangy! And thank goodness they didn't use too much oregano. Every legitimate pizza spot I've been to uses a very small amount, and Topanga Pizza nailed it. It's not overly garlicky, or salty, or herbaceous. The Sauce flavor profile is very well-rounded.

Price: there is value here. I think the $27 & change I paid definitely justifies what I got in return. I mean they have to make money too, just like everyone else. But I feel like prices here are comparable to other Pizza spots in the neighborhood. The difference here is that you're getting real dough, and more toppings, and better quality overall. So the $27 price to me is Justified.

Parking: I came in here mid-afternoon, after the lunch crowd, but before the dinner crowd. I feel like there were definitely a few open spots for sure. There's also that weird new diagonal parking out on Ventura Boulevard if you decide to sit-in for your dining experience.

Carry out here is pretty simple, and there is a traffic light at the entrance, to make your left turn into the parking lot that much easier.

Service & Staff: On point, friendly with a smile. I got a sense that everyone working here really enjoys their job, they like doing what they do, and they're happy to come to work everyday. Whoever specifically made my pizza, nailed the perfect 360° ark. Same thickness of the crust all the way around. Bravo!

Atmosphere: there were a couple of older couples in the place when I walked in the door to pick up my pizza. I'd say it's a family style place, but something low-key if you're trying to be on a casual date as well. Looks like it could be a good spot to maybe bring your kids to. There's plenty of room to walk around, and move in between the tables for sure.

I'm very pleased with my experience here, and I definitely will be back to try some of their other menu items. The steamed mussels are calling my name next time. Garlic me...

To begin, the interior was clean however was extremely hot, and it was not very busy. The service was great the drinks were refilled often, when it comes to service amazing. The atmosphere was nice it felt genuinely Italian, but it was a tad over dressed. Now the main part the food when you arrive you get complimentary garlic rolls, in my opinion the rolls were very dry and not garlicy at all, it tasted like day old bread and olive oil. What I ordered was the fettuccine Alfredo the pasta was very sub-par not aldente but was a tad undercooked the Alfredo sauce was not acceptable, it was runny almost the consistency of water. The sauce has acceptable flavor tasted like parmesan and parsley, you could not really taste the garlic, in my opinion olive garden has better Fettuccine Alfredo. The pricing was very over priced for what you get my meal with 4 people who all got pastas came drinks and one pizza came out to $90 which I believe is too much the portions are an acceptable size but I did expect more from the awfully high price. Overall I would not recommend to eat here if you are expecting a delicious meal at an...

After seeing so many good reviews I ended up being a bit disappointed with the pizza. Ordered 2 smalls, one with sausage & onions, one with Canadian bacon & pineapple. The toppings were very good although I got mushrooms instead of sausage. I ordered by phone so maybe the order taker misheard. I didn't do anything about the error as I was miles away at my hotel when I discovered a different topping. My biggest criticism is of the crust. It had the taste and texture of a frozen crust. Overall not great but not bad. The location can be a little difficult to find. It's on a busy stretch of Ventura Blvd among a bunch of other businesses. They had an improvised outdoor seating area with misters which reduced the parking availability in an already small parking lot. Staff was masked, efficient...