Little Oven Pizza — Restaurant in Merced

Little Oven Pizza offers a truly unique experience, and I was blown away by their New York style pizzas.

Pistachio Pizza: The Pistachio Pizza was on a completely different level—nothing like I’ve ever tasted before. Initially, I was skeptical when the staff mentioned it was one of their specials, but once I took a bite, I couldn’t stop. The pistachios brought a rich, earthy flavor that paired surprisingly well with the other ingredients, creating a one-of-a-kind pizza experience. It’s definitely worth trying if you’re looking for something adventurous and unique.

Service: The service was excellent. The staff were incredibly helpful, understanding, and made great recommendations. They were attentive and genuinely seemed to care about giving us a great experience, which added to the overall enjoyment of the meal.

Ambience: The ambience is more like a bar vibe—relaxed but with a lively energy. It’s a nice space to hang out, but it can get pretty noisy, especially during peak hours, so it might not be the best place if you’re looking for a quiet dinner. However, the overall feel is pleasant, and the atmosphere adds to the experience.

Wait Time & Slices: One thing to keep in mind is that the pizza slices are first come, first served. The wait times and lines can be really long, so it’s best to plan ahead if you’re in a hurry. For some of the pizzas, the staff even recommended ordering early in the morning for a night pickup, which might sound like a joke, but it’s definitely necessary if you want to avoid long waits.

Overall, Little Oven Pizza has some of the most unique and flavorful pizzas I’ve ever had, along with great service and a lively ambience. Just be prepared for the wait, and plan ahead if you’re aiming for a...

I’ve been coming to little ove pizza since it opened, and I can truly say my favorite pizza is their Bee 1000. It comes with a red sauce, salame, fresh mozzarella, honey, chili oil and oregano. The bread is thin, light and delicious. You get a little bit of both worlds with the crust. Some parts are soft and chewy while others will have a casual crunch, which I enjoy. They have Parmesan, chili flakes, chili oil, oregano and garlic powder available to sprinkle on your pizza. I put a little bit of everything on my slices, but the chili oil is definitely my favorite.

Another one of the pizzas I’ve tried and loved are the Bandito & Smokey Joe. Bandito has character, so be warned. It has a white sauce with salame, roasted garlic, dates and jalapeños! It’s an experience, a delicious one. Smokey Joe is just as delicious, but more on the classic side. It has a red sauce with bacon, smoked scarmoza and jalapeños.

They offer vegetarian options as well, and I have to say that their Phoenix pizza is my favorite from their selection. Phoenix has a white sauce with pistachios, red onion and Parmesan. This combinations is sweet and salty, but very well balanced. They add some lemon zest at the end, which is refreshing to the palate.

Try their salads! They are delicious and always fresh. Great vinaigrette.

Overall, always a great experience. There is plenty of parking near by. The establishment itself is compact, but it’s a great environment.

I will continue to upload pictures of the pizza’s I try and...

Little oven pizza brings a much needed quality pie to Merced, satisfying both traditional and adventurous tastes. Firstly - the crust. The crust on all of the pizzas are fantastic. Crisp yet chewy, foldable with a firm pinch, a melange of dark and light, they are a quality bed on which every slice is built upon. Regarding types, I picked up three different slices - the humble cheese, ricotta and red onion, and a sausage + jalapeño + mushroom combination. Cheese was by far the lowest on the pole. Very plain without much of the strong acidic tomato or milky cheese taste I expected, it was unfortunately less than expected. It is still however a good choice - inoffensive, straightforward, and miles ahead of any chain establishment. Ricotta and red onion was a far better experience. The velvet cheese dollops of cheese contrasted by the slightly burnt edges of the red onion made for a fantastic slice. Lastly, the combination. I must say, combination slices can always fly either way, but Little Oven makes one heck of an offering. The fatty sausage, tender woody mushroom work greatly enough together, but the strong spice of the jalapeño slices make a slice that pulls you in after each bite.

Overall 4/5 - Little Oven pizzas droops a bit due to the cheese, but everything else is amazing. Welcome to Merced, I hope you stay for a...