Gibroni's Pizza — Restaurant in San Clemente

tldr; You must try this pizza. Best in Orange County, quite possibly all of California.

From the ashes of the COVID-19 shutdown arose a phoenix! Like many of the best businesses out there, this one started in their garage. As they perfected their recipes, the word quickly spread around the "Spanish Village by the Sea" like a California wildfire. Selling once a week out of the house with the option to dine on their driveway, they had orders lined up weeks in advance. They even had special requests to cater events for San Clemente's own star quarterback, Sam Darnold. He spread the news to fellow NFL QBs, Josh Allen and Kyle Allen! Quarterback pizza parties! Whether they name a play after Gibroni's has yet to be seen, but I'm confident it's a strong possibility. More about their story was told as the cover story in the San Clemente Times. They've recently moved out of the garage to the kitchen at JD's on El Camino Real. Luckily they're selling several days a week, so the opportunity to get their pizza when you have a craving is finally a possibility. Never before have I heard of Detroit-style pizza, but I'm hooked. I've always loved pan-style pizza, as the crust is delicious and not an afterthought as it is with most other styles. Gibroni's is a work of art. It's light and fluffy like a freshly baked loaf focaccia, but it gets better. Cheese is baked into the crust, and as it cooks, it crisps flavor throughout the entirety of the pizza. As for the rest, you'll have to try them all. Fresh ingredients, including basil grown fresh from the garden. Hands down the best pizza in Orange County, quite possibly all...

This place is an absolute gem!

First, the service is amazingly friendly. I should have asked for their names but every employee was great to interact with. 10/10, thank you to all of you!

Second, the atmosphere is very old-school pizzeria and I love it. One side is a bar, the other side a few proper pizzeria tables and some great arcade games (they have NBA Jam!). They have a bit of patio seating as well. It was pleasant to be inside the restaurant. Again, the vibe was very much old-school pizzeria and it couldn't be better.

Third, the PIZZA. I do not typically seek out Detroit style pizza, but this place was so well-regarded I couldn't miss it as I tour through all the best pizza in Orange County. I'm sure glad I didn't. I had both the cheese pizza (not the one with fresh mozzarella, just the normal cheese blend) and the From the D pizza, which is essentially double pepperoni. Not only was this very easily the best Detroit pizza I've ever had, but a top 10 pizza I've had and it's not 10. Every element of Detroit style pizza was executed to perfection. Perfectly cooked dough, incredible cheese crust at the top, high quality sauce on top (I do love the upside down element)....I'm still thinking about it days later. I normally am a pepperoni guy, but the cheese pizza alone was better. It was perfect for this style, and exactly what you want to try first to establish that baseline.

Please, go to Gibronis. They deserve your patronage and you deserve their pizza. Maybe I'll...

Having grown up in Detroit, I was beyond excited to have a taste of home once more. I fondly remember the pop-up enjoying Detroit style pizza once again right in my own backyard! It wasn't perfect, but it was close enough to bring back cherished memories of my time at Cloverleaf.

The anticipation of supporting their new brick-and-mortar location filled me with joy. But what on earth happened?

First, I waited in line for about 20 minutes just to place my order. The heavy-set guy with spiky hair and earrings took my order and promised they would text me when it was ready. After I paid, he mentioned it would be a 45-50 minute wait, and I had to stand outside since there were no seats available.

After 50 minutes passed without a word, I nervously checked on my order. The friendly young lady at the counter was ready to help, but then the spiky-haired fellow told me they couldn't find me and, as a result, gave my pizza away. He assured me he did this to avoid serving me a cold pizza and said he'd make a new one immediately. Five minutes later, he handed me the replacement, along with a free ranch dressing as a gesture of goodwill.

Feeling hopeful again, I returned to my car, only to find the pizza cold and soggy from the excess marinara. My excitement quickly turned to deep disappointment.

To say I was bummed would be an understatement. I get that opening a new restaurant has its hiccups, but to lie to a loyal customer about making a fresh pizza. That's just...