Joyride Pizza, Pier 1 — Restaurant in San Francisco

Distinctive Detroit-Style Pizza at Joy Ride Pizza

Joyride Pizza, a Detroit-style pizza restaurant in San Francisco, is expanding quickly. Over the last few years, they have opened several new locations. According to their website, they now have seven locations in San Francisco.

I tried their pizza for the first time today and found it unique and tasty. I had been walking by their Pier 1 Embarcadero location for a couple of months but never had a chance to walk in and try their food. I tried their thin-crust Greek and cheese pizzas. This location is great! It is right there by the water and next to the Ferry Building. It is cozy and convenient for those who work within walking distance from the Financial District. The young people who work there are very nice and accommodating.

I was planning to take my pizza to go, but after ordering the food, I changed my mind and decided to have it sitting by the counter. While my food was getting ready, I started reading about how the founders succeeded in growing the business fast despite the challenges of the pandemic. The Jacobs brothers specialize in Detroit-style pizza, known for its rectangular shape, thick crust, and caramelized edges. They have operated Samovar Tea Lounges since 2002 and had to change their business model when the pandemic severely impacted their tea business. Inspired by a friend opening a pizza shop, they converted their Valencia Street tea lounge into the first Joyride Pizza location in 2021. With Alastair Hannmann, formerly of Tony's Pizza, they began selling Detroit-style pizza.

Their pizzas are visually appealing, with toppings like ricotta, arugula, and pesto. If I had to make one criticism, it would be that they are slightly too salty. Other than that, they...

Joyride Pizza is located right next to the Ferry Building on Embarcadero, which is a great location. We decided to try it after exploring the Ferry Building, thinking we could get a better and more affordable pizza there. We ordered the Eat Your Veggies and Buffalo Chicken pizzas in a large size, which is meant for two people.

When we placed our order, the person taking it asked if we wanted cheese and marinara sauce on top of the Eat Your Veggies pizza. We said yes to the cheese, but to our surprise, the pizza turned out to be more like a bread bowl with a lot of veggies on top and no sauce at the bottom. It felt more like a salad than a traditional pizza. On the other hand, the Buffalo Chicken pizza had a lot of bread and cheese but very little chicken. We found the pizzas to be quite expensive, costing around $30 each.

We're not sure if this is how Detroit Style Pizza is supposed to be, but we didn't enjoy this style and we won't be ordering from there again. We left feeling only half full instead of ordering more pizza because we were getting frustrated. If you don't have any other options for food on Embarcadero, you can try it, but we wouldn't...

Title: ⭐ No Need for the Attitude

I walked in ready to try this place out and give it a fair shot. All I asked for was an all-meat pizza, and the reaction I got from behind the counter was unbelievable. The look, the sigh, the attitude — like I had lost my mind for even asking. That kind of energy has no place in food service.

San Francisco is packed with amazing restaurants and pizza spots, and the last thing anyone should deal with is rudeness when ordering a meal. I didn’t even stick around to find out how the pizza tasted — and honestly, that says it all. If you can’t treat your customers with respect, the food doesn’t matter.

Plenty of other places in this city know how to do both great food and great service. This one won’t get a second...