Humble Oven — Restaurant in San Luis Obispo

(original review from shortly after they opened, updates at the bottom) Excited to have a pizza place nearby! We've been looking forward to the Market for years now, and it's really fun seeing all the restaurants begin to open up and dial in their dishes. They also have pasta and salads, but we went with a Pesto pizza and a Bell Pepperoni pizza for our first visit.

Dough: Well proofed, nice airy texture. Would have personally preferred a slower ferment to really develop the flavor, especially since the corniciones (crust) on both pizzas we received were quite large. Toppings: High quality, but would actually prefer a bit less on both pizzas. It seemed a bit unbalanced compared to the pretty thin crusts, and the Pesto pizza was quite oily- more so than the Bell Pepperoni! We both felt that the Pesto pizza would have also been better if the pancetta was crisped up a bit prior to going on the pizza. The pepperoni cupped, which I know is very important to some people, and the sweetie drop peppers were a nice touch to balance it out. Sauce: The tomato sauce is simple and uncooked, to showcase the quality of the tomatoes they're using. The pesto is really fresh and vibrant! Cooking: Left a bit to be desired, but probably due to how new this location is. It takes time to get used to a new oven, so I'm sure they'll continue to improve here. That said, the undersides of the pizzas we received were a bit inconsistent, and the tops of the pizzas would benefit from a bit more heat. (going lighter on the toppings would also help with this)

Overall, I see a lot of potential, and I plan to give them another try after they've settled in a bit.

Update 2/4/22: Gave the Pesto pizza another try, still very oily. See last photo added...

Update 3/4/22: Tried the special, with sausage and broccolini. Not an oil slick. Didn't take a photo. Enjoyed it, adding a star to the rating.

Update 6/10/22: Bolo Pie - basically a lasagna in pizza form. Best I've tried here thus far....

Update:

Now 2 years later, Humble Oven now can be less humble since they are thriving well here. Still has good Pizza, fresh made Pasta, and now even Tiramisu. The service is still really friendly & they really add alot to this great food court.

Pizza & Fresh Pasta now in the SLO Public Market Food Court! While they were in the pre-opening experimental mode, they were still happy to chat with me, as I eyed all the great foods, such as the fresh Pasta.

I could see & smell the test Pizza and envied all the test subjects. Please invite me to be tested anytime, even for a midnight snack. I could not help looking at all their goodies, while I waited for all my Creamery Cheese & Cold Cut Delights to be sliced...as I also waited on some fresh Bao Buns & Thai Curry to be made within 15-20 minutes from the next little food court shops.

From what they told me & I could see, both Pizza & the Pasta looked to be very promising. The staff was really friendly as were all the vendors there. Since my wife is Vegetarian, loves Pizza, & cannot have onion or garlic, we definitely will be regulars at this new Italian venue.

Of course, I had to stop by here a few days later to check out some eats, so while I eyed the Pizza which looked great, I did buy a box of two kinds of their fresh made pasta. The staff was pleasant, friendly, and helpful.

They were both hits with us, and the tube type complemented even a take out Wonton Soup that we reheated.

Between TP and the other vendors, we will be here quite often.

We will have to do more hiking to compensate for the calories....but it will be done...

I was too busy devouring my pizza to take a picture of it, but WOW. Humble Oven made an incredible pizza (we had the Cadillac margherita) and salad and their tiramisu was 😘🤌🤌🤌! The pizza crust was perfectly light and had the right amount of chew. The sauce was zesty and delicious. And the burrata? Impossibly creamy. Even the balsamic vinaigrette salad dressing was on point! The tiramisu was luscious and the perfect end to a lovely evening. Owners Mason and Grace are delightful humans. We met Mason last week when we were here. The pizza counter was closed, but he chatted with us while recipe-testing a spectacular focaccia (if that ever makes it on the menu, order it!). Grace helped us figure out our order, and took excellent care of us. Tonight's meal was an excellent one! We will be sure to return to Humble Oven on our next time through SLO! Thanks to Grace and Mason for two memorable visits. We have already recommended their food to...