Ramona’s Pizza

Tried this place out the other night and wasn’t very impressed. When we got there, they only had Pepperoni, BBQ & Cheese left. There was something about the cheese on the pizza that had a sort of smelly-​feet taste to it, something strangely sharp about it. In some contexts, I can appreciate this flavor, but on this pretty run-​of-​the-​mill pizza it was just kind of gross. There are plenty of other pizza places in the area, definitely don’t plan on ever going back.

Awesome pizza! My fav is chicken and broccoli with hot red peppers.

Went to Ramona’s today and was sorry to see that it had closed its doors. To me, it represents something of the end of an era. I remember going to the original location on Ramona many times in the 1980’s; I thought it was the best pizza in town then. Many people must have agreed because it was usually packed. In this day and age of artisan pizzas, Ramona’s lost its place as one of the best, but it was still always good and worth patronizing. After the restaurant on Ramona closed, the new location on Birch was a bit of a hole in the wall and not much of a place for dinner, but it was great for lunch. The last few years saw several management changes, but still the pizza remained consistent. I don’t know if many will miss Ramona’s with all the other choices we have now, but I, for one, regret its passing.

Business CLOSED! Placed a take-​out order via OrderAhead yesterday and — much to my surprise! — restaurant was closed. Seems to be out of business!

It’s a small little restaurant but the pizza is very good. They have a sports TV going in the corner and some local newspapers about while you wait for your order. Outdoor seating available when the weather is right.
Just off of California Street.
PIZZA QUALITY: B plus
SERVICE: B to B plus
AMBIANCE/​SETTING: C plus

Went here recently with a Groupon voucher. The place looks and feels like a great neighborhood location. The guys behind the counter were friendly and accommodating. It was a very cold night and a hot pizza seemed like a great dinner on a Friday night. The pizza combinations were great, we ordered a half Mediterranean and half sausage pesto. The crust was just as we liked it, crisp and crusty on the edge and bottom and steaming on the top. Our only complaint about the pizza was the flavor — both topping combinations seemed to be a bit flat. If the pesto and the tomato sauce is jazzed up a bit, they would really have a winning pie. As for the environment, a warning to all, on a cold night, the door does not close properly, so be bundle up… the small space heater is just outmatched!

Got a groupon here to spend $ 30.
The pizza is NOT New York style pizza but nonetheless it is some damn good pizza. They do not skimp out of the toppings at all. You get a super thick slice of pizza with about a zillion toppings in each bite. No fighting for the one with the most pepperoni here!
Place itself is whatevers. We got our stuff to go. The employees that were there while we got our order looked like students and they were all just watching the game and cheering on the home team. Nothing exceptional but I don’t expect much from a pizza joint.
I’ll be coming back.

My family used to come to Ramona’s back when I was a kid. We ended up moving away and through life’s twists and turns, I recently ended up back here 30 years later. Today I went back to Ramona’s and ordered the pizza my family always used to order (vegetarian) and I swear to god it tastes just as I remember as a kid!
Love it!

Cardboard pizza.
Good amount of cheese. Sauce is ok. Dough tastes like flour.
Standard pizza for starving college students.
Place is a bit divey. Very small. Maybe room for about 10 people.
Like everywhere else in downtown Palo Alto, parking is a challenge.

Swung by Ramona’s tonight with my buddy from college.
The restaurant itself is small with wooden tables and chairs to sit at. Table space is limited, but it seems like most people order their food for delivery or takeout, so it seems to work.
The people working there are very friendly. Service is quite limited, as it often is at pizza places; just place your order and then let them bring it to you at the table.
I ordered the calzone, while my friend ordered a small pizza. First, be warned that even their «small» is quite large! Definitely not meant for consumption by a single person. He ordered sausage and mushrooms and reported it was good.
I thought their calzone was good, but not great. I got it with pepperoni, roasted garlic, and feta cheese. The calzone came out almost in a perfect dome shape; it wasn’t folded over like most calzones, but instead semi-​spherical, almost like a bread bowl. The highlight of the calzone was the sauce; it was seasoned nicely, and had a slightly sweet finish to it. They also put on a very generous portion of pepperonis, and even after I ate all the calzone, there were still a few pepperonis left over! The quality of the ingredients were good enough, though nothing special.
Overall, Ramona’s isn’t a bad spot for pizza. If you’re in the area, you may try stopping in!

Decided to try this place today. I had pretty average expectations about this place, however, I think my assumptions were right. I wasn’t blown away by their slices. I do agree though that they give a generous portion for about over a buck. Customer service is ok, you got the ol’ meet n greet and hello and good bye. I thought this place would be more packed during and a little after lunch, but when I went inside, it was empty. Looks like this was the place back in the day, but it’s nothing I’d go crazy over. I’ll definitely go back to try the rest of what they have to offer because I love love love pizza.
Ps: I think this place should get some cred for selling slice only besides whole pies. It just makes it convenient for those on their lunch break to grab a slice and not worry about ordering a whole pie and waiting an hour for it to cook.

It’s just a regular pizza joint, nothing special, nothing great or nothing bad. Slices are decent sized.
I tried their Greek slice, plenty of spinach and mushrooms, wish there were more olives, that gave it a good taste and also more feta would be nice.
Also ordered their wings, I believe it was 10 for $ 5, which is a good deal… pretty sure they were frozen and just backed in the oven. Just your average wings you can buy frozen and make, no crispiness. Cheap fix for wings. No celery, but ranch included.
Overall, ok spot for a fix, but not a go to for great tasting food, good lunch spot for something quick. Feels like a regular run down pizza joint, plywood walls, ripped chairs, etc.

We had a Groupon for Ramona’s Pizza and decided to try this «New York Style» Pizza place on California Avenue. Given how many places I like on California Avenue (Homma’s, La Bodeguita, The Counter, etc.), I was really hoping Ramona’s would be that great pizza joint.
We ordered to go in the afternoon as they strangely close at 4:30 (probably for a break before dinner service). We choose the Stromboli (essentially all meat with mushrooms) and added pineapple. The pizza had pretty generous toppings and was ready quite quickly.
Downside was I wouldn’t really call Ramona’s a New York Style pizza. Nothing is particularly very thin or flavorful about the crust or the toppings. It’s better than Domino’s, but similar to Pizza Hut. Patxi’s Pizza in downtown Palo Alto is still by far the best pizza joint in the area… just wish they could be on California Avenue.
It was worth a try, but next time I’d go to Pizza My Heart or try Howie’s Pizza if I can’t make it to Patxi’s.
Ramona’s Pizza takes credit card, including American Express, and even has online ordering.

This place has good New York Style Pizza!
Although, I have never been to New York, this is what I imagine their best pizza tastes like, but what do I know, I am from California.
Big Slices fills me up quick! That’s not too easy!

We’d been looking for a local pizza place to hit-​up for lunch since our company moved to Palo Alto. I just so happen to pass this place on the way to find parking the other day and made a mental note to come back.
Last Friday I had pizza on the mind, so we popped over to try it. They serve pizza by the slice, but since there was three of we decided to order a whole pie. The pizzas run big, so a medium was enough to fill us all up.
We had the all meat pizza and it was delicious. Probably the best pizza I’ve had in the area!
Will be back to try more combinations!

With all the pizza joints around California, there has to be one that’s decent in Palo Alto. Luckily, there’s Ramona’s. Now I’ve been here back in the late 90s when I was still in high school. From my recollection, it did taste better back then, but nonetheless, it’s still pretty decent. Ramona’s is located off of California Ave., so there’s plenty of parking lots all around. So many, that there’s one right across the street from the pizzeria.
During lunch hours, they do sell individual slices, but that’s the only time. Otherwise, you have to buy the whole pie. When it comes down to their pizza, its decent, but not mind blowing. First of all, the crust is just too bready for me. For a NY style spot, the crust and dough doesn’t have that awesome thin crunch to it. The toppings, however, are in abundance. Ramona’s doesn’t shy away from loading their pizzas with toppings. Even on their Hawaiian pizza, they add green peppers and mushrooms to give it more pizzaz.
At the shop itself, you can sit down and eat while watching their TV. There are only about 5 tables, so don’t expect bringing over a party of 20 to eat pizza there. The staff is nice, and it’s quite worth it when you factor in those
gift certificates. Just a note on that, if you’re planning to take some pizza home using the gift certificate, Ramona’s only gives you a small pizza box to take home with you. Pack it to the brim, cause that’s all you can take back.
Good pizza, nice toppings, but mediocre pizza dough and crust. Not bad for Palo Alto, but it’s not Slice of NY.

I always go out of my way to try new pizza places that I find and this one really caught my eye since it touts itself as having New York Style pizza. I for one am a big fan of NY-​Style pizza and always look for good replicas in Cali.
Here is my critique:
Dough — not elastic enough, so when pie is cooked you don’t get a slight chewiness combined with the crunchiness.
Crust — is a bit thicker than an authentic NY slice. The smell from the crust is fragrant, but doesn’t have a strong enough crusty bread smell.
Cleanliness — The place looked rather old and there were flys circling the kitchen area. Not good.
This place is definitely not for me. The pizza they serve is a hybrid creation that is a typical California Style Pizza. No Thanks.

I have not eaten here in years. I used to work down the street so we would get it at the office on occasion. And it was always good.
This time around I ordered a pizza to take home. Took about 15 minutes or so and even though it wasn’t hot by the time I got it home (traffic, etc took an hour) it was still delicious. I ate a piece for lunch the next day and it was even better cold!
They sell pizza by the slice and it’s pretty darn cheap for big slices. It’s not a fancy place or a big one. It’s a counter, pizza ovens and some tables with coolers. They do have a few outdoor tables which is nice.
I prefer thin crust pizza so Ramona’s is good for me. It’s not quite as thin as real NY pizza from NY but I really like it and would highly recommend it if you want tasty pizza.

Been coming here for lunch on-​and-​off over the years. When new management took over a few years ago, quality and service both took a dip and I started going elsewhere. But I’ve started going again recently and I’m happy to say that the new team has hit their stride.
Pizza is basically the same as it ever was, a NY style pie but with a slightly thicker crust. It has a good amount of chewiness and the toppings balance it out well. Service is casual. Eating area is low rent but that’s fine for a casual lunch shop. Price is great– 2 slices pepperoni and a bottle of Coke, $ 7. Hard to beat that.

I wanted to love my return visit to Ramona’s after more than a decade away. I have fond memories of that old candlelit pizza/​pasta joint on Ramona Street… but I’m afraid the establishment has fallen a long way since then.
We stopped by tonight for dinner and found it unremarkable on just about every level. The pizza itself was okay; comparable to a chain pizza but at a higher price. The «simple» interior is clearly meant for slices and take-​out, so I suppose it’s out own fault that we ate in.
The staff was indifferent to us at best; I got the vibe that we were disturbing their conversation and then when I alerted them that they put the wrong toppings on the pizza, I didn’t even get an apology (more like a «I wish he would just go away» look) much less a topping refund or anything. To be fair, towards the end of our visit another woman walked in who appeared to be the proprietress — she greeted us with a nice smile and the others’ energy picked up. So it could be that when she is around, the place has a more upbeat vibe.
We were the only customers during the entire visit, but as we were walking out, three 14 – 15 year old boys were walking in. That makes sense. My 15 year old self would have enjoyed it too.