East Coast Pizza – Hillcrest

Tonight ordered a pizza for nearby delivery. After an hour we called to see where the pizza was. We were told it would be delivered momentarily. Another 15 minutes went by and still no pizza. We called to cancel the order and no apology was offered by east coast pizza. We are starving and too hungry to wait. We’re gonna walk to Project Pie.

Great place to come for lunch. All pizzas are great. Combos available and they serve beer, 6! on tap. Coming soon, happy hour.

This pizza joint offers whole pizza or by the slice. I have only gotten the two slice and a drink special for six dollars. They also have about six beers on tap.
The pizza here is New York style, so thin crust. The crust to me is practically perfect, it’s crispy on the bottom but not burnt, and on the edge the crust has a slightly crispy outside but the inside is soft and chewy.
There’s at least nine by the slice options to pick from and have white pizzas. The pizzas are flavorful and the sauce actually has taste to it.
Staff has always been friendly and attentive. They have five TVs: 4 on the inside at the bar seating and one larger screen outside in the patio area, showing sports.

Our latest visit to SD brought us to East Coast Pizza. Not once, not twice, but three times in one weekend. No, I’m not kidding. I stopped in for a slice, later while I was getting a hair cut my wife went back and got a slice of her own. The pizza is awesome and so we both wanted to go back another time on Sunday before flying home.
The manager running the place was really friendly and we talked baseball while watching the Giants game. Pizza was the best part. Good prizes and easily the best pepperoni pizza-​by-​the-​slice I’ve ever had.

Simply delicious. The artichoke special pizza is phenomenal. Very clean, good vibes. Nice little patio area, was able to bring my dog :)

Without the hectic great Pizza down the street at Bronx, I’m finding the crust and style a welcome respite. Cheese pie in the Castro meets Noe Valley of San Diego.
Hot and taste of simple cheese and red sauce a go to spot.
Plus nice TVs at bar with condiments of Oregano.

Perfectly thin and delicious crust! Very nice staff… fast service. We sat at the bar and watched pizzas being made. I will be back!

We tried their meatballs at the taste of Hillcrest event and decided to check this place out over the weekend. We ordered 2 slices of the special of the day, which was the sausage jalapeño. They reheated it in their oven so it tasted hot and fresh.
We sat outside and enjoyed the view while watching the sports channel for a bit. I really liked how flavorful and thin the slices were! It was the perfect snack before dinner. Now I know where to get a good slice of New York style pizza!

Here’s one big reason for my five-​star rating: Ryan.
To say his customer service is «good» would be an understatement. Not only was he friendly, but throughout the whole process – from arriving, to ordering, to getting refills, to leaving – he treated my girlfriend and me like royalty.
When we first arrived, he greeted us with a genuine and big smile. We ordered two 2-​slice pizza specials (two slices and a drink for $ 6) and garlic rolls (for while we waited for the pizza). When I went to pay for just the garlic rolls, Ryan said they’re on him. Now there was no good reason for him to give a random customer free food, yet he did it without a hint of regret.
He brought the pizza to our table and went back to the kitchen. We wondered why it was in a full-​size box. We opened it and discovered a full pizza: half each of the flavors we ordered. I went back to the counter and told him of his mistake. He said, «I know.» I offered to pay for the upgraded order, and he refused. In other words, more free food.
Now don’t get the idea that if you go to East Coast Pizza that you’ll get free food. Perhaps Ryan was just in an extra-​good mood today, but I have a hunch his service is top notch consistently.
As for the quality and taste of the pizza, that’s the other big reason for the five-​star review. Truth be told, I like pizzas that are thicker (i.e., hand-​tossed pizzas), but for thin pizza, it’s the best in Hillcrest, even better than Bronx, which every San Diego native I’ve ever met gushes about.
I highly recommend eating at East Coast Pizza if you’re looking for reasonably priced, good-​tasting pizza served by great people who provide truly good customer service. (I know this review talks a lot about Ryan, but the rest of the employees at East Coast have always given us very good service with a sincere smile.)

Tough choice here on rating 3 or 4; but at the end of the day it comes down to my tastes. The establishment has great service. Top notch actually. So you might ask why only a 3 instead of a 4 or 5? Well for starters, Im a thick crust kinda guy… thats not to say I cant appreciate a good NY style crust, but it is to say I have my favorites. ECP Has a nice cool shop and the food tastes good, it just didnt wow me. For example, when I eat a thin crust, I like some flexibility in the crust… I dont like it to be crisp and I dont like it unseasoned. Again, its GOOD, just not my cup of tea. That being said, if you like NY style crust, this could be the place for you. Toppings wise, my meat seemed to lack flavor. On a good note, the cheese and combo pizzas were good. I did not like the garlic knots… more garlic please! In closing its not bad here, just not a thick flavorful indulgent pizza that I crave.

Finally popped in to this Hillcrest gem a few weeks back and absolutely loved it! Their pizza is amazing with its perfectly crispy crust that is nice and thin just the way I like it. And the sauce is delicious — not sweet and not glopped all over. East Coast might even rival Bronx… THERE, I said it!
They have a pretty small beer selection, but it gets the job done. Also, they have prime patio seating for excellent people watching. On my visit, I sat up at the bar inside and the stools were not the correct height for the bar. It looks like it might be a standing bar that they put some stools under, however sitting at them makes you feel like a kid again because you feel so short!
The customer service is really friendly. While we were eating, the girl behind the counter had a difficult customer come through and she handled it like a champ and with a smile. I was impressed! She also chatted with us while we ate and was just in an overall great mood. It really enhanced my experience here.
I’ll most definitely be back to East Coast for some slices, a couple beers and some people watching on the patio. What could be better?

First off all you pizza folk hyping ECP shame tisk tisk… Nothing special.
Pizza is fine taste okay; my slice had a huge spot where there was no cheese, pepperoni, or sause with a bubble of nothing.
Beer is served in a PLASTIC cup… felt like a kid drinking soda haha pathetic people… PATHETIC.

east coast? not even close. it won’t even pass for mall food court pizza anywhere in the tri state area.
pictures doesn’t help when it comes to pizza, you’ve got to feel and taste it. i knew even before the first bite because they laid the dough on a baking rack to help the cooking process. real east coast pizza guys will move that pizza dough by hand with a large long wooden pizza spatula every so often ensuring every inch of the dough cooks through and gives the crust a charcoal crusty end. what we got was if pappa johns or little ceasers decided to create an off shoot brand making east coast style pizza. there’s nothing in taste or feel that made this an east coast pizza, and the only reason it’s not 1 star was the decent sauce and quality cheese.
if you want true east coast NY pizza it’s a block away on washington, that’s the closest any us will ever get and order a cheese pie to stay. if you want something different from Bronx, luigis on el cajon and park blvd is one of the best in SD when it comes to NY style, and we just had both not long before our visit to east coast pizza.

Great pizza, and a good selection of ready-​made pies. Good prices. Easy eating. That is what it’s all about.
The salads are also good. And the kids’ deal (slice + juice) is fabulous.
Wish it was warmer on that patio in the winter, but we managed.
They do deliver and the charge is only $ 2. I think that’s fabulous. However, they will only deliver whole pies, salads, and calzones. I understand that they don’t want to be in the business of delivering individual slices to people around town, but I wish I could have added a few individual slices onto my order (which already included 1 whole pizza, 1 salad, and 1 calzone). That would have given them the 5^th star!
Love this place and plan on enjoying a slice or five as often as we can.

Will and Ryan are amazing! I ended up at this location by accident and I’m so thankful that I did. Ryan was awesome working the front counter walking me through the different kinds of pie and letting me know what his favorite was. Then i met Will who hooked me up with some soda along with great information about catering for my monthly staff meeting here at the hospital. I brought back 8 slices of pie (pizza) and soda to my staff and they loved it! They all said «WAY BETTER than Bronx Pizza»! This experience along with the great customer service has now made this a regular place not only for myself but for those employees that I supervise. Thank u…

I’ve never been much of a Pizza person and came across this place late one night with some friends several months back. Although the pizza was good, isn’t any pizza at 2am delicious?
I got back into town late a few weeks back, had no groceries, was craving pizza and decided to come in here and was blown away with how delicious the pizza was and how friendly the guy and gal working there were. My slices were thin, flavorful, the crust was perfect and there was no black «burn’t» part of the bread which is the one thing I don’t like at some pizza joints.
About 3 weeks have gone by since that night and I was starving last night so I went in for my 3^rd time and the same guy and gal were working, Roxanne and Ben. Ben says to me welcome back Vicky! I was amazed he remembered my name, I had to double check I didn’t forget to remove my name badge from work. I also had to think gosh have I eaten that much pizza in the last few weeks that I don’t remember lol. That is fabulous customer service right there, I can’t imagine how many people and «new» people have been in there in the last few weeks and he knew my name!
Not only is the pizza here delicious and baked to perfection, the staff is friendly, it’s in a great location and it’s reasonably priced, 2 slices and a drink for $ 6. It’s always busy and most «late night» food tastes like it has been out for awhile but I will say this pizza is fresh and they continually make it throughout the evening. Great spot with delicious pizza that I highly recommend to all!

Can I give this place 10 stars for customer service alone? I was on my way to get a manicure before attending a friend’s wedding and stopped to get a quick bite. I walked in with my boyfriend and the guy who helped us complimented my skirt! This seems insignificant, but when a guy notices how you dress and takes the initiative to compliment you, especially when you don’t know each other, is good customer service! Following that, he asks what what we wanted, heated up a slice, and we were on our way (I wanted to keep my fingers presentable somewhat for the manicure, so I skipped getting a slice, knowing I’d be right back.) As we walked, my boyfriend ate his slice and fed me some of it, I was absolutely in love with the crunchy, flavorful bites of pizza and knew for sure I wanted one of my own after the manicure.
30 – 40 min later, I am done with my manicure and we stopped in the pizza shop again. The same guy notices us and jokes, «back for more?» Look– he remembered us! We order my slice, which I devoured happily, and I went to take a picture of the rest of the pizza choices on display, and he yells «no pictures… Just kidding» Good customer service, AND friendly sense of humor? Someone give this guy a raise! Will be back any time I’m in the area! (:

Fantastic delivery with delicious pizza. A little more on the expensive side, but the pizza is worth it.
My brother in the Navy was briefly ported in San Diego and would stay with us on occasion to get off the ship. He ordered East Coast Pizza nearly every night he was here. The pizza makes for excellent leftovers as well!

This place is runner up with Bronx Pizza for me. 2 slices of pizza and a drink for $ 6?! Awesome deal. What I love about their pizza is that their crust is thin with just the right amount of crisp and chewiness to it. My personal favorite is the buffalo chicken pizza which has buffalo sauce and ranch drizzled over the pizza. YUM! The place is clean with a hip décor. They also have outdoor seating which is nice.
Tip: Get stamps for every slice of pizza you order. You get a free pizza after your 10^th one. Trust me, you’ll rack them up quickly.

As an original East Coaster, I do find myself missing the «East Coast» pizza. Trust me: it’s different and better! ;)
My boyfriend and I stumbled on this place as we were driving around looking for somewhere to eat before going to the San Diego Zoo. This is located fairly close. I would say it is located less than 10 minutes away but I am not a SD local and therefore ended up driving around in circles to find parking lol.
(Note: the area of Hillcrest has a lot of dining options to offer!)
I walked in and the staff greeted us immediately with enthusiasm and kindness. They have a lot of pizza to offer, the top 3 of the row being their most popular choices. Two slices and a fountain drink is $ 6! For the size of everything, this is definitely a steal in price.
I ordered a regular and Hawaiian pizza and my boyfriend got the spicy chicken (one of the top row choices) and a pepperoni. I personally didn’t enjoy the Hawaiian pizza too much but I really did like the regular cheese pizza. The size, thinness — just how it was made took me back to my childhood. My boyfriend enjoyed his pizza but said that nothing really stood out.
I think this pizza joint has a great East Coast atmosphere along with good pizza. For the price it’s at, I would definitely come again to spend $ 6. However, I can’t say anything stood out to me. Not a place I would rave about.