Milano Pizzeria

I am in love with their sausage and honey (White Pie)
It’s Mozzarella cheese, spicy Italian sausage, mascarpone, fresh parsley, honey, serrano chili and it is so good!
I wish it wasn’t so expensive for such a small portion. Also, presentation matters, even when it’s delivery and I don’t like it when the mascarpone is squeezed on with an icing nozzle, not very appetizing visually, even if it tastes the same.
My partner finds the sausage pizza a bit too spicy so we’ll usually order another pizza as well. I can understand charging extra for the specialty pizzas but the «boring» pizzas should be less.
If their prices were better, I would order from this place every week!

Rip old Milanos… you were so good to us for so many years. The food is not even close to as good as it was or even close to all the competition around the neighborhood. I was born and raised here and have gone all over the hood. Staff is friendly place is nice. Product isn’t good. Oh well looks like pasqualies will get all my business.

This is microwave pizza disguised and marked up by exposed piping, low lighting and wood-​paneling. I’m shocked that in the competitive San Francisco food marketplace, a place like this can stay open. and busy!
We did not have a bad experience here just to clarify – I’m not internet ranting – but the food is just bad. We got two salads that sounded great –arugula with parmesean? Goat cheese and grapefruit? but both salads were SOAKED in dressing, the arugula hung limply under the weight of all the oil. They were almost too salty to finish and I’m a person who puts salt in miso soup! Such a bummer because they both had so much potential to be good.
We also had three small-​ish pizzas –the best was the chicken pesto but still the crust was soggy and tasteless. The pesto was not strong. The other two were a roasted veggie and a sausage– again, MUCH too salty and otherwise forgettable. The bill at more than 20 $ a person broke my heart. We were all still hungry and totally let down.
My friends and I were seated right away and the server was very nice but could not keep our waters re-​filled fast enough (probably due to the salt content of the food) so we kept having to flag her down. She was gracious with splitting the check. That one star is for her

$ 29 for a tiny «large,» sparsely-​topped three-​topping pizza? You crazy.

There seems to be an argument about which Milano is better, the OG or the new one that opened up around Oct.’13. Well, it’s hard to compare since they are different owners and completely different recipes and décor.
First, the new: Much better & updated décor, like rolling pins & salami hanging above their work area. Beer & water are served in a glass jar. The service from the team are awesome. Our server was very nice & friendly. Having eaten some creative pizzas only days before, we wanted something classic, so prdered the pepperoni & mushroon. The crust was crunchy, yet chewy. You can taste the sweetness of the sauce and the saltiness of the meat. Not too bad. They also serve by the slice.
The price is also much higher. You’d expect that with a new owner, but a small pizza, 1 extra slice & 2 small beer w/​tip: $ 42. Hmmmm… high rent on 9^th & Irving perhaps?
Now the old: I do miss the old, not only because it holds so many memories of our group rolling in there at midmight buzzed, eager to fill our bellies with a humungous combo pie, but I recall it had a bit more authentic Italian charm to it. Those types of pizzerias are becoming more rare as they yield to the newer, trendier places with very creative ingredients. People tend to forget about what good pizzas tatsed like many years ago before they put newly imagined toppings like buffalo chicken, fancy cheeses or organic veggies.
Though we had a good experience overall, it was just missing that charming old school feel we craved. We may be back, but Pasquale’s around the corner have been also been there for decades, so more likely, I’ll check them out first, hoping to recapture what we missed: a large classic pie at a reasonable price.

These old Milano this, old Milano that reviews are ridiculous. If you use OLD Milano’s as a point of comparison, then this NEW Milano’s should have 5 stars, hands down. Old Milano’s made really boring pizza that floated somewhere on the boundary between Freschetta from the frozen section of the supermarket and my first attempt at making pizza from scratch (which for the record, was a disaster). The NEW Milano’s, on the other hand, makes some of the best Neopolitan style pizza I’ve had (and trust me, I’ve had a lot). To those who miss the OLD Milano’s, well you probably don’t even understand what Neopolitan style pizza is. Well let me explain: it is not Chicago Style, it is not Detroit style, not New York style, and certainly not California style pizza. It is a classic Italian style pizza that originates in Naples. No, this style of pizza does not come «by the slice», because it is not New York style. Each pie is baked fresh at a really high temperature in a wood-​burning oven, usually, so that it only takes about 5 minutes to cook. In the same time it takes many American slice shops to heat up a moldy, spongy, greasy slice, a Neopolitan pizza maker can bake a perfect pie from scratch.
The prices here are entirely reasonable, for that matter, although the OLD Milano sufferers would have you believe otherwise. I tried their «classic italian» pie and it was delicious (proscuitto and arugula and parmesan shavings).
To be honest, the only reason I’m refraining from 5 stars, is because the 2^nd time I ordered a pizza from the NEW Milano’s, I had a bad experience with the girl-​waitress/​hostess who was working there that night. She did not seem nice or welcoming when we ordered a pizza to go, and worst of all, she mindlessly let our pizza sit on the oven counter for at least 20 minutes while we sat there patiently thinking she knew what she was doing. The other people who work there seem much nicer, and we had a great experience there the 1^st time we had dinner.

The first time I came here I was really impressed. As my friend and I waited for our pizza to cook (we were a to-​go order), the employees offered water and eventually complimentary olives. They were friendly and I did not mind waiting due to their warm welcome.
I came here a second time with my boyfriend and dined in. We ordered the mac that had bacon and red peppers and the bbq chicken pizza. The server was forgetful, rushed us, and failed to check up on us. Our Mac didn’t even come with bacon or red peppers. It was just one notch better than boxed mac & cheese. The pizza, was perfect for my boyfriend. he loves a slathered bbq pizza. I thought there was too much bbq sauce. Overall, I am giving a 3 stars because my first experience was that good; however, this last experience has definitely affected whether I will come back. They also charged an extra dollar on my boyfriend’s card. was it for tip maybe? they wanted to get more than the 18% we gave them even though there was a lack of service… andddd yesssss… lol we save our receipts and check to see if it matches to our statements. So watch out folks, check your banking statements.

This is one of those places where you have uneven results. I have eaten here a few times and one was good and the other was so so. Id been on the fence about giving this place 3 or 4 stars, still wish we could give half stars.
The pizza we ordered the first time taste good but the same pizza we ordered the second time was so so. Anyhow I think the second time they kinda rushed our order because they were busy, not sure. I would go back and try again. For now I would give them 3.5 stars.

I debated between 2 and 3 stars, but went down. It’s really more of a 2.5 because the basis for comparison is the old Milano’s. I wish they would’ve changed the name. We walked in expecting the same old Milano’s menu with a new look, and we were drastically disappointed. I honestly felt like we should’ve walked out and just gone to Pasquale’s, but we decided to give it a shot. We got the pizza with arugula and sausage as well as garlic bread, since the waitress said the pizza might be a bit and recommended we order an appetizer.
The garlic bread arrived AFTER the pizza, but a marinara dipping sauce for the garlic bread came before the pizza. The pizza was the super thin kind with minimal toppings — fancy. I’m not big on fancy when it is substituted for substance. I’d rather have an ugly pizza piled high with toppings than a nice looking one with nothing on it. For the price I expected a lot more. Two adults and one toddler polished off the pizza and garlic bread, and we were all still hungry. Robert had two slices as well as two pieces of garlic bread. I felt bad because there wasn’t much meat or anything him, really. Just a lot of bread. The garlic bread was literally six slices of baguette with butter and a roasted garlic clove on each piece.
I like supporting neighborhood spots, but I can’t validate spending money for a meal that doesn’t satisfy.

When I came here, I was hoping to order pizza by the slice. However, it was not posted on their menu. I ordered the bruschetta and a salad, which were both good. The portions were huge and definitely enough to share on a date.
At the end of my meal, the waiter asked me to compare the old Milano’s to this new one. It is a completely different atmosphere than the previous Milano’s so you cannot really compare the two. I told him that I wished they served pizzas by the slice, which he said they did but it’s not on the menu. Hellooo, update your menu please!

If you liked the old Milano’s pizza, then you’ll probably like Pasquale’s, which is just a block away. I frequented both and found them very similar in style and quality.
The new Milano’s is a welcomed change. The interior is more open and spacious, and I like the little touches: mason jars for drinks, stunning wood bar, Edison lightbulbs hanging from ropes, etc.
The food is outstanding. I’ve tried three or four different pizzas, a couple salads, and the spaghetti with meatballs. All very good, very creative (honey and sausage pizza!), and most importantly, made from scratch! They stew and peel their own tomatoes, make their own dough, and refuse to use packaged mozzarella. As the son of a restaurateur, I can attest to the importance of homemade sauce, dough, and fresh mozzarella when it comes to pizza. Pair this with creativity in combinations and you have the new Milano’s. I dig it.
The service that I’ve received during my visits has been great. Friendly and attentive. What more could I ask for?
The prices are super reasonable. My girlfriend and I had the spaghetti and meatballs, the burrata pizza, and a rootbeer last night. We were both stuffed and went home with two big slices of pizza. Came out to $ 30. Homemade EVERYTHING and enough leftovers for breakfast for $ 30! I love this place.
Welcome to the neighborhood, new Milano Pizzeria!

Thank you, new proprietors. What a difference!
Milano started its life as a great old school neighbourhood pizza joint — and now the new owners have created a «new school» neighbourhood pizza joint. Milano has really grown into its role nicely, and what a delightful place it has become.
Everyone — hipsters, families, old farts like us — seems to be having a good time and enjoying both the variety and the tastiness of the menu which has expanded beyond pizza (reminiscent of the previous incarnation).
When it first opened it seemed cold and out of touch with a very limited menu and skittish service, but it has evolved into a place with a wide variety of tasty food and friendly service that is fun to go to for a relaxing place for a bite. The wine list is great too, with interesting selections, albeit pricey.
Delivery is also terrific — fast and yummy.

I love the new atmosphere of this place after the recent renovations. Definitely a BIG improvement!
The restaurant is more inviting now with all the open space with minimal clutter.
Our small table of three was helped out by the friendliest waiter (sorry, I didn’t catch a name). He helped out with a wine and beer selection along with tastings! Awesome! After finally settling on a porter beer, we were ready to order.
We started out with a pancetta, grapefruit vinaigrette arugula salad, followed by figs, penne pasta with goat cheese and pancetta (could you tell I like pancetta?), and a light pizza. Our pizza was accidentally sent a garlic bread (due to a kitchen error) we were happy to devour it. The salad was light, but lacked pancetta. Other than that it was really light and refreshing. Figs were sweet and just right. The penne pasta was a little too goat cheese-​y for my liking, but if its your thing go for it. The marinara sauce for the garlic bread was pure perfection! By the time the pizza came, I was stuffed and only ate one slice. Talk about food overload. It was just as delicious as the rest of the meal was.
I sadly have to report that since they are still new, a dessert menu is not available!):
But when it is, I’ll definitely come back for it!

First off, I copied and pasted the following from fellow Unilocaler Cyrex G. I was reading other reviews about Milano’s and felt Cyrex hit it right on the head:
«RIP Milanos!
I think a lot of us were hoping for an updated version of the old Milanos. Sorry fans but it’s over. Different recipes, different vibe, different menu. The old Italian feel with it’s AMAZING sourdough bread and great pesto on a huge slice of pizza has been replaced with a hipster bar that makes über thin crust pizzas and drinks served in mason jars.»
I brought in a large party for a birthday celebration. I used the back room, which is great for big groups. To keep it simple, we just ordered pizzas.
One item of note: They don’t serve soda! They have «Mexican Coca Cola» which is essentially Coke in that thick glass bottle. Thats it! No ice tea, lemonade, etc. There were people in my party that are diabetic and don’t drink alcohol, so they were stuck drinking water. No other option. They don’t serve pitchers of anything.
Now this is funny. I ordered the chicken and pesto pizza, but was denied because… drum roll… they didn’t have chicken! The server actually followed up and said they won’t have chicken for another week! WTF!!! That means one of two things: They’ve never heard of Costco, Safeway, Lucky’s, Whole Foods, Trader Joes, etc and/​or all the pizza comes frozen prepared and that’s what he was referring to.
The pizzas were good and the service was attentive, but its not enough to bring me back. Adiós Milanos. Good luck with your new look.

Had dinner here on a Saturday night at 6 with my wife and 3 year old.
I loved the old Milano’s, but I wasn’t expecting that experience when we strolled in. We were on our way to Patxi’s and opted to try something new. I was pretty disappointed.
Food
We split the Mixed Green Salad, my wife had Spaghetti & Meatballs, and I split a cheese pizza with my son.
The salad was OK — overdressed and bland. Spaghetti was wildly overcooked and the sauce tasted like it was out of a can. The pizza was REALLY bland — again the sauce was pretty subpar.
Service
The whole time, the 3 servers walked around with a constant state of confusion (lots of them congregating to go over tickets or sales details or figuring out who is doing what). Not unexpected given that the place is new, but it made me feel uneasy.
Oddly, they brought the Spaghetti first, salad about 7 minutes later, and pizza 10 minutes after that. My wife was done eating before my son and I had gotten our pizza. Our server was generally nice and apologetic, so not sure if this was a kitchen problem or a service problem.
After finishing, we ended up waiting 10 – 15 minutes for our check. It felt like we were being ignored. Nothing malicious, just like we were forgotten.
I can forgive the service seeing that it was relatively new place, but the food just wasn’t that good. At $ 50 including drinks, there are way too many better options in the neighborhood with better quality and price.
The place is beautiful and I wish the new owners the best. Hopefully they can improve the food.

The Milano that recently reopened under new ownership is quite a departure from the old cash-​only corner joint that churned out pizza by the slice past midnight for the stragglers returning from nearby bars.
The hanging lamps, tabletop lights, modern décor, and varnished tables give the place a chic restaurant’s ambiance — something it didn’t have before. I had Minestrone soup, followed by baked Rigatoni with sausages, chased down with Mexican Coca-​Cola.
The soup was hearty, chunky, and generous — a meal unto itself if you’re a light eater. It’s served with buttered bread toasted to a crunch. The pasta dish was served with melted provolone cheese on top, with proportionate red sauce to season and flavor the Rigatoni pieces.
The place serves water in mason jars, a nice touch that adds character.
The whole meal was about $ 21 (without tips), a reasonable price for a sit-​down dinner served by attentive staff.
If you crave pizza, the place offers a good selection of pies and toppings, along with a healthy wine list.
I you haven’t recently visited the place, it’s worth a new look. I’m glad I stopped in.

RIP Milanos!
I think a lot of us were hoping for an updated version of the old Milanos. Sorry fans but it’s over. Different recipes, different vibe, different menu. The old Italian feel with it’s AMAZING sourdough bread and great pesto on a huge slice of pizza has been replaced with a hipster bar that makes über thin crust pizzas and drinks served in mason jars.
Even with only 5 other people in the place, the open concrete front area was very loud. And I’m assuming they’re upgrading their menus soon because the handwritten photocopied menus were tough to read.
On a positive side, the sauce had a good flavor and the ingredients tasted fresh. Price was also pretty good. But that’s about all I can throw out there. In an area flooded with hipster bars this place should fit right in.
But alas, it’s no longer on my list of ‘Go To’ pizzerias in the city.

We had the «Mushrooms and Olives» and «Pepperoni» pizzas. The pizzas were awesome! I’m from Oklahoma, but I will definitely come here again when I revisit San Francisco!
The staff and owner were friendly, courteous, and inviting.

Stopped by last night to check the new location out and was very impressed! The new décor is a huge upgrade from the dark dingy greasiness from before.
Pizza was great. Check out my picture. Also very impressed by the huge beer selection!
Looking forward to when they finish the back room up

New and improved, indeed! I was never a fan of the old Milano’s pizza — too much cheese and too little sauce left me feeling like there was lead in my stomach after a slice. The new Milano’s pizza is completely different — perfectly crisp crust; fresh, tasty toppings; and just the right amount of sauce… Delicious!
As fantastic as the pizza was, however, the real standouts were the garlic bread and the service. The garlic bread was so light and fluffy, it could easily be described as «gossamer.» And the service? Think spunky with a touch of empathy. Our server expressed compassion for the neighborhood devotees who miss the pesto on the menu, and hinted that we may see a reappearance of the green stuff in the not so distant future :-)
The reasons I’m not giving 5 stars: The seating is not very comfortable, and the tables not large enough to accomodate more than one dish (though our ever empathetic server did remedy this situation by letting us use the empty table next for spillover), and the penne dish ordered by one of my companions was decidedly «meh.» Given that most folks do not go to a pizzeria for the seating or penne, I would rank these as minor complaints.
All in all, a great addition to the ‘hood :-)