Rockers Pizza Kitchen

This is a walk up pizza window located next to the catalyst-​which is a (in)famous bar/​music venue of santa cruz.
Pizza is sold by the slice and it has the best pricing in town. if you are looking for cheap eats this is it. Typically a 1.50 or so for a slice on mondays and tuesdays. Regular pricing is at 2 – 3 dollars.
No seating is available-it’s a walk up window only-​so most folks either walk and eat or hunker down on the curb.
Quality ranges from meh to food poisoning (you get what you pay for), but the most significant downside can be the crowd hanging out. The catalyst can draw out the best in santa cruz, but it can also draw the worst. Depending on what’s going on the street people there can be super sketchy.
You won’t be mugged, but you may see things that you may not be so comfortable with late at night.
Perfect for a cheap greasy slice however.

Went to get a slice of pizza after a show at the catalyst and the dude Taylor working was exceptional. It’s people like him that will keep people coming back. 5 out of 5 stars not just because the pizza was awesome but because Taylor was extremely helpful!

Best pizza in town, and the only place around that reminds me of the good stuff, back home in New York. In some ways, dare I say, Rockers actually surpasses NY pizza: the bready, chewy crust, the acidic tomato sauce, the excellent cheese. Californians: this is real pizza, the sort that doesn’t need toppings. And if you don’t want the real thing, you can always go across the street to suck on that wet flannel at «Pizza My Ass».

If your feeling those late night cravings or in need to get over drunkenness after a club or a event show and needing to get something worthy in your belly quick! Then their pizzas here in downtown Santa Cruz is for you.
After a nice late night stroll in downtown, we noticed a small line at the sidewalk. There I noticed on their window a display of pizzas.
On that night it appeared that what was on display is all you get, so the selection can be limited. The pizzas are New York Styles. Thin crust and soft insides. The cheese toppings were generous and I liked the gooeyness! The pizza sauces were of course the basis and had a bit of tartness. They re-​heat your slices but still, they were delicious!
Brief description of what was selected:
Pesto — Just by seeing the green pesto sauce on top. I knew what my taste buds was in for with that hint of garlic. My favorite choice.
Pepperoni — Simple, basic. The pepperoni was a bit greasy but hey they were really tasty.
Supreme — Topped with olives, bell peppers and red onions. Well made and balanced.
The guy working the window was friendly and even offered napkins, and crushed peppers. I’m a fan of oregano on pizzas and they have the shaker on the counter.
The prices are cheap but may vary. You can buy whole pizzas as well. Cool, hole in the wall joint. I really dig the grunge look of this place
If you’re looking for gourmet, you need to go elsewhere. So, I suggest not to go to a Pizza Hut, and you need to head where Rockers get Pizza, their stuff will help you on your road to soberness.

pizza through a little hole in the wall… yep, that’s what hubby and i had for a late afternoon snack whilst visiting santa cruz.
i couldn’t believe my eyes when i saw the menu and the prices…$ 2 and change for a generous slice of cheese and $ 4 and change for a similarly large combo slice. there were a few other options for $ 3 and change. rock on for affordable single digit prices!
we split a combo slice which had canadian ham, pepperoni, artichoke hearts, and olives. hubby took all of the meat, while i chowed down on the veggie portions. definitely a good blend of veggies, meats, and cheese on this slice, but certainly not the best pizza i’d ever had. the crust was fairly thin, almost ny-​thin, but not quite cracker thin. my only complaint was the fact that this slice was barely lukewarm, not surprising since it had probably been sitting by the counter for a while.
there is no seating here, either indoors or outdoors, so you must take your slice to go, or eat it while standing at the cashier. we ended up finding a nearby bench to sit and eat our $ 4 slice of cheesy goodness.

I LOVE Rockers. So much that I crave it when I want pizza. It’s fantastic by the slice, and they will sell whole pizzas if you ask.
Was VERY disappointed tonight, a Tuesday at 7:30pm, when they weren’t selling dollar slices. They had always sold them later when I have gone… until tonight, and when we asked we were told they stop selling dollar slices at 6pm. What? I’m still annoyed, but since I love the place and there seemed to be a big event at the Catalyst, I’m assuming it’s MAYBE why they stopped selling earlier. Or maybe that’s a newer policy, who knows? Still bought a couple slices, and will probably go back again anyway anticipating something like this. I saw many people walk up, see the prices and then walk away. Just wanted to warn people if they go in expecting dollar slices on Tuesday after 6.

Cheap pizza ($ 2.18: tax included), thin crust, hot and fresh, delicious. Why not stop by here to grab a bite. The pizza was delicious and the slices were big. There were about 4 – 5 different choices when we came: cheese, pepperoni, pesto, hawaiian and possibly one other so selection is limited but you can’t go wrong with basic pepperoni or cheese.

Not a real Italian pizza, if you care about these sort of things, of course.
Real Italian pizza = tomato sauce = tomato and nothing else.
This pizza = some sort of marinara sauce = tomato + garlic + who knows what, so all the flavours are mixed up.

Tuesday specials are fab ! $ 1 cheese pizza and 1-​buck sodas. There’s a little line just about all day. Fresh and doughy crust.

Pizza excellente
Part copieuse
Très bon rapport qualité prix
Seul pour négatif: on né peut pas manger sur place

Another east coast transplant chiming in.
Coming from an Italian-​heavy neighborhood outside of Philadelphia, I was spoiled with the crazy good pizza options for most of my life. Five years ago, I moved to Santa Cruz. No longer the case.
The local staples are passable, but it’s really, really hard to find good, NY-​style, foldable, drool-​worthy pizza. There are a few good spots scattered over the Bay Area, but they’re few and far between, and definitely not in Santa Cruz — or so I thought. Enter: Rockers.
This stuff is, simply put, delicious. The sauce is tangy, the cheese is delicious and gooey, and the dough has that perfect crisp on the outside/​soft on the inside texture that’s so difficult to find in this corner of the country. On top of that, the prices are great, the staff is amongst the coolest I’ve ever dealt with, AND they’re open late. If they delivered I would have much less money and a much larger waistline.

Out of all the pizza places downtown, Rockers is my favourite, which may seem strange given how minimalist their place is. They’re a walk-​up window with only a couple pies out at a time, but you can’t beat their prices. You can get a sexy slice bigger than your head for like two bucks. (Gotta love $ 1 Slice Tuesdays.) They’re literally right next door to the Catalyst, so you can stop by before/​after/​during a show. And they’re open til 2am, so they’re one of the last places open downtown. Rockers pie til I die.

This pizza rocks! I am from the New York City area, and we take our pizza seriously! I have been looking for really good pizza all over the south bay area ever since coming out here and Rocker’s has it. I’ve tried Pizza My Heart, Woodstock’s, Amici’s East Coast, and many other local pizzerias. These other places do not have the authentic NY style pizza that Rocker’s has. Plus the prices are great for such a large slice of pizza. The pesto pizza here is really a standout. I also like the quick takeout window for pizza on the go. You walk right up and order a slice from the sidewalk. In my opinion, this is the best pizza in Santa Cruz.

The pizza is always consistent. I really like their cheese pizzas. The dough is thin, the crust is crispy, the cheese is plentiful and its the highlight of the pizza. I usually don’t order cheese pizzas but I’m glad I did. I wanted something filling yet light. This hit the spot.
On top of that, the gentleman that took my order was freakin awesome. Super friendly, asked if I wanted cheese, peppers, plates, napkins, ranch… The whole 9 yards. I ordered a whole cheese pizza and an extra slice while I wait the 6 – 8 minutes as stated.
Some homeless younger guy was outside and asked kindly for a slice out of my pizza. I declined and said this was for my family. But I did dig in my wallet and bought him and his dog a slice. Wish you the best.
Whoever took my order during lunch today kudos to you. My last visit the chick that took my order SUCKED! I was happy she wasn’t there today.
This spot is like a food truck. You’ll see what I mean when you get there.

So good. The pesto pizza was great. And pretty cheap. I immediately ate another slice of pesto pizza at pizza my heart, and this one was better.

Whenever we have our nightly family walks downtown sc me and my kids always grab a slice of pizza. Even when people are lined up in front of the catalyst we still eat out and never have any issues. Just a cool setting. Huge pieces for two bucks… cannot beat that!!!

What’s up with the 18 year old stoner employee trying to regulate on my pizza? I was buying 4 slices for my family to bring home, and the employee told me it was a strict «2 slice a day limit». I explained it was for 3 people and he threw his hands up and said there was «nothing he could do for me.»
WTF! Have fun feeding your steadfast bum clientele instead, Stoney McPizza

Mmm… some of the best pepperoni pizza I ever tried. This place is literally a hole in the wall next to the Catalyst. Don’t expect anywhere to sit because this is a grab and go place. I always assumed this place wasn’t good under the assumption that the only people who come here are drunk or just have the munchies after an event playing at the Catalyst… but I was wrong! They gave me and my boyfriend a BOGO for their pepperoni pizza because it was left out for a while now, but once it was reheated up it was some of the best pepperoni pizza I ever tried. It was good enough that we went back for seconds but only this time we tried their chicken pesto… which I wasn’t a fan of. There was way too much topping that the pizza itself became soggy! Stick to their single topping for the nice thin crispy greasy pizza. Yum!

I was strolling along Pacific Ave and saw a woman and her daughter eating pizza, sitting on a bench. I asked where they got it and they directed me to Rockers Pizza Kitchen.
Awesome inexpensive pizza by the slice. Until 6 pm they offer huge slices of Pepperoni or Cheese for $ 2 a slice, Basil for $ 2.50 a slice, a combo pizza for a little more.
I got a piece of Basil and continued on my way. I found a place to sit down to enjoy my pizza and was blown away by the taste. My first job when I was 15 was working at a PIzza Hut where I became the manager in 6 weeks (yes, at 15!) That was in 1971. So, ever since then, I feel like I know a little bit about pizza.
Topping and cheese was great. The crust was fantastic, as good as it gets. I actually made a point of circling back around after walking around for an hour to tell the nice woman who helped me what AWESOME pizza they made.
She agreed.
Go here for pizza by the slice, made with love.
Fatto con amore!

After being super disappointed at the place we are before the metal show we attended at The Catalyst, I was craving something good but on the inexpensive side. Luckily this spot is part of the Catalyst so super convenient. They have cheap big slices of pizza which are definitely delicious. I got the chicken pesto pizza which was sooooo good. The slice was so large that it was hanging off of my plate. Overall, if you’re craving something good, fast and cheap then definitely go to this spot because even if you’re not attending a show at the Catalyst, they have a service window on the outside of the venue.

Nostalgic experience yesterday. After spending about 6 hours at the beach, I decided to take my kiddo on a stroll. I started to head towards downtown. Realizing that Gavin barely at The Picnic Basket, I decided to stop to get him something to eat and to knock off this bookmark.
Not sure if the $ 2 a slice (cheese and pepperoni) is a daily special but it sure grabbed my attention. The deal ends at 6PM and what a perfect price for a perfect bite. Hungry? On the run? Grab a slice and go!
I sincerely miss being in NYC.
The girl was friendly and I think I grabbed the last pepperoni so we waited like 20 seconds (pizzas under headlamps displayed at the window). Shakes or pepper flakes and Parmesan cheese are available by the register. Napkins and a place to dispose your paper plates and napkins right there, too.
The wait for the guy behind me that ordered a slice of pepperoni waited about 5 minutes. Yes, I got one cheese and one pepperoni. The crust is thin, foldable, a little greasy but somehow it was delectable. Every bite I took, a smile formed, and it made me recollect the events of my vacation at The Big Apple.
I’d come back here any day!!!