Arinell Pizza

"This may be the best NYC-style slice joint in town. That ain't saying much. We've had a fair number of slices around town, and, sorry to say, the batting average is not all that high. Abject SF homerism aside, it's hard to argue this is an area where our city brings strong game. Arinell is the closest to the original experience. If the crust hasn't hardened into the texture of matzo and the cheese isn't at volcanic temperatures, it's not a bad eat. It's especially good if you're hammered before midnight in the Mission, since it's conveniently housed on that one corner in the Mission that happens to house everything in the Mission. So we're not gonna give this place high praise. But if you're drunk and you close your eyes, on the right night, you might briefly imagine you're back at Joe's in the West Village. Food Rundown Plain Slice The cool slice, for purists and all. Sometimes it can have that perfect slight-chew foldability that you're looking for. Other times it breaks down like the impostor it is. Not bad, but often lacking strong flavor game. Pepperoni Slice Call us crazy, but we like some seasoning on our slice unless the cheese is killer (not here) and the crust is banging (also not here). So get something with toppings if you agree. Sicilian Slice Chewy, bready, calorically potent. If the thin slice weren't the platonic ideal, we might say go with this one. (Go with this one.)" - Max Child

"A Mission District restaurant staple has closed after three decades of delivering an affordable dining option to the neighborhood. Arinell Pizza on Valencia Street closed on September 10 despite hopes the Mission District slice shop could stay open. Mission Local reports the 33-year-old institution couldn’t weather the pandemic, even as owner Ron Demirdjian did his best to keep the shop afloat." - Paolo Bicchieri

"Arinell Pizza on Valencia Street had a simple business plan: after carousing through the many nearby bars, people will eat our pizza. But, as Mission Local reports, the pandemic put a quick end to that. Now owner Ron Demirdjian says he’s been running the business in the red for two years and despite having cut back hours, he isn’t sure of the future ahead." - Paolo Bicchieri

"Known for its huge, greasy, New York-style slices, Arinell is currently doing delivery via DoorDash." - Luke Tsai

"Arinell serves NY-style slices with a side of NY-style attitude: Employees adopt a charmingly grungy demeanor, and can typically be heard debating the merits of various sub-genres of metal music. A regular slice is $3.50, with 50 cents more for toppings, and a square Sicilian style slice is $4. Sure, that might be more expensive than in New York — feel free to bring it up with the death metal pizza guys, they’d love to chat about it. Open until 2 a.m. on weekends." - Caleb Pershan