Engfer Pizza Works

I've lived in Santa Cruz for almost five years and have only recently gotten to try Engfer Pizza Works. Where have I been because they really offer one of the better vegan pizzas in town. They sport a large array of vegetarian friendly pizzas that can be veganized by removing the cheese (obvs) and using their house-made tofu spread and red sauce as a base for any pizza. They also offer a gluten-free crust too. Being newbies, it was fitting for us to try their New-Bee Pizza (vegan style) - a toasty mix of garlic, olives, and red bell peppers. A large sets us back about $35 including tax. We also ordered their soup of the day, which was this creamy sweet potato stew that was fully plant-based too. Our pizza was fantastic. Took about 15 minutes to come out but the crispy pizza crust with the fragrant toppings was really great. My only wish would be if they had some plant-based meat options or other appetizers besides the pizzas since we were hungry, but the pie itself was just great. Drinks are easy to handle as well. You simply serve yourself water or head over to the large fridges to grab another beverage of your choice, and pay at the end along with your pizza. Street parking is available if you're lucky to find some. It wasn't a problem for us visiting even late at night on a weekend.

Engfer Pizza's work has a chilling atmosphere. The air was too cold for a place with a wood-burning oven. The staff was relaxing by the counter because the place was deserted. They did not appear well-trained in either the art of pizza making or credit card processing operations. The pizza crust was stogy and thin in a way that happens when the dough is not kneaded correctly. I can see that the pizza oven was not running hot enough, which explains the lack of delicious charred bubbles on the pizza crust. The topping was greasy. It was so salty that all other flavors were nonexistent. Side salads had no dressing that I could detect.

Update 7/30/22 Lives in the crew through thick and thin, have stayed open and still produce one of the best pizzas in Santa Cruz County. I just had a combo the other night and it was absolutely delicious. Well waiting for the pizza I had a wonderful pilsner. Thank you, Liz and crew Fantastic pizza and owner, Liz! Delicious pizza, we had pepperoni and mushroom great crust sauce and cheese. To me the mark of great pizza is the crust. Liz and her team knock it out of the park. Thanks again

Visiting family in Santa Cruz. First off I am appalled that a pizza ranges from $38-42! We live in a very expensive part of the country and are used to paying high prices but this was over the top. Pizza was fine but nothing special. For a serve yourself kind of place this was pretty over rated. Overall fine if you want to spend a lot of money. I’m sure there is better pizza for the money in the vicinity.

I never leave bad reviews but for this place i make an exception. Only thing that saves this place is the ping pong table. Other than that, pizza sucks, is too expensive, and service takes forever. Not impressed

Loved the pizza here and the drink selection! There are quite a few brews to choose from and you can play ping pong while you wait for your food to be prepared. We had a supreme pizza and it came out tasting amazing and the service was also excellent. We will be back next time we are in town.

The food and service were great! The vibes are cozy. Food was ready pretty quick. There's also desserts and drinks to choose from.

The BEST wood fired pizza. Cool self serve drinks. Super friendly and nice staff. Will come back every time we're in Santa Cruz.

The pizza is amazing, thinner crust, excellent dough and when baked in the wood fire oven, the crust comes out crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside. The meats and veggies they use are high quality, the pepperoni and sausage had excellent flavor and the mushrooms tasted great and still had a bit of chew and thickness to them after they were cooked. The sauce was tangy with hints of spices and just the right quantity in comparison to the cheese and toppings. I purchased an order to go, but the cafe is fairly large with a cool atmosphere that reminded me a bit of a 1950s speak easy. The wood fired oven is the centerpiece on the left as I walked in, with a stack of wood underneath and decorative tiles covering the outside. The staff were very kind and easy to talk to. When we placed an order over the phone, there was no fuss but quick and kind service. The parking in the area (because it's Santa Cruz) could be a little tricky, but there is some street parking. Highly recommend!

Maybe the best pizza in town. Super tasty crust and very fresh ingredients. Nice selection of beers on tap from local places! I love the vibe of this place, a very classic kind of pizza joint, a cute date spot or a family outing.

I've lived in Santa Cruz for almost five years and have only recently gotten to try Engfer Pizza Works. Where have I been because they really offer one of the better vegan pizzas in town. They sport a large array of vegetarian friendly pizzas that can be veganized by removing the cheese (obvs) and using their house-made tofu spread and red sauce as a base for any pizza. They also offer a gluten-free crust too. Being newbies, it was fitting for us to try their New-Bee Pizza (vegan style) - a toasty mix of garlic, olives, and red bell peppers. A large sets us back about $35 including tax. We also ordered their soup of the day, which was this creamy sweet potato stew that was fully plant-based too. Our pizza was fantastic. Took about 15 minutes to come out but the crispy pizza crust with the fragrant toppings was really great. My only wish would be if they had some plant-based meat options or other appetizers besides the pizzas since we were hungry, but the pie itself was just great. Drinks are easy to handle as well. You simply serve yourself water or head over to the large fridges to grab another beverage of your choice, and pay at the end along with your pizza. Street parking is available if you're lucky to find some. It wasn't a problem for us visiting even late at night on a weekend.

Liz knows the recipe for delicious pizza in a family friendly environment. The gluten-free crust is one of the best I've had!

Solid pizza but over priced. $42 for a "large" 1/2 cheese 1/2 combo that barely fed 2 kids and 1 adult.

Best pizza I've had in Santa Cruz! We got half peppi-Tom and half pineapple & garlic. I loved the marinara and pesto combo. It was super saucy, which is how I like it. It had a great amount of toppings too. The crust was light and crispy. It came out incredibly fast and we were there on a Saturday night. The woman with short hair who helped us was so friendly and delightful. I got a piece of cake to go and it was also a tasty treat! Can't wait to go back!

We decided to try this place and it's close by. We walked in and we we grabbed an ipa and a cider then we ordered our pizza. They have a nice selection of pizzas but we decided on our favorite mushroom and pepperoni. We sat down and our salad was brought out right away. It was greens dressed with vinaigrette and feta. It was simple but very fresh. Our pizza was so good. The crust was crispy and light. The wood fire cooked to perfection. The ambiance is very simple but we loved the locals vibe. We will be back for sure.

Pizza was quick, Sauce was excellent! Had the mushroom and sausage 14" pie! With extra sauce ..... mmmnnnn! Crust was crispy and held up later in the evening and breakfast snack!!! Guy making pizza was very friendly and had great quick conversation with him he was pulling my pizza as I walked thru the door! I will try to have a combo and vegetarian next time! Did I mention the sauce!???? Typical lil pizza joint no frills but I was on the takeout mode! If friendly staff says anything it would Be a good stop!

So I'm not gonna lie when we first pulled up we thought it was gonna be busy but it was completely dead. We were considering of going somewhere else but we wanted to give it a chance so we went inside order our pizza and it was a breeze also very nice service and we also got to play some ping-pong while we waited for our food so that was fun, the vibes here are very local which is nice. Highly recommend this place if you'd like thin cut pizza, maybe add a little bit more extra red sauce because it was a little amount they put on but a great place overall come check it out you put yourself. Also, almost forgot the best part that it's woodfired pizza !!

Shocked but also not shocked for Santa Cruz. I went in today and staff is friendly. I got 2 slices: pepperoni and veggie (olive, bell, onion)..... No big deal-I ring up at $8.47. Honestly, the pizza is good, but it's basic. 8.47 for two slices of pizza was not what I thought I was about to pay, but at least it wasn't gross. The red sauce is very tasty, but it was hard to enjoy it while I was racking my brain on how the two small slices was $8.

My boyfriend and I decided to try a new pizza place and chose this one- we were extremely happy with the service, the food, and the cleanliness of the store! I was also very excited about all the different vegetarian choices, it was hard just choosing one. We will definitely be going back!

Consistently good and just done right. Better than your average California pizza, these guys are more reminiscent of a good east coast pie from back home. Good crust, good oven, topped appropriately. Can't go wrong!

Wonderful delicious pizza recipes, wood fired makes it even better! They treat you like family, service with a smile. Really cool fun atmosphere, grab what you want from the coolers as you go, pay at the end. A Santa Cruz legend.

One of the most underrated places in Santa Cruz. Incredible wood fired pizza, tons of options for everyone. Vegan cheese is made in house and not gooey like most places. Tons of variations. So bomb. And you can play ping pong while you wait :)

Genuinely horrible pizza. The type that needs ranch to mask the awfulness of it. But just when you thought you had the solution, they tell you ranch is an extra $1.50 for the side of hidden valley that they just poured in front of you. You already feel ripped off, so you decline the ranch and choke down the pizza. Overpriced dog food. I'm sad :(

Pizza so good I had to move 3200 miles so I could enjoy it again. The crust is fantastic and the creativity in toppings had me missing it for years.

This pizza was freshly prepared upon our ordering it and it was pretty darn good. The space is great, family friendly (whether your kids are human or canine), and the staff is lovely and friendly. I walked in not knowing how the setup works, you order at the counter then sit (if dining in) to await your food, but the mellow pizza maker kindly informed us of this so we didn't have to struggle for long. This same person not only made our delicious pizza, she walked it over to our table, set us up with some utensils and bid us a smiley "Enjoy"... so we did :)

Wonderful pizza and customer service. Would love if they could be a little more generous with toppings. Have a ping pong table in the back that is super fun to play with, as well as checkers at a table!

Take out was fast. Liked the thin crispy crust, good flavored toppings. We had the sausage with onions and mushrooms.

OMG- best pizza ever tonight!! We've been coming here for years since they're in the neighborhood. Tonight was more perfect than other wonderful pizzas we've had here. The crust was super thin, perfectly crispy from the wood fired oven. Absolutely delish. We got the No Name. Just a tiny bit left so we could save room for a Polar Bear Paw for dessert. Yummm! Polar BP's are from a local ice cream shop and getting harder to find these days.

Great pizza! Definitely the best thin crust style pizza in the county. All the flavors I've tried are on point, all the ingredients are good, the sauce is good, the crust is good, etc. There's a big bar with a good selection of beers, friendly staff and a nice casual atmosphere. If you're in this part of town, definitely stop by for a slice!

If you want the best pizza in the world discover this hidden gem in Seabright! The pizza is consistently cooked to perfection with the delicious authentic firewood aroma, the pizza sauce is just a bit tangy and all of the ingredients are fresh and delicious. Stop by for a slice or a whole pizza, we always order extra to bring home! We have been enjoying this fabulous pizza for almost 30 years. Treat yourself and bring the whole family!

So excited to have found this wonderful woodfire pizza spot best pizza I've had in years fresh made crust and many local fresh topping. We had the all meat large pizza it was so great. Being able to pick from their wide assortment of beverages was pretty cool and you check out when you all done lots of cakes and cookie bars to choose from which came home with us.

Great hole in the wall place. The staff was friendly and the pizzas were ready fairly quickly. We got two pizzas and both were super tasty. My whole family enjoyed it, including the teenager.

Santa Cruz local and this is the best pizza in town. Wood fired, perfect zesty sauce. Great combos including the important details like full roasted garlic. Help yourself to anything you like out of the fridge (beer, soda, etc.) and pay when you're done. Best restaurant setup I've ever seen. Great homemade desserts, walking distance to the beach, Santa Cruz local small business. Top recommendation.

Our favorite pizza in Santa Cruz, crust is soo good. Wood fired oven makes the difference.

This place is an absolute neighborhood gem. Drive by fast and you'll miss it. Not a typical franchise pizza shop, Engfers is an authentic manual wood fire oven pizza joint. Besides the variety of tasty thin crusted pizzas, they have yummy home made soup and a huge variety of local brews and wines. Great find

I've lived in Santa Cruz for five years and since moving here, Engfers has consistently been my favorite place to eat! Their pizza is the best in the city! My favorite is the No Name and my partner always gets a simple pepperoni. Food quality and customer service are always top notch! If you're looking to splurge, get their chocolate cake with white icing! It's always moist and the perfect way to end a delicious meal.

We have been going to Engfer Pizza for many years. Anytime we are in the area - we make time to either order ahead or and now can sit inside - there are enough tables and the ping pong room has lots more tables. We have taken friends there and only told them after that it's gluten-free - and it's awesome. Also if you see the cookie bars - grab em - they only make a few and are also the Best. We were there on Saturday August 7th - still great pizza as always. And we will continue to go whenever we are in the area. MS

Exceptional artisan pizza. Served with care by an owner who appreciates great ingredients.

Ordered a 14" pizza - the Pesto Extra-licious - weren't given a total over the phone. Arrived to pick it up and was told our total for one 14" pizza was $32. OUTRAGEOUS. We were so surprised we asked nicely for the server to check the price. We were informed the pizza was $26.75 plus tax. This person must not know math, because the tax rate in Santa Cruz is 9.25%. 26.75 + tax is $29.22 - NOT $32 like we were told. We were dumbfounded but hungry and handed over $35 and were then rushed off with a couple of cents put back in our hands. The server basically overcharged us and then took $5 as a tip for themselves. I will not be returning to Engfers. Overpriced and then they steal from you.

Pizza is amazing due to the awesome oven. Staff is friendly and attentive. They have beer on tap and a big selection of local beers. Place is cozy too highly recommended.

Best pie in Santa Cruz. Something on the menu for everyone, Even vegan options. Wood fired oven baked pizza, And when you get your pie to go wrapped in foil you know you're at and old school legit pizzeria!! One thing to keep in mind if picking up a pie on Friday or Saturday it will be a wait, but it's so worth it!

The older woman is awful to deal with she can't run a restaurant and treats people like they have no idea what they're doing when all your trying to do is order a pizza. I got a large pizza un cut wrapped in tinfoil to go when I asked for a box I was looked at like I had two heads. And this happened more than once. slices are more than likely from the day before. The thing is the pizza is good for town but be open for regular hours hire someone who can be nice to customers and put a pizza to go in a box and cut it. Everyone who works there isn't capable of much so don't expect much.

EXTREMELY expensive for what you get and I was charged full price as a topping for extra sauce even thought the topping I did get was only on half the pizza. The website doesn't charge for the extra sauce so I was expected to pay with cash upon pick up. Definitely not worth it already and won't be back.

First time. Friendly service. 10 minutes from call to ready. Picked up curbside. The pizza was delicious!!

Such a gem we have found. Great service and food and an even better ambiance. Destroying my brother in ping pong while we waited was icing on the cake. We will be back!

I can't believe I haven't reviewed yet. I've been eating the best pizza here for about 16/17 years!!!! Not only is the pizza amazing and woodfired with interesting toppings and vegan choices, I love the ping-pong table, the ice cream box filled with vegan ice cream and Popsicles. You can also select your own beers that you want from the cooler. Such a cool vibe, one of my favorite things to do before I head to Seabright beach. Actually one of my favorite pizzas to to eat before I do anything lol. I've taken all my friends and family here over the years, and it's been such a great time. The owner is always there and she is super sweet. Even though I moved away from Santa Cruz, I crave this pizza and environment and come back as often as possible.

Read all of the great reviews, and was excited for what was promised to be great pizza. Walked inside, and unfortunately it didn't smell much like a normal pizza place. The person at the front who took our order wasn't exactly all that friendly, but okay, I get it. We ordered two IPA's, and a pepperoni+mushroom 10" pizza. We found a seat at the bar, within about 15 minutes, finished our beers, and nobody in sight to order more from, no offers of water or anything else. Around 45 minutes later, (still no beer) the person who took our order finally set down half a pizza on our tray. We asked what happened to the other half, and the lady had said they accidentally made a large, but since we only paid for a 10", we were getting half a pizza, plus one slice.... okay, swell. Finally we're able to order two more beers, ready to enjoy. What we dove into was a lukewarm, limp pizza. It's almost as if it was just sitting on a counter for 20 minutes waiting to be delivered to the right people, who were nowhere to be found. There wasn't too much flavor to it. Nothing that made me excited about eating it. About exciting as this paragraph. We ate some of it and took the rest back to our hotel for a morning snack. I ate one this morning, it was actually more enjoyable after having sat in my car all night, and roughly the same temperature when it was served to us. I love pizza, but I've had better experiences with frozen pizza that came from the supermarket.

Best pizza in Santa Cruz- the staff are friendly, it's great value, we order the lift truck, awesome pizza!

If I could rate this no stars I would. The pizza was good the staff was NOT, particularly the older lady... let me explain why... I went the the bathroom and when I entered I noticed a cellar spider on the wall next to the toilet and naturally I screamed. As I was walking back to the table the older lady was looking at me funny so I explained there was a spider in the bathroom and went to sit back down. She then comes up to me at my table and said "what spider I didnt see anything" in a condescending tone as if I was lying.. so I went and showed her the spider which was still there. Then as we were leaving we noticed our bill was a bit high. We ordered 3 10" pizzas and a few drinks at a table with 5 people but were charged for 3 10" and 6 large pizzas +drinks. We brought it to the old lady's attention and she was so rude sticking her hands in my father in laws face not letting him speak and being very RUDE. Another staff member had to tell her that is not the way to talk to paying customers. All in all the bill was fixed but we will never be returning as this lady's attitude was such a turn off...

I love Engfer so much, I really do! I love their style and the people that work there are always friendly. It's a comfortable place to sit and such a treat to grab pizza on the way back from a day at the beach. Sometimes I'll drop in for a drink or even just an ice cream sandwich! But...maybe it's because I'm from the east coast and was spoiled with New York City pizza...the pizza sadly is not all that great. I love their concepts for the toppings and their brick oven, but the crust is always too dense. The sauce is kinda meh, so is the cheese. The toppings tend to be sparse and too finely chopped. I'll still go because it's in my neighborhood and I wanna support local biz, but if you're looking for a really amazing pizza joint, this may not be it. If you want a filling meal with a cold drink and some quick dessert after relaxing at the beach, this is it!

Controversial statement... but definitely the best pizza in Santa Cruz. Not too much cheese, good ingredients, awesome crust. And if you have a gluten-free member of your party... the GF crust is pretty great too.

This place is a great find. It's the kind of pizza where you can tell that care went into selecting the ingredients. The crust is tasty and chewy with a wood fire accent. The Megan's Vegan pizza has a flavorful tofu cheese that's house made and truly unique. Get it with vegan pesto as a topping, and it's a dynamic duo. We got it with no other toppings and it was awesome. There are several craft beers and specialty soda flavors along with dairy-free Toffuti cuties (ice cream sandwiches) and popsicles. Such a fun place, and it's close to Seabright beach!

Love the vegan cheese!! We stop in whenever we are in Santa Cruz. The crust is also great, perfect wood-fired taste.

Pretty good! I'd eat there again for sure. We had a plain cheese pizza and a pizza with tomatoes on top.

Well vacationing with the family I was looking for a above average pizza spot. Glad to say I found it! This place has it all amazing pizza, PEPPI-TOM to be exact. Usually we have leftovers but not this time every slice was devoured. Then we all had dessert and I can't say it enough, the cake was delicious On top of all of this goodness their customer service was perfect, I felt like a regular customer

Trash pizza found a tail in the crust it tasted like shit I'm not kidding it looked like shit

I ordered TheThe smaller personal size pizza, lacking sauce and cheese, LookEd like the crust didn't rise. Ordered a small salad, very small serving of lettuce. I feel I was overcharged.