Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria

Had onion rings mozzarella sticks and a wall to wall sausage deep dish pizza. The rings and mozz were hot and crispy and the sauce for the rings was delicious. The pizza was HUGE and definitely filling great pizza! I do need to knock off one star and really I’d rather knock off like a half or less because the crust, to be more authentic, should be buttery and covered with cornmeal. Other than that, definitely one of the if not the best pizza in San Diego.

Kudos to your staff for fixing my order. I guess i chose peperoncino peppers when I thought I was selecting pepperoni for a online order , luckily I caught it before I got in my car and drove home. "Not a problem we'll get you what you your pepperoni pizza and just go ahead abs keep the other one" That's the type of customer service that keeps my business and the pizza was one of the best I've had in San Diego.. pretty dam close to my hometown Chicago pizza 🍕 😋 👌 I'll Def return with friends and family.

The food is amazing!! However they should advertise that the waiting time is loonnggg. depending on the pizza you get you have to wait at lest 30mins to 1 hour that's not including the normal wait time for food. Definitely call ahead for your food if your gonna eat there. The pizza was perfectly crunchy and soggy just the right amount of both! 🤤 I would Definitely drive the 6 hours to eat here again!!

Great little pizza restaurant in north park so I was in the neighborhood and decided that I would like a slice of pizza and choose lefty's Chicago pizzeria and glad I did I got a slice of pizza a Chicago pepperoni deep dish slice and it was good crust was crispy lots of cheese pepperoni and sauce just really good and service was great parking is street parking and seems that it could get hard to find I found one a couple blocks down

DIEING for some good pizza and google sent me here. I needed deep dish. It’s a short wait but oh so worth it. The pizza was packed full of meat and cheesy goodness the sauce is not the normal sauce it is very flavorful. Wow all I could say. And leftovers just made it that much better flavors going deeper and deeper with every bite.

The guy serving us was great. I wanted pepperoni and jalapeños. They didn't have jalapeños but he suggested some peppers they had. Pretty good substitute.

I haven’t been to Lefty’s in forever; it’s still just as good as I remember it. I ordered a farmer’s market deep dish pie and it hit my craving, like a back scratcher gets an itch. It was delicious and extremely filling. A slice would have sufficed, but I was feeling overly confident in my ability to eat. I also ordered their artichoke spinach bread and it was transcendently satisfying. I will be coming back for this bread again and again. Paid $60.80 (with tip) and it was worth every penny. Addendum: just recently had a deep dish pepperoni and it was amazingly delicious! A must try.

An iconic hole in the wall pizza place with no real parking available BUT the deep dish Chicago style pizza is worth it! Inside and outside seating available for groups of 2-4 primarily. I had to wait in line to get my pizza to go. I would do it a thousand times though for that amazing pizza. The owners are from Chicago and the pizza is authentic!

I've been hearing a lot about Lefty's and finally wanted to give it a try myself...being very curious about their authentic Chicago-style pizza. I called in to place an order for a large pizza to pick-up/take-out. The guy over the phone had customer service down to a perfect tee. I appreciated his patience being a 1st time caller and his understanding that I'm ole school. Let me tell ya'll, this family-owned pizzeria is ALL THAT and THENSOME. My deep dish farmer's market w/ sausage was packed with flavorful sauciness and cheesy goodness. Wowwweee!...Is all I could say with a mouthfull. I can definitely tell they use the freshest ingredients. I definitely recommend this pizza spot. Lefty's is my Besty now!!

The food is good and the pizza has a very crispy crust. Recommendation CBGB! Service is quick never short staffed. The place is kind of small, seats wooden and kind of uncomfortable.

You probably know Lefty's Chicago Style Pizza is hands down the best spot for authentic Chicago-style deep dish! Their pizza is everything you'd hope for--perfectly buttery crust, rich sauce and delicious toppings. If you take it home, in highly recommended heating it up in a skillet with a little butter for the delicious crust to get a nice crunch. But the real surprise for me.Their classic beef sandwich. It's just as impressive as the pizza--tender, juicy beef piled high on a roll, with spicy Giardiniera and Au Jus on the side. It's so good.

This is one of my fave lunch spots! You can get in and out pretty quick if you're in a hurry. The slices are excellent. Being a Chicago place, the deep dish is fantastic. I haven't found a better Chicago style pie in SD. Sometimes I just order a whole meaty pie deep dish and bring it back to the shop. Everyone appreciates that haha! The CBGB is absolutely amazing. It is a Cheesy Beef on Garlic Bread. Thinly sliced tender delicious beef on a delicious bread roll, either dipped in an au jus style broth or with the dip on the side (my preferred method). It is probably my favorite sandwich right now, I feel like I need at least one a week.

parking is dismal, ambience is ordinary, service from the proprietor (owner?) was burnout--that person needs to retire. You could feel it was nothing personal, he just didn't wanna wait on any more people ever. so why four stars? The pizza was magnificent. I had the thin crust pesto 16 inch 30 bucks. Prices are not posted so be aware almost all pieces are 16 inches for 30 bucks. What made that pizza spectacular was the freshness of the ingredients, the deliciousness of the pesto and what I believe was freshly made ricotta on top . What what a difference that made! Probably the best way to handle lefties is to order online to go and just come pick it up. The pizza is worth the inconvenience and the drab service..

Fantastic foods, fantastic Chicago style pizza. Fantastic Chicago style hot dogs. Cold beer at reasonable prices

Still delicious! The deep dish cornbread crust continues to impress me year after year. The blue cheese salad with chicken *chefs kiss. The chicken tendies are . Chicago style hot dogs . Service is great. Can't ask for a more comfortable setting.

The best pizza we've found in San Diego! The thin crust is the best in our opinion. There are very good tables but if you can eat it right then and there, I recommend!

I have only tried deep dish pizza once from a random joint in National city years and years ago. It did not leave a lot to be desired and I spent the rest of my years since imagining that deep dish is whatever. Leftys has changed that for me and this might be go to spot now and my go to pie is the veggie pie with basil added to it. A side of fried mushrooms is a must! All that aside, the customer service here is great! Genuinely genuinely nice dudes. Thanks for the food!

RATING 3.5/5 After a few recommendations to try the deep dish pizza here, I finally got around to stopping by . I phoned in my order for pick-up right at opening time and the young man who answered the phone was nice . I decided to try out their deep dish cheese pizza -- as it was my first time, I wanted to try out one of their most basic pizzas . I also ordered a side of their garlic cheesey bread, but I received regular garlic bread lol-- make sure you check your order before leaving the restaurant ! The young man I spoke to on the phone said it would take about 30 minutes for order to be ready-- so I headed out about 10 minutes later as I live about 15 minutes away . Parking is a little hit or miss since this location is in the heart of north park . Once I arrived, the shop itself is so cute . There's a few dine in tables and a cozy outdoor seating area . I picked up my pizza which was fresh and steaming out of the box, sprinkled Parmesan on the deep dish, and headed back home ! I did a car review as soon as I got home, and I'm not even going to lie-- I was a little underwhelmed . Because this was recommended to me, I was expecting sooo much more . I wanted a cheese pull like what you see in photos-- and sadly it did not happen lol . The crust itself was crisp and was fun to chew since it had a nice thin layer of fluff on the inside . The cheese was salty and the sauce was a little too sour for me . I decided to give it another try later that night . I reheated another slice lightly in the Airfryer, and then even microwaved it for another 30 seconds just to make sure the pizza was piping hot . I was still STRUGGLING to get that darn cheese pull !! The first few bites are just sauce and bread-- you need to keep eating because the majority of the cheese is near the end of the crust area . .. and yes, I did get the cheese pull I wanted after all !! The cheese and sauce balanced each other out more on the second slice as well . The deep dish pizza itself was good, but not what I was expecting . I would totally go back to try out their other goodies for sure-- and I recommend dining in or heating up your pizza at home before enjoying . I would still send people here to try it because everyone's tastebuds are different-- try it, you might like it more than I did (: I rated the deep dish in my car review without the cheese pull a 7.5/10 . I keep my rating the same when I heated the pizza up with a cheese pull at home a 7.5/10 . The garlic bread was garlic bread-- kinda bummed I didn't get the cheesey garlic bread, but that's okay . The marinara sauce it came with was soo good ! I actually wished that sauce was on the deep dish lol . I'll be back to give you another try soon, Lefty's !

Absolutely amazing. Service, environment, and food. Was very accommodating and their customer service is phenomenal. Food was delicious and the portions are perfect. Would come back over and over again. You can basically build your own pizza and it's perfect for anyone. They do have other food besides pizza and salad. Look forward to coming back again and again.

My friends wanted to try this place, I've heard good things about it, so we went on a Friday night. Not busy at all. We ordered the stuffed pizza, this massive behemoth of a thing for the three of us, and we couldn't finish it, but it tasted amazing. Took about an hour to make, but worth the wait. After one piece each, we were done, but tried to eat another piece and couldn't do it. They have a few different Chicago style pizzas to choose from. There is a small seating area outside, but can fill up quick. Luckily there was an empty table when we arrived. And parking lot on side is small, so you may have to park in the neighborhood. Service was just ok.

Ouch...a recent visit to Lefty's forces me to leave a 2 star review. The last time I had deep dish pizza was in 2017 at Lefty's...you see, I only crave deep dish pizza every 5 years, so I was WAY overdue. My better half and I both agreed a trip to Lefty's was in order since we were already in San Diego and it had been AGES since either one of us had deep dish pizza. Like most restaurants post-pandemic, things have changed. Service was fine and we snagged a table on their outdoor patio. We ordered two slices... The slices were smaller, less full (thanks shrinkflation!) and the ingredients didn't taste fresh at all. Hate to say it..I'm pretty certain the tomato sauce was from a can which is downright sad. :( Even though I only eat deep dish pizza every 5 years, this visit doesn't reset the clock. I'm still overdue for some really good deep dish pizza. #sadface

THICCCCCC CRUST (5 stars) ... eating on a budget. I haven't had Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria since 2013 in San Francisco. It's been existing in SD but have always route my pizza craving to thin crust New York style pizza. But after a recent visit here, I forgot how thiccc pizza has good offerings as well. My second order of TooGoodToGo was from this place. My surprise bag was $3.99. Parking was extremely difficult due to its location being in North Park aka No Park. But they were on time with prepping the pickup. My surprise bag... in this case, my surprise box came with (3) slices of pizza. At first I thought it was one pizza, then I saw two, and then I saw three! 2 deep dish and 1 regular. The crust here is amazing! I could eat the crust by itself - drizzle some honey to cut some of the acidity from the tomato sauce and eat it with the crust. PEPPERONI DEEP DISH - yum! It was hard to see the pepperoni as it was deep in the dish. VEGGIE DEEP DISH - yum! Veggie pizza sounds boring BUT all the veggies really shined on this pie. Layers and layers of cheese, pizza sauce, and veggies. CHEESE THIN & CRISPY - it was basic, not super thin but on the thin side. Tasted average. What I liked about the pizza is that it didn't get hard and stale when saving the pizza in the fridge. After a quick warm up the pizza tasted exactly as it should.

The food is amazing We had the best pizza , garlic bread Will definitely come back again and again It's a great and the service is amazing Angelina

Chicago Dog and the Deep Dish we're incredible! On the small side but very accommodating. If you go to San Diego the is a must stop!

My Dads from Chicago so we went in today and SUCH nostalgia. So much Chicago history. Dad was not a fan of the deep dish style since Chicago has thin crust cut in squares. Sicilian style was deep dish. Not the same lol But it's tasty! He tried the beer and hopefully we'll try the Italian beef soon! Loved the subway CTA L train transit map above the doorway! Red line takes you right to Wrigley.

I'm a Chicago girl on the west coast. So I am particular about my pizza and Italian Beef sandwiches. This place is solid! Very mom and pop feeling. Not a lot of room to sit, but a cute little patio area outside. Italian Beef was tasty, dipped and flavorful. Portions were big. The pizza looked good, but I didn't try it. They sell pizza by the slice too. Give it a try if you are longing for some Chicago food.

Found the gem while exploring North Park. I've been to Chicago numerous times and I'm hesitant to try anything that says Chicago pizza outside of Chicago. However Lefty's doesn't disappoint. Pizza is solid and is a nice node to the deep dish. Employee were super nice and even gave me stickers for the little ones back home. Lefty's reminds me of walking through Wicker Park or Lakeview. Love this place and would highly recommend. Shout out to 312.

Always a staple here in San Diego. If your an East Coaster and missing glimpses, tastes and smell from back home, get over here! Lefty's will definitely not let you down. Small storefront with a front patio. Grab a slice and a beer. Welcome Home. Daily pies made and sold by the slice in the front case. Or pop in for a sit down out front and relax. Tons of Chicago memorabilia to look at on the walls. They also have take out if you want to be the talk of your party. Get a giant pie and make everyone's day/night. Went for the Chicago polish dog this round. Warm bun, tasty sausage and fresh handful of fries. It's a win win here folks. Pizza is outta this world delicious! It will satisfy all the cravings you're having. Only downside is there is only one disabled parking spot by the front. And since all the bike lanes have went in around this area, prepare to circle the block a few times. Parking is street only and that is the only downfall if you don't live in the area. Take an Uber here if it's not too far.

I haven't been to Lefty's in forever; it's still just as good as I remember it. I ordered a farmer's market deep dish pie and it hit my craving, like a back scratcher gets an itch. It was delicious and extremely filling. A slice would have sufficed, but I was feeling overly confident in my ability to eat. I also ordered their artichoke spinach bread and it was transcendently satisfying. I will be coming back for this bread again and again. Paid $60.80 (with tip) and it was worth every penny.

Always need a fix for deep dish pizza from being from Chicago! Lefty's is a go-to spot for me! Some nights I order a deep dish pizza for pick up and it hits the spot. They even have pizza puffs which is super nostalgic. Where else can you get that except from Chicago?! Highly recommend - still need to try the hot dogs. Will be back for more

Take out. Not bad pizza but deep dish wasnt as deep as I am used too. Pasta was tasty.

Service was awesome! Pizza was good too! Felt like deep dish Chicago style pizza. We haven't found one yet that really hits the spot like the pizzas in Chicago. We hoped that this will be our new go to place. The vibe is like Hodads when entering. Lots of stickers on walls and really fun ambiance. Location is in the "trendy" area of Hillcrest so it's a nice place to stop by and grab a slice or whole pizza when out or something else off the menu if you're not feeling like pizza. The service was great!! Very helpful since being there the first time. Pizza was thick and it was good. Definitely hit the spot when craving Chicago style type of pizza. Will have to try again in the future but we still feel we haven't found pizza like in Chicago. But then again we are in California so can't really compare.

I didn't grow up with deep dish so its def different to me. A deep ish slice is like $5 which i think is pretty good. The loaded fries are good too! The inside has music box posters if you're into small bands and artists with a rock look. There's only one bathroom so good luck. Small place though.

This is Italian beef sandwich is the best i've ever eaten, ask for it on garlic bread for a fantastic garlicky flavor!!! YUMMMMM they give so much meat it is fantastic

Authentic Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza. Great atmosphere, including outdoor seating with TVs to watch your favorite sporting event. This pizza takes 40+ minutes to cook. I recommend ordering ahead of time and getting there 10-15 minutes before it's supposed to be ready.

their food is great! & they're really nice. BUT BEWARE. once you come close to closing time the mood shifts & they are very cold & rude. other than that, great pizza!

My husband, son and I had lunch at Lefty's today. The friendly faces, delicious thin crust pizza and Chicago Dogs did not disappoint! The pizza was beautifully thin and cooked to perfection. The dogs were thoroughly enjoyed and gone before I could snap a pic! My ten year old was suprised by the poppyseed bun - and decided it was an amazing addition r to the "dog and ketchup ONLY" version he scarfed down. My husband waxed poetic about the authentic look and taste of the full "Chicago Dog" experience. While they were eating away I decided to share their fries (included with the dogs- love when they are included!)- YUM- crisply outside and soft inside, perfectly salted- at the risk of redundancy - YUM!! YUM!! Our thin crust pizza came out next - delish- I love when you can see the quality in the cheese and the toppings in a pie before even taking a bite! We had a couple solid brews and a can of 7-Up for the decade old. The patio seating was comfortable and the ambiance just right for a winter afternoon in sunny San Diego. Lefty's- many thanks and see you soon!

It's been a few years since I've been here. I was very disappointed in the meaty pie deep dish pizza I ordered. It had no taste. Seasonings missing? The meat tasted watery. I will not be going back.

Good pizza & salad! Our favorite go to pizza place! Great for sports teams, birthday parties, really any event! Just wish they delivered!

Hands down one of the best deep dish pizza in San Diego. We came here after reading all the positive reviews and had to give it a try. The cashiers in the front were super friendly and made great suggestions. We ended up ordering a 16 inch deep dish with half Meaty Pie and half Gold Coast. Fair warning, the pie does take 35 minutes to make but they do have slices offered in the front counter available for purchase. We sat outside to enjoy our pizza and the cashiers made sure to turn on the heat lamps for us. The pizza came out piping hot out of the oven and it was delicious with the cheese oozing out as you pull out a slice. We loved that the crust was beautifully crusty and not greasy at all. The two of us ate half the pie and the cashier was even nice enough to help us box up the leftovers to bring home. I can't wait to come back to try the sandwiches and the thin crust next time.

Food wasn't great and paid extra for toppings I didn't get. Over priced. I wouldn't recommend

It's the Best service and Best Pizza in San Diego. Also the Italian Beef is Amazing and the Italian sausage sandwich with Marinara sauce is Yumm!

First time there today and they are so friendly and helpful. They offered before I even asked if they could cut my kids slice up.

My first time trying out Lefty's and was so pumped to discover San Diego has a true, Chicago style eatery. Such a good location with a nice porch to hang out on and the inside displaying that true city vibe, I knew I was gonna be in for a treat. I know they are mainly known for their pizza but ya girl had to get a dipped, Italian beef! So freaking delicious! You have the option of getting the dip on the side as well if your not feeling messy. We also had to get the Chicago style dog, which came with fries and also test out the mozzarella sticks, which both were bomb! They also had an array of beer, seltzers, drafts and cans. The staff was also SUPER friendly. We came close to close and they didn't rush us at all, came and chatted and kept checking back. I definitely will be back to get my fix again. Would love to try the pizza next time!

We had this pizza at a party and it was so good! We had the thin pizza with ricotta cheese and it was amazing. Can't wait to go there and order more great food from their menu.

The pizza reminded me of pie, at first I was suspicious of how the pizza looked but you choose your slice and they put it in the oven. The veggie pizza was very delicious the sodas were a bargain price! The cashier was very chill, great customer service, we ended up eating outside the weather was nice and enjoyable. The cashier was on top of everything and every single customer that came in left happy!

The Chicago hot dog is probably the best one you'll find around. Full of flavors that'll make your mouth water just looking at it. The deep dish Chicago style pizza was very disappointing. The sauce is very bland as if it was out of a can. Cheese is not very thick and is nothing like what I remember eating or experiencing a real Chicago style pizza place. My wife and I have tried many local places trying to get that real authentic tastes and texture with no luck. Parking is very tough so leave early for pick up to give you plenty of time to look

"A few things to consider in your review:" 1) Food. We ordered 2 large pizzas to go. Spot on, delicious. Not one thing I'd do differently. There were 8 of us including 3 male teenagers. There were 2 interior pieces left of the veggie pizza. That was it. Compliments to the chef and the chef was whoever made these pizzas at Lefty's. 2) Service. Okay, This young woman who was working there is not a good representative of your business. I called to order the pizzas and was placed on hold. No problem. It's Sunday afternoon. Now, cell phones keep accurate numbers and when I noticed I had been on hold 5 minutes and 13 seconds, I figured she forgot about the phone, so I just hung up and called back. "Lefty's pizza. I'm going to put you on hold."she said. I responded, "I called a few minutes ago and was on hold for 5 minutes." Her response? "Well now you're at the end of the line again." Lefty's got our business yesterday only because it's the easiest location for us, because I was furious at her attitude. We walked over to order the pizza and my husband wouldn't even let me go inside! She needs to be taught something about customer service because the one thing that was NOT was good customer service. 3) Ambience. Obviously we did not eat here this time but we do come over and get slices of pizza and Caesar salad and sit on the patio and enjoy our San Diego evenings. Never before have we had a rude employee here and hopefully never again will it happen. I will add, we've lived here almost 20 years and this is a "go to" place for us. I've read some of the reviews here and I hope someone at Lefty's reads them and does something about this employee. She's going to do a good job of discouraging customers from repeat visits if she continues to be the first face of your business, be it in person or over the phone.

Enjoyed Lefty's very much. The food and the service were great. We got the Chicago-style Italian beef sandwich and a slice of ricotta supreme deep dish pizza. Both were delicious. As someone who grew up eating Chicago-style Italian beef, I can say that Lefty's does it right. The tender thin sliced beef, the spices, the light chewy bread, the au jus, the giardinera were all spot on. Also, the deep dish pizza was the real deal. It had a nice light crust, with perfectly unctious sauce, cheese, and veggie toppings. We will definitely be back.

Great pizzas!! You don't need anything else. Both options are great and specialties are very well balanced

Humble place with great food and great service! I come here when I have a very short lunch break, and they never disappoint. Food also comes out a lot faster than what they say! I almost always get the Chicago dog (because I'm severely lactose-intolerant), and sometimes a salad. They are super generous with their toppings, and the staff are always friendly!!! Will continue to come here... at least weekly. Haha.

Solid deep dish but the regular deep dish (not the stuffed) is the way to go. The stuffed one is just too big, it's basically just a giant stack of toppings with barely any crust on the bottom (seemed paper thin). I know that description can sound amazing but it's just an overly salty mess at that point. Maybe if you get mainly veggie toppings with it it might not be bad.

Can't speak to everyone who works here but the red head person with the man bun and mustache was the worst. He was attentive to his friends outside than the people waiting to make an order, then he was super rude and combative about the request I had regarding square cut slices instead of being cool about it. If they are assisting you rather than someone else, leave!

Sitting around at home avoiding soccer fans at sports bars, etc., who are watching England/Spain when the thought of terrific chicken nuggets comes to mind. Thank God it all happened so quickly since when you're too hungry and you both throw out names and types of food around - after 30 minutes you say, just order whatever, and you're both cranky. When I was offered chicken nuggets from Lefty's North Park, I jumped at the chance. Driver is suffering from arthritis and I'm mostly blurry eyed blind from cataract surgery but we made it to Lefty's slowly but surely just for their nuggets. Nice service, guy behind pickup counter has nicer hair than mine yet I am not intimidated but rather complimentary to him so as to give him his just rewards. Extra ranch and hot sauce is required because if you run out halfway through, it's a sad, lonely ending to remaining nuggets. I almost forgot to take photos because once I opened the box, my hand went straight for a nugget (10 order) and took a bite. I managed to arrange it back into the box for a partial photo, along with a tray I made for my driver friend. Enjoy!!!!

I've been sick and craving an Italian beef. I ordered on door dash and they sent me an incredibly dry sandwich with no au jus. The meat was very dry too. I'm not even going to be able to eat it.

I always find a way to get a Chicago dog when I'm in the area. I am no hot dog lover, but theirs are just great and with fries on the side, it's a great price point for a meal.

Not sure what happened to my previous review so let's just make this short and sweet: BEST CHICKEN TENDERS EVER. Don't forget to order additional ranch dressing so your nuggets will be happily coated when eating and no lonely nuggets get ignored. Their celery and carrots are fresh and tasty.