Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria

As a native Chicagoan now living in San Diego, Lefty's is where I go for my fix of Italian beef sandwiches. They're tender, flavorful, authentic, and transport me home every time. I'll usually order the cheesy Italian with sweet peppers. The interior is decorated with tons of Chicago sports memorabilia from all eras, and there's a patio with outdoor seating.

First time back at Lefty’s in 5 years, and this place has not missed a beat. I would always get the Italian beef, and got it again, and was blown away at how ridiculously good it is. Absolutely superb sandwich. Dipped, both peppers and aju on the side. Every time I go, the sandwich gets better.

I was in San Diego for vacation. Lefty's came up in my research into restaurants to try while in town. I was there with a friend. We live in Indiana now and have ties to Illinois and Chicago. The Chicago theme and art and memorabilia were fun. The food was filling and delicious. I had pizza and my friend enjoyed an Italian beef sandwich. The back patio with the Chicago mural was a nice place for lunch. Thanks for the great service.

We finally got the opportunity to check this place. The pizza is great, you can taste the freshness of the ingredients and the quality. All food is tasty. The appetizers do need a little help as you will see in the pics. Food is great but they need to improve on the customer service… the staff is over relaxed, this is still a business an some level of professionalism has to be present. Don’t get me wrong they were not rude just very very relaxed. You will enjoy your lunch or dinner. Like always you have the last word.

First time at this location we usually go to the north park location. This location is way bigger, there’s an inside and outside patio to sit. It’s decorated beautifully and they even have corn hole outside. I love the way they did a “toddler cut” on my son’s pizza I’ve never seen that but a very nice touch I appreciate! My husband is from Chicago and this is his favorite SD spot from all the others. He says the other restaurants have zero chance compared to Lefty’s!!!!!

I was in the mood for some deep dish pizza & found this great place. Being new, I did not know I could order by the slice so I ordered a custom deep dish pie w pepperoni, red onions, tomato & and garlic. Since it takes about 30 minutes to cook, I then heard people ordering by the slice so I got one Veggie & one meat slice along w a delicious house salad to share. Beer, wine & sodas available along w an outdoor patio & indoor seating. Very tasty pizza & a small salad is enough for 2.

Great job, Lefty’s. It's the best deep-dish Chicago pizza outside of Chicago. They really captured the flavor. Vienna, hotdogs are outstanding, a true classic.

The spinach artichoke bread here changed my life. We've had a whole pizza, we've had slices. It's all really good. People that work here are super nice. The owner is usually serving and is very cool. The indoor space is super cozy. Feels like home. 🥰

Recently dined in at Lefty's. Let me just get this out of the way - their customer service was great. We ordered deep dish pizzas in advance (like thirty minutes before), and were coming in with a large group. Soon as we arrived, our table was set up, with the heat lamps on, and the pizza fresh out of the oven. The girl (with glasses) at front desk was super chill, and even hooked up my kids with fountain soda. The pizza itself was really good as well; maybe the crust could've been less toasted and dry, but still overall a good experience.

I had a huge craving for deep dish pizza and decided to go to Lefty's in mission hills. I called to check if they did deep dish pizza by the slice and they did. It was around $7 for a pizza, which was fine by me since I didn't want to get a pie, which costed around $30. The deep dish pizza was what I was looking for although I didn't care too much for the crust and the temperature of the pizza was slightly warm rather than piping hot (which was fine since I know some people would probably prefer that since it was faster to eat). Service was friendly and fast. I loved the fun interior decor, which reminded me of the north east as well as Bronx. There were a lot of chicago sports memorabilia like the bulls and sox and a few games to play with the kiddos. They had indoor and outdoor seating as well as a variety of sodas. Price: $ Parking: Meter parking Recommendation: Deep dish pizza

A great family-friendly spot for pizza! They have both deep-dish and thin crust, which I personally preferred the thin over the deep. But both were great pizzas! Do not recommend the fries with cheese curds; quite frankly, they were sad. Mozzarella sticks were a hit though!

Lefty's is the most authentic Chicago-style Italian food you can find in San Diego in my opinion. Items such as: thin crust pizza, deep-dish pizza, all-beef hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and other delicious Italian foods are all very good here. My favorite pizza is the thin crust. This pizza is cut into Midwest-style squares, which I prefer over triangular-cut slices. You get end pieces with a thin crust, and inner crustless ones. Their deep dish is a gargantuan pie! I can only consume one slice at a time in a single sitting; it is THAT thick! The layers are actually assembled upside-down and just the opposite of the way the thin crust is constructed. I absolutely love the Italian Beef sandwich. Paper thin slices of top round shaved and dotted with jalapeños is the best, then doused in a flavorful beef 'gravy'. It's not really gravy, chicagoans just call it that. Lol. The gravy is imbued with spices that permeate into this sandwich. The result is melt in your mouth and a bit of drooling. This is a messy sandwich but get it 'dipped' anyway. You won't regret it. Don't forget the extra gravy to dip your fries into. This pizza doesn't need to be eaten with your left hand! Unless you're a lefty anyway. Hehehe! My mouth is watering!!!!

What a great little Chicago style pizza place located right downtown off goldfinch. You order at the counter at the front of the restaurant. The staff is very nice and the main dining areas give the feel of being in Chicago with the wood and brick furniture snd decor. It's got a great back patio with painted murals great place to watch a game on the TVs and play corn hole while waiting for your deep dish pizza; very family friendly. We loved the self serve stubborn soda fountain drink option, but they had other soft drinks, iced tea, and beer from what I saw. My son said the flavors popped in his mouth, the pie was very good and so was the experience.

Delicious Italian beef sandwich. Thin crust pizza has perfect topping ratios. Chicago Style deep dish sausage pizza was great! Can't wait to come back and try more!

Ordered the Meaty Pie Deep Dish with added mushrooms and black olives off of Instacart yesterday and this is the best pizza I've had here in SD! Had leftovers tonight, threw a slice in the Airfryer for 7 mins on 350 and it was still soooo amazing!!! Thank you guys for bringing Chi-town pizza to the West Coast! Definitely will be ordering again!!!!

Ahh, Lefty's! Now that I've been to Chicago and tried their Chicago dogs... I can safely say that I prefer getting my Chicago dogs here in San Diego. This location is very spacious! I love the backyard outdoor seating that is super comfortable and protected from the elements with heaters and TVs! The service is not the fake friendliness but it is casual and comfortable.

Pizza was good !! The service was ok due to the fact that I ordered a pizza and it didn't come out like how I ordered it . Took Extacly 1 hour to get my pizza . I would give this place another try , maybe due to the misunderstanding when the order was made that's why my order came out wrong . I normally don't give 3 stars because everywhere I eat I always give 5 stars .

I came here specifically to get a deep dish for my son. I'm used to the one at Zachary's which has a thick layer of sauce and toppings. Lefty's had sauce layer that was just slightly thicker than normal and it was really sweet. Out of the things I ate, I was most impressed with the Caesar which was a small but was a nice size and had dried roasted tomatoes. Service was really good but I just didn't like the pie.

We love Lefty's! The cheesy beef and the thin crust are delicious as are their fries and mozzarella sticks. Lauren, the owner, is always sweet to us. We've been going there for years. So glad to have them close by.

Absolutely amazing. I have seen some people complaining about the owner however she came over multiple times and all I can say is she is down to earth and very chill. She was running around taking care of everyone. My guess is those that are complaining are entitled people who think the world revolves around them. Def would come back next time we are in town.

I used to frequent Lefty's about 20 years ago. At that time, I had recently moved to San Diego from the Chicago area and I was really missing my Italian Beef sandwiches and Chicago style pizza. Back then, there was only one Lefty's location, and you had to stalk parties leaving their tables in order to get a seat. Anyway, flash forward to last weekend, a group of friends and I met for dinner at Lefty's to wish farewell to a friend who was moving away. The days of the crowded, popular Lefty's are apparently over, but unfortunately, the days of the amazing Chicago-style food were also over. Anyway, when I arrived, my friend was saving a picnic table in the back garden area. I actually really liked the garden area. It is full of murals, great music on the speakers, and some family friendly lawn games. This is something that the Lefty's 20 years ago did not have that is a great improvement. Our other friends arrived a bit later and came with a cake to share. Lefty's is very open to parties, larger groups, and special events, as I noted that there were two other parties on the patio. They even brought us extra plates and forks to share the cake. It is not really a wine place, but they actually had several wines to choose from. I heard that the wines change regularly, so the staff member took them all out for me so I could choose. I chose a lovely glass of Pinot Noir. I also ordered the Italian Beef sandwich with hot peppers, and an order of mozzarella sticks to share with my friends. Unfortunately, the mozzarella sticks were just not cooked enough... no golden brown exterior, and they were not gooey and cheesy.. and not flavorful. The Italian Beef sandwich was a huge disappointment. When I think of Italian Beef, it is oozing with flavor and spices. This was a super boring sandwich that had no flavor until I added the juice. Even with that, the flavor was minimal. I did not try the Chicago pizza this time. A few of my friends ordered slices of deep dish, but it just was not very deep and did not look like Chicago deep dish at all to me. All in all, Lefty's had a lovely atmosphere in the heart of Mission Hills, but the food was a disappointment. With the growing number of Chicago food establishments in San Diego, I probably won't return.

It's a bit slow, but was the waiting. I love that they cut the pizza to small small pieces so it's easier to share. They took my order over the phone and I came to pick it up after about 45 min.

On a Sunday night, we ordered in from Lefty's in the evening. We ordered a Caesar salad and a deep dish cheese pizza. The salad itself was plentiful and good. Unfortunately, the croutons were soggy. The pizza was tasty, but the crust was a bit over baked and hard to cut apart. The one reason that I hesitate to order pizza into my home is because it comes lukewarm. Lefty's hasn't figured it out either. We will try it again, but go to the restaurant and eat in. Hopefully it will be hot if we do that.

OMNOMNOM will be the right word to describe their pizza! It's my first time ordering from them and It was so good! Pizza is delicious! Crust so crispy! That good that you wouldn't leave any little crumbs behind! We had one thin crust and one deep dish pizza both were half and have. With completely custom pizza it came up at $72 which I think amazing for such a delicious pizza! When we came to pick up they had a people coming nonstop! And I'm not surprised. Thanks! I found my favorite pizza spot in SD!

My first time here, visiting a friend and had a craving. OMG, the deep dish was amazing!!! It had basil, garlic, black olives, homemade sausage and pepperoni, YUM! I must say the pizza was NOT greasy! There was NO pool of greasy on the top like I have had at another place. Service was friendly and organized, considering it was Saturday night and this place was BUSY! I highly recommend this place, and I will be back on my next visit to SD.

If I could give this place 10 stars I would! By far one of the most tastiest pizza I ever had hands down! Came in for Father's Day weekend and celebrated my 50 th birthday ! Shout out to the owner who took care of us! She was awesome! Can't wait to be back! The ambiance was great! Highly recommend this establishment!

One of the best pizzas in town, period! Great service and great food. Plenty of seating indoor and outdoor.

Five stars for hospitality and service from Lauren, whom I think is owner/manager. Five stars for the hot crispy tasty fries. We sat inside at the only table that is near the sink/wash station area and the place where servers grab plates, utensils, napkins -- Lauren referred to this as the "Chef's Table"? I wasn't as impressed with the Italian CBGB--cheesy beef on garlic bread--in that the meat was not what I expected (shaved, not grilled enough, not enough salt), bread was a bit soggy (wanted crispy toasted garlic bread). The Italian sub was better, various cold cut meats served on toasted bread with dressing, but had mustard which was surprising. We also had two pepperoni pizza slices (crust a bit too crunchy) that were nice and hot. Outdoor seating has a nice atmosphere--with benches and long tables, white lights strung on the walls, colorful artistic decorations, fans to keep the flies away, and corn hole game to play.

The food is good, Italian is better CBGB. Fries are good and salty at the end. The service is nice,and fast. Lauren was very nice to my daughter. The ambiance is pretty typical for a pizza place. They have games in the back. Overall I'd give it a 4.5.

Saturday afternoon watching the Cubs game eating pizza drinking beer. The service was great. The pizza was delicious. I will definitely return

My dog and I are regulars. Love this place. Lauren and her team treat us like family. Tried the beef sandwich for the first time after coming here for 10 years for pizza, and it is epic. 10 out of 5 stars.

From the moment you step into Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria in San Diego, you're not just walking into a restaurant; you're stepping into a slice of Chicago itself. The atmosphere here has a unique charm that immediately makes you feel as if you're getting ready to head to Wrigley Field to cheer on the Cubbies. It's a little piece of Chicago pride right here on the West Coast. The staff at Lefty's deserves a special mention. Their friendliness and warmth add to the welcoming vibe, making each visit not just a meal, but a delightful experience. They go above and beyond to ensure you're comfortable and well taken care of, with smiles that are as genuine as they are contagious. Now, let's talk about the main event - the pizza. As someone who has experienced the deep-dish delight of Lou Malnati's in Chicago, I can say with confidence that Lefty's offers the closest thing you'll get to it in San Diego. The crust, the sauce, the cheese - every bite is a testament to the authenticity and care put into their pizza. It's a culinary nod to the Windy City that will satisfy both homesick Chicagoans and curious locals alike. In a city flooded with various pizza options, Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria stands out not just for its authentic Chicago-style pizza, but for the overall experience it offers. Whether you're a die-hard deep-dish aficionado or just in search of a cozy spot to enjoy good food and good company, Lefty's welcomes you with open arms and a slice of Chicago. Highly recommended for anyone looking to indulge in a delicious slice of the Midwest, without having to leave the sunny shores of San Diego.

They said my pizza was gonna take 35 min came out in 15-20 min and the cheese wasnt even melting pizza was cold and a bit hard kind of disappointing considering the reviews

What a comedy! The way they deliver their deep dish pizza is the comedy here. Disrespecting deep dish pizza by putting in the cheapest pizza box ever! If you order deep dish pizza delivery from this place, make sure you ask them to put in a solid box -- because you end up paying about $50 for one pizza with some ingredients in it but not getting any pizza nor any REFUND for how unprofessional they handle their business. What a comedy! The way they handled this issue when I gave them a call regarding this problem was a very low-life response. They can't take one single responsibility for the way they deliver their pizza. What a joke!

Here's the thing the food is 10/10! Unfortunately the way that you are treated at an establishment no matter how great the food is also very important. Yesterday sucked! My family and I have been going there for the last 7 or so years and the owner Lauren has always been a little "frazzled" but yesterday was unacceptable. We came in on a Sunday after our son's football game to watch their favorite team The Chicago Bears. I always walk in say Hi and walk directly to the back because we usually have our husky with us (another reason we liked it) I walked to the back and the two large tables were taken and the other two had reserved signs on them. The only thing available was two small pub sized and 5 chairs.The staff was clearly busy so we moved the two tables together, made sure we weren't in the reserved section and settle in. My husband went in to order and when standing in line overheard the owner talking about "people moving furniture" to her staff and whoever could hear her. She had already came outside and scolded me about moving the table and I apologized. My husband then told her if it was a problem that we could move it back and she said "no, it's ok" but clearly annoyed. Lauren made in known that she had a party of 25 coming in and that is why she's stressed. I saw her annoyingly hand back a sweater she found on a bench to a father, remove people from a table when they were still holding a full beer for this group of 25, yank a remote out of a senior citizens hand when tried to change the channel. We hurried up and ate and when I was clearing the table like I always do Lauren walked up to me and said "We will clean up after you momma, you can leave" which normally would sound like a nice gesture but she clearly just wanted us to leave and her tone meant it. I am very compassionate to small business owners, especially one that is ran by a woman! I also run a small business and know how hard things can be and how stressful things can get but if you need help ask, find someone that you can count on to take some tasks away but don't treat your regular customers like trash because you are overwhelmed.

I can't speak to the food or the vibe too much. But the service was horrible unfortunately. Came in tonight for a couple of slices of deep dish. The guy who took my order fumbled and put the order in for dine in. No big deal. However, when transferring the slices to the box, they wouldn't fit. He tried not to touch the pizza with bare hands so struggled a bit. I appreciated the attention. Then this other guy comes over grabs the slices intended for me with his bare hands and shoves them into the box to fit. I couldn't believe it. I just saw him scratching himself and handling cash behind the phone in register. After waiting 15min I got my money back and left... no pizza.

Great food. Wonderful staff! Pickup, dine-in, large parties - it's always a hit for our family!!! We enjoy their back patio which is family friendly and great for large groups. My husband's fav is the stuffed sausage. The Southsider thin crust, Meaty deep dish and the fried mushrooms are also go-tos. Thanks Lauren and staff for always going above and beyond!

MAKE A RIGHT AND CHOOSE A DIFFERENT PIZZERIA I used to rely on Lefty's when I craved deep dish pizza. I like that I could get slices instead of an entire pie. The slices were mostly tomato sauce and doughy with a thin layer of toppings. The slices were lukewarm and the crust was dry. All layers lacked flavor. I was disappointed as I planned and wasted my junk food day. Bummer. "I want someone to look at me the same way I look at pizza." Anonymous. #juken123 #leftyspizzeria #deepdishpizza #junkfoodday

Best deep dish pizza in San Diego. We go atleast once a month. The artichoke cheese bread is super good. The staff is very friendly.

Hands down, the BEST deep dish pizza I've ever had. Been to all of the famous spots in Chicago, and who would've thought that a little gem in San Diego would have the best pie. (pretty crazy take, I'm sure some people will be upset about that comment) Monster of the Midway; Sausage, pepperoni, hot giardiniera, and LOTS of garlic "This is the way..." The pizza is even better when you reheat in an oven/air fryer the next day. Will be back!

If you don't know Lefty's pizza, it's a family owned, and run business that has always been a local favor in North Park and Mission Hills . I've been a customer for over 20 years, Chicago style pizza has always been my favorite, when I find myself living outside the San Diego area I always crave Lefty's amazingly delicious pizza. Not only is the pizza delicious but each location has its own personality, which always makes it a joy to visit in person.. If you're new in town or just visiting San Diego and you're looking for the best pizza in town, you need to visit Lefty's Pizza!!! OK come on

The place has a cool, eclectic vibe with indoor and outdoor seating. They have cornhole outside with a bunch of large picnic tables. You order at the counter and they bring your food to you. Service was decent. We ordered deep dish sausage and pepperoni slices, a thin crust sausage slice, cheesy garlic bread, and a large Caesar salad with chicken. The deep dish pizza was not very "deep" to me and disappointing compared to deep dish pizza I've had in Chicago. The thin slice was ok, but was almost more of a cracker style crust. Surprisingly, the best thing was the Caesar salad. I thought it was a nice size for the price and had a fair amount of toppings. The cheesy garlic bread, was lacking garlic. To me, it just tasted like plain white bread, lightly toasted with melted cheese. I was just expecting a bit more buttery, garlic goodness. I'm glad we finally tried it, but I wouldn't return for the pizza. I heard others saying the sandwiches were really good, so maybe that and a salad.

Lefty's is the go to spot for deep dish Chicago style pizza! There lunch special is really good also and there sandwiches are fresh tasty! A great place for pizza party! If you haven't been to lefty's you haven't had the best!

WORST experience I've ever had. Owner yelled from across the room because we moved 2 small tables together so that 4 of us could sit down. Continued to yell saying that she had to move the table herself because she was the owner and that she takes care of her stuff...the condition of the tables say otherwise- they are old and worn. When I questioned why she was speaking to me in such a way, she again yelled that she was the owner. She was sarcastic, rude and loud. She walked away cussing in front of a table where a family was seated. We also heard her yelling and cussing at her workers. And at one point also telling the family that they had a big group there for a memorial for a girl who killed herself. Why is that something to share with customers who are out for dinner. La Puerta next door serves great food, drinks and definitely knows how to treat their customers. Zero Stars for Lefty's but had to give one to post

Love the owner ! Pizza is bomb! And pizza pockets are good also ! My friend also liked the Chicago dog

9/16/23 - ordered at 2:00pm, 1st time here. Ordered a stuffed meat pizza and added for an extra charge bell pepper. It takes one hour to cook. Lastly, ordered a garlic bread appetizer. Told them I would be there around 3:15 and they said they will have it ready then. No parking on the street. Always full from what I observed. Garlic bread was $6 and the stuffed Meaty Pie - sausage, pepperoni, meatball, Italian beef was $39 with whatever the added bell pepper cost was. Went in, it was ready to go. They give 10% discount for military and LEO. Total cost was $46 out the door. Never saw the itemized receipt. Pizza was very good and heavy. It will feed 4 hungry men with no issue with 2 slices each. It will feed a family of 4-6 with ease unless you have a very big stomach. 5 stars for the service and the pizza. I took a star off for the garlic bread. It was very basic and a Waste of money. Go to the supermarket and buy a whole loaf of garlic bread for $3. See the photos. I would go there again. Enjoy

After all the ravings about how good the deep dish pizza is I had to try it. Not impressed. I don't think it baked for a full 35 minutes as advertised and It's nowhere near the quality that Berkeley's Pizza was. I know Chicago deep dish pizza because I used to live an hour away. Lefty's cheese reminds me of grocery store cheese sticks. The sauce is okay but the crust is not flavorful and look at how much of the crust is exposed. The pie came in a regular pizza box so before I even opened it, I was regretting my choice. No chance we will be craving this pizza again but if you like to believe the hype, this one's for you.

I am a senior and I complained about my table being dirty and sticky, I given a napkin to throw over the sticky dirty part. Because I complained, I and another senior were kicked out of there. I don't think it's a clean or nice place.

Amazing! Food was super good, I loved it overall. The service was amazing too, the waitresses were so kind! Feels cozy and welcoming in here!

This is the one. I love this pizza. Tons of sauce, thick cheese and a surprisingly thin crust for a deep dish. You can't do it better than this. I've had Chicago-style pizza in Chicago at multiple well-known joints and Lefty's beats them all. I would be in trouble if I lived in San Diego with access to this pizza. Do not hesitate. Amazing food, amazing people. Go deep dish and enjoy the 45 min wait! It's worth it. 10/10!

Amazing pizza! Be ready to wait if you get deep dish or stuffed crust. So worth the wait! We got Italian vm beef and mushroom and it a SAOOOOOOO GOOD! We also ordered a beef sandwich and Cesar salad. By the Tim we got to the pizza we could only Eat one piece! You really need to try this place! Ordered up from and walk to the back to sit. I enjoyed their selection of stubborn sodas citrus was my favorite.

So satisfying!! We got a custom deep dish with pepperoni, sausage, artichoke, bell peppers, mushrooms, olives and basil. The crust was just the right amount of crispy and the marinara wasn't overpowering. Cheesy, meaty, and balanced. The wait for a whole pie was about 35 min but there was a sign to let you know about the wait. Grab a beer and take advantage of the tvs or cornhole on the dog-friendly back patio!

I've said it once, and I'll say it again: you can only get Chicago Deep Dish in Chicago. Many come close, many fail. I don't know what it is....is it the altitude? Is it the yeast? I don't know, but this place, unfortunately, doesn't have that same taste as Chicago deep dish. Don't get me wrong, it is a good pizza, but, for me, the crust was "meh", the sauce was ok, and the cheese wasn't as plentiful as what you get in the Midwest. Also, it's a weird setup, where you order as you walk in, then they bring it out to you. It's kinda like a restaurant, but not. I don't know. What I'm saying is, the customer service wasn't all that great either. I ordered my pizza, found my own seat, and the pizza was plopped down on my table without any "enjoy your pizza" or anything. Maybe the cook and staff was having an "off day", so I'd give this place another shot.

Grew up near Chicago eating deep dish pizza. This was a really pleasant taste of home. Chicago food menu is authentic and the pizza is really good. Thanks guys

My husband loves a deep dish, but for me, the extra cheesy isn't always my vibe, which is where Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria is actually perfect. They have both deep dish and thin crust which means there is something for everyone! You can purchase by the slice or call in for some whole pies. Even if deep dish isn't always my thing, I still enjoyed a bite of my husband's pepperoni and I was so impressed! It was absolutely delicious. They put the pepperonis under the sauce to keep them nice and tucked in. It also wasn't too gooey which worked well for me. I ordered a tasty thin sliced special. It had a bunch of different peppers on it and was spicy and good! Bomb pizza option!

Omg the meat lovers deep dish was the absolute hit at of staff meeting. Worth the price paid. Good size portions and the also provided plates plastic ware and cheese and pepper flakes. Will come back.

Not bad - not a pizza person but I enjoyed my deep dish pizza here tonight Dough and the toppings are perfectly cooked Service is good friendly and accommodating, cafe style so u order up front and seat your self Ambiance is a hole in a wall, clean and organized