Cafe Mediterraneo Gourmet Pizza
357 Kearny St
(between Bush St & Pine St)
San Francisco, CA 94108 (415) 397-5850
- Price Range: $
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: No
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
178 reviews
Neighborhood: Union Square
"Delicious! I am new to the neighborhood and a tasty pizza is important... I don't even have to leave my block to find that with Uncle…" read more »
36 Reviews for Cafe Mediterraneo Gourmet Pizza
The new Friday spot for lunch!
10" personal pizza (any type on the menu) + small salad + drink = about $8
This is gourmet pizza, people! At a Pizza Hut price!
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$4.99 lunch special that includes a small pepperoni pizza and a soft drink. Such a deal! The owner is very nice! And he said the special is good until closing which is 8pm today, which is a tuesday.
He wouldn't bad mouth any of his competitors- that's a true gentleman and a fair businessman. He told me the burger joint that just opened on Pine near Kearny is good, yet pricey...
He mentioned to me how expensive the rent is on Kearny. And purchasing food wholesale is going up all the time...
During my visit today, there was a young lady with a Suicide Girls hoodie- if she was half way decent looking I would have gone up to her and said I was a member for a year or so. No such luck...
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You just spent three hours in a meeting that runs until 1pm
...and they have the nerve to tell you at the end that they're not providing lunch. I felt like Blaine theater impresario Corky St. Clair as he said with feverish anger in "Waiting for Guffman" ..."Well, then, I just HATE you... and I hate your...ass...FACE!"
http://www.youtube.com...
Fortunately, I found my inner zen and went to Cafe Mediterraneo where I found my old best friend...carbs. I think there are places to sit in here, but I've never thought about eating pizza in front of people. Geez, my shirt is a magnet for grease stains, and my Tide stick only goes so far. I went for the $8.75 Fresca Pollo Pizza for one. Yes, a ten-inch round of chicken chunks and melted cheese (see my photo).
Sure, I was belchy ...and bitchy...afterward. What of it? Because you know what? Those people are BASTARD PEOPLE! No, no, not the Cafe Mediterraneo people. They're really nice. I mean those damn trainers in the class. Next time, I'm bringing my "Remains of the Day" lunch box and "My Dinner with Andre" action figures. I'm going to bite my pillow now.
PIZZA - 4 stars...actually really good for a one-person pizza...oh look, it comes with instructions on the box: "Warm it up in the oven. Don't warm it up. Who cares? You're alone."
AMBIANCE - 3 stars...(shrug)...I-I-I don't know...never ate IN the place
SERVICE - 4 stars...very friendly and patient
TOTAL - 4 stars...need a carb overload on a bad work day? well, here's the ticket
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Yay cheapish personal pizza and salad!!
Yay eggplant if I want it!!
Yay jealous coworkers!!
Boo Escape from NY Pizza!!
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i call him at 7:55. i order 5 pizzas and a few salads. he tells me it'll take 5 minutes.
i can't imagine anything better. do yourself a favor and go here all the time--like i do.
One of my favorite non-standard pizza spots. The Pizza with the camelized onions and the sausage is unreal ' Lucanzie?'. A must try. The bursting at the seams (all seams) mediterranean girl behind the counter would drive all the men in the area wild 3-4 years ago.
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For me the first thing I think of when I hear the phrase "personal pan pizza" is Book It by Pizza Hut back in elementary school. Anyone else?
While you don't get a star on your Book It pin when you come to Mediterraneo, you do get a pretty darn good gourmet personal pizza. I've only had some of the basic ones but I'm looking forward to trying more. Can't believe I've worked around the corner for a year and a half and only just now found out about this place. Yum!
Pretty nice little individual tasty pizzette. I had the pesto, which came with feta and tomatoes. The pizzettes are the perfect size, reminiscent of what you would get at a ballgame. Service is fast and they take the debits and the credits. And this breath of fresh air: the proprietor is genuinely pleased to serve you and appreciates your business. You can FEEL it. Can you feel it?
Meh. I wasn't impressed but I'm willing to try it again. Had the pepperoni pizza and a soda for ~$6. The pizza could've used more cheese, pepperoni, and sauce. The crust was decent though, and the cashier was super nice.
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Not a bad pizza, but not the greatest I have had. The lunch specials are really good - $5.42 for a 7" and a soda is pretty cool. The problem is the pizza just isn't that great, and 7" isn't big enough to really fill you up, so your left wanting something else.
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This is one of my favorite FiDi lunch spots. Pizza is very good--not the best I've ever had--but certainly some of the best I've had in the city. What I enjoy is the more traditional Italian toppings they have on most of the pizzas. It definitely provides a nice change of pace from the run-of-the-mill pepperoni, mushroom, sausage, etc. of most pizzas. The owner runs the cash register, as noted, and always makes the service quick and pleasant.
Toppings are quite tasty and fresh. The crust could be a little better. Pizzas are usually not too greasy, either, which is nice. The 7" will probably leave you wanting a little more (a piece of fruit or small salad will do the trick). The 10" will suffice if you're a little more on the hungry side, or if you're going to want a couple slices for an afternoon snack.
Overall, a great, affordable (especially in the FiDi) lunch option.
Three plus stars for food; the pizzas are good and they offer nice salads, all in a reasonably-priced (for FiDi) combo. One extra because the guy behind the counter (I should remember his name, but it escapes me) is so, so friendly and nice. When eating lunch alone and in a bad mood I've actually considered stopping in here to eat at the counter, even though I didn't feel like pizza at all, because I thought shooting the shit with him would cheer me up.
I really like pizza. I used to make pizza, come home bathing in the flour required to toss pizza with a pepperoni or two attached to an odd limb. I must say this pizza just ain't that good. Lunch special or no lunch special, I just don't think it's that great to pay $8 for not very good pizza.
The purest expression of what a pizza place should be...cozy, quick, and satisfying. The owner of this joint is excessively friendly, and aims to please.
How they survive the FiDi lunch rush every day with only two visible employees is beyond me.
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Thanks YELPERS!!! Today I tried this place based on the reviews of lunch spots in the FiDi and I have to say you guys were on the money with this one. I got a mista salad with blue cheese and walnuts, a 7" pizza with red onions, bell peppers and italian salami and a soda for less than ten bucks! What a way to start the work week. The pizza was awesome but the price can't be beat. Another option for lunch. Loved it!!
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Some of my co-workers clued me into this pizza spot, and what a sweet lunch find it is! You order at the counter and it's hard to get a seat, but whether you eat in or take out, it's definitely a delicious deal.
For around eight bucks, you get a small pizza (with whatever toppings), a salad and a soda.
Next time, I'm going for a calzone, see what happens from there.
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A decent place for a decent pizza, personal-size. Heated up before your eyes, nice and warm. Bright, clean atmosophere, and the woman who often seems to be working the register is friendly. A good lunch option.
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Solid lunch choice. The food quality is actually closer to a three star, but at a solid price reflecting this mediocrity I'll give this place four stars. That and the proprieter informed me that I could have "whatever I want, whatever my heart desired" which, coming from the mouth of a man is basically my favorite phrase ever.
My dining companion and I shared notes and both left satisfied. I found my artichoke, ham and onion pizzeta to be fairly scrummy, but the salad was just a bunch of weeds with one tomato and some shaves of blue cheese. Could amp up the tomatoes and earn the fourth star in the food/value area.
All in all an excellent, inexpensive spot for lunch. Arrive around 11:45 am and snag the table in the window for Fidi people watching.
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Fantastic little pizza place; the food fresh and tastes great, and the owner is a very pleasant guy. It's not terribly expensive either; try the pizzetta of the day combo -- comes with a great salad and a drink!
Solid, comforting, tasty, reasonably speedy. Too cheesy to really be gourmet, but the rustica comes with *lots* of roasted garlic.
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As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a great lunch spot in the FIDI. The lunch pizza combo (with a soda and a great little salad that usually has walnuts and blue cheese pieces) is an awesome deal. Kearny Street has a few other pizza places (like Pomodoro), but this is my preferred choice when I get the pizza cravings. Seating can be tight, especially during the lunch rush, but we've always managed to get a seat by the time our pies came out.
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The pizza here is a steal, as are the combo deals (which include a salad and soda). You get your own personal sized pizza, so it's definitely the place to go if you're craving for more than a slice. Each is made to order, so there will be a wait. I dropped in before heading home to nurse a hangover--surprisingly, I think I would've enjoyed it more completely sober.
Drunk rating: 3
Sober rating: 4
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As you can see, the personal sized pizza is a hit here, no question.
The crust is pretty tasty and perfectly baked though the industrial conveyor belt toaster oven. Each pizza is baked to order, so you know it's as fresh as it can get. The margherita is my fav and the luganega comes a very close second (italian sausage, caramelized onions, fontina). Around $5 for the pizzeta and around $7 for the larger one. For me, the pizzeta is a healthy enough portion for an average lunch.
But the other little nugget of information for this place is the chicken salad ("pollo" $4.50). Simple on a bed of chopped romaine lettuce, sprinkled with carrots, and topped off with a generous amount of grilled chicken breast - not the fake microwave dinner faux-chicken, but actual seasoned grilled yet moist chicken chunks. The house brown slightly creamy vinaigrette-like dressing (on the side) is definitely flavorful - tangy semi-sweet but very layered and unique. They always give you two plastic vessels of it, but you only really need one. For 50 cents (i think. maybe $1) more, you can get the same pizza dough crust round as a side, which is also toasted through the machine. It's heavily seasoned with herbs and it's a great compliment to the salad. I always ask for 'well done', because I like it a little more crispy - makes it like a crouton.
These are nice little pizzas! Not your regular greasy slice, but a gourmet personal sized pie. I got a whole 7" pizza for myself, but the smaller pizzeta looked like it would have been enough for lunch as well, depending on your appetite. The combo special with salad and a drink looked like a great deal, and the interior was nice enough to actually stay and eat the meal there. Now, if it were only closer to the office...
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Just had their sausage and red onion large pizza and it was very nice. Good quality sausage and just he right amount of sauce, excellent crust done with perfect crispness. $6.78 after tax. A good spot for a classy pizza. Will try their calzone next time. Pleasant small seating area, nice staff, call ahead to order ahead for immediate eating upon arrival, (though I don't think they have a website for a menu). Cups with ice water pitcher, something I always appreciate as a non-soda person.
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Mediterraneo makes a mean margherita pizza. This place has weird karma for me because this where my wallet was stolen while I was eating.
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It's pretty hard to find any fault with this place. The made-to-order pizzas are delicious, made with care, and are a remarkable value. I love sitting in the window seat, watching the folks go by on Kearny. The staff and management are fantastic, too.
If they sold slices, this would be my most favorite place to grab some quick 'za. Still, even though it takes a few minutes for the pie to be served, they expedite the orders pretty quickly, and it's well worth the wait.
Very tasty and affordable pizzettas, and the service is also great. I think this is the best pizza place in the financial district, although it'sdefinitely not NY style pizza. Their italian selections are better than the "american" ones.
Awesome authentic Italian and/or American style pizzas and pizzetas. I highly recommend whatever special pizzetta combo they're having any day, it comes with a salad and soda. Sometimes it's just best to leave it up to the restaurant itself to decide what kind of pizza you should have. The eating area is kind of tight and crowded, so you may want to have it to go on a busy day. Definitely my favorite place in the area and a definite alternative to Pomodoro's pizzas.
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Fantastic lunch spot! The prices are very reasonable, the serving size is great, ingredients are fresh, and the owners are really friendly!
They have a set of "standard" pizzas but you can always add or build a custom version. Then they make it and put it on the oven (like one of those moving toaster ovens where the bread goes in one side and toast out the other) and your pizza comes out piping hot and fresh! Nothing is pre-made or sitting around - each order is fresh.
I would highly recommend Mediterraneo - fantastic lunch & great deal!
I go here when I just want to have a comforting meal. The pizzas are made ready to order and the lunch deal is great. Sometimes I have to wait a while and the owner is usually on the phone, but I'm always satisfied. It's a good alternative to the thai, chinese and just plain old sandwich crowd around the area. Seating is limited, but I've never found it THAT busy. Plus, you can always take a box back to your desk and make everyone jealous while the aroma of cheese and garlic wafts through the office. I've converted some employees, oh yes I have.
One of the first lunch spots i frequented when i first moved here and was working in the findist. the pizza lunch special is a good deal. nothing remarkable but good dependable pizza.
This is one of my favorite lunch spots. Their special changes every day and is a good deal with the sald and drink.
The combo special comes with a salad, 6'' personal pizza, and soda. It's $6.78 after tax and is quite satisfying for that price. The pizza had good cheese and tasted great -- the special was sausage and red onion. It's not too crazy there so you shouldn't have a problem finding a spot at one of a few tables or several bar stools. The atmosphere is very friendly there. Good eats!
Still an oldie but a goody. I've been going here since 1999...getting the exact same pizzas and salads.
The misto salad with chicken is really fresh and still only about $5.
The pizza bread (thin crust dough baked w/ Parmesan+seasoning on top) is so fragrant and delicious.
The Luganega (sausage, caramelized onions+fontina chs) pizzetta is divine -I haven't found a pizza combo that I like more.
So glad to have had these guys in my lunch rotation for so long.
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Terrifically consistent lunch spot. The lunch special is a steal: For under $8, you get a big-ass soda, a salad, and a mini pizza. That will keep you satisfied until dinner for sure. The ingredients have always been fresh and the service is ALWAYS with a smile (now I wait to be contradicted).
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