Pizza Week on What's To Eat LA: Damiano's Mr. Pizza

412 N Fairfax Ave
Los Angeles, CA 90036
(323)658-7611
Daily 11am-6am

This week is all about pizza. Hope I don't lose any fans in the process.


Pizza. There's so much you can say about a bread crust covered in sauce and cheese. It's simple like a taco and yet very complex with how subtle things must be for it to be anything special. I've had lots of pizza in LA, and for what it's worth, I'm not trying to declare what you should or shouldn't like when it comes to pizza. My feelings on this particular subject are that it's all how we grew up. Some people will swear by Papa John's or Little Caesars or Pizza Hut. Some people define Pizzeria Mozza as the quintessential best in Los Angeles while some still have a special home in their hearts for California Pizza Kitchen (I shudder just writing that).

Damiano's Mr. Pizza on Fairfax in the thick of the Fairfax District holds a special place in my heart for more than one reason. Let me start by saying that according to Yelp, and a few choice others, that by me saying that, I will have made some enemies. I'm not going to argue and call the Yelpers liars or anything but I just have to disagree from my own experience in eating out...often.

Let me first remark on some of the obvious qwirks of Damiano's. If you decide to eat inside be aware that they haven't had the lights on in there for what seems like possibly a decade if they ever had them on at all. So if you plan on eating in, realize that you probably only want the first table closest to the door if it's night time and possibly the 3rd table in if you're eating in the daytime. The beer selection is extensive and I do mean 40+ different types extensive(some pricier, some cheaper). The wait staff changes a lot. This apparently according to Yelpers is something to complain about. It's pizza. You don't really have to have a degree to know the toppings on the pizza, the sizes you carry, the beverages and scribbling ability for the cook. That being said, every time I've gone has been great. I'm not going to define great by being the most amazing experience, but it's been consistently good, and no drama at all from the wait staff. I don't look anything special to naked eye, so it's not like they respected me more than anyone else. In fact, I look rather forgettable in a crowd of middle class 20 something Angelenos. One last thing before I get onto the actual pizza, they deliver... and deliver LATE (they close at 6 AM!) if need be! Not to mention, when I asked what there radius was they said wherever. There is a charge for getting that pizza wherever so always ask how much extra for delivery to Glendale ;)

Their pizza, in my mind(from growing up in the Bronx and Connecticut), tastes very similar to NY pizza. How do they do it? I don't know. BUT, there is one thing that all the NY pizza I ever had that was different... certain spices. Hard to put my finger on it but I know it's missing that one key element. If I may, let me go off on a tangent. What's the deal with it being like, "Ahhh...now that's a NY style pizza" or can you believe this Chicago-style deep-dish dough. Like those are what define amazing pizza. Pizza is good if you like it. Plain and simple. In my mind it's the whole wine mentality. Drink what tastes good to you not what someone tells you tastes good or by how expensive it is. The cheese is very well cheesy haha. Not a cheese soup and the dough is almost crunchy thin crust but inside it's fluffy.

(Does this look dried out and gross as according to some Yelpers?)

As mentioned before they do deliver ultra late and there's always a delivery charge. Now here is where I will possibly talk a little down. I've heard horror stories from lots of different places with pizza delivery. Sometimes you get a sucky driver who doesn't deliver your pizza. In such an instance when you don't trust the driver, pay with cash. If the pizza comes super late don't pay for it. Or if you're really evil and don't care about ordering from them again don't open your door. It sucks but business is business. You shouldn't have to pay for something you don't want or that didn't come to you in a timely manner. Bottomline is that if you're pissed off with a delivery then call the place of business and complain. Some people just let themselves be victims and never stand up for themselves and then piss and moan about it on a forum. That's not right. I say all this cause people have complained about having bad delivery stories from Damiano's (via Yelp). If we were to see all the times Pizza Hut screwed up a delivery they would be out of business from all the bad press. You just expect it to happen sometimes. What can you do?

Do I like Damiano's? Yup sure do (so does Pat at Eating LA who writes for Variety). It's a huge (big freaking NY style slices), tasty, cheesy pizza pie that reminds me of living in New York (notice I said it reminds ME) and they've consistently given me a great pizza pie that's hard to beat for the things that are on my intangible taste list for pizza. Oh and not everyone on Yelp says they've had a bad experience...some people would take a bullet for Damiano's and some even say it's the best pizza they've had in LA. But what do they know ;)

As a very odd PS., many people love to come here at one in the morning when they've been out drinking...a lot (particularly after a show at Largo). Something about being buzzed and good pizza.

Free Drink Refills: On normal soda yes on everything else no
Entree Price Range: To not quote dollar amounts I'll give a single $ instead.