The Brief

Last month, Los Angeles was plunged into mourning when news broke that Arby's on Sunset Boulevard would close after 55 years.

Fans of fast food nostalgia lamented the potential loss of the classic sign out front: The 10-gallon cowboy hat, outlined with yellow neon and kitschy Western font that glowed in the red night, and felt like a landmark welcoming you as you drove onto Sunset Boulevard from the nearby 101 Freeway off-ramps.

But as it turns out, the sign isn’t going anywhere for now. It's simply getting a new temporary tenant until Halloween: A drive-thru pizzeria.

Who is the mastermind?

Yes, a drive-thru pizzeria. Enter Lawrence Longo, the CEO of Prince Street Pizza's West Coast location. The iconic NYC pizzeria began on New York’s Lower East Side and has gradually expanded to other parts of the country, including Southern California, West Hollywood, DTLA, Studio City, Costa Mesa, and even San Diego.

What is Prince Street Pizza all about?

Prince Street has built a name by serving Sicilian-style square slices with a thick, crispy crust on the outside that's doughy on the inside. Each slice is topped with an obscene amount of cupped pepperonis, just the way we love it.

Longo and his team have converted the old Arby’s location into a drive-thru pizza place, just like in Italy (well, sort of). This week, I had a chance to try it out in advance of their opening, now scheduled for Aug. 16.

What’s on the menu?

I chose three slices for my slice selection to get the full spectrum of flavors, including their Spicy Spring ($7) featuring a spicy tomato sauce, with a combination of mozzarella and pecorino romano. The Naughty Pie ($7) is made with a spicy vodka sauce, topped with pepperoni, mozzarella, ricotta, and Zab's hot honey. I also opted for the Sunset Square ($7) for the third slice, made with their sweet marinara topped with mozzarella, pecorino romano, and garlic. I also ordered their smoked mozzarella sticks, a special with their “No Ranch” creamy garlic dipping sauce.

What I ordered — and ate.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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So, how was it?

The pizza at the Prince Street Pizza drive-thru manages to achieve all it sets out to do by serving up hot-and-ready slices that are meant to be consumed immediately.

In most cases, that means while sitting in your car in the adjoining lots or at one of the few tables out front underneath that iconic sign that now reads “L.A. Traffic Sucks A Lot Less with Slice” with the words “No Ranch” underneath. On my visit, there was no way to enter the old building. The entire shell of the interior of the restaurant space has now been devoted to making and serving pizzas via the drive-thru window.

The Spicy Spring slice was a high point, given the boundless amount of pepperoni paired with the doughy center of the crust. My least favorite was the Naughty Pie. I was confused about why the ricotta topping was baked along with the pizza, leaving the surface with a large, dark, burned spot, making for a hard texture and a slightly acrid taste. (A simple way to remedy this would be to add the ricotta after baking so it retains its cool, creamy, fresh consistency.)

How quickly can you get in and out?

The location of the drive-thru on Prince Street is convenient, just off the 101 Freeway exit for Sunset Boulevard. It should make grabbing a slice or two a breeze for those curious to try it. As noted, this is the type of food meant to be consumed as quickly as possible, so if you try to travel long distances with it, the pizza will lose its integrity, something to keep in mind as you plan your travels. I found this out the hard way. I let the mozzarella sticks sit a bit too long, and they became rubbery after about 10 minutes.

The central location will work especially well for those headed to the nearby Hollywood Palladium, and one could enjoy a slice pre- or post-concert. I could see myself doing this next time I’m in the neighborhood — hold the burnt ricotta.