The Brief

Grabbing a slice of pizza is in my blood. Yes, like for many, it's a nostalgic thing. It goes back to when I frequented my local pizzeria, Marco Polo, after school in my hometown of Whittier. Their "Special," two slices and a small soda, was $2.50. Perfect for a teenager's spending power. The price these days is $5, which is still pretty good, but that experience left a lasting impression. Ever since then, I've been a slice guy, and am always on the lookout for a good place to get one.

Here's the thing. It's true that New York's probably better known for the grab and go eat-on-the-sidewalk kind of thing (think John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever), but L.A. is FULL of places offering perfect, premium slices.

That's why I've devised this list of six favorites, ranging from the SFV to Long Beach, for when you need a quick fix.

We've laid out some ground rules:

First, all the pizza here must be sold by the slice — no whole pies.

Second, we've decided to omit square slices; while we are big fans of the pizza genre, we've decided to save that list for another day.

Third, we love a good lunch combo special, so if we can enjoy our slice with a drink or salad, we'll also note that. Sound good? LET'S GO!!

Prime Pizza

The 2 Slice Combo with both cheese and pepperoni slices from Prime Pizza

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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With the tagline "New York style pizza made for L.A.," Prime Pizza, with its various locations, has some excellent options for slices, including the single slice of cheese ($4) and the pepperoni ($4.75). However, we opted to grab the two cheese slice combo with a drink ($10, hello Cheap Fast Eats), and you can also mix and match toppings for a slightly higher price point.

The slice stays in its lane with a crispy crust and a respectable amount of sauce, perfect to satisfy your pizza craving in a jiff. It's the type to conjure middle school days after skateboarding with friends, and we love it.

Hot Tongue Pizza

The best of both worlds at Hot Tongue: a cheese slice and their Arrabbiatia, a vegan slice made with spicy crushed tomatoes, cashew mozzarella, red pepper, white onion, almond parmesan, and fresh basil

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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You'll find the quasi-vegan pizzeria called Hot Tongue Pizza in Silver Lake. I use the term quasi because they started as vegan only and then added meat options later. Each slice costs around $6, but Hot Tongue also offers a great combo lunchtime option where you can get two slices and a canned soda for $10.

If you're an omnivore like yours truly, you can go both ways. Get one vegan slice, such as their Arabbiatta with cashew mozzarella, spicy tomato sauce, roasted red peppers, white onion, basil and almond parmesan. It's saucy, sweet, and filled with fresh flavors.

Then get their cheese slice, with grated parmesan cheese and mozzarella. The vast, sizable slices hit the spot with their chewy, sweet crust. If you're dining in, douse your pizza slices with Zab's Hot Sauce for a bit more sweet heat.

Shins

The herbed meatball slice with a side of celery salad from Shin's Pizza

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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The hottest block in Cypress Park also has great pizza at Shins. (They're next to our favorite Portuguese restaurant, Barra Santos). Shin's offers plenty of choices when it comes to slices, from their mortadella slice, which I included in the Best Things I Ate In 2023 round-up, to their sausage and mushroom.

They also have a rotating pizza of the month, which they sell by the slice. When I visited, it was a delightful herbed meatball containing a proper dusting of pecorino romano. I'd be remiss not to mention their side salads, like their celery salad with sliced Fresno chilies, chunks of crumbled blue cheese, and pistachios. That fresh salad crunch pairs exceptionally well with the light and airy pizza. Pro tip: Ask for some of their house-made ranch for dipping.

Milanas

The Sheephead's Bay slice from Long Beach's Milana's always hits

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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I could not make a pizza slice list without mentioning one of my favorites in my hometown of Long Beach, Milana's. The New York-style pie joint specializes in a series of East Coast-style pies, but the standout for me is the Sheepshead Bay, made with house-made meatballs topped with pillow-soft dollops of ricotta and sprinkled with bits of basil.

This exceptionally piled slice features a great combination of flavors, the soft creaminess of the cheese, with just a slight bit of sharp flavor perfectly cutting through the fattiness from the sliced meatballs, containing elements of both soft and crispy that defy categorization and drive the whole thing home.

Gorilla Pies

The lunchtime special at Gorilla Pies includes a loroco slice, which is vegetable commonly found in pupusas, and their kraut-chi made with pickled cabbage. There is also the Armenian slice with a ranch sauce base, mozzarella cheese, cherry tomato, cilantro, and feta.

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Heading out to the San Fernando Valley? Make a pitstop at Chef Ben Osher's Gorilla Pies. The small but mighty pizzeria churns out some seriously exciting pies with daily specials.

When I visited, they had an Armenian slice made with a ranch sauce base and mozzarella cheese topped with cherry tomato, cilantro, and feta. I also had a Loroco slice, named after the vegetable most commonly found in El Salvadoran cooking, that's baked into the cheese layer, and their kraut-chi, a pickled cabbage making for a great mixture of savory and cheesy flavors on their oh-so-soft crust that feels like a dream.

Pizzeria Bianco

The red sauce and green sauce slices at Pizzeria Bianco are both bursting with flavor and textures

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Gab Chabrán

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LAist

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Visiting Chris Bianco's temple of pizza cookery, Pizzeria Bianco, at The Row near downtown is always worth seeking out. Plus, you can't beat free two-hour parking. Grab either their red or green slice: the red slice ($5) showcases their all-killer, no-filler approach with only house cheese blend and tomato sauce. The green contains caciocavallo, a soft Italian cheese, parmesan, and spinach cream sauce. Both slices come in a signature pizza crust that's well-cooked with a tight pull on each bite.