Bus stop, wet day, she’s there, I say, “Please share my slice of pizza.”
My apologies to songwriter Graham Gouldman and the hit song “Bus Stop” he wrote for The Hollies in 1966, but I just couldn’t resist. However, just one look (yet another Hollies pun!) at the photo above, and you will see why this is one of the best-named pizza joints of all time. And, while it was far from being one of the best slices I’ve ever had, it’s an inviting local business that I’m glad to have visited.
Bus Stop Pizza sits in the heart of one of my favorite San Francisco neighborhoods. Considering that my son, The Kid, and his wife live nearby, I guess can call it my “hood away from home.” I’m referring to the Divisadero Street commercial district that hosts several fine eclectic restaurants and some cool hip coffee shops.
I missed Bus Stop the day earlier when they were closed on Thanksgiving weekend Saturday. So, the next night, The Kid and I took my grand dog for a walk to go and grab a slice.
There’s not much too look at inside Bus Stop’s small sparse square room. But, it’s clean and comfortable. It was late and I was surprised to see that they still had a slice pie out. Three slices remained at this late hour when business was mostly takeout and delivery.
I ordered a plain cheese slice ($3.25) from the kind owners who were there running the place. (You can read about them here.) I waited at the counter space on the side wall while my slice received some good TLC and was reheated in their CPO (conventional pizza oven) for several minutes.
Not expecting this to be a “Five-Slice Pizza Snob” experience, it was no surprise that the Bus Stop slice was whiter, softer and thicker than I would have wanted it to be. Appearances aside however, it did taste pretty good. I ate every bit of it and was glad that I did.
Despite its puffiness, it surprisingly wasn’t overly-filling, and I left happy and content. All said and done though, a little more tomato sauce, a little less cheese, a crisper-cooked crust and a little spicing up with some garlic and oregano wouldn’t have hurt this one. Still, the collective parts managed to somehow meet and satisfy with the crust scoring the highest among the parts.
Bus Stop may not make an extraordinary slice, but its sure better than any chain crap that you’d get, and it’s a place I’m happy to have in my “hood away from home.” I won’t be sending you out of your way to go there, but said simply, it’s not bad pizza. Just nothing special!
PIZZA SNOB RATING ***1/2 Working on a Good Thing
Bus Stop Pizza
256 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94117
415-626-5569
[no website]