Pizza is AMAZING. Â Best pizza in Orange County, hands down. Â The pizza is very consistent; Â high quality cheese and thin tasty, crunchy bread. Â We drive for 20 minutes each way just to get it. Â I would stay away from the garlic knots though. Â Not very good; Â tasted like they were drenched in olive oil and not very tasty.
Review Source:Lunch stop. We had the knots to start that were OK. For pizza we ordered a Pauley's Special (whole pie instead of a slice or two and had some left for later). The pizza was good and not at all greasy! Would suggest to call ahead and get a carry out and take it home as the dine in was not relaxing.
Review Source:I can have pizza any day, and this place makes some pretty good pizza. I was contemplating on getting pizza from this place or Brick Pizzeria next door, and I'm glad I walked two more blocks to try this place. My favorite is that they add fresh garlic to their pizza (most of them), and the slices are huge. Very reasonably priced and made my day more enjoyable at work . Good food makes me happy :)
Review Source:OMG! It's like I've had pizza for the 1st time! My beautiful wife brought home a box of leftover pizza from La Rocco's last night. Inside were slices from five different pizzas and I tried em all. Best pizza I have ever had!!! And the crust!! OMG the crust is something I usually toss to my dogs but not this crust! I don't know what's in it but I'm pretty sure it's addictive. Let me go on record as saying I am a professional in the food business, I am something of a gourmet food snob and married to an Italian (also in the food business) and she really knows how to cook. We both agree that La Rocco's pizzas are head & shoulders above the crowd and put most other pizzas to shame. Warning! Try La Rocco's Pizzeria once and you will not be able to enjoy pizza from anywhere else ever again. They are on a whole different level. Prepare to be wow'd!
Review Source:3.5 stars rounded up. Pretty decent NY style Pizza by the slice. Would be even better if I was buzzed first! Garlic knots are decent- not As amazing as C&Os in Santa Monica but tasty still. You really can't go wrong with bread, butter and garlicky goodness. Pizza was tasty, good sauce to cheese ratio. Place is just a beach town grab and go, decor is meh but service is fast and friendly. Great location for a quick bite to eat. I had the pizza puttanesca- artichoke hearts, olives and parm. Really tasty and they give HUGE slices!
Yummilicious Factor = B+
Two words: food poisoning .... twice.
I ate here a year or so ago, and got food poisoning... spent the whole next 24hours throwing up and taking care of business. I warned my co-workers not to eat there, but they went there today and 2 of them and throwing up and sick.
Are the employees even washing their hands? Who knows... but Ill never step foot in there again.
Very NYC style pizza and dwelling excluding the glass case running parallel with the front door due to limited space in the big city. Â ;)
We opted for the rapid-fire "heat and serve" pre-made slices. Â Obviously the con here would be that the ingredients aren't as fresh. Â Next time we'll buy a fresh custom ordered pie. Â Regardless, this is very nice pie. Â They did a very quick re-heat but surprisingly the pizza came out almost piping hot. Â The crust is quite crunchy likely due to the re-heating. Â We had the spinach/cheese/garlic/Italian sausage slices. Â Fortunately, they use real Italian sausage not those processed "goat balls" that major chains tend to use. Â I was glad to see they sell Pellegrino Italian sodas (Orange or Lemon) which are very thirst quenching.
The garlic knots (essentially bread balls with garlic, herb and dusted with cheese) were pretty good. Â They weren't dry and were somewhere between crunchy and soft.
I will say that you won't feel you're in a coastal town however as it is "monkey hot" inside. Â I know it is a pizzeria and that can be "par for the course" but the two ceiling fans didn't cut the mustard on that. Â Next time I'll opt for a cooler day or do take-out as it definitely sabotaged the dining experience when you're sweating bullets and only getting hotter due to consuming food.
It is with a heavy heart I write this update. I loved this place. The best pizza out here hands down. I came here last night for a plain pie with peppers and onions. I was eating it when something didn't taste right, The crust had lost it's flavor and the sauce did not have that nice tangy taste like I remember. I noticed that the Marzano Tomatoe cans were gone replaced with generic cans. I asked the help. Did something change? Where's Paulie? I was told the place had been sold.
I dropped to my knees looked up to the sky and asked why, why would someone mess with perfection?
Oh well, another one bites the dust to save a few pennies.
Wow this pizza is that good! Tons of different options to choose by the slice. Low on the meat selection, mostly have vegetarian pizzas but that's ok with me. We tried about 4 or 5 different kinds and they were all incredible! Will definitely be back when in the area.
tip: apparently there is extra seating in the back, you have to walk thru the kitchen to get there! cool!
Loved this pizza!!! Â I was with my boyfriend's family who are from NY/NJ. Â His parents found this place and they say it's the best NY pizza they have had in CA. Â We got one with pepperoni, sausage, and mushrooms and one with half white pizza with ricotta, the other half the white pizza with artichoke and sauce on top. Â The white pizza with ricotta was my favorite.... SO GOOD! Â We are going back on Friday, I can't wait!
The only downside is that to get to the bathroom or the back dining room you have to go outside around the building and come in the back door. Â It's because the kitchen is right in the middle of the restaurant. Â Weird, but if that's what it takes to make this pizza I can deal.
We got their pepperoni pizza to go (see attached photo) during Superbowl 2012 weekend. Â It may look like a regular pizza, but it was ranked one of the Top 25 OC restaurants in 2011 and it's truly authentic New York style pizza!
When I think of NY pizza, however, I envision John's Pizzeria in NYC. Â Nothing stacks up to that, thus the 4 star rating instead of 5. Â But I guarantee you that you'd have a hard time finding anything close to NY style pizza in OC than La Rocco's. Â
It's a little hole in the wall and you'll need to find street parking. Â Definitely a go-to for your NY pizza cravings!
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So far this is the closest thing to NY pizza i've had here in SoCal. I'm from slightly "upstate" NY so I know good pizza. I ordered the white artichoke pizza. It was really good! Had marinated artichokes, cheese, garlic and a line of tomatoe sauce down the middle. Great garlic flavor, great cripsy crust, great sauce. I'm so happy I tried the pizza at La Rocco's.
Review Source:After setting up camp at nearby San Clemente state beach, our group headed out in search of food. Came across this awesome pizzeria. Plenty of parking in the rear and surrounding streets. Once we walked in the smell was overwhelming. Everything looked so good. The front has a few tables and is on the warm side. Then I saw a note saying their back room was open. Had to go around the outside to the back entrance but what a difference. Cool with ceiling fans blowing. Plenty of seats and big tables.
The guys working this place were so friendly and helpful. You can buy pizza by the slice or whole or get the assorted. For the same price as a whole you get to mix and match 8 pieces of their pre made slices. Much faster and the variety was impressive.
Are you fucking kidding me? What does everyone see in this place?
4.5 rating on Yelp led me here and all I can say is....OVERRATED. Tried a slice of whitesone and a slice of brooklyn. Both sucked. Aside from the pizza being mediocre (borderline not good), the guy running the front counter was pretty much incompetent. Also, they don't have lids or straws. What a joke.
I might give this place another shot just in case this was a one-off situation, but then again, I probably won't.
Why is this place so so so good???? I really didn't think I would be walking into the best pizza joint on earth. I was merely visiting San Clemente for the weekend and riding my bike with my bf when he said he kind of wanted to try this place. I was full and agreed to share one slice with him.
We got a slice of the Whitestone pizza because the guy working there said it was his favorite. After one bite into that slice and I had to stop and turn my head to stare at my fiancé. I always thought pizza was just pizza, but this was something else!!! The ball of ricotta cheese on the slice went perfectly with the warm stretchy mozzarella cheese. I think what sold me was the garlic buttered thin crispy crust. I got a second slice.
The next day, we were leaving San Clemente but before we left, we stopped by la Rocco's to pick up a whole box of the Whitestone pizza. If you do decide to take the pizza from here home, it is a requirement that they are heated up in the oven before eating. No microwaves or eating it cold, they must be heated in the oven so that the crust retains its crispness and the cheese is gooey and stretchy again.
I just wish they would make one closer to me! La Rocco's.. Can you guys open up another shop in Fullerton please?
Tell ya, their dough is simply amazing. Thin crust baby!
Whitestone: amazing three cheese pizza, right up there in best of best cheese pizzas.
Pauly's: hints of garlic with fresh chopped basil!
Pepperoni Knots and ok, but just average. Â The regular knots taste a bit better (not tainted by the pepperoni).
ALWAYS enjoy the food here with the pizza being the star. Â The best deal hands down is the '2 slice & a soda' deal for $6.95.
Oh, they do have more sitting in the back, but you have to go around the building to the back. Â I made the mistake of awkwardly walking thru the kitchen to the back since the door was accidentally locked.
Great service, great pizza, and a relax atmosphere ... can't ask for anything more.
(Now, If I can only convince them to deliver to Irvine)
If you like thin crust/NY style pizzas, then look no further than La Rocco's. At any given time they will have around 6-8 pizzas ready including a couple of specialty pizzas in the case which, upon ordering, will be put into the oven to be warmed up for a few minutes before serving.
We tried the La Rocco, White and Puttanesca -- all were really good. I loved the crust and how nice and chewy it was. The toppings are not intrusive and overbearing so you get a good topping to base/crust ratio.
The boys behind the counter don't smile much, but it's okay, the pizza makes up for it.
The best pizza I've had in California. This place would probably survive as a neighborhood joint in Philly or new York. I mean that as a high compliment for a pizza joint. Â Good thin crust and tasty toppings.
When I first came to Cali and had disappointing pizza experiences, I thought the problem must be in the earth's magnetic field. How else to explain uniformly poor product? Then, finally, it hit me that you can't cook something properly if you don't know how it should taste. La Rocco's original owner solved the problem, since he was from Brooklyn. At last, a good pizza in California.
UPDATE~ Â I'M HAPPY TO REPORT THAT AFTER WRITING THIS REVIEW, THE EMPLOYEE WHO WAS SO RUDE WAS FIRED. Â I UPPED MY RATING, BECAUSE THE PIZZA IS SO DELICIOUS, BUT I STILL HAVE RESERVATIONS CONCERNING THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE.
I wish I could leave less than one star! Â I have never yelped before, but I just had to get the word out on this place. Â While the pizza is fabulous, it is not worth the horrible service and after tonight, I will never go back and I hope that no one else does either. Â
Normally, the service is just bad. Â The young boys who work there are rarely polite and often act as though you are bothering them when you order a pizza. Â The store closes pretty early, and they won't take an order half an hour before they close. Â That means that you can't order a pizza at 8:30 at night. Â Not great customer service, but if you know about it, you can work around it. Â Unless you call forty minutes before they close and they still won't take an order, which has happened to me on two separate occasions.
But tonight was the final straw for me. Â When I got home, there was raw garlic on my pizza, which I specificallly asked them to exclude. Â I called because I wanted them to know they had screwed up. Â The young man was beyond rude. Â I asked to speak to the manager. Â He told me the manager was not there. Â Then I asked his name. Â He got progressively more beligerent, threatening to hang up on me if I didn't calm down, (which I didn't think that continuing to ask his name seemed overly distraught,) and finally he told me I could F*&** myself. Â Several times. Â At that point I told him that I would get him fired and hung up. Â I cannot believe this is how the owners want their customers treated, but if it is, I'm hoping that San Clemente will not support their business.
Great pizza, definitely NY style.
Pros?
-Interesting topping options
-Delicious big slices
-Friendly atmosphere
-Tasty sauces
Cons?
-So busy it is hard to sit down
-A bit pricey for toppings, but I guess most places are
Tips?
-Take off your jacket, and maybe your pants, it is hot!
-Order ahead
-There is a lot of cheese (lactose intolerant people run away) and not a lot of sauce... Ask for sides!
God lifted up a small patch of New York City and placed it on the Pacific Coast in the town of San Clemente. Â The holiness of this action still lingers within the pizza crust baked by mortals hands in the pizza ovens of La Rocco's Pizzeria.
Though not a native New Yorker, I spent 5 years living in Manhattan and Brooklyn - and feel justified in being a pizza snob as I try what the west coast has to offer. Â I was encouraged to try La Rocco's by my born, raised, and educated in NYC friend who is now a California immigrant living in Orange County. Â He gives a stamp of approval on the authenticity of this New York style pizza and I concur.
Now the price of a slice is more than I was accustom to in NYC. Â It's $3+ per slice and my standard used to be $1.50/slice. Â However, when you factor in the price of airfare it's a steal. Â
I ordered one slice of La Rocco's and one slice of the Chef's pizza. Â The La Rocoo's had pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, and strong garlic on the expected red sauce and mozzarella. Â The Chef's was a red sauce and mozzarella with oregano and healthy slices of tomato.
Beer is available by the bottle.
Been to this place about a dozen times, and it is truly consistent. This is the best pizza in orange county! It is thin NY style with crunchy crust and the cheese is baked to perfection!
Many pizza places in The OC use a screen to bake it on, funny none of the pizza places I go to in New York use a screen and guess what Larocco's doesn't use a screen either score another point for them.
This place is awesome!!!!
So, I heard this place imports their water from Brooklyn - is this a fact?
I LOVE their pizza!! I've only had pizza like this in one other place... NYC. This little place called Posto PIzza. I'll never forget the thin crust with a subtle crunch. I craved that pizza for like the past 2 years.
Thank goodness for La Rocco's. The crust is EXACTLY the same... I'm totally in love :) Yay.
Trust me, I know pizza. Â I love pizza. Â I have practically studied pizza. Â And, for Southern California, La Rocco's Pizzeria is as good as it can be.
Fashioned in true New York style, a La Rocco's slice has everything a pizza aficionado craves: paper thin crust, tart San Marzano tomato sauce, fresh buffalo mozzarella and that nice, dusty burnt bottom. Â
Typically, I stroll over to La Rocco's after a long day at the beach in San Clemente. Â The smell wafting down the street brings many a beachcomber. Â There can be a line for your pie, but it is well worth it .. and, luckily for a dog lover like me, there is an adorable pet boutique right next door to hinder the hungry wait.
The restaurant is modern and fresh. Â You can eat in or take out. Â However, any great slice deserves the respect to be devoured fresh out of the oven. Â
Enjoy, and just remember, when the top of your roof burns from the first bite, you know it is a perfect slice.
Maybe you've never been to New York before, maybe you've never been lucky enough to try Grimaldi's under the Brooklyn Bridge or John's on Bleecker in Greenwich Village, maybe you're broke as a joke and can't afford to hop a flight to JFK for dinner. Maybe you just want some reefreakindiculously good authentic NY-style thin crust pizza for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner. Maybe you're lucky enough to live near San Clemente's downtown rendition of the greatest thin crusted pie this side of the Hudson. Maybe you're contemplating driving all the way from Fill in the blank, CA to La Rocco's for some killer pizza and savory garlic knots.
It's worth it.
I'm a new fan here at this pizzeria. The slices here are pretty big and there was a wide selection out on display.
Their special....2 slices and a drink for $6.95. And there is no minimum purchase if you use a credit card. It's a relatively small restaurant of about 6 or 7 tables. But it wasn't an issue when I came in for lunch since I was the only one there.
The staff were pretty friendly too and kept themselves busy in the back. I like all the New York pictures and paraphernelia they had on the walls. They have a couple of tv's and stuff. This is my new lunch spot.
Hmmm...I beginning to like San Clemente...something to think about if I'm gonna move up here.
I was born and raised on the east coast and consider myself a pizza connoisseur as I have had it all. Â NY, NJ, and Chicago style to name a few. Â La Rocco's is the best pizza in Southern California HANDS DOWN! Â If you like New York Style pizza, you will love La Rocca's. Â Glad La Rocca's is in my town. Â This is a must if you are ever in San Clemente.
BTW, the garlic knot's rock!
Thin New York pies with a thick New York attitude.
Not my favorite style of pizza, but it is authentic and priced to make it a cheap lunch, snack or dinner.
They're all good, and if you are lucky enough to be having a beer across the road at Ole's around closing time, Rocco may just drop off a few pies on the way home.
You may have read my "harsh" review of Pizza Port, but if you want a slice of what pizza is supposed to taste like, check out La Rocco's!
Found one block past Del Mar, on El Camino Real, most walk right past this small storefront. If it weren't for the "By the Slice" greeting in the front window, I would have walked past, too.
My son was hungry, so we stopped in. Although he is a boy who you think would eat just about anything, dirt, bugs, McDonalds, etc., he has a discerning palate! He took one bite and said, "Ma you gotta try this!" I really didn't want to (I've been burned before), but after some MOM YOU'VE GOT TO TRY THIS, I took a pleasantly-surprising bite! WOW, I was hooked! I called my husband (also from Jersey) and told him about our new goldmine! La Rocoo's understands pizza!!! They're menu is simple ... pizza, along with awesome garlic knots. Oh, and the prices are fantastically reasonable. You are definitely getting more than you paid for.
Upon bringing my husband, and other two children, we met the owner. My husband proceeds to tell him that the only other place where we actually "enjoyed" the pizza was at a place in Carlsbad called Knockout Pizza. Who knew ... it's his son who owns the place! The apple definitely doesn't fall far from the pizza tree!
Our only complaint is that the dining area is small, as compared to the kitchen and HUGE back room that you have to walk thru to get to the restroom.
NJ CHICK says, MANGIA!
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