Golden Boy Pizza

Name: Golden Boy Pizza
Address: 542 Green Street, San Francisco, CA 94133, San Francisco, CA, US
Telephone: (415) 982-9738
Price range: $

📍 North Beach 💰 $ 🍽️ Pizza (Sicilian)

The Verdict

"The clam and garlic slice is what to order. Cash only. Open 11:30 AM to 9 PM most nights and until 11 PM Friday and Saturday. Grab slices to go and eat them walking down Green Street."

What you need to know

Golden Boy has been feeding North Beach since 1978. The formula hasn’t changed: thick Sicilian-style squares sold by the slice from a narrow storefront on Green Street. Pizza sits in sheet pans behind the counter, you point at what you want.

What to Order

Clam and Garlic: The slice that built the shop’s reputation. Whole clams, generous garlic, olive oil, and cheese on the focaccia crust. Sounds strange if you haven’t tried it, makes complete sense once you do.
The Crust: Focaccia-based, thick and airy, with a bottom that crisps from sitting in olive oil all day.
Pepperoni and Cheese: Standard slices, well executed.
Veggie Combos: Rotate. Ask what’s fresh.

The Experience

The space barely qualifies as a restaurant. A few stools at a counter against the wall. Most people grab slices to go and eat them walking. Late hours on Friday and Saturday pull a post-bar crowd, but they no longer stay open past 2am like they used to.