sunday evening brought about my first trip to 800 degrees, the new westside pizza joint by the umami restaurant group that opened its doors just last week. 800 degrees refers to the temps of their dual wood-fired ovens, which can crank out personalized neopolitan pizzas in 60-90 seconds, and at an AMAZING price point - we're talking an unheard of $6 for a traditional 12-inch margherita.
approaching the location at 6:30pm, the storefront was obvious by the line of 8 going out the door. within minutes, there were 20 people behind us, so we got there at the right time.
the menu is set up as so: there are three classics - which they can add any fresh topping to for a buck - along with a small list of specialities (i got the spicy meatball). as soon as you give them your order, they go to work making your pizza in front of you. by the time you pay for a salad or any drinks, your pizza should be done!
their process is similar to say a chipotle, in that they have simple, fresh ingredients that they're able to spin into your meal while you make your way thru the line.
taste-wise, the pies are quite good. the crust is thin and achieves that light char around the edges. the toppings, while not plentiful, actually fit well ratio-wise with its thin crust. the margherita had chunks of fresh mozzarella and basil peppered throughout. but most of all, it's a pizza that you'd be getting at other italian restaurants for $15 easy, but here they can be had for literally one-third the price.
i really don't know how long 800 degrees can keep this up - if the lines are any indication - but kudos to them for figuring out an intelligent business plan and carrying it out. now if someone wants to give me any stock in their company...
800 degrees
10889 lindbrook ave.
los angeles, CA 90024
