Although I was trying to stick to my predetermined pizza program for San Francisco, I simply couldn’t resist making a random attack on an unsuspecting victim. Having now been there a few days, one thing that I noticed while Uber-Pooling it around town, was that there sure was a lot of pizza joints! Most advertised “pizza by the slice” as if it were some kind of local trademark. However, most of these places I was able to disqualify simply by looking at them (see “Seven Signs You’re Getting a Good Slice of Pizza”). I also respected the wisdom of a Bay Area friend on Facebook who warned “Beware of the crap pizza.”

For my first haphazard mission, I decided to walk down the busy Divisadero Street commercial district which is just a few blocks away from my son’s apartment near the famous Painted Ladies. While there were several places from which to choose in a short three-block stand, I opted for the colorful storefront of Primo Pizza that I had recently noticed while driving by.

It was a late afternoon, and the only patrons inside Primo joining me for this snack were a few policemen. From Primo’s wide-ranging menu, despite 10-inch individual pies looking to be the main attraction, I ordered a plain cheese slice ($3.50 plus a 50 cent surcharge for using a credit card). Despite any inquiry as to where I’d be dining, it was served in a small to-go box. It was on said box that I noticed that Primo was not a one-store wonder, but also had another location about 10 miles away in Daly City.

There were a few tables in the small room, but I sat at the counter looking out the front window. I noticed that their pizza oven looked to be one of those conveyor-belt models that gave the slice a three-minute or so ride through the oven during its reheat.

Opening the box revealed a fairly large chunky slice—perhaps a good value for the money, but one that looked to be heavy on the stomach. It was cheesy, oiler, doughier and whiter-looking in color than I would hope for. One thing to say off the bat was how hot this slice was all the way through. Combining the heat and the heaviness made this one challenging slice to make my way through.

As peculiar as this slice may have been, there was one positive thing I simply could not ignore. I found the crust, although thick and heavy, to be delightfully tasty and enjoyably chewy. It even had some crumb flakes in it that gave it an added charm and helped me make my way through and actually finish it.

So my random shot at Primo Pizza wasn’t a total disappointment. However, it’s just pizza from a different league that doesn’t suit my style.

PIZZA SNOB RATING     *** Better Than Dominos

Primo Pizza
1064 Divisadero Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
415-359-9300
www.primopizzasf.com