Il Casaro

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

The Cheese Maker's Philosophy

Il Casaro — Italian for "the cheese maker" — opened its first location on Columbus Avenue in San Francisco's historic North Beach neighborhood in March 2014. The name signals exactly what sets this pizzeria apart: a dedicated mozzarella bar running alongside the pizza operation, stocked with mozzarella di bufala, fior di latte, and burrata, all imported directly from Italy.

The founding philosophy is refreshingly straightforward: pizza should be affordable and accessible to everyone. That belief has earned Il Casaro recognition from Gambero Rosso, the authoritative Italian food guide, which awarded the restaurant 2 slices in its 2024 edition — a meaningful nod from a publication that takes Neapolitan tradition seriously.

Built on Neapolitan Ingredients

The commitment to authenticity runs through every component. The dough is made with Caputo flour imported from Naples. The tomato sauce uses San Marzano tomatoes carrying D.O.P. certification — a protected designation of origin that limits production to 41 municipalities in the province of Naples. The restaurant is explicit: no other tomato would do.

The final step is a wood-burning oven, also imported from Naples, which sits as the centerpiece of the dining room. That oven delivers the smoky quality that distinguishes a properly made Neapolitan pizza from most American approximations — a crispy, thin, 12-inch pie with a delicate char.

The Space and a Second Location

The North Beach room is casual and rustic, built around that lit-up red oven at its center. The atmosphere is lively rather than formal, with the kitchen's energy very much part of the experience. Walk-ins are welcome, with a Yelp waitlist for larger groups.

The concept proved popular enough that a second location opened in San Francisco's Castro District in June 2019, on Church Street. Both spots operate under the same Neapolitan pizza standards and mozzarella bar format that made the original a neighborhood fixture.