Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria

The Don Pizza with a Caesar salad! Awesome pizza, we could have eaten it all but took the last of the pizza home.

I was VERY impressed at how delicious the pizza here is. Let me begin with the parking lot, there is a parking structure located in the back of Grimaldi’s that allows you to park for 2 hours FREE after the ticket is validated inside the restaurant. Their menu selection is fairly small but the food is definitely filling. No pastas or appetizers but they do have salads. Next is the pizza, you can build your own or choose one of their pre-​made options. For drinks: Pepsi products (yuck), wine, beer, or cocktails. Desserts: Tiramisu, Cheesecake, or Cannoli (or their trio which is all three). I asked our waiter about their sizes in pizza and he explained their personal is 12″, small is 16″, and large is 18″. At first, I thought a 12″ and a salad would be good for 2 people but instead we went for a 16″ and it was perfect! We ordered a plain cheese pizza ($ 15) + Pepperoni as our topping ($ 3) with light sauce and it came out very quickly! Oh man, I fell in love with their pizza, it was perfectly cooked and the thick-​sliced pepperonis were delicious! I also had their house red wine and it went good with my pizza. Can not wait to come back and bring more friends!

Our experience at Grimaldi’s was disappointing. The waiter accidentally made a mistake and charged another table’s meal to me and my sister’s credit cards (in addition to our own meal). My sister called her bank, who refunded her money. I called the restaurant where I spoke to two managers (Kevin and someone else) who both wanted nothing to do with me. They passed me off to a lady at corporate named Beth who never called me back regarding their mistake. So I then emailed Grimaldi’s again but they never wrote back.
It was only $ 40 but the fact that they denied my claim and wouldn’t speak to me was highly unprofessional. This was their mistake and they could have fixed it but chose not to and I find that says a lot about Grimaldis and the way they run their restaurants.
If you’re in the area and need pizza, try Beach Pizza, they are super friendly and would never treat their customers like this.

My first taste of Grimaldi’s was in 2005 under the Brooklyn Bridge — this entire time I thought that was the one and only until I recently did a Unilocal search for a late night pizza run. I instantly hopped off my phone and onto my laptop to research. … is this the same?! YEP. Pretty much!
Get this, my very first time here, the kitchen dropped half my personal pizza — so they gave me the salvaged half and ended up surprising me with a large replicated version to make up for their inconvenience. Talk about a dream come true. I’ve been back a bunch of times since — the quality of food and the service is great and CONSISTENT.
The menu is pretty simple — aside from pizza, I believe you can order calzones, and dessert, as well as a few choice salads. Don’t worry. You don’t need anything else. A good note to remember, don’t pick out too many toppings as it’s New York style — the crust will end up uncooked and/​or soggy if it’s over-​topped. It’s that simple.
I’m IN LOVE with this place.

I rarely focus my reviews on service, but by the time we had eaten, we were basically running to our cars to beat the 2 hour parking limit. I probably would have had a pretty spectacular blowout with these people if I’d had to turn around and complain that I was having to pay for parking because of their ineptitude. It took well over an hour for them to get our pizza to us. The server apologized and offered something to nosh on, «on them.» This ended up being 4 small slices of bread with some pizza sauce, which was delivered several minutes later. You know it’s bad when you’re dreaming fondly of the pesto turkey sandwich you had on United Airlines a couple of weeks ago.
Restaurants ought to be a lot more aggressive, in my opinion, to earn a customer’s trust and admiration when they mess up, and this is a classic example. I don’t write these for free stuff and have never taken offers to eat for free after giving a bad review. But, really, your servers should be empowered to do more. Our experience basically sucked. No way to mince words on this. The server knew it. They should have just bought us a pizza and hoped for a second chance.
Aside from that, the pizza itself was just ok. The server kind of misrepresented the pizza in her description, but we couldn’t help but think they didn’t really know what they were selling or making. Not sure which.
I lived in new york for a lot of my life. Maybe pizza has come a long way, but the pizza was by far not a pizza that one ought to be winning awards for. Then again, the last time I had Grimaldi’s in NYC, it was incredibly mediocre. I do remember being enchanted by the pizza I had under the brooklyn bridge in the 90s. But that was then. This is now.

I’m writing this as I’m sitting here waiting with a group of other customers who called in orders that are taking well past what the promised time the pizza would be ready.
It’s amazing that were in a pizza place with no pizza coming out. I guess Grimaldi’s decided that Saturday night is the best time for the «new guys» to get their feet wet. I think the general manager might benefit from a Stephen Covey book or two.
Where’s Gordon Ramsay!!!

What a disappointment. I was excited to see a Grimaldi’s in California — I have been to the New Jersey original location, and every spring training we make a point of eating once at their Scottsdale location. So when I came here, I was excited!
Well, nearly 45 minutes after placing my order, all anticipation had waned. The bartender barely paid me any attention, and when he finally recognized that 45 minutes is an insane amount of time to wait for a normal pizza, less lone one that allegedly cooks in a coal fired over in under 5 minutes, he told me that normally their pizzas take nearly an hour to make. I explained I have been to two other Grimaldi’s, and that they do not take nearly that amount of time. He then said they had a party in the back, yet the restaurant was half empty.
When I finally got my pizza, it was not nearly as good as the other locations. Expensive, not very good, out of the way and terrible service. I would not recommend going back — I am sure LA has pizza figured out better — which is a shame, this should be a gem.

I am somewhat surprised that this place has an average of 4 stars on Unilocal.
Some backstory, I am a life long New Yorker, so I know good pizza. About 4 years ago I was in Brooklyn for the day, I tried to go to the original Grimaldi’s near the Brooklyn Bridge. However, there was a tour bus of people in line to go into the restaurant in front of my friend and me, so we skipped it since we didn’t have the extra time on our day trip. I moved to CA about two years ago, so I always wondered about that highly rated Brooklyn pizzeria.
I was browsing Unilocal for new restaurants since my husband and I dine out about twice each week. I was ecstatic to find this restaurant near Manhattan Beach since that city is one of our favorite discoveries since moving to LA.
The décor of this restaurant was pretty neat and everything seemed clean.
My husband and I get impatient, so we usually do a late lunch/​early dinner on the weekends in order to avoid the crowds.
We came here on a Saturday at 2pm. Everything started out ok, our waiter explained the menu.
We ordered a salad sans dressing. In nutrition obsessed LA, I would think ordering a salad without dressing would be a standard thing and nothing out of the norm. It took about 12 minutes for our salad to come out, kind of a long time for a restaurant that is half empty. The salad finally comes out, with dressing. This was a $ 9 salad, I would have hoped that for that price, it would be correct.
I would also like to note, the table behind us also ordered a salad and they had to wait long enough that they asked the waiter where it was. Service was quite slow and in all fairness, it could have been the kitchen’s fault.
Our waiter comes by a few minutes later and he realized our salad order was incorrect. He offered to make a new salad, but at that point our food was due to come out any minute so I declined. He did remove the item from our bill and we appreciated that.
On to the pizza… I had a plain cheese and tomato pizza, it wasn’t the best pizza, but not the worst. My husband had a fancier pizza with meatball, sausage and pepperoni. Neither of us was very excited about our food. Again, it was definitely edible, but not anything special by New York standards.
I can make a good pizza from scratch that would rival a lot of California pizza establishments, so I know what ingredients cost. The price of these pizzas seemed very high for what you get on them. My husband especially thought the cost of his was very high compared to the great pizzas (with very fresh ingredients) that he gets at California Pizza Kitchen for $ 3 – 4 less.
I was disappointed with this place. I think we will stick with California Pizza Kitchen from now on.

I did not expect this pizza to be so good. This restaurant is in an impersonal office building, so my expectations were super low. But damn!
We got a pizza to go. Veggie pizza with olives and green peppers. The crust is super thin and chewy. The tomato sauce is flavorful. The balance of sauce to cheese is perfect. Everything was super fresh.
Parking is in the office building and it’s pretty easy. They validate, but I personally hate coming into a business park to go to dinner. The plus side is that it’s a big space, great for big groups and families. No stress about waiting for a table or a douchebag hostess.
I don’t come this way to El Segundo often, but I’ll remember Grimaldi’s for next time!

I think this is one of the best pizza places in the area. I don’t live super close but I try to make it a point to come here every 2 – 3 months or so. I’m sure you know already, but this is NY thin crust style pizza. Not my favorite pie style, but I do enjoy it still.
I think one thing sets this place apart from the rest and it is the freshness of the ingredients. That is key. Just order a simple Mediterranean salad and you won’t find one piece of wilted lettuce. This place is busy so they turn over food all day so nothing sits. I’ve been here a handful of times now and it’s been five stars all the way in terms of food quality.
As far as recommendations go, it’s pizza so get what you want. Keep in mind it’s thin crust so keep it light on the toppings. They will recommend a white pizza, which is ok. This may be more popular on the east coast, but it’s just ok to me. Go with what you know and like and you will get a nice, fresh, simple, well cooked pizza and tastes great.
Parking is a bit of a pain, you will have to park next door in the structure and get validated. So a little tiny bit of an extra walk but still worth it.
Fully recommended. I would bring my dog here if I could feed him pizza with no consequences… he would love it!

I went here with coworkers after work. We were all hungry and all heard of Grimaldi’s. We ordered the Brooklyn Boulder Pizza and custom ordered a while pizza with grilled chicken, sun-​dried tomatoes, and mushrooms. We all had wine and beer also. Each pizza is thin crust.
The service who took our order was extremely nice. When our food came we wolfed it down quickly, but I never let my hungry state get in the way of a fair review. The pizza was great. He works the flavors were on point and perfect. Everything was cooked just right she came out very succulent. The price tag for this pizza is excessive and you can find much better local options. Essentially you’re paying for shareable portions of gourmet pizza. But if you love pizza then Grimaldi’s is decent, but not better than your local Italian mom & pop shop are neatly not as affordable.

Been here so many times since it opened, so this review is pretty general.
Parking is not a problem, as there is a garage behind the restaurant with plenty of space. The restaurant validates, so no worries there. Just make sure you don’t stay longer than 2 hours, as you might be surprised with a fee.
The service is typically pretty good. Everyone usually runs over the menu pretty well, and frequently check on you throughout your meal.
The food is overall delicious! The salads are all very good. Large’s will usually feed a few people pretty well. A large pizza feeds about 3 – 4 (although if you’re really hungry, probably more like 2 – 3, as it is fairly thin crust). I’m probably more of a fan of the red pizzas than the whites, but both are good.
Overall, solid pizza joint in El Segundo. A must try if you’re in the area or have been to the NY location and want to compare.

Each time we go, I love this place more. The pizza is to die for. I mean it. I know it’s good pizza because I keep dreaming and salivating about the pizza at Grimaldi’s. No matter what toppings, what sauce, it’s good. Just can’t go wrong. I also love their salads. My favorite is their spinach salad. They dress it just perfectly: not too heavy, not too light.
And some bonus things to add to our enjoyment: great service, great for the whole family, car seat friendly, spacious, and all around fun place.

The most authentic chef inspired New York style pizza has come to the lovely city of El Segundo. If you are a fan of delicious, thin crust pizza, Grimaldi’s is the place for you.
Grimaldi’s makes outstanding pizzas in their coal brick oven. A diverse, flavorful selection of ingredients is available including anything from pepperoni to sausage to red peppers to capers to fresh mozzarella. We usually order the chicken sausage and mushroom pizza with extra mozzarella. Without a doubt, this is one of the best pizzas I’ve eaten in recent memory. I have been to Grimaldi’s several times and every pizza I’ve had is excellent. These pizzas are consistently rated as some of the best in the United States.
Pizzas will run roughly $ 12 to $ 16, which is reasonable for a decent sized pie. Be sure to have a large appetite and come with friends/​family, because they do not serve individual slices.
Local beers from Southern California and New York, along with house wines, are also on order. The restaurant itself is very casual with red checkered tablecloths and a relaxed atmosphere.
This restaurant is extremely popular and can warrant a wait during dinner hours.
There are a few downsides, as Grimaldi’s does not take reservations and they do not deliver (locals come to pick up their pizzas). I love Grimaldi’s and I would highly recommend this place to any pizza fans!

Location: Easy to spot location on Rosecrans, right on the corner in an office building. Park in the structure attached to the building and behind the restaurant. At lunch you get 90 minutes and dinner 120 minutes free parking with validation from the restaurant.
Service: We went at lunch and it wasn’t super busy at the time. We were greeted immediately and they sat our party even though we were waiting for 2 more people. Drinks were brought immediately and our waiter checked back a couple times while we were trying to decide what to eat! No complaints about service…
Food: As far as pizza goes, I found no faults with Grimaldi’s! Thin crust pizza, but even with the exceptionally heavy toppings on both our pizzas it held together nicely! Not enough so that we could pick it up mind you — these were fork and knife pizzas — but they didn’t fall apart like some pizzas we have had. We also ordered an antipasto and small caesar and both were good. I preferred the lighter pizza we ordered instead of the meat heavy one, but the guys seemed to enjoy the meat pizza more. So to each his own!
Overall: Simple, straight forward pizza place with some darn good pies. Would go back when in the area and craving some delicious pizza!

ENVIRONMENT
Massive interior with lots of booth seating as well as long and round tables for groups. There’s also a very large private room, which seems great for special events.
Parking is easy in the garage attached to the building.
MENU
Very simple and straight forward pizza menu. No apps, just salads.
Lots of beer and wine to choose from.
PIZZA
The large is massive (for two people). It’s light on sauce and perfection cheese.
Pepperoni, Jalapeño and onion — LOVE THIS COMBO

After living in the area for almost two years we finally checked out Grimaldi’s on a date night as we were looking for somewhere to eat near the Arclight movie theater. As we were both craving pizza we decided to check out Grimaldi’s and I am so happy we did.
The restaurant is located in a business area and is very large. It has indoor and outdoor seating. We chose to sit outside as it was warm. They have high tables/​bar stool style and fire pits. It was very family friendly and we saw many children there. The service was very good. Our waitress checked in on us a lot and explained the menu to us. We ordered a personal pizza to share as it seemed large enough to satisfy both of us (and it did). We ordered half cheese and half spicy chicken sausage with roasted red peppers. We also shared a small garden salad. The salad was very fresh and tasted great. The pizza is thin crust and crispy — just like a pizza should be. I liked the toppings we chose and we also ordered the housemade oreo cheesecake which was as good, if not better, than the one at cheesecake factory.
We were really happy with the food and the service and can’t wait to go back.
BONUS TIP: Sign up for their fan club online and you get a free LARGE pizza on your birthday. Can’t beat that.

Excellent pizza, which exceeds the taste and authenticity of almost any pizza chain or restaurant out there. Unfortunately the one time I went here the service was abysmal and I vow never to return to this location. After a 1.5 hour dinner service for 30+ with 4 checks (the maximum they would allow), we never actually got even the first check 30 minutes after it was requested and explained to them for the third time. We all just ended up reading the menu to see about how much we owed, throwing down a bunch of cash, waiting to see if anyone would take it, giving up on that and going home.
I got the seasonal special pizza, which was a Spicy Chicken Sausage with red sauce, broccoli rabe (not a regular menu choice), and ricotta cheese. it was great even though parts of the crust were slightly overdone. Other pizzas are build-​your-​own style, and start at $ 10 for a 12″ personal pizza which is more than enough for one person. Toppings range from $ 2 – 4 regardless of size of the pizza, or if you get it on the whole pie or half the pizza. Also, all the pizzas are thin crispy crust which is great because that’s the way a pizza is supposed to be.
Sit at an individual table and get an individual check. Better yet, go somewhere else.
Validated parking in the garage for 2 hours. Valet is $ 6 and probably better than the hassle of the awkward garage, unless you’re only getting take out or a lunch visit. Can’t wait to eat their pizza again, but at a different location.

Pizza night! Lately, my normal pizza night consists on eating Lamonica’s pizza in Westwood and hanging out in pjs in front of a TV. But, since it was Sunday night, a few of us decided to go out for fancy pizza and eat at Grimaldi’s. We arrived to the restaurant about 7:30 on a Sunday night. There was a 15 – 20 minute wait. We noticed that the bar area was relatives empty, so we decided to eat there. (You can order the full menu at the bar also).
There was 4 of us and we ordered 2 large pizzas. One with garlic and pepperoni and the other with sausage and mushroom. The garlic and pepperoni came out first and it was delicious. The dough was fresh and the flavors of the pizza worked well together. The pepperoni also was tasty and good. However, the sausage and mushroom pizza was not as good. Although the dough was still excellent, the pizza itself tasted bland. The sausage also tasted a little dry and the mushrooms did not taste fresh. We all agreed that we should stick to the pepperoni and garlic next time.
Overall, I enjoyed the pizza and I will definitely be back. I like the décor and the place felt very modern and fresh. There was also a cool patio area with a fireplace, which I definitely want to go to next time.

Grimaldi’s Coal Brick-​Oven Pizzeria in El Segundo deserves 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
This review has been saved for quite some time now. My little family of 4 visited on May 23 for an early lunch.
The parking garage nearby is clean and mostly easy to navigate. Take your parking ticket in the restaurant for a 2-​hour validation.
First thing I noticed when we walked in was the wine. Craft beer is served here as well, however, I didn’t drink alcohol this visit.
I wasn’t sure this would be a family-​oriented pizzeria, but the hostess was extremely nice and offered us high chairs for our two little ones right away.
Service was great.
The guy who served us checked on us numerous times. Never let my husband’s drink get low. And when I asked for a spoon for our baby to feed her food that I brought inside with me, he came back within a few seconds with a small and a large spoon and said, «Sorry, I wasn’t sure which size you’d prefer.»
FOOD
My husband opted for the small pepperoni pizza w/​jalapeños. It did not disappoint at all. He loves the small thick pepperonis that they used. The jalapeños had a kick!
Our 1-​year-​old and I shared a small Bruschetta Pizza (which is for a limited time only) with added Italian sausage & artichoke hearts. The edges were just slightly burnt, but the crust was thin and had a slight crunch to it. Our daughter is known to eat just about anything (yay!), but she was a big fan of the cheese, tomatoes, artichokes and the crust on this pizza.
It hard to believe that even at that size we had leftovers… except for my husband. Who stuffs himself then picks off all the good stuff so you can’t really take any leftovers home? Not cool, husband. Not cool.
A few notables…
— The women’s restroom was very clean. The handicap stall has a baby changing station.
— The décor is nice. I especially like all the chandeliers made of wine bottles.
— Outdoor seating with fire pits.
— The high chairs they brought to us were clean and the straps were efficient.
The meal itself was a bit pricey and it got a little stuffy a couple of moments because of the nice hot brick ovens, but we really enjoyed it.
Review #372
Unilocal challenge 2015 ⁵³⁄₁₀₀