Casey’s Pizza

Mission Bay is home to high-end condos, medical buildings, and a big fancy arena, but walking around here can sometimes feel like you’re trapped in a hall of mirrors. All the buildings look monotonous and uninviting (we still can’t fully distinguish between the glass one with the green trim or the glass one with the blue trim). That’s why we’re glad there are places like Casey’s Pizza. This neighborhood spot for craft beer and great thin-crust pizza is a fun hangout that will make you forget you’re in copy-paste wonderland.

Casey’s started as a food truck, but they’ve had this counter-service place on Fourth St. since 2017. When you walk by the big front window, you can see pies getting spun and served to tables of families with kids and old-timers in Giant’s gear drinking beer at the bar. Casey’s is so inviting that it could even draw in the White Witch of Narnia. Once inside, she’d quickly realize the food here is better than anything she could make out of snow.

You should definitely start a meal here by getting the burrata with a lemony arugula salad, or the light caesar, which are both great, but the real reason to stop by Casey’s is the Neapolitan pizza. It’s exactly what we’d want after a long Tuesday at the office, or a Sunday when we need to leave our apartment for the first time. The crust of the red and white pies is perfectly charred, has a good snap when you fold it, and we can bet you and your friends will be fighting over the last slices of Zoe with mini pepperoni, or the sausage pizza that’s heavy on the fennel. If you want something less tomato-y, we like the funghi with a bunch of fresh thyme and grated grana padano. It’s tangy enough that you won’t even miss sauce.

Every once in a while, we hit a neighborhood restaurant that makes us consider moving closer to it. And while we’re happy where we live at the moment, whenever we drop into Casey’s Pizza, we momentarily have a change of heart. Suddenly, renting an apartment in one of the cookie-cutter buildings in Mission Bay doesn’t sound that bad.

Food Rundown

Burrata

This simple burrata comes with cheese, crostini, and a very lemony arugula salad, and everything tastes high quality. Still, though, you’ve seen this burrata everywhere since 2009.

Lil’ Gem Caesar

The leaves are about the size of elephant ears, and one bite involves a lot of folding and cutting. It’s good and light, and even better to split with a few people.

Margherita Pizza

This is a great, classic margherita pizza. Nothing more, nothing less.

Zoe Pizza

The pepperoni is mild and as refined as you felt when you finally learned to color inside the lines.

Fennel Sausage Pizza

The fennel flavor really dominates this pizza, so if that isn’t something you’re into, you can skip this pie. If it is, order this one with confidence since it goes really well with the sauce.

Funghi Pizza

This pizza is loaded with mushrooms and fresh thyme in the best way, and the extra cheese grated over the top rounds it out well.