Pizza Wagon Sherman Oaks: $3.75 Pizza by the Slice, 7 Days

Pizza Wagon of Brooklyn, at 14522 1/2 Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks, brings a Bay Ridge pizzeria's recipes to the San Fernando Valley and sells them by the slice at prices that feel like an older New York. A plain cheese slice or a square Sicilian slice costs $3.75, the shop is open every day of the week, and the menu reads like a classic neighborhood slice counter: rolls, sticks, calzones and pies in two sizes.

The family story is told on the shop's own site. In 1966, the owner's Uncle Philip opened Pizza Wagon in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn. When Philip retired, the owner and his brother stepped in to carry on the business, and they ran it for about thirty years before the owner, his wife and their kids moved to California to bring the same pizza to Los Angeles. Time Out names the owner as Anthony Zingaro.

That history is the point of the Sherman Oaks shop. The site promises authentic New York style pizza for anyone missing it on the West Coast, and the menu sticks closely to the Brooklyn template rather than chasing trends. You will not find a sourdough crust or a Neapolitan oven here. You will find a slice case, a short list of toppings and a family that has been making the same kind of pie for more than fifty years.

The by-the-slice board starts low. Cheese and Sicilian slices are $3.75 each, which makes Pizza Wagon one of the cheapest good slices in the Valley. Pepperoni and white slices are $4.50, and a vegan slice is also $4.50. The pesto, buffalo chicken and eggplant slices sit at the top of the board at $4.75 each. Any slice can take extra toppings at $0.50 each, up to three toppings on a single slice.

The topping list is pure Brooklyn: pepperoni, sausage, meatballs, ham, mushroom, peppers, onions, olives, jalapenos, pineapple, fresh garlic, anchovies, eggplant, tomatoes and spinach. On a slice, three toppings is the maximum, so a cheese slice with sausage, mushroom and fresh garlic comes to $5.25. It is a cheap way to build your own slice without committing to a whole pie or paying the $3.00 per-topping charge that applies to whole pies.

The square Sicilian is the slice to order if you only try one. At the same $3.75 as a plain cheese slice, it gives you a thicker, airier crust and a crisp bottom, and a whole Sicilian tray cut into ten slices costs $25.00. Pair it with a thin cheese slice to compare the two Brooklyn styles side by side. The eggplant slice is a good third choice if you want something more substantial.

Beyond pizza, the counter covers the Brooklyn sides. A ricotta and mozzarella calzone is $7.50, and spinach, pepperoni, chicken and meatball rolls are $7.50 each. Garlic sticks come four for $3.00, and spinach or pepperoni sticks are $2.75 each, with ranch or marinara for dipping at $0.75. Whole pies run from $19.00 for a 16 inch cheese to $28.00 for an 18 inch meat lovers or veggie pie.

Walk-in customers order slices at the counter, while whole pies can be ordered online or by phone for pickup. The homepage notes that delivery orders are fulfilled through delivery partners, so if you want the lowest price, picking up yourself is the better choice. A 10 inch gluten-free pie is available for $14.00, and a 16 inch vegan pie for $23.00, which covers most dietary needs in a group.

Parking on Ventura Boulevard can be tight, but Time Out points out a hidden back parking area reached from the alley off Van Nuys Boulevard. That small detail makes the difference between a quick slice and a frustrating loop around the block at dinnertime. Menu prices do not include sales tax, so budget a little more than the board shows.

The contact page lists the same hours every day from Monday to Sunday: 10:30 am to 11:00 pm. The shop closes on Christmas and Thanksgiving Day. That long, steady schedule makes it useful for an early lunch, an after-school snack or a late dinner after a movie. Weekday lunch is the busiest window, when office workers along Ventura Boulevard come in for a quick slice.

Mid-afternoon is the calmest time, with a full slice case and space at the counter. Weekend evenings bring families picking up whole pies, so if you are ordering an 18 inch pie on a Saturday, place the order online before you leave home. For a single slice, just walk in.

Pizza Wagon sits near the corner of Ventura Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard, the commercial heart of Sherman Oaks. Ventura Boulevard is lined with small shops, cafes and older storefronts in both directions, and a walk west toward Sepulveda Boulevard takes you past a long run of independent businesses. It is a good way to walk off a second slice on a sunny afternoon.

Farther west, the Sherman Oaks Galleria at Ventura and Sepulveda has a cinema, restaurants and shops, and it makes an easy evening plan with a slice first. Heading south, the streets climb quickly into the Santa Monica Mountains, where the residential hills give you a sense of how the Valley spreads out below.

Address: 14522 1/2 Ventura Blvd., Sherman Oaks, CA 91403. Hours: Monday to Sunday, 10:30 am to 11:00 pm, closed on Christmas and Thanksgiving Day. Prices from the official menu: cheese slice $3.75, Sicilian slice $3.75, pepperoni slice $4.50, white slice $4.50, pesto slice $4.75, eggplant slice $4.75, extra topping on a slice $0.50.

Parking: a back lot is reached from the alley off Van Nuys Boulevard. Transit: Metro buses run along Ventura Boulevard and Van Nuys Boulevard, both a short walk from the door. Delivery goes through third-party partners, so pickup is the cheaper option for whole pies. Sales tax is added to menu prices at the register.