San Francisco has its own pizza crust, and not many cities can say that. Sourdough — the same wild-yeast fermentation that made the city's bread famous — applied to pizza dough produces something noticeably different from a Neapolitan or New York base: tangier, chewier, with a more assertive flavour that pushes back against the toppings rather than sitting under them. Potrero Hill is where it has been made the longest, and whether you want it is the only decision that really matters here.
Sourdough crust is genuinely divisive and it is the default at the neighbourhood's main pizzeria, so the order is decided before you walk in. Tell Karpo which crust you actually want and it will point accordingly.
The one that has been doing it since 1975
Goat Hill Pizza at 300 Connecticut Street was founded in the autumn of 1975, when five friends took over the location at the corner of 18th and Connecticut. It has been making sourdough pizza there ever since, and it runs 11am to 9pm every day of the week — a straightforward, memorable schedule that is worth more than it sounds in a city where kitchens close on unpredictable days.
Alongside pizza it does pasta, sandwiches, salad and soup, and it works for dine-in, takeaway or delivery. It is a family-facing neighbourhood restaurant rather than a destination pizzeria, which is exactly what makes it the right answer for a group with mixed ages or mixed appetites.
What sourdough crust actually does
The difference is worth understanding before you decide whether you like it. A long fermentation with wild yeast produces lactic and acetic acids, which is where the sourness comes from, and it also develops a stronger gluten structure — so the crust is chewier and holds up better under a wet topping. It browns differently too, with more colour at a lower temperature.
The consequence at the table is that a sourdough base is a flavour in the dish rather than a vehicle for it. On a simple margherita that is a clear improvement. Under something already assertive, it competes. If you are ordering one pie to share, keep the toppings simpler than you otherwise would.
The alternatives
If sourdough is not what you want, the surrounding area has conventional options. Long Bridge Pizza, Pink Onion, The Pizza Shop and Casey's Pizza all operate within reach of the hill, and Slice House by Tony Gemignani covers the by-the-slice format. Flour + Water Pizza Shop sits over toward the Mission side and does a more contemporary version.
The geography matters here. Potrero Hill is genuinely a hill, and the walk between an address up on 18th Street and one down near the flats toward Mission Bay is a real climb in one direction. Choosing based on which side of the slope you are already on is a legitimate way to pick.
Why this neighbourhood, for a group
Potrero Hill is one of the sunnier parts of San Francisco — it sits east of the fog line that swallows the Sunset and reaches into the Mission — and it is largely residential with easier parking than almost anywhere comparable. For a group meeting up around a pizza and a screen, that combination of sun, parking and a room that opens at eleven and runs to nine every single day is more useful than a better pizza in a harder location.
Choosing
You want the San Francisco thing, made by the people who have been making it longest: Goat Hill, keeping the toppings simple. Feeding a mixed group including children: Goat Hill again, for the pasta and salads. You specifically do not want a sour crust: Long Bridge or Pink Onion. By the slice, quickly: Slice House. Something more contemporary: Flour + Water Pizza Shop, over toward the Mission.
Practical notes
Goat Hill Pizza is at 300 Connecticut Street, on the corner of 18th and Connecticut, open 11am to 9pm daily, with dine-in, takeaway and delivery. It has been operating since autumn 1975. Long Bridge Pizza, Pink Onion, The Pizza Shop, Casey's Pizza and Slice House by Tony Gemignani are the nearby alternatives. Potrero Hill has notably easier street parking than central San Francisco, and the 22 and 19 lines serve the hill. The gradient between 18th Street and the flats is steep enough to plan around if you are carrying a box.
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Ask Karpo first
Sourdough crust is the default here and it is not what everyone wants, which makes the crust the decision rather than the toppings. Ask Karpo which pizzerias near you do which style, what is open at the hour you are eating, and which side of the hill to park on.
