Late-Night Castro Pizza by the Slice: Fratelli Pizza

Fratelli Pizza, at 460 Castro Street, is a small counter on the same block as the Castro Theatre that keeps selling pizza by the slice long after most of the neighborhood's kitchens have closed. It opens at 11:30 am, and from Monday to Friday its ordering site lists a 1:45 am close, which makes it the obvious stop after a movie, a drag show or a night at the bars around 18th and Castro. A cheese slice costs $5.25, the slice case runs to a dozen varieties, and nothing on the slice list costs more than $7.75.

Fratelli does not publish a founding story, and it does not need one to explain its appeal. Its location does the work. This stretch of Castro Street, between Market and 19th, carries a steady flow of people from lunchtime to the small hours, from neighbors running errands to visitors who came to see the rainbow crosswalks and the historic theater marquee. A shop that sells good slices quickly, and keeps baking past midnight, fits that rhythm exactly.

Its own website is an online ordering page with a blunt slogan: order on the app, we prefer no crazy fees for you or us. That tells you how the shop sees itself. It is a practical neighborhood pizzeria for walk-ins, pickup and delivery, not a destination restaurant, and the menu reflects it with fair prices, generous toppings and a slice list that covers almost every pie it bakes.

Start with the basics. A cheese slice is $5.25 and a pepperoni slice is $5.75, and both are good tests of a thin crust that crisps up when reheated. One step up, at $6.25, you will find pepperoni and sausage, pepperoni and mushroom, chicken pesto and Aloha, the shop's name for a ham and pineapple slice with marinara and mozzarella.

The loaded slices cost $7.25. That group includes the Meat Lovers Classic, with salami, pepperoni, ham, bacon and sausage, the Combo Classic with peppers, onion and mushroom added to the meats, a BBQ Chicken slice with bacon and red onion, and the Buffalo Ranch, topped with chicken, buffalo sauce, ranch dressing and green onion. The No Hangover slice, with ham, bacon, pineapple and jalapeno, is a fitting late-night order on this street.

The most expensive slice is the Vegilicious at $7.75, built on pesto with spinach, feta, fresh basil, tomatoes and roasted peppers. It is the pick for vegetarians and a good contrast with the meat-heavy slices if you are ordering two.

Whole pies start at $24.00 for a cheese pizza. The Green Potato Special, with pesto, potato, fresh garlic and mozzarella, is $29.00, the same price as the Hot Honey pie with pepperoni, the Chicken Pesto and the Aloha. The No Hangover pie is $33.00, the Buffalo Ranch is $32.00, and the most loaded pies, such as the Super Combo, the Combo Classic and the Vegetarian Classic, cost $37.00. The Vegilicious tops the list at $39.00.

Sides round things out for a group. Traditional wings are $13.00 and chicken strips with fries are $16.00, so a late order for friends can cover more than pizza. If you are deciding between slices and a pie for two people, three or four slices usually make more sense, since you get to try different toppings and every slice comes out freshly reheated.

For a single slice, walk up to the counter. For pickup or delivery, the shop's ordering site takes card payments, not cash, adds a $1.99 service fee, and offers curbside pickup. Delivery carries a fee, and there is a $20 minimum for delivery orders, so it is easiest to group orders with friends.

Timing matters on Castro Street. The counter is busiest when the bars let out on weekends and when big events fill the neighborhood, such as Pride weekend in June or a popular film at the theater down the block. For the shortest wait, come in the afternoon or early evening, when the slice case is full and there is room to stand at the counter.

The Castro Theatre, the neighborhood's 1922 movie palace, reopened in 2025 after a long renovation and is just steps away, so a slice before or after a screening is the classic move. At the top of the block, Harvey Milk Plaza marks the entrance to Castro Station and honors the supervisor whose camera shop stood on this street in the 1970s. The GLBT Historical Society Museum on 18th Street tells the larger story of the neighborhood in a compact set of galleries.

Just across Market Street, the small Pink Triangle Park is a quiet memorial to the gay men and women persecuted during the Nazi era, with granite pylons set into a hillside garden. It takes only a few minutes to visit and makes a thoughtful counterpoint to the bustle of the main strip, especially if you have a slice in hand and want somewhere calm to eat it.

For a short climb, walk up to Corona Heights Park, a rocky outcrop above the neighborhood with wide views over downtown, or wander north toward Duboce Park. The vintage F Market streetcars start their run nearby on 17th Street, and riding one down Market Street toward the Ferry Building is an easy way to continue the day.

Address: 460 Castro Street, San Francisco, CA 94114. Phone: (415) 374-7915. Hours from the official ordering site: Monday to Friday 11:30 am to 1:45 am, Saturday and Sunday 11:30 am to 2:45 am. Prices from the official ordering menu: cheese slice $5.25, pepperoni slice $5.75, chicken pesto slice $6.25, Meat Lovers Classic slice $7.25, Vegilicious slice $7.75, cheese pie $24.00, Green Potato Special pie $29.00, traditional wings $13.00.

Payment and fees for online orders: cards only, $1.99 service fee, $20 minimum for delivery, curbside pickup available. Getting there: Castro Station on the K, L and M Muni Metro lines is a block north, and the F Market streetcar line ends close by.