Neapolitan style pizza is hard to come by, or at least ones that are worth the splurge.

Del Popolo actually started off as a mobile food truck and now they have their own restaurant in downtown San Francisco. I love Neapolitan style pizzas for their fluffy doughy chewy crust that’s been cooked in a wood fired oven.

We started off with some appetizers before the main attractions.

Fritto Misto Agrodolce (5/10).

I didn’t think you could mess up a simple fritto misto but apparently you can. Fritto misto is a traditional Italian dish of mixed fried items from vegetables to seafood. This was a greasy pile of vegetables with a strange cornmeal breading that fell apart instantly. The agrodolce (sweet and sour) vinaigrette was odd to dress the fried items since they became soggy right away.

Roasted Pork Ribs with Parsnip, Brussels Sprouts, and Brown Butter (5/10).

These pork ribs looked appetizing but they were dry and tough. The parsnips and burned brussels sprouts were completely random and overall this dish just didn’t come together for me.

Cauliflower Au Poivre with Roasted Winter Greens (6/10).

The last appetizer was better than the first two but still needed improvement. The cauliflower was way overcooked without a doubt and there were barely any winter greens with this dish.

Margherita di Bufala Pizza (8.5-9/10).

Finally redemption! I was starting to doubt the pizzas since all three appetizers were not up to par. I had to try the margherita di Bufala pizza since it’s a Neapolitan classic and it didn’t disappoint. The dough was airy yet had that nice chewy texture topped with crushed sweet tomato, creamy Mozzarella di Bufala, and fresh basil. Simple yet perfection.

Butterball Potato Pizza with Fontina Cheese, Leeks, and Spicy Salami (8/10).

This was a white pizza (without tomato sauce) that was pretty tasty as well. Thin slices of velvety butterball potatoes with pungent Fontina cheese and spicy salami. Not as good as the traditional margarita but still delicious.

While I was disappointed with all the appetizers, the pizzas at Del Popolo are pretty bomb. However it’s hard to justify spending $15-20 on a personal pizza since back when I lived in Florence I could get a pizza for €7-10. If you’re really craving Neapolitan style pizza I would try Del Popolo and skip the starters. Therefore my rating is a 7-7.5/10.