Joyride in the news

From neighborhood blogs to the Bay Area's biggest food critics, here's what people are saying about Joyride Pizza, our Detroit-style pies, and the brothers who bake them.

• Eater SF · July 3, 2024

  Detroit-Style Pizzas and Cocktails Make a Big Splash on the Embarcadero (opens in a new tab)

  By Dianne de Guzman

  Eater takes a first look at our Pier 1 flagship next to the Ferry Building, open from morning coffee to evening cocktails. The story covers our new thin crust, gluten-free and dairy-free doughs, loaded tots, buffalo milk soft serve, and local beer and wine. It also notes that our Sweet Heat Pineapple pie took fifth place in a national pan pizza competition.

  “We think of it like pizza architecture, building the whole thing together from the focaccia up.”

  Read on Eater SF (opens in a new tab)

• Eater SF · March 25, 2024

  Now You Can Get Detroit-Style Pizza at Salesforce Park (opens in a new tab)

  By Paolo Bicchieri

  Joyride teams up with Barebottle Brewing to bring pizzas, salads, and sides to the beer garden in Salesforce Park, four stories above downtown. Eater describes the partnership as a vote of confidence in a downtown San Francisco that's coming back to life.

  “Even a cursory view of the downtown and Embarcadero area shows the city is shining.”

  Read on Eater SF (opens in a new tab)

• Eater SF · March 11, 2024

  A Detroit-Style Pizzeria With Gorgeous Bay Bridge Views Is Coming to the Embarcadero (opens in a new tab)

  By Paolo Bicchieri

  Eater breaks the news that Joyride will move into a historic waterfront spot at Pier 1, with Bay Bridge views. The plans include breakfast pizzas, Andytown coffee, buffalo milk soft serve from Sonoma County, and drinks into the evening. The story also looks back at how quickly the brothers grew after moving from tea to pizza.

  “This is an iconic San Francisco building. Now we get to continue that history fueling folks in the Bay.”

  Read on Eater SF (opens in a new tab)

• SFGATE · February 22, 2023

  Popular San Francisco pizza restaurant Joyride expands across Bay Area (opens in a new tab)

  By Madeline Wells

  SFGATE reports on Joyride's first locations outside San Francisco, inside Gilman Brewing's taprooms in Berkeley and Daly City. The article retells the move from Samovar Tea to pizza and singles out favorites like the pepperoni and the fig-and-ricotta Sweet Bianca.

  Read on SFGATE (opens in a new tab)

• The Mercury News · February 16, 2023

  San Francisco's Joyride Pizza is now available in the East Bay and Peninsula (opens in a new tab)

  By Jessica Yadegaran

  The Mercury News covers the brothers' search for the right partners outside the city and their arrival in Berkeley and Daly City. It notes Joyride had the No. 1 trending pizza reel on Instagram, at more than 18 million views, and lists vegan and gluten-free options alongside fan favorites.

  Read on The Mercury News (opens in a new tab)

• SFGATE · September 15, 2022

  San Francisco pizza joint Joyride Pizza is expanding rapidly (opens in a new tab)

  By Nico Madrigal-Yankowski

  SFGATE marks Joyride's fourth location in just twelve months, on Market Street. It explains how the pandemic pushed the brothers behind Samovar Tea Lounge to rethink everything. Their answer was pizza, and they kept their focus on quality as they grew.

  “We think of ourselves as a 20-year overnight success.”

  Read on SFGATE (opens in a new tab)

• San Francisco Chronicle · September 12, 2022

  This rapidly expanding S.F. restaurant wants to win the Detroit-style pizza war (opens in a new tab)

  By Mario Cortez

  The Chronicle explains what makes a Joyride pie: an airy focaccia-style crust, brick cheese caramelized at the edges, and "racing stripes" of red sauce. It credits our quick rise to a lighter dough made with California-grown Yecora Rojo wheat, seasonal ingredients, and real options for gluten-free and vegan guests.

  “College kids, construction workers, nannies and techies, everyone can appreciate a great bite of pizza.”

  Read on San Francisco Chronicle (opens in a new tab)

• The San Francisco Standard · May 31, 2022

  Bread + Butter: Sink your teeth into Automat, Joyride Pizza, Flour & Branch and more (opens in a new tab)

  By Jeffrey Edalatpour

  The SF Standard's restaurant roundup picks Joyride as a standout. The writer calls the Zoe 'Roni pepperoni's focaccia crust towering and satisfying, and highlights our slow-fermented organic dough, local produce, and small, focused menu.

  “It was more of an evolutionary step, going from a caterpillar to a butterfly.”

  Read on The San Francisco Standard (opens in a new tab)

• The Infatuation · January 13, 2022

  Joyride Pizza (Yerba Buena Gardens review) (opens in a new tab)

  By Julia Chen

  The Infatuation gives our Yerba Buena Gardens restaurant an 8.4. The review praises the airy focaccia crust, caramelized cheese edges, and standout tomato sauce. It also calls out toppings so fresh they taste "like a local farmers market exploded all over each slice."

  Read on The Infatuation (opens in a new tab)

• J. The Jewish News of Northern California · December 14, 2021

  Joyride Pizza is a long trip from the hippie cuisine of their childhood (opens in a new tab)

  By Alix Wall

  A warm profile of Jesse and Josh's childhood in Brookline, Massachusetts. Their parents taught thousands of people to cook with whole foods, and the family grew much of its own food. The story traces how those values shaped Samovar Tea Lounge and now shape Joyride's local, organic approach to pizza.

  “We're elevating something so basic.”

  Read on J. The Jewish News of Northern California (opens in a new tab)

• VegNews · December 14, 2021

  Four New Vegan Pizzas Arrive at San Francisco's Joyride, Where Detroit-Style Square Pies Reign Supreme (opens in a new tab)

  By Anna Starostinetskaya

  VegNews covers the launch of four vegan Detroit-style pies and a vegan chopped salad. It ties our plant-based menu to Jesse's whole-foods upbringing, describing it as a return to his roots rather than an afterthought, and part of our mission of bringing joy through pizza.

  “I'm always looking for whole foods that delight my taste buds, nourish my body, and are low impact on the earth.”

  Read on VegNews (opens in a new tab)

• Mission Local · October 19, 2021

  Same owners, different game: How Covid-19 forced businesses to reinvent (opens in a new tab)

  By Annika Hom

  Mission Local tells the story of how Jesse turned the Valencia Street and Yerba Buena tea houses into Joyride. He asked one question: what would bring people joy? The answer came from pandemic pizza nights at home, and the commitment to ingredient quality came straight over from the tea house days.

  “Coming out of the pandemic was a lot of fear, and we want to bring joy through pizza. We're here to stay.”

  Read on Mission Local (opens in a new tab)

• San Francisco Examiner · October 7, 2021

  Joyride Pizza schools SF in the Detroit slice (opens in a new tab)

  By Paolo Bicchieri

  The Examiner covers Jesse "trading chai for cheese" and calls Joyride a total family affair. Pizza nights at home led to a few Detroit-style pans, then to two pizza shops. The story highlights our mostly Bay Area ingredients, house-made sauces, and fun, party-ready vibe.

  “It's fine dining on pizza, but accessible. Unpretentious, delicious, fun.”

  Read on San Francisco Examiner (opens in a new tab)

• PMQ Pizza Magazine · September 1, 2021

  Two Brothers Take San Francisco on a Detroit-Style Joyride (opens in a new tab)

  The pizza industry's leading magazine profiles the Boston-raised brothers. They grew up on brown rice, lentils, and seaweed until Jesse's first real slice at Pino's Pizza in Brighton changed everything. The profile details our small-batch Northern California ingredients and our custom-blended organic flour.

  “Homemade pizza has brought so much joy to my family over the past year that my brother and I ultimately decided to go all-in and develop the best Detroit pizza we could imagine.”

  Read on PMQ Pizza Magazine (opens in a new tab)

• Mission Local · July 27, 2021

  JoyRide Pizza: Detroit's in the house! (opens in a new tab)

  By Maria C. Ascarrunz

  One of the very first reviews, from the soft opening at 411 Valencia Street. The writer falls hard for the pepperoni and veggie pies, with their crunchy browned edges, lacy crisp cheese, and soft, fluffy focaccia-style dough.

  Read on Mission Local (opens in a new tab)