Lamonica’s New York Pizza

By far the best pizza I’ve ever had. I will make an hour drive just to get pizza from lamonicas

Lots of seating, bathroom available, and quick service. The cheese pizza is indeed New York pizza.
— a lifelong New Yorker

I’m lived in New York and for a long while and I always held Original Ray’s at 11^th Street as the Holy Grail of pizza. A strong challenger is Lamonica’s on Gayley Blvd in Westwood. Owned by John Lamonica, he brings in the dough from NYC. Not only is John a nice guy, he has high standards for the pizza he serves. I think it’s the best!

Honestly I can’t say I’ve ever eaten their pizza, but let me tell you why I’m rating them 5 stars anyways.
One of my very best friends goes to UCLA. And, about a week ago, they had a shooting on campus that put everyone on lockdown and was initially reported as an active shooter situation. That very good friend of mine was very close to the shooting and was stuck in a classroom with a door that opened outward and did not lock. He stayed in that room for two hours, scared in a way I’m not sure I can imagine.
Eventually, the situation was «contained» and everyone was released from lockdown. I was texting him the whole time, upset that I wasn’t able to be there personally to so much as keep him company (I live in Washington, D.C.). I decided that the best way to help cheer up my friend was to buy him pizza, especially since he had to go right back to studying for finals.
I initially tried to order him pizza through Domino’s, since I could order online while I was at work. It seemed easy enough, until I called to let them know that he was authorized to sign on my behalf. They promptly told me that they would not allow such a thing. I asked for an exception, for understanding, but they refused and they canceled my order.
Still determined to order my friend the big meaty pizza he was craving, I called Pizza Hut (I know. I should have known better, and I’m sorry), only to get the exact same kind of response.
The obvious next choice, which really should have been my first choice (and I most definitely know better now), was to call a local pizza place. I googled «pizza near UCLA» and found Lamonica’s. I called and asked if they would be able to help me be a good friend and order my friend pizza. «Of course!» Was his response.
I’m sorry that I can’t remember his name, but this guy helped me place an order for the biggest, meatiest pizza, some garlic knots, and a soda. He even wrote a personal message for me on the inside of the box, and made no fuss about my not being able to receive the pizza.
I know it’s a relatively small gesture, to let me order pizza for a friend, but it made such a big difference for both myself and my friend. So thank you, Lamonica’s, for being the real MVP.
Also, my friend told me that the pizza was amazing, both for dinner that night and breakfast the next morning.

Best pizza in the city for the value. The $ 9 after 9pm large pizza is a steal for the quality and freshness you get. Great service and pizzas are ready within 10 – 15 mins of your order. Highly recommend.

Very solid NY style slices. Right amount of grease, and you can fold em like you should. They could use a little more sauce, but it’s definitely not dry. They are very generous with their toppings. You’ll feel you’re in a New York pizzeria when you walk in here from the white tile walls, subway maps, etc. If you’re on the west side you can trust a slice from here. 2 slices and you’ll be feeling real good. $ 3 bucks for a meat lovers slice that is piled high!

Got a hungry group of three or four? THIS RIGHT HERE IS YOUR TICKET TO HUNGER FREEDOM.
Jk.
But on the real, I’m in looooove with Lamonica’s! Came back to it two weeks in a row because it was so good. Their special deal of one large, 18″ pizza for $ 9 after 9PM daily (or all day on Sunday) is the best pizza deal you can get in Westwood. Toppings are additional costs, but after adding four different toppings, my pizza still came out to be a little less than $ 14!
Parking can be a hassle in Westwood, so you can either choose metered street parking or pay at the various parking lots. I highly recommend dining in because the restaurant itself is very cool and reminiscent of things related to New York City. So if you’ve never been to New York (aka me), this is the closest you’ll get to it!
Great experience. I would totally come back again and again.

Decent Pizza. Prices were great. 18″ cheese pizza for $ 9 all day Sunday or everyday after 9pm. We pad the extra dollar and change for pepperoni. It was better than Little Caesars, probably equivalent to dominos but Lamonicas has better crust.
The area is really cool, lots of restaurants and places around. (It’s UCLA)

Not only is this the greatest pizza, and not only do I have very scrumptious memories here, but today the owner of this family owned business gave my daughter and her classmates the most amazing tour of their Vernon based manufacturing plant. What an awesome
Tour and everyone was extremely hospitable including the owner who personally led us chaperones and children through 7 foot mixing bowls and enormous walk in refrigerators. In the end the owner personally cut up the pies and it was so delicious. Great pizza and people!!!

Lamonica’s nails the New York Metro area vibe. I love the industrial yet cozy and welcoming environment here. I came here for a quick dinner before hitting the road on a Monday night after leaving an event at UCLA.
Let me just say that I adore Chicago deep dish, but let’s face it — NY Style pizza is EVERYTHING! There’s just something about a giant thin slice of pizza that you gotta fold in half to finish eating! Lamonica’s does a fantastic job of delivering this kind of pizza. Best of all, every night after 9pm and all day Sunday is, $ 9 Large Pizza night. What a deal! It doesn’t get much better than that.
If you’re in Westwood at night looking for a cheap but delicious meal, $ 9 will get you just that. Hey, you can even buy pizza by the slice if that’s your thing. But after one bite, you’ll definitely want more. Don’t say I didn’t warn you!
Do yourself a favor and grab a pizza from Lamonica’s and ice cream from Diddy Riese around the corner — and experience some of Westwood’s best quick eats.

Best NY style pizza I tasted while visiting the UCLA terrain. Small pizza spot that sells slices and offers an indoor spot to savor it. Nothing fancy, just good pizza.

Don’t bother getting the garlic rolls– it’s hard, bland, and not worth your money.
The large New York style pizza was pretty good though. I don’t know if I would come back, but it was highly satisfying an all-​around solid pizza place.

I had a very different and much better experience today. Thin crusts do not deliver well all the time.
Today I learned of their thick crust Sicilian pizza and it was huge and amazing. Cut into squares and all. I like that I can tip on the driver’s mobile device too.
Big fan.

So happy to have found a spot on the west coast that serves real NY pizza! The crust was crispy, sauce wasn’t greasy, and the pepperoni was super flavorful! Prices are fair, for 3 slices and 3 drinks it was $ 13! The places is decked out in NY subway theme, and being a Jersey girl originally, it brings back cool memories. Students at UCLA are lucky to have this Westwood Village-​NY pizza spot.

Every college town needs an awesome pizza place.
Lamonica’s IS THAT PLACE for Westwood.
Let me preface this by saying that I am just a huge New York pizza fan. The thinner, the better! I mean, Chicago-​style pizza has a place in my heart, but there’s no swaying me from my own true love of NY pizza.
I like the chill vibe of Lamonica’s. The little murals and New York decorations don’t really give you the hustle-​and-​bustle, high-​stress sensation that the Big Apple does, but it does offer a reminder of what it’s like.
You can get pizza-​by-​the-​slice, which is always awesome, or you can just order one ahead of time or on the spot. It’s super flexible. My favorite thing of all time is the $ 9 after 9 deal. What is this, you may ask? Well, BASICALLY, it’s the best thing ever. Expounding a little more on that, you get a 17″ pizza for 9 bucks after 9 P.M. every single day (AND ALL DAY SUNDAY). That’s pretty crazy. Yeah, I mean, $ 9 is the base price and each topping is $ 1.75 extra, but still – split that bad boy with a friend and you still got yourself a mean meal for not much money.
I recently had a hilarious experience here with my roommate. There was this super chatty Hollywood dude; we ended up talking with him all meal. He was pretty hilarious, and it was one of those trademark moments where you simply feel alive in the midst of absurdity. I really loved it. Anyways, the guy told me – and the employees verified – that the dough is shipping from New York! It’s truly authentic in that sense. Crazy, right?
Anyways, Lamonica’s is a gem of LA. I love it, I love it, I love it, and I’ll be coming back even after my college days.

We just moved to the area and came across this gem. All I can say is that I am here at least 5 times a week. I absolutely love it and the price is unbeatable. They can put a little more cheese on their pizzas. And perhaps be a little more generous with the anchovies but other than that the pizza is phenomal for its price. I get a large pizza which seems larger than 18″ for 16.95. This includes 4 different toppings. My only tip for someone trying Lamonicas is to try out new topping combinations. Their pineapple and anchovies are amazing, & of course mushroom pepperoni is a must try. Service is great too. Chris always helps me with my order and they are patient and super friendly. A+ /​/​highly recommended business.

Never going to any other pizza place around this area other than here. So delicious, very well worth the price, and super friendly service there. I’ve came here with my family a few times on a Saturday night for dinner and ordered take out and they’ve never let me down. I also love how they’re not stingy with the condiments they put on the pizza. I ordered a large mushroom and they filled the pizza up with mushrooms! That’s how it should be! Their cheese is really good too and always taste super fresh. The #1 pizza place in Westwood.

There is a rude man named Chris that isn’t helpful and is extremely nasty and is not for the customer has terrible manners

cheese + pepperoni — this place is your basic pizza place, the pizza place that goes back to basics before pizza became über fancy with fancy ingredients.
is it because of that, keeping it simple, the taste is awesome, reminds you of a good old pizza from back in the day.
i almost prefer pizza like this, before pizza became fancy in the foodie world where you see various toppings.
reminds me of my college days in ny!
will def return!

We moved here from New York City 3 years ago. After 2 years of searching and trying I decided pizza in LA was not anything like pizza in New York… until I was tipped off about Lamonica’s New York Pizza in Westwood Village. You know the reason they call it Lamonica’s New York Pizza? Because it IS New York Pizza. Finally!
The fact that they are 5 minutes from our place is a bonus, because even if they didn’t deliver, which they do (promptly), I would go there and pick it up myself. And they’re not kidding about the «New York» part, in that the secret is the dough, that makes the crust the best. They claim the dough is made with Brooklyn water which is the key, and I totally believe it. The rest of the pie is fab, too. The store is very clean and well-​run. The other foods look great, although we can’t stop ordering the Cheese pie. BTW, the salads are so fresh, and the dressings so good. So thank you Lamonica family, you’ve made us customers for life. Yay!
Michael Mislove
Westwood

I feel like the people who give this place 5 stars probably haven’t had truly authentic New York style pizza yet. This isn’t even close but it’s still pizza, and I will gladly eat any pizza any day. On the plus side, the service is nice and prompt and the prices are cheap. However, the pizza is just okay. It’s probably really amazing pizza for the area which isn’t saying much.

Great pizza! Their $ 9 after 9pm deal is killer for a cheap late night dinner. Delivery service is hit and miss, and on busy days like the super bowl forget it and just use Postmates. Order Garlic knots early becuase they run out. Overall I love this place, great food!

Best pizza ever in Westwood village!
I would give 5 stars, but every now and then they forget the toppings I order.

The pepperoni and cheese pizza is simply delicious. The crust is perfectly thin.
FYI: The veggie pizza had raw vegetables so I didn’t try it.

Good stuff! I’ve only been here once but I was happy with the pizza slices I ordered and so was my boyfriend. It’s not the best pizza ever but for the price, the quality is great. The service is fast and I would definitely come back again.

I called La Monica’s & explained the situation. Caesar, one of the Mgr’s, was EXTREMELY understanding with ZERO ATTITUDE. Nice.
Caesar refunded my $ and is giving my a free pizza. Nice.
I’ll give them another shot. GREAT BUSINESS ETIQUETTE!
I told Caesar to make the second pizza however he saw fit. He made half the Peroni and have cheese.
The pizza was lightly crispy, even on the bottom. Not too much sauce and folded fine.
The pepperoni side was extremely good, The pepperoni is really tasty!
I’m not a big fan of New York style pizza, but I can understand what people like about it.
I’ll go back, but I’ll never order a combination pizza again. I think New York style pizza isn’t set up for vegetables, mushrooms and onions maybe and that’s it.
Great pizza!

Great place, friendly staff. Pizza is excellent, wings are below average. The parking situation is sparse. One trick is to park at whole foods and buy something there then walk over to LaMonicas. The dough for the pizza is shipped from NY so it’s a super classic place. They have some interesting murals inside of athletes and actors and some maps of the subway system in Queens.

Best pizza ever!!! I didn’t know about this place till my boyfriend (a New Yorker) told me about it and omg seriously the best pizza in LA now I don’t even order from Pizza Hut or anywhere else I rather drive to lamonicas! Plus they have a special of a large pizza after 9pm at $ 9.00 bucks and they close late so it’s good after the club or hitting up a bar.

2 hour wait for deep dish delivery…
Worth it!
It will be hotter and faster next time but hey I’ll take $ 14 off a $ 35 pie for the inconvenience. But Fereal, best pie on the westside no doubt which is why 35 years later they’re still doin it!

Really good NY style pizza (thin crust, big slices). I think they only serve large and extra large pizza. Great price (i think $ 9 for large pizza after 9pm).
Good pizza. Great pizza for the price. Go to eating spot in the neighborhood because open late.

Are you telling me Lamonica’s gets its pizza dough shipped in directly from NY???
**UPDATE** I was contacted by the Manager of Lamonica’s who informed me that the dough is in fact imported from NYC! So hey this is a true New York style pizza in Westwood.
Lamonica’s provides a New York nostalgia as soon as you enter. The walls are littered with murals of popular NY destinations and customs, they even have this large mural of the metro system located new the back of the pizzeria.
Ordering is super simple. As soon as you walk in there’s a long glass display with an oven behind it and you just tell the pizza architect which kind of pizza you want. All the pizzas are premade and they use the oven to heat it up and reawaken the flavor. You can pay by cash or card.
The two pizzas I ordered, the bbq chicken and tomato basil came out to 6 bucks and some change. Both were equally delicious and combined filled me up. The crust is amazing both thin and crispy like I like it!
The seating area is a bit cramped to large parties may what to take it to go. But it’s plenty of tables for two.
On a Tuesday at 830 it wasn’t really crowded but started to really get popular once 9pm rolled around. They have the 9 dollars after 9pm where you get a large one-​topping pizza for, that’s right, 9 dollars! They offer this deal every day after 9 and all day Sundays. Great offer and it really packs the place. Daily they offer lunch combos. You can get 2 reg cheese pizzas slices and a soda for 5 fifty, two topping pizza slices and soda for 6 twenty five or a slice with salad plus a soda for 6 twenty five.

Best New York style pizza I’ve had on this coast!
Located between a Mongolian noodle place and the ever so popular test prep center, the Berkeley Review, Lamonica’s pizzas hold their place on the top in Westwood. Sorry Enzo’s.
Upon sitting down at this establishment, you can already feel New York oozing around you. Look on your right and you’ll find a subway map! The chairs and tables are very simple and give you that quick stop or tiny diner feel.
Come after 9pm and pizzas are only $ 9! A deal that you cannot pass up. I’ve come with groups of around six before, and we devour around three of those pizzas, just to give an idea of how much to order.
If you are itching for some real pizza, then head over to Lamonica’s!

How is it that this place, after 30 years, is still the exact same great pizza place it was when I was a teenager coming to Westwood Village? Same spot, same pizzas, same vibe. I love when good things don’t change or don’t go away. Nostalgia helps make places like this taste even better when you go back.
They have thin crust New York style, and they also have thick crust, square cut pizzas you can order by the slice. My favorite is still the mushroom and the sausage. The mushroom is lots of mushroom chopped, and the sausage is thinly sliced crispy and curled at the edges.
Service, quality, taste and price is all right on. Please don’t ever go away!

to be honest, i dont think the pizza LOOKS amazing, but damn it sure does taste amazing! they use super fresh ingredients for their toppings and the crust is so perfectly crisp. the workers are super friendly And give you a bunch of goodies to throw on top for no additional price.
$ 9 everyday after 9 for a large cheese (then you add the price for each topping) and every sunday all day! so yummy! we were sl suprised when we got a bunch of toppings and the total came out less than the original price. (at 10pm lol)

I love the $ 9 after 9 PM deal, which gets you a large cheese pizza for $ 9 after 9 PM. So, if you have munchies after drinking, it’s the perfect meal to have. (It’s also pretty good sober. LOL). They charge you for extra toppings if you want any on your pizza. I normally get a large pizza with pepperoni and jalapeño, which is about $ 13. It’s so delicious! As other reviewers have mentioned, the dough is from New York, so it supposed to taste better. I am still a NY pizza virgin so I cannot really compare it to anything. But, I think that the pizza is pretty yummy and tasty.
There is a eating area in the restaurant, but I have ever eaten there before. I usually take my pizza as a carry-​out. Make sure to call first before sometimes it can get pretty busy, especially during the peak times when they have the pizza deal. Parking is hard to find as it is in Westwood, but if you want to do carry out, there is a few loading only parking spots available in the front. If you want to eat there, there is a few meters outside, which is usually taken so you might have to circle around a little to find a meter.

I would have gave 5 stars but it did not arrive piping hot. It was just warm.
It was so delicious though that I just kept eating! I could not decide between the garlic half or sausage half being best… I think the sausage… Mushrooms were yummy but not sure if they were canned or freshed or precooked somehow but plenty of them and tasted like mushrooms! I LOVE mushrooms. CRUST — nice and thin with a crisp outer edge and a chewiness that was JUST perfect! I have found my fav pizza place now! HUGE pizza and slices were decent! Price was good too and I didnt mind paying the $ 2 delivery and tip. They must be reading these comments cuz it seemed pretty perfect New York style to me! Maybe a little more NewYork tomato sauce? Honestly, I dont mind (leftover) cold pizza either! You will not be disappointed!

I have eaten my way around the pizza joints in West and East Village, New York, in the past few years. When I finally heard there was an authentic NY-​style pizza parlor in the Los Angeles area, I knew I had to make a trip out to Lamonica’s to get my New York pizza fix on.
I love for my New York pizza to have that hot and delicious taste. But the most important aspect of the pizza is the texture. It has to be crunchy. Unfortunately, this is one aspect where Lamonica’s falls short for me. While their pizza is fresh and tasty, it doesn’t have that crunchy bite that New York slices should have. The texture here is more chewy than crispy.
Nonetheless, Lamonica’s still slings a great product. The pizza pies are enormous and they do not skimp on the toppings. I came here for their $ 9 whole cheese pie special (promotion only applicable after 9pm). I added two toppings, pepperoni and pineapple, for $ 1.75 each. I love their pepperonis! They have an expansive seating area for their customers, whether its big groups or just a few friends.
If you find yourself in the area in search of some inexpensive yummy eats, do pay a visit here. Just be aware that Lamonica’s does not meet my NY style pizza expectations.