800 Degrees is a phenomenal pizza restaurant with fifteen locations spread across the United States, Japan, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar. Chef Anthony Carron created the franchise in 2012, and its rapid growth has landed it partnerships with Dwyane Wade, a Miami Heat star, and private wealth funds. One of its first locations in Los Angeles, located on Wilshire Blvd is my favorite. The restaurant provides validation for a parking lot just above it next to SoulCycle and the 3rd St. Promenade, making it easily accessible for no cost. Its open hours are from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. from Sunday to Wednesday, and 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. from Thursday to Saturday.
800 Degrees’ ordering system is efficient and capable of dealing with the long lines that accompany meal times in quick fashion. When you enter, you will see the menu plastered across large blackboards, and then move down a line of employees, selecting what item and toppings you want. The options are limited to Neopolitan pizzas and salads, but a wide array of toppings and pizza crust and customizations leave room for variation. Pizzas cost $9 to $15, and salads are charged from $7 to $15. I typically order the Bianca pizza, and afterward enjoy one of the gelato flavors. The Bianca pizza is a white pizza consisting of mozzarella, parmesan, olive oil and oregano.
After you pay, the pizza order goes into the oven and is often delivered to the table in less than ten minutes. 800 Degrees used to call their customers’ orders aloud and then require them to go retrieve your the pizza from the cashier, but that system involved poor communication and excessive noise, so it was replaced.
The pizza restaurant also provides a Coca-Cola Freestyle Machine, which lets you choose and customize popular sodas with flavors such as vanilla, peach and strawberry. Alongside the machine lays free, traditional pizza toppings such as parmesan and red pepper flakes, and an 800 degrees original spicy chili sauce.
Overall, the Wilshire Blvd 800 Degrees dining experience is tasty and pleasant. Large glass windows let the sunlight stream into the sitting area, and an old fashioned tile furnishes on the walls and floor compliment the food well. The employees are nice and helpful, and you can count on your food being well made every visit.
