It was Thursday, 12:42pm, and I was at work. At that moment, I had to decide where to grab lunch since my 3-day shrimp pasta wasn’t going to cut it. I needed to find something that was delicious, quick, close to my job, and wouldn’t deplete my bank account. It was asking a lot, I know. Lucky for me I work in walking—power walking—distance of Grand Central Market in Downtown LA. The decision I made on that day was to go to Olio Pizzeria.

Olio is a tiny wood fire pizza shop whose pies (although small) are packed with great taste! The pizzas are broken down into “classic” and “specialty”. Classic pizzas are the basics you’ve most likely had: Marghertia, three cheese, pepperoni, and marinara which all start at $7.99. The good thing is you can always add toppings like spicy sausage (see pictures). In the case that you want something a little more exciting, the specialty pizzas may be up your alley. All at $10.50, you can get slices that are topped with wild mushroom and crisp prosciutto, pineapples, peppers, or whatever mischievous combination you create. Whatever you get, know that the pizzas are thin but the crust isn’t and that there’s enough meat (or veggies if that’s your forte) to fill you up. Total cost for a solo meal can hit just under $15 and if you drive to the market, parking starts at $2 for the first 90 minutes.

If you’re short on time, know that you can dodge the slow traffic at the market. You can probably get there in time to avoid a line, order, eat, and still make it back in time to clock in for work. If you don’t, then maybe you can do some overtime–the pizza is worth it.

Find Olio Pizzeria
Address: 317 S. Broadway, Los Angeles, CA 90013
Phone: (213) 624-2378