When Pitfire Pizza opened in Westwood, it instantly became a hit with families. Not only was the food good for both parents and their kids, but the atmosphere was cool enough that parents felt like they were dining at a place geared towards adults, yet comfortable for kids. If you come to Pitfire between 5-7pm, you’ll see the restaurant packed with families. We always see someone we recognize here. If you’re young and single or on a date, you probably will want to come here well after 7pm or dine on the outside patio to escape the crush of families.

Pitfire Pizza is a fast-casual restaurant. You place your order at the counter and then are seated with a number (if it’s nighttime). The servers will bring you your food once it’s ready. The menu ranges from pizza (of course), pastas, sandwiches and salads. Even though the restaurant has the word “pizza” in its name, we rarely get pizzas, mostly because they sometimes burn the crust in the wood-fired ovens. Every so often, we get pizzas just to switch it up…

During the summer, Pitfire offers a Heirloom Tomato and Burrata Cheese pizza. It’s nice and light, with juicy heirloom tomatoes accented with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar on top of creamy burrata cheese. On the menu year-round is the Big Sur pizza with marinated shrimp, roasted garlic and four cheeses, with a sprinkling of red chili flakes to add a bit of heat. The pizzas are individually sized and are perfect for sharing.

Pasta is the favorite with our family. Since my husband doesn’t eat meat, he likes to get the Chicken and Mushroom Cavatappi in a cream sauce without the chicken. My daughter and I both enjoy the spaghetti and handmade chicken meatballs.

If I’m mixing it up, I’ll go for one of the sandwiches. I’ve tried them all (fire-roasted chicken, farmstand vegetable, Pitfire Steak and Chicken Meatball sub. My favorite is the steak. It’s worth the red meat splurge.

That’s followed by a close second by the Chicken Meatball sub (which used to only be a special until they came to their senses and put it on the regular menu). All the sandwiches come with a side salad as well.

The kid’s menu offers pizza and pasta. My daughter would always get the penne with tomato sauce, but then changed to the spaghetti and chicken meatball. Now that she’s older, the kid’s portions aren’t big enough so she’s ordering off the regular menu.

For dessert, they have chocolate chunk cookies and Strauss Family Creamery soft-serve vanilla ice cream, which can be topped with chocolate or caramel sauce. The ice cream is organic, so not only is it tasty, it’s good for you (at least this is what I tell myself). You can even put the two together for a cookie sundae!

Pitfire has expanded their empire to the San Gabriel Valley, San Fernando Valley and Orange County, with locations that have a hipper vibe than the original location. The Mar Vista location has outdoor firepits and a DJ spinning records. They recently added a DJ on weekend nights at the Westwood location, but the DJ seemed a bit out of place. Pitfire Pizza also has a Happy Hour from 3-6pm on Mondays through Fridays, with 50% off beer, wine and well drinks, if you’re willing to brave the hordes of families.

Location – 2018 Westwood Blvd, Los Angeles 90025. Other locations in Mar Vista, West Hollywood, Downtown, North Hollywood, Costa Mesa, Manhattan Beach, Pasadena and Westlake Village.
Website – http://www.pitfirepizza.com
Kid-Friendly – Yes
Kid’s Menu – Yes
Pesco-Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Vegan/Vegetarian Friendly – Yes
Gluten-Free Options – Yes