Inside Shuggie’s, a ‘Trashy-Glam’ Pizzeria and Natural Wine Bar Opening in the Mission

Grab your cheetah print pants and dust off those sparkling stilettos, it’s time for trash pies and natty wine. As of April 19, hotly anticipated pizzeria Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine is officially open on the corner of 23rd and Bartlett streets in the Mission — and if the restaurant’s owners chef David Murphy and Kayla Abe have anything to say about it, it’ll be hard to miss the neighborhood newcomer. The pair have transformed the former Velvet Cantina space into a “trashy-glam” explosion of neon color complete with fringe lamps, glittery bar tops, and mouth-shaped tableware.

Aside from its distinct aesthetic, the restaurant’s main focus is sustainability, with a menu built around the idea of giving irregular or surplus produce and food production byproducts a useful home. For example, Shuggie’s pizzas — thin-crusted creations the owners describe as “grandma pies” — will feature dough made from spent oat flour, a by-product from oat milk, and whey, a by-product from the restaurant’s housemade ricotta and local dairies. The list of six to seven options will rotate with a few staples like the pepperoni, honey, and chile-topped Bobo’s sticking around at all times. Shareable plates like garlic knots, fried pickles, and grilled fish collar also highlight cosmetically-challenged produce and offcuts that oftentimes go to waste.

Beverage options primarily consist of low-intervention and organic wines, which can be either enjoyed on-site or taken to-go. And if wine is simply not the move, there are harder options too including a boozy, frozen slushie made with seasonal blemished fruit and a margarita on the rocks, an homage to the Velvet Cantina.

The couple designed the space themselves, thrifting a motley collection of items to fill out the two dining rooms — think lamps fringed with tassels, hand-shaped dining chairs, quirky pieces of art, and even an eye-catching neon sign. And speaking of the two dining rooms, each sports its own monochromatic theme: the front yellow room, which offers views into an open kitchen, features multiple disco balls, a lip-shaped sofa, and cheetah mural painted Abe painted herself. Slide on back down the hallway and you’ll find yourself in the very green second dining room and the Wine Bodega (that’s what the couple’s calling the 9-seat bar and bottle shop) where four glittery booths reside. The couple has dubbed the vibe “trashy glam” or, more specifically, “Hollywood Regency meets roller disco.”

Erin Ng

Erin Ng

Erin Ng

Erin Ng

Shuggie’s Trash Pie & Natural Wine (3349 23rd Street) opens April 19 for dinner from 5-10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, and 5 p.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday.