Pie Punks Rocks Into SoMa With Tiki Cocktails, Natural Wine, and Grandma Pies By the Slice

There’s a new destination for pizzas — of all shapes and sizes — and tiki cocktails now open in SoMa. Pie Punks, a casual new restaurant, made its debut in late June, taking over the space at 145 Second Street with round East Coast pizza, Detroit-style slabs, and slices of thin and crispy Grandma pies. Owner Lane Ford says he wanted to create a pizzeria for pizza lovers of all ilks. “There’s not really a lot of places that will do a couple different styles,” he says. “And the fact is, I’m not really always in the mood for a Detroit-style pizza even though I love it.”

Ford partnered with Pedro Gonzalaz to head up the dough program, Gonzalaz having honed his skills at San Francisco pizza staples Delarosa and Beretta. Working with Alvin Luna, former executive chef at Gary Danko, the duo spins out three kinds of pizzas for Pie Punks. There’s the choice to go with four kinds of thin-crusted Grandma pies, which can be ordered either by the slice or whole. Twelve-inch round pies come in three varieties — tomato, onion, and meat — and whole only. And then there are those 8-by-10-inch thick Detroit-style pies, which sport some funky toppings like bacon and Wisconsin brick cheese, Spam and pineapple, or corned beef and sauerkraut. Ford says he thinks all three kinds of pies will find an audience in the area. “There’s been this insurgence of different styles that have become more popular and people’s knowledge has become deeper,” he says. “And I also think, from the standpoint of an owner, everybody loves pizza.”

Aside from the pies, the Pie Punks menu offers a handful of appetizer options — the kinds of shareable plates you’d expect at your favorite neighborhood pizzeria but nudged into new territory with extra flourishes. Fried broccolini, for example, gets dressed up with Calabrian chile and garlic, while salad options include an arugula-fennel combo with Parmesan and lemon dressing.

As for drinks, there’s a menu of tiki cocktails including those rum-infused classics like a zombie, painkiller, and a jet pilot. But if you’re looking for something truly transportive, you may want to test out the Henny Colada, a cognac-based riff on the coconutty classic. (Blended, of course.) Wines lean natural with a scant four options by the glass plus a handful of bottles ranging from about $40 to $60 each. Expect a short list of about eight beers on tap, plus a few options by the can or bottle.

Ford also partnered up with Eric Passetti (Trocadero Club, Natoma Cabana) on the restaurant, which he says he put together on a tight shoestring budget. They’re still waiting on some finishing decor touches, like a neon sign from Bay Area-based She Bends, but Ford’s leaning into an unpolished aesthetic with black-and-white photos of a diversity of icons including Muhammad Ali, Sting, and Public Enemy. “I’m really psyched about the way it’s coming together,” he says. Expect to hear old school hip hop and rock n’ roll over the speakers.

For now, there’s no online ordering, but customers can phone in orders for pick up. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, with the ultimate goal of staying open late-night. “We’re trying to basically say we’ll keep the bar open and serve slices until we’re out of slices,” Ford says for now.

Pie Punks (145 Second Street, San Francisco) opens at 11 a.m. Tuesday through Friday and at noon on Saturdays and closes at about 10 p.m. Call (415) 535-2898 to order for pick-up.