Urbano Pizza Bar Has a 2 Slice Lunch Special

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Urbano Pizza Bar has been getting a lot of ink ever since Top Chef Ilan Hall, from the Gorbals, started showing up sporadically behind the counter a few months ago. Nobody seems to know exactly what his role has been (besides creating a few side dishes and getting them a shit-ton of PR from blogs) but I was told by an Urbano regular that nothing seems to have changed about the pizzas since they’ve opened- and that’s a good thing, because Urbano probably serves the best pizza in Downtown L.A. right now. Sadly, though, the pizzas are all $12 and up- and not quite big enough to share, Bottega Louie style. So I never really considered this place a true Midtown Lunch… until they introduced their 2 slice lunch special!

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For $6 you get your choice of two square slices of pizza, which sit in a glass case on top of the bar. The day I was there they had mushroom (the same wild mushrooms that are on their funghi pizza), pepperoni and sausage. The already cooked slices get preheated in the large wood fire ovens, which make them a bit more crispy than the fresh pizzas on the regular menu. In the end, the two slices didn’t seem much bigger than half a pizza… so it’s really only a good deal if you have nobody to split a $13 or $14 pizza with.

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In other words, if you want the best Urbano has to offer but still want to keep it under $10 splitting a pizza is really your only option. And if you go for one of the less expensive pies, you’ll still have $6-7 left to spend on one of their cheaper salads or sides.

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The market salad was a nice option. Simple and tasty.  Worth $6?  Maybe not.  But it worked perfectly to round out the shared lunch.

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Admittedly it takes a bit of jerry-rigging to fit Urbano within my stupid lunchtime rules, but for good pizza it’s worth it.  I’ll leave the dinnertime reviews and the fawning over Top Chefs to others (well, except for this post of course.)  If you’re looking for a solid pizza lunch for two in Downtown L.A., Urbano is a good option.

THE + (What somebody who likes about this place)

  • Best pizza in Downtown L.A. right now
  • Wood fire oven FTW
  • Ooooh… a chance to see Ilan Hall during lunch?  I’m in!
  • Nice thin crust, decent char.  What more could you want?
  • A lot of great topping combinations
  • Ordering set up makes it waaaay easier to navigate than Bottega Louie
  • I eat lunch alone, so I’m super excited they offer a 2 slice lunch special
  • I like my pizza a bit crunchier, so the twice cooked lunch special slices are perfect!

THE – (What somebody who doesn’t like about this place would say)

  • I’d rather spend a few bucks less and go to Pitfire
  • The lunch special slices aren’t nearly as good as the fresh pizza.
  • Not enough food for the price.  Fat man needs entire pizza!
  • What’s with this fancy pizza bullshit.  Can we just get a good slice shop in DTLA.
  • Parking is pretty terrible if you don’t work in walking distance.
  • And the end of the week, when it gets packed, it can take awhile.

Urbano Pizza Bar, 630 W. 6th St. (Corner of Hope), 213-614-1900

This lunch was not hosted. Nor was Ilan Hall there. I just went there and ate delicious pizza with my wife, and then paid for it, like a normal human being.

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