American Pizza Manufacturing builds bake-at-home pies for La Jolla families
The Place
American Pizza Manufacturing operates on a take-and-bake premise: handcrafted pizzas, scratch lasagnas, salads, and desserts are assembled to order and finished in the customer's home oven. Founder Andrew Melone, a SoCal native, drew the concept from his earlier investment in Chicago's HomeMade Pizza Company — an outfit that placed on Oprah's list of America's top fifty pies. The kitchen leans on a four-ingredient dough, housemade sauce, and locally sourced produce, with organic ingredients used where possible. The brand explicitly aims to pull households back to the dinner table.
A take-and-bake concept built to pull households back to the dinner table, one handcrafted pie at a time.
Signature pies carry whimsical names, and the menu accommodates a wide spread of diets: traditional, gluten-free, and cauliflower-based crusts are all on offer, alongside vegan choices and a take-home kit aimed at kids who want to build their own mini pies. Lasagnas, salads, and oversized cookies round out the lineup.
The shop has collected a run of La Jolla "Best Of" honors — Best Pizza in 2022, 2023, and 2025, with further nods for Best Family Restaurant, Best American Food, Best Take Out, and Best New Restaurant arriving across the 2021–2023 window.
The 1,700-square-foot footprint runs as kitchen-only; a roll-up window handles cashless pickup, and orders also ship across a delivery zone reaching from La Jolla Village down to Bird Rock.
The Vibe
“So freaking cute”
Known For
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Good For
- Community
- "Cup-Prese" salad
- Customers At Home
- Kids
- Dietary Needs And Preferences
- La Jolla, CA
- Friends
- Loved Ones
Recognition
- Voted La Jolla's Best Pizza(www.mapquest.com)
- Voted Best Family Restaurant(www.mapquest.com)
- Voted Best American Food(www.mapquest.com)
- Voted Best Take Out(www.mapquest.com)
- Voted Best New Restaurant(www.mapquest.com)
- Oprah's list of the "50 Best Pizzas in America."(www.sandiegouniontribune.com)
What’s Good
- Care about every order
- Friendly staff
- Features quality ingredients
- Quality ingredients
- Flavorful yet not overly spicy taste
- Fresh and well-balanced dressing
- Excellent crust
- Warm and friendly
- Fresh, high-quality ingredients
- Delightful addition
- Outstanding and creative pizza
- Delicious dough
