being a vegan, it’s pretty hard to find a safe pizza in los angeles….or should i say, it’s easy to find vegan pizza that merely omits the cheese, but rarely do i come across a restaurant that serves a standard pizza with a non-dairy cheese substitute. luckily, damiano mr. pizza pizza on fairfax has survived as the bastion of vegan(pizza)ism in los angeles—it’s pretty easy to grab an enormous, fresh, tasty pizza there…when all else fails.
the downside? well, the pizza pictured above cost $36 before tip. seriously. an extra large w/ vegan cheese, mushrooms, tomatoes, and chopped garlic will completely break your bank. but i guess it’s worth it. just try not to think about the fact that a beautiful cheese and mushroom pan pizza from pizza hut would only cost you $14.24.in mr. pizza pizza’s defense, though, the food is damn good.
if you do decide to give this place a try, i highly suggest you call ahead for carry-out. i’ve eaten at the restaurant, i’ve had pizzas delivered. and take it from me, unless you are picking up or have tons of free time, don’t bother. i remember sitting in the dank shit hole pictured below, waiting hours (seriously, hours) for my order to be taken and finally arrive, as throngs of pizza-savvy locals strolled in to pick up stacks of fresh-from-the-oven pies. similarly, when calling in a local delivery, the estimated time of arrival was literally somewhere between 1 and 3 hours. suffice to say, i’ve learned the hard way, but i will NEVER EVER eat in or get delivery from mr. pizza pizza again.
however, if you don’t mind breakin bread on a pizza that costs a fortune, and you like to eat in the comfort of your own home, damiano mr. pizza pizza is a great place for a los angeles vegan to get a pizza fix. it’s almost like being a vegetarian again…sans the cruelty. 
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10:18 am on April 14th, 2008
Thanks for the review. I’d been meaning to try this place and now I know the rules of the game.
10:22 am on April 14th, 2008
Vegyogini - let me know what you think! :p
7:41 pm on April 17th, 2008
[...] this issue and new information to my attention. now, all you awesome vegans can resume eating at damiano’s. [...]
6:14 pm on April 20th, 2008
[...] dairy. All is not lost, though — if you live close to Hollywood in LA, there’s always Damiano’s, but their delivery customer service is appalling (last time I ordered it took them nearly two [...]
6:14 pm on April 23rd, 2008
[...] So, let’s get going. The ingredients are critically important to get right. Don’t substitute anything or else you’ll fuck the whole thing up and end up ordering pizza. [...]
7:50 am on May 4th, 2008
[...] So, let’s get going. The ingredients are critically important to get right. Don’t substitute anything or else you’ll fuck the whole thing up and end up ordering pizza. [...]
8:15 am on September 23rd, 2008
[...] of me pretty quick. i’ve been on the vegan pizza hunt for quite some time. i’ve tried eating out, cooking countless recipes at home, buying it from the store, and it’s never been quite [...]
6:27 pm on October 1st, 2008
[...] this issue and new information to my attention. now, all you awesome vegans can resume eating at damiano’s. [...]
6:37 pm on October 1st, 2008
[...] dairy. All is not lost, though — if you live close to Hollywood in LA, there’s always Damiano’s, but their delivery customer service is appalling (last time I ordered it took them nearly two [...]
7:05 pm on October 25th, 2008
Damianos is the most disgusting dirty shit pit in LA. I stopped eating there a long time ago when my sensibilities couldn’t deal with vermin droppings and roaches when you turn the lights on. I hate to give a place a shitty review, but you now have been warned. I see they got a B now instead of the D from a couple of years ago. Yuck, just f’n yuck. Do yourself a favor and make your own. Go easy on the Follow your heart cheese. It’s better with just a little.