A couple of friends of ours are on the quest to find the best pizza in San Diego. Along their journey, they have tried many pizza places (good and bad). After seeing it pop up multiple times on our instagram page (follow us @dineamicduosd), I recommended they add The Haven Pizzeria in Kensington to their list. After checking it out, they ranked it in the front running for best pizza spot! So naturally, we were intrigued and also decided to check it out.

The Haven is a cute little (emphasis on little- it is very small) neighborhood pizza spot in Kensington. It got its name from an old school San Diego native named Dr. Haven. Apparently, Dr. Haven and his son starting digging out a BBQ pit in their backyard in Kensington, and then just kept digging. They dug a whole mess of tunnels with connecting rooms where the neighborhood kids would play. Personally, as a child I would have been way too scared to play in homemade underground tunnels, but to each their own I guess. You can read more about the story on their website (or in their bathroom like I did).

Like any good San Diego spot, they have an extensive list of craft beers to compliment your ‘za (or entree of choice). We started off our meal with a couple of local beers and some appetizers. Between the table we split the pesto bruschetta and the antipasto salad. Both were very flavorful and well balanced. The antipasto was chock full of Italian goodies. The focaccia they used for the bruschetta was expertly toasted to create the perfect texture to stand up to the yummy pesto, tangy goat cheese, and acidic tomatoes.

Next, we moved on to the pizzas. The first thing that catches your taste buds’ attention with this pizza is the slightly sweet aftertaste of the crust. Not overwhelming, just subtle and pleasant. It has a nice, light finish and slight chew. The sauce is nicely seasoned as well. We got The Biz– their take on a meatlovers’ pizza with pepperoni, candied bacon, sausage, cheese, and seasonal onion mix. The best part hands down was the candied bacon. It made every bite explode with salty, sweet, crunchy goodness. Our friends with us that night had one with roasted brussels sprouts on it, and boy did that look good too. If you have not had brussels sprouts on a pizza yet, do it. Somehow that stinky little vegetable just works beautifully on pizza crust.

We really enjoyed The Haven Pizzeria. From the eclectic decor to the interesting backstory to the delicious pizza, this place has a lot to offer. We have yet to decide what our favorite pizza place is in San Diego, but we are sure glad we finally stopped into this unassuming little joint!