Hidden within The Camp, an eco-friendly retail campus in Costa Mesa, sits a pizzeria where the naturally leavened dough gets just as much applause as the toppings. 🍕
Folks Pizzeria, founded by chef-owner Joey Booterbaugh and his partner Chloe Tran, opened in May 2019 with a revolutionary philosophy: dough is the star of the show.
The Orange County Register named it one of the top 5 pizzas in Orange County in 2020, while one reviewer boldly declared it the best pizza in Southern California.
How Folks Pizzeria won Costa Mesa’s hearts
Joey Booterbaugh and Chloe Tran opened Folks Pizzeria just before the pandemic hit, transforming what could have been a disaster into an opportunity to perfect their craft. 💪
The timing forced them to become a take-out operation, giving Booterbaugh precious time to “make pizza and get better” while building a loyal following.
The restaurant’s commitment to naturally leavened dough sets it apart from every other pizzeria in Orange County. 🌾
Booterbaugh’s crust is thin in the center and puffy around the outer edge, resembling Neapolitan pizza visually but delivering a texture and character more like sourdough in the mouth—minus the sour tang.
The intentionally condensed menu features only four red sauce-based pizzas and four white options, but it’s Booterbaugh’s relentless commitment to improvement that elevates the joint to exceptional status.
LA Eater recognized Folks as “Orange County’s Coolest Pizzeria”, praising the restaurant’s philosophy that if the dough isn’t perfect, nothing else matters.
Within months of reopening for dine-in service, Folks became an always-packed dining room where groups gather over trays of beautifully charred pizza, with walls covered in love notes from devoted fans. ✨
The seasonal menu celebrates California’s local ingredients on a pizza crust you won’t find anywhere else, with house bread, local vegetables, and a rotating natural wine list featuring small California producers.
Food Highlights
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Fennel Sausage Pizza: The most popular dish featuring mozzarella, pecorino, parmesan, basil, fennel pollen, and garlic oil on that signature naturally leavened crust that customers can’t stop photographing 🌿
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Margherita Pizza: The hallmark of all good Neapolitan-style pizza, with customers praising its crusty texture, slight sourdough flavor, melty cheese, and tomatoes that add just the right amount of acidity.
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Weiser Farm Potatoes Pizza: This white pizza creation features locally sourced Weiser Farm potatoes and represents the restaurant’s commitment to celebrating California ingredients on their unique crust 🥔
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Pancetta Pizza: Loaded with shaved Brussels sprouts, fontina, mozzarella, pecorino, basil, and extra virgin olive oil, this white pizza balances rich pancetta with fresh vegetables for a perfectly composed bite.
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Soppressata Pizza: Featuring olives, fontina, mozzarella, basil, and chili oil, this spicy option delivers heat alongside the restaurant’s signature chewy, airy crust with honeycomb-like bubbles.
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Free-Range Chicken Wings: Made with Italian fish sauce, n’duja, parsley, and lemon, these wings earned reviews for their bold, unexpected flavor profile that showcases Booterbaugh’s creative approach 🍗
- Mushroom Pizza: A white pizza favorite, featuring roasted mushrooms with cloves of garlic on top that multiple reviewers declared their absolute favorite over all other options, perfect for white sauce lovers 🍄
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Meatballs: Served in pork cheek gravy with basil, parsley, chives, and a side of grilled sourdough for dipping, these are repeatedly described as “not to be missed” by customers and critics alike.
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Beef Tallow Fries: These flavorful and savory fries, cooked in beef tallow, deliver perfect texture with a variety of extra-crispy bits that fans specifically call out as their favorite part.
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Chocolate Budino: This decadent dessert features crème fraîche whipped cream, sea salt caramel, and a double chocolate cookie. 🍫
Atmosphere
The laidback pizzeria features walls covered with love notes from devoted fans, a patio with glowing tents, and an intimate dining room that’s perpetually packed with groups gathering over pizza. 🎉
Limited seating and small pizza oven capacity create a cozy, exclusive feel where reservations are highly recommended to avoid the wait.
The restaurant boasts fantastic ambiance with everything from the vibes to the music and overall decor, creating the perfect spot for dates or casual hangouts with friends.
The space can get quite loud and buzzing during peak hours, which adds to the lively neighborhood joint energy that Booterbaugh and Tran envisioned.
Bottom Line
Visit Folks Pizzeria for naturally leavened sourdough-style pizza crust recognized as Orange County’s best and an intentionally curated menu that prioritizes quality over quantity.
Come for its locally sourced California ingredients on every plate, a completely natural wine list featuring small producers, and that rare combination of exceptional food in an always-buzzing neighborhood atmosphere. 🌟
Address:
2937 Bristol Street, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
🕔 Open Sun-Thu 4:00 PM–9:00 PM, Fri-Sat 4:00 PM–9:30 PM