One of LA’s Best Pizzerias Is Headed to Crenshaw

5 Minute read

28 Oct 2025

Journalist

Apollonia’s Pizzeria founder Justin De Leon is keeping things local with a new spot on Crenshaw Boulevard, just blocks from where his family grew up.

One of LA’s hardest-to-get slices is about to get a little easier. Chef-owner Justin De Leon of Apollonia’s Pizzeria—famed for its thick, caramelized-edge Detroit-style pies and classic New York slices—has officially signed the lease for a second location. The deal closed today, De Leon confirmed exclusively to Fine Dining Lovers.

The new pizzeria will open at 3860 Crenshaw Boulevard, located between Coliseum Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard. For De Leon, choosing Crenshaw was both personal and intentional.

“I’ve always lived and worked in the same neighborhood,” he said. “My wife grew up off Crenshaw. We take pride in serving the community we live in. A lot of people expected us to go to the west side, but we wanted to stay rooted and keep it neighborhood.”

Justin De Leon of Apollonia's Pizzeria. Credit: Daniel Chavira of Fotograficante

The upcoming space will be slightly larger than the original Wilshire Boulevard shop—about 1,250 square feet compared to roughly 1,000—and will offer amenities the first location never could, including ample parking, indoor seating, and the potential for beer, wine, and live music.

“We’ve never had the opportunity for collabs or live events at Wilshire,” De Leon said. “This spot has 200 parking spaces. It’s got room for people to hang out, eat, and really be part of the culture.”

De Leon said the expansion wasn’t part of a grand plan. A friend from Crenshaw Juice Co. encouraged him to look at space, and he couldn’t turn it down once he saw it.

“I wasn’t even looking,” he explained. “But once I walked in, it was hard to resist. It felt right.”

The new Apollonia’s will serve the same Detroit and New York–style pizzas that have made De Leon’s name synonymous with LA pizza. He hinted that he might add a pasta dish to the menu, using the restaurant’s popular vodka sauce.

For Justin and his wife Linda, expanding into Crenshaw is about more than business—it’s about representing Los Angeles at its most authentic.

“Crenshaw has such a strong car and lowrider culture. On New Year’s Day the whole street fills up,” he said. “You can’t get a more real LA experience than that. I’m super hyped about what this space can become.”

Apollonia’s Pizzeria Crenshaw is expected to soft open shortly after Thanksgiving.

The Chef

Chef-owner of Apollonia’s Pizzeria, Justin De Leon is known for his precise, neighborhood-driven approach to Detroit and New York–style pizza and his commitment to Los Angeles community roots.

28 Oct 2025