Dine and Dish: Little Oven Pizza in Merced

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- They're literally rollin' in dough at Little Oven Pizza on Main Street in downtown Merced. This is a slice of heaven for many pizza lovers.

"The New York style. Very thick but nice crispy bottom. It's one that you can actually fold in half and eat," owner Adrian Gonzales said.



In East Coast fashion, many folks come in for a slice of pie. "You don't have to get a whole pizza. Just get a slice and try something different.

Open up people's palates a little bit," Gonzales said. The Bee Thousand is one of the most popular specials. "Tomato, salami, fresh mozz, honey, chili oil and oregano.

" Manager Juanita Casias keeps the pies coming and notes some folks like to take a break from tomato sauce. "For the white pizza it gets the diced fresh mozzarella. It gets the fresh parmesan," Casias says.

"Then the Brooklyn's Best, which is a white pie with caramelized onions and ricotta," Gonzales said. Customers can't wait for the doors to open every day. "Right now it's just opening but afternoon, they're packed and there's nowhere to sit.

It's a really cool place to be," customer Lydia Flores said. Little Oven Pizza is small but mighty. "We're just a little shop in Merced doing what we can every single day to be our best," Gonzales said.

Two East Coast natives opened Little Oven Pizza in 2016. "Two guys from Philadelphia, Dan and Thad, they opened up this place to kind of bring something different to Merced," Gonzales said. Adrian started working here in 2018 and bought the place in 2022.

"I got the opportunity to take over," Gonzales said. "I don't want this place to go anywhere. It's pretty much a staple at this point.

" The specials range from asada to potato and are changed daily, giving you a chance to try different combinations. "Our pizza's actually really good. I'm very proud of it and proud of the team here," Gonzales said.

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