Lover’s Deli

FINALLY some great pizza within driving distance of Yosemite. I'm obsessed. This is one of my new go-to spots in Merced.The pizza is primarily sold as slices, but can also be ordered as whole pies. Most slices are $4-6 each. The first night that I stopped by, they were running a special on cheese slices for $2 each.The pizza menu changes on a daily basis, with the exception of three core flavors: cheese, pepperoni, and seasonal vegetable. None of those flavors interest me, but, on top of those three staples, there are also two rotating flavors which change from day to day. So far, I've tried three of their slices:1)Bambino-- vodka sauce, cup pepperoni, fresh shaved parm2)Maui Wowie: A shameless revamp of the Round Table pizza by the same name3)Frank White-- sesame seed crust, white sauce, ricotta, gouda, bacon, caramelized onions, shaved parmI can't say enough great things about this pizza. The bread is good enough to eat on its own, as it should be. The sauces are house made, and they slap. The toppings are all premium brands and quality. For a small fee (I think it was 50 cents), you can add ricotta or hot honey to any slice of pizza. As an Italian American myself, whenever I make pizza at home, I always have ricotta, pesto, hot pepper oil, and sometimes hot honey on the side-- this is the first time I've ever seen a pizza place offer them as toppings like this. I think it's a great idea. The crowd is mostly college kids from UC Merced, so, it does get packed and loud, but the wait isn't too long, and the pizza is worth it. I love everything about this place. Bomb.

The place is too cute. It has all kinds of "oldies" pictures on the wall of known couples through out the years. It has a memorabilia wall and an old school VHS tape/TV that they alternated videos while we ate. The service felt slow but we were there during dinner time. We ordered two sandwiches, which were good but I felt like mine was missing something. I bought a piece of pizza - but ended up giving it to the homeless dude who was out front asking for food/money- so that's definitely something to be aware of, if you are not familiar with the area. I will be back with the intent to try the Pizza! (It looks good)

Came to Lover's Deli because the pizza slices and the sandwich offerings looked so good. We came the day after Thanksgiving after spending the afternoon watching our friend race on the dirt tracks a couple miles away from this establishment. Located in downtown Merced, Lover's Deli gives off 80's-90's nostalgic mall food court vibes with the bright white walls contrasted against the squiggly green, VHS of wrestling throwbacks on the little CRT TV above the cashier, and wood tables with cheese and pepper shakers. We were greeted at the counter and the guy was really nice to answer any questions we had. The SO and I ordered a few things- Half-Baked slice: this was like a creamy baked potato on a slice of pizza dough. I liked the crispy crust. - The Pest slice: pesto on a pepperoni pizza. So good! - Rocky & Apollo sandwich: wanted to get it on the focaccia but they were out that day, so settled on dutch crunch. Super filling and tasted great! We also got a side of their sweetheart sauce, which is their house hot honey and had a lot more texture (chili pieces). Super delicious and better than Mike's Hot Honey (which they also offer)!The only thing is if you have leftovers, they only give you a white paper bag for it, so the pizza had to be precariously dropped in to avoid toppling over. Definitely want to come back and try their focaccia and monthly rotating flavors!

Hey Deli,Welcome! Glad to see a new pizza choice... can never have enough of those. Unique that you guys serve Detroit pizza. I was excited to try you out. The pizza was good, though I admit I think my expectations were too high bc the best pizza I've ever had in my life happens to be a Detroit style one I had many years ago. Since your pizza is different than the other shops I think everyone should give you a try and see if Detroit style is for them. Haven't tried the sandwiches but saw others ordering it. Hope you guys kill it!

Very good deli sandwich here in downtown. Ordered the Jack and Rose to go. YummmmMy order was taken with a friendly smile and built pretty quick! Would come back again

This place had amazing energy! The music choice was chill and fun. The sandwich had delicious flavors and the BREAD UGH THE PIZZA stole me away. So many fun flavors and this spicy sweet combo was to die for! They both came out with little to no wait time.

This pizza is so great it has forever altered how I feel about pizza everywhere else. Each slice has layers of flavors and it's elevated even more with hot honey. The classic pepperoni is hard to beat, but the rotating weekly menu keeps us coming back. I love the cornholio as well. Their staff is very friendly and knowledgeable about the food. The location is very fun because it is centered around novelty items and nostalgia. I take all of my friends to lovers :)

Maybe I am just not a Sicilian pizza girlie. Lover's Deli is a cute, nostalgic pop-up shop in the heart of downtown Merced. From what I've heard, it has been a struggle getting this shop open, so shout out to them for pushing through! Offering a variety of slices, sandwiches, and in true deli fashion, bags of chips and bottled drinks. Lover's Deli marketing is v cute. Menu items have clever names, there's a "lovers through time" art wall, old board games, movies, and a fun selfie mirror in the back towards the bathroom. I could do without the florescent lighting but minor detail. They are typically open Wednesday - Saturday in the evening and Sundays for lunch. It seems that their menu rotates weekly. It's best to keep up with their Instagram (@loversdeli) for the most up to date info. Naturally, I ordered one of every slice they had: lil nero, pep, zuko, jabroni, and alrighty then. Honestly, honestly, they all tasted exactly the same. The dough had a nice crisp, but the toppings and sauce were unmemorable. It really just tasted like bread with sauce. Ranging from $4 - $6 per slice, price point isn't bad for the size of the slice. House made ranch was pretty good! Service was quick and attentive. I was outta there in 10ish minutes. I think I'll be back to try a white or vodka sauce slice and a sandwich, but from what I've had, I wasn't particularly impressed.

If you're gonna open a pizza joint across from one of the best pizza slices in California it better be good. Unfortunately, even after the oven the pizza was cold and the sauce was pretty bland. Didn't really have that wow factor. Service was okay but I was standing at the counter for a little while before my order was taken and I was the only one in the shop. Plenty of seating but super bright lighting which made me feel like I was in a hospital :[I will probably come back to try the sandwiches.

Yummy pizza, love happy hour specials! Will try the sandwich next time. Clean inside and friendly staff.