The house pepperoni pizza at North Park Beer Company Pizza Shop in Crown Point Pacific Beach

"Friends & neighbors," read the lighted marquee letters that stretch across the ceiling above the pizza counter. The same words have been mounted upon the front door of North Park Beer Company, since it debuted in its namesake neighborhood 8 years ago, and neon-lit upon the wall of the tasting room and burger kitchen the brewery opened in Bankers Hill in late 2022.

But that North Park location is an epic, Craftsman styled beer hall, a cosmopolitan marriage of dark stained wood and copper to complement stainless steel tanks filled with some of the city's best beer. And its vibe is echoed with a tinge of stately Art Deco in Bankers Hill.

Here in Crown Point, at the brand's newest property, North Park Beer Co. Pizza Shop, the decor goes an entirely different direction. Patios extend the neighborhood's beachy feel. Below the bright red ceiling letters, the walls are painted with kung fu kicking cartoon characters — one a pizza, one a hop cone taken from the packaging of North Park's best-known and most awarded beer, Hop Fu IPA. And though a huge menu behind the counter features that, and dozens of other beers, wines, and hard kombuchas, I'm putting in an order for fountain sodas. Because I've brought the kids.

A casual counter shop with a cartoon Kung Fu motif

"We're not allowed to drink beer," they remind me, as I try to explain what a hop cone is, and why this one has kitana swords strapped to its back. Not to worry though: their curiosity ends there, as they much prefer to refill their own cups with every flavor at the soda fountain. It's filled with Boylan, a craft soda company that's been making fizzy drinks since Benjamin Harrison was president — cane sugar, no high fructose corn syrup.

If there's no food and drink pairing more ideal than pizza and beer, pizza and soda probably comes a close second. Along with the decision to call this a pizza shop rather than taproom, the soda fountain signals the beer company's intention to establish a family-friendly presence in this Pacific Beach neighborhood.

To be clear, that starts by appealing to parents. High quality beer clearly tops the list of reasons to visit. Unlike a certain family of multiple award-winning, pizza-making grog producers that populate San Diego area beach towns, this place makes a valiant go at cooking consistently well-made pies. It gives its dough a three-day fermentation, then cooks it in a fancy Italian pizza oven with rotating ceramic plates that cooks each pie's crust to an even crisp in under five minutes, at temperatures exceeding 700 degrees.

"The Veg," a vegetarian pizza (vegan optional) featuring cherry tomatoes, garlic confit, red onions, green bell peppers, sautéed mushrooms, and basil.

They're like thin-crust Neapolitan pies without the wood smoke. The 12- or 18-inch pies start at $16 and $24 respectively, whether you opt for marinara, crushed tomato, creamy tomato, basil pesto, or bechamel sauce. Topping choices range from $1.50 to $6, and are similarly varied— meats range from pepperoni to oil-cured anchovies to homemade meatballs. Veggies include black or green olives, fresh or pickled jalapeños, and even habañero pepper (with the warning, "no refunds"). Additional options include vegan cheese, or adding Calabrian chili oil, hot honey, or burrata.

In other words, something for everyone, and enough permutations to keep things interesting for visit after visit, as adults try to nail down the best beer to go with each combination of sauce, cheese, and topping. And the kids try to find the perfect ratio of lemon lime soda, ginger ale, and root beer.