Five Dollar Fridays: Sicilian Pizza Slice from Dough Box

Welcome to Five Dollar Fridays, a running series whereupon Eater editors and contributors discover and discuss a terrific bite or dish for around $5 in Los Angeles. First up, the enduring deep dish specialist Dough Box in El Sereno.

To know deep dish pizza in Los Angeles is to know Dough Box. The El Sereno shop was once humbly just a commissary kitchen east of Downtown, but pride, quality, and plenty of word of mouth business has blessed owners Alexandra Gonzalez and Tony Hernandez with their very own storefront. That's good news for customers too, because it means anyone with a few dollars in their pocket can swing through for a rich single slice of pizza.

Every day they're open, Dough Box offers slices to folks who stop by and don't feel like loading up on an entire hearty deep dish pizza themselves. The usual slices are simple enough, dense triangles of deliciousness that are just right for the uninitiated, but Gonzalez and Hernandez also use their walk-in specials to experiment. That's why, on any given night, customers might stumble in to find an airy slice of crusty Sicilian pizza waiting in the wings. It's a nice change of pace for anyone who's done Dough Box for delivery, and is a steal at $4.

As for the regular slices Dough Box sells, they're $3.50 for pepperoni, and just $3 for cheese only. At those prices it's a wonder the shop can keep a roof over its head, but remember: Dough Box is still working the same delivery model they always have, just with a POS system for in-house payment and some stools for sitting. They're not worried about jacking up the slice price just to make a buck — with quality, pride, and word of mouth on their side, Gonzalez and Hernandez are already doing just fine.

Dough Box. 2734 N. Eastern Avenue. Los Angeles, CA.

• 15 Hottest Cheap Eats Restaurants in LA [ELA]