By Gretchen Williams, Columnist
Domenick’s Pizza and the Sardisco family hung up the pizza peel after 70 years in business. The perfect pizza and pasta is now but a cherished memory for devoted fans in San Pedro and Carson.
With roots in long-ago Terminal Island, Domenick’s original location in Carson was right on the rail line. Hungry railroad engineers could pull the locomotive up to a special window at Domenick’s to pick up pizza and sandwiches.
Terminal Island in the ’40s was the working heart of the harbor, beating with the steady rhythm of the canneries, the railroad and the Bethlehem shipyard. Loose cargo and bulk loads preceded the stacks of today’s container traffic.
The Radio Cafe was the beginning of the Sardisco restaurant legacy, turning out stacks of sandwiches for the workers on T.I. from ’44 to ’55. By ’56, Domenick had partnered with a friend who owned an empty asphalt-paving company warehouse in Carson. The restaurant evolved to include pasta, pizza and the legendary sandwiches. Just off the Harbor Belt Line run, the new “Domenick’s” used a window in the back to hand off sandwiches and pizza to rail workers. This pass remained in use until 2025.
Domenick’s opened in San Pedro at the restaurant on Western Avenue, offering a full menu of Italian dishes, pizza and pasta. Domenick’s sons, Domenick and Anthony, and daughter Theresa ran both restaurants, pleasing a loyal customer base for over seven decades. The Harbor Area will miss the wonderful food and happy atmosphere at both Domenick’s establishments.