Best Pizza Parlors
Pizza is personal. That’s why there’s different styles of pies. New York, Chicago, Detroit, deep dish, Sicilian and others. Here’s our list of the best pies in VanPort.
1. Ruse Crust Collective
Vancouver – Waterfront
I’m in the honeymoon phase of discovering Ruse’s Detroit style. Ruse is one of my favorite pizzas in Vancouver and that’s not a flippant statement. The sauce Ruse uses is amazing! I order extra. That combined with their excellent crust, cheese and toppings is as good as it gets… unless you like bland pizza. This pie is bursting with flavor. Their pizzas are six slices and is about right for two people who aren’t super hungry. PRO TIP: They don’t have a warming oven/light to keep it hot. So if you’re picking up or having delivered, you’ll want to be prompt. Parking at the waterfront is musical chairs. You might be walking a bit.
2. Flying Pie Pizzeria
Portland – multiple
My favorite pizza in the world. I’ve been eating at this joint since I discovered it in the 1994. As a world traveler I enjoy eating at the best restaurants but Flying Pie tops my pizza list because of their quality pepperoni, seasoning and especially their spicy italian sausage. That’s one ingredient that varies greatly on pizza. It can range from tasting like ground hamburger to chunks of spicy Italian sausage. Flying Pie is the latter. This is not a polite pizza. It’s bold and badass. Decent beer selection. The wine is fairly pedestrian. PRO TIP: Opt in for the garlic and seasoning. They have slices at lunch time. Parking can be very challenging at the original Stark location.
3. Ken’s Artisan Pizza
Portland – South
Ken’s tops several pizza lists including Bloomberg, Eater, Thrillist and even #18 on Italy’s 50 Top Pizza World 2023 list. They make excellent Neapolitan style pizza in their wood fired oven and the vibe of the joint is cool… but is it worth an hour wait for a table and another hour wait of food? I’m pleased that Ken’s has brought Portland international recognition. Their cocktail stock is small but they chose very good bottles and make decent cocktails that show they care (I’m a cocktail snob). All and all, we had a lovely time.
4. Juliano’s
Vancouver – East
Bold & Beautiful. Heavy toppings aren’t for the faint of heart but the flavor is fantastic. Their sauce is very savory. I like the pepperoni, black olive and jalapeno. I chose the garlic option when ordering. It’s a delicious pie. I just wish Juliano’s sausage was as good as Leonardo’s. This 14″ pizza was $33. Leonardo’s is $30 -ish for a 13″. So it’s fairly comparable. Juliano’s is fighting for top slot on my pizza list.
5. Pizzeria La Sorrentina
Vancouver – East
Pizzas are thin crust and about 12 inches baked in a wood fired oven. A hungry person can eat a whole pizza. Their pepperoni are the small and have lots of flavor. Their black olives are whole. I’d rather have sliced. NOTE: They have one problem and it’s significant. They are VERY slow. If you call in an order it’s usually two hours before it’s ready. Better to dine in.
6. Scottie’s Pizza Parlor
Portland – two locations
Scottie’s is very high on several respected pizza lists. It’s really good New York-style pizza. The slices are already premade. They don’t allow you to make any additions. It is what it is. But it does remind me a lot of pizza that I’ve had in Manhattan. The pepperoni is on point and has a really nice flavor to it. I really like the sauce and cheese combination. It’s a great place if you want a slice of New York pizza.
7. Apizza Scholls
Portland – South
Apizza Scholls is very good pizza…but not life changing. It is often in the top 5 of Portland pizza lists. The joint is definitely popular. I ordered half Moxie and half New York white. One reviewer said the New York white was the most delicious pizza they ever had. We thought it was very plain. It needed more toppings and flavor for our taste. The moxie side was good. They have very nice red wine. I had the Montepulciano – La Quercia. It was bold, smooth and low tannin. Staff are friendly. Parking can be a challenge. I still like Flying Pie better.
8. Leonardo’s
Vancouver – East
One of the best pizzas in Vancouver. Their spicy sausage is legit. It has to be the same source as Flying Pie’s sausage. Heavy toppings. You’ve been warned. Decent beer. I’m getting hungry just writing this.
9. Nonavo
Vancouver – West
Wood fired Neapolitan style pies. The vibe is more NYC or London with it’s white paint on exposed brick and very high ceiling. Their oven is legit. At any rate, the pizza is fab. The crust is pretty amazing all by its self. I do wish the pepperoni were smaller though. They’re the size of a half dollar. I prefer the very small type that La Sorrentina serves. But this is a top shelf pizzeria.
10. Oven and Shaker
Portland – Downtown
Unique pizza and craft cocktail joint. They excel at both. The pizzas are the wood fired, thin crust sized for one person. The meatballs are good. Especially the sauce. PRO TIP: If your drink calls for sweet vermouth, ask for Carpano Antica.
11. NYC Pizzeria
Vancouver & Portland
Best legit NYC style pizza joint in the area. Large slices. Lunch time they sell slices. Good assortment of sodas and beer. Staff are friendly.
12. Hungry Sasquatch
Vancouver – West
NYC style pizzeria. Slices are HUGE. One piece is enough unless you’re super hungry or a big eater. They offer just slices or whole pizzas. Good selection of beer. And they have very good cocktails for a pizza joint. Solid selection of mixers. Unfortunately the best sweet vermouth they offer is Dolin. Nevertheless they have a selection of amari and both green and yellow chartreuse. Lots of pinball and old-school video games. Only street parking available.
13. Detroit Pizza
Camas & Battleground
Detroit has a Battleground and Camas locations. They serve deep dish, hand tossed and Detroit style. They make a good pizza and most folks will be pleased with it. I seek out zestier pies. On a positive note, they’ve added a small cocktail bar capable of basic cocktails. But I spotted a bottle of Carpano Antica Formula sweet vermouth, which is one of the better ones.🏁 👏🏼👏🏼 You can get a very good Manhattan at Detroit.
14. Pizza Jerk
Portland – Multiple Locations
Good NYC style pizza. A small selection of beer, wine and soda. They have Texas Pete hot sauce, but it’s not hot. But also Siracha and Tapatio hot sauce.
15. Mighty Munch Mtn Curry Pizza
Vancouver – East
People sing praises about these pies. I’ve tried a few different types: curry butter chicken, pepperoni and Hawaiian. The Curry Waffle Fries are topped with curry sauce, onions, jalapeño and fresh cilantro. It’s a meal unto itself.
Everything tastes great. My wife who’s not that into pizza really loves the curry/butter chicken pizza.
The staff are super friendly and kind. They also have a location in Salmon Creek.
16. Piehole Pizzeria
Vancouver – DowntownPiehole makes a fab pizza. The crust has a great flavor and texture. The sauce and toppings are quality. Their sausage is neither spicy or mild. It’s in between. The soda/beer/wine selection is decent. They even have a small cocktail selection. They’re definitely one of the better pizza joints in Vancouver.
17. Barrel Mountain
Vancouver & Battleground
Barrel Mountain makes a good pizza. The crust is made with cornmeal which has a different texture. Their sausage is not mild yet not spicy. The zest on the level of Jimmy Dean sausage links. Also they have a variety of other non-pizza menu items like sandwiches, salads, and mac and cheese. They brew their own beer so that is the focus of their beverages. They have one cider that’s pretty dry. It’s in the can so you can’t sample it. On the menu it says they have wine but they don’t tell you what kind and say “ask the server”. That’s not a good sign for wine. They have an amber and a stout that are decent but I thought the lager was much better. Staff is friendly and parking is okay.
18. Nostra Tavola
Vancouver – West
Fab Italian eatery that serves pasta, pizza, steak, salads and more. They have a decent selection of cocktails and wine. My wife was thrilled with the penne and Italian sausage pasta. The flat iron steak is not very big and has a mild seasoning. The pizza is good…but there’s other pizzas I prefer. But this a great choice if you’re looking for ambiance, variety and great drinks to go with your pie.
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