Release 3
Welcome to the third release of the Definitive Seattle Pizza Rankings. I’m planning to release on a quarterly basis going forward, so consider this the Q1 release. I hoped to get this one out before a very hectic April, but Vegan-January left me with a compressed eating timeline (I thought about, but decided against trying vegan pizza) and international travel followed immediately by Passover (I did enjoy a lot of matzah pizza during the holiday) shortened my pizza eating window even further. Despite the delay, I’m proud to report the rankings as of the end of Q1, about a month after it ended, just a like a publicly traded company reporting earnings. As always, feel free to jump straight to the rankings.
Updates since last time
I intended for this release to be a “local” update - meaning I’d only include pizza restaurants in my neighborhood. I knew that might mean I’d eat a lot of perfectly fine pizza, but the local pizza scene surprised me! In addition to the three new local pizza spots, we also have a fourth new entrant, from Beacon Hill, to add to the list. I’ll also cover two departures and one re-ranking since Release 2.
Housekeeping
In my last post, there was an excellent reader question posed by future brother-in-law Ben that I want to touch on briefly. He asks
How do you approach a slice shop versus a pie shop? I see no distinction in the list between those offerings. This would be helpful for someone who places a higher value on slice shops
While I encourage you to read the full answer, I’ll just say slice spots have a little more margin for error due to their lower total cost of eatership (which includes the availability of the pizza and the economic opportunity cost of the pizza - that is how, easy is it to get the pizza and not only how much does it cost, but what else are you missing out on by getting that pizza). Slice shops generally are more “available” pizza, both in time and money, but the biggest input to the rankings is and will always be how good the pizza is, so total cost of eatership doesn’t move a shop’s ranking very much. However, I will note places that sell pizza by the slice with an asterisk*.
The Departed
There were two minor departures and one cataclysmic departure since the last release. Our former #25 - Right Smart Pizza, also known as the closest pizza to my house, doesn’t appear operational. It seems like my neighbor who was thinking about turning this into a thing decided against it. The other minor departure is a place I was very excited to try, but didn’t make it to in time. In tragic news, the owner of Boca in Capitol Hill passed away in January and Boca was forced to cease operations. Their Argentinian pizza came highly recommended by friends and I’m sad it’s a pizza I’ll never get to experience. My understanding is that it was far better than the form of Argentinian pizza popularized by Lionel Messi.
In absolutely titanic news, both to the Seattle restaurant scene and these rankings, Blotto, a Tier 1 pizza spot and former #4 in the rankings, closed at the end of 2023. I always enjoyed eating pizza at Blotto and while I rated it highly, it never threatened the top three for me (the dough let it down). Nevertheless, I’m sad to see it go. Blotto undoubtedly brought a lot to Capitol Hill and was a restaurant that went far beyond the crust. Even on a Wednesday night, Blotto pulsated with energy and felt like both a destination and a neighborhood experience. I’ll close with a one line review I always shared when describing Blotto - “it’s a high-vibe place with high-octane pizza where, much like the rest of Capitol Hill, no one is wearing any clothes”.
Re-ranking
As I add pizza to the rankings, I’m committed to maintaining the purity of the tier system. Tiers 1 and 2 won’t become diluted by growth just because more pizza is added. If anything, more pizza will exit Tiers 1 and 2, as better pizza enters. With Blotto’s departure, Tier 1 was set to drop to only four pizza shops. However, I made a return trip to Tivoli in Fremont and I decided I had to re-classify them into Tier 1. Their pizza is the total package. All the elements work well together, with flavorful crusts, rich sauces, and savory cheeses. I’m excited to move them into Tier 1 and up to #5 in the rankings. West of Chicago moves up to #4, taking the place of Blotto.
New Entrants
There are five new entrants in Release 3:
31 - Vera’s (local shop)
I’ve probably passed Vera’s five hundred times and only had it for the first time this week. They sell by the slice or by the pie and their pizza is normal Seattle prices. Vera’s falls into a category of pizza that I call "good, bad pizza”. It’s not trying to be fancy, it’s certainly not gourmet, and nothing really stands out about it, but it brings about a nostalgic warmth. Biting into a slice satisfies that childhood urge to gobble up a pie with your friends after playing laser tag for 2 hours at a birthday party. Vera’s isn’t quite Neighborhood Good, but if you’re in downtown Ballard to see a show or a movie and in need of a beer and a bite, you could do a lot worse.
24 - Trail Bend Taproom (local shop)
Trail Bend is really much more about their wide selection of beer than their pizza, but if you’re in the brewery district and you’re hungry, it’d be a nice spot to settle. They’ve got ideas about their pizza and they aren’t afraid to try something (like their Enigma pizza, which includes egg and pistachios). They’re working with a better than expected crust and their pizza is probably tastier than it needs to be for their location.
14 - Stevie’s Famous at Clock-out Lounge
Stevie’s Famous is a slice and pie shop from the folks behind Lupo in Fremont. Their original location opened in Burien (which is not Seattle and is therefore not eligible for the rankings) over a year ago and drew positive reviews. They opened another location inside Clock-out Lounge, which is a small music venue, but mostly a bar, in Beacon Hill. Stevie’s has been on the radar for a while and I was intrigued by their sourdough pizza, so I was delighted when they opened in Seattle city limits. They land just ahead of Lupo, at the bottom of Tier 2. The pizza is pretty good, great cheese, good sauce, decent crust. I liked it a lot, but it didn’t differentiate itself in any way and I never got anywhere near that “I can’t stop eating this pizza” feeling that puts a place into Tier 1. I liked it though and would absolutely go back.
7 - Ballard Beer Box (local shop)
Wow. This was totally unexpected. My understanding of Ballard Beer Box is that it was like a Chuck’s Hop Shop type of spot. You can buy bottles or drink from a limited set of taps there, but they’re not really trying to be an in-store dining experience. When I heard they had good pizza, I thought there must be a mistake. I figured they were reheating frozen pizza from Good Luck Bread or something! Eager to learn the truth, my first attempt to eat there failed because the menu surprised me too much to make a decision. They serve a masala pizza! They had a bulgogi pizza on the menu! They make a bechamel pizza! I was too overwhelmed to order. With better preparation the second time around, I got the masala pizza and it rocked (side note - many people have suggested that a plain margherita is the best way to judge a pizza place. This is wrong. You should judge a pizza place on their best looking pizza because that’s the one you’re going to want to eat - unless you only eat cheese pizza in which case, maybe try to live a little?). It was such a unique combination, but importantly they got the basics right. Their pizzas are built on a hearty crust and they get the right richness and texture in their cheese. I’m thrilled to know they’re in the area (just off Market St. and 24th for those of you who frequent the Burke Gilman trail to Golden Gardens) and will be back!
The Rankings
Seattle No
Pizza you don’t really want to eat, but you feel bad saying no.
38. Ian's
37. Tutta Bella at Lumen Field
36. Varlamos
35. Pagliacci*
34. Bambino's
33. MOD
32. Mainstay Provisions
31. Vera's*
30. Sunny Hill*
29. Nine Pies
28. Ballard Pizza Co
27. Big Mario
Neighborhood Good
Pizza that works great as a neighborhood pizza place, but no one is traveling out of their way to eat.
26. Rocco's*
25. Elemental Pizza
24. Trail Bend
23. Slicebox*
22. Post Alley*
21. Cornelly
20. Humble Pie
19. Cornuto
18. Proletariat Pizza*
17. Dino's Tomato Pie*
16. Supreme*
15. Lupo
Tier 2
Now we’re talking! People are planning an outing around this pizza!
14. Stevie's Famous*
13. Windy City
12. Good Luck Bread
11. Bar Cotto
10. Vespucci*
9. Independent Pizzeria
8. Bar del Corso
7. Ballard Beer Box
6. Dantini
Tier 1
Once you start, it’s hard to stop eating this pizza, it’s that good.
5. Tivoli*
4. West of Chicago
3. Moto
2. My Friend Dereks
1. Delancey
*Sells pizza by the slice