Release 7

Welcome to the seventh release of the Definitive Seattle Pizza Rankings. I write to you with a matzah pizza in my hand (that would actually beat out a few spots if I had to rate it), barely meeting my weekly pizza quota during the Passover holiday. Because of this religio-culturally enforced annual leavened dough break, I finally have time to update you on the state of Seattle pizza. I had so much time, I added all my rankings to a handy-dandy google map so you’ll always have the rankings on the go (thanks to subscriber Hadar for the idea)! I hope you’ll enjoy the latest update as much as I’ve enjoyed the memory of leavened pizza. As always, feel free to jump straight to the rankings.

Updates since last time

I tried three new spots and revisited four existing places over the last couple of months. In addition to the new entrants, we also have a notable departure, and a downgrade for a former Tier 2 stalwart.

Since the last release, I revisited #1 Delancey (obviously) and was able to try out #2 My Friend Derek’s at his new location. I’m very happy to report that the magic of MFD’s lives on at his brick and mortar. I’ve been joking that it’s pretty much exactly the pizza restaurant I’d open if I could. They’ve got wine, beer, Campari spritzes, a limited, but delicious menu of pizzas and salads (the fish-y caesar was great - it comes with goldfish on top), and a nice, laid back vibe. I’ll be back!

Departures

To my knowledge, these rankings had no impact on this departure, but last ranked pizza place, Ian’s, has closed both of their locations in Seattle. Ian’s felt like it had a monopoly on the late night Doordash and walkup slice market. I’m actually a little surprised they’re packing up given the stability of the late night pizza index. However, if late night pizza demand in Seattle has dried up, we truly must be entering a recession.

Ranking Update

33 - Proletariat Pizza

I got to swing through Proletariat Pizza once again, thanks to a missed flight on the Thursday before President’s Day weekend (PSA: get to the airport at least 2 hours early if you are checking a ginormous ski bag, you think there is even a 1% chance that every Seattle area school age child and their family will be traveling at the exact same time as you, or that Alaska Airlines will be trying out a new self-baggage check system like they have in Europe, which makes total sense, but for some reason no one can figure it out, and especially if all three are happening simultaneously). It was a fun way to pass the time between my original and rebooked flight, but the pizza was greasier than I remembered and the cheese was a bit rubbery. Still a good slice, especially in the White Center pizza desert. They move from #22 to #33.

22 - Good Luck Bread

Our former #14 pizza, frozen pizza delivery darling, Good Luck Bread, is moving out of Tier 2 and into Neighborhood Good at #22. Neighborhood Good is a weird category for a delivery frozen pizza, since their neighborhood is technically wherever you live. After eating them a few more times over the the last year, I’ve come to think of them as a replacement level pizza, like a replacement level player in Major League Baseball. You don’t really need to go out of your way to get it, so it’s a handy pizza to judge other pizzas against. If you’re willing leave your neighborhood to get pizza instead of eating a Good Luck Bread pie, it tells you all you need to know. I’ve found myself traveling for pizza instead of eating the GLB one in the freezer more often than I expected over the last year, hence the update.

New Entrants

29 - Salmonberry Goods

The Salmonberry Boys are local celebs. They’re really wonderful guys who are doing incredible things with locally grown food. Grabbing a potato biscuit from them at the Ballard Farmer’s Market on Sundays or farmer’s pocket at their store in Sunset Hill feels like a special occasion, not matter the frequency. And don’t even get me started on their full-send strawberry offerings in July - I plan my month around their strawberry fermented ice cream, strawberry kombucha, and strawberry sweet focaccia. I love so much of what these guys do, so when I saw their frozen pizza offering at their store, I had to try it. They are expert bakers so I expected the dough to be good, but I otherwise went in open minded. The dough delivered. It was tangy, but not overwhelming. For the sauce and toppings, they supplied fresh, high quality ingredients, but the whole package just didn’t fully come together for me. I liked it a lot and for a frozen pizza it was awesome, but it lands in Neighborhood Good and loses a few spots because of cost (only available at their store in Sunset Hill and it’s a bit pricey).

13 - Mioposto

I visited Mioposto in Mt Baker with subscribers Max and Laura. Mioposto has a few locations and I’m glad they do, because they dish out a great pie. They have an airy, flavorful dough that complements their rich sauce and splendid cheese. All together, the pieces worked very well and made for a bite worth savoring as I raced my table mates for the remaining slices. They’ve landed in Tier 2, but I’d like to try them again at another location to assess their consistency.

8 - Ben’s Bread Pizza Friends

Ben’s Bread is one of the best bakeries in Seattle. On Wednesday nights, they run “Pizza Friends” where they open after hours (5:30 pm - sell out) and serve up weekly specials. It’s a classic first come, first served takeout only operation and they make a fantastic pizza. It’s a bit of a crispier crust, but it’s got the chewiness you’d expect from an expertly crafted dough. Even better, the sauces, cheese, and toppings are individually excellent and thoughtfully meshed into an amazing offering. I’ll be going again once Passover is over. I think the only thing holding this pizza back is the limited availability.

The Rankings

Seattle No

Pizza you don’t really want to eat, but you feel bad saying no.

51. Magnolia Pizza and Pasta

50. Veraci*

49. Tutta Bella at Lumen Field

48. Varlamos

47. Pagliacci*

46. Costello Pizza and Pasta

45. Bambino's

44. MOD

43. Mainstay Provisions*

42. La Roca

41. Vera's*

40. Sunny Hill*

39. Nine Pies

38. Ballard Pizza Co

37. Big Mario*

36. Nirvana Food Truck

35. Tutta Bella

Neighborhood Good

Pizza that works great as a neighborhood pizza place, but no one is traveling out of their way to eat.

34. Rocco's*

33. Proletariat Pizza*

32. Elemental Pizza

31. Trail Bend Taproom

30. Slicebox*

29. Salmonberry Goods

28. Post Alley*

27. Cornelly

26. Humble Pie

25. Cornuto

24. Serious Pie

23. Oxbow*

22. Good Luck Bread

21. Jackson Street Pizza Lounge

20. Dino's Tomato Pie*

19. Supreme*

18. Lupo

Tier 2

Now we’re talking! People are planning an outing around this pizza!

17. Stevie's Famous*

16. Windy City

15. Bar Cotto

14. Strega

13. Mioposto

12. Vespucci*

11. Independent Pizzeria

10. Via Tribunali

9. Bar del Corso

8. Ben's Bread Pizza Friends

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 Derek’s

1. Delancey

*Sells pizza by the slice