Do you like beer? Then you're in luck when you visit Pinthouse Pizza. Their tap list is long and delectable. They brew their own beer. They're hopheads. They had a fantastic mole stout that tasted like abuela herself brewed it. The ambiance even reflects a classic German beer hall style, with long benches throughout the open space. . .wait a second. . .this place is a bar!
What you can see from the website but not from the sign out front is that Pinthouse Pizza's full name is "Pinthouse Pizza Craft Brewpub"
Now, we've had some good pizza at bar/restaurants (RIP The Parlor), and some bad pizza (NXNW, I'm looking at you). How did Pinthouse stack up?
We had two pies.
The Greenbelt, which you see above: sauce, cheese, ricotta, spinach, mushrooms, onions, green peppers,
garlic, Kalamata olives, poblano peppers, and cherry tomatoes.
The funny thing about this pizza is, after reading the ingredient list, I said to myself "there was poblano on this?" I think that reaction sums this pie up. There's a lot of noise that doesn't really leave you with anything to remember (like Nickelback, but considerably tastier). As you can see below, the crust has a good char and consistency; the ingredients are fresh, and the proportion of ricotta was SPOT ON.
However, the amalgamation of ingredients left something to be desired, as if the vegetables decided a fight for your taste buds would be a draw so they decided not to fight. We neglected to finish this pie in favor of its superior friend, the Pepperoni and Basil: sauce, cheese, pepperoni, and basil. Not much to go wrong there.
Let me talk about pepperoni. Pepperoni is good. Good pepperoni is better. The pepperoni at Pinthouse is good pepperoni. The slices are large, some of the largest we've seen, but they keep a nice crisp despite their size. The pepperoni elevates this pie above the just-a-smidge-too-sweet sauce and the halfhearted basil thrown on top.
About that sauce and the appetizer we had. . .
Beer Mates: Fresh pizza dough bites, topped with parmesan, garlic, and oregano, served with choice of dipping sauce. We chose the marinara, which works well with these crunchy, cheesy sticks for a while. After a few sticks, the sweetness of the sauce starts to get a little cloying. I think I'll choose queso next time I get these sticks.
And I'll definitely be back to get some of the sticks, and maybe one of the simpler pies on the menu. It's obvious that Pinthouse is a bar first and a pizzeria second, but there's nothing wrong with that. I was sick at the time of this adventure, but I'd love to go back and experience some of their 'hop-forward' offerings while munching on good bar pizza and snacks.
-Ian
Karin's Note: Pinthouse Pizza was so crowded and noisy that I found it a little stressful to be there (but that may be your scene). I would love to go here on a night where there was half as many people (and twice as many open parking spaces).
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