Top Pizza Places in Baltimore
Number three on the list is the family-owned Pat’s Pizzeria. Located at 114 S. Hickory just off of Route 1, this pizzeria boasts some of the best wood-fired pizza around. The sauce is strong and spicy, as is the sausage and pepperoni, both of which are obtained from regional sources. The pizza crust is a hand-tossed specialty of the location, a not-too-thick chewy goodness that is bathed in garlic butter. The restaurant offers a wide range of other Italian dishes as well, among them the other house specialty, an Italian ensaladi antipasti that is garnished with fresh mozzarella at the time of service. Prices are reasonable, service is fast and friendly and the food is definitely worth the trip.
The restaurant has benefited greatly from the recent revitalization of the north edge of Baltimore. After some serious renovation, and the long-overdue replacement of the wood-fired furnaces, the restaurant is sparkling and smells heavenly of wood smoke and simmered sauce. If you haven’t the time to sit in and eat, worry not: the pizza is available on a take-out basis as well. The business accepts all major credit cards and cash, but no checks are permitted.
The Basics:
Name: Pat’s Pizza
Location: 114 S. Hickory, Bel Air, MD
Cost: Moderate
Child-friendly: Yes
Pets Allowed: Service Animals Only
Number two is actually a small chain of restaurants, the Geppetto’s Pizzeria. Like Pat’s, Geppetto’s is headquartered in the Baltimore suburb of Bel Air, not far from Route 1 on the old Baltimore Pike. The specialty of the house is a deep-dish pizza made with a simmered meat sauce and a mountain of cheese. Images inspired by the Disney film Pinocchio are on the walls, leading to a family-friendly atmosphere. The calzones available here are gargantuan and should not be missed either.
The restaurant chain has recently rebounded from a slump in food and business, largely drawn on due to a disastrous re-formulation of their signature meat sauce. Although the sauce has not returned to its original composition, it has definitely upgraded from whatever mistake caused it to be noxious in the past. A resurgence in the quality of service has followed the increased quality of food. Although the specialties of the house are available for take-out, the atmosphere is both convivial and amusing, which leads ultimately to the recommendation of making a stop at Geppetto’s an eat-in affair.
The Basics:
Name: Geppetto’s Pizzeria
Location: 5204 Baltimore Pike, Bel Air, MD
Cost: Moderate
Child-friendly: Yes
Pets Allowed: Service Animals Only
But far and away the best pizza in the area is that created by the maestro at Frank’s Pizza. Located inside the Baltimore Beltway at 6620 Bel Air Rd, Frank’s Pizza and Subs is another family-owned legend. The sauce recipe has four hundred years of recipe longevity behind it and simmers for hours before the store even opens. While small and spare, the food and fast service more than make up for the lack of show. The menu boasts several dozen additional Italian dishes, including the famous “Frank’s Sub,” which includes half-a-dozen antipasti-style items in a fresh-baked roll. The pizzas are made to order, the tiramisu and the cannelloni are handmade and top-notch and the prices are low. The restaurant also caters to the extensive vegetarian population of the North Baltimore area, including a world-beating eggplant Parmesan that ranks as perhaps the best ever sampled.
Perhaps the best deal running in North Baltimore occurs on Tuesdays at Frank’s: a pair of the mouth-watering large cheese pizzas for only $12.95. Additional toppings are available for a small additional charge, but the 16-inch diameter pizzas can feed even a fairly good-sized family for a reasonable sum. Be prepared to be joshed about your toppings, however; the running joke at the location is to offer you the “mushroom-and-anchovy special,” as those happen to be the two least-requested toppings.
The Basics:
Name: Frank’s Pizza and Subs
Location: 6620 Bel Air Rd, Baltimore, MD
Cost: Moderate
Child-friendly: Yes
Pets Allowed: Service Animals Only
Baltimore isn’t normally thought of as a place to obtain pizza, but once you get through this trio, you’ll start to wonder why not!
