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Apizza Scholls
Category: Restaurants Pizza Pizza [Edit]
4741 SE Hawthorne BlvdPortland, OR 97215
Neighbourhoods: Southeast Portland, Hawthorne, Sunnyside
(503) 233-1286
- Hours:
Mon-Sat 5 pm - 9:30 pm
Sun 4 pm - 8 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take Away:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
476 reviews for Apizza Scholls
Review Highlights
-
"5 star for "new york white" and 1/2 "Amatriciana." In 21 reviews -
"The truffle oil is incredible with tomato sauce." In 38 reviews -
"there is something magical about the Tartufo Bianco." In 23 reviews
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- A Yelpy Insight: Vegetarians go nuts for this spot. See more places they like.
476 reviews in English
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Review from Sara Q.
this place IS as good as it gets. me and henry had date night, even though we don't really call it that, and it was spectacular last night. the weather was really nice outside so we ended up coming in and putting our names down .. getting told i was going to be a 45-hour wait so we took a walk on hawthrone. we took about a 20 minute walk going into shops and checking out restaurants that had people swarming but then we went back just in case a miracle happened and our names jumped to the top of the list because the lady said it was known to happen.
well.. we didn't jump to the top and we ended up waiting a LITTTLE bit over an hour for our table.. this definitely turned out NOT to be a problem because it food was THE BOMB.
i heard great things about the caesar from my local yelpers so i of course had to give it a try because i would like to call myself a caesar connoisseur. the caesar was AMAZING! instead of cutting the romaine lettuce into chunks, they left it as whole leaf romaine .. which i thought was better because that means more food for me! cutting the leaf into chunks would have meant they would have given us maybe about half the food we got because the chunks take up lots of room in a bowl.. but this caesar was served on a plate and it looked so pretty .. i was happy about paying $9 for it. totally worth it. their dressing was also home made which was nice, their croutons were crunchy and parmesan was salty .. i was SUPER happy.
let's talk peeeezuh now.. their pies come in one size i think it was a 18' ? that sounds fairly correct. they're all kinda pricey .. being priced from $18 (completely bare pizza) to low 20s to mid 20s. their pie selections were interesting when i was first looking at the menu because there were lots with no sauce and the few with sauce seemed kinda of "plain".. i mean there were lots of choices that were veggie style and if not, a bare minimum of meats this made me a little concerned because of henry.
my friends ended up recommending the amatriciana and the tartufo bianco... i'm dying just thinking about BOTH of them right now.. my mouth is literally drooling and i am not LYING! let's start with my pizza the tartufo bianco. this pie was pretty plain and boring on the outside (so it seems) however it totally wasn't. it was sooo cheesy and super rich and decadent. so cheesy because this pie consisted of pecorino romano/grana padano and mozzarella and rich/decadent because of the TRUFFLE OIL ... GAHHHH i die for truffle oil. i was sold once my friend told me about it and when i reread it on the menu. omg.. it was also finished with some sea salt... this pizza was just amazingly delicious. it didn't seem like it would be the one two punch .. but it was. everyone needs to get on this train. i feel like truffle oil would make almost anything better.. i also added some parm sprinkled on top and a little kick from the red pepper flakes. as far as the amatriciana goes .. that was really good too. i was happy that the sauce wasn't oozing out of the pizza and the bacon on top was mouth watering. this pie also had on it red onion and red flakes. this gave the pizza a nice kick. both pizzas (and all other pizzas for that matter) had a very thin but doughy crust which was really good and it was fired straight on a stoned oven it seemed like so it was just all too delicious.
our bill was about $33 .. $38 with tip so it was a LITTLE spendy but totally worth it .. and the wait. i will for sure be coming back because the people next to us had an apizza margherita which henry couldn't stop looking at and he verbally told me he wanted to try it next time .. so who am i to say no, i have to support him. we are coming back. no questions. -
Review from Tamara C.
5/8/2012 1 Check-in Here
Good pizza is easy come easy go in Portland. The cafeteria-like seating in this drab and noisy environment does little to encourage a return trip. After a 40 minute wait, we were seated at a communal table and had the great fortune of having obnoxiously loud neighbors.
It is nice that they finally take reservations as the wait for a table can be ridiculously long. If you have never had their pizza, it is worth trying at least once. If I lived closer, I would be ordering take-out from them. For now I am in no hurry to return to this uninspired space and bump elbows with strangers while I eat. This is Portland and I have far too many choices so why should I go out of my way to come back here?
C'mon Apizza Scholls, try a little harder. Try to create some ambience would ya? What? Did you expect me to be swooning? Just because you have write-ups in the travel mags and the NYT? That does not mean you can just put the sweatpants on and stop trying to be attractive. You better watch it AS, with all the hot and sexy pizza places around Portland, you shouldn't get too complacent. -
Review from Eaton B.
San Diego, CA
4/12/2012
This is the pizza i judge all pizzas by. absolutely the best!! cracker like crust, with a slight char, but still chewy. the freshest ingredients, and hand made by pizzaiolo extraordinaire, brian spangler aka the pizza nazi. perfect combination of the new haven style/ ny
style/ and neopolitan style. effing awesome!! cant say it enough and i wont bother trying to get any more descriptive. just do it,
-get there early
-no more than three toppings
-you may have to sit with other people (communal style)
-they have ms. pac man!!
- top ten pizzas in the united states (food and wine magazine)
-featured on no reservations.
-they often run out of dough. come late at your own risk. -
Review from Jason W.
Seattle, WA
5/18/2012
Whenever my wife and I travel from our home in Seattle to Portland we go to our favorite pizza joint, Apizza Scholls. The thin, chewy crust and the perfect sauce (the right mix of acidity and sweetness, and shockingly enough, it tastes like tomato) makes for a pizza experience that's heavenly. I've tried to try different toppings, but I always order the purity that is the margarita. So great.
The only drawback is the wait. On a weekend night you'll wait for at least 45 minutes, but in my book it's worth it. -
Review from Yen D.
Seattle, WA
5/17/2012
The wait was over 90 minutes so we went exploring the rest of the area. So after waiting, we got the margherita with proscuitto. Very crispy and crunchy with fresh ingredients.
-
Review from Rick K.
Updated - 5/14/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Recently voted top 10 pizza places in the US...I concur!!! Apizza Scholls still holding it down for all us pizza lovers!!!
Listed in: Best Pizza in Portland
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/6/2011
Simply put...Apizza Scholls has the best pizza in the NW period! If you want REAL pizza the way it… Read more »
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Review from Emily L.
San Francisco, CA
5/15/2012 1 Check-in Here
I've eaten a lot of pizza and this was just ok - as a visitor not worth the wait and the stop
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Review from Aubrey V.
Reedsport, OR
5/6/2012
Life changing meal, and well worth the wait. My friends took me here for my birthday and it was one of the most sensory pleasing meals I've ever eaten. The quality ingredients were beautifully delivered on (as I read in another review) "crunchewy" crust.
We had the bacon bianca and the apizza amore, which turned out to be a great contrast. The cheese was so good and beautifully melted and chewy. I had 4 pieces!! I will definitely be visiting again soon :) -
Review from Matt R.
Portland, OR
5/4/2012
Third time was a charm for this place. I'd been there twice previously and was under impressed both times. The last time I went was 2005. I figured I'd give it one more shot.
Well, Apizza delivered in a big way this time. The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. I was thinking they might have a bad attitude based on my prior visits. We got the Amore and it was fabulous. The crust is perfectly "crunchewy". The coppocolla was excellent as was the sauce. Just about perfect. I'd give it a 4 1/2 stars but you can't do a half star. -
Review from Hugo C.
Seattle, WA
5/18/2012
I finally got around to trying Apizza Scholls on a recent visit to PDX--definitely worth the hype. Made a reservation for 5:15 on a Monday night, got there at 5 and the line was super short, so lucked out there. Started out with the Caesar salad since I saw it recommended by many, but that was a bit of a disappointment. The romaine heart leaves were severely underdressed, and the croutons were so hard as to be inedible. On to the main course--we decided to get a half Apizza Margherita, half Tartufo Bianco. The Margherita was the standout, one of the best I've ever had. The crust was perfect, the blend of cheeses and garlic and basil just gave my taste buds the big O. The Tartufo Bianco, while good, was too oily for my taste. I will definitely return to Apizza Scholls on future visits to sample other pies. I also enjoy their beverage options, the Boylan's sodas are tasty and they have a great selection of beer. I can't award five stars for the flaws with the Caesar, and I also wish the space was a little less drab. Pizza this good deserves a better setting.
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Review from Pamela C.
3/14/2012 1 Check-in Here
I'm gonna jump right onto the bandwagon...this place is AWESOME! Full caps awesome!
The pizzas here are absolutely sublime. You will not regret eating here. And it is so worth the wait! This was hands down some of the best pizza I have ever had.
Service was great - attentive, informative and friendly. No complaints on that front. There is a wait but we didn't think it was an obscene amount of time. About 40 minutes on a Sunday during prime dining hours. Kinda long but the wonderful smells and happy faces on diners all around is intriguing enough to make it seem worthwhile when the hostess informs you of the wait. And sure enough, it is totally worth the wait! You will be very happy...as we were...
We had the Caesar salad, a Margherita pizza and some local beers & hard cider. All of it was wonderful! The Caesar is pretty large, perfect to share for two people. Nicely flavored, not too much anchovy and crispy, crunchy croutons! The crust on the pizza is the most amazing I've ever experienced. I've only had pizza in Italy about 10 years ago & in NYC a couple of times, so I'm not gonna claim if its "authentic" or lives up to NYC standards, but I know delicious, and this most certainly was. The crust is flavorful, hearty, crunchy, soft & delicate all at the same time. I know that sounds crazy but you'll know what I mean if you eat there.
Note to the vain or self-conscious: They serve the romaine lettuce leaves basically whole, so if you are concerned how you look while eating (i.e. on a first date and maybe don't want your date to see you smacked in the nose by a huge lettuce leaf) maybe skip the Caesar!
Note to the meat warriors: They don't allow more than 3 meats on any given pizza.
Pros: Service is fine (friendly despite the long wait and huge crowds), pizza crust, Wandering Aengus hard cider, flavors, textures, deliciousness!
Cons: Long wait, crowded, kinda noisy (maybe not good for intimate conversation or awkward social groupings).
I don't live in Portland but will definitely be back the next time I am out that way! -
Review from Becky N.
Olympia, WA
Very few places lives up to all the hype, but this place really is one of the best pizza's I've ever had. We had a half marguerita pizza with spicy capicolla and half of a pizza Bianca. They put whole strips of bacon on their pizza and the capicolla had a kick of spice to it. The crust is thin, yet crispy (even in the center). It reminds me of new York pizza, and if you've ever had pizza from new York you can appreciate the uniqueness of their slice. Come with a a lot of people because their pies only come in 19".
The only downside is there is always a wait. They do offer take out Monday through Thursday but they don't take phone orders, but I don't recommend taking their pizza's to go because the crust is thin and by the time you get home it gets soggy in the middle. -
Review from Deanna N.
2/16/2012 2 photos
Oy gavay! This is the quintessential pizza place of the NYC style. The best pizzas are the simple ones- the margarita with fresh basil and the truffle oil. Huge! And you can split a pizza in halvesies with two flavours.
I have to say the Caeser salad is the best in town and can be split with shaved parm.
You can not call in an order, but you can order a pizza to go in-house.
If crowded, put your name in and number, grab a cocktail at the Sapphire. -
Review from Juju B.
Seattle, WA
2/24/2012
Me: "Hi. Table for two?"
AS: "Ah. Riiightt. Let me see if we have enough dough."
fast forward 2 min.
AS: "yes, we have enough for just about one pizza."
Me: "Oh my. What size?"
AS: "We only have one size."
Me: "I see. So just about enough for almost one pizza. I'll take it."
After all that, my man and I sat down and ate a pretty good caesar. The kind you have to cut up yourself. You know that shit's going to be pricey. That's fine, I can pay for my high maintenance tastes. I'm worth it. The just about one pizza was good. I wouldn't say I'd ever pay full price for 90% of the dough with 10% of the attitude. Sorry, but i'm picky about my customer service. -
Review from Michelle M.
Happy Valley, OR
4/25/2012
If you don't get there before/soon after they open, expect a wait time of a couple hours. Not a place you can just pop in to.
The pizza was great and so was the service. A little spendy, but it just tastes better than most pizza places. -
Review from Bob K.
Portland, OR
3/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
A caveat first. I grew up on New York/New Jersey and then Chicago style pizza. Thin crust or deep dish the pizza should have a spicy Italian herb taste. The tomato sauce is really important element in the pizza. You should be able to smell the pizzeria at least a block away. While we waited for our seat we noticed no pizza smell????
At Apizza Scholls we had the ham/pineapple (I did not order) and a sausage, garlic, and onion. The crusts were pretty good but the rest of the pizza was just ok or maybe good....But not great. I found myself putting salt and hot pepper flakes in mine to get some flavor out of it.
Sadly, I am coming to the conclusion that there is not a great pizza place in Portland. And if there was it may not be a hit as that type of pizza might be to foreign to their tastes
Oh.... one good thing. The Caesar Salad is the BEST I ever had. I could have just eaten that for dinner! -
Review from Alyssa C.
2/29/2012
I love this place's Truffle Oil pizza. I'm actually salivating just thinking about it. OMG.
I've been here a few times, the wait is always crazy no matter when you go. HOWEVER I just heard TODAY that they are now taking reservations, which is nuts! I always feel like this place is a little fancier - the servers are always dressed in black and the atmosphere is really nice. The first time I came here they had one of my favorite beers on top - a German import called Franziskaner. Last time I was here they didn't have it, so I assume it's a rotation but I was loving the fact that they had it even to start!
Really, this place is is my #1/#2 favorite pizza place tied with Vicentes. I highly recommend the Truffle Oil Pizza!!! (If you like truffle oil!) And if you don't, I just am not sure we can be friends. Sorry. -
Review from Chip L.
Portland, OR
4/7/2012
This place sucks. The lengthy wait is NOT charming. Go someplace else that can feed u when u r hungry . Avoid at all cost because at the end of the day it's just pretentious pizza
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Review from Alexandra E.
Glendale, CA
4/16/2012
Yum yum yummy! Big hearty slices of heaven! We had truffle pizza and the sausage and peppers that was nice and spicy. Crust and sauce were perfect.
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Review from Glenn B.
Warwick, RI
2/23/2012
If you like thin crust pizza, all I can say is WOW!!!!!!! Yes there is a long wait on Saturday night, but just put your name in get a rough estimate and go drink at one of the awesome dive bars nearby.
My son and I were in from the East Coast visiting my brother and his wife. They decided to take us to Apizza scholls, I must have raised my eyebrows, as he said " both Suzie's and my birthday are in November and when we ask each other where we'd like to go for our birthday dinner, we both pick Apizza Scholls", so I figured why not.
All I'm going to say is I'd almost fly back for it, fantastic. The only reason for the 4 not 5 stars, is is it's a little pricey. -
Review from Matthew W.
Portland, OR
Quite possibly the best pizza I've ever consumed...anywhere. Apizza Scholls delivers some incredible pizza that brings people from all over Portland to the Hawthorne area of town. I just wish I could have tried the pizza that used to be made in Scholls, Oregon back in the day.
Wonderfully caramelized crusts with savory toppings make these pizzas worth a 5-star rating. They have several artisan pizzas on the menu, but also allow you to build your own pie. I prefer the latter since simple cheese and pepperoni is my favorite. I am not sure what they put in their pepperoni, but it probably could be considered a controlled substance. Whatever you try, I am more than sure you'll be happy.
Seating it limited and covers two sides of the restaurant...the old side and the new side. There is also a small bar, so take whatever seat you can get. Being picky will keep you from enjoying the pizza, so suck it up and sit down wherever they offer.
FYI, the staff takes declared "Vacation Days" so check the website before you make plans to come to Apizza Scholls. They may not be there when you arrive! -
Review from J L.
Portland, OR
4/20/2012
This is the kind of pizza you want to share with your friends and some pitchers of beer after an intramural game (if only you didn't have to wait so long!). Outstanding texture and generally just really good pizza. Not as gourmet or flavorful as some other local spots, but who needs the best pizza all the time?
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Review from Marianne S.
Portland, OR
1/17/2012
The best pizza in Portland, they say? I think not. I was expecting so much more. I looked at the menu before I went here for a friends birthday and knew it was going to be expensive, but I figured, it will be worth it. Over $25 for a pie, not my style. The pizza was fine, but I could have gotten a $10 pizza that was better and would be more filling else where. I was even more disappointed when I ate the pizza the day after. The crust was hard, so hard it hurt my teeth.
Also, the service was not that great. They would not seat us because we had to wait for our whole party to be there. We knew they were coming and we wanted to be seated so we could order while we wait.
I know quite a few other pizza places I would go to before I spent my money here. -
Review from Vince B.
Portland, OR
4/4/2012
Best pizza around.
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Review from Misty S.
Portland, OR
1/14/2012
So I've been meaning to add my review for this place, although it hardly seems necessary, because this place is already an established pizza legend. It seems pizza is like barbecue in that not everyone can agree on what's good. Everyone has their own expectations and desires in what they want to take away from eating pizza. With that said, Apizza Schools is THE BEST place for pizza in PDX. This is the place to which all other pizza is compared. It is also first priority on the restaurant list whenever out of town family or friends come to visit. My personal favorites are the peppers and onion pizza which has the goathorn peppers and red onions and of course the Tartufo Bianco, which has the truffle oil and is true culinary bliss. Just thinking of it makes my mouth water!
So, if you do not at least try the pizza here, I feel sorry for you. For how can you claim another restaurant to have the best pizza if you have never experienced what a real pizza should taste like? -
Review from Beth N.
3/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
yep, the pizza is awesome. the sauce is perfectly sweet and the dough has the right amount of chewiness. roll in later on a wednesday in the winter and there is no wait. their pizza reminds me of the pizza and double mountain brewery up in hood river; so right now those two pies are tied in my heart for my favorite pizza.
the ceasar salad we ordered was also awesome. i highly recommend getting it to go with your pizza. we were served big ribs of romaine lettuce and the dressing was nice and tangy. the salad was perfectly dressed, enough to be flavorful, but not so much that the lettuce was drowning in it. i love a lightly dressed salad.
worth the wait? probably. just be smarter and dont hit up the peak hours. -
Review from Jessica M.
Lake Oswego, OR
3/29/2012
I had a half sausage n peppers and half pepperoni and it was very good. The mixed green salad was just greens and some type of vinaigrette, wish it had some tomato, cucumber, ext. I also had the root beer and it was very good no high fructose corn syrup. I would only come here with a reservation or for take out which they only do during the week.
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Review from Corrie H.
Portland, OR
3/25/2012
All right, all right. Like this place needs another 5 star review. But I am going to do it.
We beat the terrible line phenomenon by arriving 35 minutes before the restaurant opened on an absolutely filthy, rainy, miserable winter day.This was strategic on our part, and it paid off, because we were only the third group in the line, which meant we could stand under the awning and wait. We were seating immediately after opening.
We had a nice little meat plate appetizer and very rich white pizza the featured, I believe, blue cheese. The pizza was the only one I've eaten outside of Italy and London that tastes like a proper Italian pizza. It was magnificent, and totally worth the 35 minute wait.
I have no idea what the decor was like because I was too busy stuffing my face, but I think it was minimal and pleasant.
Finally, the service was remarkably attentive considering how slammed they were.
So, yes, I loved it, and, yes, I will go again. -
Review from Andrea F.
Portland, OR
12/19/2011
Hands down best pizza in Portland, you can not beat this crust!
I suggest the Tartufo Bianco - $22 Mozzarella (whole milk & fresh), pecorino romano/grana padano with Truffle Oil and sea salt. That pizza is to die for and the only meat free pizza I've had that out smelled the meat pie on the table. Also don't miss the Caesar Salad - $ 9 - Whole romaine heart leaves, parmigiano-reggiano, house made croutons, tossed in our house Caesar dressing *. This ceasar have big tasty anchovies so yummy.
Normally there is a line out the door and you'll need to wait a while to eat so I suggest a bottle of wine at the bar and good friends to pass the time (and shoes you can stand in for at least an hour)
*(made daily with raw, Un-pasteurized eggs)* -
Review from shar d.
San Francisco, CA
4/23/2012
i'm a pizza snob. i love this place.
i will say this: the dough is not nearly as good as ny pizza. sorry, that's just a fact of life. that water from the hudson really does make the best pizza in the world.
that said, i've never been blown away like this by the flavor of the sauce and toppings. this place beautifully puts together a pie. the sausage is homemade and incredible.
i'm a pizza enthusiast so of course i wasn't bothered by the line b/c i got there early. if a place is heralded as one of the best in the country then why would you just show up when it's busy? you wouldn't! -
Review from Izzy L.
Portland, OR
11/4/2011
First: Apizza Scholls is superb pizza. Really, amongst the top 3 in Portland, maybe the best, it is crafted and delicious crust, great sauce and, all around, great pizza.
That said, here's the rest:
1. The atmosphere is awful: when you are that busy, why can't you spend a little cash on making your environment pleasant? The feel is that of a suburban mini-mall. Awful wine glasses, boring decor...
2. More on the environment: there is music, but especially the original side where the kitchen is, is sooo quiet. I was uncomfortable having much of a conversation. Shouldn't a busy restaurant be bustling and lively in sound? My dining partner called it the church of pizza. HA!
3. Service staff: lacking hospitality skills in any sense of the term, the host told us our wait time and sat us down. The server took our order and brought us our food. That's it.
Good thing that the pizza is that awesome.
2 stars for dining environment and appreciating my patronage, 5 stars for great pizza. -
Review from Holly S.
Vancouver, WA
1/17/2012 1 Check-in Here
If I had to wait an hour to get a table in this restaurant I don't think I would have been happy. Pizza was good but I have had better pizza down the road at Bridgeport Ale House. We were seated at the end of a table for 6. I knew they would sit another two people at the other end of the table. A little weird but I guess they have to with the table setup that they have, being that they have very limited space.
As my boyfriend and I were waiting to be seated (took about 25-30 minutes) I was reading some of the other yelpers reviews. The reference to the soup Nazi from Seinfeld was especially funny. I can see that. The hostess/wait staff were a well oiled machine. If you aren't a bit demanding in a potentially chaotic environment it can go downhill quickly. They are trying to get people in and out in a quick and efficient way. The restaurant set up doesn't help (having two separated dining rooms) but unfortunately there isn't anything they can do about that. The volume of voice that they have to use to get people to where they need to go has to be loud because you have to sometimes scream at the person across the table from you to be heard, as I found out.
Overall good meal but wouldn't wait over an hour for when I can walk into Bridgeport and have an awesome meal without the huge wait. -
Review from Emily S.
Eugene, OR
10/25/2011
I don't normally write reviews for places that already have a copious number of 'em, but if my experience might prove helpful to others, then here I go...
We've been trying to get in to Apizza Scholls for years on our frequent outings from Eugene. Usually the line is too long, friends don't want to wait, or they're sold out. On this occassion, we formulated a plan: wait in line starting at 4:20. My husband and I diligently held our primo place in line for 40 minutes while we waited for our friends with an 8 week old baby to show up and park. We didn't want them to have to stand outside in line the baby. Unfortunately, the place opened before our friends reached us and because they were still walking from their car, we were turned back. Totally denied. They sent us next door to put our name on a waiting list, which turned out to be a 1 hour wait with a little baby.
To be fair, our waiter was super friendly and the pizza arrived quickly after we ordered. The only problem: I can't for the life of me understand why you Portlanders que up for this stuff. It's good pizza, but certainly not worth hours of waiting. The sausage and pepper pizza was tasty but they were very stingy with the peppers. Didn't try the margharita because it was apparently pretty basic. The Tartufo Blanco was my favorite, all earthy goodness with truffle oil. Like other reviewers say, it must be eaten quickly when hot. It turned into a fairly tough, rubbery slice after the cheese cooled.
In conclusion: Been there, done that. On to more interesting PDX restaurants with less Nazi-like policies. -
Review from Woo K.
Portland, OR
11/28/2011
This place takes forever. I walk in and I'm like where the hell did all these people come from. But hey, long lines and waits mean yummy pizza and for yummy pizza i will wait great lengths.
Had the pizza margherita and it honestly melted in my mouth. I don't know if I'm over exaggerating because I was so hungry from waiting but it was damn yummy.
Expectations:
Long waits
Yummy pizza
Gas (sorry if TMI)
BEER
Crowds
A happy belly
Expectations fulfilled -
Review from Mellie K.
Portland, OR
12/31/2011
I have yet to try some of the food cart pizzas but will go ahead and say that Apizza Scholls has one of (if not the single) best pizzas in town. It even outcompetes the pizza I've tried on the east coast...
Why?
The Crust: The bottom is amazingly crisp. It's chewy, perfectly salted/seasoned, and is in the perfect ratio to toppings.
The Rest: The flavors and ingredients are so fresh and pure, melding together perfectly to make a pizza that is almost juicy. It's not overly greasy from the cheese, which is super stretchy and flavorful. Everything about this pizza just pops and exudes quality ingredients and execution. (There is reason beyond my limited vocabulary that I used perfect/ly 3 times in this post!!)
Apizza Scholls is not cheap, and there's often a considerable wait if you don't get there before opening...BUT it's worth it!!! Eating Apizza Scholls is an experience...going back to inferior forms of pizza afterwards hardly seems worth the money, time, or space in your stomach! -
Review from Steph C.
12/8/2011
Topline: Very good pizza, but I still think I'd prefer Ken's. Would've given it a four stars, but had to knock one off for the service, which I thought was a little bureaucratic for my tastes.
I had the very rare experience of walking in here when it was NOT busy (930PM on a cold Monday night) and we were immediately told that we needed to "check-in" next door... which is fine, but there were literally only two tables eating. So we walked outdoors, where the same server who asked us to check-in, checked us in. Then we were told a minute or two later that we could walk back outdoors to our table, by another server, who met us on the otherside. I thought I was in a Monty Python skit. It took us multiple tries to get water and/or cutlery for our table. Later in the night, we were told by a server that we "had better move things around on our table, since the food was coming." This was an odd request, since we only had water glasses and cutlery.
We got the house antipasti and veggie plate to start, which were both really excellent- loved the peppers and the artichoke. We ordered two half-and-half pizzas, so we could get some variety. The amore and sausage and peppers pizzas were great. The tartufo bianca and the pig & pineapple I didn't like as much. The ingredients were super fresh and the pizza was (as advertised) very good, but overall, I found the pizza just a tad too soggy for my taste and also a bit oily. I'd still prefer Ken's. Just a note- the pizzas are huge and two people can definitely share one.
The atmosphere is super casual- which is fine by me. -
Review from Beth G.
Beaverton, OR
3/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
Hands down the most amazing pizza I have ever had the pleasure to consume. Yes we waited an hour and a half. It was worth it and I would have waited longer. If you go there with the attitude that you are preparing to eat something great and you wait, you will be satisfied. In fact, immediatley upon leaving I was planning my next trip. I can't stop thinking about the amazing symphony of flavors and toppings and that leopard spotted crispy crust. As I type this I am literally wasting time until my reservation tonight. I am meeting a few friends to introduce them to this Portland gem. Though I live in the westside and it's not covenient I will make it work. I hope this is the beginnng of a long beautiful friendship.
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Review from Jess E.
Portland, OR
9/28/2011
I take a slightly different take than most here.
I waited for two take out pizzas for almost two hours, was refused service over the phone. Terrible service, silly policies(think Seinfeld's soup Nazi but with pizza), awful location, but this is SOLID Pizza. the BEST pizza I have EVER had? NO. But very good.
There HAS to be more to eating out than going through hell, being slid a pie and being expected to forget about
The Terrible environment, the rude staff, the bad service, and the incredible amount of time you spend waiting amidst all the above.
I would have to say, you have tons of time to waste and you want a cultural experience with a reward at the end... go here. But I can't imagine making a habit of this place. -
Review from Sarah G.
Los Angeles, CA
9/9/2011
Any OR reviews are from last year's experience.
I remember waiting for a table for almost two hours and if we knew the area, I think we would have left. But good thing we didn't or else we would have missed out on some delicious pizza. The restaurant has a weird setting, and you if happen to be seated on the other side (not the waiting side), you have to go out the door and enter the other door go get there. So, if you need to go to the restroom, you have to "leave" and come back in again. It's been a year, so hopefully, something has been done.
We ordered half Margherita and half Tartufo Bianco. We liked both, but preferred the Margherita more because it's not as salty and it's more clean tasting (if that makes sense). Crust was thin and had a nice chew to it. We couldn't finish everything, so we had it packed up. My bf got hungry again that night and ate the rest at room temp and they were still delicious.
If we ever come back to Portland, we'll be stopping by here and this time, we'll come earlier to avoid the dinner rush. -
Review from Rich P.
10/30/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place makes the best pizza I have ever had in my entire life. The only reason I have not given them the full 5 stars is because there are a couple of other lauded pizza spots in town that I have not tried yet (like Ken's), so the verdict is still out.
The most notable thing about Apizza is that it is clear they take great care to use fresh, high quality ingredients in everything they make. The Caesar Salad is punchy, garlicky salad of crisp shards of Romaine, gourmet-grade anchovies, and perfect croutons. Their house red wine (currently Ca Bella) is fantastic. The beer selection is not gargantuan, but it is well-balanced.
The pizza. Wow. The crust is perfect. The balance of toppings reaches masterpiece status. Sure, they aren't the cheapest pizzas around but they are friggin' worth every penny. Across three visits, I have never once been disappointed. I have tried the margherita, the Tartufo Bianco, the Apizza Amore, and the New York White. All are delicious as hell, but I think I prefer the simplicity of the margherita.
