Escape From New York Pizza

Customer service is very poor. I've been there twice now (and last time) and they got my to-go order wrong! The last time I ordered a two item pizza and they charged me for three items. They don't offer small size pies; only med/lrg. The girl that served me was rude and combative when I asked her about my order. When it finally was ready she never called my name I had to get back in line and ask if it was ready and she didn't remember me even tho she took my order 20 minutes prior. Lame.

Pros: They have a restroom

Cons: Poor service, Incapable staff, Snobby cooks

I grew up going to NYC pizzerias so when I moved out here I was REALLY excited about this place. What a huge disappointment! I hated dealing with the stupid attitude which isn't really authentic, New Yorkers are brusque but not jerks and I found that the slice wasn't heated through enough, the sauce had a nasty, bitter taste and the cheese was just okay. Skip this place, it's not worth the time.

Pros: inexpensive, fun kitsch

Cons: bitter sauce, crust soggy, not heated enough

Great sauce, great cheese, great crust, great prices and great attitude. Large cheese pie is just $13.25 and ready in 20 minutes or less. Parking can be problematic... be prepared to walk, but it's worth it! Oh, I'm hungry just thinking about it.

Pros: speed, attitude, beer on tap

Cons: parking

A Portland legend and ture to the NYC tradition. Can watch the pizza's being made from the street, long narrow restaurant with tons of NYC history on the walls. feels like your in the Big Apple while there. Pizza slices are huge, soft and the best part is that you can fold them in half so that the droop doesn't occur !! perfect cheese/sauce combo and CHEAP.

Pros: price, quality, outside seating

Cons: not gourmet, tight space

I grew up in Brooklyn and Staten Island. That being said, I'm reasonably tolerant of "NY style pizzarias" that claim to have the real thing. THIS PLACE IS AWFUL. If you want a soggy mess of a pie that has 10 times as much cheese as it should, and half as much sauce, and an obnoxious staff to boot- then you've found your place. In fact I can't even call this stuff pizza... cheesy cracker bread might be a better category. If the owners actually Escaped from NY, they did so because NYers won't tolerate this kind of nasty pizza. If you're looking for NY style pizza, go to the any one of the Pizzicato locations. They don't get it exactly right, but then again they don't claim to either

Pros: none

I've eaten pizza on three continents and at hundreds of places, including just abou tevery pizza place in Portland. EFNYP is one of the very best. Authentic, tasty, almost always open, cheap and real New York style attitude! Gotta love it, gotta try it - manja! Smart party move - call 90 minutes ahead and order a pie to go!

Pros: Authentic, Taste, Cheap Price

Cons: , Challenging Parking, Addictive Pizza

From the second you walk into the joint you can tell where you are, a great pizza place just like New York. The smell is there, the guy in the window tossing dough, the pizza available by the slice, no stupid toppings (artichokes or broccoli on a pizza? come on), and the pizza just as I remember it from growing up on Long Island. One BKM is to call ahead for a whole pie (or 2) as the wait can be quite long for one.

Pros: Inexpensive, Awesome pizza, Great location

Cons: , Seating at times

of when mom opened a box of Chef-Boy-Ardee Pizza, opened that can of nasty tomato sauce and sprinkled it with that funky powdery cheese... save some money and make your own at home..same consistency and about 1/10 the price...

Pros: hip, slick, cool

Cons: , the line, burnt crust

All I have to say is this Pizza is great!!! as for peoples complaints about service and selection that is not what EFNY is about its about getting a slice of Pepperoni and washing it down with a pint and getting the hell out. The people complaining are the same people when you go to Pizza send their kids to the arcade and you order a Pepperoni but they want some crap pizza for the other half and when it arrives the first thing they do is go for the Pepperoni sheesh!!

Pros: Inexpensive , Great Pizza , Beer

Was not able to enjoy this pizza because of first, just plain lack of interest behind the counter about customer, it seemed I had to cater to them, order the right slice or beer, they were so rude and simplistic, second, pizza is not that good, why don't they deep dish it with some semi-professionalism, it might help it go down. They lost my business the first time I was there, but tried again, then slipped on some mistakenly placed and ignorantly imitated New York attitude. Never to return.

Pros: they cannot , make me, eat there

Cons: wasted prime, location for , good another eatery

When I was a teenager I used to hop the bus in Vancouver and make my way to Portland. I would visit record shops, clothing stores and enjoy the overall experience of being in the Rose City. I stumbled across Escape From New York Pizza in 1984. The pizza was and is unique and delicious. Quality cheese, an excellent tomato sauce on top of superb thin crust. Very addicting!

I have not gone very long over the past twenty years without making a trip to Escape From NY Pizza. In fact, I have introduced many of my friends throughout the years to this this pizza. They have in turn shown their friends they way to Escape.

Hi, im from Hawaii but lived in milw. or. for a few years and LOVED & STILL LOVE there pizza. My bro. lives in Gladstone & goes there as often as he can. MUST B NICE BRO!!!! When i go back, Escape will b 1 of the first places I'll go! Aloha, Annette

Pros: best pie in the world, quaint neighborhood

I loved Escape From NY in San Francisco (run by the brother) but the pizza in Pdx sucked big time, flavorless, dull, boring (the only redemption is the crust). What really annoyed me is the psuedo NY attitude crap the owner puts out. The pie is not worth it. If I wanted that kind of BS I'd go to a Dick's Resort or something.

Pros: it's pizza, thin, crisp crust, it's pizza

Cons: bad attitude by owner, bland toppings, wussy sauce

I've been a loyal escapee since my sophomore year in high school (1983). The pizza is THE best by-the-slice shop in Portland. It's gotta be the sauce. Phil - You are beautifully odd man. Thanks for twenty years of great pizza.

Jeff Pashley

Pros: Great sauce, Colorful staffers, Phil, the owner

Cons: parking (NW 23rd), seating

Being a native New Yawka, Brooklyn to be exact...I know what GREAT pizza is like. This is the real deal. No fluff, no Gourmet stuff, just mouth wateringly great pizza. I think I'll go get some right now :)

Pros: Real Thin Crust, Great flavors, FUN

Cons: often busy

After living in NY, I can honestly say Escape from NY ranks with the bottom levels of "street corner pizza". They need to learn to reheat in the brick oven- the electric oven kills the crust and the cheese. The sauce is nothing great either. It is not bad for Oregon though, compared to what's out there. I think Tributes has a better slice with actual friendly people working. It is not quite NY pizza either, but closer than "Escape".

Pros: Best to get whole pie

Cons: attitude, seating, no delivery

Who could as for more, fantastic pie, service ranging from ambivalent to abusive, great music, great space, best price for pie. We should be grateful that there is a pizza place in this fair town that serves real NY pizza alternative to the tofu sausage or pizza hut types of pies that lurk about Portland.

Pros: best pie, great music, surly service

Cons: on 23rd

If you have ever been or lived in New York then you know this is true NY-style pizza. Thin crust and full of flavor. People that do not like this pizza will not like any NY pizza because this is what it is.

Pros: Amazing food, Quick, Cheap

Cons: lack of selection

I am from Chicago and ever since I moved to the west coast 20 years ago, I was convinced that you couldn't get a decent slice west of the rockies. Escape From New York Pizza has proven me wrong. This is the real deal. Thank you!

Pros: cheap, easy, delicious

With as much as I hear about Escape, I thought it was going to be great pizza. I have to say that my pizza tasted more like it came from the freezer in a grocery store. The crust was bland and the sauce was plain...like it was only made from tomatos with no spices. Not only that but the service was absolutely terrible! I really wonder what the hype is all about.

Pros: NONE

I hate it when pizza has too much cheese. Most pizza does. Escape pizza has the perfect amount. Plain cheese pizza with lots of oregano on top is my fave. I love the rude guys behind the counter, too-that's what makes it NY!

MOST WONDERFUL !!! NIETHER THE SERVICE NOR THE AMBIENCE ARE CREDIBLE BUT THE PIZZA IS TO DIE FOR.. TAKE IT OUT IF YOU WISH BUT DO BUY IT.

Pros: taste, FLAVOR, VALUE

Cons: PARKING, LOCATION, BEGGERS

Not a clean place, the pizza is lacking. The crust is OUTSTANDING, but the cheese is flavorless. CHEAP pizza and a quick lunch. The guys working behind the counter think if you are not Liberal then you sound not be eating there.

Pros: Cheap Pizza, Quick Lunch, Great Crust

Cons: flavorless cheese, poor counter help

the slices are huge, the taste is great, and it is cooked to perfection at a reasonable cost :) Popular place on a friday night, so it's usually pretty full. Well worth it though.

this pizza is definatly the best pizza ive ever had in my life. it makes my mouth water just thinking of when i eat escape from new york pizza i want to eat the whole pizza but have never done this succefully all at once. too bad

Ok, here's where I sound like a snob. I'm from NYC, not Brooklyn, not Queens, not etc... I'm from Manhattan. I used to feel that you couldn't get an authentic NYC style pizza anywhere but there. I was wrong! Escape from NY Pizza is the real deal. Forget your fancy brick ovens. Forget your fancy goat cheese or avacado topping. Just gimme a good slice!

Pros: Taste, Quality, Atmosphere

Cons: Nothing, Nothing, Nothing

I love New York Pizza. My wife who hates pizza had never eaten New York Pizza until we went to New York. She grudgingly took a bite and loved it. But we just got back from New York and Escape from New York has better pizza than any we ate in New York. Besides the funky pictures on the wall are escape in themselves. Quick, cheap, great food, the feel of a real NY pizzeria.

This pizza is by far from the best in portland. The taste just isn't there. Check out other places in portland before trying to declare this as a top pizza joint.

What is all the fuss over Escape From New York? This place makes crappy pizza. Maybe its popular because its the cheapest place to eat on NW 23rd. But I won't go back.

Cons: Boring pizza, Limited seating

Back in the day when "Escape" first started its business in the Portland downtown area, it was exceptional. They had an excellent crew who were very down to earth and friendly. But more importantly the food was good and very New Yorkish! Now, times has changed dramatically and I'm not feeling it anymore at this establishment. The quality of pizza has gone down, within the past 3 yrs., and some of the employees should be working at McDonalds or Burger King with their attitudes and lack of customer friendliness. And, the lack of parking sucks big time at the NW site, you could end up driving round and round for at least 15-20 minutes.

Pros: price is okay, avg., wait time marginal, owner very friendly

Cons: no parking, less friendly service, pizza crusts poorflat

I can't claim to know what real New York pizza is like, but I CAN claim to know good pizza. I've been to countless pizza joints from San Diego to Seattle, and this is one of the best. The atmosphere is casual, the pace is fast, the pizza is good, and the prices are great. The place is small and seating is limited, but there are two tables outside. Be prepared for gruff service. These guys (and gals) aren't trying to make you happy. They're just there to serve you good pizza.

Pros: Quick service, Good pizza, Good prices

Cons: Limited seating, Servers are grumpy

This is good pizza. Matter of fact, it is the best thinslice pizza outside of New York.

They're lucky to have escaped with their lives from New York if they were serving this crap there. Judging by the many favorable reviews, I can only conclude that Portlanders are "culinary illiterates".
Throw some tomato sauce and melted cheese on something, call it "Italian food" and it will sell in this town. They must think pizza is like wine, the longer it ages the better it gets.

Pros: It keeps some people, employed.

Cons: So called NY pizza

I'm from the North East and there is nothing like East Coast pizza. Escape from NY is by far the best pizza on the west coast! If you're looking for a slice of pepperoni that reminds you of home, this is it.

Pros: True NY Style Pizza, NE Pizza Shop Feel, Inexpensive

Cons: Parking

A slice just like you get in New York, just like I get up the street here in Brooklyn, good as hell and so delectable it's hard to walk out the doors without waiting in that line two or three times if you're foolish enough to get only one slice the first time.

Jesus that's a great slice!

THIS is pizza? Give me a break... If you want pizza, go to New York or New Jersey or Chicago or, better yet, to Massey's in Central Ohio (the Gold Standard for pizza everywhere - including Italy, and I've had 'em from Venice to Naples). This is pizza the way people in Oregon think pizza should taste, which is truly regrettable, since there isn't a decent pizza to be had in the whole damn state. Are you listening, Massey's? Open a place out here - there ain't no competition.

Pros: Cardboard with slop

Cons: Cardboard with slop

The best crust, the best sauce, the best price. Nobody can beat these guys. Whoever is voting for PizzaShmitza? should think again.

Pros: crust, sauce, atmosphere

Cons: tough parking

There pizza is the best. The area that they chose is in the cutest part of Portland, only problem with their store is it is a little to small. A bigger place would be great to dine. More people could dine and not have to wait for a table.

Very good thin crust pizza, fast service, cool atmosphere, good location, great prices

The pizza is amazing new york style by the slice. The service is helpful, yet not too helpful, and in a good way! I would eat here everyday if i wasn't a poor college student. Keep on rockin' in the free world.

Pros: inexpensive, great food, atmosphere

Cons: 23rd ave parking..., the area yuppies

No yuppie pizza allowed! How refreshing to get a straightforward tasty slice here in Portland. As an admitted froo-froo pizza lover (I'll admit it, I love the goat-cheese and artichoke crowd), it's nice to get back to basics. The sauce isn't right out of a Ragu jar, the cheese isn't so thick it's glueboard, the spice is PERFECT. And the atmosphere... you look out of place if you don't have Yankees cap on. With Kornblatt's next door, it's like you just got in from LaGuardia. How often can you treat yourself and save a buck?

Pros: 'Za, cheap

this is the best place for pizza in portland by far

Portland continues the west coast tradition of terrible pizza. However, Escape from NY may be the only pizza worth eating west of the Mississippi. Why the rest of the city isn't trying to copy this winning formula is beyond me.

Pros: Inexpensive, Delicious, Delicious

Cons: Parking is awful