Old Town Pizza

I've had decent pizza here before when ordering a complete pizza. It's not the best I've had, but certainly not terrible, either. The atmosphere of the place is nice, especially at night.

What IS terrible is the couple of times I've dropped by during lunchtime to have a slice or two, which has been dry and cardboard-like. Do yourself a favor and avoid their pizza by the slice, unless you know it has just been cooked.

Pros: Convenient location and neat atmosphere

Cons: Their pizza by the slice get stale quickly

Posted 09/14/09

The reviews on this place are clearly mixed, but we had a discount coupon and gave it a try. The place has "atmosphere", to be sure, but the food was disappointing. Arrived on a Friday evening to find they were out of caesar salad, out of root beer (!), and a 40 minute wait for pizza. Ordering is confusing - stand in line to order, then take a playing card and head for the bar, where you order drinks and pay for the lot. Then compete for a table to open up. Tables are cramped with little leg room. Seats are quaint, but uncomfortable.

Ordered a salad and veggie pizza. Salad arrived reasonably promptly, but very uninspired. Pizza arrived much later, not horrible but not that good (definitely better than Dominos, worse than many). Service OK but busy and stressed.

Parking is a big problem, as noted elsewhere. The facility may be historic, but it is also run down. I don't think they have invested in it in decades.

Overall, an unremarkable experience. They have better pizza in the freezer case at Safeway. If you go, go for the "atmosphere", but not for the food!

Pros: The place does have personality

Cons: Tired and remarkable

Posted 04/02/09

awesome pizza and great place to hang! I would highly recommend to go therte either after work or on a week-end!

Pros: good food

Cons: sometimes hard to park at

Posted 09/12/08

Mmm. Mmm. Mmm. Old Town Pizza has great late night slices! This is my favorite pizza place in downtown Portland!

Posted 09/08/08

I've only gone for the happy hour ($2 wells and $1 slices of cheese or pepperoni) its a cool building and I have no problem with the staff. The pizza is not the greatest but well worth a dollar (the non happy hour pizza might be better?). This is a great place to start the night and pound down some cheap drinks and a couple of slices.

Pros: Good happy hour, cool building.

Cons: Closes early.

Posted 08/14/08

What a horrible experience. This isn't my first time eating at Old town pizza in downtown. I have ate one other time and I ordered the same thing... their spaghetti plate. Horrible. First time I had it, the meatballs were burnt and the pasta was nearly dried up. At least this past visit the meatballs weren't burnt. But this time the pasta was dried up and the sauce was too. Oh wait, what am I talking about... there wasn't any sauce! And the bread sticks were just as bad. I guess I can't talk bad about the salad that was served before the meal. But, come on, can someone really screw up a dinner salad. So, I think this will finally be the last time I eat there. I can't forget to tell you about the wait. We waited for nearly 35 minutes. 35 minutes after our salads were done! There wasn't hardy customers in the place. WTF! Damn, I wish I would have taken taken back the tip I left.

Posted 08/11/08

mlk location--servers were nice and really tried their best, and maybe it just takes getting used to (cold cheese??), but i honestly feel like i blew 15 bucks on a depressingly unsatisfactory pizza.

Posted 07/26/08

Waited over 40 minutes for our pizza only find it completely greasy and the crust was like cardboard. Service was less than friendly. Not kid friendly at all. I would not recommend this pizza joint. So many options downtown, try somewhere different. (just my opinion)

Pros: n/a

Cons: poor service; food is terrible; bad area.

Posted 07/22/08

The pizza toppings at Old Town are a little lacking, it seems they spare a bit when they choose them. The bar is great and the crust is outstanding. The wait is quite long, but worth it!

Posted 07/13/08

We just tried the new location on MLK and had a great night! The pizza was the best we've had in years (and we eat a fair amount of pizza). There was lots of seating - there's an upstairs too. Our daughter had a lot of fun in the play area where she "made" and "baked" her own wooden pizza. We'll be going back again soon!

Pros: Great pizza, family friendly

Cons: None

Posted 07/10/08

After hanging out at the pool with our kids, the moms decided to take the crew out to dinner and picked Old Town Pizza on MLK. Wow...what a great location! The kids played with wooden pizzas, we all ordered various pizzas and one spaghetti and meatballs, and beverages galore. The dads met us after golfing and the pizzas had already arrived. Delicious. Fun atmosphere. The roll up garage door style makes it feel open and inviting. The owner stopped by with his beautiful little girl as well. You can get a $2 PBR or a $12 pitcher, plus pitchers of pop for the kids and bottles of chianti. It is worth it to order beverages just to listen to the lovely Scottish accent of one of the bartenders. We are glad to see Old Town Pizza on the Eastside of town after years of going to the downtown location.

Pros: Open, plenty of room, pitchers of soda, fun play area for kids, great parking

Cons: none!

Posted 06/24/08

This is seriously the best pizza I've ever had. I love the one w/ pesto, pine nuts, and sun-dried tomatoes....I think it also has feta cheese. I've only been here a few times and everyone always has a great time. The spookyness of it being haunted makes it even more fun. I was a little scared to even go to the bathroom alone :o) This will always be a great place in my book. I even brought some friends from back east and they thought it was the best they've ever had as well.

Pros: awesome pizza and good selection, great atmosphere, good drink menu

Cons: nothing! it is awesome!

Posted 05/13/08

I love visiting old buildings with so much history and charm, so that put this joint at the top of my -want to visit- list, and then I saw how many positive reviews it held. I was decided. We arrived shortly after 7pm on the 8th of February and wandered around first, looking for open areas as it is seat yourself. Then we stood aside of the entry and read the menus. You order at the counter directly in front of the door, and then order any drink (alchohol or not) at he bar. You pay with a playing card symbolizing your tab. If you think you'll be drinking more later, you have the option of keeping the tab open. They did take our debit, and I believe they take credit. They have the usual fair of veggies, plus some great artichoke hearts (I'm picky on those as they're usually too soggy or vinegery, and fresh zucchini....and I do mean fresh! There's also an antipasto plate w/ bread, meat, veggies & cheese. The bread takes a small pie pan and has herbs on it. They serve it with olive oil for dipping.
I ordered the veggie, and dh had the combo. The crust was above average, and on the thin side. It was good for me, but some like thick...that was not an option that I see here as it seems hand tossed. The veggies were fresh, and cooked just until tender crisp on the pizza...perfection in my opinion; with just the right amount of cheese. The decor was that of the building's history...a lot of brick, old wood, and exposed vents from updating it for the pizza place. The old elevator is now an exposed shaft with a soft bench and one table in it. There are a lot of small tables with small wooden chairs, and LOTS of candles. The lighting was perfect. However, I am sensitive, so the candles were giving me a headache as they were parafin wax with lead wicks. As I said though, I am really sensitive. We left with food for another day, and an enjoyable experience. A lot of energy from the many past purposes remains w/ the place. If you can pick it up, it adds to the charm.

Pros: Great food, fresh veggies, excellent wait staff...quick on the uptake and super friendly

Cons: May be hard to locate if you're not familiar with the area and driving. Be aware of the candles if you're sensitive to headaches from parafin & lead wicks.

Posted 02/09/08

It is a bummer that when Portland restaurants become popular, their sense of customer service takes a flying leap..

It is unfortunate that my party and I had such a bad experience at this restaurant. We had heard so many good things about it but man did the service really fall short of our expectations! A group of us decided to eat at the Old Town Pizza right before we toured the Shanghai Tunnels. After calling ahead of time to make a reservation with a mandatory $50 security deposit (I have never seen this before), we waited for over 30 minutes (the restaurant was not that busy) for our table that had been set up the entire time we were waiting. Our waitress was extremely rude! After waiting for over an hour for our soggy, not fully cooked pizzas, we were informed that we had to all pay with one bill. We explained to the waitress that we are a non-profit organization and that we do not have that ability. She snapped at us saying it ?was not her problem?. One woman in our party had to finally ask for the manager. Much to our surprise, the manager was VERY young and not friendly, nor helpful. This restaurant does not do Portland any justice..very sad.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: Service, food, value

Posted 11/01/07

A friend of mine took me here one day after visiting the museum. I was pleasently surprised! The prices were very reasonable and the pizza was excellent! It was the best Pizza I have ever had. I have been craving it ever since and telling everyone about it. I just wish they had more around or had a parking lot, I am not a fan of street parking for anything!

Pros: ambience, service, food

Cons: parking

Posted 10/11/07

I wouldn't exactly say it's the best pizza in Portland but the atmosphere is pretty cool. Be sure to make a reservation and you'll be seated right away. Melanie was our waitress and she was extra cool! No problems with the service or temperature of food as stated in the last post. If you've never been, check it out once. I'm glad I did. Will I go back? Not so sure only because of the location and parking situation. It's DOWNTOWN. If you don't like trolling for street parking or paying for parking in a lot then steer clear.

Posted 09/14/07

My friends and I ( a total of 10) and I went in and found some seats, a waitress spotted us and snarled "I don't have any room for you up here, this is reserved" We asked if there was any other place we could maybe sit to which she replied "no, you guys could split up downstairs though" So we went down there and sat at a few different tables and proceeded to go order our food and drinks (both at separate counters) I ordered a salad and asked if there was a tip jar. She yelled "What!?" So I repeated myself flashing a few dollars. She repeated a more irritated "What!??" then realized what I was saying and she told me to just leave it on the table. Needless to say that didn't happen. I then went to get a drink from the bar and the bartender was being rude to everyone in front of me and then rolled his eyes at orders like someone was forcing him to do his job. I also heard the rude waitress I encountered having a verbal dispute with one of the other waitresses in the middle of the floor. Even though the the food was pretty decent....I will never, ever, go there again.

Pros: pretty good pizza

Cons: HORRIBLE SERVICE!!!!

Posted 08/25/07

Heard many things about this place so I thought I would give it go. Went on a thursday hoping to avoid a weekend when I imagine it would be packed. Nope thursday seemed to be just as busy as a fri. or sat. No problem getting a seat though every one was very helpful. If you go try the pesto pizza. It was soooo good, and filling. After eating we sat at the bar for a few drinks, the bartender was great. He was busy but still seemed to have time to talk to everyone at the bar and pour like a madman at the same time. Oh by the way they also seem to have a daily happy hour from 9pm til close with 1$ slices and 2$ drinks. I'm definitely going back and if you havent been give it a go! Thank you old town pizza for a great night, made our date great.

Pros: Great service

Cons: limited on street parking

Posted 03/14/07

I heard so many incredible things about this pizza place and I was totally unimpressed when I finally tried it. The pizza was below average, slightly undercooked and doughy; it didn't even taste that great. Hot Lips would have been better. The waitress was a beeyatch and the service was no good. They also overcharged me by only 25 cents, and when I mentioned this they were rude about fixing it.

Pros: Awesome ambience

Cons: Bad service

Posted 02/28/07

I've been going here for years and it's got to be one of the city's coolest places to go. It's in this super old building with all sorts of charm. The place has some of Portland's best pizza. It's a medium crust with hearty toppings and interesting combinations. Even just going out for some drinks is fun with all the local beers on tap. Best of all, it's not a chain.

Pros: Amazing Pizza, Local Beers on Tap, Charming Atmosphere

Cons: No Smoking

Posted 01/21/07

9.9? Are you kidding me?
This was the most flavorless pizza I have ever had. The crust was puffy bread dough, the sauce which the menu said was "lightly seasoned" must have been on someone elses pizza.
And what is with the white cream sauce that is supposed to be mozzarella? There are a few Portland pizza eateries using this product- PLEASE STOP! It's like drinking a glass of milk while eating a pizza!
I have had frozen pizza that had more flavor.
The wait staff was charming but bored urbanites, along with most of the clientele (Loud talker guy at bar- your story was ribald, but we sat at the far end and could still hear you!).
As for the "atmosphere", if sitting on old garage sale furniture in a crumbling old building does it for you, then this is your place.
What happened to zesty sauce, thin crispy crust, slighty salty cheese, meats that taste like meat, and servers that seem to care about doing a good job?
On to the next "haunt"......

Pros: Leaving

Cons: Street parking in bad neighborhood, awful pizza, careless service

Posted 12/30/06

good beer, good food, good people, what else could a person ask for? go on in and try it for yourself, you wont be dissapointed. but beware of the smooth talking staff.

Posted 11/02/06

We were in the area of Old Town Pizza so we decided to try it out, I had heard great things about it. Well, we got there just as it opened and we were the first customers in there. After not being greeted and standing around for almost 10 minutes, the bar guy finally comes out and rudely asked what we wanted, then acted impatient when my son couldn't make up his mind on the italian soda flavors. By this time, there was one other customer who sat at the bar so it's not like we needed to rush.
We ordered our pizza and again, no customer service at all - the pizza guy was just as rude - it was a Sunday so I'm thinking maybe everyone just had a late night and they're not awake yet -whatever.
We waited for our pizza for a good 30 minutes - I know they take time to bake, but we were the ONLY customers in there. After waiting all that time, the pizza was mediocre at best. It was not the pizza I had been hearing everyone rave about. Nothing special about the crust, sauce, or anything.
What I did love about the place was the atmosphere, it was awesome. I wouldn't mind going in for a beer or with a group of friends from out of town, but I would never make a special trip there just for the pizza.

Pros: Great atmosphere

Cons: Rude, un-welcoming staff, very slow service (we were the only ones there!)

Posted 10/04/06

Fantastic pizza unlike any other in Portland. Add in a great atmosphere and amazingly low prices, and you have a winner!

Pros: Great pizza, ambiance, value

Posted 08/14/06

Visiting Old Town Pizza was the high light of our trip to portland. the pizza was outstanding, and the ambiance was so cool. a little warm upstairs, appharently the air conditioning was underconstruction at the time. but the rest of the experience out wieghed that. i would recommend old town pizza as the best restaurant in portland. oh, and the crust was killer, not too chewey and not to hard-its awesome to dip in their house italian dressing.

Pros: thumbs way way up

Cons: nothing

Posted 08/09/06

I'm puzzled. We've tried Old Town Pizza several times (with friends who like it) and think it's nearly the worst pizza we've ever eaten. The upstairs is very unpleasant. If you enjoy authentic Italian, thin crust pizza, this is not the place.

Pros: Location

Cons: Food, ambiance, furnishings.

Posted 07/30/06

I brought in my family last night (7/15/06) and had the best pizza i've ever had-the house special and the dragon lady. promt seating, awesome atmosphere, and the service was excellent. Our server was so helpful, she was enthusiastic and informative and really made our visit great. she even took the time to show us the "haunted places" in the restaurant.my kids had so much fun! we will tell everyone about Old Town pizza and make going there a family tradition.

Pros: everything!food!yum! service!excellent! ambiance!great!

Cons: nothing, old town pizza is outstanding

Posted 07/15/06

I moved here from Cali and am not a big pizza person, BUT when my husband who is born and bred here in the NW took me to experience Old Town Pizza I was a changed woman. My mouth waters at the thought of there pizza, it is the best that I have ever had and I have had my share trying to find one that I liked. If you have lived here all your life and have not experience this wonderful pizza, I feel sorry for you. If you are visiting demand to go here you will not be sorry, the food the atmosphere and the service are all top notch. Keep up the good food and I will be back soon................

Pros: Everything

Cons: None

Posted 05/10/06

Old town's pizza is absolutely the BEST and the atmosphere is very unique. If you have never been to Old town pizza you really have to try it. If you have been to Old town pizza before, but many years ago, you will be happy to find that the pizza is still just as great, however they have cut down the amount of each topping they put on which is a little disappointing.

Pros: Quality, atmosphere, taste

Posted 04/28/06

My girlfriend and I find it the coziest escape in Portland. The pizza crust is semi-flaky and not too thick. The cheese is generous but does not dominate the taste of other ingredients. Old Town is a perfect balance in both food and ambiance.

Posted 03/19/06

This place makes great pizza, has friendly wait staff, and there is an okay variety of beer available. The ambience is funky with couches and cozy corners upstairs and comfortable seating downstairs. But really you're here for the pizza, and it is good with an excellent crust (slightly chewy and cooked right through - yea!), interesting toppings, and super, super, super sauce. Did I super? Yes super. The place is a gem and I hope it remains for a while.

Pros: Great pizza, Great Value

Cons: More tap beers please

Posted 11/29/05

You've got to beat the dinner rush to aquire one of their comfortable sofa tables upstairs. The ambiance is fantastic, clean, and hospitable. It's the first place I take my out of town visitors. Best pizza I have found in town.

Posted 08/24/05

What more do you need? First trip, it sure won't be the last. A really great place to go for a pizza and some conversation. The pizza was excellent, very good toppings in a very good blend, you could taste everything distinctly. I tried their "special" and it was, sturdy, crisp crust that stayed that way and tasty meats and veggies.

Well worth the money and the beer is cold, there's a good selection, and the price is right. Get your sweetie and get you down there for a pie.

Pros: COLD beer, GREAT pizza, FRIENDLY service

Cons: downtown construction, pricy parking

Posted 07/06/05

The best pizza I have had since I have been living here in Portland!

Posted 05/04/05

The pizza is good. Yeah, maybe even better than that. I've eaten here dozens of times over the years with many different folks and never once have we had a bad experience. Two friends of mine from out of town always make it a point to go here when they visit--and they are pizza fiends. What's not to like about the service? You go to the counter, order... go to the bar, order... take a seat (and hope for a cozy booth or sofa if you are with special friends) and enjoy the pizza when they bring it to your table. And, I absolutely love the MAGIC CUP! I've come here just for that.

Pros: Very fine pizza., Mmmm... magic cup., Awesome interior.

Cons: No pizza by the slice

Posted 05/01/05

This place is a hidden treasure!

Since I was a kid, this place has been a local secret, tucked away in Old Town.

Old Town Pizza has Portland's best pizza and most unique atmosphere. The pizza toppings are high-end and their medium crust is light, fresh and homeade.

The place is filled with hidden nooks and and an abondoned elavator shaft, for some nice privacy, if you're on a date.

Old Town Pizza is also above the Shanghia Tunnels and is a good place for ghost hunters, as it's supposed to be haunted.

They have tons of microbrews and a full bar.

The service was good, but not too in-your-face.

I had the Pesto Special, which was amazing... if you like pesto.

Pros: Fresh Ingredients, Unique Atmosphere, Laid Back

Posted 01/12/05

This place has so much character and charm, that you'll be surprised you're on the West Coast. The atmosphere with all the brick, antiques, elavator shafts and couches make this place unique, but the pizza is by far Old Town Pizza's best feature.

I just moved to town from New York and am having fun exploring Portland's dinner scene. However, in a town where fancy new lofts and trendy martini bars are popping everywhere, it's fun to see a place that's both so old and so cool.

Pros: Great Food, Unique Atmosphere, Good Beer Lineup

Cons: , Crowded

Posted 08/30/04

I'm not quite sure what's better... the pizza or the atmosphere.

If you want a sissy-yuppy pizza, go to the other guys. Old Town Pizza is made the way a NW pizza should taste. The toppings are top quality and generous. I hear the dough is hand tossed too.

The place has a ton of charm and personality. Antiques, couches, and great make-out nooks. Even is supposed to be haunted from the ghosts down in the Shanghai Tunnels below.

The only down side is that it can be busy on a Friday and Saturdays.

Pros: Best Pizza in the NW, Charm & Personality, Microbrews & Full Bar

Posted 02/13/04

I'd heard great things about Old Town Pizza for many years but when I recently got a chance to try it myself I honestly wasn't that impressed. The pizza was decent but not spectacular. Maybe my expectations were too high but Rocco's makes a better pie for a better price, in my opinion. The restaurant has a cool, funky, laid back atmosphere but wheelchair access is difficult and at first glance it's not at all obvious that the place is accessible. The staff was great; very friendly and helpful.

Pros: excellent staff

Cons: relatively expensive

Posted 01/16/04

the caesar salad was wonderful and the pizza was much better than expected. oh yeah, and they have black butte porter on tap! there is a cool look going on in there. i would recommend it to anyone and i can't wait to go back. the only slight negative is that it was just a slight bit pricy. oh well, though.

Pros: great pizza, great caesar salad, great beer

Cons: an iota pricy

Posted 11/09/03

What can I say? Best pizza place on the planet. I feel right at home in the comfy chairs. I always look forward to the antipasti. I can't honestly remember how the service was, but I don't remember that it was bad, so it must've been good.

Pros: food, ambience

Posted 04/16/03

I really liked this place. The pizza was good. The staff was friendly. The atmosphere was really great. There weren't a lot of people around when we went there, so I'm not sure how busy it gets.

My only suggestion for them would be to rearrange their tables a bit. They're all squished together, so it's hard to walk between them (especially if you're 8 months pregnant).

Pros: awesome atmosphere

Cons: a bit cramped

Posted 12/16/02

Really good pizza (and pasta, and salads) along with a great selection of ales, lagers, and pilsners, etc, and a long wine list. The atmosphere is laid way back and the building is cozy. This place was made for cold, rainy winter nights.

Non-tomato lovers be warned: the pizza sauce isn't a smooth paste. It has good sized chunks of tomato in it.

Oh, and the coffee/espresso/etc is just smashing.

Pros: Large drink selection, Good food/prices, Cozy atmosphere

Posted 09/24/02

There are only four things that require judging when it comes to pizza. 1) The Crust 2) The Sauce 3) The ingredients 4) Price. If there is anyone out there who hasn't figured out that Old Town Pizza has all three nailed, you still have time to change your ways.

Posted 08/13/02

This is not the place to go if you are craving a snobby gourmet experience. This is the place for drinkable wines and beers along with satisfying pizza and relaxed, whimsical atmosphere.

Pros: atmosphere, pizza, good deal

Cons: self-serve, old chairs

Posted 08/12/02