With the recent crowning of Wrecktangle Pizza as the best pizza in the country by Good Morning America and Saturday’s surprise opening of a brand-new Boludo location, the Lowry Hill East area has an embarrassment of pizza riches.
A wide variety of pizza spots line the Lyndale Avenue, Lake Street, and Hennepin Avenue boundaries of Lowry Hill East. Give or take a few blocks, there are over a dozen options to satisfy almost anyone’s pizza cravings.
Here's a list of the pizza places packed into “the Greater Wedge area,” as Wedge LIVE! calls it, along with some suggestions to get you going. The list is separated into categories based on what might draw you to each place. Dietary accommodations also included. (Gluten-free options may be prepared in the same space as items containing gluten and may not be safe from cross-contamination. Please call or check with your server for details.)
NOTE: While the term “pizza place” is a bit vague, this list is meant to spotlight places that make their pizza a primary focus of their business. For example, Up-Down might serve slices that hit the spot when you’re there, but you’re probably going there for games or drinks, not the pizza. Same with any bar that serves those delicious Heggie’s frozen pies. And the Wedge Co-op might have some tasty take-and-bake options, but they can’t honestly be called a pizza place either.
Here is a link to the Wedge Pizza Google map for your dining convenience.
Pizza and Beer
Ah, the classic combination! Minneapolis has been a center of the craft beer boom for decades, and there’s not much better to pair with a pint than some fresh, hot pizza. If you’re in the area, here are some spots that specialize in that pairing.
Leaning Tower of Pizza - Serving fresh pizzas to the neighborhood since 1959, Leaning Tower is the undisputed matriarch of the Lowry Hill East pizza scene. Leaning Tower offers a wide range of menu items beyond their signature pizzas, and also boasts some of the area’s best happy hour specials, making them an after-work go-to. Vegetarian and vegan options available.
Menu Recommendations: The Leaning Tower, The Cuban
Fire & Nice Alehouse - If you’re someone who appreciates all things local, Fire & Nice is the place for you. They feature over two dozen tap lines devoted to local craft beers, and they also have specialty wood-fired pizzas with a wide array of ingredients, many of which are named after Minnesota icons like Dino Ciccarelli and the omnipresent Lizzo. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
Menu Recommendations: The Lizzo, The Judy G.
Wrecktangle Pizza - A newcomer to the area that’s already become a favorite, Wrecktangle offers Detroit-style pizzas along with a full bar at the southwest corner of the Lyn-Lake intersection. Their menu features kitschy but delicious appetizers, as well as sandwiches and burgers, but the pizza is the real star here. Be sure to check out their specials like Margarita Margherita Monday and International Wrecktangle Wednesdays. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
Menu Recommendations: Elote pizza, Community pizza
Unique and Local
These are places you’ll only find here in the Greater Wedge area- local, small businesses that are definitely worth supporting! They’re all near the corners of the Wedge (the Slice?), but just a short walk from one another.
Galactic Pizza - This relentlessly eco-conscious and community-focused spot has been plying their trade on Lyndale Ave since 2004. In addition to their trademark all-electric delivery vehicles and Second Harvest Heartland pizza (a dollar is donated to the charity for every one of these pizzas ordered), Galactic offers a wide variety of organic ingredients, rBGH free cheeses, and more. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
Menu Recommendations: The Old School, Second Harvest Heartland
Boludo Uptown - The latest addition to the Wedge pizza district is the Uptown outpost of Facundo DeFraia’s pizza dynasty. While their new location offers its own vibe, it doesn’t stray from the pizza that makes Boludo so popular. Their Argentinian-style pizzas are distinct in crust, flavor, and even shape from most everything else you’ll find in the city. Boludo also offers savory empanadas and sweet churro donuts as dessert. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
Menu recommendations: Peras, Porteño
Pizza Shark - Another newer addition to the neighborhood, Pizza Shark features scratch-made wood fired pizzas in their cozy Hennepin Ave space. Their menu boasts a huge array of specialty pizzas and even more ingredients- if you fancy yourself a pizza chef, this is the place to build your own pizza and indulge your imagination. Rotating daily specials include free dessert or free wings. Vegetarian, vegan, and halal options available.
Menu Recommendations: The APP (arugula, prosciutto, pear), Build Your Own
Late Night Craving
Sometimes the urge for pizza strikes after dark. Sometimes, to quote Meat Loaf, it’s cold and lonely in the deep, dark night. That’s when you rely on your old friend Pizza to find paradise by the neon light by stopping in at these joints (open until 11 p.m. or later).
Soho Cafe - Soho offers everything from pasta and salads to gyros and hoagies, but their huge, floppy pizza by the slice are the star of the show. They offer basic NYC-style pizza at around $5 a slice, which is a bargain for a bellyful of cheese, carbs, and deliciousness at the end of the night. The calzones and stromboli are more expensive, but also worth your time. Vegetarian options available.
Menu Recommendations: Spinach Florentine slice, Manhattan Stromboli
Mesa Pizza - Another wonderful Uptown staple offering pizza by the slice at fantastic prices. The variety of slices they offer is outstanding, and they rotate constantly to keep things fresh, literally and figuratively. If you attended the U and find yourself in Southwest Minneapolis, this place is sure to feed your stomach and your nostalgia. Vegetarian options available.
Menu Recommendations: Macaroni & Cheese slice, Bacon Cheeseburger slice
Upscale
One of the qualities that makes pizza such a favorite is its versatility. It can be done in such a vast variety of ways, and something that’s often overlooked is how it can be the centerpiece of a romantic dinner with a partner. Fortunately, Lowry Hill East is blessed with a place that can make a pizza dinner something a few steps above delivery:
Rinata - This often overlooked Italian bistro is nestled along Hennepin Avenue, just north of 25th Street East. In addition to homemade pasta, fresh focaccia, and a great wine menu, Rinata serves some classic pizzas that will spice up a date night, and it’s also inviting if you’re alone and looking to treat yourself, or having a quiet evening with friends. Vegetarian options available.
Menu Recommendations: Fennel Sausage pizza, Caponata pizza
The National Chains
Tried and true, you’ve seen these spots almost everywhere you’ve been. They’re the stalwarts of the national franchises, and we have representatives from three of the top four chains in the country right here in the area. We’re not going to provide recommendations, these are all delivery classics and you probably already know what you want.
Dominos - The biggest of the big, Dominos is the largest pizza chain in the country. They’ve had the location on Hennepin for many years, providing pizza for parties, work lunches, and school rewards alike. Vegetarian options available.
Note: this location is currently closed for remodeling, but delivery is available from nearby locations.
Pizza Hut - Perched at the point of the tiny triangle that is formed by Hennepin, 24th St E, and Dupont Ave S, Pizza Hut inhabits a slice within a slice. The chain that made pan pizzas famous, and used them to get thousands of kids to read. Vegetarian options available.
Papa John's - Despite dealing with some negative PR due to former CEO “Papa” John Schnatter, this chain still boasts over 3000 locations across the U.S. With an updated logo and some new menu options, Papa John’s is hoping you remember them more for their signature garlic butter sauce and pepperoncinis than their disgraced founder. Vegetarian and gluten-free options available.
Toppers Pizza - This scrappy, largely-Midwest chain that was founded in Whitewater, Wisconsin maintains their outpost on Lyndale and Lake. They built their empire feeding hungry college students and their Toppersticks (now available vegan!) are their standout menu items. Vegetarian and vegan options available.
The Outliers
These spots aren’t technically within the arbitrary borders (neither is Mesa, if you want to be picky) but they’re so close we couldn’t leave them off the list. They’re worth the few extra blocks.
Uptown Pizza Luce - Those of you picky about Uptown geography may quibble that this isn’t technically in Uptown, but the Uptown location of the Minnesota pizza chain has been called that forever anyway. One of the originators of vegan pizzas in the Twin Cities, Pizza Luce may have lost some of its luster as new pizza places followed in its wake, but it’s hard to argue that it doesn’t belong on this list. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options available.
Menu Recommendations: Baked Potato Pizza, The Rustler
Uptown Pizza - Another longtime neighborhood favorite, Uptown Pizza has been serving classic pizzas since 1980. You know when you watch a movie set in the 80s or 90s and you see those gloriously greasy pizzas with rubbery cheeses? That’s exactly what you’ll find at Uptown Pizza, and their crust is a treat in itself. Unassuming but delicious, and open late- what more could you want? Vegetarian options available.
Menu Recommendations: Supreme pizza, Manhattan pizza
The Future
As the Greater Wedge area continues to grow in population, we’ll surely be seeing more pizza spots popping up. Pizza is arguably the most popular food in America, and the ingenuity of entrepreneurs is the only limit on the versatility and flexibility of pizza as a concept. What would you like to see coming to the area in the coming months and years?
