Tangy sauce, gooey cheese and a thick, chewy crust. If this doesn’t have you drooling and craving a slice of pizza, I don’t know what will. Growing up a picky eater, pizza was always a top go-to. I’m constantly searching for the best pizza in Columbus to share with my instagram followers, and now, with all of you! Hopefully a few pizza joints on this list will inspire you to step outside your ‘za comfort zone!

 #5  Harvest Pizzeria

Harvest Pizzeria is for those farm to table foodies. Harvest Pizzeria makes it on my list for a few reasons. Number one is obviously that their pizza is delicious. The second reason is that they work really hard to partner with local farmers to provide their meats, cheeses, and vegetables. They believe that “local tastes better”, which I couldn’t agree with more. Their dough is made fresh in-house and they cook their pizzas in a stone oven, which gives them a perfectly crunchy crust.

I’m a sucker for a classic Margherita pizza, but if you’re feeling fancy, their pizza menu has many interesting choices. You can try the Goat Cheese with Salame Toscano and cherry tomatoes, The Geary Street with clams and mozzarella, or the Spicy Yuma with chorizo, jalapeno, and chipotle-spiked tomato sauce. If you’re at the German Village location, be sure to check out Curio, their cocktail bar! You can check out their other locations in Dublin and Clintonville as well.

 #4  Bono Pizza

Bono Pizza is the classic hole in the wall pizza joint. If you’ve never heard of Bono (which I hadn’t until recently), it’s located in an apartment complex in southern Upper Arlington (not so easy to spot). If you can find your way in, they have some really interesting combinations of toppings like anchovies and olives, kielbasa and sauerkraut, and pineapple, onions, ham, and gorgonzola all cooked using their wood fire oven.

When I first looked at their menu, I was a little nervous. I used to be a really picky eater, and sometimes I revert back to my old ways. I had heard such rave reviews about their pizza, so I decided to be brave and try the Zingaro pizza (pictured). HOLY COW, was I glad I didn’t ask for a substitution (chef props)! This pizza comes with caramelized Smithfield ham and bacon, gorgonzola cheese, garlic, fresh basil, green onions, fresh mozzarella, brie, swiss, fresh juicy pineapple and a sprinkle of pixie dust. It was the perfect combination of salty and sweet. I can’t wait to try out more of their delectable pizzas!

 #3  Mikey’s Late Night

Mikey’s is great for all levels of sobriety.  Just as the name indicates, Mikey’s has been a late night staple in my life since I moved back to Columbus after college. I would be walking down High Street late at night literally praying that they would be at the food truck spot near Pint House. I also may or may not have walked all the way to Odd Fellows some nights just for that magical cheesy slice. Thank goodness, you can get your fix all over the city!

Mikey’s is well known for their edgy style, with menu items like “spicy-ass pepperoni”, “unicorn (or slut) sauce”, and “the baby cheezus”. If you’ve never had the pleasure of eating a slice (or 2) of Mikey’s, I suggest you change that ASAP!

 #2  Paulie Gee’s

Being a food blogger has quite a few perks, and one of them is getting the chance to meet the people behind this restaurant. When I visited Paulie Gee’s for the first time last year, I had the pleasure of meeting TJ Gibbs, the owner of Paulie Gee’s. He shared his amazing story about how as an OSU grad, he moved to Brooklyn and shadowed the actual Paulie of Paulie Gee’s. After spending a year learning the tricks of the trade, TJ came back to Columbus and opened up his own version of Paulie Gee’s in the Short North.

At Paulie Gee’s, the pizza is baked in a wood-fired Napoli oven, imported from Italy. This creates a perfectly crispy and bubbly crust. If you go during happy hour, you can order PIZZA FLIGHTS (pictured). Three mini pizzas that are perfect for those indecisive moments that we all get looking at a pizza menu. You really can’t go wrong, but if you’re looking for a super interesting pizza, I suggest the Cherry Jones. It has gorgonzola, prosciutto, cherries, and orange blossom honey, YUM!