Whether your pizza preferences run from New York style, Chicago deep dish or something healthy like cauliflower crust and arugula toppings, downtown Las Vegas has a pizza for everyone.
Pop Up Pizza embodies the soul of a New York pizzeria with a modern approach. Outside of its modern design and intimate setting, the food is center stage backed by scratch recipes made with passion and care. Fresh ingredients, homemade tomato sauce, and a secret dough recipe (made daily) make the pizza stand out above the rest. Stop in Pop Up Pizza - on the casino floor of the Plaza Hotel & Casino – for a signature Crispy Pepperoni; Creamy Onion, Spinach and Mushroom, or create your own pie. While there, scoop up some garlic knots, wings, fried pickles and ice cream.
Pizza artisan meets nightlife energy at Pizza Rock where award winning pizza genius Tony Gemignani put together four different ovens to make a variety of pies. Located across from the Downtown Grand Hotel, Pizza Rock features gourmet pizzas in a variety of styles including Napoletana, Romana, classic American, classic Italian, Sicilian, Detroit, California, Chicago-thin and New York, plus gluten-free. There’s even a Sunday brunch breakfast pizza. Enjoy your pie with the restaurant’s 23 rotating drafts and craft cocktails.
Evel Pie is located right in the center of the action of Fremont St., and the energy inside is a bit crazy and a little risqué, but always fun. If you’re craving something different, top your pizza with rattlesnake sausage or man candy bacon. By the slice or by the pie, check out Balls to the Wall, The Barry White and Cheezy Rider. With a true “hold-my-beer” attitude, Evel Pie houses one of the largest collections of Evel Knievel memorabilia.
No visit to the Arts District is complete without stopping in at Good Pie, where there’s something for everyone. While Good Pie is definitely a Brooklyn style pizza shop, founded by Brooklyn born international award winning pizzaiolo Vincent Rotolo, it keeps getting rave reviews for its Detroit Style Square Pies and Sicilian Pies. Even the vegan and dairy-free varieties are served with a delicious sauce for an authentic taste.
Found at the Vegas Test Kitchen, you could say that Yukon Pizza makes Neapolitan-style pies, but that would do this place an injustice. The wood-fired pizzas, complete with the requisite charred crust, are made from a 120-year-old heirloom sourdough starter, which can be traced back to the Klondike Gold Rush of the Yukon Territory. Yukon offers specialty and seasonal flavors like The Last Action Gyro with gyro meat, feta cheese and tzatziki sauce, and Elote with corn, cilantro, cotija cheese and mayo.
Sometimes you just want a gooey slice of pizza. The walk-up 322 Pizza Bar, under the Fremont St. Experience canopy, is a counter-service restaurant serving up slices and whole pies. For on-the-go check out, slices are foldable, from a simple Super Cheesy to a Big Hawaiian.
Bring the family in for “just-good-pizza” at Albo Pizza Restaurant, serving up favorites from cheese to the Meat Express, but why not also try the Greek Pizza, BBQ Chicken Pizza or Spinach Pizza. Located on Las Vegas Blvd in Gateway District, which is adjacent to the Arts District, Albo also boasts a menu full of delectables, for those not in the mood for pizza, like fries and Jalapeno Poppers to chicken noodle soup, deli subs and hamburgers.
Photo: Courtesy of Pop Up Pizza at the Plaza Hotel & Casino