You either love him or you hate him.
But no matter where you stand, there is no denying the impact that Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports, has on pizza shops.
By simply visiting a pizza shop, Portnoy can single-handedly (along with his camera crew, editors, etc.) save a dying business.
Even his bad scores help drive business!
And while there’s no denying that he has eaten more pizza than anyone else, probably ever, we think some of his rankings of these Columbus spots aren’t indicative of what they offer and how good their pizzas are.
Why? Well, Dave will admit himself, he is biased. He has favorite styles. And on the flip side, he certainly has styles he doesn’t like.
If he’s given a Neapolitan pizza, it all but automatically receives a 6.8 (out of 10). He simply doesn’t love that style. Meanwhile, I love Neapolitan pizza! All this to say, some of his reviews can be a bit misleading.
So how do you interpret his reviews? His review scale is a bit tough to pin down, but after watching hundreds of his reviews, it generally goes as such:
- 5.9 and Under: Any combination of 1 or more of the following
- Bad pizza / bad experience / there are better places around / they hate Barstool Sports.
- 6.1 – 6.9: Serviceable pizza. Gets the job done, and definitely will satiate you in a drunken stupor.
- 7.1 – 7.9: Really good pizza. If you live near one, this is where you should be ordering from.
- 8.1 – 8.5: Extremely good pizza. You should go out of your way to get this pizza when possible.
- 8.6 – 8.9: Some of the best pizza you’ll have. Thin, crispy, minimal flop (referring to the crust and undercarriage of the pie). Worth a drive.
- 9.1 – 9.9: The best pizza on the planet. You should book a trip to visit this pizza shop, it’s so damn good.
Get it? Good. Now, without further ado, these are the pizza shops in and around Columbus that Portnoy has ranked, and why we think he’s wrong (or, sometimes, right!)
Catfish Biff’s Pizza & Subs (RIP) | Dave’s Review: 1.2
South Campus, Ohio State
This one stings. Was Catfish Biff’s the best pizza in the world? No. Was it the best pizza on campus? Ehhh, depends who you ask. But was it the perfect place to grab a slice (or 4) as you drunkenly returned home from the bars? Absolutely! It was open late and was the only pizza-by-the-slice spot on South Campus. Dave’s review was released when Michigan was deep in the throes of being unable to beat Ohio State, so his bitterness was taken out on Catfish Biff’s.
Adriatico’s | Dave’s Review: 5.4
1618 Neil Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
This one also stings. Dave is a pizza purist, meaning he only eats cheese pizzas when reviewing. I do agree with this sentiment, as it allows you to really get a vibe for how well they can make a pie. If you can’t make a good cheese pizza, you can’t make a good 6-topping pizza. However, Dave ordered a New York Style pizza from Adriatico’s when EVERYBODY knows that you should only get their Sicilian crust… Rookie move.
Oh well, we still love you Adriatico’s.
Columbus Pizza and Brew | Dave’s Review: 5.7
88 E Broad St, Columbus, OH 43215
I’ve actually never tried this spot, so I don’t have much to say to confirm or deny this ranking. It’s an older review, mind you, and Dave has definitely gotten softer in his old age, so I’d imagine this would crack the 6s if he were to review it today.
The O Patio (Now the O on Lane) | Dave’s Review: 6.4
352 W Lane Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Another classic college slice. I would agree that this pizza is probably most at home in the mid-to-upper 6s. However, this review was before the O moved to their current home on Lane Avenue, and I’ve heard that the pizza is even better than it was at the O Patio…
I haven’t tried it yet, but I have a good feeling that I’ll love it.
Mikey’s Late Night Slice (Short North) | Dave’s Review: 6.5
457 N High St, Columbus, OH 43215
I can’t stand when pizza snobs act like it’s the worst thing of all time. I love Mikey’s. The slices are MASSIVE, they’re hot, they’re a little greasy, and they’re literally the perfect slice to eat after a night out… perhaps the best drunken slice in the city. Mikey’s knows their lane and they thrive in it. I just wish the optics of a 6.5 weren’t so bad because this pizza is special.
Harvest Pizzeria (Dublin) | Dave’s Review: 6.8
45 N High St, Dublin, OH 43017
This is where Dave’s “every Neapolitan slice starts at 6.8.” He just doesn’t love the style. I enjoy Neapolitan style, and definitely would put this up in the mid 7s at LEAST if I were Dave. But I’m not, so 6.8 it is.
Sicilia Fine Italian Specialties | Dave’s Review: 6.9
22 Frambes Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Dave made the fatal flaw of ordering a full pie from Sicilia’s. For whatever reason, their slices are like a different pizza than their full pies. I don’t know what it is, but I don’t question it. Another phenomenal drunk slice. According to Dave, he gave it a 6.9 because “college students f***”… do with that info what you will.
Plank’s Cafe & Pizzeria | Dave’s Review: 7.1
743 Parsons Ave, Columbus, OH 43206
“An acquired taste.” That’s a good way to sum up Plank’s on Parsons. Some people love it, some people hate it. I happen to LOVE this pizza, as it reminds me of the pizza my mom used to make when I was growing up. Sweet, tangy, and a perfect amount of cheese. Dave gave the inside a 9.8 and raved about how nice everybody is, but definitely wasn’t sure about the pie. I think it’s a must-try for anyone, and is one of my favorites in the city for sure.
Granddad’s Pizza (Bethel Road) | Dave’s Review: 7.1
1490 Bethel Rd, Columbus, OH 43220
Finally, a Columbus-style pizza joint enters the list. These pies are thin and crispy, which is a great start for Dave. I think the issue here is that a true Columbus style pizza just doesn’t taste the same when it’s not loaded with Pepperoni, so I think Dave’s cheese-only rule came back to bite him a bit here. I love Granddad’s, but I’ve only been to the Grandview location! I’ll have to change that… eventually.
East Coast Pizzeria | Dave’s Review: 7.2
5060 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214
I’ve never been to this spot, but receiving a 7.2 as a pizza joint that offers East Coast style pizza in Columbus is actually pretty darn good. This is a spot that I will be adding to my list to check out sooner rather than later!
Aracri Pizzeria | Dave’s Review: 7.2
51 E Gay St, Columbus, OH 43215
Aracri is such a great little spot downtown that can sometimes get overlooked. But as Dave mentioned in his review, the pizza has a great crust, a good undercarriage, and that the people are so hospitable! He cites a lack of sauce on his pie as his reason for not giving it a high score, but a 7.2 is a 7.2! Great football pie.
JT’s Pizza & Pub – Grandview | Dave’s Review: 7.3
845 Goodale Blvd, Grandview Heights, OH 43212
I’ve been waiting so long for Dave to check out JT’s, and apparently so has everyone else. Dave mentions that this was his most requested spot as of late. While there is something truly special about the original Linworth location, I actually haven’t noticed any difference in quality between the two locations. The Linworth spot is just a little more cozy and has more character, but as El Pres mentioned in his review of JT’s, the Grandview location is a great place to watch a game. True that, Dave.
Hounddog’s Pizza | Dave’s Review: 7.3
2657 N High St, Columbus, OH 43202
Another case of Dave ordering the wrong crust for his tastes, in my opinion. He ordered the 4 cheese pie but with the thicker crust, and he still liked it. And can you blame him? Hounddog’s is so legit, it made the self-proclaimed pizza king rethink his distaste for a thicker pizza. There’s a reason why everyone loves it so much! And that breakfast pizza? Most underrated specialty pie in the city.
GoreMade Pizza | Daves Review: 7.4
936 N 4th St, Columbus, OH 43201
Very similar to a Neapolitan pie, yet Dave seemed to like it a ton, and for good reason. GoreMade is steadfast in their commitment to making pizzas with only the freshest local ingredients. Their sauce is so good, and each slice is so light, you could eat an entire pie without blinking an eye. My favorite thing here is the chef special. It’s like Russian Roulette except every outcome is very, very, very good…
Pizza House | Dave’s Review: 7.4
747 E Lincoln Ave, Columbus, OH 43229
Pizza House is definitely an underrated player in the Columbus pizza scene, and I’m so happy that he highlighted it. I’m sure they have been absolutely SLAMMED over the past week, and rightfully so. Their pizza is incredible. Square cut, thin, and crispy. Mmmmm.
Bazemore Pizza Co. | Dave’s Review: 7.4
1991 Riverside Dr, Upper Arlington, OH 43221 (Inside the Pointe Tavern)
This one really bugged me, because it seemed like Dave judged them way too harshly simply because they use a conveyor belt pizza oven. But this isn’t the cheap conveyor belt-style oven that is solely used out of laziness… quite the contrary! This oven is essentially the only one that would fit in the space that suits Bazemore’s needs. And this thing is LEGIT. Plus, they use fresh, homemade ingredients that really shine in their pies. If Dave didn’t see their oven, it would’ve been in the 8s… NO DOUBT!
Bobby Jo’s Pizza | Dave’s Review: 7.5
5225 N High St, Columbus, OH 43214 (Inside Donerick’s Pub)
Bobby Jo’s has been the talk of the town ever since they began their pop-up pizza business this past year. And now that they have a true brick-and-mortar location inside of Donerick’s Pub, they have been able to reach a much wider audience, including none other than El Presidente himself. He says he wishes the pizza was a little crispier, but that he really enjoyed it. I wonder if the fine folks over at Bobby Jo’s will take Dave’s opinion under consideration…
Iacono’s Pizza & Restaurant | Dave’s Review: 7.9 (Could’ve been an 8.1)
9303 Dublin Rd, Powell, OH 43065
Dave absolutely raved about this spot. You can even hear it in the video, when he takes a bite, you hear the crispiness of the crust. Portnoy went as far to say that it’s as good as you can make when it comes to tavern/Chicago style (i.e. Columbus style). And at the end of the video, Dave mentions it could’ve been an 8.1! That would’ve put it as one of the highest scores in Central Ohio… so we’ll just pretend it was an 8.1.
Emelio’s Restaurant | Dave’s Review: 8.1
574 Georgesville Rd, Columbus, OH 43228
One of the only spots in Ohio that has achieved the ever-elusive 8+ rating, Emelio’s is a pinnacle of the Columbus-style pizza that we all love so much. Thin, crispy, and loaded with flavor. That charred crust is just simply magical, and is right up Dave’s alley. If you haven’t been to Emelio’s Restaurant yet, you’re missing out.
Sexton’s Pizza (Hilliard) | Dave’s Review: 8.1
5460 Franklin St, Hilliard, OH 43026
Ahhh yes, Sexton’s. This pie is seriously among the best in the entire state. I don’t know what kind of black magic they’re working over there at Sexton’s, but I hope they never stop. The char on the crust, the little bubbles that form in the cheese, the crunchy-yet-light dough that makes you helplessly reach for another slice… Sexton’s is one of the spots that could very well be knocking on the doors of a 9+ score if you catch Dave on the right day.
Artisan Pizza Cafe | Dave’s Review: 8.1
91 E 5th Ave, Columbus, OH 43201
Well this was an absolute shock… not because he gave it a great score, but because we were literally featured in Dave’s video about this place! This was totally unexpected, yet super cool of them to put that clip in their review. Jasmin, the owner, is so sweet and she has been over-the-moon since Dave visited. Everything here is so fresh and is all handmade, so if you go to grab a pizza, expect to wait unless you go EARLY!
Read our write-up about how incredible this place is here.
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