This story is about the sit-down pizza restaurants in Cleveland, the places with a dining room, a bar or a lively room that make pizza work as a full night out. Each one is picked for the room and the service as much as for the crust.
The west side has the most of them, in Detroit Shoreway, Ohio City, Tremont and Old Brooklyn, with two more on Madison Avenue in Lakewood. The east side choices sit on Larchmere Boulevard and Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights. For every pizza place in the area, slice shops and carryout included, open the full Cleveland pizza guide.
Sit-down pizza
Pizza restaurants for a sit-down dinner
Detroit - Shoreway
Il Rione
Best for: A full pizza dinner in Detroit Shoreway
Il Rione at 1303 West 65th Street serves thin, crisp pizza with a bold sauce, and it is the most talked-about pizza place in Cleveland. The crust, the sauce and the specialty pies all get praise, and so does the atmosphere, which is why it leads any sit-down conversation. It is a short walk from the Gordon Square Arts District, so dinner can start or end with a show nearby.
Detroit - Shoreway
Cent's Pizza + Goods
Best for: A lively room and creative pies on Lorain
Cent’s Pizza + Goods at 5010 Lorain Avenue brings wood-fired specialty pies to Detroit Shoreway, and the pink and cherry pies are two of the reasons people keep coming back. The room is lively, the staff get a lot of credit, and the bar makes it easy to turn pizza into a longer evening. Order a few pies for the table and share them.
Ohio City
Citizen Pie
Best for: Wood-fired pizza near the West Side Market
Citizen Pie makes wood-fired pizza at 2144 West 25th Street in Ohio City, a couple of blocks south of the West Side Market. The menu runs through a range of pies, and the warm, casual room is set up for eating in. It pairs well with a walk around Ohio City before or after dinner. Citizen Pie has a second location, so check which one you are heading to.
Tremont
Edison's
Best for: A cozy table in Tremont
Edison’s is on Auburn Avenue in Tremont, in a cozy setting with a crust that people like and staff who get friendly marks. It fits well into an evening spent walking Tremont’s side streets. Edison’s has another location too, so check which one is closest before you head out.
Lakewood
Harlow's Pizza
Best for: Neapolitan pies in Lakewood
Harlow’s Pizza brings Neapolitan-style, wood-fired pies to 14319 Madison Avenue in Lakewood. Expect a cozy room and smaller pies meant to be eaten fresh, so plan on finishing them at the table. People who go come away very happy, and the crust is what they talk about most.
Lakewood
Angelo's Pizza (Lakewood)
Best for: A classic neighborhood pizza place in Lakewood
Angelo’s Pizza is a long-running Lakewood choice for classic pizza, at 13715 Madison Avenue, a few blocks east of Harlow’s. The crust is familiar, the service is casual, and that combination keeps it in the neighborhood rotation. Choose it when you want a traditional pie and a relaxed table close to home in Lakewood.
Old Brooklyn
Dina's Pizza & Pub
Best for: Pizza and wings in an Old Brooklyn pub
Dina’s Pizza & Pub at 5701 Memphis Avenue in Old Brooklyn pairs pizza with wings in a lively pub setting. It is built for a relaxed meal, so settle in with a group and order both. Old Brooklyn sits south of downtown on the west side of the river, and Dina’s gives that part of town a sit-down pizza night without a drive into Tremont or Ohio City.
Cleveland Heights
Vero Pizza Napoletana
Best for: An intimate Neapolitan dinner in Cleveland Heights
Vero Pizza Napoletana specializes in Neapolitan pizza at 12421 Cedar Road in Cleveland Heights, at the top of Cedar Hill. The crust earns steady praise, and the dining room is small and intimate, which makes it one of the better choices for a date. It is also close to University Circle, so it works after an evening at Severance Music Center or one of the museums.
Buckeye - Shaker
La Pecora Pizzabar
Best for: A longer dinner on Larchmere
La Pecora Pizzabar is at 12712 Larchmere Boulevard, the east side street known for its antique shops, near the Shaker Heights line. The pies are creative, the service is attentive, and the whole setup suits a longer dinner. Spend the afternoon browsing Larchmere and then sit down here for the evening.
When you only want a slice
Quick slices and casual pizza stops
For a quick slice Downtown, Good Pizza on East 4th Street serves New York-style slices with a crisp crust and hot honey options. On St. Clair Avenue, City Slice sells oversized New York-style slices with generous portions, and Il Rione’s walk-up, Lil Ronnie’s, handles slices and pies in Tremont.
Rascal House on Euclid Avenue is a straightforward, affordable pie in a casual room. In Old Brooklyn, Pizzeria Uciuni on Memphis Avenue is a small operation with crisp crust, bright sauce and very happy customers. Its hours are limited, so check before you go.
Picking a night
How to choose a pizza dinner by side of town
On the west side, Detroit Shoreway gives you two choices a few minutes apart, Il Rione on West 65th Street and Cent’s on Lorain Avenue, and both sit close to the Gordon Square theaters if you want to make a night of it. Ohio City and Tremont add Citizen Pie and Edison’s, which are easy to pair with a walk before dinner. Lakewood’s Madison Avenue has Harlow’s and Angelo’s within a few blocks of each other, one Neapolitan and one classic.
On the east side, choose Vero for a small room near University Circle or La Pecora for a slower dinner on Larchmere. If you are coming from farther out, the pizza guide’s map shows which of these is closest to you, along with sit-down choices in the suburbs.
Good to know
Questions before you go.
Where should I take a big group for pizza?
Cent’s and Dina’s both have lively rooms and a bar. Downtown, Pizza 216 on Euclid Avenue pairs pizza with an arcade, which suits a casual group outing. Call ahead for a large table.
Is there sit-down pizza close to downtown?
Pizza 216 is Downtown on Euclid Avenue. Il Rione, Citizen Pie and Edison’s are each a short drive across the river on the west side.
Slices, pies and dining rooms
See every pizza place on the map
The full guide covers pizza across Cleveland and Northeast Ohio, from slice counters to wood-fired dining rooms, with a map and details for each spot.