Zazaza Pizza Review

For my birthday dinner in July, we decided to check out the new pizza place that had recently opened in the Glebe - ZaZaZa Pizza. The restaurant was started by the guy who started The Works burger chains, and this is the second location in Ottawa.

I should preface this review by noting that this date was a very very warm summer day. We called in advance to see if they had air conditioning (they did) and to check how busy it tended to be on a Saturday night. They assured me that if we were there early (5 pm) it would be before the dinner rush and we shouldn't have a long wait. Since we had our toddler with us, this was essential.

We arrived and were seated right away - there were only a few tables of people in the small restaurant at that time. Despite this, however, the speed with which our food arrived was still very slow. We wouldn't have minded too much...except that the heat in the restaurant was insane! Even the toddler was sweating under her full-sleeved bib. This ended up being a distraction from what was otherwise pretty good pizza.

Like The Works, the menu features a huge number of different topping combinations, ranging from the simple and traditional to the more obscure. We tried three pizzas:


French Kiss  - PESTO OIL — MOZZA, CARAMELIZED ONIONS,
TOMATO, ARTICHOKE, ASPARAGUS, BRIE, FRESH TARRAGON.

Loved the mix of flavours and toppings, but found the combination of brie, mozzarella and pesto made the pizza a little oilier than I would have liked. Probably would have been ok with just one kind of cheese.

CAJUN COWBOY
TOMATO CHIPOTLE SAUCE - CARAMELIZED ONIONS, CHICKEN, SPICY HAVARTI, CHORIZO SAUSAGE, SWEET CORN.

Great flavour combination! Had a nice kick to it, which would have been more appreciated on a day when we weren't already sweating. 

FANCY MUSHROOM  - Pesto oil – mozza, roasted portobello, shitake and oyster mushrooms, parmesan, goat cheese, truffle oil drizzle

This was the fave of everyone at the table. Delish!

Overall, the pizzas were quite yummy, but the slowness and heat were a bit of a turn-off. I'm willing to give it a second chance, but haven't been back yet.

Pizza Boyz

I think that Pizza Boyz was the last of the area delivery places we had left to try. Located on Alta Vista in a little plaza, I've driven past this spot several times, but dismissed it based on its silly name. Unfortunately, their website seems to be down now, but their menu had the typical fare.

The pizza arrived quickly - always a plus for a hungry Friday night. As you can see, lots of bacon and a good amount of cheese. I can't remember enough details now to do a full ranking, but I would rate it as "good", but not memorable enough to promote to a favourite.

Our first re-order

Only a few months into the project, and we've had our first repeat order. We're running out of nearby places to try, and since we wanted to eat quickly, we decided to return to nearby Super Duper Pizza - the first stop on our tour. It was great the first time around, and I still love the name.

It was just as good - and just as cheesy - as we remembered! We ate that pizza all weekend long.

Bobbie's Pizza

Bobbie's Pizza came up through a search on Just Eat, a site that lets you search for places that deliver to your area and then order right through the web. Very convenient! We probably would never have found this place otherwise, since it a bit of a distance from us on Ogilvie.

The pizza arrived, and much to my pleasure, was topped with a dough ball! Just like my old favourite, Fida's. For my fellow bacon-lovers, this pizza was a treat - complete with almost full strips of bacon on top.

Unfortunately, the pizzas are all blurring together in my head, so I don't remember much else about this one, other than that. A decent pizza though, and probably worth a re-order. 8/10

Pizza Plus

We're a bit behind in updating - unfortunately, I've forgotten what some of these pizzas were like! If it weren't for the photos, I think I might have forgotten them entirely.

On this night, we ordered from Pizza Plus, a little place in a strip mall off Conroy. We were tired after a long week at work, and they delivered, so it seemed like a good plan. Unfortunately, the pizza took almost an hour, so we were STARVING by the time it arrived.

The pizza was actually very tasty - really nice toppings, and I probably would have rated it an 8.5. But I'll subtract 50% for lateness!

I'd be willing to give this place a second chance - but maybe pick up next time instead.

Uncle Joe's Pizza

For years, there have been various pizza places in the strip mall at the bottom of Kilborn in Alta Vista. Now "under new management", Uncle Joe's Pizza is the current occupant.

This was a "nothing special" delivery pizza. The crust was thin-ish, and had a nice texture, and the cheese was stretchy and gooey. And not real bacon, which for me, is a major strike against! It wasn't bad, but it was fairly unmemorable.

Cost $21.41 for delivery (free delivery, but they have walk-in specials as well)

Crust - 7.5/10
Cheese - 7.5/10
Sauce - 6/10
Toppings - 4/10

Overall Impression - 6.5/10

Colonnade Pizza

Colonnade Pizza is a long-standing Ottawa tradition and have been around since 1967. Even the current Prime Minister is a fan of their pizza! On one Saturday evening trip to the Metcalfe location a couple of years ago, we were pleased to note that half the restaurant was empty, save for two tables in the centre - one with 2 men and 2 teenaged boys, and one with four burly looking guys. It was only when we looked more closely, that we realized those empty tables were surrounding the PM and his son, along with some friends, and the burly guys were security, rather than other diners! We never did find out what kind of pizza the Harpers enjoy.

In addition to their original downtown location, Colonnade Pizza has four other restaurants around the city, including one in the old Burger King at the Blue Heron mall on Bank Street. We usually visit to dine in (their zucchini sticks make a great appetizer!) but decided to pick-up a pizza for our test. They do not deliver.

Another restaurant style pizza - pretty thick, lots of cheese covering the toppings.

Cost - $24.74 for a large two topping (pick-up)

Crust - 8/10
Cheese - 9/10
Sauce - 8/10
Toppings - 8/10

Overall Impression - 8/10

There's a reason this is such a popular restaurant! My overall feeling was that it was a decent take-out pizza, but perhaps a bit more enjoyable in the restaurant. Unlike some of the less savoury establishments we've gotten take out from lately, this is a great place to take the family. 

Lorenzo's Pizza

Lorenzos is a local Ottawa chain, with a restaurant location near our house. As a restaurant, it's a bit of a dive, but the few times I've had the pizza, I remember that it's been pretty good, so we decided to we needed to add it to the rotation. You can order online for pick-up or delivery in addition to dining in.

This is serious pizza - thick and heavy, with lots of cheese and toppings. Real bacon. Nicely crisped cheese. Chewy crust.

Cost - $22.30 (save 10% on pick-up!)

Crust - 8/10
Cheese - 9/10
Sauce - 8/10
Toppings - 9/10

Overall Impression - 8.5/10

This pizza isn't for everyone - but if you like a hearty pizza, it's a gem. My advice would be to skip the restaurant and go for pick-up or delivery. I think this one will work its way into our regular rotation.

Bella Vista Restaurant

This weekend's selection came at the recommendation of several blog readers - Bella Vista Restaurant near Bank and Alta Vista. We'd been in the plaza several times, but had never stepped inside the restaurant. This is a sit-down restaurant, but they also do take-out and delivery at selected times. We picked up our pizza and brought it home.

As soon as we opened the box, I knew we were in for a good pizza. The cheese and toppings were spread almost right to the edge of the thin-ish, but chewy crust. Lots of real bacon and mushrooms, and the sauce had a rich flavour to it. I think this pizza might come closest to approximately my beloved Fida's.

Cost: $25 for a large with mushrooms and bacon (pick-up)


Crust - 8.5/10
Cheese - 8.5/10
Sauce - 8/10
Toppings - 8/10

Overall Impression - 8.5/10

This place is worth a repeat visit for sure. Several of our readers also mentioned that they offer a Gluten Free crust which comes highly reviewed. 

House of Pizza

Today's pizza was unplanned - our day ran later than expected and we had nothing set up for dinner, so I decided to pick up a few slices on my way home. I pulled into "House of Pizza"  which was on the way home and ordered 4 slices - 2 pepperoni and 2 cheese. Not our usual special, and to be fair - these were pre-made slices. The combo price was $5 for 2 slices and a drink. The 2 pieces totaled a quarter of a pizza - but a small pizza.

As you can see...not very appealing. D described this as "cafeteria pizza". Maybe this pizza wasn't given its full opportunity to shine, because it was a slice that had been reheated, but either way, it was a disappointment. The cheese was congealed and barely stayed on, the crust was like cardboard and the rest was unmemorable.

Cost: $10 for four small slices and 2 pops (not very filling) - our usual seems to run about $20 plus tax

Crust - 3/10
Cheese - 3/10
Sauce - 4/10
Toppings - 4/10

Overall Impression - 3/10

We won't be returning to try a full pizza!

Louis' Restaurant and Pizzeria

Tonight we decided to try a pizza that D remembered from his childhood - Louis' Restaurant and Pizzeria in Vanier. Their website claims "Best Pizza in Town", so we hoped it would live up to the hype and the memories.

Parking was a bit sketchy since it is shared with the bowling alley. The inside of the restaurant looked like it hadn't been updated since the 70s - which was part of its charm The box was heavy with pizza goodness, complete with a greasy hand print on the cardboard.

Once we opened it up, the pizza did not disappoint. Thick crust with a yellow, egg-bread like flavour (though there was a bit too much around the edges) and a nice layer of golden cheese. There was a good amount of sauce, though the flavouring was somewhat bland. Big pieces of real bacon and mushrooms topped things off. A big dough ball held things in place (just like my beloved Fida's!).

Cost: $24 for large, 2 toppings (pick-up)

Crust - 7/10
Cheese - 8/10
Sauce - 6/10
Toppings - 8/10

Overall Impression - 8/10

A front-runner so far, and worth a repeat visit.

EZPZ Pizza

Since I was down in Old Ottawa South for an errand, I decided to swing by the old Sunnyside pizza corner to check out its newest resident. The corner of Sunnyside and Seneca was the long-time home of Fida's pizza, and a Milano's pizza has now taken its place. The opposite corner has been home to several different places, none of which has been able to last.

The current inhabitant is EZPZ Pizza. I phoned ahead and came to pick-up the pizza. They seem to have lots of pick-up and student specials.

This pizza was much more "chain-style" than the others we've tried. The crust was thinner and crisper, but seemed a bit dry and lacked that nice chewy pizza texture. The toppings were plentiful and there was a decent amount of cheese. There was less substance to this pizza - I ate three slices, instead of my usual two.

Cost: $15 for large, 2 toppings (pick-up)

Crust - 4/10
Cheese - 7/10
Sauce - 7/10
Toppings - 7/10

Overall Impression - 6/10

A pretty nondescript pizza, though the price was right.

Gloria's Pizza

A google browse of local pizza joints turned up Gloria's Pizza on Walkley. This week, we opted for delivery rather than take-out and ordered through Just Eat. Through our email confirmation told us 40 minutes, our pizza arrived about 25 minutes later.

The cheese was nicely well-done and covered the toppings and extended to the edges of the crust. Both the sauce and crust were decent. The biggest disappointment, however, were the toppings - the bacon wasn't real bacon, but rather was a ham-like topping.

Cost: $22.83 (large 2 topping, including $1 for delivery)

Crust - 7/10
Cheese - 7/10
Sauce - 7/10
Toppings - 3/10

Overall impression - 6/10

This was a pretty good pizza, but because of the disappointing bacon-topping, we won't be ordering it again. A plain cheese pizza lover might be more of a fan.

Super Duper Pizza

Located in a little strip mall, the tiny hole in the wall,  Super Duper Pizza claims to be "The Best Pizza You'll Ever Eat". We were excited to see if it would live up to its name.

The box was heavy and as soon as we opened it up, we knew it was a serious pizza. It was layered thick with a very generous amount of cheese. The crust held up well to all the cheese and the toppings (real bacon) and sauce had a nice taste. It was a very filling pizza though, and I could barely eat one and a half slices.

Cost - Around $23 for a two topping large (pick-up)

Crust - 8/10
Cheese - 9/10
Sauce - 8/10
Toppings - 8/10

Overall impression - 8/10

There will be a repeat trip to Super Duper - but only on a night when we are up for a serious pizza!

Ottawa Pizza Tour

If I had to choose only one food to eat for the rest of my meals, it would certainly be pizza. After my all time favourite pizza place (Fida's on Sunnyside) closed, I have been without a go-to local pizza place. We decided to take on the challenge of testing local pizza places to find a new favourite. This blog will follow our efforts to find Ottawa's best pizza. It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!

In order to create a level playing field, we will order the same pizza - large with mushrooms and bacon - from each place. Pick-up or delivery. We are open to suggestions for your favourite pizzas!