oddBar. — Restaurant in St. Catharines

Oddbar We came here after searching high and low for a decent dine-in pizza joint. We noticed that most of St Catharines is peppered with take-out only places. The online menu at Oddbar beguiled us. Inside, we were off put by the stark, urban-decay decor, but it didn’t take long to realise that the interior was merely there to accompany the stars of the show: pizza and beer. Let me explain that I’m a light beer guy. Coors Light and Corona fill my cup. Hence I chose the first beer on the extensive list of local craft beers - one described as a light, blonde lager. The 5% alcohol content pushed it past my comfort level, but the taste was spot on! It went down easily. For my second pull of the same, I mixed in some Sprite - I told you that I like them light - to help take it down a notch. The staff members we met were friendly and chatty, and we felt less like we were loitering in a disturbed back alley than when we first walked in. I studied other guests as they first entered through the doorway, and their body language mirrored my own mixed feelings when we had arrived. Now, we switched gears to choosing a pizza each. There are two main categories offered, Detroit-style square, and regular round style. And within these two options there are variations that you must first make a decision upon. The assortment of recipes was astounding and I remembered what had first cast its spell upon me when doing my initial Googling. We studied the menu for ages, turning away the server, for “just another minute” a couple of times! Tough decisions had to be made! After much deliberation, I chose the “Pear ‘Nduja” regular 12” round, and my partner the “Drunk in Windsor” 12” regular round. We were given clean plates, cutlery, napkins and red chilli flakes when our hot pies arrived, and just as well, as these beauties commanded a delicate consumption. The slices were too hot to grab by hand and stuff in our mouths, so we chipped away at them instead. My masterpiece had tantalizing bites of pear, spicy Italian sausage chunks (‘Nduja) and Gorgonzola and Mozzarella streaks. Every bite was better than the preceding! My partner exclaimed, out loud, that she could tell that the Mozzarella was fresh, just by the aroma, and that the crust was perfect. She later summed it up by stating that her “basic pepperoni pizza, was anything but basic!”, with the tomato sauce being fresh and flavourful and the pepperoni shreds (not slices) going down easily! I had eaten, probably, the best pizza I’ve ever enjoyed and we’ve put Oddbar on our “must return” list!(Do not confuse this place with their sister restaurant Oddbird) If like us, you find the interior to be a tad overwhelming (think graffiti’d parking lot behind a waste recycling plant) then remember you are here to eat and drink! The smiling staff members will soon put you at ease and “the boys” in the kitchen will make your taste buds sing for joy! Well done all for an intriguing combination of jarring...

I owe it to myself and the folks at OddBar. to write a second review here. We love this place and after our first visit, couldn’t wait to return (living in AB makes this a bit challenging!).

We came here on a Wednesday night and found an empty table easily. Our server asked if I’d written a review previously when I explained that we had looking forward to our return visit! She said she and her co-owner/chef husband loved the review and were glad we were back! That was charming to hear! I apologised for my slightly negative comments about the decor but was told that what I described was what they were trying to achieve! Upon reflection, I realise that the black, graffitied walls, are a dichotomy to the exquisite food, and in turn, the pizza toppings, while maybe appearing jangled on the menu, in fact are partners in perfection! I now want to say that having a bleak, messy decor perfectly blends with the artistry of the chef! Bravo!

Tonight we chose, deliberately, two new-to-us pizzas. The Peach and Crispy Sage round 12” and the AbercromBrie and Figs round 12”. Both were astoundingly delicious! Equal in full-flavoured boldness to the Pear Nduja and Drunk in Windsor varieties we had on our last visit.

To begin, I sampled the chicken wings and canned alcohol-free beer. The wings were touted as “suicide” in intensity. I’d rank these as a slightly below spice level than extreme, BUT, crispy, well-sauced and with a heat level that tingles your tongue and lips and reminds you of what you ordered with every bite! The beer was as light as I like (Coors Light fan!) and went well with everything!

We had a great time here and were pleased to see the place had filled up by the time we left!

Sadly a third visit was not-to-be … closed on Mondays and our last opportunity to sample a different pizza before flying...

2025 - We are back in wine country and wanted to see if the oddbar. was still as good as last year. Yup. It's still one of the better/best pizza in the area. The square pizza is amazing. Would we go back? Absolutely 💯. 2024 - Who does love pizza. The sauce, the crust, the cheese, and whatever else you want on it. Well, this is a real pizza joint. Except the pizza is delicious. We shared the square Detroit Style Pepperoni Pizza. I don't usually like thick crust, but this one was light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside. The tomato sauce was fresh, sweet, and full of natural tomato flavor. The pepperoni was on top of the cheese and had the edge curl. It was really good. First we went inside to eat because it was very hot outside. But, it seemed that their a/c, if they even had any, could not handle the heat between the oven and outdoor temperature. So we sat outside. I recommend you wait until this heatwave breaks before eating inside. The service was good considering the heat and the condition she had to work in. There was only one person serving. But the pizza is well worth it all. This is a must try if you are...