AP Pizza Shop — Restaurant in Bethesda

It was my first time here. Let me start with that. We've walked by this place a dozen times but never made our way in. My family and I are always looking for a new pizza spot to try and AP was the right place and the right time. I'll talk about the space for a minute. It's a small pizza place. It's not meant for groups. They have maybe four or five tables. This is more of a quick bite or grab a slice at the counter before the movies kind of place. If I can wrap up the vibe and the decor in three words, I would use modern, hipster and clean. I kind of dug the feel. It has a tiny bit of grit to it and that's more than I can say for most of Bethesda. So because we started with a group of four eventually joined by my brother-in-law's family of four, we ended up squeezing about eight people into a small booth. This was by choice. But they were accommodating. I wouldn't recommend this place for groups, but the service was outstanding and it felt like an A+.

Here what stood out from our order. They have mixed drinks on their menu and if you have an old-fashioned on your menu, I'm going to try it. I really enjoyed mine. The focaccia bread with garlic butter was incredible. I highly suggest you try that if you're gonna come in. Of the two pizzas we got, I thought the plain pie was better than Tony's pie. Ordering food, whether you're sitting down or taking your food to go is also really easy. They have self-serve kiosks and I'm all for that. Back to the service, as I was ordering our food through the self-serve kiosk and the staff was more than happy to give their two cents or answer any questions about the menu.

I don't have any real negative notes. I know I gave 4 stars for the food, but there are no fractional ratings here.. I would say somewhere around 4.5 was my gut score. I'll add that going to a restaurant one time does not paint a complete picture. I'll probably come back to try more items. I recommend you...

It's amazing how great the pizza quality is across the DMV these days. It wasn't always this way.

AP Pizza Shop is a great example of how far pizza has come. They nail the evenly baked thin crust produced by the deck ovens, a staple of the classic NE pizzerias.

I sampled 3 slices and they were all excellent.

BUONA - Bianco di Napoli tomatoes, mozz, pepperoni, grana, Calabrian chili honey, basil - everything you want in a solid slice, and the honey drizzle is not needed but a welcome touch

SEDGEWICK - whipped ricotta, mozz, taleggio, parm, chives, black truffle honey - gorgeous white pizza, beautifully presented

SALSICCIA - tomato, mozz, provolone, Italian sausage, roasted peppers, garlic breadcrumb - loved the garlic bread crumbs, they add great flavor and texture.

Service was friendly and fairly fast. There is some limited indoor seating but they cater to carryout.

Definitely...

Excellent pizza, especially in an area not known for good food. It’s delicious. Very Neapolitan style dough, minus the wood char. One of the very best mushroom slices I’ve had. Quality ingredients, without a doubt.

That said, it’s not worth the price. Price per slice will usually exceed $5, which works out to $40 per pizza. Acceptable maybe on a 5 star hotel room service menu, but not in a walk-in or delivery pizzeria, unless we’re talking gold leaf and caviar toppings. ‘ Bethesdans’ food standard is not generally high. Add one of highest retail rent districts in the US and Bethesda’s penchant for mediocre food at so-so prices, and you’ve got the makings of yet another food concept that likely won’t manage around here.

Advice to management: lower the prices, make more sizes available for delivery. Consider the very tough restaurant environment in Bethesda and retool...