Harlow's Pizza — Restaurant in Lakewood

Since returning to Cleveland this year, it's been awesome seeing how the Pizza scene has grown! There are so many options to choose from, and so many people trying to take their craft to the next level. In regards to Pizza, that often means staying true to its roots; dough, sauce, olive oil, and salt. At Harlow's, you find that pursuit of simple perfection.

The building is very small, and can be easy to miss if you're not on the lookout. Once you find it, you are greeted by a pink neon sign and clean white storefront, much like an old diner. Inside is bright an clean, with a colorful Mexican-inspired decor. It's a very interesting combination, and I think it works. If I could take this place and set it up on a beach, that would be incredible!

The menu is very straight forward. One of the purest menus I have seen, it consists of 5 Pizzas, with some Wine, Beer, Liquor, and Soda options. There is no shortage of Pizza Shops with fried appetizers, subs, salads, etc., so it's nice finding a place dedicated purely to traditional Wood-Fired Neapolitan Pizza. I opted for the Margherita and paired it with a Peroni.

Let me tell you, this Pizza was delicious! I love the slight char from Wood-Fired foods, and it took only a few minutes to cook. Each component had simple, but robust flavor. Sea Salt does a lot to elevate each element without taking away from the true flavor of each ingredient. The crust had a nice chew, and a slight saltiness to it. Fresh Basil and Mozzarella added a nice richness and aromatics. The real star was the sauce. My gosh, I wanted to ask for a bowl of it! Next time I know I can order the Marinara and be perfectly content, it was that good!

We had a fun time talking with the owners, who were very friendly and shared some of their story with us. They're only 7 months in, and they have stayed true to their craft. I am grateful they opted to open up such a simple place, which can be risky, considering many people are used to a lot of options. Their Pizza is delicious, and they are helping grow the food scene in good ol' CLE. Stop by and...

We went out for a dinner tonight (10/19), wanting some wood fired pizza. We thought we’d stay local and decided to try a new place, Harlow’s on Madison. It’s a small place, with very small pizzas and not very good service. We found a couple of seats at the bar, ordered wine and a margherita pizza. It was clear that it would be a wait for the pizza, as we saw the the orders piling up by the prep counter, but the wine came almost immediately - a sip essentially, in a juice glass. Seriously, the pour was about the amount of a 25¢ serving at a Heinen’s wine tasting - for $8. While in shock, we noticed that another server was pouring into these same glasses, almost a full glass. We didn’t ask, as we weren’t sure if the others had bought a full bottle and were rationing out larger portions. As it turned out by night’s end, it seems that we didn’t get a reasonable serving. Finally, the pizza came out and we were surprised how small it was. There are other wood fired places around the area and for $12, the pizza serves 2 comfortably (Il Forno, Avon; Pizza 216, Cleveland; Pizza Whirl, Cleveland; Citizen Pie, Cleveland, as examples). It was tasty, but definitely not enough for 2. We also saw the one server pour a glass of wine for a customer and the other said “that’s too much”, so she poured some down the drain. Finally, we had seen a neighbor when we first walked in. I know that they weren’t served, but I thought maybe they’d come for a drink. Well, low and behold, one came up to the counter as we were leaving, wanting to know where their pizza was. Somehow their order was given to someone else, while they waited patiently. It was like a comedy of errors - there definitely needed to be some adult supervision of the staff. Not a value or great experience -probably won’t...

I'm a long time Lakewood resident but never tried Harlow's until yesterday. It was Friday night and we got there around 6:20. The place is pretty small, maybe room for 25 people or so to sit. Hence, there was already a waiting list. We put our names on and went down to the distillery to have a cocktail. About 30 minutes later Harlow's called to say they had 2 seats at the bar.

My wife ordered the salami pizza and I ordered the margherita pizza. Both appeared before us in about 15 minutes.

The closest comparison I can think of are the fine pizzas I ate in Florence, Venice and Rome a few years ago. The dough is thin, airy, and perfectly cooked so you have a crispy crust and softer bottom dough. The sauce and cheese were light and fresh. The basil on my margherita was YUMMY. The salami and hot peppers on my wife's pizza were out of this world with flavor. EVERYTHING was perfect. I will definitely be going back to Harlow's when I have a craving for the REAL DEAL.

Word to the wise....these pizzas are not inexpensive. They are 12 inches and start at $16. I DEFINITELY could have eaten 2...they were that good and light. A dinner for 2 people with 2 pizzas and 2 drinks will run...