Pizza John's — Restaurant in Middle River

TLDR: A pizza institution for Baltimore natives. Dine in for the retro pizza parlor experience. Come for the infamous pepperoni cups pizza, bored out on heel meatball subs and overloaded cheesesteaks.

Vibe: 5/5. Pizza Johns has been a staple in the pizza scene since the 60s. Over the years they have expanded their storefront from a small takeout shack, all the way to the giant multi room indoor dining and takeout behemoth that stands on Back River Neck road today. This place gets busy, but fortunately they have fine tuned their facilities over the years to successfully accommodate the demand. When you pull up to the building, you are greeted by the classic American Italian restaurant decor, complete with the huge Pizza John statue standing front and center at the driveway entrance. Parking at Pizza Johns is great, as they have numerous parking spots running the length of both sides of the restaurant as well as additional parking in the rear. There are several entrances to the restaurant, but once inside it is very easy to navigate to the ordering counter. Regardless if you are dining in or out, you must order at the counter and pickup your order at the right side of the registers. Again, Pizza Johns has evolved to their local demand, so it's not uncommon to see 4-5 registers ready to take orders to keep the line rolling. If dining in, you will see that the inside is broken up into several dining rooms, most of which are booth seating. These retro red vinyl red booths are oversized and can easily fit 4-6 hungry guests. In the farthest adjacent dining room, there are several 4 tops that can be pushed together for larger groups upon request. Seating is first come first serve, so it's wise to divide and conquer by having one person wait in line to order and another to be scouting out an open table.

Service: 5/5. The staff at Pizza Johns have always been extremely friendly, helpful and professional during my several visits. When placing both phone and in person orders, the counter workers are always clear and concise, ensuring our order is correct. When dining in, the dining room attendants do a great job at keeping tables bused and check up on us periodically. This is above and beyond considering they are not true waiters that are being tipped.

Food: 5/5. Growing up in the area, I have dined at Pizza Johns on dozens of occasions over the years. From pizza in highschool to gnocchi in my 30s, I never had an item that wasn't delicious. However, there are a few items I find myself ordering time and time again due to their tasty excellence. The first item, which has also gained a cult following is the Pizza Johns pepperoni pizza. The pizza has a slightly spicy tomato sauce that plays nicely with the generous amounts of cheese. The signature Pizza Johns crust has a braided rope-like pattern that has the right amount of crunch. All of these components make for a superlative pie, however the Pizza John pepperoni's take it to the next level. They use tiny, thin cut ronis that crisp up in the oven to form delectable little grease cups that crunch upon chewing. Truly a topping that elevates the pizza to the next level. Moving away from pizza, Pizza Johns is also known for their best in class subs. Starting with in house fresh baked rolls, all subs are overstuffed and constructed with care so each bite is perfect. Of the entire sub menu, the standouts happen to be the cheesesteaks and the meatball sub. The cheesesteaks use fresh shaved ribeye and are served overflowing with tender, paper thin meat. For the meatball sub, they use only the heels of their sub rolls and bore out the centers in order to insert the meatballs, cheese and sauce directly in the center. This unique approach creates a pocket full of amazing marinara and homemade meatball flavor in every bite. You truly can't go wrong with either of these and I highly recommend trying both...

Me and my son have been on a mission for the last few months to try all the top-rated pizza's in the Baltimore metro area. We finally found the time to make it to Pizza Johns yesterday.

I really like the setup where you can go in and order right on the touch-screen, grab your drinks and go wait at a table for your number to be called. And the helpful staff that comes to the table with plates and gets you whatever else you need was a nice touch.

On to the pizza - We ordered two pies - one meat lovers and one veggie. Our number was called within 20 minutes and our pies were cooked perfectly. I like the crispy crust, and loved the crust. The toppings were literally piled high as was the cheese. The pies here are on the pricey side, but they make up for it with the very generous amount of toppings. So far so good.

As for the flavor profile - I don't know if it was the cheese being a little bland, or the toppings not having a lot of flavor. But.. for my tastebuds anyway, the flavor profiles weren't all that. I found myself having to add Italian Seasoning and Red pepper to get a little burst out of what was a bland pizza. And the amount of toppings and cheese completely overpowered any chance of tasting the sauce. I literally can't tell you what the sauce tasted like as there was so much of everything else. But to each their own when it comes to flavors.

On the way out the door, my son asked about a refill on his soda. A very less than friendly woman barked at him that it was $3.25 for a refill. Sheesh... Just spent $40 on two 12" pizzas and can't get a refill on soda?

Wish I could drop this review down to 3.5 stars. Because that's right about where it belongs for me. Pizza good, not great. Staff...

My fiancée and I were in town visiting her parents when a craving for good pizza struck. We had heard great things about Pizza Johns, reputed to be the best pizza joint in the area, so we decided to give it a try.

I called in an order around 5 or 6 p.m. for a small pizza, half “The Works” and half Hawaiian, along with a side of fried mushrooms and two orders of ranch. The ordering process was straightforward and efficient, and by the time I arrived—just 15-20 minutes later—the pizza was hot and ready.

Walking into Pizza Johns, you’re greeted by a big counter that offers a clear view of the bustling kitchen where the magic happens. The ease of picking up the order was complemented by ample parking, making the entire process hassle-free.

Back at home, we dove into our meal. The fried mushrooms were a delightful surprise—crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside, albeit a tad salty. They were a tasty start to our dinner.

As for the pizza, it had its strengths and weaknesses. The crust was thin and somewhat bland, lacking the artisanal touch of a nicely charred, hand-tossed dough. However, what this place excels at is generous toppings and cheese. Both halves of the pizza were loaded, to the point where the toppings almost tumbled off with each bite. While this made for a hearty, weighty slice, it didn’t elevate the pizza to something extraordinary.

Overall, Pizza Johns delivered a decent meal with quick service and a family-friendly atmosphere. While it may not have the most memorable pizza in terms of crust and craftsmanship, it certainly satisfies with its ample toppings and cheese. It’s not a place I’m itching to return to, but it’s definitely a solid option for a quick and filling pizza fix...