Big Mario's Express — Restaurant in Seattle

TL;DR: Big Mario's Pizza (Northlake Tavern) serves some of the best pizza with super crispy crust and excellent toppings, though our phone ordering experience was marred by a mix-up that led to an unexpectedly high bill. Give them a chance for their fantastic pizza, but beware of possible ordering mishaps.

Full Review: Big Mario's Pizza, also known as Northlake Tavern, offers a pizza experience that truly stands out. The moment our order arrived, it was clear we were in for something special—the pizza was steaming hot, with a wonderfully crispy crust that remained crisp even after a half-hour drive home. This level of quality and attention to detail in pizza-making is rare and truly commendable.

We opted for their meat lover/supreme equivalent, which boasted an excellent assortment of proteins that satisfied our craving for a hearty and flavorful pizza. Each bite was a delight, with the flavors of the toppings complementing the crispy crust perfectly.

However, our experience with ordering over the phone left much to be desired. The employee we spoke to seemed less than agreeable and courteous, which was disappointing. More troubling was the unexpected bill—we were charged nearly $80 for our pizza, an amount far higher than expected. Whether this was due to a misunderstanding, a glitch in the system, or a one-off occurrence, it was unsettling.

Despite this hiccup, I hesitate to let it overshadow the exceptional quality of the pizza itself. Sometimes mishaps occur, and everyone has an off day. I hope others have a smoother ordering experience and can fully enjoy the fantastic pizza that Big Mario's Pizza offers.

Big Mario's Pizza (Northlake Tavern) deserves recognition for its outstanding pizza quality and crispy crust that withstands the test of time. While our ordering mishap was unfortunate, I encourage pizza lovers to give them a try, perhaps dining in to avoid any potential ordering issues. When they're on point, their pizza is truly some of the best you'll find.

You can find me on Insta:...

Have visited this location twice. First time was great but second visit was noticeably different. Checked ID at the door and told to order pizza at the bar right when I walk in. Went to order pizza and a beer at the bar and the bartender was condescending because I had not found a table to sit down at first before ordering. Went to go sit at a table and then come back to the bar and was asked "do you still want this beer" which I replied yes and then ordered a slice and she asked what table so I pointed to my table because it was missing its number. After an uncomfortable stare she eventually asked for my card and we finished our exchange.

I understand that the bartender probably has to deal with the same situation with multiple patrons every hour but I don't think the default attitude towards them should be condescending. Some solutions could be having the person checking ID's at the door to remind you to find a table first before ordering at the bar or a sign stating this. Or giving customers a number to put on the table to display after they order especially if the tables are missing numbers.

I finished my beer and slice as quickly as possible to leave. I would have left during the middle of ordering but the bartender poured the beer immediately and would have felt bad just leaving and not paying for a beer already poured. I've been to big marios in cap hill, fremont, and queen anne. This northlake tavern location is the only one to ever make me feel uncomfortable and...

Ordered a large macho pizza for $40 including tip for takeout and the cashier guy said I can wait in the booth for the to go order. And the bartender guy was maddogging us for sitting at the booth, probably because we are not ordering drinks? Idk. And then when the pizza was ready my friends wanted to eat a slice each before leaving and the bartender guy said if you wanted to eat here I would’ve treated u like human with some water and all but yall save ur dollar for ordering to go and he started treating us like we got the pizza for free. He almost threw some water at us which we didn’t even ask and said here’s your discounted water for saving your money. The food was good but Nathan man not everyone is there to buy drink, just want some pizza my man. Why get all aggressive and demanding for tip for buying pizza...