Where to Try Columbus-Style Pizza in Ohio
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/Columbus-Style-Pizza-FT-BLOG0425-TAT-Ristorante-01-29cd344503f24724b193422dca081282.jpg?w=780&resize=780,470&ssl=1 "Where to Try Columbus-Style Pizza in Ohio")
I’ve lived in Columbus for more than 35 years, ordering square-cut pies with sweet sauce and edge-to-edge toppings without giving it much thought. Around here, that’s just pizza. I didn’t realize we had a style — let alone a distinct one — until others started naming it. Turns out, I wasn’t alone. Most of the folks I interviewed didn’t know they were making Columbus-style pizza until someone told them.
Local author Jim Ellison helped define the style. “It’s a thin crust, edge-to-edge toppings, cut into squares or rectangles, and usually made with provolone cheese and sweet sauce,” he says. His 2020 book, “Columbus Pizza: A Slice of History,” explores how the city quietly became one of the country’s great pizza towns. Some of the oldest family-run restaurants in Ohio are pizzerias, and for a time in the 1990s, Columbus had more pizzerias per capita than any other U.S. city.
Today, giants such as Donatos and Massey’s keep the tradition alive, while new spots carry it forward. In 2022, Experience Columbus launched the Columbus-Style Pizza Trail, inviting locals and visitors to sample pies from across the region. “It’s hip to be square,” they tout. Earn points. Win prizes. Eat lots of pizza.
Below is a sampling of Columbus-style pizza joints – some on the trail, some off the beaten path. Each has its own take on a style that’s finally getting the recognition it deserves.
Terita’s Pizza
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
Opened in 1959 by Gus Iannarino and now run by his son Tom, this North Linden neighborhood classic turns out thin, square-cut pizzas from an unassuming shop with glass-block windows. Toppings like capicola, mushrooms, jalapeños – and especially the housemade sausage – pile edge to edge. “We make our own dough and sausage right here,” says longtime employee James Midlick. That consistency shows. By 4 p.m. on Fridays, the line is already forming, and the conveyor oven runs nonstop into the night. In 2024, The Columbus Dispatch named Terita’s the best pizza in Columbus, a win for a spot that’s stuck to what works for 65 years.
Rubino’s Pizza
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
Step into Rubino’s in the suburb of Bexley, and it’s like time hit pause in 1954. A black rotary phone rings at the front, orders are scribbled onto a yellow legal pad, and the cash register takes only bills — no cards allowed. “It’s literally unchanged,” says third-generation owner Julie Wilhelm. The thin-crust pizzas come out crackling from stone-deck Blodgett ovens, and the crust stays snappy thanks to retro-style bag wrapping. Toppings are classic, with a loyal following for the pickle pie. A glowing vintage sign out front and a Ms. Pac-Man machine inside seal the nostalgic vibe.
Panzera’s
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
Since 1964, this Grandview Heights favorite has served no-frills, square-cut pizzas using the same recipes for housemade dough, balanced tomato sauce, and smoky provolone. Today, Nick Panzera’s nephew, Carlo Lombardi, carries on the tradition. “It’s just classic pizza. That’s it. No fancy-dancy,” he says. The Freddy Special, loaded with pepperoni, sausage, ham, tomato, and garlic, pays tribute to Lombardi’s father. On Grandview Hop nights, Panzera’s is packed. And yes, it’s still party cut, because everyone deserves a slice.
JT’s Pizza & Pub
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
Creativity meets tradition at JT’s locations in Grandview Heights and Linworth. Owner Joe Hartnett grew up on local pies and now serves crispy, square-cut versions topped with a provolone-mozzarella blend and a hint of sweet sauce. Specialties include the Founder’s Favorite – pepperoni, sausage, mushrooms, onions – and the Big Al, named for Hartnett’s dad. Each month, JT’s rolls out a wild card like the Porky Mac and Cheese, layered with noodles, barbecue pork, and green onions. “Dough’s just a canvas,” Hartnett says. Voted Columbus’s best pizza two years running by the Facebook group Pizza Connoisseurs of Columbus, JT’s is a pizza trail standout.
The Original Josie’s Pizza
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
A Franklinton fixture since 1959, this west-side spot still uses the same hulking brick ovens founder Kelly Catalfina once used. The result? A crisp, square-cut pizza with a chewy crust, slow-simmered sauce and provolone that melts into the edges. Pepperoni goes under the cheese “so the flavor soaks into the sauce,” says fourth-generation family member Austin Catalfina. Everything is made by hand, from dough proofed for days to sausage ground in-house. Loyal customers return to The Original Josie’s Pizza for the flavor, and some even hold their wedding receptions here.
Gatto’s
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
This Clintonville neighborhood favorite has been slinging Columbus-style pies since 1952. Owner Tony DeRubertis, who grew up on Gatto’s and took over in 2019, calls himself “a custodian of the place.” The crust crackles, the sauce leans savory, and the housemade sausage is sliced into old-school sheets. Gatto’s uses a 50/50 provolone-mozzarella blend and local Esposito pepperoni that curls into crispy cups. “You should hear the cut and feel the crunch,” says DeRubertis. Some things are worth preserving — and this trail stop is one of them.
TAT Ristorante di Famiglia
Courtesy of Wendy Pramik
TAT introduced pizza to Columbus in 1934, and nearly a century later, the Corrova family is still at the helm of this east-side favorite. Sisters Marianne and Michelle, granddaughters of founder Pete Corrova, carry on the tradition. Their signature pies are made in a deck oven that Michelle won’t let anyone else touch. “She’s gotten the pizza where she wants it,” says Marianne. Families still gather here for dinner, enjoying red-sauce classics and those square-cut pies. With portraits of past generations on the walls and loyal regulars who feel like kin, TAT remains a cornerstone of the city’s pizza legacy.
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