Empire Pizza & Pub: How Good Is It?
We occasionally invite people of discriminating taste to write a dining review. Richard & Wendy Buckley, our guests from Canada were planning on going out to Empire Pizza for lunch. We invited them to write a review. Here it is.
Wendy and I had a hankering for a pizza and decided to try downtown. The Empire Pizza & Pub is at Congress and 6th Ave.
Empire has a narrow frontage on to the street with a sort-of outdoor patio at the front with about 6 tables. Not much to look at on a cool Wednesday noon, but would probably be a great people-watching spot on a warm Tucson evening.
Inside the door is the kitchen, with a narrow passageway to the pub at back. The pub is a step back in time; a long narrow space, bare brick walls, old wooden bar, high, coffered ceiling, a half dozen high-top tables and low, low lighting. Makes for a great “period” atmosphere. A bit noisy, but then a UofA basketball game was on TV and the full house was cheering and groaning as the Wildcats’ fortunes swung back and forth.
But to the pizza; which you can get by the slice or a pie made from scratch (about 20 minutes). The menu leans towards traditional New York style pizza with a couple of Greek and Mexican influenced additions. We ordered the 16” pepperoni and added Italian sausage and bacon. There are two elements that make pizzas really good – the crust and the sauce. Well, both were excellent on this pizza. The crust was just the right thickness and crispiness, the sauce plentiful and tangy. The pie was good and hot and we thoroughly enjoyed it.
The menu also offers three salads, wings and garlic knots and some desserts.
Service was efficient, if not overly friendly.
Looking for a great pizza – try the Empire Pizza.
Empire Pizza
137 E Congress St, Tucson
Phone: (520) 882-7499
Open 11AM to Midnight (Sun – Tues)
Open 11AM to 3AM (Wed – Sat)