Subscribe to my RSS feed or follow me on Twitter.
I know that I’ve asked you all in the past who you think has the best pizza in Cleveland, but today I would like to share with you my vote: Master Pizza in Painesville. They make what very well might be the perfect pie.
You could easily miss the small storefront on Mentor Ave. if you weren’t looking for it, but it is well worth taking the time to find. Although they are part of the “Master Pizza” franchise in Northeastern Ohio this parlor is truly a family owned shop. While I don’t know his name, the owners is present every day working the oven to ensure pizza perfection. You believe that? Someone actually giving a damn about the product they are serving, if that isn’t a concept that has passed the national pizza chains by.
Speaking of big chains, here in Painesville there is no end to the number of places available to get a pie, but I always choose Master Pizza. As a guesstimate I would say that we have one of their pizzas at least once every two weeks, sometimes more if we’ve really got the pizza bug. You can’t beat their prices, only $11.35 for a large two topping!
The pizza has a rich tomato sauce with lots of oregano, real mozzarella cheese and fresh Italian sausage. That sausage, more than anything, is the reason that they are my favorite. The crust is tender under the cheese, but crispy around the edges which provides satisfaction with every bite.
Being a hometown favorite I know I am a bit biased here, but I really do feel that Master Pizza produces a perfect pizza. They use fresh, quality ingredients and charge a fair price. If you have never tried Master Pizza in Painesville, give them a shot, you’ll be so happy that you did.
Here’s how Master Pizza Painesville’s Pizza rates on the Eatingcleveland.com Pizza Rating Scale:
Crust Texture: Chewy 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 Crispy
(Just perfect.)
Crust Flavor: Bad 1 2 3 4 5 Excellent
(As good as any you will ever have.)
Sauce Flavor: Sweet 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 Spicy
(Great sauce, just barely on the sweet side.)
Topping Quality: Processed 1 2 3 4 5 Fresh
(Canned mushrooms. I say nay nay.)
Topping Amount: Barren 1 2 3 4 5 4 3 2 1 Overloaded
(I can always go for more sausage.)
Overall Taste: Bad 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Excellent
(Wicked awesome.)
Price: Low 5 4 3 2 1 High
($11.35 for a large pie with two toppings. Deal.)
Master Pizza
1640 Mentor Ave.
Painesville, Ohio 44077
440-352-3371
Some other posts you might enjoy:
January 3rd, 2008 at 1:07 pm
YUUUUUUM.
January 11th, 2008 at 8:00 am
looks good! since you’re in lake county, try angies pizza located on munson road. my FIL ordered a pie from there a few months ago and it’s now our go-to pizza place. NY style, thin crust. wwesome sauce, sausage, and meatballs…all seem to be homemade. give it a try.
January 18th, 2008 at 4:05 pm
My wife and I argue over who has the best pizza. She loved Master’s (specifically their White Pizza), while my hat tips to P & P Pizzaria on Jonnycake Ridge Road in Painesville.
While Master’s pizza is very good, I must have been unlucky as they seem to skimp on the sauce and cheese. It’s certainly better than Marco’s, light-years ahead of Zeppe’s (blech!), Teresa’s, and other places I’ve tried.
However, P & P is a while different story. Their plain cheese pizza is as close to New York that I’ve been in years. They nailed the mixture of sauce and cheese, and their dough is just right (just barely missing a hint of the New York style that has been sometimes attributed to the water on Long Island). It doesn’t taste the same with toppings and seems to lose a bit and their Sicillian leaves quite a bit to be desired (too “bready”, not the doughy that it should be).
I owe my visit to P & P to EatingCleveland.com (read about it in one of your pizza posts) as being new to the area, it could take years to eat at all the pizza joints around here. So a big thank you to you Mark from both me and my expanding waistline!
February 11th, 2008 at 7:03 am
yes, I agree with you on that one… and for the same reasons… the sausage is the best, I love the slightly browned cheese on top and the crust… I haven’t had Master Pizza in ages. They tried one in Madison but it wasn’t the same pizza and it didn’t last long.
February 16th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
I’ve enjoyed this family recipe since I was a child. I wish they had a location to where I live… If ony they would sell the dough or sauce in stores or open more REAL Master Pizza locations.
December 29th, 2008 at 11:20 am
i love master pizza, and you can’t beat their 2-for-16 weekend special.
i surmise you’ve had pizza parlor already? they’re a VERY close second for me.
March 5th, 2009 at 7:29 pm
This has always been my favorite pizza! I grew up on it. The first owner was a man named Frank Lanza, he made the best pizza ever! Back then in late 70’s everyone went there after the football and basketball games. We also ate there as a family a lot! I am really sad at how dirty and shabby it looks now. The prices there aren’t cheap so they could afford to paint and clean it up. Carrying on the tradition I take my kids there about once a month. You have to eat there as there is nothing better than a hot master pizza. They used to have the best salads ever there too but now it’s just a regular old salad. If you want a pizza this is the best place ever to go!