Good pizza in a sea of mediocre pizza options in Dayton
Despite Dayton having many local pizza restaurants and chains, most are not that good. This especially goes for the ones that seem to get the most exposure and news. However, swimming in this mess is Spinoza’s a local pizza joint, in mall of all places, specializing in boutique pizzas and high quality draught beer. Add to it outdoor dining on a covered patio and it’s a restaurant that feels safe to eat at during the 2020 pandemic.
Spinoza’s has always provided a small curated list of premium craft beers on taps. The list rotates constantly, but you can expect the typical mix of IPAs, stouts, pilsners, and more. Of course the “Bud-illers” are available too in bottles, but if you want that why not drink at home.
The menu is similarly narrow and focuses on high quality. You won’t find a token cheeseburger or kiddie chicken nugget tray, Spinoza’s aims to be good at a few things and leave off the rest. Appetizers too are good and narrowly scoped to high quality pizza style options. Their best and highest sold appetizer is the Swirl Bread, essentially a focaccia, a proto-pizza of sorts. This comes out hot, with marinara sauce, and is well loved even by picky eaters.
New to us on the Spinoza menu are their flatbreads. These have a crunchy crust and have fresh, high quality, and often locally sourced ingredients. We ordered a “Bee Sting” which was a flatbread pizza which included spicy pepperoni, mozzarella, and honey. The combinations were great and this went fast. As a meal, this would have been almost perfect for one person.
Finally, we had a full size pizza as well. We bucked tradition and went with Spinoza’s interpretation of the controversial Hawaiian pizza. This, the Hula Hula, comes with
Pizza sauce or BBQ sauce, mozzarella, baked ham, applewood-smoked bacon, fresh pineapple. The combination and taste is superior to any chain and most other boutique restaurants.
Overall, Spinoza’s is one of the best pizza options in the Dayton area. Their pizzas are superlative and they do not skimp on quality. We will return again, probably for take out as the days become colder. While we have learned to make many of our favorites in It’s nice to know that Spinoza’s is well prepared for further pandemic realities and maintains its popularity.
Spinoza’s
2727 Fairfield Commons
Beavercreek, OH 45431
(937) 426-7799
Yelp | Webpage
First Visit: 2015
Most Recent Visit: 10 October 2020
# OF VISITS: 10+
Cuisine Rating: 13
Decoration Rating: 12
COST: $$
BEST BET (meals): pizza