Angelo’s Pizza | 13715 Madison Ave | Lakewood
Just last weekend, even before Ohio’s “Stay-at-Home” order was officially imposed, the missus and I were feeling a bit stir crazy. And hungry. Stir crazy and hungry … not a winning combination.
To combat this, we decided to go for a drive and order pizza for carryout. Where to go, where to go? We both wanted to do something different and to head somewhere that wasn’t right around the corner. “What about a place in Lakewood?” Tiffany blurted out. I liked that idea.
Chances are, when you think of pizza in Lakewood, one place in particular comes to mind. If you guessed that we went to Angelo’s, you win a prize.
I’d love to tell you all about the restaurant’s atmosphere, my overall dining experience, happy hour specials, etc.—you know, like I do in most of my restaurant posts. Unfortunately, times have changed and dine-in service is banned.
That said, this is all temporary. When Angelo’s gets back to normal, I highly recommend stopping in. The News Herald’s Mark Koestner gave an apt description of the Lakewood staple in a 2017 article—“The lively atmosphere along with the garage-door front, dark woodwork and exposed brick make it feel more like a local pub than a pizza joint. There’s a patio outdoors, and at the smallish bar, which is kind of tucked into a corner, there are 16 beers on tap.”
As for my trip there, high fives all around. Let’s start with the staff. They were hardworking, friendly and safety-conscious. Servers—with gloves—met customers at their cars, took payments and delivered orders curbside.
Tiffany and I ordered a large cheese pizza. (I’m doing my best to be a vegetarian.) Simply put, it was outstanding. The dough employed a deep-dish style, but wasn’t over the top in its thickness. It reminded me of Pizza Hut’s traditional style, minus all the grease. Crispy and buttery on the outside, the crust was soft and chewy inside.
The sauce was another highlight—in addition to being smooth and sweet, there was plenty of it. According to Tiffany, the sauce did an effective job of “balancing the acidity of the tomatoes.” Yeah, what she said. Another bonus: it wasn’t overpowering due to excessive amounts of oregano.
No complaints about the cheese. A nice thick layer of mozzarella was evenly arranged on each slice.
Well, friends, I wish I could give you more. If you take one thing away from this post, let it be this: Angelo’s offers a delicious pizza that is quintessential Cleveland. Cheers!
Check back next week for special interviews and more carryout adventures.
Happy Days Cleveland 