Always on the hunt for the next best pizza, I searched the Yelp reviews and decided this sounded like a great random place to try. Located a bit farther out at 38th/Gladstone in SE, this is a totally unassuming little place to find such amazing pizza.
Gladstone has two businesses almost right next to each other, the pub on the corner, and then the coffee/pizza house two stores down. Walking by, the pub looked like an old house that was converted to the neighborhood watering hole. This would be a great chill way to spend an afternoon enjoying the sun and some beers with a group of friends. They also have the bean bag throwing game, which is always a good time!
It was so refreshing to walk into somewhere, starving, and NOT wait an hour for a table! We were warmly greeted upon walking in, and at 6pm the place was wide open for seating. They have picnic tables in the front, and a cute terrace-style area in the back. The inside has a vintage diner vibe, with old wooden furniture and knick-knacks. They also feature local artist projects, and some canvas paintings of the Portland city scape were impressive. The weather was off and on rain all day, so we chose a window table inside the café. The music was great – oldies were on the whole time.
Gladstone has a “build your own” pizza menu. You start with either a traditional cheese (tomato sauce, mozzarella and pecorino cheese) or pesto (pesto sauce, and pecorino cheese) pie, and add any toppings you want (great selection of veggies and meats). We chose the large traditional cheese pie (they were out of the small pies, though we were hungry enough for the large anyway), and added Italian sausage, sun-dried tomatoes and roasted garlic. The pizza came out piping hot, and had perfectly fresh ingredients. The Italian sausage was in small pieces (not like a full sausage just cut up) and the garlic was in baby cloves. The crust was made of a simple white flour dough, but was thin and chewy, with just the right amount of burnt edges.
They have a nice little draft beer selection (includes light and heavy options), however the organic Red I wanted was out, and Armando got the last IPA, which was a bummer.
FYI, they serve Stumptown coffee and assorted pastries. We tried the oatmeal/chocolate chip cookie and it was ridiculously huge and delicious…like your mom would make.
Pricing is right on par with Apizza Scholls (pizzas start at $17, then add toppings), and quality is matched in both taste and quality. Apizza gets 5 stars, however, when you take into consideration their superior location and extensive draft offerings. Gladstone gets a solid 4, and we loved every bite.
*Jayne
