Pie of the Tiger

I'll be honest--when I first heard about Pie of The Tiger, a little pizza operation running out of Short North Tavern, I was skeptical. A Sicilian-Detroit hybrid pizza making waves in Columbus? Unusual. But the chatter on social media was relentless. People couldn't stop raving about these 8x8 square pies, and I knew I had to get my hands on one. The price? Between $16 and $20 for just four slices. Pricey, yes--but if it's quality, I couldn't care less. So, I went for it. I placed my order through Uber Eats, opting for a custom pizza--light cheese, red sauce, pesto, green peppers, and banana peppers--cooked well-done, of course. No room for a lackluster bake. The anticipation was killing me as I waited for that delivery, stomach growling, expectations sky-high. Finally, the moment arrived. I tore open the box, and there it was--a gorgeous square pie, its crust a deep golden brown, edges kissed by the perfect caramelization of cheese. The aroma hit me immediately: the bright acidity of the red sauce, the herbaceous punch of the pesto, that unmistakable scent of perfectly baked dough. This was a pizza that meant business. First bite--perfection. The crust had that addictive crispy edge, giving way to a beautifully airy, focaccia-like interior. A proper Detroit-style should snap when you bite into it, and this delivered. The cheese? High quality, melted seamlessly into the sauce without drowning the slice in grease. The red sauce, applied in glorious dollops, tasted impossibly fresh--bright, slightly sweet, balanced by just the right amount of tang. And then the pesto--a concentrated, garlicky blast of flavor that tied everything together without overpowering. Every ingredient had a purpose. Every bite was calculated indulgence. I devoured two slices immediately, savoring every second, but forced myself to stop. This was an experience that deserved a second act. The next morning. I preheated my oven to 450°F, placed the remaining two slices on a hot baking sheet, and waited. Within minutes, the cheese was bubbling again, the crust regaining its crispness. No sogginess. No flop. The reheated slice was just as good as the night before, if not better--proof that this pizza wasn't just hype. It was the real deal. In my humble opinion? Pie of The Tiger is, without question, the best Sicilian-Detroit style pizza in Columbus.

Nice hole-in-the-wall pizza spot situated in the back of Short North Tavern. I walked in at 4:58 and knew it was my time to shine when the guy behind the back door lit up the little sign and pushed out the POS system he had on a little bar cart. I ordered the margherita and 15 minutes later came out the guy with a smile on his face and an 8 inch pizza box in his hand. The smell of the box when I opened it in my car brought tears to my eyes, it smelled pesto-y and garlicky and absolutely delicious. I took a bit of it when it was piping hot and all the cheese fell off in a wet sloppy mess so I cursed my impatience and waited 5-10 minutes before trying again. The pesto was really bright and flavorful, and the fresh mozz and ricotta really put it over the top and made it that much more decadent. The crust was also fantastic, Detroit style with the crispy edges is my preferred style. Only note was that they should have used low moisture mozz instead of the fresh stuff because all the cheese on top of the fresh tomato made it super wet and goopy. Flavors were excellent though. Will definitely be back for more, maybe with a friend next time!

Great Detroit style pizza spot + laid back bar with affordable drink prices and nice bartenders!!!

Pizza was good Service was good Ambience was cool too I had the margarita chicken pizza

By far one of the best pizza spots I've had in Columbus, super tasty and high quality. I grew up in Ohio and this pizza is insane !