I Hit The Backroads Of Ohio To Try 13 Mom-And-Pop Pizza Parlors (And 5 Were Pure Magic)
Ohio highways stretch through cornfields, small towns, and places where the best pizza lives in buildings you could drive past without noticing.
I spent three weekends following hand-scrawled directions, parking near faded awnings, and eating my way through family-owned shops that have fed locals for decades.
Some stops delivered solid pies and friendly service, but six parlors turned the trip into something unforgettable. These spots served more than dinner.
They offered slices of history, tradition, and the kind of magic you only find when families pour their hearts into dough and sauce.
Here are all thirteen stops, including the five that made me rethink what pizza can be.
1. Park Street Pizza, Sugarcreek 🌟 Pure magic stop
Late afternoon light hit the cornfields around Sugarcreek, and the Park Street Pizza sign felt like a beacon after miles of open road.
Inside, crew members moved like a small orchestra, pressing dough, shaving veggies, and ladling tomato-bright sauce that scented the whole room.
Park Street runs as a family operation that leans into farm-to-table sourcing, working with nearby producers for cheese, meats, and produce.
The shop at 215 Dover Road NW has grown into a full destination in Amish Country, not just a neighborhood stop.
Pies arrive with bubbly crusts and colorful toppings, the kind of pizza that makes you plan your next visit while you are still on the first slice.
2. Penso’s Pizza, Dover 🌟 Pure magic stop
Dover’s quiet streets felt almost sleepy until the red, white, and green Penso’s sign came into view.
Walking up to the carry-out window, the air smelled like toasted dough and sharp cheese, with boxes stacked in steady columns.
Penso’s traces its story to 1936, when Italian immigrant Paul Penso started selling pizza from a tiny neighborhood spot in town.
Four generations later, family hands still guide the business at 201 E Front Street, keeping the line moving most evenings.
Cheese goes under the sauce, edges bake to a soft crunch, and each box feels like a small piece of Dover history.
3. Avalanche Pizza, Athens 🌟 Pure magic stop
College-town traffic faded in the rearview mirror as the bright Avalanche building on East State Street came into sight.
Windows are plastered with wild specialty pies, and inside feels like organized chaos, ovens roaring and boxes flying.
Avalanche started in Athens in 2000 and stayed fiercely independent, leaning into funky combinations and long lists of specialty pies.
Owners work closely with area farmers, using local and organic ingredients that give each slice a fresh, almost home-cooked feel.
The shop at 329 E State Street and its Slice House sibling still draw students, locals, and road-trippers chasing late-night pizza genius.
4. Little Italy Ristorante, Groveport 🌟 Pure magic stop
Main Street in Groveport looks like a movie scene some evenings, and Little Italy’s warm glow plays a starring role.
Family history reaches back to a neighborhood grocery in the 1960s, a place that slowly evolved into a full Italian restaurant.
The current Little Italy Ristorante opened in 1979 and now lives at 480 Main Street, still run with that original family spirit.
Red-sauce pasta and bubbling pizzas come out of the kitchen like clockwork, feeding regulars who have been coming for decades.
Every booth feels like a shared scrapbook page, where you can taste how a small business becomes part of a town’s memory.
5. Eagles Pizza, New Albany
New Albany’s main intersection forms a little stage, and Eagles Pizza sits right at the center.
Lights glow through the front windows as families drift in wearing team colors and work gear. Tables almost always hold a large party-cut pie in the middle, toppings spread all the way to the edge.
The Keesee family took over Eagles in 1971, and it has stayed in the family ever since.
At 2 N High Street, the thin crust, edge-to-edge toppings, and familiar dining room still create that after-the-game feeling for the whole town.
6. Terita’s Pizza, Columbus
Cleveland Avenue traffic hums past Terita’s, yet the building feels like a little time capsule.
Regulars slip in, grab their boxes, and vanish again before the smell of pepperoni has a chance to fade. Terita’s opened in 1959 and remains family-owned and operated, working from a modest carry-out spot at 3905 Cleveland Avenue.
Pies follow the Columbus-style model, cut into party squares with a crust that manages to be thin, crisp, and slightly chewy.
Decades of word-of-mouth praise still steer new customers to the door, proving one small storefront can become a citywide habit.
7. Pioneer Pizza, Plain City
Country roads around Plain City carry trucks, tractors, and cars with pizza boxes riding shotgun.
Pioneer Pizza fits perfectly into that picture, a small storefront built for big takeout nights. Locally owned and family operated, the shop aims to be the first call when people want pizza at home.
Owners keep a close eye on dough and toppings, turning out sturdy crusts that travel well on those rural drives.
The business remains active in 2025 as a Plain City staple, the kind of place you recommend automatically when someone asks for pizza.
8. DeCheco’s Pizzeria, Akron
South Main Street holds a modest building where a white-pie legend lives.
Walking into DeCheco’s, garlic and melted cheese hit first, just before the sight of their famous white pizzas sliding from the oven.
DeCheco’s has been a local, family-owned shop since 1993, proudly calling itself the home of Akron’s original white pizza.
The restaurant at 2075 S Main Street keeps late hours, serving specialty pies alongside simple build-your-own.
Community partnerships, steady regulars, and a loyal late-night crowd help give the place a lived-in, neighborhood feel.
9. Chester’s Pizzeria, Hamilton 🌟 Pure magic stop
Dixie Highway in Hamilton runs past a low building that smells like pure nostalgia.
Inside Chester’s, walls carry decades of memories while thick, saucy pies slide from ovens that have served generations.
Chester’s story began in 1947 in the founders’ Lindenwald home kitchen, where their pizza quickly earned a following.
The business grew into the pizzeria at 2929 Dixie Highway, still relying on family recipes and hands-on care.
Sicilian-inspired crust and a special-recipe sauce create a flavor people describe as the taste you always remember.
10. North Lima Pizza, North Lima
South Avenue narrows into a quieter stretch near North Lima, where a simple sign points to a small shop.
Inside North Lima Pizza, phones ring while regulars grab thick pies loaded with cheese and toppings. The independent shop at 11681 South Avenue has built a steady following with round pizzas that lean hearty and generous.
Pricing stays friendly, portions stay bold, and staff keep service efficient in a very no-nonsense way. Most orders head back to living rooms and kitchen tables, fueling weekend movie nights and casual gatherings.
11. Besta Fasta Pizza, Ashland
Main Street in Ashland carries a small-city hum, and Besta Fasta sits right in the flow of it.
Stepping inside, you meet a wave of baking-dough aroma mixed with the savory smell of meats and cheese. Besta Fasta operates as a local independent pizzeria at 547 E Main Street, with a focus on takeout comfort.
Specialty pies like chicken bacon ranch share menu space with simple pepperoni and cheese favorites. Families pick it up after long days, turning one cardboard box into an easy answer to the what’s for dinner question.
12. 3 Joe’s Pizzeria & Trattoria, Piqua
Downtown Piqua’s brick buildings echo a bit when traffic slows, and 3 Joe’s fills that quiet with clinking plates.
Inside, you hear conversations bouncing between tables as servers weave through with pizzas and big pasta platters. The business traces back to a small self-service concept in 1968 that gradually grew into a full Italian restaurant.
Now in its third generation of family ownership, 3 Joe’s runs out of 414 W Water Street. Locals treat it as a go-to spot after games and events, a place where pizza feels just as important as the occasion.
13. Angelos Pizzeria & Ice Cream, Kirtland
A tree-lined stretch in Kirtland reveals a cheerful building where pizza and ice cream share equal billing.
Kids press close to the freezers while adults watch pies disappear into the ovens, savoring that mix of sugar and tomato aromas.
Angelos has operated as a family-run pizzeria for more than twenty years, passing to the next generation along the way.
Dennis DiSanto’s son and daughter-in-law now steer the shop, keeping the menu focused on pizzas, calzones, pasta, and sweet treats.
Regulars describe it as a welcoming community hangout, not just a place to grab dinner on the run.