The Detroit-Style Pizza At This Ohio Spot Is So Good You’ll Judge Every Slice After It

A pizza called The Mario comes loaded with pepperoni, banana peppers, and Mike’s Hot Honey. Another one, named Donkey Kong, tastes like a smash burger baked into a square pan.

The people behind these pies started out as nurses from Western Pennsylvania. They missed the thick, square pizza from their childhood, so they started making it themselves here in Ohio.

I like how the whole place leans into the 1990s without a hint of shame. Arcade machines and movie memorabilia fill the pickup area, so grabbing dinner feels like a trip back to Saturday mornings.

I believe crispy cheese edges can change a person. Once you taste a corner piece with that caramelized crunch, a floppy chain slice starts looking a little sad.

Those Crunchy Cheese Corners Will Ruin Floppy Slices For You

Crispy, lacy cheese baked right against the pan is the whole point at Pizza Nerds.

Detroit-style pizza gets cooked in a rectangular pan, so the cheese melts down the sides and turns golden and crunchy.

Underneath that edge sits a thick crust with a soft, airy center. It’s tall enough to hold plenty of toppings without turning into a soggy mess.

Pizza Nerds – Gahanna Take Out/Delivery Only makes this style its main event. The menu also lists thin crust options if someone in your group insists on being difficult.

The cheese gets shredded fresh in-house, according to the owner. That means no filler or anti-caking powders sneaking into your dinner.

Every corner piece is basically a prize. Some folks order a medium so more slices end up with that crunchy border, and honestly, that’s smart math.

Square pizza can feel unusual if you grew up on round pies. Give it one honest bite, and the shape will start making perfect sense.

The pan does the heavy lifting here. It creates a crust that’s crispy on the bottom and tender inside, which is a pretty great combination for anyone who loves a good crunch.

Order The Mario And Let Hot Honey Change Your Mind

Banana peppers and honey on the same pizza sounds like a dare. The Mario pulls it off anyway, and it’s one of the most talked-about pies on the menu.

Here’s what goes on top. You get a cheese blend, house-made red sauce, pepperoni, banana peppers, and a finishing drizzle of Mike’s Hot Honey.

The pepperoni comes from Ezzo, a brand known for those small slices that curl into little cups. Those cups get crispy at the edges, which adds even more crunch.

Sweet heat from the honey plays against the tangy peppers. Even people who usually skip banana peppers might be tempted to give them a second chance here.

It also makes a smart first order. It shows off the sauce, the crust, and the playful attitude in one square pie.

Naming it after a famous plumber fits the shop perfectly. Plenty of the menu borrows from video games, cartoons, and movies that ’90s kids will recognize instantly.

If your crew can’t agree on toppings, The Mario usually settles things fast. Spicy, sweet, salty, and crunchy all show up together, so nearly everyone finds something to cheer about in every bite.

A Burger, A Veggie Hero, And Chicken Tenders Walk Onto A Pizza

Donkey Kong tastes like a cookout in pizza form. It’s piled with a cheese blend, ground beef, diced onion, pickles, waffle fries, and house-made smash burger sauce.

The beef gets seasoned in-house, too. That small detail matters when the whole pie depends on burger flavor.

Captain Planet takes a greener route. Red bell peppers, roasted mushrooms, and basil pesto sit over the cheese blend and red sauce.

Good news for some families: the basil pesto is nut-free. That’s a thoughtful choice that not every pizza shop makes.

Then there’s The Doug, which might be the most kid-pleasing pie of the bunch. It brings diced breaded white meat chicken tenders, bacon, and house-made ranch.

Speaking of ranch, that house-made version earns a lot of love. Some people would happily dunk every crust into it.

Each name nods to a cartoon or game from decades past. Ordering one feels a bit like flipping through old Saturday morning channels.

A smart move for a group is grabbing two or three different specialty pies. That way, everyone gets a taste, and nobody has to pretend they’re fine with plain cheese again.

Monthly Specials Keep Your Taste Buds Guessing

Crab rangoon on a pizza? Yes, that really happened.

The Eugene special came with whole milk mozzarella, crab, crab rangoon sauce, sweet and spicy sauce, and green onions.

Rotating specials give regular orders a fun twist. Pizza Nerds swaps in new creations so the menu never feels stuck on repeat.

Doc Holiday showed up as another special. It stacked steak, mushrooms, and crispy onions with a house-made horseradish sauce.

Not every special stays forever, which is part of the thrill. If a combo sounds amazing, grabbing it while it’s around is probably the wise call.

Some fans have asked for certain rotating pies to become permanent. That tells you how attached people get to these limited runs.

Checking what’s new before ordering is a good habit. You might stumble onto your next favorite pizza without planning to.

The creativity here never feels random. Each special still sits on that same crispy, airy Detroit-style base that makes everything else on the menu shine.

So keep an open mind and a curious stomach. A monthly special might sound wild on paper, but the crust gives these experiments a seriously solid foundation to stand on.

Save Room For Garlic Knots And Strips Of Cheesy Bread

Garlic Parm Knots get a surprising amount of care. The owner has explained that the dough is mixed in-house and cold-proofed for two days before it’s tied and baked.

After baking, the knots get tossed in buttery garlic parmesan seasoning. Red sauce comes along for dipping, because of course it does.

The Cheesy Garlic Bread is another strong pick. It’s cut into 10 strips and topped with the cheese blend, garlic butter, and oregano.

Two sides of red sauce come with that order. That’s helpful, since sharing sauce with a sibling can start real arguments.

These sides work great when you’re feeding a crowd. They give everyone something to munch on while the pizza boxes get opened.

Honestly, they also make a sneaky snack for the car ride home. Nobody has to know a knot or two went missing.

Everything here gets made from scratch, so the sides aren’t an afterthought. They carry the same attention as the pizzas.

One tip: order more knots than you think you need. Garlic and butter have a habit of disappearing quickly once the lid comes off, and leftovers are rare.

Lunch Brings Subs With Seriously Local Roots

Pizza steals the spotlight, but subs quietly run the lunch shift. They’re available at lunch only, so timing matters.

The Luigi is a big one. It’s built on an Auddino’s 8-inch sub bun with Ezzo pepperoni, Ezzo salami, and Falter’s ham.

Freshly shredded whole milk mozzarella joins in, along with banana peppers, onion, lettuce, and tomato. A hot honey aioli ties everything together.

There’s also a Luigi Lunch Combo for anyone wanting a complete midday meal. It pairs the eight-inch sandwich with a bag of Ruffles chips and a 20-ounce soda.

Those brand names matter for a reason. Auddino’s, Ezzo, and Falter’s are all Ohio favorites, which fits the shop’s focus on locally sourced ingredients.

The same goes for the pizzas. Locally sourced ingredients appear throughout the pie menu too.

A sub makes a handy option for a quick weekday meal. It’s easier to eat at a desk than a full pizza, though nobody will judge you for trying.

Since subs are lunch-only, plan a midday stop if you want one. The shop opens at noon every day, so that’s your window to snag a sandwich.

Quarter-Pound Cookies Might Steal The Show

Cookie Nerds is the dessert side of the operation, and these cookies weigh a quarter pound each. That’s not a snack.

That’s a commitment.

The flavors rotate weekly, which keeps things exciting. Past options have included Frosted Animal Cracker, Funfetti, Key-Lime, and S’Mores.

Milk Chocolate Chip and Double Choco Crinkle have shown up too. Sugar BDay Cake is another fun one for anyone celebrating, or anyone pretending to celebrate.

There’s a sweet family connection here. The owner’s wife is involved in making the cookies.

Each one is fresh-baked, so you’re not grabbing something from a plastic sleeve. It’s a homemade-style treat that matches the from-scratch pizza.

Plenty of people regret skipping them after seeing them on the way out. Learn from that mistake and add one to your order.

Since the lineup changes, you could try something new each week. That’s a delicious reason to keep coming back.

A smart move is ordering a few flavors and splitting them. Cut each cookie into pieces, and everyone at home gets a sampler without a single fight breaking out over the last bite.

Your Pickup Comes With Arcade Games And ’90s Nostalgia

Grabbing takeout usually means standing awkwardly by a counter. At Pizza Nerds, you can play a classic arcade game while you wait.

The shop is takeout and delivery only, so there’s no dining room. Still, the pickup space is packed with 1980s and 1990s pop culture and movie memorabilia.

The arcade machines add real “arcade energy” to the room. Just don’t get so focused that you forget your pizza is ready.

Even the pizza boxes lean into the theme. The whole brand feels like a love letter to growing up with cartoons and game consoles.

This makes pickup a fun outing for kids. Parents might enjoy it even more, since the decor could spark plenty of old memories.

Plan to eat at home, at a park, or wherever your crew likes to hang out. Just remember the shop doesn’t offer seats.

Delivery works too if you’d rather stay on the couch. You’ll miss the arcade, but the pizza still arrives ready to impress.

The Nerd Rewards program is another perk. If you plan on ordering often, signing up makes sense for a pizza habit like this one.

Two Former Nurses Brought Their Pennsylvania Pizza Dreams Here

The story starts with nurses, not chefs. The founders worked as corporate nurses and grew up in Western Pennsylvania, where thick square pizza was part of life.

After moving to Ohio in 2016, they missed that style. So in 2019, they launched Farm Fired Pizzas, a mobile wood-fired pizza business.

After about two years on the road, they shifted gears. Pizza Nerds was born so they could focus on the thick, square pizza they loved most.

Owner Brent Gargasz has said he felt nervous about relocating. He also shared that the community gave the shop a warm welcome.

You’ll find Pizza Nerds – Gahanna Take Out/Delivery Only at 1376 Cherry Bottom Rd, Gahanna, OH 43230. It sits just northeast of Columbus.

Hours run from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday.

Friday and Saturday stretch until 10 p.m. for late cravings.

The shop also supports local sports and community efforts. That’s a nice touch from a business built on hometown memories.

Ohio has plenty of pizza, but few spots carry this kind of backstory. Every square pie here comes from real nostalgia, and you can taste the passion behind it.