A thin-crust, square-cut pie with pepperoni laid edge to edge and a crisp bottom. The pizza was codified at Donatos on Thurman Avenue in 1963 by Jim Grote and remains the city's defining regional pie.
Where to eat it: 3 restaurants across 1 city.
Ohio State sophomore Jim Grote bought the original Donatos location on Thurman Avenue in German Village on May 31, 1963 for $1,300 and codified the Columbus thin-crust square pie with pepperoni edge to edge. The chain expanded to 400 plus locations across 30 states and reopened the original Thurman Avenue location in 2023 for its 60th anniversary. The Columbus square pie distinguishes itself from New York fold-style and Chicago deep-dish by its airy thin crust, square cut and topping discipline.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Tip from the editors. The square cut is non-negotiable; a rolling pizza cutter through cooled cheese gives the cleanest geometry.
Donatos Pizza, the Columbus thin-crust square pie founded by Jim Grote on Thurman Avenue in 1963, defines Columbus-style with pepperoni out to the edge.
Signature: Edge-to-edge pepperoni, Square thin crust
Order: The signature pepperoni in the original square thin crust.
Tip: Original 1963 Thurman Avenue location reopened in 2023 for the 60th anniversary.
Yellow Brick Pizza on West Rich Street in Columbus's Franklinton is the West Side arts district craft-pizza counter for thin-crust pies and pepperoni slices.
Signature: New York-style slice, Margherita whole pie
Order: The margherita whole pie and a slice of the pepperoni for the road.
Tip: Counter service; whole pies take a 20 minute wait. The East Market location on Kelton runs longer evening hours.
Mikey's Late Night Slice on North High Street in Columbus is the Short North late-night pizza counter, by-the-slice until 03:00 weekends since 2009.
Try: Pepperoni and garlic slices
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