Mineo's Pizza House ★ 4.4
Mineo's on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill sells cheap Pittsburgh-style square pizza since 1958. Grab a couple of slices off the counter for a quick budget.
Try: Square-cut pizza by the slice
History
Pittsburgh's neighbourhood pizzerias developed their own square-cut style in the post-war decades, defined by a tangy tomato sauce and a crust crisp on the bottom. Mineo's opened on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill in 1958 and Aiello's set up a few doors away, fuelling a rivalry locals still argue. The pies are cut in squares and sold whole or by the cut at counters across the city, separate from the Detroit-pan style that newer shops like Iron Born bake.
Common allergens: Gluten, Dairy
Make it at home
Ingredients
- 500g bread flour
- 320ml warm water
- 7g instant yeast
- 10g salt
- 20ml olive oil
- 400g tomato sauce, seasoned with garlic, oregano and a pinch of sugar
- 300g low-moisture mozzarella, shredded
- Pepperoni (optional)
Method
- Mix flour, water, yeast, salt and oil into a dough. Knead 8 minutes until smooth.
- Rest the dough covered for 90 minutes until doubled.
- Press the dough into an oiled rectangular sheet pan and let it relax for 30 minutes.
- Heat the oven to 240C (475F).
- Spread the tangy seasoned sauce over the dough, then the mozzarella, then pepperoni if using.
- Bake 15 to 18 minutes until the cheese is set and the bottom is crisp.
- Cool 3 minutes, then cut into squares.
Tip from the editors. Add a pinch of sugar to the sauce; the slight sweetness against the tang is the Pittsburgh signature.
Where to eat pittsburgh-style square pizza
Pittsburgh-style square pizza in Pittsburgh
Aiello's Pizza ★ 4.4
Aiello's Pizza on Murray Avenue in Squirrel Hill runs a thin, crispy-crust pie in Pittsburgh. The other half of Murray Avenue's long-running pizza rivalry.
Signature: Thin-crust pizza, By-the-cut slices
Order: A thin-crust pie whole or by the cut, crisp at the edges.
Tip: Sits a few doors from Mineo's; locals argue which is better. Quick counter service.
Slice on Broadway ★ 4.3
Slice on Broadway in Beechview sells award-winning pizza by the slice cheap in Pittsburgh. A quick counter pie that has won national pizza competitions.
Try: By-the-slice pizza
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