Boxcar Pizza

"The best Detroit-style pizzas possess caramelized cheese edges. Boxcar Pizza in the Zipper food hall hits that mark with their vegan rendition. Its proprietary cheese blend, made from vegetable starches and coconut oil (no soy or nuts), melts properly and is shockingly creamy. You can taste it in combos that sound like art projects from a mad scientist, like the Strings of Nashville, topped with vegan Nashville hot chicken nuggets, pickles, and ranch, and a convincing cheeseburger pizza that makes good use of the sweet and tangy special sauce drizzled on top.  " - krista garcia

"The best Detroit-style pizzas possess caramelized cheese edges. Boxcar Pizza in the Zipper food hall hits that mark with their vegan rendition. Its proprietary cheese blend, made from vegetable starches and coconut oil (no soy or nuts), melts properly and is shockingly creamy. You can taste it in combos that sound like art projects from a mad scientist, like the Strings of Nashville, topped with vegan Nashville hot chicken nuggets, pickles, and ranch, and a convincing cheeseburger pizza that makes good use of the sweet and tangy special sauce drizzled on top." - Krista Garcia

"Located within the Zipper, Boxcar Pizza is Portland’s only all-vegan Detroit-style pizzeria serving square pies with a pillowy focaccia-like crust, gooey coconut-based mozzarella, and crispy, caramelized edges. The pies come with marinated “steak,” roasted tomatoes, and house-made chimichurri, or Buffalo “chicken” with generous dollops of dairy-free blue cheese. The shop offers kale Caesar salads and soy drumsticks prime for pairing with pizza, as well as a weekday slice and soda lunch combo. Watch Instagram for specials like the Chiky Parm made with Dirty Lettuce seitan fried chicken and the occasional “return of the rounds” pop-up from Baby Blue Pizza — owner Odie O’Connor’s now-closed wood-fired pizza venture." - Waz Wu

"Odie O’Connor started his vegan pizza empire making wood-fired pizzas at his Southeast Hawthorne food truck Baby Blue. After shutting down the truck at the beginning of the pandemic, O’Connor bought a blue steel pan and started experimenting with Detroit pizza. Fortuitously, a spot became available in the Zipper, where O’Connor opened Boxcar Pizza with vegan square pies that often sell out. Creating the distinctive crust of cheese around the sides proved difficult with lower fat vegan cheese, but after playing around with the dough, O’Connor achieved a vegan version of the Detroit classic. The Bianca, with Good Planet mozzarella and Boxcar’s own spicy, fennel-packed Italian sauce and tofu-based ricotta, certainly tastes vegan — the coconut flavor of the mozzarella gives away its plant-based origins — but still, the sweetness of the coconut and heat of the tomato sauce adds an interesting interplay of flavors." - Rachel Pinsky

"At Portland’s only fully vegan Detroit-style pizzeria, focaccia-like square pies arrive piled with ingredients like Nashville fried chicken, Mama Lil’s peppers, and dollops of dairy-free blue cheese. The shop goes heavy on vegan mozzarella, creating extra gooey, cheesy pies with crunchy, caramelized edges. While it’s easy to gravitate to the more over-the-top creations, like the Cheeseburger Pizza, classics like pepperoni with red sauce are equally as enjoyable, especially with a drizzle of hot “honey.” Owner Odie O’Connor’s previous concept — the now-closed Baby Blue Pizza cart — occasionally makes an appearance as a pop-up at Boxcar." - Waz Wu