Empire Pizza & Pub

Great little place downtown for pizza and drinks. It’s small, so not much room for large parties. Great service too. The pizza is delicious, nice thin crust and the slices are a generous portion. The wings are meaty and a good heat on the sauce.

Empire Pizza in Tucson is an absolute gem! Not only is the pizza the best in town—thin, foldable New York–style slices with that perfect balance of crisp and chew—but the whole vibe of the place makes it a standout. The brick walls and old-time feel give it a cool, authentic charm, and even though the space is on the smaller side, it’s warm and cozy in the best way. It’s the kind of spot that instantly feels like your neighborhood hangout. The bar is another highlight—great drinks, fair prices, and an awesome bartender who makes everyone feel welcome. Whether you’re grabbing a slice with a cold beer or settling in for the evening, the atmosphere is just right. Empire Pizza has nailed it: incredible food, a laid-back but classic vibe, and service that makes you want to keep coming back. Easily one of Tucson’s best spots! 🍕🍻

Great pizza and fun flavors! The menu is a bit hard to get ahold of (unless i’m missing something), we found there most up to date items on instagram. Cool local joint though, would recommend the tikka masala and elote!!

Have you ever tried elote on a pizza? At Empire Pizza in downtown Tucson, Arizona, you can try the most mouthwatering slice of pizza with elote and aioli on top! While this might sound crazy, this was the best slice of pizza I have ever enjoyed! We stopped at this spot during our Downtown Tucson Walking Food Tour and I am already craving to return. There is a bar in the back with great service and good brews. Seating is limited, but there are a few tables you can enjoy your pizza at. This spot has a variety of amazing pizza, but make sure to try the elote slice at Empire Pizza!

Empire pizza is so amazing and I always have a pleasant experience when I come in! Amanda is the best! She always makes sure to take my order with a smile on her face and a great attitude! She’s a sweetheart and she always makes sure my order comes out the way I like it! Thanks Amanda!

Great service and atmosphere… pizza it’s SUPER BASIC and you can get WAY BETTER pizza for less. I will come back to this place just for the service and the beers but definitely not for the pizza. Even Sam’s Club or Costco pizza tastes better… of course, my review my opinion. You can do exactly what I did and give it a try but if you don’t wanna visit the place, feel free to try one of this frozen pizzas cause you won’t be able to tell the difference. The pizza at this place tastes just like one of those. 🤷🏻‍♂️✌🏼 Want to try REAL GOOD PIZZA? Try this places: - El Ranchito Pizza, located at #7 Avenida Pastor, Rio Rico, AZ 85648 the pizza at this place it’s Wood Fired so the taste is ridiculously awesome. - Italian Peasant, located at #50 Avenida Goya, Tubac, AZ 85646 - Two Girls Pizzeria, located at 140 W Duval Mine Rd. #108, Green Valley, AZ 85614

The pizza is good, but the service is not. There's very little seating and you often have to sit outside where the tables can be gross. They bring your slices out and plop them on the table with the tips hanging over the paper plate, touching the surface of the table. There are no napkins outside. When l went in to get some, the cashier told me they were in the dispenser behind me. The dispenser was empty. I told him that, but he was busy with other customers. He finally told me l could get some from the bar in the back.

Great Pizza! Super friendly, we split a pie with pepperoni and the Bensonhurst was and it was real good. There were no seats out front but they let sit in the bar and wait for our pizza and eat there. Great place!

I had the elote pizza slice and a drink from the bar. Bartender Devin was great he had excellent service and even gave me some lime and told me to try it on the pizza which made it 10 times better. People up front were not that great but make sure to check out the bar, meet Devin and pick up a slice.

Downtown and convenient if you want something quick to eat. You Can get a Whole pie or pizza by the slice. Good for a fast lunch. I took the fam here and we each got a slice (a cheese, a pepperoni, and an elote) and a drink and sat in the patio. They have a bar and seating in the back.

Ordered our slice of pie and sat in bar area. We were served immediately after being seated. Bartender was great and was quiet on a Monday evening. You can always count on a good slice of pizza !when the craving hits.

Have you ever tried elote on a pizza? At Empire Pizza in downtown Tucson, Arizona, you can try the most mouthwatering slice of pizza with elote and aioli on top! While this might sound crazy, this was the best slice of pizza I have ever enjoyed! We stopped at this spot during our Downtown Tucson Walking Food Tour and I am already craving to return. There is a bar in the back with great service and good brews. Seating is limited, but there are a few tables you can enjoy your pizza at. This spot has a variety of amazing pizza, but make sure to try the elote slice at Empire Pizza!

This is my fave pizza place with the hidden bar in the back. They serve great wings too. BUT let me tell you my fave pizza is the sausage and the last handful of times I've went there to get it, they are always out. I even stopped going for quite some time, maybe at least a year maybe two and then I come back and guess what? ! They're out of sausage pizza. When you're craving that certain food and don't have it, you go there just for that, it's so disappointing. I'll try again in another year perhaps.

Great little pizza and pub in downtown Tucson. Pizza up front and beer in the back!!

I ordered takeout last Sunday to watch the conference championship rounds of the NFL playoffs. I ordered the elote pizza and the Bensonhurst (Pepperoni, Bacon, Prosciutto, and Italian Sausage) to go. The young woman behind the counter told me it would be about 20 minutes. After I placed my order, left to have coffee at an independent coffee place up the street and when I came back to see if my order was complete, this young guy (early 20s) was walking out with two pizzas. The same staff member looked at me like what do you want so I answered I am here for my pizzas. She realized she gave my pizzas to the guy walking out and went to confront him in front of my wife and kid who were waiting right outside the door and I followed and the guy gave her back the pizzas, looked at me and said I was wondering why she gave me two pizzas when I only ordered one. Besides the paucity of ethics, morals, and values from the other customer, I do not understand why the staff member didn't validate who she was giving the products. The pizzas were very large and the two came to $61. The flavor was ok, but the pepperoni was too greasy and I did not care for the crust. If you enjoy thick crust, you may really enjoy their pizza.

Well, the spot was a bit blah points for the outdoor seating and the people-watching view from the restaurant. I am guessing it is a great spot as the foot traffic was very extensive. I ordered a pepperoni slice and it was pretty darn greasy, not a lot of crunch, and pretty average. The staff was very amazing though and their energy levels were high.

I'd never been here before but have always wanted to. We attempted once on a Saturday night and it was super packed but this Friday night around 6:00 we were lucky enough to find a table by the bar. We ordered slices of pizza pepperoni and elote (corn). I had never had or heard of roasted corn pizza before but let me tell you, I've been missing out on this slice of heaven my whole life, this was an unexpectedly delicious slice of pizza with sprinkles of cilantro and mayo / sriracha sauce ( I think ). When you go try the elote pizza (this coming from someone that passes on corn most of the time). The pepperoni pizza was a bit too greasy for my liking. Also too, great news - they're taking over the larger vacant building on the right side of them (the server told me) / corner of Congress and Sixth Ave.

Super simple place with a little outside patio. Was hungry and I just wanted a slice of pizza after hiking so this fit the bill. Definitely not the best pizza I've ever had, but a place in the desert where I wouldn't expect New York style Pizza, it hit the spot.

I'm from north Jersey and I compare it that way, but I was genuinely surprised at the quality they're bringing all the way out here in the desert. Great service, good flop, and small pizza shop ambiance with outdoor seating that would warrant a barstool rating of 6.8 from me.

Quick service! And affordable. The ranch is perfect too omg. So delicious. The ambiance and atmosphere reminds me of like local pub. The artwork they have on the walls are cool too definitely go in the back at the bar to check it out!

I'm a huge fan of Empire's pizza and (outside of OG Eegee's of course) they have the best ranch in town. Definitely try the elote pizza if you're ordering a whole pie, although in general I find it worth checking out any of their specialty pies or whatever the slice of the month is. I had some concerns about the declining quality of the food, service, and delivery a few years ago but they've clearly made all the right changes since then. Absolutely one of my favorite places to order a slice, get a pizza delivered, or to bring friends from out of town.

Solid little pizza joint. Very minimal menu. We got a pepperoni and jalapeno to go. Pizza was good. I do wish they had salads.

Highkey hit the spot when I swung by. Definitely a 7/10 pizza but for the price $4.50, worth. I would go back as a late night munch or cravings . Staff was really nice too

Small quaint place. Indoor and outdoor seating available. Bar was comfortable and nice and cool. Pizza was large, including the slices and the taste was decent for a bar. The Elote pizza was very good with crushed red pepper on top needed a little bit more seasoning to get the full flavor. Pepperoni a little greasy needed a little bit more sauce. Overall a nice place to get a slice of pizza and a beer for eight dollars during happy hour. However, the bathroom needs some work definitely a dive bar bathroom. And service was good.

I ordered through the restaurant for delivery. They outsourced to doordash. Not my decision. Guess the delivery guy/gal enjoyed our pizza because was never delivered. Restaurant says they are not responsible but DoorDash. Still no Pizza! Empire Manger was useless.

On our second trip here we had the Elote pizza and beer "deal" in the bar. The pizza was just as good as last time, the sever was friendly, and the ambience is brick-and-wood Old Skool Tucson. But at $25.74 including tip for two pretty thin slices and two beers, this ain't what I'd call value for money. It's all about what you're after, I reckon.

Cute pizza place in downtown Tucson! Came here with friends before going to a concert. It's such a small cute place with pretty good priced pizza and other stuff- like wings and sweets. :) I tried a slice of cheese and pepperoni, not a huge fan of pepperoni, but the cheese pizza was good! It was cheesy, soft, and the slice was big enough. Not extraordinary taste wise, but it was still good, and the price was good!

The pizza was delicious, very big. We ate 4 people of the pizza. The pizza is thin so you can taste the ingredients more. We bought the Bensonhurs Pepperoni, Bacon, Prosciutto, and Italian Sausage.

Great pizza every single time I go and it's super in and out for to go orders ;) pizza pizza

I was super excited when I found out that they were open late. I didn't have any dinner in the concert got out at 10:30 PM. I was starving. I had two slices of the chicken, tiki masala pizza, and it was divine! Perfect in every way.!!

It's late at night and the only thing you want is a greasy, cheesy pizza pie. Where do you go?! Welp you go to Empire Pizza! This pizza was SLAMMIN! It was so perfectly cooked and had that good ole fashion oven taste. No commercial feel at this location. Also the cannoli went so fast I forgot to get a picture! When you're in need of great pizza stop here!

I'm in town for a wedding, arrived at 10pm and I need a quick bite. Luckily Empire pizza is open until midnight. The pepperoni pizza slice was chewy and the crust was crispy (I didn't know pizza crust could be like that). For the price and the carbs it's not bad. The fryer was broken, so I wish I could've tried their wings. Garlic knots are discontinued from the menu which I was looking forward to. They have a bar in the back and tables. Come have slice and a little drink in the back. My slice was $4.50 and the cocktail was $8 which isn't bad.

I've been coming to Empire Pizza for years... it's good for a on the goal Brooklyn style pizza the slices are huge and the pizza is delicious. But the best thing on the menu is definitely the traditional wings! Great place, and very efficient Friendly staff.

Terrible customer service - employee attacked me after asking where my pizza was at after one hour

A group of us went here on a Saturday night and I was pleasantly surprised by how tasty the pizza was! We had some cocktails and pizza and were able to find a table to sit down in the back. It was a great experience and I can't wait to go there again.

E L O T E PIZZA, order that! It was my first time having the Elote pizza and I fell in love! I love elote in a cup but this pizza takes it to the next level. My friends were hesitant to try it but also fell in love after the first bite. Step out of your comfort zone and save that pepperoni pizza order for next time! We also had the tiramisu which is amazing! Everyone raves about the cheesecake which I will try next time!

I've been coming here since 2013, and the food has been very inconsistent and disappointing lately. Pizzas have been almost completely sauce-less, or all the sauce is near the crust. Pies have been really underdone, and it's just a bummer. Please get your pizza program under control, we need you guys.

The pizza was so good. I'm not very adventurous with my pizza but the slice of Elote was amazing. Who knew corn on pizza could taste so good.

Went here as suggested by a local. I was tipsy so Empire Pizza was the perfect late night snack. $5 for a slice of pizza and a soda. You can't beat that! The only hiccup I encountered was: someone had taken my order by accident, I'd like to assume. After 30 mins of waiting for one slice of pepperoni pizza, I finally went to ask why my order was taking so long when other patrons were getting their orders before me. The girl working the front apologized and gave me an extra slice of fresh pizza, needless to say, it was delicious and all was forgiven. Check out the cool bar in the back! Not just a pizza joint, but a vibe.

Now this is an update because it's been years since I returned since my last experience wasn't that great, but let me tell you today was amazing the slice was cooked to perfection. The crust simply delicious. I was downtown going to the donut bar and decided to try Empire Pizza once again and I am so glad that I did will I be returning most definitely, just look at that slice New York style, greasy foldable, cheesy and perfect crust!

Beer list is small but acceptable. Nothing you can't find anywhere else in walking distance. Never got around to the food. Woman at the bar was on a first name basis with the bartender. She was watching full volume Youtube videos on her phone and sharing the more "hilarious" ones with the bartender when it was otherwise pretty quiet. Guy on the other side of the bar asked her to turn down the volume or use earbuds, and the bartender told the guy he had to leave for disrupting the customers. He didn't disrupt me. The full volume Youtube videos were though, so I paid and left.

Coworker told me about the elote pizza and I finally tried it, delicious! Crust was just right and toppings were flavorful. Also liked the Indian flavors, ordered vegetarian slice (can't remember name), and my Indian friend liked it especially with lots of spice (we've tried other attempts at Indian pizzas which were lackluster). Will be back!

The elote is one of my favorite pizzas anywhere! No red sauce, and I'm not exactly sure what all is on it but it's amazing. Cheese, corn, spicy Mayo, cilantro, and tajin seem to be the main ingredients. I love everything I've had from empire. You can't go wrong with any of the slices! For $5.50 it's a cheap delicious meal!

Update: spoke with David seems he has things very under control. He was able to help with the situation and find a resolution would recommend empire pizza. wings had a small mistake, but it was corrected. Thank you again guys! Very good crust, sauce and cheese all really good pizza. On the other hand, I would not recommend the wings. I got the spicy ones and doesn't really seem like there's any sauce inside of the pan I was personally informed it was just a overlooked mistake which happens not everyone is perfect.

Quick no frills service of slices. Open late nite, perfect for that hunger pang at 0100am. The pizza is decent, when your intoxicated and hungry, it will hit the spot for you just right. The ranch was also very good. Grab your slice and follow the hallway back, and you'll find a bar. That's where the funs at. I spent the rest of my evening at the bar in back. The bartender was so kind. You could tell he really cared about his customers and was looking out for everyone. Quick service, great pours, interesting crowd. I'll be back for late nite slices and cocktails!

We checked in Saturday night to see if we could bring in a friend who is NY Times food critic as well as 2 pretty famous food bloggers Sunday around opening time for their Elote Pizza.... 11 people drove down from Dove Valley...zero pizza at 11:30 am ready for sale and 25-28 minutes for a pizza slice... Ok well we went to Whole Slvc again it was amazing and we got some amazing photos and a nice article. The whole experience and episode on best slices in Tucson ended up with the following ranking: 1. Whole Slvc 10/10 2. Slice and Ice 8.5/10 3. Transplant Pizza 8.5/10 4. Chariot Pizza 8/10 5 No Anchovies 7.5/10 6. Mamas Pizza 7.25/10 7. Mario's Pizza 5/10 8. Mountain Mike's Pizza 5/10 9. NYPD Pizza 5/10 10. Empire Pizza 0/10

So glad Empire Pizza has adapted to the pandemic and still offer delicious pizza! We had to try the elote pizza after seeing it on other pages and it was instantly one of my new favorite "unique" pizzas! The chipotle mayo is the perfect compliment to the other flavors on the pizza. The pizza is also HUGE. I was only able to eat 1 slice per sitting, although it was so good I wished I could eat more at a time! I'm excited to go back and try some of the other specialty pizzas, but if we're being honest - I'll probably just keep getting the elote!

First off, thank you Empire Pizza & Pub for being gracious and offering a dessert sampler for a recent Yelp promotion. It was great. Another Yelper wrote that Empire is in his top three pizza joints and I have to agree with him. It's a shame I don't live closer, or else Empire would be my my #1 for the Tucson area. I ordered the Mulberry Street pizza and it tasted really good. I think I might be a bit unrealistic regarding how much sauce I like on my pizza, but Empire's version didn't make me feel like I was missing out. Plus, I like the dough they use - the crusts taste like yummy, little baguettes to me. I hardly ever eat pizza crusts, but I did this time around. For the dessert sampler, I was given the cinnamon rolls, panna cotta, tiramisu, cheesecake, and pumpkin spice cheesecake. My favorites were the cinnamon rolls and cheesecakes. Don't get me wrong, all the desserts were tasty, but will for sure order the cheesecakes or cinnamon rolls again. The cheesecakes were rich and creamy, not to the point where you felt overloaded with sugar; and I don't really care for the pumpkin spice movement, but the plain and pumpkin spice cheesecakes really hit the spot. I saved the cinnamon rolls for breakfast and those were a soft, gooey, sweet treat. Thanks Empire, until we meet again!

I'm not going to sit here and tell you with a straight face there's anything special about this place. Only that you can jump in and get a slice in your hands in less than 10 minutes. And a beer if you enter the hallway, which leads to a cozy and dimly-lit neighborhood bar. Almost one hundred percent of the time, they'll only have pepperoni or cheese slices. If you're lucky, there might be something southwestern like Taco or Elote as well. But beware--it's an absolute mess if you go after 11pm on a Friday or Saturday night! It will be absolutely packed with everyone coming from the club. But that just goes to show how hard they work at being reliable. When you're hungry and it's late, they're a sure bet. You won't be impressed with Empire, but I don't think you'll ever be disappointed either.

I always enjoy having an excuse to hang out in Tucson. I live in Hereford, 75 miles SE of the Old Pueblo, and make Tuscon a day trip: I shop at Costco, do some urban trails, try out a brewpub, and then find a cool place to eat. My choice last Friday night was a 20" cheese pizza for my husband and me from Empire Pizza. It did not disappoint. There are several delicious-sounding pizzas on the menu, but my husband will only eat either a cheese pizza or a pepperoni pizza, so my only choice for take-out was a huge cheese pizza, a thin pizza with a doughy-chewy crust and lots of cheese. It got my husband's approval. The pub part is temporarily closed during this pandemic. The pizza place is take-out only and the wait is long. I was warned that it would take 45 mins to an hour for my pizza. I was fine with that as I got to sip beer at a brewpub across the street and walk around before standing in line for my pick-up, where several people were already waiting for their food, including one woman who clearly was not mentally well and cussing at everyone. The place does great business and the hours are ideal for hungry late-night customers! Parking may be an issue during office hours, but after 5pm parking is free. I tried the Tiramisu dessert...it was delicious, with just the right amount of sweet cream and cocoa!

This is the perfect late night slice. The place is essentially a hole in the wall, with pepperoni and cheese as the two options for later night snacks. The pieces are huge with the perfect amount of cheese. Came out within seconds from the friendly staff who suggested the combo for a dollar more - this includes a can of soda. I can't wait to try one of the whole pies. I was eyeing the cannoli as well, but the slice was perfectly filling.

I'm not much into pizza in the sense that I loooove a good pie but so many are mediocre. Had occasion to go to Empire. Been by here so many times. After all it Is in the heart of downtown. I just never stopped by. That changed today. Looked over the menu. They have a selection of pies many vegetables no meat but customizable with meats etc that can be added to make your pie yours. On the website they boast of an ever popular "elote" pizza. A Unique combo to say the least, it has Roasted Corn, Cotija Cheese, Fresh Cilantro & Chipotle. Not being sure what to make of it, of course I had to order it to try it. What a pleasant surprise. the pizza is not overly corn sweet. It's more of a pleasant corn flavor coupled with a slight tang. A tasty flavorful bite. It's totally enjoyable. Totally southwestern. We also ordered the Mulberry St. more on the traditional side this pizza has Pepperoni, Italian Sausage, Green Pepper, Onion, Mushrooms Both pizzas had a wonderful perfect crust. The ingredients were obviously fresh, perfectly balanced with just the right amount of cheese and both were a wonderful dinner. The pies are 20" large. Perfect for any occasion. We totally enjoyed it. A couple of us had seconds. Due to the generous size of these pies there still was a small amount of extra slices. Perfect for tomorrow s lunch. Btw if it's just you or everyone wants something different they also have slices. Pick one or Many, it's a great way to try everything. The menu also consists of wings, salads, canned sodas, bottled Mexican sodas including Fanta, water etc. They also have a varied and generous dessert menu. Dessert consists of Pana Cotta, Cannoli, Deep Fried Cinnamon Rolls, New York Cheesecake, and Tiramisu. I'm sure virtually anyone can find a favorite item, no, not item. But rather items to enjoy. I am so smitten I may start having pizza more often.

Outstanding pizza. Very close to NY style. Cooked perfectly with a great crust. Service at bar was amazing along with a decent beer menu. Local and clean divey place. Great People.

I wish I could've left a superb review. But I will leave my best review of what I experienced. I remember the food here fondly since it was a go to high school spot for pizza or dates, even. The quality of food has decreased so far and had not tasted the same. I used to enjoy late night trips for the pizza, and it /was/ delicious. I came back after 6 months. The crust is dry and paper thin, is bland and doesn't have much to taste despite the charring from the oven. Yikes! The pizza is over saturated in grease and oozes through my paper plates, not ideal. Pizza is already messy to eat, but I'd be careful with how overly greasy it is and wearing light colored clothes! Watch out! Staff at the bar impolite, rude. When it's busy I'm sure it easy to get frustrated, but the bar I feel is overrated and is too dark to see anything. Even the customers along with the bartenders formulate a hostile atmosphere to the place. The bar when full appears like it's a pack of sardines. Low air ventilation, humid, dark. Why would you even bother? The bathrooms I came to my last visit, it was dirty and it appeared unkept. There was urine all over the floor and toilet papers laid and scattered on the floor. I've been to cleaner bars, and this might've been the most unhygienic place I've been to. If staff could get on top of cleaning the bathroom and checking it often, that would be cool. There's better pizza places than this sad shack.

PROS: 1. Pizza is delicious 2.Em, the bartendress, is skilled with a warm disposition. CONS: 1. Domestic beer seems to be a sin 2. A pizza joint with no salad or wings? 3. What's happening with the 1ply ticket by ticket TP? A pub should have better facilities if they want female imbibers to be able to relieve themselves and still maintain a buzz with reference to time and energy Yummy pizza and Em, though

Id give it zero starts but the food is good rude blonde lady in front doesnt wanna work smh horrible experience just to order food yikes..

Their pizza is so delicious almost every time. This is the first time we ordered mushrooms and there were not a lot of toppings. And they never give the ranch dressing you order when you order delivery.