Jerry's Pizza

It's well worth the wait. We have been trying to get a pizza for months, but the stars finally aligned and we were able to reserve for 7:15 pm on a Tuesday. Crispy thin crust, a good amount of sauce, tasty sausage, seasoning and cooked the right amount and served by Jerry himself. And of course square cut. This is true Chicago tavern style pizza, the kind we yearn for, not the deep dish tourist pizza that everyone thinks is "Chicago style". I would gladly work for Jerry just to bring home a pizza as payment. Looking forward to our next pizza! (For those of you that are Midwest transplants, this is the take out pizza you seek!)

Taste bud time warp. I great up in NW Indiana & fondly recall my grandpa driving into Chicago and getting this very unique, very regional, and very delicious pizza. Fast forward 35 years and Jerry is pulling it off thousands of miles from home and quite possibly even better than I recall. Can wait to have some again. Keep up the good work, Jerr-Bear.

Jerry's pizza was a treat I didn't know I wanted and now can't stop thinking about. My buddy from Chicago waited and waited for Jerry's to open and we took some time on a Monday night to try his pies. Man it didn't disappoint, and I'm not from Chicago. My buddy said it brought him right back to the pubs he used to go to as a kid--he was in nostalgia heaven. As for the pizza--we got the Jerry's special and it was excellent, square cut, and well executed. I will be back and you need to check this out.

Short version: I dined in-person. Paired my cheese pie with the marionberry cider on tap. I will definitely visit Jerry again!! Long version: Savored and devoured my first pizza made by Jerry today!! And, definitely, it will not be the last! The pie is thin and crisp, almost overflowing with tomato sauce and cheese. Flavorful and wonderfully light. The best part are the edge pieces where the sauce and cheese have overflown and become a bit charred and extremely crisp. The cornmeal in the crust brings some natural sweetness with it which nicely complements the rest of the pizza! And if that is not enough, get some hot giardiniera for your pizza. Trust me, you'll not be disappointed! Jerry's Pizza is one of the best pies Portland has to offer! Thank you for the pizza and your company, Jerry! See you soon!

We have followed Jerry’s start up on IG and tried the pizza this week. We loved the pizza - cracker crust, everything hand made and we met Jerry and he loves what he’s doing and that’s obvious!. Now The Bear Paw was pretty rough, dirty floors and some pretty salty folks at a few tables. It’s a tavern - but on the rough side - 2 stars for the venue - get takeout maybe next time.

Jerry's Pizza is hard to get because it's a one-man operation! When pizzas are available for pre-order Saturdays at 9am on the website, they usually sell out in minutes. These are Chicago tavern-style pies and you can only order one–choose cheese, hot giardiniera, deluxe, pepperoni, or sausage. The crust is thin and crispy and perfectly balanced with the slightly sweet tomato sauce, and toppings. I'll be trying to order another one soon! Currently, Jerry's Pizza is located inside the Bear Paw Inn.

If you’ve ever tried to make cracker thin crust pizza well, you know it’s no easy task. I commend the work here. The blend of ingredients is well executed and the crust is nearly a finalized in its making. What I also find remarkable is the space he’s working in with just one other. It’s extremely tight quarters and they really make the most of it. If you see what’s up here, you’ll have no reason to make bold statements about “hype” or complain about the availability. This guy hustles and is doing it well. Keep the honorable Portland workers, honored. Also, I used my phone as the ordering tool after trying it unsuccessfully on my PC, and the process was quicker and granted me access. Apologies for the lighting on the pizza. In person, it’s properly colorful. Bear Paw likes the Twin Peaks lighting, and that’s just fine.

As someone who grew up in the Midwest, I'm so grateful to have tavern style pizza in Portland! Jerry's pizza is incredible. My favorite is pepperoni and mushroom. There's a reason for the hype! Best pie in town.