Ken's Artisan Pizza - Bend

Bend finally has great pizza! We decided to check out Ken’s in Bend since we love the Portland location. We arrived at 5:30 p.m. on a Friday and had to wait an hour and a half—but it was totally worth it. In Portland, we usually go early (around 4:30) to beat the crowd. I loved the high ceilings at the Bend location; it felt more spacious and less congested than the Portland spot. The pizza was top quality, as always, and the wine selection was excellent. One suggestion for the owners: it would be really helpful if the menu clearly labeled vegetarian pizzas and offered vegan options. This is Oregon, and there’s a strong demand for plant-based dining here.

An excellent pizza place that has a fancy restaurant flare. Get there early before they open to get in line or get on the waiting list. The pizzas are wood fired and made with fresh ingredients. Appetizers were great and everyone got a nibble. Service was mildly upscale with a nice selection of drinks from their full bar. Prices reflect more upscale than a pizza parlor. Parking is downtown tough. Overall an excellent restaurant that features delicious pizza.

What an A+ pizza experience in downtown Bend! We had charred beets and salad to start, which was great, but the pizza is next level. We had the lamb sausage, NY Pepperoni, prosciutto and a jalapeños honey something that were all well balanced and unique creations. The manager Casey made sure we were well taken care of, and the service was great from start to finish. They have an incredible pizza oven right in the center and the pizzas are straight up delicious. Can’t go wrong here.

We finally visited after waiting for the hype (and the lines) to die down… and now I’m mad at myself for losing a whole year of not eating Ken’s pizza. That’s a year of my life I’ll never get back — and a year my taste buds will hold against me forever. Started with drinks: I had the house-made lemonade — sweet, tart, and fresh-squeezed enough to make you pucker in a good way. My husband had Ken’s Old Fashioned and immediately wanted to shake Ken’s hand for making one properly: one big ice cube, cocktail cherry, balance perfected. It’s shocking how rare that is. Per Google’s advice (thanks, fellow food people), we ordered the calamari — and WOW. Freshest squid rings ever, laid out over rustic bread with a citrusy kick that had us contemplating a second round before we’d even finished the first. Then I saw the magic words: “Add Burrata to any pizza for $8.” Yes. Always yes. I got the Spicy Pepperoni (plus burrata, obviously), while my husband went for the cult classic onion and fennel sausage pizza. Service was crisp, quick, efficient — but the moment that first bite hit our tongues? Our pupils dilated. We looked down at our plates and genuinely whispered, “Where have you been all my life?” I swear an Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong duet started playing in my head — it was love at first bite. The server warned us this pizza might ruin all others for us. She was right. I’m delighted and furious. So Ken… I want to hug you and smack you at the same time. Thanks for ruining pizza — and for setting the new standard. We love you. We’ll be back ASAP.

Food was great and the place look amazing! My bf is not a huge fan of Italian food and he really liked the food and how it was not super heavy! I also wanna say big thanks to the busser/waiter who ran after us to give us my bf chain that had fallen off he would have been so bummed out! Thank you 🙏

We stopped here for a light dinner. Discovered this spot through a blogger and the pizza was delicious! We got the Arrabiatta that comes with Calabrian chillies. Would come back to try more things on the menu! We sat down after 9 pm and didn’t have to wait for a table.

Pizza connoisseur here. Was biking around looking for any place to eat and skidded to a halt when I saw that beautiful glowing wood fired brick oven in the back. How could I skip this?! It was excellent: perfect crust, delicious toppings, chill vibe, great cocktail, and cozy atmosphere.

Pretty underwhelming, considering all the hype about the owner. I waited months to go, in the hopes that any kinks would be worked out. But it seems like "just okay" is the theme here. Pizza had great ingredients, but too many wets added for a very thin pizza. Crust was not as good as MANY other local pizza spots like Pizza Mondo, Pinky Gs, or Chasin Pizza. Chasin and their wood fired pizza is probably closest in style and prep, but they blow Kens out of the water. Nice that there were non-alcoholic options, but with multiple pages of drinks, very telling that I didn't see local breweries listed. Staff was not warm or kind. Just bare minimum polite. Caesar dressing tasted more like a dijon and mayonnaise mix instead of a rich flavorful dressing. Leftovers of half a pizza were awkwardly wrapped in tin foil while I saw an employee eating pizza from a box. The dessert was supposed to be hot espresso over gelato, and was just cold brew. It's not terrible but nothing I would revisit or recommend to others. Really disappointing.

Bit of a wait to get in --- whattaya want it's Saturday night --- but worth the hanging out, as it was only 20 minutes. Hostess was super on top of it, got us the first available at the bar and it was all gravy from there on out. They've done a great job with the space -- a big room within a nice old historic hotel, exposed brick walls, high ceilings, mod mood lighting and a solidly stocked bar with a long counter and stools. But oh man, the pizza -- I got the Handmade--- was so worth the wait.. Thin crust, yes, but not cracker thin, foldable-thin, and with plenty of air bubbles under the perfect char. Chewy, fluffy with a bit of crunch. I mean, that's rare. Sauce to cheese ratio hit all the right proportions with the tomato sauce being zingy and big and not too sweet, with a good mix of chile flakes in this one. Yea, there's some heat. Couldn't taste the fennel too much, which was appreciated, and it was all a perfect blend in my book. Bartender was a best-in-class pro too, slinging Manhattans without missing a beat and, honestly, the whole place was run like a well-oiled machine. 5 stars y'all.

Oh my goodness! You want proper ARTISAN pizza, then this place is legit!!!!! The place was packed but managed to snag a spot at the bar. Staff were super friendly. Bar tender recommended a fabulous wine which went fabulously with our pizzas. Delicious is an understatement! They were probably the best pizzas I've had..... and I've travelled the world and eaten a lot of pizza Also, not usually a left over pizza fan the next day, but it reheated great and hit the spot.... Again!

We hit up Ken's on a Friday night and it did not disappoint. The wait was about an hour to an hour and a half (totally normal for a Friday), but honestly worth every minute. The lady running the waitlist was super nice and made the whole process easy. We ordered the New York pizza with pepperoni and it was amazing. The crust was perfectly chewy with a little crisp, the sauce had great flavor, and the pepperoni added just the right kick. We also got the Caesar salad, and wow... it was incredible. Fresh, perfectly dressed, and seriously one of the best Caesars we've had in a long time.

I first went to Ken's Artisan Pizza in Bend shortly after they opened. We ordered four pizzas to share -- the mushroom was my favorite -- plus a Caesar salad. The space has tall ceilings and an open kitchen that adds to the energy, and service was friendly even on a busy night. Ken's started in Portland and has a big following, so it's fun to see them here in Bend. The wood-fired crust and quality toppings definitely live up to the hype. When I lived in Portland I went a few times but that was a long time ago. Now that peak tourist season has slowed down, I need to go back and try more. It's a great addition to the Bend restaurant scene.

We arrived at our reservation time and were seated immediately. The place is pretty cool. It was packed on a Monday night! Service was great, with pleasant staff and food arriving quickly. Our party of 4 ordered 1 Caesar salad and 3 pizzas. In retrospect, we would have been better off ordering 2 salads and 2 pizzas. We actually brought an entire pizza home. Now for the food... Fennel Sausage & Onions: We opted to include Calabrian chiles. The flavor was really good, and the toppings were plentiful. The only surprise here was the lack of heat from the chiles. The only complaint was that the pizza felt a little wet/heavy Brooklyn: Capicola, pickled jalapenos, and hot honey. Speaking of heat, this pizza brings it! This pizza was way hotter than the sausage pizza. Again, really good flavor and you can see in the pics, toppings plentiful again Margherita: The classic. Surprisingly, this was prob our favorite pizza of the night. All the pizzas were cooked really well and had great chew on the crust. I can't wait to go back and try some of the other pizzas (along with another Margherita!)

Ken's Artisan Pizza is a pizza place related to Ken's Artisan Bakery. We visited the bakery in Portland and enjoyed the pastries. While visiting Bend and hanging out in downtown, we were pleasantly surprised that there is a Ken's Artisan Pizza so we decided to go for a late dinner around 9pm on a Saturday night. Upon entering, we were greeted by the hostess. It was pretty busy when we arrived and we waited about 20 minutes to be seated. There are high ceilings and a lot of wood elements throughout. Past the tables and the bar, one can see the pizza oven and the pizzas being made. We ordered the Mortadella and Pistachio pizza to share. The pizza took quite a while to come out (more than 30 minutes). The crust to filling ratio was good and the pizza had a good amount of Mortadella on it. For me, the crust had too much leoparding as there were some charred parts on the bottom too. The overall taste of the pizza was okay. The pistachio pesto tasted like a typical pesto, but the pickled shallots were tasty and added a pop of flavor to the pizza. We were also given a side of chili flakes and salt to use. Overall, giving Ken's Artisan Pizza a 3.5/5. The space and ambiance are cool. Staff are nice, but service was a bit slow. The pizza was okay, but pricey (we paid $30). Not sure if we would come back but we're glad that we got the opportunity to try it.

As I am used to the Portland location, we got in line about 30 minutes before opening to ensure we got into the first round since it was a holiday weekend. Turns out this location looks like it may fit more guests than the Portland one, and everyone who was in line got a seat and they still had a couple open! Spacious interior and less crowded waiting area than the other location. Drinks, appetizers, and pizzas were amazing as usual. Can't wait to make this a regular stop whenever I'm in central Oregon!

Went to the Bend location on a weeknight. Pretty crowded and loud but we were able to get a table for two after waiting 10 min. The mushroom pizza was amazing and our server was very nice and efficient understanding we had a long day at work, wanted to eat and be on your way. The best part might have been all the dog photos in the bathroom. I'd guess an employer treats their employees well if they let them hang pics of their dogs. Nice touch.

Wow! Serendipity is s'wunderful sometimes. Craving Italian , my when in Bend go-to told me the kitchen was closed (a tad early, it seemed) so down the block I walked. Passing by was easy, but so was the 180* to ask for a table. Then it got good! Incredible service all around. I guilted myself into the beet salad over the calamari, and that was damn near providential! Knowing a pizza was coming, I left 1/3 of this heaping and delicious feast on the plate. Honestly, salad was main attraction doesn't happen around me much... but that was the night! The pizza is really good. First, it's 'heavy' with plenty of cheese, sauce, and in my case local 'shrooms and sausage. I pushed through two slices and ate the meat off a third. I took the other half with a plan to eat for an early morning breakfast, but I ended up sharing it with the gas station attendant (full employment reigns in Oregon). I will back. Get here when you can...

Wait was about 75 minutes on a Friday night, but it was worth it! The G&T was great and pretty reasonably priced. The pizza was outstanding - the prosciutto was great quality and adding the burrata was absolutely a great move! We sat at the bar and the service was quick and friendly.

Visiting Bend from NW Ohio. We arrived at Ken's Artisan Pizza about 45 minutes before opening just to make sure we got a table. By the time they opened, there must have been 75 people in line. The ambiance was very appealing - high open ceiling, varied table sizes (we had 6 in our party and shared out table with another group of 4). Do yo the volume of pizzas they crank out, it is recommended you order everything you want to order at once and they bring your choices out at a good pace as not to overwhelm you with your food. Wow! The food was all amazing!!! Well worth the wait. Quite an experience. It will be a highlight of our trip to Bend.

Good pizza and good prices for Bend. Good service and nice atmosphere. Shared a couple of pizzas and would go again

Easily some of the best pizza I've ever had, unreal. Can't make a rest here, put your name down and go grab a drink at the DD. Service was wonderful, atmosphere is fun, prices reasonable. Def make a visit.

We came to this pizza spot knowing we were going to wait 1-2 hours for a table! When we checked in our host told us the wait would be between an hour to an hour and thirty minutes. We were totally okay with it and decided to stay by the bar area and ordered some drinks while we waited! We got lucky and the host had a table ready for us within 30 minutes. We sat down and ordered our food immediately. The wait for the pizzas was between 20-30 minutes - totally worth the wait! Brooklyn pizza with the hot honey and arugula was amazing! The star was definitely the mushroom pizza for me because of the lemon olive oil drizzle. It gave the pizza such a unique taste. I would come back here next time I'm in town. Great service and great food!

Best pizza in Bend, great artisan pizza, great salads, fair prizes. Come early or be prepared for a wait.

We came to bend for a three day weekend and ate here for 2/3 nights; it was that good! Great ambience, fresh food, and a nice staff. The burrata pizza was the best!

On a quick getaway to Bend, and thought getting in line for senior early bird hours dinner was a good plan for this award winning pizza spots new bend location..... but this is far from award winning pizza. It wasn't good. I think a management review of the dough needs to be done, it quite frankly was tough and hard! (I looked for contact info on Ken's website to potentially email concerns directly; there is no contact information available) From my experience as a non-commercial sourdough baker and chef; I have questions. Is this dough actually being fermented to spec? What I had last night, definitely wasn't. Is your kitchen manager being forced to fast track your dough for some reason? It wasn't properly proofed last night either. Did someone not show up to work on time to pull the dough from the walk-in? (We were a first turn table) What I had last night was forcefully stretched cold dough, leading to a horrible crust and it was simply bad pizza because of that. Neopolitana pizza is 90% about the crust/dough, and this was a huge let down. I might try the Portland spot and see if this is just a failure in a new location, but I implore the leadership of Ken's to secretly check what's coming out of the oven in Bend to see if it's what you are expecting of your product.

When walking thru Downtown Bend, the open concept and space made the location seem bright and open. When you walk in, you see the fire pizza oven in the back of the room as people are preparing the pizzas. I sat at the bar and ordered a local pale ale beer, fennel sausage and onion pizza with calabrian chilies. Some people may consider me a fiend due to eating my pizza with ranch, but the ranch here is delicious. The pizza was soft and fluffy, but perfect! Dessert was a blondie browine with Bonta Stawberry Gelato which was perfect since it was a hot day. The service was attentive by the bartender and it was busy at the restaurant. For one person, I had plenty of leftovers!

Got in line at 4:45 and we were able to get seated around 5:05. We ordered drinks almost immediately and ordered our pizzas a couple minutes later, no appetizers. The menu offers an eclectic choice of pizzas that had us debating what to order. Pizzas did take just under an hour and a half to come out but I assume they're quicker when everyone isn't ordering at the same time. They were generous with the toppings and the pizzas were on the higher quality of things. This place was probably a bit hyped up too much to us before going in our opinion, we will be back but not in a hurry.

Appetizers aren't anything to write home about. But their pizza is solid. I wouldn't say the best I've had but a very good.

Excited to find Ken's Artisan Pizza in Bend while on vacation as the times we tried in Portland, the line was incredibly long. It is deceptive, we got there at 530 and I think they open at 5pm, told by lovely hostess that it may be a 2 hour plus wait for two. Since we were not starving nor in hurry, we put ourselves on wait list. It was super efficient as you can see updates on your phone for your position. 82 minutes later and we got a table! Ordered beet salad, two pizzas, and hubby had cider while I had ginger beer. The fennel sausage and house pizzas were both delicious. Just wish there was more greens and not just microgreens for beet salad. Grand total was $90 Definitely an experience. Service was EXCELLENT. Would probably get Cesar salad next time.

Back in Bend and back at Ken's Artisan Pizza for my hubby's birthday dinner with the family. Again, we had an excellent dinner with amazing apps and pizzas. This time we ordered the calamari, meatballs app and 3 pizzas: the New Yorker, the mushroom and the sausage pizzas. New to us this time was the calamari which we didn't expect to be so different from the usual preparation of it being fried. Their preparation happens in the pizza oven with the calamari cooked in a thick stew-like tomato based sauce that has a spicy kick. The New Yorker was also new this time for us. It was a great pick! It was super delicious and my daughter says it's her favorite pizza of the two times we've gone. We waited about 60 minutes this time. But it was an opportunity to go for a walk and a cold beverage at another local place. It's worth the wait. We'll be back as it is now one of our family's favorite places to go!

I'm from Jersey and I know great pizza and this was great pizza. Comfortable environment and friendly staff

Wow, Bend has done it again. Another overpriced, overhyped spot clearly designed for tourists and the freshly imported rich Californians who've turned this once great town into a parody of itself. Let's be real, pizza already has one of the highest profit margins in the food world. Slap the word "Artisan" on it and watch the yuppies line up like it's a Michelin event. I held off trying this place, knowing it'd be swamped with Bend's finest. Those mysterious "locals" who somehow don't work yet manage to crowd every new "must-try" restaurant in town. Add their "limited hours" and you've got the classic fake scarcity formula Californians can't resist. Meanwhile, I'm part of the working class. Three jobs deep just to stay afloat in the town I grew up in and got priced out of. I finally decided to treat myself, and what a mistake that was. The service? Miserable. The staff looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. Honestly, I can't blame them if they're stuck catering to entitled transplants all day in a place so loud you can't hear yourself think and packed so tight you start learning strangers life stories by accident. It felt less like dining out and more like surviving a noisy social experiment. The pizza? A $30 exercise in disappointment. Tough, chewy crust. Weird flavor combos. Missing the simple things that make pizza pizza. And the size! Let's just say I've seen coasters bigger than that pie. It looked like something you'd serve to a Barbie doll who's counting carbs. And just when I thought it couldn't get more absurd, the waitress asked if we wanted parmesan, ranch, or honey. "Sure," we said, why not? Turns out "why not" costs $8. My blood boiled faster than their brick oven. Pro tip: maybe mention "Would you like parmesan, ranch, or honey for an additional charge?" so people can decline the privilege of being upsold basic condiments. Needless to say, I deducted that $8 straight from the tip. Call it balancing the universe if you will. In short: Bend keeps building overpriced, soulless spots that confuse "pretentious" with "premium." If mediocrity with a side of attitude (and a pizza the size of a Kennedy half dollar) is your thing, you'll love it here. Otherwise, save your money, and your sanity.

Great. 9.1 It's hands down the best pizza in Central Oregon. Don't think there are no other great pizzas here, there are. Kens is top dog. Great char, heavy simple flavor, perfect topping proportions. Real service, folks that want you to have the best food they can present.

Absolutely amazing pizza. Fantastic crust. Top-quality ingredients. Sensational meatballs. Cold cider. Pleasant service. Exciting atmosphere. Great online waitlist. Can't wait to get back!

Well I gave it a 1 star a few months ago because I couldn't get in, they don't do reservations and no take out. Well I was wrong. It's a great place and pizza is the best. Cesar salad is killer. IRS popular so plan accordingly. But I was wrong. It's worth it.

Delicious appetizer, pizza, atmosphere, and service, one of our favorite places to eat at in Bend. The wait is a bit long, but still

Good pizza! Little less burnt of the pizza would be great.. long wait times, expensive are the drawbacks!!

Bend is lucky to have Ken's! Amazing people, food, and ambiance. Can't wait to go back!

We visited Bend and the locals recommended Ken's - which says it all. And it did not disappoint. Our meals were terrific, service was great, and price was more than fair. Menu has a lot of options - we'll go back and try more!

The food was delicious. We ordered the Caesar salad and meatballs and it so good. I see each table ordered the same. We ordered the Sausage pizza and prosciutto pizza and both were amazing. For dessert we tried the brownies with ice cream and good too. We were there 5 min before opening on Monday night and we got the last 4 person table. Service was great.

I've gone twice. First time, didn't get in. Second time, got there 30 min early to get a table. It is good pizza, but not worth standing in line.

Good pizza, great meatballs, no vegan option for pizza cheese ( come on we're in Bend Oregon, shape up) so I just get it without cheese and it's still good.

Everything is delicious. Atmosphere is great. They are still working out a few kinks but overall huge props!! It's family style which is great. You can share salads while eating your pizza of choice.

Place is Bomb! Go there! Well worth the wait. Did I mention it's bomb? Ordered 6 different pizzas and all were excellent!

Ken's seems to have gone downhill since it opened. Maybe they are overwhelmed. Our pizza took way to long to arrive and then it was on the cool side. The cheese had started to solidify and the sauce was barely warm. The crust was a bit too chewy and lack its usual flavor. What a shame! They need to get back on their game!!!!

It was amazing but the wait time is too long. We had to go on the second day a bit earlier to get the table. Seating capacity is 147. Food was good but not worth the wait time. They should enable the take-out service

Very good pizza but felt rushed to turn ourtable and get to the next customer. Great ambiance.

This is a legit restaurant. Food was great... had a couple pizzas and a couple salads. The prosciutto was paper thin, the basil, oregano, arugula, sprouts... all super fresh. Service was exceptional (once we got in). You can tell when a place is run by pros. Vibe was awesome. We lucked out with a table in the back, so it was a little quieter. "THE Gin and Tonic" was great. The check in process is a bit annoying, but they have a technology platform that texts you updates about your estimated wait. They don't take reservations, and you can only add your name to the list in in-person. Our wait for 3 people was about 1:15, on a rainy Sunday, in the middle of a shoulder season. It's a long wait, no matter how good the place is.

Pizza tasted good but lacked one of the advertised ingredients. There was a $4 charge for a tiny cup of Parmesan cheese, which was not offered. The server gave us the wrong bill. They took our bread basket away too quickly. Kind of weird. The tables are crammed in very tightly. And the environment is so loud you can't have a normal conversation. Typical Bend effort to squeeze a maximum profit. Not a relaxing vibe.

Excellent dinner at Ken's. It was very busy all the way up until close. We walked in as a 3 top to a wait but they got us in pretty quickly, great vibes. Wonderful pizza

After almost 25 years here in Bend I can finally say we have a great pizza restaurant, great service, great cocktails, great appy's and the pizza was phenomenal!!!

We really enjoyed our time here. This spot is really new so plan on Getting there before they open to line up to get a seat. Our party arrived 10 minutes before they opened and we got the last table. This wood fired pizza is wonderful! We got the Brooklyn and pepperoni and both were fabulous! Ken's has great atmosphere and this is among my top three pizza spots in Bend. Service was friendly and attentive start to finish.

Best pizza I've had. Delicious! We stumbled across it and had an amazing meal, great wine and great service. We actually went back the following evening and it was as good as the first night.

Hate the wait, love the pizza. Wish they were open for lunch, took reservations (or online waitlist), and did takeout orders.

Yummy pizza! Certainly not something I would ever wait over 30 mins for, but I am glad we got to try it. Walked right in on a Monday night, no wait. We got the mushroom pizza and it was delicious, one pie between two people was plenty of food for us. We also got the charred beets which were great.

I'm leaving five stars because everyone I know tells me this place is amazing. The problem is... I can only eat gluten-free and I don't see gluten-free crusts on your menu. Do you have this option? If so... I'll be there every week!

Everything was great, the food, service, ambiance. We had a large party and nobody was disappointed.