New Phoenix bar with huge New York-style pizzas has us hooked

When a new spot opens in town, we’re eager to check it out, let you know our initial impressions, share a few photos, and dish about some menu items. First Taste, as the name implies, is not a full-blown review, but instead, a peek inside restaurants that have just opened – an occasion to sample a few items and satisfy curiosities (both yours and ours).

Grand Avenue has always been a bit off-kilter. The street cuts diagonally across Phoenix’s neatly plaited grid. Near downtown, art galleries, cafes, quirky shops and tattoo parlors sit in historic, low-slung buildings next to heavy-hitting, lauded restaurants. Amid the eclectic neighborhood’s changing landscape, pizza has been a constant since 2014.

But after SnapBack Pizzeria closed in January 2025, the area became a slice shop desert. Late this summer, a well-known pizzaiolo returned to downtown Phoenix to change that. 

Justin Piazza built a reputation for slinging stellar pizza in the Valley as co-owner of the acclaimed but now-shuttered Glendale restaurant, La Piazza Al Forno, and its sibling pie shops in downtown Phoenix and Avondale. After working in Southern California, Piazza is back in town and helming the deck ovens at his latest project, Grandioso.

The small shop on Grand Avenue and McKinley Street feels like a neighborhood dive bar with the aesthetic of a tattoo parlor. Hand-painted street art, which doubles as signs, covers walls inside and out. The red lettering on the glass doorway encourages diners to “support your neighborhood dough dealer.” Glittering pinstripes and hands in prayer, clutching both a rosary and a slice, detail the bar top.

On a recent weekend, we stepped inside to find a line to order at the counter. People shot pool and sipped from cans of Pabst Blue Ribbon and local IPAs, while others sat at the bar and tucked into slices served on paper plates. People flitted in and out with to-go orders. The DJ, stationed on a riser in front of one of the pizzeria’s windows, played Eminem and Digital Underground. 

Customers can scan one of the QR codes around the bar and on tables to browse the menu. Currently, Grandioso features nine pies. La Piazza fans will find throwbacks, including the meaty Italian Stallion and the white pie, Bianca. At Grandioso, both carry new names: The Gran Dioso and White Iverson. Baked wings, garlic knots and a salad round out the offerings.

What to order at Grandioso

We pulled up stools at a high-top set between the pool table and a sparkly vinyl loveseat built into a Grand Avenue-facing window. Our O.G. pie arrived first. The massive 18-inch New York-style pizza ($28) mistakenly came in a carryout box. Given the size, we were bound to ask for one anyway.

Picking up a wide slice, it flopped downward. That’s partly because of the sheer size, but also because of the generous dollop of ricotta weighing down each piece. The pie is also adorned with rich, zesty soppressata, peppery arugula and hot honey. Sure, sweet-and-spicy combinations appear in countless dishes, but the arugula brings the right balance of fresh, unexpected bitterness that gives the hot honey purpose beyond trendiness. 

The dough is thin and chewy, with a crust that balloons around the pie, thick as a breadstick. The crisp, caramel-colored crust’s crunchy outer edge gives way to a fluffier center. 

In a town with so much outstanding Neapolitan-style pizza, more New York-style pies are a welcome addition. Grandioso is up to the task. 

On a future visit, we might skip the wings ($8 for six). It’s unfair to compare a baked wing to a fried version, but it’s also inevitable.

To Piazza’s credit, his kitchen made some of the better baked wings we’ve had. Even so, the skin had only a mild snap, and some fat hadn’t fully rendered, making some bites chewy.  Chefs toss Grandioso’s chicken in classic or creative sauces, including a spicy, umami-laden hot honey and chili crisp.

Grandioso’s offerings aren’t yet as expansive as Piazza had planned. On our visit, only New York-style pies and slices were available, though Roman pies have been occasionally advertised as well. When speaking with Phoenix New Times ahead of the pizzeria’s opening, Piazza also promised Detroit- and tavern-style versions.

We’d gladly venture back to try any of those pizzas. Though it may not be the table-service pizza joint former Glendale patrons knew, the casual spot would be an easy place to fuel up before or after a concert downtown. 

This slice of Grand Avenue has gone more than a year without a pizza peddler. Now, this funky neighborhood has a new go-to for a cheesy late-night bite.

Grandioso Pizzeria

1229 Grand Ave.