Best Pizza in Hood River: How to Choose and Rate

The best pizza in Hood River depends on the style: wood-fired and brick-fired pies both have fans, and the Best in town question in the Mosey app asks where the best pizza is near you. The waterfront has both. Call for hours and menus before you go.

A town with a river, a wind sport crowd and a brewery on every other corner eats a lot of pizza. Here is how to judge a pie and how pizza fits a beer and a windy afternoon.

What does the best pizza in Hood River depend on?

On what you want. A wood-fired pie with a blistered crust suits a sit-down dinner, a brick-fired New Haven style pie with a char crust suits a pint, and a slice suits a quick lunch. There is no single best, and the answer shifts with the weather, the company and the hour. Judge the crust first: it should be chewy inside, crisp at the base and spotted with char. Sauce should be bright, cheese should melt without pooling, and toppings should be restrained.

What is Hood River wood-fired pizza?

Pizza baked in a wood-burning oven at very high heat, in a couple of minutes. A good pie has a blistered, chewy crust and bright sauce, and Hood River kitchens often top it with the valley's fruit, such as cherries or pears. Check the current menu before you plan a meal around a particular pie.

Where can you find Hood River pizza by the slice?

A slice is the right call when time is short, such as before a session on the water or after a hike. Order a slice and a side salad, and eat it on a bench.

What about Hood River pizza and beer?

Some downtown taprooms serve brick-fired pies with a char-crusted edge, which is a natural partner for a Gorge beer after a day on the river. A lager or a pale ale suits a cheese pie, a hoppy IPA suits a spicy sausage and a malty amber goes with mushrooms. The breweries guide covers the rest of the beer scene.

What is the Best in town question?

It is one of the quick questions in the Mosey app. It asks, in plain words, where the best pizza in your town is. You pick a place, give it stars and the app tells you that you put a place on the map. It is built for towns with few ratings, and every answer helps the next person find somewhere good. The same set asks about coffee, brunch, burgers, bakeries and more.

Why is a dish rating better than a vote?

A vote says a place is good. A rating says why. "The margherita, thin crust, plenty of char, shared among four, a windy Friday in June" lets another diner order the same pie. Add the tags that fit: Pizza, Outdoor seating (shown as Patio on a US phone), Family Friendly, Dog-Friendly, Vegetarian and Gluten-Free. People filter by tags, and they only help when raters apply them honestly.

How do you compare pizza without an argument?

Use a list. Rate every pie you eat, put the places in a list called Hood River pies and add a line on the crust. Invite friends to add theirs, and like or save lists you want to keep. When you have rated three or more pizza places, the app can offer to turn them into a list with every place ticked, which you can trim and share.

What practical points are worth knowing?

Pizza places fill after a session on the water and on Friday nights. Call ahead for a large table. Takeout is quick. For dogs on patios, see the dog-friendly guide, and for a refuel after a session, the windsurfing guide. More towns are in the US food guides.

What toppings suit the valley?

Pears, cherries, apples and local cheese appear on pies in season, and sausage, mushrooms and greens fill the savory side. A pear pie with blue cheese and arugula is a fall classic, and a cherry pie with a salty meat is a summer one. Keep it simple at first and add one unusual pie to share. Local flavors are the point.

How do you share pizza with a crowd? Order one pie per two people and a salad, and have the table decide on toppings together. Cut the slices small so that everyone can taste everything. Ask for a few extra napkins and plates. If you are feeding children, a plain cheese pie is a safe base.

What if you cannot decide? Order a half-and-half pie, or two small ones, and compare. Ask the person at the counter what they would eat. The answer is often more honest than any list, and a good kitchen is proud to recommend.

For the rest of the state, start at the Food in Oregon page.

If a group is deciding where to go for pizza, each person can add a place to a shared Mosey list and the group can compare ratings by the dish before anyone leaves the house.

Tonight, download the Mosey app, answer the pizza question honestly and rate your last pie by name.