What Is Cleveland-Style Pizza?

Somewhere between paper-thin New York pie and Chicago deep-dish, Cleveland-style pizza has found its footing. But even among Northeast Ohio pizza makers, there is disagreement on exactly what qualifies.

One of the earliest mentions is in a 1985 postcard from Santino’s Pizza, formerly in Seven Hills. Owner David Jakupca pens it as “backwards” pizza, starting with cheese, toppings and then sauce, to preserve a crispy, round crust. Mama Roberto’s in Mentor, which legally holds the trademark for Cleveland Style Pizza, has offered that take since 1999.

The hometown recipe hit the national zeitgeist in a 2011 Facebook post,  when Michael Symon said his favorite Cleveland-style pizza is 1956-classic Geraci’s Restaurant, the University Heights-based chain that represented the hometown pie on TV’s Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives. Master Pizza owner Michael LaMarca, whose 1955 takeout spot has grown to 15 locations, also presented the dish as captain of the Pizza World Championships’ U.S. team and as a winner on Hulu’s Best in Dough in 2022. Those restaurants use a sauce-first approach.

There are a few things they all agree on, however. 

The first is the crust, which is bready and “middle-of-the-road thickness,” says Symon. A healthy serving of sauce is heartier and packed with garlic and herbs, such as oregano and basil. And whether piled on top or underneath, the cheese is sharp, provolone or Romano, sometimes mixed with mozzarella. Those offer a “deeper flavor,” says LaMarca.

Following these tenets, it’s hard to go wrong. Now, which one is best? That’s for you to decide.

“People ask me, ‘What’s the best pizza?’” Mama Roberto’s owner Rick Rhein says. “It always will be the one that you like.”

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