Opened in the summer of 2022, the Upper Arlington Pizza Club has quickly become a UA favorite pizza spot. If you love the Midwest (like we all do), this place is a perfect pizza dinner spot for you and your family. Offering both “Midwest” and “New York” style pizzas, the UA pizza club essentially covers all bases in terms of pizza, and that’s not even sarcastic. Boasting an Upper Arlington theme and being an employer of many high school students, the UA Pizza Club is a place for an enjoyable night out.
Located at 2102 Tremont Center, the story of the location of UA Pizza Club is one that needs to be told. Until January 2024, the Old Bag of Nails Pub was located right next door to the Pizza Club. The two places shared and still share an owner, although the Old Bag of Nails relocated to a larger, more modern location near the Kingsdale Shopping Center. The vacancy left by the pub will allow the UA Pizza Club to expand tremendously; a larger seating area and a larger kitchen will allow the place to grow by all means. The main problem with the Upper Arlington Pizza Club is that they are just too small for how successful they’ve become; a larger space will solve a lot of their problems.
They offer three different types of pizza: a 14-inch Midwest Style ($16.50), a 14-inch New York Style Pizza ($16.50), and a 10-inch Cauliflower Crust ($11). They offer an assortment of toppings varying in cost as well as Ritzy’s Ice Cream. The food being a little expensive and having no choice of size are notable setbacks, but it’s important to remember that this is a relatively small establishment that is soon to grow. The small size of the restaurant adds to its intrigue, however; the place is intimate and cozy with red brick walls, little fairy lights, and plush cushions in booths. It does have a particularly unique home-like feeling.
I ordered both the Midwest and New York Style Pizza. On both, I had half the pie just cheese because cheese is the best way to compare pizzas. Then, assorted on the other half of both pizzas was a combination of ghost pepper cheese, green peppers, pineapple, and tomatoes. Weird toppings, I know, but I desire to expand my palate. The pizzas themselves were crispier, close to crunchy but not quite. I like it like that though, because I think that too much flop on a pizza can get in the way of enjoying yourself. Also, I liked the Midwest style more than the NY; with a lot of small pieces of pizza, it feels like you can just eat as many as you want because eating a small piece takes just two bites. But with a normal pie of pizza, like the New York style, if you’re approaching the threshold where you can’t eat any more, committing to a full-size slice of pizza is a large commitment; there’s pressure on you to finish the slice, whereas, with the Midwest, you can just do your best and forget the rest.
Additionally, the toppings added a bit of fun to the meal. The ghost pepper cheese and green peppers weren’t spicy at all but added a nice tang. I ordered the pineapple and tomatoes together, which I thought would be an interesting mix, and I was right. I had never tried pineapple on pizza, and I don’t see what all the arguing is about. It’s okay; nothing special, but not so horrible the way people make it out to be. You can’t see the pineapple and tomato pizza in the picture because it came later in the meal. Instead, that pepperoni pie belonged to a friend.
All in all, the Upper Arlington Pizza Club was just a nice place. A cozy and familiar environment, straightforward pizza, and a friendly staff make my decision easy: The UA Pizza Club is Ali Approved.
