Published by Jeremy. Last Updated on August 27, 2020.
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Driftwood Oven was a popular Pittsburgh food truck until early 2018 when the owners decided to ditch the wagon and open a brick and mortar restaurant right in the heart of Lawrenceville.
We were always big fans of this particular pizza as, well, who could say no to mobile brick oven pizza? We were a bit bummed to find out they wouldn't be at our favorite breweries moving forward, but were also excited to see how they'd expand their pizza into a traditional restaurant concept.
They didn't disappoint.
Everything You Love About Driftwood, But Bigger
At first glance, the pizza menu at Driftwood Oven reads a lot like their food truck menu- all of the favorites are available rather than just a selection. So if you've fallen in love with this spot over the years while they were mobile, the restaurant will do right by what you remember.
The only notable difference is that their pizzas are now 16″- a fair bit larger than the single serving size from the food truck. This is good, because as your eyes progress along the menu you'll then notice the $19-$26 price tag and are surely to be met with a bit of sticker shock.
As we were dining out with friends, we opted to grab two pies as well as cuts of their Sicilian to give them a try all at once.
The first pie we sampled was the classic red which came topped with mozzarella, tomato sauce, pecorino, and basil. As far as standard pizzas go, the crust on this one stands out and is complimented well by the sauce.
While we know that all the ingredients at this shop are local and top quality, we didn't quite get the flavor punch out of the cheese that we would've liked (especially considering the pizza was $19- a solid premium over other pizzas in the city).
All things being equal, however, the red pie was still delicious.
If you're in the mood to go all out, the Major Tom is a white pizza that contains herbed ricotta, mozzarella, fresh garlic, finocchiona (a salami that contains ample fennel) and is topped with morita chili oil.
Although this one is Driftwood's most expensive pie (clocking in at $26 when we visited), the flavors were bordering on the unreal and is the kind of pie we'll seek out on almost every single visit.
Who knew a pizza topped with salami containing fennel could be so perfectly balanced? We certainly didn't.
We also tried a few of the “Omi's Slices” which are thick Sicilian style cuts that are rather large in serving size, fairly affordable at $3.50-$5 each, and do a stellar job at highlighting the baking capabilities of the Driftwood team (seriously, the crust is about as perfect as they come).
If the price tags of the large pizzas turn you off, the Omi's Slices are much more affordable and do a great job showcasing what the team at Driftwood are capable of.
Going beyond the pizzas, Driftwood Oven also offers salads and sandwiches made with pizza bianca- something we're looking forward to trying in the future after being impressed by Omi's slice.
Overall, the pizzas are the high quality pies you know and expect from Driftwood Oven. While the price tag may give you reason to pause, their size ensures that the pizza is large enough for two and is a worthy splurge for the quality you get in return.
As far as Pittsburgh pizzas are concerned, we'll take this one any day.
Driftwood Oven is located at 3615 Butler street in Lawrenceville.
