Pizza J

This place is literally become my go to place on Tuesday nights for wings and beer! The service is always on point and superfast. Very typical pizza/​pub place. It’s not quite like Julian’s on Broadway but I think that’s why I like it so much. Tuesday’s is 50 Cent wings. The minimum is 10, FYI. I like the laid-​back atmosphere of the place and I always meet great people! The smoked wings are the best, but for me not quite cooked enough so I always order mine well done and they come out perfect!

Amazing food, great staff !
Can’t wait to go back and try all the different pizzas !

One of THE best places on earth he west end. Only competition… Julien’s itself. If you’re looking for a good time, good company and great pizza!!! Check it out 7 nights!

Finally made my way back in to try the pizza and the dine-​in experience. Happy to say that they really hit the mark!
Inside is nice and open, a far cry from the close quarters you find in Julian’s proper. Service is quick, helpful, and attentive too!
For drinks, they’ve got a bunch of rotating craft beers (and cider) on tap, as well as mixed drinks. I noticed that the beers aren’t *quite* as extensive or exotic as the beers at Julian’s. Then again, it’s a pizza place, you don’t have time to appreciate a complex beer while you’re shoving pizza into your gullet. There’s also red hard plastic cups for water in true pizza parlor fashion.
For food, we got the tempura vegetable plate which included tempura mushrooms, cauliflower, zucchini, and onions served with a spicy soy-​based sauce (Vader sauce). It was well-​executed. It was a strange, but tasty start to pizza dinner. After that, we got a pizza that was ½ American Beauty (just cheese+sauce), and ½ Tony Clifton (ricotta, potato, onion, roasted red pepper). We really enjoyed the cheese, but felt like the Tony Clifton needed some more flavors (truffle oil might do wonders, or just some more herbs).
All in all, I’m glad I went back! Given how close it is to my apartment, it’s sure to be a go-​to for me. Chicken parm sandwich still needs more sauce, though (convince me otherwise!).

Friendly staff, great bartenders. Despite having been here a ton for different events, I’ve only had the food once. It was underwhelming.

Right off the bat, Pizza J exudes a very cool, laid back vibe. The employees are genuinely nice and welcoming, mixed with a refreshing sense of humor. As soon as you walk in you can see pizza dough being stretched, thrown, and spun in the air. A nice prelude to the authentic and homemade taste you’re about to experience.
The prices are very fair, with a varied selection of options. We ordered the Strutter (Italian sausage), American Beauty (simply cheese and herbs), and a gluten free pizza. Both the regular pizzas were superb. Dare I say it… The best pizzas in Rhode Island! And I know I have said this once or twice before, but seriously, Pizza J takes the cake (or the pizza?) with the best gluten free crust I have ever tasted! It seems more whole grain and homemade than any of the other seemingly processed crusts I’ve had at other places.
Pizza J really understands the value of a chill place to meet up or take out, while getting a high quality, low cost pizza.

I’ve been here three times in the past month and continue to enjoy it. If your expecting the elegance and charm of Julian’s you won’t get it here. It’s not a fine dining restaurant. It’s a casual pizza place /​bar. It’s a completely different concept and place. I’m fussy with food and a bit of a beer geek so I am tough to make happy. This place makes me happy. Parking lot is small but street parking is available if you need it. Each time we were greeted promptly and helped immediately. Josh behind the bar has always taken care of us and he’s great. He knows his beers and can help you choose one if you are unsure. He makes sure your drinks stay full and your food is correct and that your happy. I have tried a lot of different things there and each one was more delicious than the next. The reviews of uncooked or not good food may have caught them on an off night. They are still fairly new and it always takes a while to get a new staff trained and perfect. I have had wings and they were delicious. Smokey and crispy with lots of sauce on them. The pizza is made right in front of you and is crispy and loaded with toppings. I had the egg rolls and those were crisp with a yummy dipping sauce. I’ve also had grinder and fries from there. The grinder bread was crisp on the outside and fresh on the inside. It had lots of meat. The fries were crispy and heavily seasoned. I had their home made blue cheese dressing to dip in and it was glorious. If your a beer lover they have a lot of craft beers on tap. It changes so you can always try new things. I love this place and will
Continue to go there as often as I can. If you haven’t been yet you need to go soon. Oh and bring me with you.

Should be renamed Pizza S for Pizza Slow! It seems in many reviews people are saying it took 1 – 2 hours to get a pizza. So I went in early before the rush and ordered a pizza at 5:30pm. Only a few other people in there. The pizza arrived at 6:20pm. Unacceptable. Go to Flatbread or Nice Slice and avoid waiting.
Pizza itself was okay. I’ve had better pizzas from a sub shop though.
There’s also a bit of scattered-​ness happening with people not knowing certain things, just not well put together overall. Unlikely to return with better options in PVD.

Issue
I like everything about this place except one important factor, the pizza dough itself is off.
Pizza J, a cool hip spot with a completely open kitchen and pizza oven. They have several craft beers on tap and tout all natural ingredients.
Service was very attentive and friendly and we saw a couple of people that we hadn’t seen in a while so we felt at home.
Our order:
Smoked Wings — delicious
House Salad — big portion, great house dressing
Simple Pepperoni Pizza — Weak
The bartender brings out this square pizza and from first site it looked great. The problem was that the pizza had terrible dough. Very chewy and almost undercooked texture. We ordered our pie well done so we tried to avoid it. I guess I expect a thin crust pizza to have a crispy crust and this pizza didn’t have that.
Tip:
App specials everyday till 6. Great classic movies on the TV’s.
Pizza J is a spot worth checking out, and maybe we just got a bad pizza, but I would like to hear back from other Unilocalers either confirming or denying my take.
Thanks

Here is another fine pizza spot in PVD. If you are a fan of Providence Coal Fire & Flatbread Company then this place will be right up your alley. We came a little later on a Thursday night and the place was busy but not too packed. They have a good beer list and you can get the draft beers in a few different sizes, as well as flights. Our sodas came in the old school red cups that I remember from my childhood. In fact this place is a good mix of childhood pizza night nostalgia and grown up style.
We started with an order of onion rings and they were really good. They use a tempura batter so they were huge and crispy but light and not too greasy. They come with a blue cheese dipping sauce which wasn’t bad but was a bit too gorgonzola-​y for our tastes. But that is probably just our personal preference, we like some blue cheeses just not gorgonzola as much. Since they pulled off a pretty impressive onion ring I’m excited to try some of their other appetizer options. For our pizza we went with half Beautiful Yeti (pork & bbq sauce) & Half Tony Clifton (Potato & Riccota), the Yeti was great and could have eaten a whole pie of just that. The Tony Clifton was good but it was more of a delicate flavor, not as BAM in your face like the Yeti. The pizza is a large square style and very satisfying, we ended up taking some home. Most of the pizzas come in at around $ 16, so not as expensive as some of the other «fancy» pizza places but still just as delicious. I’m not sure if they have overthrown my love for the previously mentioned pizza restaurants but it’s pretty high up there and we will definitely be coming back.
Don’t forget to bring some quarters and check out the arcade games.

830 PM Saturday night, I’m craving a cheese pizza for pick up. Call in and throw in an order. Polite girl on the phone gives me the time for a pick up… matter of fact, no sarcasm: TWO hours. Two hours? Two hours.
Nevermind.

I can’t wait to return! Came here with the food fights wing coupon, got the Thai chili and Green curry-​peanut-​cilantro wings. They were both phenomenal! The craft beer selection is stellar, the atmosphere is fun and hip but low key so you don’t have to worry about your dress code. The pizza looked and smelled amazing which is one reason I need to come back. The bar is large, bartender was super friendly and knew everything about the beers. There was another server that came over to chat about the beers and he seemed very passionate about it as well. Very pleased with our experience and they even have some cool old arcade games in the back.

Pizza J is pretty decent. I didn’t really like the pizza when I went. The crust is kind of bland and unremarkable. The sauce was pretty good though and I like that they have a large amount of options. I got a cheese slice when I came in for the pizza. It looks like you can get way more variety if you get a whole pie. There were lots of attractive looking pie selections, and if I could muster up a group of friends who wanted pizza, I would probably try the pizza again.
So why am I giving Pizza J 4 stars if I don’t even like their pizza all that much? I am so glad you asked.
First of all, I adore the place. I really do. It’s funky like Julian’s is and I LIKE that it’s not cramped or as other people call it «cozy» like Julian’s is. I hope this place gets super slammed in the bar area so it fills out and people can truly appreciate its spaciousness. I love the bar area. I love sitting at the bar especially because the bar counter is wide and huge so you don’t feel like you’re elbow to elbow or in anyone’s business. The beer selections are pretty big and they stock lots of local stuff. It’s a little too dark for me but oh well.
Second, the staff. The staff rules. We have had the same bartender multiple times and he’s the best. He knows the menu incredibly well, is quick to offer suggestions, explains anything that isn’t clear to the customer, and genuinely engages in conversation about the menu.
Third, wing night. Pizza J has a 50 cent wing night (is it Tuesday? Wednesday? I can’t remember). As of when I went last month, this INCLUDES their seitan wings. OK so their seitan wings don’t taste like wings but they DEFINITELY satiate the craving. We tried 6 of the buffalo and 6 of the sweet Thai chili. The buffalo sauce is hot and delightful. But, oh man, that sweet Thai chili. We ordered that one at the recommendation of our bartender and they were awesome. They reminded me of pork spare ribs I used to order at my favorite Chinese food joint in New York and, yes, I am still talking about the seitan.
Fourth, since I wasn’t that into the pizza, I love that they have other options that don’t rock the pizza theme too much. All of their other offerings make sense with a pizza place — grinders, fried appetizers, etc. They have a seitan bahn mi I’m dying to try. It sounded amazing. And the sandwiches at Julian’s are pretty much my favorite thing so I’d imagine they are no different at Pizza J.
Anyway, I like Pizza J as a place to get a brew and some snacks. I hope it turns into a late night spot because the bar really lends itself to a crowd. It’s certainly big enough. And, hey, the pizza isn’t terrible or anything. It just didn’t really hit the spot for me like a NY slice does. But OH BOY those seitan wings, those are another story!

Took my daughter for a pie and some rings… Music was on point… Food was great… Atmosphere was dark and menacing… Staff was almost over attentive but really just concerned. The décor was everything one would expect from a Julian’s concept… (For you travelers from OOT… that would be very NOW). And of course love the three «D» sign out front…
I would return and not flinch to recommend Pizza J.

Love the décor here. friendly staff. The pepperoni slices and burger calzone are good. Pizza slices are a bit expensive. They didn’t have any pizza ready for slices when we arrived. After finding out we wanted slices they asked us both what kind we wanted and made 2 whole pizzas of our preferred kind to cut for slices, so that was nice. Overall, pretty good.

It pains me to give only three stars, but for my own integrity, I unfortunately must.
I will start with what I really like. First of all, the people are great. As soon as I walked in, I dove right into a conversation about holey (as in, they have holes) rain boots with the GM, our waiter was super friendly and I could tell he was willing to go that extra mile, and everyone I encountered was helpful and willing to answer questions.
Secondly, the pizza is good. I dig the big square and the square slices, and the crust is perfect (thin and with good flavor, like true Italian crust but less soggy), and I like the fact they can accommodate GF and vegan diets.
Thirdly, their dedication to local artists is present, just like at Julian’s. They have artists’ work on display on rotation, and I think doing so is an awesome way to support the community – and it’s great to see what people are doing! Plus, a lot of work went into putting the restaurant together; for example, the tables are made from repurposed wood found in the building and in the neighborhood.
The downsides: It feels like a warehouse. I love the cozy intimacy of Julian’s, and that’s missing from Pizza J. The food, while good, is not particularly standout. There are only six pizzas to choose from– (and yet I still couldn’t decide), but I just wasn’t blown away. The apps are on the fried side, although the Italian eggroll is unique and very delicious! Cider isn’t on the drink menu, which is a bummer for non-​beer fans, and the house wines are… okay. And lastly, there were some issues with our order (we ordered a Tony Clifton with meatballs added, but the meatballs weren’t added), which happens sometimes – I don’t judge – but my friends went there and also were given the wrong order. Our waiter was great and brought us a whole new pizza (it really wasn’t necessary!), but I know my friends never did get what they ordered. or even an apology.
In the end, I have no complaints, and I’m sure I’ll be back to this new West Side hang out. But to expect Pizza J to do for pizza what Julian’s does for Brunch may set up a false analogy.

I really wanted to like Pizza J’s more than I did.
The space is a cool conversion of an abandoned garage-​like building. Décor is funky, as you might expect from a Julian’s sister restaurant. I liked the long bench around the wall & the lacquered pallet tables. However, it’s so dark in the dining room that the menu is tough to read. And the movie that was playing flickered constantly making it feel like a strobe light.
We ordered the meat calzone egg rolls. The dipping sauce was quite tasty. The egg rolls themselves were okay — nothing amazing, but a decent vessel for the fillings. Then we shared a margarita pie, which was the special. The crust is good and I like the charring from the oven. However, the toppings were scarce (very tiny dots of cheese and cherry tomatoes chopped small) and the pizza didn’t arrive hot.
It’s still a new spot & I trust things need time to work out any kinks. I’ll give it another try in a month or two and see. Julian’s has always been a solid spot. Hope Pizza J’s will become that too.

Mini-​update: expanded menu, yay!
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Pizza J does a good job straddling the different pizza joint competition in PVD and sells classic pizza combos with a twist. For example, their cheese pizza is the American Beauty (classic red sauce, cheese, herbs), the pepperoni is the Bold & the Beautiful (described as American Beauty with pepperoni) and my personal pick so far is the delicious Pale Moon Rider (white pizza with shaved steak, mushroom, ricotta). It’s pizza that’s tastier than the standard pizza parlors, but is careful to not scare the neighbors off either (despite their «Boo» sign).
To be honest, I was really hoping for a hipster pizza joint similar to the best slice of pizza I ever had in life (the incredible shuttered Great Lake in Chicago) or at least something like Roberta’s in Brooklyn that has delicious artisan pizza with an add-​on ingredient menu so you can customize your pie. I was a little surprised to see that a restaurant named «Pizza J» only has 6 options for pizza while the remainder of the menu is packed with a ton of non-​pizza items like different appetizers and grinders. Pizza J is still brand spanking new, so I’m crossing my fingers that they’ll add more options or allow more topping customization in the future. Just a note for the food allergy/​picky people: gluten free crust and vegan cheese is available.
Otherwise, the bar matches the menu (there’s a mix like Bud Light, craft beers, some nice Belgians, red/​white wine, etc) and the service is nice. The manager Don stopped by and welcomed my groups on my two visits so far to check on us. The space itself is open, airy, with plentiful seating. Lots of local art and they didn’t skimp on the fixtures while keeping some elements to maintain the pizza parlor vibe (like the plastic red cups).
Welcome to the neighborhood Pizza J! Wish you much luck and future success.

Tonight is Pizza J’s first night open. I called and tried to order take out. I was kindly informed they were not able to accommodate take out orders over the phone tonight (perhaps next week), but I could walk in and order to go. And that’s what we did! There is a parking lot in front of the building. There’s not a ton of space, but better than no lot! There were tables and chairs for outdoor seating. They have a counter where they sell by the slice, a decent size seating area, and a bar that sits maybe 8 – 10 people. All the employees were really nice and friendly.
The pizza was good. It’s thin crust. I thought it was a little flimsy, you know the kind of pizza that when you pick it up the end flops down and then all of a sudden all your toppings are sliding down with it? Like that. But, the toppings were all good quality. The pepperoni was thick and appeared to have been cut on the premises. The tomato sauce had a nice flavor. If the crust was crispier it would have been great.
I’m sure there are small kinks to work out, so I plan to return when they’ve been open a bit longer.

Pizza + Julian’s = Pizza J.
Not quite open yet, and plenty of new business kinks to work out, but the preview night was sweet. This place has heart.
Very Julian’s in the kitschy and memorable décor — like the mermaid door handle, star logo in the iron work, stained glass windows, game room, bold colors, and more ornate than necessary marble bathroom.
Menu is eclectic. Italian infusion. Greek infusion. And fusion infusion. Solid beer list with noticable RI representation from Revival, Foolproof, Grey Sail, and Narragansett.
My Tripper pizza was spicier than I was anticipating, but I supposed that’s what you get when you order a pizza with pickled chilies.
Looking forward to the official opening and a working my way through the menu. I hope they add a few more pizzas to the list — and perhaps pizza specials, too. And speed up the service.
High hopes for this spot — great space for groups — indoor and out!