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The Pizzeria Boom of 2021 seems to have no sign of slowing down, as Pacific Crust Pizza joins the ever-growing roster of new pizza shops. The Willamette Week broke the news that the pizzeria — from restaurant group Independent Restaurant Concepts — quietly moved to its new location on October 29 in the space formerly home to chef Vitaly Paley’s the Crown, downtown at the base of the Hotel Lucia. Originally a takeout-only shop on Alberta, the pizzeria now features indoor and outdoor dining, as well as takeout and delivery, in a space decked out in Pacific Northwestern camping vibes.
In a city bursting with pizza shops new and old, Pacific Crust Pizza distinguishes itself by leaning hard into a Pacific Northwestern theme, using ingredients like elk and fennel sausage, local mushrooms, blue cheese, and local salmon lox playfully coined “Cascade lox.” Customers can find familiar styles — pepperoni, Hawaiian made with Tails and Trotters ham, elk sausage and mushroom, and plain cheese — or opt for more creative fare like the Traverse, made with blue cheese, truffles, corn, and black pepper honey.
More than just the pies, which are made with slow-rise dough, the Northwestern outdoors theme continues with s’mores, trail mix cookies, local brews, and — most dramatically — the space itself. Visitors to the shop are greeted by a 10-foot tall Bigfoot outside carrying skis. Inside features massive canvas tents, under which diners can enjoy slices, lunch specials, and a happy hour. Landscape murals adorn the windows and art hangs by carabineers along the walls, all adding up to a distinct theme of outdoor life in the Pacific Northwest.
Pacific Crust Pizza is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily at 400 SW Broadway, giving the downtown crowd new lunch, dinner, happy hour, and late night options for dining. It also offers delivery.
