Lucy Blue Pizza
Cincinnati is an interesting pizza town. Our claim to fame, as it were, is regional chain LaRosa’s. Its success cannot be denied, but surf any Reddit thread or Facebook thread discussing Cincinnati pizza, and you’ll find a particular disdain for our hometown pizzeria, with most negative comments saying it’s overrated, the sauce is too sweet, or it smells of feet/vomit. Yes really.
Our other regional chain with some notoriety is Dewey’s, a more “upscale” style pizza joint that appeals to hipsters and families. The seasonal Tito Santana taco pizza is a revelation. Dewey’s also has its detractors citing price as the main complaint.
The rest of the scene is local chains like Angilos and Grammas serving serviceable “homestyle” pizzas and steak hoagies, a handful of wood-fired pizza places, and an even smaller handful of New York-style pie places. And of course national chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut.
Among the crowded scene is Lucy Blue. A local micro chain with two locations serving something between Angilo’s and Dewey’s. Lucy Blue built it reputation with pizza windows in downtown and Mt. Lookout. More recently, their two locations are in the suburbs of Anderson Township and in the always-happening Over the Rhine area in the urban basin.
Lucy Blue’s menu skews more toward Dewey’s than Gramma’s. Just two pages featuring standard pizzas and expected toppings, fresh salads, a few sandwiches including the requisite steak hoagie and a few appetizers. Missing is the litany of fried items that crowd Angilo’s and Grammas menus. The focus here is on freshness and simplicity.
And fresh is what you get. In spades. Every item we’ve tried has been fresh and high quality. The crust is bready and structurally sound. The sauce is fresh and tomatoey. The cheese has a bite and pull that you’d expect from higher quality pizza kitchens. Toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and veggies all seem high quality and tasty.
The steak hoagie is much better than the sloppy, buttery messes you get at most places. The meat was tasty and the toppings were crisp and plentiful.
The breadsticks were very good. They were short but heavy and flavorful, and the sauce accompanying them was chunky and flavorful. The salad was bright, green and fresh!
There is a tiny spicy bite to everything, including the delicious ranch dressing.
Overall, Lucy Blue is an excellent option among Cincinnati’s many pizza spots. The food is fresh and tasty.
