Family owned and operated, Classic Crust Brick Oven Pizza has made a name for itself as a North 32nd community weekly stop. Located in the newly renovated center on the northeast corner of Cactus and Cave Creek, Classic Crust is convenient for those coming home in any direction. With expensive pizza joints popping up throughout the valley, Classic Crust Pizza easily holds its own alongside the swankiest of them. Whether you are looking to dine in or take your order on the go, you will be satisfied and eager to find your way back time after time.
What can you expect from Classic Crust’s menu? The owners, Alex and Angie Geiger were determined to offer the best brick-oven pizza and other Italian favorites without the high prices of other pizza joints in town. You know you are part of the family when you stop by, and Angie makes you feel as if you’re in her own kitchen. Order from their scratch menu and while you wait, Angie will chat you up about her husband Alex. The family has a pizza-making heritage that goes back generations – Alex’s great-grandparents lived in Salerno, Italy and owned the neighborhood pizzeria. The Geiger’s are still using the same recipe that their family has for centuries and use all fresh local ingredients. You could say that good food is in their blood…
Before opening the location, Geiger baked pies in a wood-fired oven mounted on the back of a 1957 Dodge pickup. They may have traded the truck for bricks and mortar but kept the auto theme. The walls of Classic Crust Pizza, a small space remodeled with ample group seating and a small bar, are dotted with artwork of cool old hotrods.
Alex and his wife chose to stick with the basics: pizza, pasta, grinders (subs) and wings. Throw in a few salads and appetizers and you’ve read the whole menu. This means the kitchen can concentrate on doing things right and keeping it fresh.
That being said, we know why we stopped in…the pizzas! Pizzas are cooked to perfection in their New York Brick oven and emerge with a crispy yet chewy crust. If you’re gluten-intolerant, gluten-free pizza and pasta is available. The toppings are abundant. Choose from pepperoni, sausage, meatball, salami, ham beef, chicken, spinach, olives, jalapeños, pepperoncini and more.
Among the dozen signature pizzas, the Fat Tony is a standout: homemade marinara sauce, spicy crumbled sausage, roasted red peppers, basil and fresh ricotta. Other favorites include the Bacon Baller white pie, which features meatballs, bacon and ricotta, and the Angry Hawaiian with Canadian bacon, pineapple and jalapeño. All the pizzas are delicious and come in several sizes (12-inch personal, 12-inch gluten-free, 14-inch, 16-inch, 18-inch, or by the slice for $2.95). They are now also serving local craft beer, to wash it all down.
To be fair we have to touch on the desserts. Aside from the familiar go-to treats of cheesecake and cannoli’s, you must try the zeppole (fried dough balls). You may notice something familiar about them; these are the same puffs of dough used in making Garlic Knots, however for this signature dessert, Classic Crust tosses theirs in powdered sugar and tops them with delectable organic agave nectar.
Classic Crust Brick Oven Pizza is located at 2150 E Cactus Rd., Phoenix and open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. To reach them by phone call 602-996-1025. Or, order online at www.classiccrustaz.com. Make sure to check out their online specials!
