Award Winning Wood Fired Pizza

Imagine a pizza so perfectly crafted that it makes you question every other slice you’ve ever eaten – a harmonious blend of spicy salami, molten mozzarella, and honey drizzled with the precision of a Renaissance painter finishing their masterpiece.

Old Scratch Pizza & Beer in Dayton has created such a revelation with their Angry Beekeeper pizza, a sweet-heat flavor bomb that has Ohio residents planning road trips across the state just for a taste.

Photo credit: Allena I.

The unassuming exterior of Old Scratch gives little indication of the culinary wizardry happening inside its walls.

A simple gray brick building with a glowing neon arrow sign might not scream “destination dining,” but that’s part of its charm – like finding a secret passage to flavor country that only the initiated know about.

Step through the doors and the industrial-chic interior unfolds before you – soaring ceilings, exposed ductwork, and the unmistakable perfume of wood smoke and melting cheese hanging in the air.

The space hums with conversation and laughter bouncing off concrete floors and wooden community tables, creating an atmosphere that feels both energetic and welcoming.

At the heart of the restaurant stand the mighty wood-fired ovens, their flames visible from nearly every seat in the house.

Photo credit: Rebecca Franklin

These aren’t just cooking appliances – they’re time machines connecting modern diners to ancient traditions, reaching temperatures of 900 degrees to transform simple dough into blistered, bubbling works of art in mere minutes.

The heat radiates across the room, a primal cooking method that speaks to something deep in our collective culinary DNA.

These ovens aren’t just for show – they’re the secret behind what makes Old Scratch’s pizzas worth crossing county lines (or even state lines) to experience.

The menu at Old Scratch reads like a love letter to pizza possibilities, balancing traditional offerings with creative combinations that push the boundaries of what pizza can be.

Their Neapolitan-inspired approach respects tradition while making room for innovation, resulting in pies that feel both familiar and surprising.

The aforementioned Angry Beekeeper stands as their signature achievement – a masterclass in contrast and balance.

The spicy salami brings heat, the fresh mozzarella offers creamy richness, the basil adds herbal brightness, and the house-made hot honey ties everything together with sweet, spicy complexity.

It’s the kind of pizza that ruins you for lesser versions, the flavor equivalent of upgrading to first class and then being asked to return to economy.

For purists, the Margherita serves as the ultimate benchmark – tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, romano, and olive oil.

Simple ingredients that have nowhere to hide, revealing the true skill of the pizzaiolos crafting each pie.

The crust emerges from those roaring ovens with the perfect balance of chew and crisp, leopard-spotted with char that adds complexity rather than bitterness.

The Mt. Scratch pizza showcases tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, basil, housemade meatballs and Calabrian chilis – a spicy, savory combination that demonstrates how thoughtfully selected ingredients can elevate the humble pizza to extraordinary heights.

For those who prefer their pizzas without red sauce, the Shroomin’ combines forest mushrooms, fresh mozzarella, roasted garlic, thyme, and white truffle oil – an earthy, aromatic experience that might have you closing your eyes to fully appreciate the depth of flavor.

The Blanco pizza brings together tomato, fresh mozzarella, ricotta, and thyme for a white pizza that’s simultaneously delicate and satisfying.

The Angry Beekeeper pizza—where spicy salami meets sweet honey in a relationship more harmonious than most Hollywood marriages. Those char marks aren’t accidents; they’re flavor badges. Photo credit: Ry C.

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