party room

In the Dayton suburb of Franklin, one pizza reigns supreme, Pisanello’s Pizza .  This restaurant has quietly been spinning out pies for the past 30 years.  Inside the community of Franklin, they have gained a loyal, cult following.  Pisanello’s makes hundreds of pizzas each weekday and thousands of pizzas on the weekends.   Outside of Franklin, this place is a well-kept secret.  But now, The Food Adventure Crew is letting the masses know about this.

One of their biggest attractions, literally, is the Reaper Pizza  – a 34 inch monster with your choice of toppings.  They even have an eating challenge called the “Reaper Challenge” where 2 people must eat the pizza in 30 minutes to succeed.  But we say, order the Reaper pizza with a group and let the Food Adventure begin!

Now to learn a little bit about the Pisanello’s secret….

 

HERE’S THE SKINNY on PISANELLO’S PIZZA:

—Pisanello’s Pizza started in Alliance Ohio in the early 1960’s.  It branched out to Kent, Ohio and eventually Bowling Green, Ohio, in October 1964.   Jerry Liss, of Kent, Ohio, started the Bowling Green business  after working for Ron Pisanello.   Jerry chose Bowling Green, because of the growing student population of Bowling Green State University.  With his wife Sylvia, they ran the store for 50 years, to great success. It is still a success today.

—With over 15 franchises in Ohio and Michigan, the chain is strong.

— The Franklin Pisanellos is celebrating their 35th year in business.  Owner Tom Combs and Marketing director Bruce Horstman run a well oiled machine.  Busy weekends are no problem, as the staff is always hustling with great service.

— Staying with a family theme and atmosphere, no alcohol is sold or allowed on site.

— The pizza dough is made from scratch every day and the sauce is made in-house, with the famous San Marzano brand tomatoes from Italy.

— Sharing the restaurant with sister company TLC Catering, Pisanello’s hosts parties in any of the 3 floors of their building and the party rooms are incredible.

 

MUST EATS at PISANELLO’S PIZZA:

—THE REAPER PIZZA:
Behold the Masterpiece. This behemoth, 34 inch pizza is sliced into squares, although you can ask for pie slices. The one topping Reaper starts at $34.95 and the deluxe gets up to $54 bucks. You can get up to 4 different sections with different toppings.

—SPICY ASIAN WINGS:
An amazing combo of tang and heat, these are the best wings we have had at a pizza joint in the Dayton area. Although they are baked, they maintain a crisp crunch and stay true to the Buffalo Wing style.

—LOADED TATER TOTS:
Who doesn’t love tater tots? Jackie and Ragu devoured these on the spot during our visits. Get them loaded with cheese and bacon. Sour cream? YES ! or…. dip them in ranch or ketchup !

—ANY PIZZA:

We were very impressed with the pizza on our visits. They have a nice selection of toppings and we have loved our pies from cheese, to loaded deluxe. The Hand tossed is our favorite style, aka the traditional style. Great Crust, great sauce, the foundations of what makes great pizza, and they have excelled at both.

—MILD WINGS:
The slight tang to the Buffalo Wing. Mild, yet a bit of flavor, this is the perfect wing to compliment pizza. They are great, and you could eat ton of them.

—CHEESEY BREAD:
A must eat appetizer at Pisanellos.The cheese topped crust is great for dipping and savoring. A solid choice to open the meal.

—KIDS MAKE YOUR OWN PIZZA OPTION:
The most fun a kid can have is making their own pizza, right? This is an ingenious meal where they serve the kids raw ingredients, of crust, cheese, and sauce, and the child makes their own pizza. You then give the pizza uncooked to the server who pops it in the oven and in a few minutes, the kiddos are eating their own creations.

Don’t forget the pizza by the slice deal “2 huge slices and a drink for $5.95.”  

Also, we cannot stress enough the amazing beauty of this building.  The upstairs floor are refurbished party rooms.  They are perfect for your next meeting or get together.

So many great tastes, so little time.  Although this place has been here 35 years, so you have all the time in the world….

The bottom line is that this is a great pizza pub, with delicious pies.  Go there with some friends and try the REAPER… or go with your immediate family and get a pizza of your choice.  We are sure you will find it a tasty stop with friendly service.  It isn’t just Franklin’s little secret anymore ….

Love food?  Then check Food Adventures out on Facebook HERE.  We write a feature article every week right here on Dayton Most Metro.  See you next week !