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You know, I like this place mainly because of the beer they have on tap. You can't dispute that it is a great variety. They have some old stand by's like Sam Adams and Anchor but this time they really pumped up the IPA taps.
Service is sometimes hit or miss but the other day it was pretty good. The bathrooms are clean and that is a good thing because it is a pretty run down place with swamp cooler.
Pizza is good and so are the salads.
Beware that when U of A is in full student mode this place gets busy!
This place looks divey, and that's just the way i like it. The pizza is true chicago style, and packs enough mass to it that one slice can knock me out (usually a 2-3 slicer).
They also have quite an assortment of beer's on tap.
The only drawback which is why I'm giving 3 stars instead of 4 is that the pizza/service takes a looooong time, so don't walk in starving hoping to be satisfied right away!
Giving a holler for sit down service is cute but not when it's necessary.
While the thick-crust pizza is enjoyable, I had the worst waitress I have ever had. She was nice but completely incompetent. It took about 30 minutes for her to notice my companion and I was sitting there. That was unacceptable on her part and the restaurant management as well for seeing a couple an empty table that long without intervening. The only thing the server did right was take our food to us when it was still hot. Otherwise, she paid no attention. My drink was empty the whole time. After my meal was finished, she was nowhere to be seen to give me the check. After telling her to get it, it took too long for her to actually bring it to the table. Once we provided the credit card, we waited about 20 minutes before I had to get up from the table and search for her in the restaurant. She misplaced it and we had to wait even longer for her to find it. What should have been a 40-minute dinner at most took about 2 hours.
The cheesy bread was simply cheesy bread with some garlicky flavor. Simple and delicious, though texturally boring. The pizza was a standard Hawaiian with toppings like pineapple and ham. Everything melded well and the slices were intensely satisfying. It needed less salt and more flavor though. The ingredients also did not taste as fresh as they should have been.
I might give this place another try one day, but the service has scarred me. It was busy when I visited, but 40-minutes without a greeting after being seated is simply unacceptable. It will be hard getting me back in here though since Tucson has other superior pizzerias with better pizza and much better service.
I am from Chicago & I LOVE this pizza! Totally reminds me of home. The only way it could be any better is if the sauce was a tad sweeter. The decor here leaves something to be desired but I really don't care much about the furniture. The sausage was spiced just right! We ordered the t Rex & an athenian the pie was huge! The feta on the athenian was awesome! Our bill was $54 for 2 huge pies & 4 PINTS of beer & water all around the table as well as another glass of beer. A great price & amazing pizza. We lived alllllll the beer options too! I will def make the drive from phoenix to eat here again soon!
If you want to wait an hour for a mediocre pizza that's so rich you feel like you're going to die, then GO TO ZACHARY's!!!!!
The best darn pizza in Tucson. Period. Thick, juicy, smack your lips good. Want "thin and crispy?" Try Magpie's or Blackjack's down the street.
All these comparisons to "authentic Chicago" this, or "deep-dish" that, c'mon folks, you don't come to Tucson to compare pizza to the motherland of all pizza! Just like I wouldn't walk into a Mexican restaurant in the windy city and expect Cafe Poca Cosa quality.
Zachary's is soooooo Tucson. Gritty baby, rustic...that's the way we like it here!
This is a Tucson staple. I would like to highlight some facts. This is not a chain, PERIOD. I will not debate whether the pizza is Chicago Deep Dish or Chicago style - lets just be neutral and call it Deep Dish OR Thick Crust Pizza - OK?
The selection of Micro-Brews is impressive and abundant. The price is unbeatable - basically $4.50 for 20 ounces. You can roll here and get tipsy for a small price even if you don't get some food - fa realz.
I am sensitive to salt in my older age and I have to say, there meat and olives are very salt-ridden. I feel like a slug later on in the night when I eat here and actually have some swelling in my joints. So be forewarned to mix some H20 with your meal and beers.
The Portions are more than generous and I have never eaten more than 2 slices. The sauce and cheese is just right, but sometimes the crust can be a little soft if it is a busy night - so ask for it a little crispy and say you don't mind the wait. The prices for these pies are truly a great deal, I mean you basically get breakfast and lunch from a large after dinner. Really a great value - like $18.50 for a large Z - with sausage, pepperoni, onions.
The Service. Last weekend was the best service I had from this place, but it has always been spotty by the waitresses who always seem at least 5'9 and vary in skill level. Funny thing I heard heading towards the bathroom "Those kids ordered a pitcher of Bud Light and none of them had ID, can I still serve them pizza?"
The Furniture becomes less and less cute as you get older. Small chairs, freakin' picnic benches and bar stools held together by acts of god. this needs to be updated, it is no longer part of the charm.
Cleanliness. The men's bathroom has always been clean when I used it, and stocked appropriately. My silverware and glasses have been clean and I have not seen any bugs.
The rear patio is overrated, the service is not better because it is closer to the kitchen - it is worse.
Overall, if in Tucson - you need to try it, but be prepared to invest an hour and a half and do not complain when it gets loud - it will be packed.
PARKING - after 6pm it is free in an adjacent U of A parking lot, before that be prepared to huff it from a side street and most likely pay a parking meter.
Okay pizza here is good, yet it is not awesome.. People seem to be led astray because their pizza's are huge. This place is definitly slowly going down hill. I been here for awhile and each time i go (i dont know why i keep going back) its worse than before. Also every time i go, i get sick...really sick...on the toilet all day sick. I thought it was a coincidence, but it isn't. I am not that big a fan of this place. Its nice for being close to campus, but otherwise *snooze* i will pass. Don't get me wrong the pizza tastes good, but i'd rather get good pizza else where.
also the times i go, i get a snobby waitress, maybe they all have a bad day on the days i go, but makes me think its not a good place to work.
Bathrooms here need to be mentioned because...i won't go pee here and i just stand up to pee!! Really dirty...but i guess what place in tucson isnt?
Ambience: 4/5 (Zachary's is a run-down hole in the wall, there is no question about that, but it pulls it off somehow and it actually adds to the charm; not a good place for a first date, but a great place to go out with a group of college friends for beer and pizza)
Food: 3/5 (full disclosure: I am biased toward thin crust and there is no such thing as thin crust at Zachary's; you either get the regular (deep dish) pan style (which I recommend) or you get the "thin" pan-style (which is not thin at all and which I do not recommend since the former is much tastier; still, despite my bias, I will admit that Zachary's deep-dish pizza has a unique taste that I think is the best deep-dish in Tucson; but it's just got so much cheese on it that after one slice I've usually had enough; I recommend the Athenian specialty pizza; it's the best on the menu)
Service: 2/5 (friendly staff, but the service is very slow; I've been here 4 times and each time it took one hour for our pizza to come out, which is ridiculously long regardless of how thick the crust is)
Value: 4/5 (given the mass of each slice, you can easily feel content with 1, feel full with 2, and learn what gluttony is on 3, so given that their prices are average, you're actually getting a pretty good deal)
Verdict: despite my dislike for thick crust pizza, I admit that Zachary's has a good pie; I like the hole-in-the-wall ambience, which is ideal for groups; I don't like how much cheese they put on the pizza, which makes me feel sick and guilty afterward; but I'll be back in the future nonetheless
Awesome food! Definitely agree that it looks shady from the outside but the beer selection is great and the food was delicious. My friend got a salad that was kind of wacky, probably 75% cabbage but its a pizza place and the pizza was delicious.
Service was alright, maybe a little slow but the staff is enthusiastic and very friendly. Another thing worth noting, the pizzas take about 35 minutes so order right when you get there and get a beer or two while waiting.
The crust is definitely the best part of the pizza and tastes buttery and delicious. Our group ordered the Big Z and nixed the mushrooms. We (3 girls, 1 guy) ordered the 18 in. pie and each took home at least one slice so beware of how filling the think crust is!
Either way, definitely check this place out! It's walking distance from the UA and I'm sad I didn't know about it when I was living in the dorms...
buon appetite!
I work really close to Zach's pizza and think that it's certainly a pizza experience apart from what you get normally in Tucson.
They serve really deep dish style pizza's, not Chicago style if you're looking for that. They serve by the slice or by the whole pizza, but whatever you order, the wait time is going to be a bit long so plan for that if you're going to eat Zach's--after all, a thick pizza takes a while longer to cook. Their lunch special is fantastic: a salad, a drink (or dollar off a beer), and a slice of pizza for just over $5.00. My vegan friends have complained that they make their sauce with meat in it so keep that in mind if you or your friends are strict vegans or vegetarians.
The serving staff come across a little rough around the edges at first, but have become a treat along with the restaurant as I visited more. A good and seasonal beer selection is available, outside or inside seating.
Let's get one thing straight, this is NOT true Chicago-style pizza. It does, however, possibly get the closest in Tucson, but that doesn't say a lot.
With that said, the pizza here is not bad. I thought it tasted good. I also felt like the HUGE slice they give you with the thick crust made it a great deal for the price.
The pizza would probably get an extra half or full star if I wasn't being taunted to compare it to Lou Malnati's, Pizzeria Uno, Gino's East, and Giordano's of Chicago. It's overall a decent pizza for a good price, but it is overshadowed by the memories of better Chicago-style pizza.
This place looks like a total and complete POS.
Don't let it fool you though.
The staff, location and selection of beer is phenomenal and is quite pleasing to your palate while waiting for your out of this world, deep dish, Chicago style pie.
Try the T-Rex, It's ham, sausage and pepperoni.... just be careful and don't let your eyes be bigger than your stomach, after 2 slices I was full.
Thanks Yelpers, this was a good catch. We were visiting and I took a chance on an unknown and everyone enjoyed it. We had the thin crust T-Rex and it was very good. It was a little salty, but that might be from the green olives one guest talked us into putting on it. Nice selection of brew.
To clarify for everyone, this Zachary's is not a chain. There are many clues that could've led you to the same conclusion:
1) The complete lack of any branding here except for a computer paper printout that says "Zachary's" taped to the window.
2) The contempt for interior decorating including leaving a porthole window on one of the front doors and not putting up a fresh coat of paint in any room of the place. Even though the different rooms used to be separate businesses and the walls are rotting in many places.
3) The collection of hand-me-down furniture in every section of the restaurant that isn't even fit for a free soup kitchen.
4) The giant shed in the back that has garbage from the past 40 years piled up inside.
5) The go-fuck-yourself-and-eat-your-pizza-and-beer attitude of the extremely understaffed workforce.
6) The 20-year-old laminated orange paper menus they use.
7) The chalkboard method of advertising their drinks.
and the more practical:
8) the menus are completely different apart from them both making chicago style pizza
9) the CA Zachary's does their own microbrew
10) ummmm, where is the AZ location on the CA Zachary's website?
11) the pizza at the AZ Zachary's is way better
Not to beat a dead horse, but how in the holy fuck can anyone step a foot into Zachary's and think it's a chain? Maybe it's more likely that two people named Zachary make pizza? (If you are still skeptical, I asked the office/employees of both. They aren't related.)
This is my favorite pizza place on the planet. And I've been known to eat pizza dozens of times a week. I used to go here almost every Thursday night when they have the 2 dollar off all pitchers night before going out to Optimist Club at Club Congress.
In addition to having the best deep dish pizza ever, they also have one of the best selections of beer on tap you will ever find. It constantly changes, has a huge variety, and has beers you will rarely find elsewhere.
But of course, don't go for dinner if you don't have 2-3 hours to blow or want any quality of interior design or customer service. This is a dive bar of a pizza joint. Dirt cheap, dirty, and an amazing experience every time you go.
The pizza was ok if maybe a bit overrated. The spiced cheese bread (or someother similar name) was incredible. The service wasn't that bad. We only had to wait about 10 minutes to get our menu, and after that, the waitress was responsive. Our appetizer bread came out quickly. The pizza took a little longer but that's understandable considering how thick it is. The waitress was super nice.
The place is gross though. I tried to be careful and not touch anything, but there was mold growing on the menus and I didn't know a socially acceptable way to read the menu without touching it. Their prices are so low that it (almost) doesn't matter. Plus, the decor adds to the college pizza dining experience.
This one looses a star only because it appears to be claiming to be the only one of it's kind. The original Zachary's is in Berkeley. It has now been cheapened to chain status. You guys know that, right?!?! I don't know why it appears that this place pays no ammends to it's early humble beginnings on the Cal campus... I mean, come on!
The pizza however is to die for. I had to be rolled out of there, my stomach was so full! We had fun. The kitchen was a tad slow, which made our waitress look bad when she came over to "see how we were doing" like three times before our starter could even make it out to the table, but it was a busy Saturday night, so that's totally understandable. Hot waitresses and bartenders by the way... In fact, some men (or ugly women) may want to test out if this place has sexist (uglist??) hiring practices...
We had left overs and I swear to God the box of three slices weighed about five pounds...
This is very yummy pizza. Close to the UA, lots of beer and ... A CHAIN? God forbid. Oh well. I actually really enjoyed this place when I lived in Tucson. Now I live in Berkeley where everyone raves about Zachary's here. I have to say Tucsonans be thankful that the line isn't constantly out the door at this location. Be happy that the wait isn't an hour at almost every hour of the day.
I will say though that there is another alternative to this place that isn't a chain, if that irritates you, Roccos!! I'm a whore for Rocco's Little Chicago on Broadway. See how I threw in that plug?
I researched the armadillo piss out of pizza places and trusted
the reviews on here. Now, I'm from the Bay Area, CA, never had
the Oakland Zachary's so, first the weight of the flipping box
almost broke my arm.
I can eat, and only ate two pieces, this thing is a piece of military machinery not something to eat. The taste very average, I was
still in shock how much pizza was left over for 4 people, order a
medium.
Also, I called ahead and still waited 25 minutes. So adjust your time. But, barring that I was in the middle of the desert, and can make a pizza that can melt your face off, I have to say if I were 22, drunk and trying to impress my buddies out of town, this place would do it.
I was the only of four that didn't get an upset stomach and we put the pizza in the hallway of the hotel afterwards and the smell still came into the room. Pretty greasy.
How do people know it's a chain? Isn't it possible that they are two pizza restaurants unrelated to one another? And two restaurants? Come on! That's no chain........Well, whatever.
Zach's is good pizza and a decent atmosphere. It sucks in the summer because they only have swamp, but the pizza is still good.
The service is downright awful, but it doesn't seem to matter much when the beer is cheap and the food high quality. I did boycott this place for a year or so after one really bad service experience, but I started going again because it's just so great.
This place is a Tucson institution. A couple of years ago it was forced to relocate across the street in line with UofA expansion efforts, but I think the premises have only improved since then.
The pizza is very deep-dish and filling. I can usually only handle one slice (two if I'm starving). The sauce is flavorful and toppings are not skimpy.
Your best bet for lunch is the lunch special (last I remembered it was around $5) - this is a slice, salad, and soft drink. You might need a knife and fork to eat the pizza!
The only disappointment I've ever had here was with one particularly nasty waitress who constantly snorted back a runny nose over everyone's food. I thought I was going to get pneumonia. This was a couple of years ago; I'm sure she must be gone by now. (Whew!)
Arrive early because this place does get PACKED. It's the favorite university lunch spot, although not particularly fast. You can't rush good pizza!
Best Thick Crust in Tucson... Try the Pepperoni with Garlic! It takes a little time to cook so order a beer. Tip your hippy waitstaff! Ask them what local band they like.
i always take my dad here. loooovvvvveeee the pizza and to pig out here on the patio.
I am not a big deep dish/ Chicago fan but Zachary's is good pizza. I like the zero decor look. I disliked the looooong wait for food. Good beer soso service.
I totally adore this place. Walk in, order your pizza and a cider or beer, then wait a bit (a long bit...) and then FINALLY enjoy a thick piece of pizza with chunks of garlic and globs of cheese... sigh! This is serious stuff!
One of my favorite Tucson spots. I always stop here when I visit (used to live here)- the pizza is the best. Such a great place to hang out for amazing pizza and great beer.
Some of Tucson's very tastiest pizza, but wow the calories. Swimming in cheese and a good dose of grease. Service is renowned for being extremely slow. Great selection of beers. The inside seating is dirty and burned out. Lots of off-the-street patio seating, which is surprisingly lacking in Tucson.
Beware the parking -- it doesn't fit the web site's categories. During the day, you either park at expensive meters or hike a long ways away from unpermitted residential street parking. At night, you can park for free in the University of Arizona's permitted parking lot, same location as the meters. Park illegally at your own risk -- they patrol like crazy.
So last night we wanted pizza and good beer and we wanted to veer from our regular spot 1702 so we tried Zachary's. We don't eat alot of deep dish but we also aren't opposed to it. From the other reviews I was expecting bad service and it was pretty bad. If you are gonna drink beer order a pitcher. Deep dish takes longer to cook and you won't see your waitress again until she brings the food. We ordered the iko iko and it was in the top two deep dish pizzas either one of us had ever exerienced. The one key thing for me and pizza that has a lot f cheese is that the cheese not be tough and chewy. I hate it when you go to take a bit and all the cheese comes off the top and you are left with naked pizza. Well the cheese was of good quality, and nice and tender. The crust was great the whole pie was simlpy delicious. The beer selection was good, they had some brews on tap from belguim and some other micros that are great. Bad service but the food was so good it doesn't even matter. The actual space is so divey but thats why the prices are low.
bestpizzaintucson
hands down
and you know,
cute guys
Great pizza. Not to burst your bubble it is a chain. From California. :)
I've been going to Z's since it was on the north side of 6th St. and it's always good vittles. Get the lunch special, you won't be disappoined.
What a great place! Initially you walk in and don't think of this place as a chain because it looks more mom and pop. That added to the fact that we seemed to have dropped by during U of A's break which meant it was basically dead.
After browsing the extensive beer menu, it was another taste bud boggling decision on what pizza to get. We let our waitress know what pizzas we were torn between and she quickly suggested that they could do half and half. We decided on the Athenia and the Maui Wowee. Every topping was fresh and flavorful. Keep in mind that this is deep dish style pizza so needles to say even a small pizza provided plenty of left overs!
Let me just post a picture to entice you, sorry its not complete, I got hungry before thinking of pull out my camera.
http://picasaweb.googl...
You will not find better Pizza in Tucson. They also have a great beer garden to order from. The place is cool and always full of faces.
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Latin American
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Pizza
Tucson, AZ
Category: Bars
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