Pizza Review: BZ's Bar & Grill

Across from PNC Park, past the statues of legends, and the special parking spot for the Pirates Bandwagon are a suite of bars. Bars engineered for the sole purpose of fueling fans of baseball both before and after the game. With ludicrous specials on Miller Lite, you can spend the same amount of money you spent on a Pirates ticket and wake up in a hospital if you so choose.

Unfortunately, baseball season isn’t eternal so they have to exist in some capacity They need a thing, a hook to keep people coming back. Something that goes beyond baseball, fried food, and cheap Miller Lite. Many spaces resort to dealing with the downtown lunch crowd, of which I was part of yesterday.

I wandered over to BZ’s Bar & Grill to meet some folks for lunch. I was worried about the large Martini glass in their logo; would we be drinking our lunch? Perhaps partake in a refreshing pizza smoothie? Not today.

We dined al fresco, along Federal Street with the Hustle and Bustle as a backdrop. It was a fine day, so we were quacked at by a number of passing Just Ducky Tours. The menu was classic bar food - sandwiches, fries, macaroni and cheese. I of course ordered the pizza.

As seen above, it’s a very plain looking pie. It’s passive and worried about offending your digestive track. “Don’t worry about me,” the pizza squeaks. “I’m just going to be over here, you know, being a lil’ pizza.” Okay, pizza.

I don’t know if BZ’s puts in a lot of effort into their pizza. I guess I could ask, but eating this pizza reveals so much more. A squishy crust that would be fine to eat for those who can’t find their dentures. The bottom is slightly charred, which would be great if the pizza was only 2-dimensions. But the third dimension, mainly the interior of the pizza, was forgotten It was fluff. The pizza was stuffed with nothingness. A pairing perfect for Miller Lite and a baseball ticket.

The pizza is innocuous. It’s taking absolutely zero chances and I think it’s okay. Like the Pirates who play it safe, the pizza is okay with a losing record. It’s fine pizza in a pinch, much better than the pizza served at PNC Park, and something I would even serve to the Just Ducky Tour ducks.

Three out of five pizza.