PIZZA IN QUITO
Having lived in Quito for six months now, it was time to make an in-depth evaluation of the highest form of food-cuisine-pizza. Implementing the pepperoni standards established in our pizza survey in Lima-Peru. We set out to see what Ecuador’s capital city could deliver.
Our original ranking system gives 0 to 5 pepperonis. With five being stellar, and zero, perhaps being a health risk. Quito has fairly numerous Italian restaurants, and numerous small pizza vendors. And of course, the quick market dominated by Pizza Hut and Dominos Pizza.
For calibration of this ranking system, Pizza Hut consistently scores at 3 pepperonis. The scores we provide are markedly more discerning than the high number of stars issued in TripAdvisor or in Google Maps. This review was undertaken to find if anything in the city could pass up this score. You could perhaps call it a hunt in desperation!
We evaluated eleven venues, though certainly there are many others of lesser appeal out there, that we didn’t attempt to try.
2.5 pepperonis
Quito Pizza- Quito Pizza, located on the northeast side of the city along Avenida Eloy Alfaro N34-94, is an extremely small venue, really more designed for takeout-orders than dining in. We ate at their narrow wood bar along the shop’s front window. The pizza had very thin crust, which was alright, a decent serving of pepperonis (the more the better!), a little light on the cheese, and reasonably flavored red sauce. It was all right overall, but for us a place not really worth taking extra travel time. To repeat, give the very limited seating. -warning: these guys are closed on Sunday.
0.5 pepperonis
Georgina Chicago style pizza- The venue in the trending “La Floresta,” one of Quito’s hip neighborhood, at Av. Isabel la Católica N26-63. At first looking promising, with pictures featuring deep pan pizzas. But the leading indicators sitting inside the place where; finding poor music selection played, and only national weak beers. A combination of a poor start.
We ordered the Grande pie, which was disappointingly small for US$31 dollars (pepperoni added to the base cheese-salami combination). For some unfathomable reason they prepared the pizza with the cured meats directly on the pizza bread, a thick layer of low quality “mozzarella” place over this, then topped it with the red sauce. The bread remained unrisen, flat, dense, fairly hard, and not bringing the heavenly experience when biting into the first triangle of pizza. The cheese was fairly industrial. The entire combination just did not work.
For three of us, a total shameful bill price of US$71, which is double what a great pie dinner would cost in the States. Georgina’s boasts several locations, we recommend avoiding them for your taste-buds’ sake and preservation of your wallet.
The city of Chicago actually has a chain restaurant called “Georgio’s Chicago Pizzeria & Pub.” On the web they show pictures of their pizzas, that appear to be very similar to what is being emulated here in Quito-pies. Whereas their main characteristic is to have the sauce on top. But we strongly suspect this real place is far better than the Ecuadorian imitation.
Finally, the waiter cut and served the pizza before I had a chance to even think about taking a picture of it, so they get just a picture of a sloppy slice in this post.
0 Pepperonis
Pizzeria El Hornero- El Hornero is a chain Italian restaurant in Quito; we visited their venue on Av República de El Salvador N36-149, which is just south of the major shopping center called Quicentro and across the street from the Sheraton Hotel. This two-story building features yellow trim, outside balcony dining, and lots of tables… A medium-sized square cut pizza is priced at US15.50, and it was served on a cold plate. The pepperonis were only half cooked; the cheese was too thick and flavorless; it had zero tomato sauce, and the bread was thicker than usual but gooey. After trying one small slice each all three of us refused to eat anymore. We left it for the waiters who forgot to bring our order of garlic bread. Pizzeria el Hornero has numerous locations throughout Ecuador and is a complete skip. This was certainly one of the worst pizzas we have seen in South America.
2.25 Pepperonis
Luccios Pizzeria- This little venue is across the street from the International school Academia Cotopaxi. Along the street Julio Arellano and De Las Alondras. It is a very basic facility. With a little cement terrace out front, where sets of plastic tables can be found. Nonetheless, this very affordable restaurant serves a flavorful, yet very thin pizza. A medium-pizza with two beers will cost around US$12, a pretty good deal. They do have pepperoni topping, and even provide crushed red pepper seasoning.
(2.0) Pepperonis
Sinners- this popular craft brewery (the beer is made on site in the backroom) serves a variety of food, but they have some reasonable pizzas that complement drinking some of Quito’s better locally made beer. Downside is that they do not open until 1 p.m. They have one location along Mariana de Jesus E7-108, which is south of Parque Carolina. Unfortunately, our last visit there had a rather terrible and slow service while we were essentially the only patrons in the place. The pizzas they serve do not have pepperoni, so technically they are not really pizza. This place is first brewery/bar and does not list itself as a pizza place. Their carnivore pizza comes with salami, ground beef, and chorizo with some fresh oregano on top.
2.75 Pepperonis
Bandido’s del Paramo- Another craft brewery venue. This one, definitely scores a bit higher just for the fact of having better music, and a wide selection of artisanal beers on tap. The beers come from both Bandidos and Paramo breweries.
The main venue is located in northeast Quito. In the northernmost La Floresta neighborhood, along Whymper Street N29-02. They have a second new location near Plaza Foch. Their pizzas are again, very thin crust. Reasonably sized, and moderately priced. They have a surprisingly “pepperoni by area” density factor; that nearly all other venues in Quito cannot match. In general, for South America, one must realize that restaurant owners are “tacaños”, penny-pinching, with the meat-based ingredients. The building is a bit funky, though large, and located in what seems more of a residential area on the hill-slope of east Quito. Out of any pizza restaurant in Quito this place has the largest beer selection, which really pairs nicely with the concept of going out to eat pizza!
2.25 Pepperonis
Pizza SA- On the ground floor of an old tower on the west middle side of Parque Carolina, this pizza restaurant has been around for a while, as shown by the client photos on the walls and the business cards under the glass table covers. Located on Amazonas, but they have other locations around Quito. The nuts and bolts- the crust is one of the thicker ones available in the Quito pizza competition, but still thin by USA standards; the sauce was with good flavor but typical to Ecuador it was used too sparingly; the cheese was overdone and low quality, also typical of Ecuador; and the pizza was a little under-cooked leaving the pepperonis with clear uncooked spots. They had some bottled craft beer. Pizzasa‘s dining area is interesting enough, but the large screen TVs merely playing the fútbol game meant no interesting tunes while dining. We would maybe repeat Pizza SA if we are in the area.
2.25 Pepperonis
Little Italy Granados Plaza- Located in the Granados Plaza to the northeast of Parque Carolina, this five-branch chain restaurant is in the small shopping mall. They feature a wood-fired oven and plenty of seating in a modern setting. On the plus side, they have a selection of craft beer by Abysmo. The Little Italy pizza crust was tortilla thin, the sauce too sweet, and the pepperonis rather greasy. The flavor was better than how the pizza looked, but this place still falls short of Pizza Hut. We feel like this place could do better. And stay away from their bruschetta appetizer!
2.0 Pepperonis
Roy’s Pizzería- With a single location along Avenida Naciones Unidas E5-63 on the north side of Parque Carolina and just west of the Quicentro shopping center, Roy’s pizzería have been serving pizzas for 36 years. They are making the attempt to be a competitor, serving one beer on tap plus opening a bit earlier than other venues in Quito. Inside they have reasonable space for seating, some ambiance with black walls featuring pictures of rock musicians, and they were playing a good mix of classic rock. The pizza had the typical thin crust which was a bit oily. They were extremely light with the red sauce; we had to lift the cheese up to see a slight coloration that suggested it was there but it could not be tasted. They provide seasoning consisting of Aji Creola hot sauce and dried oregano.
(2.25) Pepperonis
Cosa Nostra Trattoria Pizzeria- TripAdvisor raves this locality to the “absolute best in Quito.” This perception did not hold up during our review visit. Located at Alfredo Baquerizo Moreno E7-86. Which is five blocks northeast of the nightlife center at Plaza Foch. The streets this far out from the plaza can be sketchy to walk around on at night.
This venue takes in many reviews given to its proximity to the backpacker’s tourist hostels in the area. Many of these visitor’s reviews are done without much comparative knowledge of Quito, or pizzas in general to South America. And many from Europe would not have the United States of America basis of pizza technology. Without the haze of vacation as adventure filtering for the evaluation. We found the pizzas at Cosa Nostra to be rather ordinary, and well below the reference quality found at Pizza Hut.
But on the plus sides, it has patio dining facing the small triangular Plaza of Gabriela Mistral, and the restaurant uses a wood-fired oven. The beer selection is non-existent, for which there is no excuse these days. And technically, because they had no pepperoni, they should not even be scored in this survey, because a pizza without pepperoni is not a pizza! The substitute salami comes out overly salty. The tomato sauce was reasonably flavorful. Finally, the restaurant is themed more after Italian venues with pasta and lasagna on the menu too.
The end results
Pizza Hut maintains the top position for quality pizza. However, the venue at Bandido’s de Paramo has a better atmosphere with better music and good beer. Having Pizza Hut scoring the highest is not surprising. We had a similar result in the much larger city of Lima, Peru. And in the broader picture, South America is behind the USA and Canada for making pizzas that can score above 4 pepperonis.
We hope that someday this could change!!! In general, coming by quality cheese, or mozzarella, in Ecuador is challenging. This fact contributes to the overall pizzas not bringing it, and Pizza Hut importing their own ingredients gives them the advantage.
Some hints to pizza restaurant owners. Have available other toppings like Italian sausage, and roasted garlic. Also, add some basil to the red sauce, improve the pizza dough, make the dining areas more comfortable, interesting, with better music, and ditch the plain beer! Simple right?
As a side note, some of these restaurants have high rating on TripAdvisor. We consider the root of the problem lays on the cheese they use. Adding extra amounts of it doesn’t help, on the contrary, it makes it too bland. People beware.
Do connect with us:
ResearchGate: James M. Wise
Author´s page: James M. Wise
Photography page: JamesM.Wise.com
Author´s page: Yanira K. Wise
South America seems to refuse to show its inexhaustible creative force.
