Apizza Scholls

Who Should Book Apizza Scholls — and When

If you are a food-focused traveler in Portland with one night to spend on pizza, Apizza Scholls on SE Hawthorne is the address to know. This is the right call for the explorer who wants to understand what Portland's pizza culture actually looks like at its most serious, eaten in a no-frills neighborhood room on a weeknight before the wait gets out of hand. It is not a special-occasion restaurant in the tablecloth sense, but it is the kind of place that earns a spot on any purposeful itinerary.

The Venue

Apizza Scholls has held a spot in Opinionated About Dining's Cheap Eats in North America rankings three years running: #16 in 2023, #17 in 2024, and #15 in 2025. That is a meaningful credential. OAD Cheap Eats rankings are driven by votes from serious diners and food professionals, not algorithmic aggregation, which means sustained placement at that level reflects genuine repeat esteem from people who eat widely and comparatively. A 4.6 on Google across more than 2,100 reviews adds further weight — at that volume, the score is hard to game.

The format here is a counter-service-adjacent neighborhood pizzeria on a busy Southeast Portland commercial strip. Hours run 5–9 pm, seven days a week. The model is direct: you come for the pizza, you order at the counter or table, you eat. There is no tasting menu, no omakase format, no ticket-based reservation system that requires advance planning weeks out. The service philosophy matches the price point , it is honest, efficient, and entirely free of the performance layer that creeps into higher-end spots. You are not paying for ceremony, and none is offered. For the right diner, that is a feature.

Chef Brian Spangler is the name attached to the kitchen. The OAD recognition reflects a consistent standard over multiple years, which matters more than a single review cycle. The style draws from New Haven-style apizza , a coal-fired tradition with char-forward crust, restrained sauce, and toppings that do not overwhelm the base. That is a flavor profile worth understanding before you go: this is not Neapolitan softness, and it is not New York foldability. The crust carries more structure and smoke, and the leading versions have a crispness at the edge that holds up through the whole slice.

Portland has strong pizza options, but the OAD ranking puts Apizza Scholls in a different conversation from most of them. Compared to the broader Portland dining scene, this is one of the few spots where the critical recognition is both sustained and externally validated by a peer-reviewed source. For context, other Portland restaurants competing for serious dining attention , places like Kann and Langbaan , operate in higher price tiers and with more formal service. Apizza Scholls earns its reputation at a fraction of the cost.

On the question of whether the service model earns the price point: at this tier, it does, comfortably. The absence of table-side theater is not a gap , it is appropriate calibration. You are paying for the product, and the product is the reason OAD keeps ranking this place. Contrast this with Ken's Artisan Pizza, which operates in a similar casual-serious register but with slightly different crust philosophy. Both are worth your time; Apizza Scholls has the more current national recognition.

If you are building a Portland food trip and want to orient yourself across the city's range, start with our full Portland restaurants guide. For where to stay, see our Portland hotels guide, and if you want to round out your trip with bars or wine, our Portland bars guide and Portland wineries guide cover the ground. For activities beyond eating, our Portland experiences guide has the practical overview.

For pizza travelers comparing notes with other US cities: Otto Pizza is another Portland reference point worth checking. Further afield, 800 Degrees in Los Angeles and Pizza Strada in Tokyo give useful comparison contexts for how different cities approach the format. Apizza Scholls sits in a different category from fine-dining destinations like The French Laundry or Le Bernardin, but within the serious-casual pizza tier, it holds its own against national competition.

Quick reference: SE Hawthorne, 5–9 pm daily, walk-in or easy booking, OAD Cheap Eats Top 20 North America (2023–2025), Google 4.6/5 (2,100+ reviews).

FAQ

• What should I order at Apizza Scholls? The OAD recognition is built on the pizza, so that is where to focus. The New Haven-influenced style means char-forward crust with a firm, structured base. Beyond that, the specific menu is not confirmed in our data , check the current menu at the venue or call ahead. Do not arrive expecting Neapolitan softness; the crust profile here is distinct and intentional.
• Does Apizza Scholls handle dietary restrictions? No confirmed data on dietary accommodations. Given the format (traditional pizzeria, New Haven style), options for gluten-free or vegan diners may be limited. Contact the venue directly before visiting if this is a concern , phone number is not listed in our data, so check via their current website or Google listing.
• Is Apizza Scholls good for solo dining? Yes, and more comfortably than many Portland restaurants. The casual counter-oriented format means solo diners do not feel out of place. Portland has strong solo dining options across the range , from a quick seat at Berlu at the higher end to neighborhood spots on Hawthorne , but Apizza Scholls is low-pressure and well-suited to a single diner working through a pizza alone.
• Is lunch or dinner better at Apizza Scholls? Dinner only , hours are 5–9 pm seven days a week, so there is no lunch service to compare. Arrive closer to opening (5 pm) to minimize wait times. Later in the evening on weekends, the room fills and waits can extend. Weeknights early are the most relaxed option.
• What are alternatives to Apizza Scholls in Portland? For pizza specifically, Ken's Artisan Pizza is the closest peer in terms of seriousness and neighborhood format, with a different crust approach. If you want to broaden beyond pizza, Kann and Langbaan are Portland's strongest options in higher price tiers. Otto Pizza is another Portland pizza reference worth knowing.
• Is Apizza Scholls good for a special occasion? It depends on what you mean. If the occasion calls for tablecloths, wine service, and a formal room, this is the wrong address , look at Kann or Smyth (Chicago) as examples of what that tier delivers. But if a special occasion means eating the most critically recognized pizza in Portland in a no-ceremony room that delivers on the product, Apizza Scholls earns that occasion. The OAD Top 20 North America ranking is a real credential, and eating there carries genuine food-travel weight.