River City Writer

There has been a sign on the sidewalk near my apartment for at least a couple of months that reads, simply, “Best Pizza 100% Halal.” While it’s true that nearly every business claims it’s the best at what it does, it’s rare that a company actually has the word “best” in the name.

I was intrigued. Did this tiny, hole-in-the-wall pizza and donair joint really make the best pizza? Today, I put them to the test.

While I wouldn’t say that Best Pizza honestly makes Edmonton’s best pizza, they do make a tasty pie.

While Best Pizza offers a dozen different toppings, I was in the mood for something simple, and opted for a 12″ pepperoni and mushroom pizza, which cost $15 plus GST. Because I had simply walked over and ordered, I sat around and waited in the small dine-in part of the restaurant.

Consisting of a pair of tables, and a couple of benches for those eating at the window ledge, the haphazardly constructed sit-down area isn’t exactly what you’d call “fine dining.” But, to be fair, it’s no worse than other dive pizza joints like Chicago Deep Dish, and a decent paint job could probably make it look about the same as the Whyte Avenue Funky Pickle location.

The kitchen is a closed kitchen, so I was unable to see the friendly cook at work, but I could hear him working through the thin walls. I heard a knife chopping something on a cutting block. This turned out to be the mushrooms, which were freshly chopped, not the canned mushroom bits that many corner pizzeria’s use.

While I waited for my pizza, I perused the menu. In addition to pizza, Best Pizza also offers burgers and fries, donairs, chicken shawarma, chicken wings and, oddly, coconut-coated fried shrimp.

Pizza and donairs seem to go together well, as do chicken wings. Burgers at a place that focuses on pizza are probably not going to be the best burgers, but I’ll reserve judgment until I try them. Shawarma is pretty similar to a donair, and this is a Muslim-run establishment, so I’m pretty sure that they know what they’re doing as far as shawarma is concerned.

The coconut shrimp, though, I didn’t notice that menu item until after I’d arrived at home, as it’s inexplicably tucked under the “Burgers” section of the menu. It seems like an odd choice for a pizza and donair shop, but I’m just curious enough to consider ordering some the next time I visit Best Pizza.

At $15 for 25 pieces, it’s not cheap. But, that’s not a bad price for shrimp, and I’m curious enough that I’m willing to pay it.

After about 20 minutes, the pizza was ready. It was brought out with a smile, and the box was almost hot to the touch. This was pizza at it’s freshest.

I made the short walk home, lifted the lid, and smiled when I saw the freshly chopped mushrooms. I poured myself some juice, grabbed a napkin, and tucked in. I knew from the first bite that I’d be back to Best Pizza.

There was plenty of cheese, but not so much that the pepperoni and mushroom flavours were overwhelmed, and the meat and mushrooms were both full of flavour. I suspect that the meat was probably quite fresh too, though I wouldn’t go so far as to say that it had never been frozen.

While it’s a bit more expensive than established players like Pizza 73, I do recommend Best Pizza, especially if you live in the area (they deliver, for those who aren’t in the area). The food is good, the staff is friendly, and everything is 100% halal, which is beneficial to the large Muslim population in the area surrounding Best Pizza (and Edmonton at large).

While Best Pizza doesn’t quite live up to it’s name, it’s still damn good pizza, and I’ll be back again soon.