Tristano’s Pizzeria

Their deep dish pizza came highly recommended, but I could never justify the drive allll the way down to Grovetucky to give it a shot. So I was pleased to find myself on the south side of town with some time to kill.
Make sure you do have time for this pizza! Chicago style deep dish takes a while, so they told us to give them at least 45 minutes to cook it when I called it in.
We got our pie with pepperoni and sausage. Overall, I thought the toppings were fantastic and but I wasn’t totally in love with the crust. It needed some kind of garlic butter or something as it ended up being a little dry. (I typically expect Chicago-​style pizza to be a grease bomb, so this was a bit of a let down.) They threw on plenty of cheese, which made me happy and the sauce was delicious!
I’d definitely give this place another shot. Next time, maybe I’ll see if they have some sort of garlic butter or marinara dipping sauce so I don’t have to toss most of the crust.

We visited here after a volleyball tournament on a Sunday night. The waitress was sweet and offered advice on the menu. She made us feel at home for sure. The food was out of this world. It was like Chicago came to us. Delicious!

The food was ok. I think it was just as good or better as most pizza joints in the area. My problem comes with appearance. It looks as if the whole place is just about to collapse in on its self. The porch over hang is rotted out the cooler in the dining area is leaking and nasty looking the pick up counter is unfinished plywood the building and things in it just look dilapidated. That said the sub I got was ok it had lots of meat and for the most part was an ok offering. The cheese sticks were pretty bad the cheese was like powder not great. I wouldn’t say a must go but I wouldn’t say don’t ever go.

The first thing to know about Tristano’s is, it’s a dump. It’s located in a crappy-​looking house and there is absolutely nothing inviting about the place. I heard about it on a local food blog which recommended it and the first time we went there, we had a hard time finding it because the GPS brought us in the back way. The inside is just as bad as the outside. There are a few tables but the place is old and musty and dark. Oh, and be aware they don’t have air conditioning. I placed an order back in August and when I arrived it wasn’t quite ready so I had to wait. I wound up going outside because it was cooler there than inside. I’ve never eaten there — I always do takeout since we live a few minutes away.
So that’s the bad… let’s move on to the good.
Despite being a dump, I’ve ordered food from here several times and it is very good.
The garlic cheese bread is fantastic. It’s garlicky, buttery, cheesy and fresh.
I’ve had two different sandwiches here. The meatball was good, but I wouldn’t say there was anything particularly special or outstanding about it. The Chicago-​Style roast beef (which oddly enough doesn’t show up on their menu under Sandwiches, but rather under Dinners — go figure) is excellent and almost as good as what I make at home. My only complaints are 1.) they don’t always have it available and 2.) depending on who takes your order, they may or may not explain/​offer you peppers. This is important to note because there are two types of peppers you can get on the sandwich, hot or sweet, but in both instances you have to request them. The first time I ordered one, the girl on the phone told me about them and I got what I wanted. The second time, I forgot you have to specifically request them and I was disappointed when I got home.
Lastly, the pizza. The only one we have ever ordered is the Sweet Lou’s Authentic Chicago Stuffed Pizza. After trying it, it’s probably the only one you will ever order. I’m not saying it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had or the greatest stuffed or deep-​dish pizza I’ve ever tasted, but Grove City is a wasteland for good pizza IMO. So far, Tristano’s is the only pizza we’ve found that we liked and for which we have returned. The pizza is huge. Be aware it takes about 45 minutes to cook once you place your order so plan accordingly.
I’ve never had any problems with the service. I’ve seen several people here post that the service was bad or the staff were rude but I’ve never seen any of that. Most times I’ve been there, there were only a couple of people working and they were polite. Granted, they weren’t overly chatty but I would chalk that up to their being busy with such a small staff.
Pricewise, I can’t complain about Tristano’s. The sandwiches are a steal at $ 5.50 each and the pizza will feed you for several meals, so I find it to be quite the bargain as well.

Fast service, delicious pizza, cute waitress and decent price. Family friendly definitely a gem in a wall.

I love Chicago Style deep dish pizza! Tristano’s has been a place I have wanted to try for awhile. Finally made that happen and ordered a small deep dish with pep, sausage, green peepers, and onion. for pickup.
The pizza was really good. The actual restaurant is worn down and dated.
Definitabtly will be back.

I really hate how good this place is. If it wasn’t so good, I definitely wouldn’t bother them with my business or money.
Most times I order or visit, I get the feeling that I’m inconveniencing the owner. I get a feeling of «guilt» just before I pick up the phone. It’s like, «Oh God, please don’t let them be too busy. I’d hate to make them drive out here if they’re slammed again.»
Whenever I visit, there’s always a problem like getting the wrong order or being understaffed.
The staff is usually very young but usually very friendly. But 30 — 40% of the time I called, I’ve gotten a grouchy guy on the other line. I think sometimes it’s the owner, but there’s a younger guy there too.
I don’t ever have the heart to complain, they just seem overly stressed all the time — and they probably are.
I tried to visit just this week around 5:30pm. Their website says they open at 3:00. There was not a soul to be found.
Their stuffed pizza is fantastic. Salads are good. Most of the apps are good.
Desserts are meh. Not terrible, but not overly good either.
I’ll continue to order here. It’s my favorite pizza in town. I will continue to put up with the guys snapping at me and I will continue to be polite and assure them that I understand, that I’m in no hurry, and they should take their time.
I can only hope they find somebody to help them run their business more efficiently and reduce their stress levels.
I’d hate to lose this place.

I grew up on Rotolos and am hard to please and don’t eat Chicago style often. we got a large with sausage and wow was it good. the crust was good, the cheese was good, the sausage was incredible. really impressed! will come back!

We got the Tristano’s all the way chicharito style. It was really good
Mr Tristano was not in a good mood. Maybe he was overworked. He told us that business is slow because of construction and he was late in paying his taxes. I feel for him.
Place is a little small inside and he does not have a liquor license anymore but he let us bring our own wine

Ordered Chicago Style Deep Dish W/​Pepperoni. The pizza is self was ok. Just ok. I expected a distinct taste, flavor or something and didn’t get that at all. If the crust wasn’t so bland I’d give them 4 stars.
This was my first deep dish pizza ever so I was hesitant. Customer service was great and friendly both on the phone & the delivery.

A very different pizza experience! Make sure to get the deep dish. The pieces are huge and loaded with toppings. If you want to try a non-​chain restaurant in Grove City…, try Tristanos!

Been wanting to check this place out for some time, but never had an excuse to make it to Grove City. We picked it up to go last night to take to a friend’s house. We ordered two large deep dish Chicago style. It was pretty damn tasty! The sauce and the cheese have great flavor. I personally liked the crust, but others said it could have been better. Please note that even though we picked it up, made another stop, and drove about 15 mins or so away, it was not soggy when it was time to eat. The 2 large pizzas for 4 adults and 1 5yo was more than enough. We actually had almost an entire pizza leftover as no one could eat more than 2 pieces. I would recommend this place and I would definitely go back. I forgot to take a pic when it was hot and delicious so you’re getting my morning after shot of leftovers.

This is my new place to get pizza. Service is good and pizza is great. Deeeeep dish Chicago-​style, great sauce and crust! These guys are really doing it right

I’m in live with Chicago Style Pizza. This place is the ONLY place I know in Central Ohio that makes Authentic Chi-​Town pizza. The atmosphere is quaint… a true hidden gem.

This was our third visit to Tristano’s and while the pizza was as good as ever, there were a couple of issues that made our brains spin.
In our past visits, there was always a (excuse this expression please), shit ton of different beer and wine options to choose from. Shortly after arriving tonight, the waitress let us know they were down to 5 wine choices, (bottles only, no wine by the glass), had no beer on tap and their bottled beer selection has shrunk considerably. One person in our party ordered a diet coke and when they later asked for a refill, was told there was no more to be had. He then asked for iced tea and they only had the sweetened kind, so he had water… water with pizza? Ouch.
We started with 2 appetizers, breaded and fried cubes of pepper cheese and something called a Traditional pizza, which consisted of a garlic butter crust with romano cheese & sliced onion and herbs. It came with a marinara dipping sauce. Both were very good.
We then ordered pizzas. I had The Coronary, which had 7 different types of meat: ham, capicola, meatballs, salami, pepperoni, sausage & bacon. I asked them to add jalapenos as well. My wife got a basic sausage & pepperoni pie. Our friends had sausage, pepperoni, olives, banana peppers and bacon. Our other friends, (there were 6 of us there), had a cheese & broccoli pizza. All were thin crust. We’ve had the Chicago style pizzas they offer before, but tonight it was thin crust all the way.
Then something else odd happened… we asked for boxes for the leftovers and our checks. When the checks came, there was no mention of the appetizers we had ordered, nor were there any charges for the beer, wine and other drinks we had consumed. We could have paid and left, without mentioning this, but we were already worried this place might soon be closing up, (based on our beer and wine observations from earlier). So we talked to our waitress and with a confused look on her face, she took the bills back, asked a few questions about who was paying for what and scurried away. She soon came back with amended bills, but as nothing was itemized, we really had no idea as to what we were being charged for. We paid the bills and left… with an uneasy feeling. We weren’t feeling ripped off, or anything like that… we just missed the awesomeness from our past dinners and wondered if we would ever be able dine here again. We’ve all seen places we have loved and adored close down, (for a variety of reasons) and we’re really hoping the warning signs we saw tonight were false.
Yes the pizzas were great, even the broccoli & cheese one. Yes the service was weird. Yes the place looks like it needs to be bull dozed and replaced. Yes we will go back time and again, as long as they keep making great pizza.
Did I mention this was my favorite pizza here in the Columbus area? Been here now for close to 2 years and have tried all of the «regulars» like Donatos and Jetts (and too many others to mention), but so far have not found anyone making a better pie. I’m up for suggestions and will road trip!

Columbus lacks a lot of Chicago style places. We have chains who claim they do it Chicago style, but come on, Anyone touting UNO’s as authentic should have their heads checked. That place is for the birds and tourists.
Tristano’s is for the people who want a good authentic pizza, and the owner here knows how to do it, and do it relatively well.
I tried coming to Tristano’s in the past, but it was a hot summer evening, and hot places lacking good AC and hot pizza just don’t mix well in my books, so we opted to come back another time. I’m glad we finally made it back around here.
We opted for just a plain jane Cheese pizza and Deep dish style. I seriously do not know what we were thinking by the two of us ordering a large. Hungry, much? However, it ended up working out to our favor because we finished it off the next day for lunch, and the pizza was just as good. if not better after it had congealed.
Lots of layers of pizza goodness, and the outer edge is chewy, but not doughy and definitely not flaky. Lots of sauce, but not cheap sauce by any means. It’s absolutely delicious.
It’s a good solid pizza and I can write it as being one of my faves in C-​bus.
Hands down. Make an exception to try this some time. You probably won’t regret it.
Half a block off of Grove City’s main drag in an old green house. Get there, and bring me back some too, while you’re at it!

So far the best pizza I have had here in Grove City, but there are still a few places to try. As others have said it looks dingy on the outside and I honestly can tell you that I would never of known they were a running business. The house is not well lit outside, the sign is faded out and I don’t think they have lights hitting it either which they really should fix to make it easier for people to find them. I didn’t go into the shop so can’t tell you much bout that, but luckily other Unilocalers did it :)
As for the pizza it was very different, because I was raised on Pizza Hut crap, lol. I got a small deep dish with sausage and pepperoni, of which there was plenty of each. It was very heavy in the box and I think its because they use a pound of cheese on it mmmmmmm. The sauce was thick and somewhat chunky with excellent flavor. the sausage tasted homemade and also very tasty. The small was plenty for me and my guy. The price was right at $ 13.00 for a one topping deep dish pizza, but they consider cheese as the one topping. Additional toppings are $ 1.00 each. We will definitely be back and trying some of their other menu items as their menu is pretty big.
I highly recommend you try this place soon!

Wow! Need I say more?
Unilocal says I do, so here goes. This guy knows pizza. Is from Chicago and trained in Chicago.
Walked in and read the menu for the stuffed pizza. Talked about Sweet Lou’s authentic recipe and I made the mistake of asking if that was based on Lou Malnaties. The guy I was talking to was Sweet Lou and he proceeded to berate the Chicago dynasty.
And for good reason.
This pizza is crazy good. Had the sausage and pepperoni. He makes his own sausage, which is really good. He also serves Italian Beef and tosses the gardinera on pizza when requested. He brought me a side which will make me never ask for crushed red pepper again.
Place is dinky, but the pizza came out in record time. Good beer selection and a must eat for anyone in the Columbus area.
Got to get back to my hotel, drop a deuce, and finish the leftovers!

I’ve only had Chicago deep dish twice so I won’t pretend to know how well Tristano’s compares. What I can say is that it’s darn good stuff.
I had a takeout order and while I waited I enjoyed the beautiful weather with a draft beer on their patio. They have about 4 craft beers on draft and a cooler full of various bottles. They also offer wine by the bottle. All with the option of ordering it to go.
My first thought while I waited was «this better be darn good pizza at $ 21.50 for a two topping large». That’s actually before applying my $ 3 off coupon. A little hiccup occurred with their credit card machine’s connectivity, and they seemed understaffed, but I wasn’t in a rush. Lou and the poor girl running around the place were both very nice.
Took my pizza home and even after stopping for milk it was plenty warm almost 20 mins later. Dove in with the wife as the kids already wasted their appetites on frozen chicken nuggets. I’m 6′ 230lbs, had skipped lunch, and was still only able to eat 2 pieces. Value: check. Flavors: sausage dried out a bit but I’m guessing it’s made in house with lots of fennel. The cheese and sauce were fantastic and pepperoni was good too. The crust looks excessive, but there’s so much filling, you eat it with what’s falling off the pizza.
The closest suburb near my rural abode happens to be Grove City. What a nice find amidst the multitude of chain restaurants dotting Stringtown Rd. Thanks for choosing GC Lou.

We got one of their pizzas to take home last night and it was so delicious. I’m not a fan of «deep dish pizza» around here, I don’t generally like 5 inches of crust. Well this pizza is nothing like that! The crust itself is pretty thin, it’s just wrapped up and around the toppings like a pie! It was delicious. The sauce was a little tangy and there was probably an entire bag of cheese on this thing! Very tasty!
They also seem to have a pretty nice looking Craft Beer menu! We drive by here in the summer time and always see fun things going on, we are looking forward to the warmer months of enjoying good beer and pizza on their patio!