S2pizzabar

I bought a groupon for this place a month or so ago, and SUDDENLY they’re closed?
NOT COOL AT ALL. We were going to go there tonight, good thing I checked their website.
I FULLY INTEND to go into Ian’s and give them a piece of my mind, and also will be disputing the credit card charge, given I paid good money and got NADA.
Very bad business.
How do you open a cool restaurant and then 4 months later CLOSE it w/​no warning, and say it wasn’t a good fit for your business?
That’s B. S… you knew FULL well what State St. was when you decided to open there bc you’ve had another location on/​right by it for years!
This sort of BAD, short sighted, poorly planned business makes me cringe.
Because of this, I am VERY turned off to ever patronizing Ian’s (the owners original place) either.
DISGUST.

I’m so upset that this place will be closing. First off, I love the atmosphere, really bare, not pretentious, you’re just going there to get some good grub and chill for a bit.
The pizzas have always been quick to come out of the oven and delicious (I especially like the soppressata). And then the salads always just exactly hit the spot. Beer, homemade sodas (with weird flavors like jalapeño lime) and I always have to give huge props to anyone who offers olives. Such an easy thing to offer for a snack and yet so many places miss this.
Anyway. Really sad when so many mediocre places stay open and this place is going to go down so quickly.

This place is pretty great. Came here with a groupon deal for 50% off. Even without the groupon s2pizzabar is very reasonably priced.
The pizza is pretty decent. I find it a little thicker than I think Neapolitan-​style pizza should be, but the slight thickness of the crust does help hold the pizza together better. Unlike Pizza Brutta (I’m not criticizing Brutta, they can do no wrong IMHO), these slices don’t bend and lose their cheese and toppings as easily. We got the Bacon Date and the Ricotta. The Ricotta was awesome! Fresh spinach, delicious tomatoes and ricotta cheese. I loved the combination. We ordered the Bacon Date because we were intrigued. It was interesting to say the least. We thought it was a bit heavy on the vinegar and a tad greasy, but it was tasty. I applaud their creativity.
The salads looked awesome, but we didn’t try any. We got beer with our pizza, and I’m happy to say they have some decent beers on tap (they also had a reasonable wine selection!). This is one thing I wish Brutta would work on, because it would really add something to the establishment.
The location is nice, and the space is beautiful! The back area is huge and bright and open. The way they’ve arranged the tables is great, and I would strongly consider having an event in the back area. I talked to some of the staff (who are super friendly and helpful, BTW), and they gave me some details about hosting an event at s2pizzabar. They pretty much just close off the back space for your event, which could easily accomodate a group of ~40 or more.
The service was quick and very friendly. I recommend this place for a reasonably priced and tasty dinner.

Man, I really don’t understand why this place has so many low ratings.
I mean, you’re getting pretty good pizza for a great price in minutes. I came here with a group of 6, ordered individually, got seated and received our pizzas within 15 minutes.
That’s like fast food speed for slow food quality (did that make sense?).
Anyways, we all got a different type of pizza and had some fun with swapping. Just know that if you’re coordinately challenged, there will be an instance of cheese dripping onto your shirt at some point during dinner.
I went with an order of the Sausage and Pepper and got to try a slice of the BBQ pork, Ricotta, Veggie and Bacon Date.
The Bacon Date was my least favorite, which was surprising, cause I’m such a bacon dude. The sauce just didn’t do much for me, and the bacon bits weren’t crispy enough.
The Veggie wasn’t bad, but if you’re vegetarian, I’d recommend the Ricotta. The Ricotta was absolutely delicious, with soft, melted cheese on top of fresh olives and spinach.
The BBQ pork pizza can either be a hit or miss. As a standalone meal, the BBQ pork would be pretty great, but it’s just too sweet as a topping for me (at least for me).
My Sausage and Pepper definitely gave the Ricotta a run for its money as my favorite pizza. The Italian sausages bring a lot of flavor to the table, while the mild peppers counterbalances nicely with its more «gentle» taste.
Honestly, if you’re ever dying for some good old fashioned pizza, make sure you drop by here.

I went here recently with a friend, and we were both satisfied. It wasn’t very crowded when we went, but it was about 8 PM and it was about 8 degrees Fahrenheit outside. I’d expect it to be busier when it’s warmer since this is a place you have to walk to. There was plenty of seating and a clean, well-​lit dining area.
We ordered a BBQ Pork pizza and a Bacon Date pizza and split them. The pizzas came decently quickly, and were well-​cooked and pleasingly crispy throughout. The BBQ Pork was highly satisfying, with quality tender pork meat and a very good barbeque sauce. It’s a nice step up from your standard BBQ Chicken. I’d get the barbeque pork again, whether by myself or with friends.
The Bacon Date was somewhat surprising, in that the sauce was rather spicy in a hot-​spicy way. When combined with a fair number of dates on a bite, it went pretty well, but overall the sauce was a bit more powerful than I would have preferred — although not so much that it would have prevented eating even the entire pie. After eating two slices of this pizza, the taste of its sauce remained in my mouth for the next slice of BBQ pork, and it was only on the second slice of BBQ pork that I was really tasting that pizza’s flavors fully again. I’d get this pizza again with friends to share, but I wouldn’t get it again just for myself. Still, I liked the concept enough that it made me want to try more of their other pizzas. My friend seconded my assessment of the pizzas.
Is it New York style pizza, or Neapolitan? I can’t really say, since I’ve never had either in their place of origin. However, it is one of the best pizza’s I’ve had in Madison, a city where I’m generally unsatisfied with the pizza, and somewhere I’d take people who are from out of town.
The salted caramel brownie for dessert was also worth getting. I hadn’t heard of the bakery they get them from (Batch Bakehouse) before, but it’s now on my to-​try list. I forgot that I’d intended to try their house sodas when I got there, and got a beer instead, which was good, but probably less noteworthy. Hopefully I’ll remember to get the soda next time I’m there.

I just got back from s2pizzabar. I was looking forward to it for a few days and I was not disappointed! I went with a friend. We ordered the Soppressata and the Four Cheese with bacon. (See photos I posted)
First off, the Four Cheese pizza was amazing! I was hooked as soon as I took that first bite! Such a perfect combination of cheeses! The bacon, when I tried a few pieces that fell off the pizza, was very good and had a nice smoky flavor. Though, I don’t think it added anything to the four cheese pizza; I couldn’t taste it above the cheeses. My friend and I agreed that this pizza would complement nicely with a red wine.
The Soppressata was very good as well. We both enjoyed it, but had a hard time returning to it after we tried the awesome Four Cheese pizza!
I really enjoy the wood-​fired pizzas and I will definitely return in the future!

I tried out S2pizzabar when a friend invited us to share their groupon. I am so happy we went! The ordering process isn’t the most convenient — you order at a counter, but it is right next to the door, so if there is a line, it can block the whole entry.
Other than that, our group had no complaints! We got our pizzas quickly, there was a good beer selection. The ricotta pizza was really tasty, and the sausage + peppers one was average. Not my favorite pizza place, but it does the job!

This is a decent pizza, but nothing great. I had the Soppressata, and my partner the sausage+pepperoni. We both felt that it was lacking something – spices? Salt? We couldn’t tell, but it was just kinda meh.
It looks to me like it’s trying to compete with Ian’s, and not Pizza Bruta or even Glass Nickel/​Roman Candle – all of which produce better pizza than s2. Which is a disappointment. From their marketing it seemed as if they’d be a competitor to Bruta, but they’re not.
The entire time I felt that I’d rather have Ians.

Kick ass. True Neapolitan pizza. Yah, maybe not as many toppings or a little «burnt» around the edges compared to the American pizza commercials on TV. But for $ 8 you can get great pizza. Top notch beer list too including Two Hearted on draft. We got a salad too and the greens must have been delivered today, or maybe they are delivered every day. No fake green can Parmesan cheese either. They also served appealing chili oil but I already applied chili flake so I passed on the oil. Service seemed eager to please too. True wood burning oven. Try it for a change of pace…

12″ Wood Fire Pizzas all around! My brother and I shared a 4 cheese and bacon pizza. It had no pizza sauce, which I actually find to be a nice surprise. Enjoy the toppings, don’t worry about a rogue chunk of tomato. But, I would have liked the bacon to be a little bigger, it was more like bacon bits and there weren’t even that many.
Also, I tried their Ginger Housemade Soda, which, as you can figure out — is made, in house. As a Ginger Ale fan, I had to indulge. Though, I would have loved to have a larger glass. It was delicious and too hard to pace myself while I waited for the food to arrive.
As for the atmosphere, we were trying to figure out why the walls looked like they were patching up windows that were once there and why the back looked to be the entrance to Harry Potter’s Platform 9 ¾. Then it clicked, it was as if the space the restaurant is now in, was once the alleyway between two buildings. Which, if that is true, makes this location pretty awesome. The tables being picnic tables and the front tables have tree stumps for seats fit that concept well.
As a pizza place, not among my favorites. But it is interesting enough to take newcomers to. I also think they need a larger sign with their logo above the establishment. I thought it was an extension to Whiskey Jacks at first, but it had Pizza and Beer lit up, so we knew should give it a try.

This is excellent pizza. They had a few minor issues with dough and distribution of toppings the first few times I went in, but things seem to be getting a lot better. Definitely the best pie on State Street at this point.
It’s a nice space and Greg, the guy who runs it, is a very nice guy. I’ll be back.

Tried it for lunch and it’s pretty darn good. Two of us split the soppresata pie and a house salad and each had a beer. Definitely all priced very well and it was a good amount of food. Staff was super friendly and I really like what they’ve done with the look/​feel of the space.
The concept makes a lot of sense for this spot on State St: S2 is effectively an upscale Ian’s. It is by the same owners and appears to share many of the ingredients.
It is not neapolitan pizza, but pretty similar. Wood oven and quick. The dough doesn’t seem to be as sweet as typical Ian’s (a good thing) and the toppings are mostly more traditional, though there were some that leaned a little more wacky. Light on the sauce, decent pepperoni-​like sausage (similar shape and size to «grease-​cups», but tasted like they might be on a charcuterie plate). All-​in-​all, one of the better pies I’ve had in town.
The salad was good (fresh mixed greens), but too much dressing and cheese.
Good beer selection, priced to sell.

In one word: meh.
This is no Café Porta Alba, that’s for sure. S2 is decorated in a pretty spartan style, and there’s not much seating. Random tables stand in the backroom but with no stools.
I got the sopressata pizza, and my roommate got the pepper and sausage one. They claim the pizzas cook quickly – and they do. We got ours in five minutes or so. The first thing that stuck out to me? Hardly any toppings. When I say «sparse», I mean it. I had a couple small circles of salami, and the roomie’s was sprinkled with pepper cubes and chunks of sausage. Again, we’re paying for toppings, so why weren’t they on the pizza?
Price-​wise, at $ 8 or so, you get a good amount of pizza. The problem, though, is the quality. Both pizzas were undercooked. This is supposed to be in the brick oven/​Neapolitano style, but they weren’t well-​done. The dough was meh. The cheese was there, but was sliding all over the pizza, which isn’t supposed to happen.
So, there’s my overly-​underwhelming review. My advice? Stick to Ian’s. Their pizzas may be crazy, but they’re much better. If you’re looking for this style, Café Porta Alba is the place to go – it’s a little pricier, but the enormous jump in quality is well-​worth it.

SO excited to see a new place open up on this end of State Street that doesn’t offer the standard lackluster and flavorless undergrad slop. Lived in a NYC for a while, so I have pretty high standards when it comes to pizza and this stuff really surprised me. Had the Potato Bleu pizza: the ingredients were all delicious but the crust was what really won me over… so danged good! Also, house-​made sodas rocked!

I have been craving this pizza for a year. I was fortunate enough to make it to Naked Elm in Blue Mound while it was open and desperately wanted sourdough, wood fired crust. I was so thrilled to read about this place and the influence the baker/​owner of Naked Elm had. I was not at all disappointed! It was kind of like Ian’s meets Naked Elm, which is just good all around. Just to mention, the pizzas aren’t huge. If you are insanely hungry, you may eat one yourself. My partner and I shared one for lunch and it was the perfect size. My only hope is to see a seasonal pizza, dictated by the goods at the Farmer’s Market!