Miguel’s Pizza

As we embarked on a trip to the Natural Bridge area, several people recommended that I stop here to get some pizza before hitting the trails. Since there didn’t seem to be much around but little shacks and trees and cliffs, Miguel’s seemed like the perfect place to try.
It’s a fantastic little pizza joint in the hills of Kentucky, tucked into the trees next to a gravel lot and some kind of campground. There were tents pitched in the grassy area nearby, so I’m assuming you can camp right here. Interesting.
Anyway. We saw a lot of families, rock climbers, tourists, all kinds of people. The place was PACKED with a line out the door. The interior is really small — we kind of freaked out when we didn’t know where to eat — but thankfully, there is a ton of outdoor seating behind the building.
We waited in line for awhile. Then we ordered. Then we sat down. Then we waited. And waited. And waited. And each time someone came out with a pizza, we jumped up, hoping it was ours. Nope. We waited. And FINALLY, our pizzas were brought out. My husband had his own and I had some kind of veggie pizza.
They tasted light and fresh, but completely satisfying. We were a bit annoyed with the wait, though. Best pizza ever? Nah… I think my expectations of this place were a tad high, so I wasn’t blown away, but it was pretty darn good. And adorable.
Next time, if I’m in the area, I’ll make sure I’m prepared for the long wait.

Miguel’s Pizza for me and my friends is a destination place during the summer months. They are just a little hole in the wall place that is completely packed all the time. It is the go to place for most of the hikers/​bikers/​campers in the area. They have a camp ground that is located right out the back of their building. This camp ground is usually packed with Hikers and Nature Lovers alike.
The pizza here is like no other around. It is made with the freshest ingredients with freshly hand tossed dough. It is oh so good.
They also sell shirts, clothing, and other outdoor gear/​tackle. Kind of a one stop shop if you will.
They do have WiFi or at least the last time I visited here they did.
Please don’t go if you are in a hurry. You will be sadly disappointed. You can’t rush great taste in this place if you ask me. Every thing here takes time. There is enough indoor and outdoor seating to make anyone happy. I prefer sitting out back under the porch at the picnic area. Usually less people back there.
So next time you are in the area, stop in and see the great folks from here. You won’t regret it.

After a full day of Rough Trail and Jump Rock hangs, we headed out to Miguel’s for some pizza before heading back into Lexington. Great atmosphere, good pizza, and friendly people. Solid spot.

They live up to the hype. Wonderful prices and smart ordering system. 2 slices, 4 slices, a while no problem. But here is the cool part Toppings are priced in steps. 1 – 2, 3 – 4, 5−6etc. Because let’s face it… when you get pepperoni, jalapeños, and onion… your may as well throw one more toping on there and it doesn’t break the bank!

So lives up to the hype. Pizza starts at 11 am but they are open much earlier. My husband and I split a pizza, his half with spinach, artichokes, ricotta and garlic and my half with bacon, avocado, zucchini and garlic. The list of ingredients you can add was sooooo long. I had a hard time just choosing those! The pizza was cooked perfectly. It was a thick doughy crust, but crisp enough to hold upright. The ingredients were fresh and plentiful. We didn’t have to wait long, which was a plus. The inside is small, but there are a ton of tables outside too, which is great for nice weather, but if it is winter, maybe not so much. I think I’d go back to Slade, just so I can get Miguels Pizza again. 6 hour drive just for pizza? Yes, please!

I’ll bet it’s good on the off season. During the summer I guess it would be a great place to go, if you where a sweaty rock climber. It smells like B/​O during the dinner hours because of the climbers and campers.
Other than that, the pizza is pretty good, when they have supplies. 2 times I’ve stopped there they where out of supplies and had stopped serving pizza.
I’m not even sure if they’re open in the off climbing season. I’ll have to swing by in a few weeks and report back

I love Miguel’s Pizza! It isn’t just a pizza restaurant, but also an awesome community full of climbers from all over the world. It is the go-​to campground for climbers in the Red River Gorge. Plenty of spots to pitch up a tent or a hammock. You can car camp too. It is $ 2 a night per person, which is a lot cheaper than some other campsites I’ve been to.
The pizza at Miguel’s is good, but not as good as Pies and Pints in West Virginia– New River Gorge. You can get a pizza as a whole, half, or a quarter. ~50 toppings. Miguel’s Pizza also serves sandwiches, salads, rice bowls, coffee, and breakfast (7am-​11am). The wait for food can be super long especially during peak climbing season. Their bread was also really good! I think they make it themselves.
Amenities:
— Bathrooms; Men & Women, two stalls each. There are sinks. When I went, only one sink worked in the ladies room. It’s considerably clean considering the high usage.
— Showers; 1 token for 4 minutes shower time. $ 1 per token. You buy the tokens from the gear shop. There are about 5 shower rooms. Showers are nothing fancy, just a small shower room with a hanger on the door. I’ve never had any issues using the showers at night.
— Laundry room; never used it
— Communal campfire; whoever shows up first can make the fire. They have all the necessary equipment to start one. You may have to collect your own wood. We used the campfire to cook our first night there. It was a great place to meet climbers.
— If you don’t like sleeping in a tent, hammock, or car, they have rooms for rent (~$ 40 a night); located above showers
— Sink area– they have two large sinks for washing dishes. In this room, people leave their cooking belongings.
— Basement of Miguel’s Pizza; has wifi, multiple outlets, books, and games. Lots of climbers hang out here. It can be a little smelly.
— Pavilions with tables and benches
— Slack line
Need climbing or camping gear? They have a gear shop in the basement of the white house located across the campground. It is also where you pay for and pick up your tent tags.
*Since Pollack Co. is a dry county, you’re technically not allowed to drink, but Miguel’s is cool with it as long as it is concealed.

Miguels offers a restaurant, campground, gear shop, and lots of ammenities to visitors.
The campground, our home for climbing over the weekend in the gorge. It seriously felt like a hostel but a bit tamed down. There is electricity and outlets for visitors in the basement. You’ll quickly notice tent city (depending on the time of year). Camping is $ 2 a night but make sure you put your tag on your tent, or you could lose a sleeping bag!
The restaurant is modestly priced for amazing pizza, breakfast burritos, and more. Don’t forget to try their local soda, «Ale8.» Service is as good as it can get for a hotspot for the red. You have to fill out a slip and hand it in with your order and they bring it out to you. Please be aware of the $ 6 minimum for use of a credit/​debit card.
The gear shop has all sorts of climbing gear, from your guide book needs, to ropes, harnesses, chalk, clothing, even some food. There are sales here too. This is also where you register for your campsite.
Amenities we discovered: free running water, laundromat, pay per use shower, wifi, and parking.

After a long day of hiking, Miguel’s seriously hit the spot! We passed this place on our way to the Natural Bridge and made a mental note that this would be our stop for food before leaving for the day. We couldn’t have made a better decision.
Where I’m living in Louisville, you’d be tempted to call Miguel’s a hole in the wall. In this area, though, it fits right in with the rustic feel. There’s a small area inside to sit and eat and a ton of picnic tables outside. This goes right with the outdoorsy-​ness of where you are.
The ordering setup they have going on is great. You walk inside, grab a slip of paper and pen, and mark down exactly what you want. You can order the pizza by 2 slices, 4 slices (half a pizza), or a whole pizza of 8 slices. Your name goes on the paper and after you place your order you can have a seat and wait. As far as pizza typically goes, I’d say this place is pretty darn cheap, too. I got out of here with a tab just about $ 10 (including my soda).
Now let’s talk about this pizza because oh my goodness. The crust was perfectly crispy with every bite and it wasn’t even a thin crust pizza. It came out piping hot but when when I finally got to take a bite my gosh. The cheese strung all over, the pepperoni slices were huge, and that’s just the beginning. I got four toppings: pepperoni, bacon, meatball, and banana peppers. The bacon was freshly cooked and in giant pieces (about half a slice of bacon really). The meatball was crumbled all over the pizza and didn’t dry out like I’ve found it does on most pizzas. The banana peppers added a great flavor, as well.
I got 4 slices which was perfect for me. I ate 3 and got to bring the last one back to Louisville with me. The sodas come in glass bottles which I always find tastes better, even though I’m sure it’s just the same as out of the can. Ale-​8 is my drink of choice where I can get it and it complimented the pizza well. I mean, it compliments everything well really.
Overall, completely satisfied with Miguel’s. The pizza was delicious, the atmosphere was relaxing, and everyone there was friendly. Next time I’m out near the gorge I’ll definitely be stopping by again!

I am not a pizza eater. So I ordered a pasta. I really enjoyed the «make your own pasta» aspect of Miguel’s. At first, I was not pleased with my pasta. It was small (I was hungry maybe an hour later) and too crisp on top. The toppings and cheese I asked for on my pasta was stuffed at the bottom. I did not like this. Towards the end of my meal, I started to enjoy it more.
There was not enough seating at the restaurant. I had to sit outside because the restaurant was full. The seating outside was not nice. The benches were dirty and the bugs were everywhere. Of course, that’s only natural.
Overall, although it was not the best, it was satisfying for the time being.

This is THE place for climbers to get some great camping and pizza action. Their slices are pretty sizable and reasonably priced. You can customize your slices or get a whole pizza.
No beers or alcohol served here, although you can bring your own and drink those on the picnic tables in back.
Campgrounds are spacious, have trees for people who came with hammocks, a climbers gear ship further down the path, and hot showers which you can purchase tokens for at the head shop ($ 1/​token, 1 token = 4 minutes). Some showers gave people cold water though, and the shower closest to the bathroom randomly turns the light off with no way to turn it back on (I tried everything).
Cool place and very popular. And for good reason too!

I kept hearing about Miguel’s so I decided to stop in and see what the fuss was about while hiking in the Red River Gorge.
The restaurant is very cute and eclectic looking. They have a large outdoor seating area. It’s easy to place an order inside. You fill out a sheet with what you want on your pizza and hand it in.
I got a veggie pizza. You can really taste the tomatoes in the sauce. The cheese was perfect and it was pretty delicious. Only downside — you do have to wait a while. I waited almost an hour — so don’t come starving like I did.

I came by here to get some climbing beta or even possibly meet up with a climbing group since every guide book for the Red mentions this place. I didn’t get any climbing beta or climbing partners, but I did get a couple slices of delicious pizza. I loved that you can order 2,4, or 8 slices, and that you can get them with whatever toppings you want. They came out wood fire hot and I burnt the roof of my mouth, but I still loved every bite.

Pizza was OK but certainly not worth the wait. This is for sure the best pizza around because it is the only pizza around. The staff obviously doesn’t work for tips and I’m sure are frustrated by the business they get with limited staff but no excuse for a terrible attitude toward customers.
If in the area you will probably have to try it because your choices are limited. I’m sure it will serve your purpose but certainly would not go at of the way for it. Don’t pass a chain pizza place for this.

This is our family’s favorite place to eat. We look forward to summer mostly for Miguel’s pizza and cold ale8’s. Reasonable prices, great options for gluten free and vegetarians as well as meat eaters. Pull up an old school bus seat or a picnic table and let the memories begin!

I’m shocked to see bad reviews of Miguel’s Pizza. Anyone who speaks ill of this place is highly suspect.
I live in Louisville, and here’s how I would’ve ranked pizza in this town a year ago:
1. Papalino’s
2. Leftover Miguel’s that’s been sitting on your dashboard for two hours while you drive home from the gorge
3. Danny Mac’s
4. Mellow Mushroom
5. Impellizeri’s
6. Anything from the freezer section of Kroger
7. Stale Chuck E. Cheez
8. Public school cafeteria pizza
9. One of the generic pizza joints on Bardstown Rd. that can only stay open for 3 months
10. Spinellis
Well, here we are a year later and Papalino’s is out of the picture so LOOKS LIKE IT’S MIGUEL’S. If you wanna fight me over pizza in my messages you can join the pizza bigots from Indiana, but we’re here to talk about pizza in the gorge and this is where it’s at.
They have an impressive amount of toppings to choose from and you can go dairy and gluten free, which is a major leg up on 99% of other pizza places. Don’t like lines or long waits or crowds? Then don’t go at peak hours! Cmon, you’re a grown adult you should be able to figure this out.
If you happen to visit Miguel’s before 11am, then grab one of their breakfast burritos. Just like their pizzas, it is what you make it so if you lack creativity then I guess you can only blame yourself for a boring meal. Sorry!

I always have a nice experience here. I think I end up buying at least 2 whole pies every visit to the gorge, and its always the best way to spend your money.
This place has a cozy ambiance and friendly staff.
Its also very cool that they allow dogs.
I wish Miguel’s delivered to Columbus, Ohio.

Miguel’s Pizza is awesome! I think if you’re in the Red River Gorge/​Natural Bridge State Park it’s a must.
It’s a pizza place. It’s also a camp ground. And it’s usually packed with climbers, campers, and tourists. Just keep those things in mind going in. But, if you’re a fan of pizza (and who isn’t?) you’ll most likely love this place! Their list of toppings is phenomenal. They have so many choices! And the ordering system is fantastic. When you come in you grab an order ticket and write your order out for the cashier. It’s basically a check-​list, so it’s super easy. The menu is easy to navigate and they keep a board at the side to inform you if they’re out of any toppings. The pricing is really reasonable and is based on the number of slices/​toppings you order. When you submit your ticket you pay and order a drink, then when you’re order is ready they bring it out to you. Voilà! Pizza bliss.
Miguel’s also has salads, rice bowls, sandwiches, breakfast, Ben & Jerry’s, and most importantly for this Kentucky girl, Ale 8. You’ll always catch me there with two slices loaded with amazing toppings like feta cheese, black beans, chickpeas, corn, bacon, jalapeño, etc., an Ale 8, and then finishing up with a pint of Ben & Jerry’s. (I like to eat, ok?)
The atmosphere at Miguel’s is all peace and love. I’ve never been there and not seen someone walking the tightrope out back or playing fetch with their adorable puppy. Seating can be limited, as I mentioned before it’s usually packed, but the picnic tables around the property are pretty much family style seating and it’s fun to share space and meet new people while you’re there.

We stayed in the rooms above the showerhouse. And since mother nature brought the frost, and I can’t tell you how many times I said that I was glad I had a warm bed and a heater.
I’m not sure what the cost is to camp out, but the cost for this room per night was a little over $ 45 (with all of the taxes, and miscellaneous fees). This was for a barebones room with two queen beds, a space heater, a place to hang your coat, and two small ledges to set your bags or other belongings off the floor. Oh, there was also a fan, which was helpful since the air in the room got a bit stagnant at night.
All in all, it was exactly what I expected and exactly what I needed. If we had brought a second couple, the cost would have been even more reasonable, which was pretty reasonable as is. Plus, there was free wifi, though it wasn’t very accessible unless you were in the restaurant or the little wifi/​game room underneath the restaurant. This wasn’t an inconvenience since we could walk 100 feet and access it if we needed it.
The pizza place was GREAT for breakfast. The bagelwich hit the spot, twice! And if you want espresso, you can head over to the climbing shop. We ended up there a few times to get espresso, a souvenir t-​shirt, and some tokens for the showers. Oh, the showers were hot! Steamy even! You’d be surprised how quickly you can take a shower when you are motivated (one token for $ 1 = 4 minutes).
I can’t wait to come back to the Red and would highly recommend this to anyone who is visiting for their first or 100^th time.

The pizza was meh. Same kind of greasy pizza you can pretty much get anywhere. Their topping choices were pretty diverse, though. Their steak sandwich was awesome though, with a huge piece of actual steak! The food took awhile to get even though it wasn’t extremely busy. The girl at the counter was nice enough but the guy who delivered the food obviously didn’t want to be there.
Overall, I just don’t see what the hype is.