Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza

Excellent food! I got the Napoletana– Fantastic!!! Close to the Verizon Center and Metro!

Wood. Fired. Pizza.
In my desperate quest for some authentic wood fired pizza in DC, I dragged my boyfriend here on a Saturday night. I am SO glad we made the trek! He even had to admit it was some of the best pizza he has had in his life.
The place was pretty busy on a Saturday night, but we went sans reservations and were able to snag a 2-​seater close to the open wood firing oven. Loves it!
The pizza is all thin crust, and has some seriously fresh ingredients. They also have an impressive craft beer selection (and sangria!) for imbibing.
We decided to try (2) 10″, and opted for the «melanzane» (tomato sauce, mild goat cheese, red onions, olives, roasted yellow peppers & eggplant) and the «pucillo» (tomato sauce, smoked mozzarella, prosciutto & fresh arugula)
. Both were amazing, although I thought there was a little too much arugula on the genovese. Regardless, we both agreed we would definitely come again.

Came here Friday night before seeing Springsteen at the Verizon Center. Maybe it was my ebullient anticipation, or maybe it was the Dewar’s but I just thoroughly enjoyed this meal. We ordered a salad and several pizzas.
Wife had a ginger mojito, which she loved. Daughter had a gin and tonic, and I had Dewar’s. Both fine.
The salad arrived before the pizza, due to an intelligent and proactive server. The pizzas: Sopressata was really good, with tasty sausage and rich tomato flavor. The Meatball was very good – maybe the best we had. Also loved the Mediteranean with eggplants, olives and tomato.
We ate and ran to Bruce. The server helped us get away quick. There are a lot of comparisons on this site between Ella’s and other pizza places nearby. My recommendation would definitely be Ella’s.

Ella’s is great for happy hour. They offer 7″ pizzas and they have a nice variety of drink selections. Happy hour pizza recommendations: Genovese and Pepperoni. Off happy hour: Polpotini, hands-​down! Although they have appetizers on happy hour, note that those prices aren’t that much different compared to their normal prices off happy hour. Still– they’re good. I really like the eggplant parm :)
The place is fairly small, but it offers a relaxed, intimate vibe for socializing. Also– can I please point out how much I love that they have a coatrack in the front of the restaurant and hooks under the bar? It sucks when you go somewhere small and there’s no place to put your belongings. I’ve only had table service once but I’ve sat at the bar way too many times to count (Happy Hour is only at the bar) because I just can’t NOT come back. I think where they’re winning pizza wise is that they clearly have their own flavors, and you can easily get a good quality personal pizza off happy hour without breaking bank. Bartenders are friendly– shout outs to Yared and Jen– and will take good care of you. ;)

We had a great experience at Ella’s last night. I have a three year old, so I was thrilled that they took reservations. We were seated immediately and the friendly host gave us crayons and a coloring page. The waitress was one of the best I’ve had – really with it, attentive, friendly, and quick. So, great service. But the pizza was SO good that I’d go back even if it weren’t. Light, airy, crispy bubbles in the crust. Yum. The margarita and mushroom pizzas both rocked. The salads that our neighbors were enjoying looked great too. Highly recommend!

We found Ella’s after leaving the Spy Museum and Portrait Gallery. From across the street at night it looked closed (dark), but my friend thought he saw a light, and he was right. We liked the posted menu – it was the mussels that initially got our attention.
Although Ella’s looked packed, we were seated immediately.
Be warned: the walls are hard and floor is concrete, so it can get loud in there.
Here’s what we ordered:
Drinks: Earl Gray tea; lemonade spritzer (simultaneously tart and sweet)
Appetizer: Mussels! A medium bowl of various sizes, perfectly steamed, topped with shredded sauteed something (not onions, maybe cabbage), drenched in a rich spicy red sauce. So yummy! They only served two toasted sourdough wedges but we needed way more to sop up that addicting sauce, and we got it when asked (no charge).
Entrees: (1) Pan-​fried eggplant Parmesan was perfect for the vegetarian. Two thick slices coated and fried to a crispy crunch, topped with a dollop of red sauce and ample mozzarella.
(2) Wild mushroom, goat cheese, and spinach pizza. Thin crust, not over or under baked. These ingredients had a delicate, yet full flavor. They do pizza well.
My date and I would visit again if in the neighborhood. Try them.

Maybe you are catching a game at the Verizon Center, visiting the National Portrait Gallery or taking in a show at Shakespeare Theatre, regardless of the reason, if you find yourself in D.C.‘s Penn Quarter neighborhood, I recommend checking out Ella’s Wood Fired Pizza.
Ella’s has been fixture in D.C. for more than a decade, and been listed as one of Washingtonian’s «100 Best Restaurants» every year of its tenure.
Back in September, owner and chef Hanson tapped Erica Riggio of Green Owl Design to refresh and update Ella’s décor. According to Riggio, «Bold graphics that embody movement are contrasted with a classic black and red color scheme, reflecting the vibrant red found in Ella’s logo. All new lighting unifies the design elements.»
To complement the new décor, Hanson also introduced a new fall menu that some friends and I had the opportunity to sample. Based on our server’s recommentation, we started with Tuscan-​Style Beans with spinach, garlic, tomatoes and grilled Italian sausage ($ 8) and the Ella’s House-​Made Meatballs with creamy polenta ($ 7). Both dishes were well presented and favorful.
And although the new salads, such as the Roasted Portobello with arugula, smoked mozzarella, poached pear, spiced walnuts, and balsamic dressing ($ 13), were very appealling, we opted to concentrate on sampling a few of Hanson’s signature pizzas and his new Butternut Squash & Roasted Chicken Calzone, with mushrooms, mozzarella and parmesan ($ 15). Again, we found all the dishes to be top notch.

Always a great meal at Ella’s. The pizza is delicious. Try the risotto and the meatball appetizers. So good. Only downfall is whenever we order take out, the food is cold. But even cold, the food is great.

Its super pricy for what you get. Payed $ 40 for a meal for two, not to thrilled about that but its DC I get it. (the waitress I had was sexy but had an attitude, maybe a bad day for her though nbd.)
Seen better.
(Oh yeah the fat waiter dropped soup on me and when I flinched because it was hot he told me to calm down and stop freaking out, I didn’t freak out. You spilled hot soup on me bruh, shut up.)

Real chill and cozy spot with a reddish ambiance. They have an excellent happy hour! We had a pitcher of the red sangria and the mussels. The sauce for the mussels is deliciousssss! And the happy hour pizzas. Yum! Definitely will be coming back soon!

I loved this place! Really unassuming from the outside but it looked really cute on the inside with the dimmed lights + deco. Our waitress was really friendly and the service was really fast (especially for a Friday night!)
We originally decided to come here because we got this spotluck app that gives you a daily discount on a local restaurant. It was our first time trying it and our meal for two (including drinks, appetiser, two pizzas and a dessert) ended up being around 50 dollars with the discount!
We shared the suppli that were super super good (I only wish they had warmed up the sauce that went with it a little), and then my friend got the meatball pizza (polpettine) and I got a margherita with olives (not tryna do anything fancy tonight). Wood fired pizza is the best! We topped it off with the strawberry cheesecake made with cream cheese and goat cheese
⁵⁄₅ would recommend! Food is good, ambiance is good, service is good and price is good! Not much more you can ask for :)

I came here for dinner tonight and was disappointed by my pizza (wild mushroom gluten free pizza), it lacked complete flavor. I had to add salt, parmesan, and red pepper. My husband got a regular pizza with sausage and fennel and it was the same story. I used to come here regularly for the amazing hh, I assume it’s still wonderful because of the prices, but given that the dinner pizza is much more expensive, and this was my actual meal… I was frustrated by coming here.

Four stars for this happy hour. Delicious crust on delicious gourmet personal pizzas: $ 6! Pitcher of (strong) fruity sangria, $ 20. My friend and I had at least 3 large pours each. Service was good and attentive. Only giving four stars because the happy hour is only offered at the bar which is small and pretty overcrowded.
Fortunately, one of the servers was so kind and let us sit in a booth and order off the happy hour menu. Whoop!
The interior seemed a little bleek and needs a facelift.

Great location and GREAT pizza. I am very excited to try their happy hour — amazing personal pizzas for $ 6!!! I have enjoyed everything here, but my favorite by far is the di mare pizza. Pesto, red peppers, pine nuts, and shrimp… delicious! The red sangria portion is small but I pay for it every time I go, so it must be worth it! I almost forgot my leftovers on my table the other night, but (who I think was the owner) chased me down 9^th street to give them to me. God bless him. I adore this pizza.

There are very few places that I can call «gourmet» pizza with a straight face. Ella’s is one of them. Crispy crust, fresh toppings, and just the right amount of food, Ella’s definitely stands out in the crowd as a top-​notch pizza place!
We also go dessert, which was pretty tasty! The chocolate cake was a little dry, but the dollop of ice cream on top helped. The Italian cheesecake was amazing! Not too sweet on a cookie-​like crust. Seems small but turns out to be just the right amount to satisfy. I quite enjoyed this experience, and can’t wait to go back!

Came Here today for lunch, the décor was nice! They have a big bar inside and a small patio area out front! not your typical pizza spot!
The host and waiter was very nice it didn’t take long to be seated at all! It was a nice amount of people but not too crowded!
They do have a happy hour that start at 4(I think)
We came for the pizza so we both ordered a pizza (the pizzas are 10inch pizzas they run between 11 – 16 dollars each) we also shared salad that was Yummy! We had two ice-​teas our check was about $ ⁵⁵⁄₆₀ not including tip! Not what I usually pay for pizza for two people, but the food was yummy so I won’t complain! I would definitely come back but maybe to check out they happy hour! Oh Iivingsocial has deals going on that will save you ¹⁰⁄₁₅ dollars!

«Too Full to Think of Catchy Title»
Intro: I’ve been to Ella’s about 4 times now. I sat here debating between a 3 and 4.
Atmosphere: The place is clean, with a nice layout. Very vibrant and inviting.
Food: If you like the thin-​crust, wood fired style, then Ella’s does the trick. It didn’t knock my socks off, but it was good quality. Lately, pizza of any kind has been underwhelming me, so I’ve shifted into getting the calzone’s. The calzone’s are very filling. I had the meatball calzone today and it’s tasty, but has a very smokey flavor, so mid-​way through the meal, the rich smokey flavor became a chore. I’ve also had the salsiccia lover’s calzone which had a good flavor throughout. The calamari is excellent, which is one reason I bumped up to 4. I got an opportunity to see other people’s meals and the burger and fries look good. I may try that next time.
Customer Service: Each time I’ve went, the customer service has been fine. I’ll give Ella’s a kudo because some Asian tourists had a lady pass out in front of their building. They allowed the group to drag the lady in and provided water and assistance with her. I don’t know what type of liability Ella’s could have been under by allowing that, but fortunately, the lady ended up being alright (as far as I know). I said a few prayers. The ambulance had to come. Another reason I gave them 4.
Conclusion: If you are a fan of the thin-​crust style pizza, give Ella’s a shot. Don’t be scared to venture out into other areas of the menu as well. Also, they are groupon and living social friendly.

We came for their awesome happy hour deals from 4 – 7 pm on a Monday night. It was pretty empty and we sat at one of many seats at the bar. On a slow night like tonight, most bartenders would chit chat and talk to patrons, but this bartender seemed bored to be there. He didn’t do anything wrong, but I would have expected more personality from a bartender.
We ordered calamari to start and three 7″ pizzas at $ 7 each: wild mushroom, sausage, pepperoni. They all came out very quickly and tasted good. It’s not amazing, but it’s great for happy hour.
Overall, I’ll be back at Ella’s for happy hour. I don’t think I’d be missing much from their lunch/​dinner menu.

I seriously LOVE this place. Since my last review I’ve gone back multiple times for the wood-​fired chicken breast (maybe obsessed) and haven’t been able to try the pizza because I cant pass up that entrée. On a whim, though, I tried the grilled salmon nicoise and it was great as well. This place has easily become one of my favorites.

As everyone and their momma has said, happy hour is off the hook! When the bestie and I came for HH a couple of months ago, the bar was packed but we managed to grab a couple of stools when someone left.
I ordered the calamari and quattro formaggi pizza. I didn’t expect much from the calamari but it was almost perfect! The pieces were small but tender and flavorful, with a thin batter that was golden. Loved the spicy marinara that came with it! The pizza was delicious as well, with a great crust and the perfect combo of cheeses.
The pepperoni and wild mushroom pizza I recently had for dinner wasn’t so great. The pepperoni and mushrooms themselves were clearly fresh and pretty tasty but somehow they were just meh with the mozarella they used. The crust was chewy this time around, which was disappointing. Good thing we had a Groupon so we basically got 2-​for-​pizzas!
I still gave Ella’s 4 stars because the service is great. Our dinner server was Sharmaine and she was very friendly and helpful. My friend and I hadn’t seen each other in awhile so after we finished eating, we sat around chatting for a good 30 minutes. Sharmaine offered us water and didn’t rush us to leave (don’t worry, it was slow so we weren’t hogging the table!)
Plus, it’s hard to beat the HH pizza prices. Good alternative to the more popular pizza places in Penn Quarter!