Lucy Blue Pizza - Cincinnati, Ohio

Sean G.

I drove 30 minutes and waited another 30 minutes to try this place out. I like to support local family-owned businesses. I ordered the breadsticks and also a medium pepperoni pizza. Breadsticks came out hot. You can tell they marinara sauce was homemade which was very good. Secondly the pizza came out hot also it was a very thin crust at the bottom. It was cooked perfectly through. One thing I thought was different they had a bar to sit at however they only had canned drinks I also had canned beer and bottled water. So I order a ice water . The restaurant was super clean very well painted and decorated.

Chuck V. G.

We really like this pizza! Unfortunately, tonight we ordered and they made our pizza with the spicy sauce when we asked for mild. We know the difference. We called and they swore they used the right sauce and that was the end of that discussion. So much for make the customer happy. Disappointed.

Rich R.

Cincinnati is an interesting pizza town. Our claim to fame, as it were, is regional chain LaRosa’s. Its success cannot be denied, but surf any Reddit thread or Facebook thread discussing Cincinnati pizza, and you’ll find a particular disdain for our hometown pizzeria, with most negative comments saying it’s overrated, the sauce is too sweet, or it smells of feet/vomit. Yes really.

Our other regional chain with some notoriety is Dewey’s, a more “upscale” style pizza joint that appeals to hipsters and families.  The seasonal Tito Santana taco pizza is a revelation. Dewey’s also has its detractors citing price as the main complaint.

The rest of the scene is local chains like Angilos and Grammas serving serviceable “homestyle” pizzas and steak hoagies, a handful of wood-fired pizza places, and an even smaller handful of New York-style pie places. And of course national chains like Domino’s and Pizza Hut.

Among the crowded scene is Lucy Blue. A local micro chain with two locations serving something between Angilo’s and Dewey’s. Lucy Blue built it reputation with pizza windows in downtown and Mt. Lookout. More recently, their two locations are in the suburbs of Anderson Township and in the always-happening Over the Rhine area in the urban basin.

Lucy Blue’s menu skews more toward Dewey’s than Gramma’s. Just two pages featuring standard pizzas and expected toppings, fresh salads, a few sandwiches including the requisite steak hoagie and a few appetizers. Missing is the litany of fried items that crowd Angilo’s and Grammas menus. The focus here is on freshness and simplicity.

And fresh is what you get. In spades. Every item we’ve tried has been fresh and high quality. The crust is bready and structurally sound. The sauce is fresh and tomatoey. The cheese has a bite and pull that you’d expect from higher quality pizza kitchens. Toppings like pepperoni, sausage, and veggies all seem high quality and tasty.

The steak hoagie is much better than the sloppy, buttery messes you get at most places. The meat was tasty and the toppings were crisp and plentiful.

The breadsticks were very good. They were short but heavy and flavorful, and the sauce accompanying them was chunky and flavorful. The salad was bright, green and fresh!

There is a tiny spicy bite to everything, including the delicious ranch dressing.

Overall, Lucy Blue is an excellent option among Cincinnati’s many pizza spots. The food is fresh and tasty.

Mike W.

Stumbled upon this tiny place and so glad we tried it. Salad was fresh and crisp with a zesty vinaigrette dressing. Pizza came out hot and delicious with a nice traditional crust. Took home a brownie and guess what? Super chocolatey with chunks of chocolate inside. Great place!

Tyler S.

It was a terrible display of entitlement and privilege. A man comes into the restaurant with a little white dog off the leash. The dog begins to run all over the restaurant and even in the kitchen. The owner of the dog begins to tell a family he is meeting at this establishment, "I'm a part owner. It's fine. He is a nice dog and he can run around if he wants. I'm a part owner here". This was a disgusting display of professional behavior in a restaurant. Being an owner he should know a dog is not allowed in the restaurant. Especially with no leech running around the kitchen and putting staff and people in Danger!!! The health department will be notified immediately of this poor choice of actions.

Jesse T.

The Bamaque Pickle Pizza was single handedly, the greatest pizza our family has ever had. I’d give 10 Stars if they would let me. This needs to be an every day item and not just a monthly feature. I should have taken a before picture, but it smelled so good that I had to eat a piece on the drive home. I was hoping to take some for lunch tomorrow, but there is absolutely zero chance these last two pieces make it. They will be eaten tonight, guaranteed.

Matt E.

I mean where to start...walked into the joint and it smelled awesome. You could tell driving home this pizza was going to be good. Fresh as can be ingredients, making for incredible flavor.

It was our first time at the pizza joint and I'll definitely be going back.

endresh X.

Very slow service. I was told my order was to be ready at 5:30, I got there at 5:30 only to have to wait until 6:05 to walk out with my order.