Richmond crowns Zorch the city's best pizza
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The one and only Zorch. Pictured here with vegan cheese because they do an excellent vegan cheese (and Karri's boyfriend is allergic to dairy, so it's what she has to get). Photo: Karri Peifer/Axios
Zorch is the best pizza in Richmond, according to Axios Richmond readers.
Why it matters: Zorch was the clear favorite going in — it was by far the most nominated pie by our readers. But its path to victory was anything but a blowout.
State of play: Zorch Pizza eked out the win Thursday over 8 1/2 in our weeklong best pizza showdown.
- Ultimately, Zorch took the top spot by literally 13 votes, winning 51% to 49%.
- Thanks to the 625 people who voted in our Thursday poll, and the hundreds who played along all week.
Zoom in: Owner Rob Zorch started slinging his New York-style pies and posting up at Scott's Addition breweries in 2018.
- Three years later, Zorch's slice-heavy brick-and-mortar debuted in Carytown.
- They leveled up again two years ago (this week!) with Zorch Pizza Parlor in South Richmond, a larger space with a larger menu and killer backyard hang situation.
- By the time the parlor opened on Forest Hill, the restaurant had already developed a local cult-like following for its NY-style foldable yet crispy crust, its perfect cheese-to-sauce ratio, top-tier ingredients, vegan offerings and specialty pies.
What they're saying: Don't take our word for it. Here are some of the things our readers said about Zorch:
- "The upside down [sliced mozzarella first, parmesan, Romano, then vodka sauce, with basil on top] is what pizza dreams are made of."
- "Perfectly thin, crispy, and sturdy enough to hold its fold without the dreaded center flop."
- "Zorch has the best overall slices, flavor combos, and they usually have Bob Ross playing on the TVs."
- "Zorch's origins and food truck start embodies the RVA foodie community … scrappy and proud."
Owner Rob Zorch credits his "super talented" team, telling Axios: "Everyone cares and puts a lot of effort into what they're making, and really just want to be the best."
- Plus, they just have fun, he says.
Fun fact: Best pizza spot isn't a new title for the eight-year-old food truck turned full service restaurant turned Richmond pizza staple.
- Richmond Magazine and Style Weekly readers also named it the best in town, this year and last, and probably longer than that if we kept searching archives.
Yes, but: One thing we learned through this competition is that Richmond is filled with fantastic pizza-makers and great pies.
- Throughout the week, some of the nominated shops shouted out their "rivals" and encouraged their followers to support them.
- Plus, readers nominated 75 separate local indie restaurants as the best, covering everything from NY-ish slices at Jo-Jo's, Detroit-style at Secret Squares, Capriccio's "solid old-school pizza," River City Wood Fire's wood-fired pies and the "Simple. Perfection" of 8 1/2.
The bottom line: Zorch may be the winner of this contest (and apparently every other one), but when it comes to pizza, Richmond is the real winner.
If you go: Zorch is at 2923 W. Cary St. and 7524 Forest Hill Ave.
- And Forest Hill is throwing a two-year anniversary party on Saturday with karaoke, tiki drinks, yard games and special throwback pricing.
- We're calling it the Axios Richmond best pizza bracket party.