Some beloved local pizzerias come and go, while some become icons. Mandatory Milwaukee is all about the latter. This week: Zaffiro’s Pizza.
Being a local legend is a double-edged sword. On one hand, there’s recognition, appreciation, and usually at least some financial security that comes with being a business people have collectively decided to rally around. Conversely, being a place throngs of residents rave about, recommend to out-of-town visitors, and repeatedly throw onto area “Best Of” lists year after year also puts a target on a business’ back and invites criticism from contrarian consumers who are eager to explain why said establishment isn’t actually the best in the city in its specific field.
To be honest, that criticism is actually warranted at times. Sometimes that burger place, that long-tenured dive bar, that tourist attraction, and that busy breakfast spot doesn’t quite match the hype. But sometimes that beloved local haunt with its heaps of history, an endless wave positive press, oodles of effusive praise from customers spread far and wide, and a wall of award plaques does actually live up to that unthinkably lofty “local legend” status. Zaffiro’s Pizza (1724 N. Farwell Ave., 414-289-8776) falls into the latter category.
The venerable East Side pizzeria opened in 1954 and quickly earned acclaim as one of Milwaukee’s best of its kind. Now 70 years later, Zaffiro’s is still widely considered to be among the city’s finest pizza purveyors. If it’s not your personal number one with a bullet, it’s likely somewhere near the top of your list. And if it’s not on your personal list, it—much like The Beatles, Star Wars, Coca-Cola, summertime, and other undeniably high-quality things that somehow don’t resonate with everyone—might just not be “your thing.” Well, Zaffiro’s is our thing. We confirmed as much recently when we paid our first visit to the pizzeria in quite some time in honor of the restaurant’s 70th anniversary. As expected, it still rules.
The cozy and classic bar remains an inviting place where customers can enjoy a modest selection of canned or bottled beer and a small assortment of no-frills cocktails while watching a game, shooting the shit with regulars, or awaiting a carryout order.
The diminutive dining room is still a trip back in time, as a small group of tables with checkered cloths are basked in neon lighting.
And the pizza continues to be—to reuse the exact term we told the bartender who asked how our food was—incredible. The millimeters-thin crust miraculously manages to be crispy and lightly charred along its edges and on its flour-dusted bottom, while also holding a treasure trove of toppings. The mozzarella is bubbly and abundant. The sausage is liberally and expertly seasoned with a distinct blend of spices, and the sauce is savory, tangy, pronounced, and really is in a class of its own. Of course, there are also salads, sandwiches, pasta, seafood, fried and breaded appetizers, and Italian desserts on the menu…but if we’re going to Zaffiro’s, we’re getting pizza.
Call it “cracker crust” or “Milwaukee style” or “tavern style” or simply just “pizza,” but no matter what you refer to it as, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better version of it around these parts than you do at Zaffiro’s Pizza. For 70 years, two generations of owners, and numerous generations of customers, this certified and well-deserved “local legend” has remained relatively unchanged. Milwaukee is virtually unrecognizable compared to what it looked like in 1954, but thankfully, there’s still a little place on Farwell Ave. that continues to serve some of the best pizza in the state. Long live Zaffiro’s Pizza.