Blackthorn Pub and Pizza Takeaway. Debatable deep-dish pizza in a dive bar. Every pizza thread on Reddit told me to try it, but Yelp's 3.7 should have been a red flag. 6.5 / 10 pizza score. 3 lbs of pizza for $20 is a good deal per oz, but you're not getting much taste for that. A lot of cheese, barely any sauce, and a flaky pie crust produce an underwhelming pizza. I don't understand people's preferences sometimes.
Service was slow and mean. I ordered ahead because it takes 45-60 minutes to make. I drove an hour round trip in the rain with two kids to get there, but the single bartender made me feel like I was putting him out to get the pizza from the back. To make matters worse, the in-house menu listed my same pizza for $2 less. However, the dive bar vibes were great. My sons played bar shuffleboard as I waited on an old wooden booth for the pizza. Which leads me to a new theory on pub pizza below…
Blackthorn Pub and Pizza Experience Summary
Whenever I read a thread on Reddit, someone would say, "Blackthorn has the best deep-dish pizza I've had in St. Louis." A Tower Grove institution, I had to try it out.
Now, a bit of a disclaimer: I like good deep-dish, but it's not my favorite. I'm a NY-style purist. Therefore, I'm not 100% sure we should even call it pizza.
But, for me, the best deep dish I've ever had is from Lou Malnati's in Chicago, and I'd rate it an 8.8 / 10 on my pizza score. That gives you my upper limit on any deep dish.
Blackthorn?
Not in the same league, clocking in around a 6.5 / 10. While I enjoyed the crispy cheese on top, the crust tasted too much like a flaky pie crust. It is as if Blackthorn made a literal cheese pie.
For $20, you get a large, hearty pizza--three pounds' worth--so there's no shortage of value. But with flavors that lean more toward jarred marinara, it's hard to recommend it if you're a die-hard pizza enthusiast.
After hours of reflection, I understand why many people put this on their list.
The Pub Pizza Experience Theorem: People conflate the quality of the pizza with the quality of the experience. Because the pizza takes an hour to cook, four people in their 20s could spend 2 hrs drinking and eating for roughly $15 each after a week of work. The combination of the dive bar vibes, the joy of being with friends, and the cheap pizza creates a lasting memory of good pizza, but which, in reality, reflects the memory of friends.
While Blackthorn has its fans, the pizza falls short in pure quality compared to other top spots. If you're with friends, have time to spare, and enjoy a casual bar vibe, the experience might shine for you.
But for someone looking for exceptional pizza, keep exploring.
The Food At Blackthorn Pub and Pizza
Blackthorn's deep-dish pizza is generous in cheese and portion size, but the taste is where it falters.
The outer crust is flaky, similar to a pie crust, and lacks the crispy texture you'd expect from a traditional pizza dough.
Meanwhile, they put layers and layers of cheese into this pue. The layers make for satisfyingly melty pictures, along with a good mouthfeel. But the sauce, which could have saved the pizza, missed the mark.
The sauce tasted like jarred marinara spiced up a bit, and oddly enough, it was only applied around the outer edge of the pizza. Even then, I preferred the bites without it.
For $20, you get 3lbs of pizza, which comes in at $.42/oz. That's the cheapest pizza I've had in the city besides Domino's Pizzza.
While it's better than a Domino's or Costco pizza, it's not a pizza worth driving an hour for.
A story about the price: I ordered ahead of time because the deep-dish pizza takes 45-60 minutes to prep. Ordering online, it costs $20 for a plain 12" cheese deep-dish. However, in the bar, it was $18 for a 12" one-topping deep-dish pizza. That would be $20.75 online. That lousy experience left a worse taste in my mouth than the pizza.
Blackthorn Pub and Pizza Atmosphere And Miscellaneous
The pub is a classic dive bar with wood-paneled walls, old booths with some wear, and a casual vibe.
Blackthorn features two main rooms: a big shuffleboard table (where you slide pucks down a long table), some arcade games, and a self-serve setup where you grab your utensils and water.
There's also outdoor seating available, but we couldn't take advantage of it since it was raining.
We ordered our pizza online in advance, knowing it would take about an hour to prepare. By the time we arrived, our order was ready, but service was surprisingly slow. There was only one bartender, and we waited a while despite being second in line.
The bartender made me feel like I was putting him out by having to go back and grab the pizza. A very bizarre experience, considering I had just driven 30 minutes to get there in the rain.
As for dining in, Blackthorn has a "seat yourself" policy and a laid-back approach to service. The bartender poured my water but angrily told me I could have grabbed it myself. I'm unsure why he didn't lead with the grab it yourself.
The setup, with an angry bartender, no clear direction on ordering, and no way to bus your tables, added to the dive bar charm.
My kids enjoyed running around, playing shuffleboard, and exploring the games, so if you're there on a Saturday around 5 p.m., it's surprisingly kid-friendly.
Parking At Blackthorn Pub and Pizza
Blackthorn is in Tower Grove, which has a ton of easy street parking. It's tucked in a neighborhood off Grand, so finding a spot wasn't an issue.
Blackthorn Pub and Pizza Receipt
Pizza Size And Price Comparisons