Sparky’s Pizza
839 SE Belmont St, Portland, OR, 97214
Sparky’s Pizza Menu
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Classic New York Pizza Combos
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Build Your Own Pie
Healthy Meal suggestions for Sparky’s Pizza
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Classic New York Pizza Combos
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Build Your Own Pie
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Address :
839 SE Belmont St
Portland, OR, 97214 - Phone (503) 235-9000
- Website https://www.sparkyspizzas.com
- Click To Get Directions
Opening Hours
- Mon :10:00 am - 11
Specialities
- Takes Reservations : No
Delivery : No
Take-out : Yes
Accepts Credit Cards : Yes
Good For : Lunch
Parking : Street, Private Lot
Bike Parking : Yes
Wheelchair Accessible : Yes
Good for Kids : Yes
Good for Groups : Yes
Attire : Casual
Ambience : Casual
Noise Level : Average
Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating : Yes
Wi-Fi : No
Has TV : Yes
Waiter Service : No
Caters : Yes
Categories
Pizza
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
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Lisa W.
So the pizza is OK. I ordered a large Chicago and it averaged 1.5 pieces of sausage per slice. The online prices don't match the in store prices. The new young girls working there wear their long hair loose when serving and preparing food. I miss the old customer service...It was 7 pm on a weekend and we were the only people there.
(3)Edward B.
ATMOSPHERE: I loved this place when it was new. Nice lighting, good materials, good layout. But through the years things aren't being kept up. What a shame. It used to be comfortable and welcoming, and now it's borderline shabby. I see things that could be fixed and upgraded with maybe an hours labor and $20 in materials. One small gripe about the traffic flow: There's a door that is best for entry, and a door that is best for egress, but when you approach the place from outside, it's not evident. This would be so easy to fix! View out the windows is a parking lot, which isn't ideal, but at least it's not super loud, so you can sit at the outside tables if you want. Windows face west, so light comes streaming in as sunset approaches. Nice in winter, but can get quite warm in the summer. Music varies tremendously. They use a subscription service with several channels, and you never know what they'll be playing. Sometimes a game will be on the TVs. SERVICE: Staff is generally warm and friendly but not phony. Can be EXTREMELY slow. If I walk in and see three customers ahead of me in line, I sigh and start considering Plan B. These folks have to put up with a lot of BS, partly because of the neighborhood, and partly because people just generally suck, but they always handle it with aplomb. Only weirdness I ever encountered was when a new guy tried to card me, and I just looked at him like he'd lost his mind. FOOD: When they're at their best, these guys rock. It's wildly inconsistent though. Will your crust be raw and doughy? Will it be soaked through with grease? Roll the dice, take your chances. Will your (huge) breadstick be dry, or dripping with garlic butter? Ask Miss Cleo. Are you getting a warmed-up slice, and wondering if it will be served cold, burned, or goldilocks? Depends on how distracted they are. I've had three inedible salads in my life; two were at Sparky's. Toppings are good, and well combined. Soft drinks are in plastic tumblers (I hate that, so I always ask for a to-go cup). Beer options are pretty good for a place like this. They obviously make an effort. But I think they have cheap PBR too, if that's your thing. PRICE/VALUE: Lunch special is good. Used to be a slice and a soft drink for $4. I think it's $4.50 now, until 4:00. There are late-night specials too, I think. Big bread stick is just a buck, add a quarter for ranch or marinara. RESTROOMS: Single occupancy, one for each gender. Oh, sorry, that implied there are two genders. Let me try again: there's a boys room and a girls room. Do with that what you will. Sadly, they're now accessed by key, kept at counter. Probably due to vandalizing dirtbags who can't behave like humans. OVERALL: So much potential, so tragically squandered.
(3)Sean B.
Pizza is good; wish I could say the same about the service... The girl who took my order looked as if she went to sleep last night only to wake up in the kitchen of Sparky's pizza... Totally bewildered that I was trying to order...
(2)Maureen L.
Great New York style pizzas with lots of options, friendly customer service, and great selection of micros. The one on MLK does $2 micros on Mondays...awesome!
(5)Rebecca R.
I thought the pizza was pretty good. The crust was soft and chewy but still had a bit of crispness to it. My only gripe is they were a little chintzy on the veggies and other toppings. It is located a few blocks from the new streetcar line so it was easy to get to. We'll go back if we are in the neighborhood.
(4)Mark H.
Oh Sparky's, what happened? Used to be good food, friendly service, and inexpensive. Inexpensive is still there, but the food and the service have deteriorated to the point that I'm through with you. Tremendous variety of pizza but typically is overcooked, especially if it is reheated. The once ultra-tasty crust is now plain. Salads that start out really nice sit around too long and get dead. A good quality IPA in a frozen glass, you might as well drink Bud. And the service...never efficient but it used to at least be friendly. Now, somehow, moving a slice of pizza from the tray to the customer takes forever and seems to insure cold pizza. And one of the guys who cooks and occasionally inflicts himself on customers really doesn't like people very much (not to put too fine a point on it: he's a real dick). Not sure why people who hate dealing with people go into food service, but it's not pretty. Sparky's: still cheap, and occasionally good food, but more often than not disappointing. There has to be better pizza in Portland.
(2)Gary H.
Recently we help a large party and we were looking for something inexpensive to feed a ton of people. I called Sparky's and asked about ordering 100 of their bread sticks and dipping sauce. I called about a week before the event and they said no problem. A day or two before hand they called to confirm everything and were very friendly. When I showed up to pick up the bread sticks they were just finishing up and had boxes prepared. They also gave me ample sauce and the price was ridiculously cheap. (for the same event I also had tried to do something similar with Voodoo Doughnuts and was extremely disappointing with how they handled everything...) I felt like Sparky's saved the day by being so on top of it. Thank you Sparky's!
(5)Michael M.
I'm impressed with this place. Come here for slices when I'm getting my tires worked on... You can't go wrong with any of them.
(5)C Y.
This is perhaps my favorite pizza slice place. Their crust is flavorful, crunchy, crisp and chewy. The sauce to me is the perfect combination of spice and tomatoes in the right ratio for the crust. The pepperoni is greasy so I blot the excess and savoy my ideal slice of life.
(5)Angela G.
I love, love, love, love the pizza here! I've never been here long enough to say much else because I always get a pizza to go, but I've yet to be disappointed by the food.
(4)Liz B.
Sparky's is among my favorite of the more "fast food" style pizza joints. You know, the quick, cheap and consistent. It goes without saying there are better, higher quality options out there, but with things like pizza I like to rank places more against their peer group so to speak. Sparky's does what they do well. They've got a good variety of by-the-slice-pies in the $2.50-3.50 range. Pies will run you under $20 for the giant size (18"). The Farm, The Village Veggie and The Midtown Classic are my favorites. They claim to be NY Style but like 99.9% of self proclaimed NY Style pizza places, they most definently are not. Their crust is more of the chewy, bubbly variety with a little crisp on the bottom, which I dig personally. Leftovers reheat well with the tried and true pan method or under the broiler. They offer about 5-6 beers on tap (PBR and micros) and a cider. Prices drop on the cheap stuff after 9pm, but it's not expensive during normal hours. There's a few tables outside for warmer weather which is killer given their proximity to our dog park. Not exclusive to Sparky's, but I hate this parking lot sooooooo much. It's long and narrow and it's like there's an invisible forcefield where people drive in that causes them to lose their common sense. Every single time, without fail, someone almost hits me because they apparently forgot what their rear view mirrow is for and how the right of way works.
(4)Erin W.
Visiting from so cal, and this pizza was delish! Chewy but crunchy crust. The breadsticks are heaven! Yum!!!
(5)Christian B.
I'll probably never have a breadstick quite like a Sparky's Pizza bread "shtick." The thing is huge, delicious and costs $0.99. It's why I whole heartedly recommend going to this place. See, I'm big into getting the most food for my buck. That's why I love the thai food cart near my place... and $0.79 Snapple 16 oz. cans. I prefer quantity over quality most of the time with my money... and if I can get good quality with not a lot of quantity, I'm all for it. I can also vouch for the pizza. Though really damn greasy (as is the shtick but whatevs, I'm cool with that), I can to usually blot a pizza slice with a napkin so I can eat it without grease dripping all over the place. Their cheese pizza is among the best I've ever had. Definitely recommend going here if you're looking to get some GOOD & CHEAP pizza and breadsticks.
(4)Rob O.
I love the atmosphere of this place, the food, and the quick service. They stock great newspapers, have great slice and pint deals and all around tasty food. It's everything I ask for in a pizza place and no more. The prices are good, the food is good and the atmosphere is sufficient for everything I'm looking for. I have never been let down.
(5)Jessica M.
Oh Sparky's Pizza, I wish I could have taken you back to my neighborhood in Seattle. This is a quality pizza place without the high-price tag gourmet toppings or the greasy cheese. The Garlic-parmesan breadstick tastes even more amazing than it looks. Not too thick or doughy and just right amount of crisp-ness. The garlic and parm topping made you want to like your fingers (and I did!). We ate two of these while we were waiting for our pizza pie and my husband said, "you can tell this place will have good pizza, they know how to make their dough". Sure enough our "Thai pizza" was AWESOME! The crust was just like the breadstick and the toppings of pineapple, onion, and basil were mmmmmmmmm good!
(4)Christopher F.
I don't always hand out a five star review, but this place is one of the few and didn't have to work too hard to earn it. First, great service. Two, great homey atmosphere. Three, f*&$ing amazing pizza. B, I don't like numerically chronographic lists and even though these aren't ranked in significance, you're hit with all three the second you walk up to the counter; and for a great price too I will add. This is your experience, walk in, a whole bunch of options for pizza and a small but diverse section of brews to help wash it down. You can get a breadstick for .99 if the Nacho pizza is a tad much for your porter, (chicken, multiple cheeses, fantastic jalapenos, peppers, onions..) and you can even snag a slice and a beer for two bucks each after nine p.m. And for you Blue Ribbon fans you'll save fifty cents extra on that deal after nine. Sparky's pizza in my last three experiences has portrayed to me great skill in cooking and bringing to palatable heat consistency every single slice or pie they make. This, mixed in with very fresh tasting ingredients, we're talking snappy veggies, spicier peppers like they should be, creamy cheeses, and dough made of yeast and cloud, this is the finest pizza I am aware of in Portland and the greater Metro area.
(5)Kendra T.
Pssst everyday from 9-close they have certain slices for $2 and $1 off pints! I love this place so much, i eat here at least 3 times a week. The crust is thicker so it fills you up pretty well. Lots of options for slices and i love their beer selection! They also have tons of condiments available, like the franks hot sauce i always smother my pizza in.
(5)Brad C.
This has turned into one of our go to spots for inner Eastside pizza, mainly because we tend to order takeout after 10pm. Late night hunger choices lean towards greasy comfort food and Sparky's serves it up hot. They stay open late and have a decent selection of beers on tap. Tuff to beat the $2 pints after 9pm deal while waiting for a pie to cook. I'm not a Yankee fan so I can't encourage the decor of the place but it is appropriate for a New York style pizza joint. When all is said and done, Sparky's on Belmont is greasy good cheesy cheap pizza.
(4)Lysa D.
They got hot sauce now!!!!
(5)Martha M.
Yay: I end up going here a lot, since it's in my neighborhood. They have good pizza, beers, a couple wines, salads & breadsticks, all at good prices. I like their pizza better than Hot Lips. They have lots of available parking - free. The greek salad is delicious with kalamata olives, tomato, feta and yummy greek dressing! There are always vegetarian pizza options! :) Nay: Inconsistent salad sizes.... sometimes I get a huge salad that's overflowing and the little cup of dressing they give you is not enough. I end up eating a bunch of dry lettuce. Other times the salad is tiny.... not even filling up the bowl they put it in and I'm left still feeling hungry. No "to-go" forks. How's a busy lady supposed to eat salad on the go? Also, they only informed me of this when I asked, and that was after I had ordered, paid and got my salad. It would've been nice to know that information sooner, so I could order something else ... something I could eat without utensils! No vegan pizza options. :( Overall: Yummy, cheap & conveniently located. I'll be back.... I'll just have to remember to keep a spare fork in the car.
(3)Jessica G.
My boyfriend has always been a BIG fan and has been going for years, he loved the pizza and the super cheap Happy Hour pints but after our last experience, we won't be back. Pizza was mediocre, I ordered wings but after a half-hour they hadn't arrived. Apparently they had run out of sauce but instead of coming to tell me that they just let them sit on the counter unattended. I asked them to cancel them and refund my card but apparently the owner doesn't trust his employees enough to give them that power so we were basically out of luck (?!). The young lady (the only one who seemed to care and was at all helpful) took our name and number to have the owner call us and work out a refund but we have yet to hear from him and it has been weeks. Something has happened recently over at Sparky's and it is not good.
(1)Will D.
On a recent Wednesday, I decided to forgo my normal Wednesday Lunch Routine and look for something different. Truth be told, it hadn't been working out so well between me and my networking group, so I went in, gave them the news and decided not to drop another $10-$15 on lunch at Jake's when I was already parting company. No one wants to have that awkward post-break-up lunch date -- it's like saying goodbye to someone and then finding out you have to walk the same direction to get to your cars. But I digress. So I've been having an urge for Pizza since I woke up last night at 11:30pm and stumbled out to the fridge. I had been having a dream and somehow got it into my head that my lovely wife had procured pizza for me and placed it in the fridge when I opted not to reheat it. In my sleep-addled state, it took a good 3-5 minutes before I realized what was going on. I finished off some Mac and Cheese and went back to bed still wanting some pizza. Today, when I decided against perpetuating an already dying lunchtime tradition, I started looking on Yelp for good places to feed my need. The closest place to my office was Sparky's. Expecting to find a dark, independent pizza joint much like the ones I finished so many pee-wee soccer seasons in, I was surprised at Sparky's. The building itself was reminiscent of Pizzacatto's upscale, modern decor mixed with a few sports posters, old advertisements and street signs that are required by international law for a pizza restaurant to qualify for the "pizza-shop-kitsch" endorsement. Think flair for a pizza joint. As for the pizza itself, the real winner is the crust; it's thin and crispy under the cheese and sauce, but flares to soft, doughy breadstick-esque proportions at the outside. The toppings are ok, but nothing particularly special. I'm a fan of the Sicilian, myself. The Midtown Special is basically a supreme pizza. Occasionally, they have atypical stuff, like a thai basil pizza with pineapple, basil and feta, but it's mostly run-of-the-mill toppings. Portions are fantastic. A slice and a soda ($3.75 at lunch time) filled me up. The staff is courteous and friendly. The place is clean. The prices are cheap. I'll be back again. Possibly tonight, since Wed. night is their 25¢ / wing special. Sorry, no take out on the cheap wings.
(4)Erin K.
If you live close by, don't need delivery, like a bargain. and like your pizza dough-y, this place might be your new favorite... As stated, they don't deliver and I don't LOVE the pizza (too dough-y, thick crust for my taste) BUT they have some great deals especially if you have a lot of people to feed. And the pizza is a total step up from Pizza Hut and Dominos, for just a bit more $. Plus, they have a decent dining area and serve beer too.
(3)Dana S.
Sure, the crust isn't New York-thin, but something about it still tastes New York to me. There's always plenty of veggie options when I go (lots of meat options too, but that's not my scene), and the cheese slice is always a satisfying choice if toppings aren't your thing. The garlicy stick things are gigantic and dirt cheap. Last time I went they were burnt, though, which sucked. But they usually rule. Servers are always nice. I think this pizza is pretty darn good, and it's cheap as heeell. Haters, shaddapuhyaface.
(4)Natalie B.
This is seriously my favorite pizza in Portland. It's fast, fairly friendly, and DElicious. Get a breadstick, they are amazing. Their crust is the perfect texture- a little crispy and a little chewy/bready, and the flavor is just awesome. I love it. It's totally worth my drive across town!
(5)Mac M.
I can't find it in my heart (wait, what heart?) to give this place any more than 2 stars. The pizza itself is underwhelming; the sauce is rather tasteless, the cheese oozes unpleasant greasiness, and they boast that their pepperoni in from Hormel, as if that is some stroke of genius. On the plus side, it is within 2 blocks, so I will probably forget about this review and give them another shot at some point. Guh...some peoples kids.
(2)Darvish B.
The Banana Slugs frequent this place regularly after softball games or long day of practice. The staff here is the nicest people you'll ever come across. They sell pies whole or by the slice, usually having about 5-7 different kinds to choose from. They also have these great bread SHTICKS and chicken wings as well. Everything here is quite cheap. Even the beer. 2 bones for a pint after 9PM. They only have a couple beers on tap, PBR and a local micro brew. Lately it's been Mirror Pond or Tight Rope. All in all, Sparky's is not the best pie in town. But still good delicious pizza.
(3)Deen O.
I've been going to Sparky's for years. It's close to my work. Still some of the best pizza in town. Perfect crust. Only complaint is during lunch time the supply of slices can become a little slim. The big bread sticks are amazing.
(4)Rachel P.
If your food sucks, at least have great customer service! The pizza was luke-warm and very greasy, the salad was okay, the giant breadstick was doughy and not flavorful. The marinara sauce for the breadstick was extra $ and much too small. My friend ordered the za-salad. Not very much lettuce and she said her bread bowl was mediocre. The ladies behind the counter were not very friendly and when I asked what kind of slices a few of the pizzas were behind the counter she didn't seem to care much and gave me the names of the pizza instead of what was on them so I had to look them up myself. Our table was sticky and dirty. When we went to throw away our garbage, the can was so full and overflowing we could not put more garbage in.
(2)Christina A.
The pizza here is good but this particular establisment is disgusting. Call me yuppie all you want but theres something about a place being empty but all the tables still occupied by food and trash that turns me off no matter how good the food. For now on, Ill order to go.
(3)Nader A.
Oh Sparky's, why on earth didn't I check you out sooner? Your pizza may not be the greatest I've ever had, but it IS good...check that, REALLY good! And I don't think it's possible to get a better slice for less $$ anywhere in pdx. On a recent visit we took advantage of their slice & soda special - any slice plus a soda for only $3.50! And these slices are HUGE! The crust (made fresh daily, in house) is quite thick, chewy, and doughy - pretty much exactly how I like it. The pepperoni was nice, and the sauce to cheese ratio was right on. The margherita was also a cut above, with big melted hunks of fresh mozzarella, tomato and basil. I could easily see them charging an extra couple bucks per slice for such delicious looking and tasting pizza. If you want to forgo the soft drinks in favor of some adult libations, you can wash down your pizza with a choice from their small selection of micros for only $3 or the ubiquitous PBR for just $2 - beer is even cheaper after 9pm, making this a GREAT late night spot to grab a slice and a brew! We also tried one of their giant parmesan bread "schticks" - if you like the crust you'll love one of these, but you'll probably want to share it since it's about as big as my arm! Add in friendly, chipper service and Sparky's is definitely a great close-in SE spot for pizza and a brew. It doesn't hurt that Active Culture ( yelp.com/biz/active-cult… ) is right next door so you can make this into a great dinner and desert date night. I'm looking forward to trying a whole pie from Sparky's in the near future; maybe taking advantage of one of their many inexpensive pizza party packs!
(4)Jacob G.
It's nice to have a pizza joint right near my apartment. Sparky's is decent enough for when I want something right after work. The slices are big and inexpensive. They like to send me tons of coupons in the mail so I can always get something cheap if I really wanted to. Good thing the pizza's decent. Plus it's next to Active Culture so a full meal is within easy reach. A bonus: they stared carrying this Brazilian guarana drink that's pretty good.
(3)Jenna W.
Pizza is delicious, GET THE HUCKLEBERRY CIDER, prices are good, and the staff is amazing. After 9 all slices are only $2!
(5)Sara C.
I came here because of their coupons for a $1 slice of pizza. The first time, the pizza was was pretty good, and I thought to myself "yeah, that was definitely worth $1, but I'm not sure it would be worth $3." The second time I ate here, I left feeling like I had completely wasted $1. A frozen pizza or dominos would have been more satisfying! The crust on Sparky's pizza is downright bad and in my experience, wasn't fully cooked through. Nothing particularly exciting about the toppings either. I'd much rather go up Hawthorne to Hot Lips to pay almost the same amount for a much better slice.
(2)Phil M.
You can get a gigantic slice of pizza and a breadstick the size of your forearm for less than $4. Great for lunch. Lots of good pizzas to choose from.
(4)Joshua M.
We got Sparky's on a take-out run, and I must say it's pretty solid. I do appreciate a thinner crust typically on my pizza, but this stuff is really pretty decent. I haven't actually sat down and eaten there, so I can't comment on service, but I wouldn't hesitate to try it.
(4)Olivia T.
I gave Sparky's plenty of chances to show me that he is worthy of my time and love, today I decided that we are going to go our separate ways. Here's why: * First strike: I waited for half an hour for my buffalo wings after I called in the order. The nice lady whom I assumed must be a counter lead or manager told me that it's going to be 10 minutes. I got there, she said it wasn't ready...waited waited waited...half an hour later I got my order. She apologized, she said the guy forgot about my order. She offered free soda, I refused and didn't think of it much. * Second strike: Couple weeks later, I stopped by there again. I got two slices of pizza, a breadstick, and a garden salad. The breadstick was doughy...*chewed chewed chewed dough* and they didn't give me my Ranch for the salad. Plain salad...yummeh *not*. Then I just brushed it off, thinking no biggie...Sparky's must be not on their game today. * Third strike: I called 10 minutes before 5 pm before I left work to place my order of two slices of pizzas and buffalo wings. The so not friendly girl over the phone told me that; "OOOH, we are not taking order over the phone for slices of pizzas and buffalo wings. It's first come first serve for the slices and the wings doesn't take that long. You just need to wait for about 10 minutes." I gave her my "Ummmmmm...." and then followed by "It's ok. I changed my mind. Thanks." I don't really think they are overwhelmingly busy at 5 pm on Monday and it's not like it was the first time I placed a take out order. Whatever, Sparky's..I'll find my pizza somewhere else. Love will find a way, too bad it's not going to be your way.
(2)Paul C.
The pizza alone gets 3 stars, the price bumps it up to 4. I love getting a piece of buttery garlic bread the size of my forearm for $.99. The pizza is nothing special, but in a town full of upscale and often overpriced pies, it's actually kind of refreshing.
(4)Adam R.
Historically, I've been a regular of Hot Lips Pizza. Somewhat by accident, I recently stumbled into Sparky's and thought I'd give it a try. I was pleased to find a great selection of slices available to order. After ordering, I was further pleased to find that I just got more food for less money than at Hot Lips. Finally, I was pleased to find that the pizza slices and breadstick I ordered were really good. I'd still place Hot Lip's quality of ingredients above Sparky's, but this was still a mighty fine slice for a mighty fine price. All things considered, I'd say Hot Lips has some pretty stiff competition. I've been finding myself at Sparky's more frequently than Hot Lips these days. I strongly encourage you to give it a try and see if you find yourself doing the same.
(4)janelle f.
This is a 50/50 joint. If you get the right crew, fast service, everything tastes good, good times. If you get the wrong crew, you wait over an hour for a take out pizza while the counter girl is in the bathroom with a guy for an extended amount of time, and you'll be treated to a flippant put out attitude from the cooks while you question where your pizza is. All in all, just wait it out for the short-haired, brunette counter girl who runs a tight ship. We'll miss it, but we're not going back. Sincerely, Once Regulars ps. employees shouldn't go into the bathroom with customers, because that's where germs are born. Yuck.
(1)Kimberly V.
Like most women-folk*, I'm always on the lookout for a solid support system. Not just for the fun-bags, whose support is of considerable import. I am talking about a reliable, accountable, ongoing support system of pizza. You don't think of pizza as a means of support? Then you are perhaps not of the women-folk or the human-folk. Everybody needs a little pizza now and again. But when I think about what I need in my pizza support system, I find that Sparky's has fallen asleep on the clock in a few areas. Requirement: Delicacy in key situations. Candidate: Displayed a not-so-subtle pond of oil in the middle of some of the poorly sliced slices. Notes: Could be trained with napkins. Requirement: Reliability. Candidate: My bread sticks? Where are my bread sticks? Notes: The server apologized for the late appearance, as the cooks had just began to make a new batch when we ordered, and gave us extras for our trouble. Requirement: Sturdy. Candidate: Provided flimsy, asymmetrical pie holder. Notes: This model appears to be the standard of many pizza places. Flaws may be traced to cost-cutting suppliers. Could benefit from practice but ... Requirement: Mobility. Must be able to leave the pie at a moment's notice. Candidate: Exhibited unwillingness to break from the herd, to the point where the diners questioned whether it would be necessary to yoink a pizza slicer from the kitchen. Notes: ?!? Come on, rolling the pizza slicer around is the most fun part! Requirements: Flavor compatibility. Must love my taste buds. Candidate: Bacon Cheeseburger Pizza shows a shrewd understanding of the client's needs and developed quick rapport with interviewing audience. Also, has bacon. Support system material? Eh, more or less. *The meal happened just off the heels of a conversation involving the transgender presence in sex and the simultaneous promotion of labels and art. Whole lot to chew on, which is kind of why the tardiness of the breadsticks was harder to handle. Anyway, I fully acknowledge that the use of the phrase "women-folk" may make me a tool of the establishment and kind of a pig. One thing's for sure - bacon on pizza is gooood.
(3)Schuyler C.
This place is my favorite local pizzeria for a few reasons: 1) The pizza is good. Hot lips is often tastier, but Sparky's is good, satisfying pizza. And a lot of pizza in Portland is downright awful. 2) They're cheap. Every other pizza place I know in Portland is either cheap or yummy. But Sparky's is both cheap and yummy. Hell, you can get a giant delicious breadstick for a dollar! That's crackhead cheap. A hobo can get a decently full belly here. 3) They're OPEN LATE! Portland really needs more late night food places for fat guys like myself who enjoy a post-10 pm meal. 4) HAPPY HOUR!!! $2 pints of craft beer after 9 pm? This is basically the best thing I have ever heard of. In short, I would probably give this place 5 stars if they were even slightly better or cheaper or if they were just a tiny bit closer to my apartment or (better) one of my favorite bars. This is the rare 4.5 stars review. Too bad I'm on a diet, I could really go for some pepperoni.
(4)Kim C.
So I was trying to imagine what one of the previous reviewers meant by doughy bread sticks. That was until I just took this bite. Wow! they were right! It's like taking some pilsbury dough, smashing it all together and then baking it for 60% of the desired bake time. Hopefully that's a helpful description. OH and then smothered in butter mmm? So not a fan of the bread sticks but this place works great for company lunch when we are short-handed. I'd love to try other pizza joints but they all open at noon around here, or later depending when the pizza dude finally makes it to work. We're hungry AT noon. The pizza is good but I'm no connoisseur. I'll leave that up to the rest. But if you're in need of a few pizzas for work, this is the place to go. They usually have some pretty good specials too.
(3)Evan G.
Excellent pizza with good toppings. Amazing bread sticks and it's all very well priced you can't go wrong. Only downside is the Yankee decor
(5)Samantha S.
Once a month, me and my co-conspirators meet at Sparky's Pizza to discuss how to save the world. Honestly, we chose Sparky's because our first meeting, scheduled for the Green Dragon, was pre-empted by an open-mic night, which was not conducive to plotting and scheming. I don't know what "good" pizza is supposed to taste like, I don't think - I've never had New York pizza, I've never had Chicago pizza... I'm a native Oregonian who's never made it to the East Coast. I've had Italian pizza, though, and although Sparky's doesn't compare with the Margharita pizza I had while in Roma, it's pretty decent stuff. They also usually have a pretty decent selection of by-the-slice vegetarian options, so I'm never without something that tastes good. No pizza slice would be complete without a beer, and they do have a modest selection - three draft beers and a variety of bottles in the cooler. The staff is pretty cool, too. The sweet girl behind the counter always calls me honey, and they're pretty tolerant of our two-hour meetings. I occasionally question their abilities to multi-task, though - my salad was once forgotten, and I've had a burnt breadstick on occasion. The girl behind the counter wasn't sure how to change a keg, so one of our party went back and did it for her - the lengths we'll go to for a glass of Mirror Pond! If you're looking for some decent pizza and are in the neighborhood, it doesn't hurt to stop by!
(4)Anna U.
NY style pizza by the slice is great after biking the Springwater Trail (and then get some frozen yogurt next door). I had the Margherita - basil, spinach, Roma tomatoes, fresh mozzarella. Crust was very good, crispy and toasty and not too thin. Sauce wasn't memorable. Generous blobs of buffalo mozzarella. Menu features all the pizza classics you'd expect and a few creative options. I'll come again.
(4)Katrina L.
Sparky's is near my work, so I used to go here often for their $3.75 lunch special: A slice and a soda (fountain Mountain Dew...my favorite!) Then one day I went in and they had jacked up their price AND switched from Pepsi products to Coke. :( This bummed me out a lot. If you're going to try Sparky's, I would go for a slice with white sauce. Definitely better than their red sauce which is okay, but does not remind me of the slices I used to eat in NY.
(2)Ben H.
Sum of the Best Pizza crust I've ever had. Thin-soft-yet crunchy.As a long time Escape from NY & Stark St. Pizza lover I was surprised that Sparky's is giving them both a run for their $$
(5)Suzanne M.
Shared a couple of pies with friends tonight, very good and the service was over the top!!
(4)Cody W.
Great pizza joint. The pizza is above average, but for the price it's great. They have great coupons that come in the mail (yes, if you couldn't tell from my profile picture, I am an 80 year old woman with 11 cats). The best coupon being the $.99 slice o' pizza. Buy that and a Schtick and you are fuller than the Clackamas County Jail.
(4)A C.
I had been waiting and waiting to try this place the peoples kept speaking of. I ordered a couple slices... one creative, one standard carnivore style. I waited... and waited... and waited. Plenty of staff, not crowded. Where was my slices? My buddy started laughing. "You better go yell at 'em." I told him I wanted to see just how bad they were going to let it get. I finally looked at the counter and there were my slices. Nobody told me they were there. They just were. I went and picked them up. My carnivore slice was completely burnt on the bottom. I just scraped off the cheese and meat to eat it. The toppings were pretty good. The only reason it got a second star. The creative pizza was ok, but the crust was cardboard. Time to continue the search for good pizza in PDX I guess.
(2)Kimchi L.
Whoa~ pizza in CA must be really bad because I thought Sparky's was great. The slices were big and cheap. I think mine had pepproni, sausage and something else on it. The greek salad was bleh but the pizza was good and I would eat it once a week if I lived in Ptown.
(4)Ben F.
Had two slices for lunch a week ago and as far as Portland Pizza goes, this stuff was pretty damn good. With Sandwich shops and deli's dominating the neighborhood with places like MeatCheeseBread, Gretchen's and Bunk right here, it is good to have a fourth option.
(4)Lindsey C.
I find most pizza delicious, so of course I'm a fan of Sparky's. I think the best thing about it is the price. They have pizzas beyond the typical pepperoni for great prices. Normally those fancy topping pizzas are far too expensive for me. It may not be the best pizza ever, but it's A-OK and definitely worth the money.
(3)Anne M.
After a long day at work, having a slice of pizza, a beer, and a yogurt (from the shop next door) is pretty much my idea of heaven. The staff is crazy friendly, the pizza is tasty and cheap, the beer is cold. I've never experienced what the other folks have complained about: slow food and inattentiveness. They don't call your name, just the kind of pizza you got, which I guess you could miss what with the music and sports. I like a slice of cheese pizza, which I think a good test of pizza --- there's no hiding inferior sauce or crust under a heap of toppings. It's the best cheese pizza I've had in a long, long time. That and a shtick, and I'm a happy girl.
(5)Mary S.
Sparky's is a great place to pick up a slice when you don't have a lot of time, but want something better than fast food. Their pizza is good, and they have a lot of great variety. Their service is usually friendly, and always prompt. There's not a lot of ambiance and atmosphere in the restaurant, but they're usually playing a Blazers game, or something else semi-entertaining to check out while you're waiting on your slice or pizza.
(4)Laura G.
I don't have much to add that others haven't already covered. To me, Sparky's is just a budget friendly lunch alternative when I get sick of my usual soup and grilled cheese sammich.
(3)Carls S.
I was reluctant to give this place 4 stars, because I tried to go there on no less than 6 occasions before I came at a time when they were actually open. Also, the pizza wasn't totally amazing or anything, but this area has been badly in need of a decent pizza place for too long so it gets extra points. Basically it's not as good as Pizza-a-go-go or Escape From NY, but about on par with Hot Lips or Pizza Schmizza which is plenty good enough for me. Right now the hours on the window say they are open until 2am which is great, except there's a little note next to it that says they actually close nightly at 7pm until next spring. Which makes a lot of sense because that's about dinner time. I figure when things get a little more organized everything will fall into place and then it will be worth 4 stars so I'm being preemptive.
(4)Tara K.
Great value. Slices are great as are salads. But they are slower than molasses going up hill in January and rarely get my order correct.
(3)Katherine C.
Came here after getting my butt kicked at ping pong next door at Pips and Bounce for a quick snack. Open at 10 pm, they had late night HH prices for the pizza slices. Large pieces with good toppings, plenty of cheese and sauce, this place hit the spot for a late night munchie craving!
(4)Sara M.
I love Sparky's to tears - but the last time I went in, I had less than stellar customer service from the girl helping us out. She wasn't a jerk or anything, she just wasn't friendly which I think is vital to surivival if you're customer facing all day long. Any other day, Sparky's would receive 5 full stars from me, but not this day's visit. Anyhow, pizza was delicious as usual, but as i was about 3/4 of the way through my slice of Hawaiian pizza, I bit on something hard. I pulled it out of my mouth and it was a piece of what I'm assuming is the wire brush that cleans the ovens in between pizzas. I couldn't believe it. Could you imagine if I swallowed it? Or worse, what if a young kid swallowed it or choked on it? It was very sharp. Now, I could've gone up and caused a stink and got a refund or replacement for my pizza, but let's be real: I had no appetite at that point. I just don't like causing a fuss. I even made a point to NOT let my husband see it so he didn't lose his appetite. I emailed Sparky's and they never returned my email, which I found to be uncool considering the circumstance. Surprisingly, I'll go back to Sparky's but not for a while - even writing this review kinda makes me cringe. :(
(3)Ronelle C.
Sparky's Pizza Rules! Love to stop later at night and get slices to go when my weekly dance night is rotten and I leave early. Knowing I'll get Sparky's ALWAYS cheers me up and saves my night! So yummy! Thanks!
(5)Robert C.
Umm, what happened to your crust? I've been eating Sparky's for many years (mostly Sandy) but in the last month or so things have taken a dive. Did they switch to some kind of gross generic pre-packaged crust? It doesn't have the authentic, hand-tossed look and taste anymore. On the bottom of the pizzas you can see the same indentations indicating they have sold-out and are buying their dough out of a can. The pizza is still above average, but the crust is wrong! Sparky's has been a staple for a long time, hope they go back to their roots and get that stellar crust back in the game. Booo!!!
(2)Daniel L.
Pizza is good. But they either don't give Parmesan cheese out anymore or are always out. Kind of annoying because that's a pretty important part of pizza. Next time I'll probably skip sparkys and go to hot lips.
(2)Cari S.
Ciders on tap and pinball! Super cute old school pizza sports bar featuring the NY Yankees. They have lots of pizzas by the slice (more than twice as many as Hot Lips) and their regular crust is thick doughy goodness. They have GF crust too but I didn't try that today. I came during a slow time, Monday at 2:30pm, so no wait and had the joint mostly to myself. I'll be back!
(4)Andra C.
My husband and I came to have lunch here a couple times and today we came when it opened. My husband accidentally spilled a some ice with no drink on the floor next to our table and the employee who came to clean it up was extremely rude and said "you guys let someone else clean up a spill in your home?" Excuse me, but clearly that's part of his job and we couldn't clean it up ourselves anyways. The rudeness was unnecessary, left a bad taste in our mouths and didn't have an appetite anymore. If he for some reason came to work having a bad day there's no need to take it out on customers nor anybody else. I'm sorry but we're not returning here. The pizza wasn't that great either. There are way better pizza places in Portland to enjoy with no rude employees. I definitely don't recommend this place.
(1)Anna R.
Great pizza and wonderful breadsticks. With a great selection of beers on tap as well. Service is always been fast and friendly. I really enjoy their vegetarian selection. I will be back.
(5)michael b.
Came again to give them 1 more chance and customer service is still atrocious! I would highly NOT recommend.
(1)Muad D.
The attitude in this place is so piss poor we didn't even get to try the food. Mom, sister and wife all needed to use the restroom before we sat down. We were so badgered and grilled with questions in order to get the restroom key that we decided not to stay - to which the girl behind the counter even had the nerve to yell after us as we were leaving. I called the manager afterward to talk about this and he reinforced their negative position with lame duck excuses about problems with homeless (pretty sure we don't appear homeless). I think this place cares more about protecting the sanctity of their bathroom than they do having customers.
(1)Chad C.
Great pizza. Cool atmosphere. Good beer. Good prices. Was turned on to this place by a friend. Will be back next time I'm in town.
(4)Tim B.
Totally average, no New York style pizza if you ask me. Crust is thick. My large party got two pies fresh made, really just OK pizza, nothing special, nothing I would remember. Leans towards the low cost ingredients, greasy cheese, heavy pies that weigh heavy on your stomach. The space is one of those newish soulless modern places that are popping up everywhere in Portland these days. Despite this, the restaurant was not super clean, sticky tables, etc. Sparky's decoration adds some life at least to the space. They do have a pinball machine and an old school arcade game, which they get props for. They also sell two litter sodas for $2 which is way more sensible than overpriced fountain drinks. Looked like the slices had been sitting out all day, not sure I would want to go the slice route here, maybe if you hit it at the right time, we did go in in the afternoon, not the best time for slices. Really, no reason to come here for me unless I happen to be in the area.
(3)burk j.
Normally, I like this place and the fact that they have GF pizza but today they managed to "torch" our first pizza. Only when they noticed me pacing and having to console a hungry kid did they mention anything. It's a shame when a place I like can't seem to get their shit together. Treat me with indifference and you lose a customer, simple as that...
(1)Dale A.
Sometimes mistakes happen. As a business, you allow your employees to fix a mistake. When that happens, the customer is happy and everyone wins. I appreciate the efforts of what can be a small issue/mistake to most was a larger issue feeding a family of 6. Thank you Friday team (12/12/14) for fixing the mistake
(5)Devanka E.
I am only giving Sparky's a second star due to the fact that they actually OFFER a gluten free pizza. 1. I am all about hole in the walls... but this place is HORRIBLY lit, dirty and the decor is depressing 2. When I asked about ordering a gluten free pizza the woman waiting on me seemed confused and bewildered. 3. The pizza was AWFUL! I sat and ate a second piece out of desperation due to being STARVING when I walked in. I even asked the woman that worked next door if the pizza was good before I went to get some. I know pizza places can be REALLY hit or miss. The crust was good, but it's a Pamela's crust mix and has nothing to do with Sparky's. - Practically NO SAUCE - NO FLAVOR - Generic - The red pepper flakes smelled and tasted ANCIENT! Not to mention the fact that the garbage cans were overflowing with trash and not emptied the entire time I was there. If you enjoy the food here, you must be drunk. I wish I had just asked for my money back. Honestly, if I hadn't been so hungry I would have returned my food and eaten elsewhere.
(2)Cori W.
Totally bad for you pizza but pretty darn good. I love that its not super thin yet they still maintain a crispy crust. Soggy pizza is the worst. I normally don't like my pizza heavy on sauce and cheese but they've found a good balance here. Price was good, service was fine. The thai slice was delicious, I appreciate an interesting hawaiian-analogue for those of us that don't eat meat.
(3)R H.
Sparkey's get your #@*% together! This last time and it will likely be the last, I walked in and ordered a giant Roma to go said about 20 minutes. There were three people in the place at 6:50 pm on a Friday night (first clue) As I was ordering another customer came up that they had screwed her order up (second clue) The employee's cranked the music up making it hard to talk to my wife at the same table. As we waited my wife noticed several times employee pulling beer from the taps and taking it to the back(third clue) After 45 minutes! We inquired about our pizza... Opps! They forgot to make our pizza ? Said they had been really, really busy?? Tried to pawn off a medium vegetarian that turned out was made for another employee got most of my money back a 20.00 bill (Unfortunately, I had left a tip and the pizza was 21.50 so i'm out 6 bucks a 6 dollar lesson well learned! Ran from the place like it was on fire! Been here many times before and the Pizza has always been above average and at a reasonable price and had a couple other minor ordering issues. But this combination of issues on a slow night is a very bad sign for a business...hello management?
(1)River T.
9$ish and 2 pieces of pizza n drink ...cheese wasn't even melted. Pieces cost about 4$ for very ave size slice. Girl behind the counter wasn't happy to be there. Advertises gluten free pizza but doesn't mention you need to buy a whole pizza to get it. Went next door to the Mexican eatery for a redo
(1)Joshua H.
Not actually closed Sundays. We called and they were open so we swung by. Cool little place offering a beer and pizza special with some nice brews on tap. We had a coupon, so we got a free large pizza for two, and sat to wait for about 15-20mins. It came out with burned crust, but that didn't slow us down much, it was so delicious! It would definitely have a five star review except for that unfortunate blackened crust. I'll be coming back, though, I'm sure!
(4)Sol Y.
I have gone in to Sparky;s Pizza about 10 times in the last year and half I have worked nearby. It has always been good, until today. I ordered to slices and the counter girl, tells me that the Pizza just got out of the oven and did not to be heated. I trusted her, when I got back to work I unfoiled a slice and low and behold it cold as an eskimo's house. Lame totattly lame not sure if she was lazy or just dumb. Good Pizza but if I wanted day old cold Pizza I could have gotten one last night and put it in my fridge. I wont be going back. There are plenty of good spots around.
(2)David S.
Not a bad utility slice. Not bad at all.
(3)