Ian's Pizza

In a word: Tasty innovations.

The specs: #0258
Address, hours & details via Isthmus; Madison Originals profile; Dane101 interview with Ian; reviews at Badger Herald, Yelp, WiSJ, Isthmus, Quomodocumque, Isthmus again, Culinary Adventures of Jahboh and Tossy, Hirsch's Squirts, Cheese Underground, QSC; photos of Mac and Cheese and BBQ Steak and Fries from Taylor Takes a Taste; official web site;

Latest Ian's Pizza news and reviews

JM ate a BBQ chicken and pineapple slice, a BBQ steak and fries slice, and a Mountain Dew.
Nichole ate the red pepper and portabella slice with a Cherry Coke.
Tiffany ate the mac and cheese slice with a Diet Coke.
The bill was $15, or $5/person, plus tip.
Tiffany gave Ian's an A; Nichole and JM gave Ian's a B+ (see our grading rubric).

Ian's seems to be some sort of campus legend.  Many a downtown denizen will get a strange look in their eye and their jaw will become slack as they recall maraconi and cheese pizzas past.

Maybe it was the charcoal fumes in the air that night, but JM found himself in a BBQ mood. He ordered a chicken-and-pineapple and a steak-and-fries, both of which slices suffered from not spending enough time reheating in the oven. On the steak-and-fries slice, the crust was slightly burnt from the original baking, which further highlighted the irony. The steak-and-fries idea was good but could have stood some improvement in fact - maybe using some thinner meats or potatoes.  The slices were good but reminded him vaguely of Sbarro's.

The mac and cheese slice was delightful, as always - a real crowd favorite. Somehow the odd combo of carb-y comfort foods really works, as long as you don't OD. And it's not for everybody.

The veggie slice Nichole ordered was laden with juicy peppers, thick mushrooms and flavorful spinach. Like JM's slices, it could have stood another minute in the oven to really heat through.

Now that Casa Bianca has closed, Ian's is probably the best place to eat pizza & people-watch downtown, though the pizza in question is radically different.

Comments

[monnie]

I miss Casa B...

[JSE]

Ian's is one of the highlights of Madison, and I didn't even go to college here. You really feel some thought has gone into the strange combinations -- besides the mac n cheese, I think the Philly cheesesteak is a highlight. I, like JM, can miss the steak and fries slice, though the counterpeople assure me it's one of their most popular choices. French fries on pizza is a bridge too far.

[nichole]

There's a Critique of Pure Pizza over at Fearful Symmetries that should not be missed...

[TChem]

I'm not a huge fan of tomato sauce, so I *love* Ian's oddball choices. How often is going out for pizza an adventure?

They can be a bit inconsistent, but when they get it right, they're great.

[Smith]

Ian's is far from gourmet pizza. It's cheap, edible college pizza. The real selling point is that you can get slices of cheese or pepperoni pizza for $2 each. Very good deal. Almost unheard of these days. The food is always fresh and served quickly. The pesto pizza slices are surprisingly good. Ian's doesn't really need a plug, they're unbelievably busy. Pizza purists beware though.

[Janice]

I love Ian's! My boyfriend hates them. Where are the french fries?

[Kyle]

On the steak-n-fries slice.

[Jennyfits]

Just discovered the $10 for a 20 inch pepperoni pizza with free delivery deal! Not the highest quality ever but you can't beat that price.

[jc]

Wandered into Ian's a couple of months back when a lunch date downtown was missed.

The slices weren't bad, but they overcharged me, and the ordering/counter area is a customer-unfriendly gauntlet. Add to that the fact that they had *one* set of topping shakers bolted to the wall, way the hell away from the seating area, and I can't say I came away thinking I should be doing this more often.

ok but not the best... try pizza pit

[ek]

pizza di roma is very good pie
a bit more expensive but well worth it!

[Samantha]

Ian's reminds me of several local pizzeria's in Jersey. Do you recall seeing a white pizza (a pesto or cream sauce base with cheeses) or perhaps a buffalo chicken and blue cheese slice? Such oddball combinations are definitely worthwhile, especially when you can try by the slice instead of by the pie.

[reggioM]

Pizza Di Roma sell slices before Ians, and Ians pizza was the one that got Casa Bianca out of business with the 2$ cheese slices(smaller in size), Students like the Ians original location because started run bu their friends and they would cook pizza whatever their friends would like, ok fun but not pizza ....the crust the the combination of toppings , I dont know and someone says they dont charge for delivery , $2.50 plus tipping the delivery. Oh at Pizza Di Roam had seen the biggest pizza 24 inch open by hand.