Before we go any further, it needs to be noted that:
- We have heard from several sources that the pizza at Virgo and Pisces is great.
- Virgo and Pisces serves gluten-free pizza only – so they don’t do wheat crusts.
- The pizza is way cheaper than you’ll find elsewhere.
Those are all important facts. As with our past visit to Virgo and Pisces, the staff was helpful and friendly. The food arrived promptly and the pizza was piping hot. The place is clean but seems a little empty for a bar on NW 21st Street in Portland Oregon.
Virgo and Pisces make their own crusts. Unlike basically every other pizza place in Portland, the pizzas are available in several different sizes, including a single-serving size. As noted above, the pizzas are far cheaper than equivalent gluten-free pizzas to be had anywhere else we’ve been. The pizzas are prepared in a separate area to avoid cross-contamination, and they do not make wheat pizzas there. Here are the available flavors:
Classic Caprese – Mozzarella cheese with sliced tomato and fresh basil.
Pepperoni – Mozzarella cheese and crisp pepperoni with fresh marinara.
Buffalo Chicken – Buffalo sauce, chicken, celery, mozzarella, and topped with blue cheese crumbles.
Chicken Apple – House made chicken apple sausage and mushrooms with mozzarella cheese.
Spinach Alfredo – Light alfredo-pesto sauce, mozzarella, spinach, and mushrooms.
After some debate, we got the pepperoni. Mostly because we never get pepperoni. So… How was the pizza?
I don’t know if you can tell from the picture, but there is a lot of sauce on that pizza. So if you’re into lots of sauce then this is the pizza for you. The crust was perfectly done. It wasn’t too hard, but it definitely had some crunch to it. The cheese was good and so was the pepperoni. Unfortunately, the sauce was a little tasteless. It almost tasted like standard pizza sauce out of a can. We’re thinking that the next time we visit, we’ll ask for garlic on the pizza.
This picture gives a better view of the amount of sauce. I don’t think I would have complained if there had been more cheese on the pizza. Sienna and I ended up thinking that in the future with pizza ratings, maybe we should rate the overall pizza, and then also have a rating for the gluten-free crust. We were more impressed with the crust than we were with the overall pizza, but would be curious to see how the other pizzas are. We also had a pear salad which was OK.
We want to know: Have you had the pizza at Virgo and Pisces? What’s your favorite flavor? Let us know in the comments!
Times we have visited: 2 (So your mileage may vary.)
Overall rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars for the pizza
Crust Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
Price compared to “regular”: Same (but cheap compared to most other.)
Virgo & Pisces
500 NW 21st Ave, Portland, Oregon 97209 / 503.517.8855
www.virgoandpisces.com
Gluten-Free Pizza on the Brain
Our list of pizza reviews is growing. Don’t miss our Portland gluten-free pizza restaurant list. Our current champ is still the Oasis Cafe despite our worries about cross-contamination and the fact that a pizza order takes forever there. We are also still fond of Picazzo’s, although Sienna doesn’t like their crust. We also recently reviewed the lackluster Glutino brand frozen pizza.
Liz says
Thank you thank you thank you for this website! I’m in Portland for a few days and I can’t wait to try some of your recommendations. If only all cities were as gluten-free friendly.
If you have an opinion on a great place to go near The Nines hotel (in SW I think) I would greatly appreciate the recommendation!
Again — great site!
Dave says
Since you’re downtown, you should try the food carts in Pioneer Square for lunch. The “fish” at No Fish Go Fish are made with wheat so that’s a no go, but the soups are good and usually gluten-free.
There is also a Whole Bowl cart.
http://www.thewholebowl.com/where.html
Over in the Pearl there is the Blossoming Lotus who are very gluten-free friendly (although they do use some wheat, I have been told the owner doesn’t like to.)
Look for Blossoming Lotus and No Fish Go Fish on our restaurant list.
Although it’s not gluten-free really, the staff at Portland City Grill is very gluten-free-friendly. It has a great view of Portland, and is a fun place to sit in the bar at happy hour and order some food.
Have fun in Portland!
Kelly S says
I really liked the pizza at V&P! It wasn’t perfect, but it cured my craving and the crust was perfectly crisp! 🙂 I will go back for more! (Plus they serve Redbridge!)
Gina says
Okay, you have definitely convinced me to try out Virgo and Pisces GF Pizza. I was a little skeptical when I first heard they have it, but your review convinced me. They are walking distance from where I work, so I’ll get right to it! I love that they are dedicated GF for pizza – the owner there is very GF friendly and has made other items on the menu GF. I haven’t been there in a long time, but they used to have a battered shrimp made with rice flour that was very good. That they serve Red Bridge clinches it!
Jenn says
Virgo & Pisces will be at the PDX GIG Support Group on the second Saturday in Sept. if any of your readers are interested in having a chat with them and sampling some food. Our meeting location changes that month so look to join us at the Legacy Emanuel Children’s Hospital in NE PDX. Cheers~