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Pagliacci Pizza
Pagliacci Pizza opened on February 19, 1979, at 4529 University Way in Seattle's University District, founded by Matt Galvin and Pat McDonald. That original location ran continuously — through countless remodels and face-lifts — until it finally closed in July 2018 after a 39-year run, a genuinely long life for a single storefront in a neighborhood that's changed dramatically around it. The pizza itself sticks to a straightforward, well-executed thin-crust format, sold through multiple channels at once: delivery, sit-down dining rooms, and pizza-by-the-slice counters, giving Pagliacci more flexibility than a typical single-format pizzeria. That range has let it become one of the most reliably present pizza names across the entire city rather than a single-neighborhood favorite. One of the more distinctive details across Pagliacci's dining rooms is decor built around vintage Italian-language movie posters — a small, consistent design touch that gives even the newest locations a sense of connection back to the original University Way storefront's era, even though most current customers have never set foot in that closed original. The chain has grown into one of the largest pizza operations in the region, with 24 locations spanning King and Snohomish counties, and it's kept pushing on operational firsts along the way — in 2012, Pagliacci opened Seattle's first stand-alone LEED-certified pizzeria in the Madison Park neighborhood, a genuinely early sustainability commitment for a regional pizza chain of its size and age. For a Seattle pizza list, Pagliacci is the essential "the name that's just everywhere, for good reason" entry — a 1979 University District original that's grown into a 24-location regional chain without losing the consistent, well-executed thin-crust pizza that built its original reputation.
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Big Mario's Pizza
Big Mario's Pizza opened its Capitol Hill location in 2010, backed by a group of Seattle hospitality figures including Jason Lajuenesse, Mike McConnell, David Meinert, Jordan Neff, and Mario Vellotti — a genuine cross-section of local restaurant and bar operators rather than a single chef-founder, which shows up in how confidently the concept blends a real pizza program with an unapologetic bar-food attitude. The pizza is built in the New York style — big, foldable slices sold both individually and as whole pies, the kind of format built for late-night orders and a fast in-and-out counter rather than a sit-down dinner. Thrillist summed up the vibe directly, noting there aren't many places in Seattle where a customer can "slug an Olde English 40 and bask in the glory of true New York-style pizza" — a description that captures both the pizza's quality and the restaurant's deliberately dive-y, no-pretension setting. Beyond the standard menu, Big Mario's has built a reputation for creative specials that push past a typical New York slice shop — macaroni and cheese pizza and rotating seasonal offerings keep regulars checking back for something beyond the reliable classic slice. The concept expanded from that original 2010 Capitol Hill location to Lower Queen Anne in 2015 and Fremont in 2017, growing into a small but well-regarded local chain without losing the late-night, cheap-beer-and-a-slice identity that defined the original. For a Seattle pizza list, Big Mario's is the essential "real New York slice, dive-bar attitude" entry — big, foldable, by-the-slice pizza built by a team of Seattle hospitality veterans, served in a setting built for a cheap beer and a late night rather than a quiet dinner.
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