Zaw Artisan Bake at Home Pizza

I hesitate to give this place three stars, because it is a really great pizza spot, but you must understand; I am Alaskan. Alaskans contend with New Yorkers on taking their pizza very, very seriously. Alaskan pizza is usually made in a wood fired oven with a garlic olive oil on the crust.
Unfortunately, Zaw doesn’t have this.
However, as far as an easy to order and make pizza, it’s fantastic. Me and my husband can have exactly what we want on our sides of the pizza, which makes for a happy marriage.
Once, when we ordered our pizza, we were ridiculed by a couple of the staff for how much odd stuff we had ordered on our pizza. It was a bit unprofessional, however, I think it was all in good fun and I cannot fault them too much.
Another time, because our order seemed a bit high to the cashier, he actually charged us for one of their signature pizzas and only a couple of modifiers. He took about ten dollars off the price! It was very considerate and is the mark of a good employee.
The pizza here is, in this Alaskan’s opinion, adequate. It’s good for a fix in a city with not much good pizza.

Would be good if it wasn’t so meh.
If you expect me to spend this much money on a take and bake, it better be damn good. The toppings are decent, but certainly nothing to write home about. The crust is terrible, it’s like they couldn’t decide whether they were going for a crispy and thin crust or a more standard bready crust. Whichever they were going for, they forgot to make it taste like something, anything.
Also tried their cookies, very oily, cookies should never be oily.
Go somewhere else and spend half as much to get a better pizza.

This was around mid June — popped in here for the first time really excited to try it, but one of the two employees said «we close at 9 and we’re pretty busy, so we’re not taking any more orders». It was 8:51. Really?
Guess we’re never trying it.

Friendly service, quick made to order preparation and pizza that are full of flavor. Zaw is a wonderful addition to the take and bake pizza market and has a great menu of offerings. One thing that sets Zaw apart is that they try to make sure as many ingredients (from the flour to the meats) are local, which means better for you pizza’s that are full of flavor. The Queen Anne and Redmond Zaw pizza locations are hand down wonderful ones to visit. (If you live in Kirkland, drive to the Redmond Store and also make a trip to the Trader Joes there, it is worth the extra drive!)

One of my favorite take and back pizza places. Always tasty ingredients that local and organic. This store is always clean.

Not a fan after 3 tries.
It shouldn’t take longer to build a pizza here than to bake one elsewhere.
I’m convinced all staff gets baked instead of baking! That’s the only explanation for their lack of speed!
Decent quality, curious combos, just too damn slow!

When we are craving pizza, we automatically call Zaw. On those cold, wet, dark nights when you just don’t feel like actually making something, those Zaw pizzas really hit the spot. We usually gravitate toward the Cowardly Apricot or the Chicago Deli… but haven’t tasted any pizzas that we didn’t like. AND their chocolate chip cookies… warm, straight from the oven… yes, please!
Plus the staff are usually really friendly

This is awesome take-​n-​bake pizza. Not only can you feel good about it since it’s made with local, organic and sustainable ingredients, but it’s just tasty! While you could get the go-​to pizza (perfect pepperoni), venture out and try one of their many delicious creations! For a spin on a classic pizza, get the «arugula patch» which has prosciutto, tomatoes and basil, and you top it with fresh arugula after baking for a fresh peppery bite. For something more adventurous, try the «cowardly apricot»: a delicous combination of chicken, apricots and caramelized onions. MMM. Be sure to check out their seasonal specials! Italian Sausage and Roasted Fennel? Yes please! Just 10 – 14 minutes at 425, and you have delicious pizza perfection. You can also order salads and drinks (beer and wine!) to accompany your to-​go order. Makes for a great and easy meal to share with friends!

Their pizza is just ok. The crust is very thin and everything else on the pizza was alright but not overwhelmingly delicious. I don’t think it’s worth the price.

Last Saturday I had a catered Zaw Pizza and Wine Party that I had bought through Living Social. My parents were visiting from out of town and my mom thought it would be a great way to meet all my friends in one fell swoop.
I had never had Zaw before and I was blown away. Each course, from the apps to the salad to the 4 different pizzas to the cookies were so very tasty!
I had a vegetarian friend, a gluten-​free friend, and a dairy-​free friend as my guests. All their needs were accommodated deliciously and professionally.
The wines that were chosen to be paired with the pizzas were Washington-​based and also lovely.
The party was meant to start at 7pm and it did, right on the dot. Our artisan was Greg, who brought out each course explaining why each ingredient was chosen and how the wine complemented each pizza. It came out later that Greg is one of the founders. I asked him why he was in my kitchen on a Saturday night he he answered that they were very busy, he likes to do these parties, and he lives close-​by so it’s not big deal.
Zaw has combined humility, diligence, and sustainable ingredients to make a delicious product.

Great pizza/​salad/​wine or pizza/​salad/​cookie combos – the price is definitely commiserate with the quality. I’ve had dozens of excellent pizzas – favorites being the Hunter-​Gatherer, Arugula Patch and Shroom Fest. Our go-​to salad is the Perfect Pear (substituting Goat Cheese for Gorgonzola). Great success at both the Queen Anne and Cap Hill locations.

Excellent but pricey. You get what you pay for. Very high quality toppings and whole wheat crust available.

*I am a new fan, love this place and their coupon specials rock, picked up a large and med. specialty pizza for 20 bucks
*The chicago zapper is really good, love me some pepperoncinis
*Friendly service and orders usually take about 15 minutes if you walk in

I really can’t understand all the negative reviews here. Tonight was the first night I decided to try Zaws, ordered online and was pleasantly surprised by half off pizza night @ the Queen Anne location when I walked in the door, credited back my card ½ price :) Can’t complain about the staff or service, all great and I was helped quickly despite the 8 person deep line.
I ordered the Hunter Gatherer, adding pine nuts and prosciutto (+$ 1.50 each), bringing my medium price to $ 17.95 pre-​discount. Not the cheapest pizza, but certainly not the most expensive, Pagliacci & Zeeks have numerous sprinklings of $ 18+ mediums, and their ingredients aren’t even close in quality.
Now to the pizza,
–WARNING– If you have an absolutely trash oven or are a complete kludgeon when it comes to pressing buttons on your stove and using timers DO NOT try to cook pizza at home — you WILL be disappointed with the results.
I opted for the whole wheat crust and followed the directions (425 degree pre-​heated oven, cook on their parchment, check @ 8min, recheck @10min, pull when done). It came out perfectly, and tasted WAY better than any pizza I’ve had so far in WA. Ratio of ingredients was well thought out, all the meat and veg was fresh and of high quality.
I have 0 complaints about the pizza itself. The signature crusts are thin, but you have the option of thick crust and gluten free. Sauce substitution is FREE and you have a multitude of unique options. Toppings are a little expensive @ $ 1.50 but if you take the time to read each pizza’s base ingredients you can mix and match exactly what you want to come in well under $ 20.
Bottom line, if you have the patience and know-​how to cook a pizza at home you’ll get a great pizza at a price below pretty much every other Seattle area joint.
p. s.–leave a damn tip, machines aren’t assembling your meal, there were 4 people on the topping line, 1 working the dough, and 2 more at the counter not including the manager. If you’ve ever worked in a pizza place you would know it’s many hours of tedious work to turn out a good pie-​just because you have to bake it (the easiest part) doesn’t give you an excuse to be stingy. /​rant

Great for fresh salads and vegan pizza! A little pricey though…

Yum :))) I really liked the pizza!

This places gets three stars because the service is great, people are awesome, gluten free pizza is not great however.
We ordered a gluten free pizza and it ended up tasting how most people think gluten free pizza tastes like. Cardboard box. It’s what they use for the crust. It’s not the most disgusting thing ever, but not the best either. If you want good gluten free pizza, hit up Garlic Jims, or get a frozen Garlic Jims at the Metropolitan Market.
The people however are fantastic and I have not tried their regular pizza. I am a crossfitter and try to be Paleo, so that pizza could rule.

I don’t think I can overstate how much I love Zaws. I don’t order it often, but it’s for the same reason I don’t often eat poundcake or chocolate truffles. I CAN tell you that every single time I have ordered Zaws, I’ve been 100% pleased with extra credit. Even my dogs are pleased, because our adORable Zaws delivery dude always brings them treats. Okay, where were we? Right then. Pizza. Yes. Don’t think for one second that I’d order mediocre pizza on account of a cute delivery boy and my dogs’ collective crush on him. I order Zaws because it’s the BEST pizza take-​out in the neighborhood. Period. And in a neighborhood with about 10 pizza joints per capita, that is saying something inDEED.
Tips:
Order online. It’s too easy not to.
Preheat your oven so it’s ready when your pizza-​in-​the-​raw arrives.
Starve yourself in advance, so you can justify the lack of leftovers.

I dig that Zaw is so polarizing. It seems that people either love it or hate it, and not much in between. So, be warned.
Here’s what you’ll get:
A take-​and-​bake pizza with high quality ingredients that won’t kill you. I got the meaty pizza, and it was stacked with meat, and assembled with care. I also got the regular crust, which was a thin crust — super-​thin for take-​and-​bake, but I’m a fan of super thin crusts, so this was great. Again, if you don’t like this, save yourself some trouble and go to Pagliacci.
I think the other reviews said it best — if you are expecting a Domino’s type experience (cheap, fast, easy food) this won’t be it. This is a pizza to be tasted, and savored. Much like the Dry Soda they sell here — if you are looking for a Coke, buy yourself a Coke. You’re going to be disappointed with a Lemon Grass soda with a touch of cane sugar. (That was delicious, by the way.)
But, if you are looking for a take-​and-​bake experience that is above the norm, and possibly-​on-​the-​expensive-​side-​but-​worth-​it-​price, give this a shot. I liked it.

Wow, the 3-​star average review here seems super-​low for its quality. I’m not sure what people are expecting, or if they’ve just had growing pains, but I’d call this a solid 4-​star place.
Ordering went well. Yes, it did take about between 5 – 10 minutes to make the pizza, a little longer than, say Papa Murphy’s. But in that time, they roll out the dough, sliced the meat fresh (FRESH!), and assembled a beaut of a pizza. While waiting, I admired the beer wine collection at VERY reasonable prices, bottles of wine around $ 10 bucks, and even offered an Oregon Pinot Noir for only $ 17 — often at restaurants, you’re lucky to get a GLASS for that price. Anyway, excellent deals here, and a unique idea that I haven’t seen anywhere else.
I ordered the «Chicago Deli», which has Hemplers bacon, prosciutto, salame, and slightly spicy pepperoncini peppers, with a mix of mozzarella and provalone cheeses, on top of a rich and garlicy tomato sauce. It seriously looked perfect — like a piece of art.
Their $ 18 for a large is accurately described as feeding 2 – 3 people. I’d say it most resembles Pagliacci, in that it’s not overloaded with ingredients, but every ingredient they use is top-​notch quality.
So I get it home, and preheat the oven to 425 degrees per instructions (pretty HOT compared to most pizzas).
Then, I took out my magnifying glass and surgical set to disect the pizza, checking for quality straight out of the wrapper. Yes, each piece of meat had authentic, strong flavor. Each was fresh. The red sauce was particularly good, with a home-​made taste similar to what I make myself. There was not a ton of cheese, but what was there was strong and flavorful. The raw dough had a nice sourdoughy flavor. Diagnosis: so far so good, this is a very healthy pizza.
Often, I like to add a few of my own ingredients if I have them on hand, but in the spirit of science, I kept half the pizza as it came — without additions. On the other half, I added mushrooms, olives, hot italian sausage, walla wall sweets, hot thai green peppers, and some extra gouda and goat cheese, creating a very substantial pizza on that half. This can affect the cooking, so let’s see how it goes…
Out of the oven 15 minutes later, and the crust is uniformly dark brown and crunchy on the bottom — the pizza looks divine — and not greasy at all. After trying out both sides, both were excellent. The additions weren’t necessary at all, but the additional ingredients complimented the pizza well, and didn’t impede the uniformity of the cooking at all. I think it must be the higher temperature or something.
One major drawback… once cooked, I did not care for the crust (I got the regular). It’s not bad, don’t get me wrong, but the texture and flavor were a bit reminiscent to what you can get with the dough mix at the store. I feel like if they improve their dough somehow, they could even surpass Pagliacci in terms of taste (especially with the sauce and loaded quality meats), but Pagliacci truly has has excellent dough, and also add a layer of olive oil to the crust after cooking (obviously not the case at ‘zaw), so improving the dough could take a while to perfect.
On the positive side, this might be the best pizza for heating up in a microwave — uniform heating, without any hint of crustiness on the edges — kinda weird in a good way.
I’ll be curious to see if future reviews continue to rate this place low, if my good experience was a fluke, or if they corrected some problems they had in the past as described here.
Oh, and as a side note, I first heard about this location while getting a pizza at Proletariat Pizza in West Seattle. It was nice to see the family proprietors at a competing pizza store recommend trying ‘zaw, closer to my neighborhood in Queen Anne — very sweet of them indeed. That family there at Proletariat is as sweet as pie — yes, pun was intended.
PROS: VERY high quality ingredients, and not skimpy, either, for the strong, authentic flavors you get with each bite. Wine and beer pairing at very reasonable prices is a nice touch.
CONS: Could work on improving the texture and taste of the dough, IMHO.