Week 14: Original Broadway Station (Broadway Pizza, Minneapolis)

Back when dinosaurs roamed the earth and when I was knee-high to a grasshopper, we didn’t have your smarty-phones, your portable computers, or more than five television channels.  We didn’t have Atkins diets, Botox, and the only yogi we were familiar with was a cartoon bear famous for irritating the park ranger and begging for picnic baskets.  Our phones had cords and were connected to the wall – usually in our kitchens, and if someone was on your phone, other callers got a busy signal.  For entertainment, we went outside.  And way back in the dark ages, there was no such thing as pizza delivered right to your doorstep.  If you wanted pizza, you left the house. 

We were fascinated with the past and watched cartoons where people drove their cars with their feet and slid down the back of a dinosaur to punch out at the end of their shift.  We were incapable of imagining a world much beyond 2062, when we were pretty confident that we’d have our very own robot maids, flying cars, and if we were really lucky, a well-paying job at Spacely Sprockets like our buddy George, who works an hour a day, two days a week. 

In those days, pizza was a rare treat.  It meant that Mom wasn’t on a diet; that Dad’s job was going well; and sometimes, it meant a family trip to Broadway Pizza, a Minneapolis institution since 1961. 

According to their website, Broadway Pizza has been part of the Minneapolis pizza scene for more than 60 years.  The north Minneapolis restaurant was forced to move due to construction on I-94, and owner Eddie Peck was committed to remaining in the north Minneapolis location that made his pizza famous.  He purchased land in the heart of the railroad activity that was responsible for driving growth in “NoMi” and paid homage to the neighborhood, its people, and the railroad tradition by choosing a railroad theme for Broadway Pizza.  The “Original Broadway Station” is located at 2025 West River Road in Minneapolis.  Although the world – not to mention the neighborhood – has changed a lot since 1961, this pizzeria continues to overlook the Mississippi River on property that is crossed by SOO Line and Burlington Northern railroad tracks. 

(Side note: I just want to clarify that although Broadway Pizza is over 60 years old, I myself am not quite 60.  Yet.)  When I was a kiddo, we occasionally went out for pizza and one of the very coolest places we went was the Original Broadway Station.  Not only does it boast a cool train motif – it also has a detached train car where you used to be able to dine.  In fairness, I didn’t check to see if you can still eat in the train car because it was raining out and I’m old.  But it looks cool.

When we left home for our 14^th week of pizza consumption, I had some fond memories of Broadway Pizza.   When we actually arrived and went through the front doors, it was like getting into a DeLorean Time Machine and being catapulted back to my youth.  Unlike some of my repressed childhood memories involving a mean, oddly athletic playground bully who ultimately married the boy I had a crush on all through high school (which I am okay with, FYI) I found my return trip to Broadway Pizza to be a delightful experience.  My hubby, too, enjoyed his walk down memory lane.

Pre-Pizza Moods:

Princess D: 6 (it was raining out and as per usual, I wrestling with the battle between fatigue and hunger.)

Hubby: 6. We’d received some mixed messages from friends about Broadway Pizza, and although it came strongly endorsed by my friend Mark, we weren’t sure what to expect.

Parking Situation:  It’s not the parking situation that is terrifying about Broadway Station . . . it’s the drive to this place.  Specifically, I’m referring to the left hand turn we had to make from West Broadway to West River Road.  My life may have passed before my eyes.  But I digress.  If you manage to make it through the left-hand turn unscathed, you’ll be welcomed into a large parking lot with nice, wide spaces.  I noted a highway patrolman parked in the neighboring lot.  He was either thinking about pizza or lurking about waiting for criminals.  I hope it was the former.  Regardless, his presence (after I checked to make sure we were complying with all current laws) inspired a sense of comfort. 

Exterior Appearance:  There’s a reason they call this location the Original Broadway Station.  It remains untouched by the hands of time in a way that the surrounding neighborhood hasn’t. 

A brief history lesson: West Broadway Ave in North Minneapolis, even in its economic prime during the 1950’s, has always valued function over form.  It’s never been beautiful but it was a bustling retail era with two and three story grocers, drycleaners, butcher shops, restaurants, and movie theaters.  Today, West Broadway is a mix of abandoned houses, empty storefronts, and empty lots combined with tree-lined streets and new, suburban-style strip malls.  But West Broadway has been besieged with troubles since the street cars were removed in the mid-1950’s, leading to the first major exodus of residents and businesses to the suburbs.  Civil rights, aging housing stock, a freeway system that cuts this area off from the rest of the city, crime, and most recently, a tornado have all led to the migration of residents and businesses from the city to the suburbs.   

City councilwoman and NoMi resident Barbara Johnson makes a good point; “West Broadway is the only commercial corridor in the city that hasn’t been redeveloped.”  History lesson concluded.  My point?  It’s pretty damn amazing and special that Broadway Pizza has survived and thrived in a neighborhood overwhelmed by neglect and struggle.

Entrance/Welcome:  We arrived at the traditional AARP dinner hour, so the joint wasn’t bustling yet, although it got busier as we ate.  Walk right in and you’ll be greeted by a host(ess) who will be more than happy to seat you.  You’ll be asked about your booth versus table preferences (hubby prefers a booth) and you’ll be seated quickly and efficiently.  Nothing confusing about this at all.   

Clientele/Overall Vibe:  We were seated in the bar area, which is decked out like a train station.  An electric train circles the bar area on a regular basis and train lights and train crossing signs decorate each booth.   A baseball game played on the big screen TV and there was a pleasant mix of hardcore drinkers, pizza-loving families, and neighborhood locals. 

Wait Staff: Our server, Brenda, has been around the block. You can tell that she’s seen it all.  Helpful, efficient, and quick with a joke and a snappy comeback, we enjoyed her sense of humor.

Menu Selection: Although this is a pizzeria, the menu has pizza and much, much more.  In the mood for a wrap? Sandwich? Burger? Chicken wings? Hoagie? Pasta?  It’s all available here.  My dad gives their spaghetti and meatballs a thumbs-up.  Since we are all about the pizza, we quickly flipped to that section of the menu and ordered up a thin crust classic deluxe.  Both the menu and Brenda advised us that the Classic Deluxe is their #1 best seller so we ordered up.  I enjoyed a big beer on tap (reasonably priced and they have an impressive selection – but because I was feeling fat, I went with the diet beer in an effort to forgive myself for my lousy eating habits) and the hubby went with his old standby, the iced tea with lemon and pink sweetener.

Food Wait Time: Ok, ok – true confession.  Revisiting Broadway Pizza was such a nostalgic experience for us both, we spent our time reminiscing about our childhood visits; sitting in the train car; and how unusual it was for us to go out for pizza as kids.  In those days, you ate at home.  We hadn’t made the full transition to a fast food culture yet.  Because we were so busy sharing memories, we forgot to keep track of how long it took from order to pizza arrival.  Trust me when I tell you that it seemed no faster or slower than normal.

Drumroll, Please . . .the Pizza Itself:  It was even better than I remembered!  A crispy, thin crust.  The right ratio of cheese and sauce.  Evenly distributed and fresh toppings.  The classic deluxe combines cheese, sausage, pepperoni, fresh mushrooms, green pepper and onion.  There’s a reason this is their best seller.  Just greasy enough, this pizza is cut into squares to allow you to cram them into your piehole with maximum ease.   We licked the platter clean.  Repeat: we decimated an entire  large pizza in record time, and we were licking our chops afterwards. 

This pizza was a little slice of heaven and ranks up there with some of the best pizzas I’ve enjoyed.  My only complaint is that I needed to unbutton my pants to make room for  my post-Broadway giant pizza belly.  At the conclusion of our meal, I proclaimed that this was among my favorite pizzas ever.  I liked it even more than Latuff’s or Red Savoy. 

Price & Value: Can you put a price on revisiting fond memories of your childhood?  I think not.  Regardless, this delicious large pizza and beverages is a bargain. Total bill (before tip) was under $30.  Walk down memory lane?  Priceless.

Post-Pizza Mood: We were both at a post-pizza mood of 9.  If I could have left my pants buttoned, I might have been a 10. 

Bottom Line: There are a lot of Broadway Pizza locations across the Twin Cities metro area. I’ve eaten at several of them, and I’ll say this.  You can’t go wrong with the Broadway Pizza buffet at any of their MN locations.  But if you really want to experience the amazingness of Broadway Pizza, get yourself down to the train car.