Werkhaus Pizza

This German-named Green Township pizzeria (on Werk Road) split off from the Mio's chain in 2007. Werkhaus's specialty is a Chicago-style stuffed pizza. Stuffed pizza is the peak of Chicago style excess, being even deeper than deep-dish. Pioneered by @nancyspizza and @giordanospizza in Chicago, stuffed is a pan-pizza similar to traditional deep-dish, but with a second layer of crust to allow even more cheese and toppings to be sowed within a large crust pocket. Whereas deep-dish has a buttery-biscuit-like crust (made with butter/lard and cornmeal), stuffed pizza crust is generally similar to regular pizza crust - there's just much much more of it. Stuffed pizza's origins are traced back to ‘Scarciedda’, an Easter Pie popular in Basilicata and Apulia (the heal of the Italian boot). While there’s various deep dish places, Wekhaus and Mio’s are the only two pizzerias I'm aware of that do this Chicago stuffed pizza in Cincinnati.

This is a very heavy pizza, literally - I wouldn't get carryout if you have a history of back issues. One slice was a meal. So at only $21.25 for a large stuffed pizza, Werkhaus is no doubt the best calorie-per-dollar pizza deal in Cincinnati. The crust had some nice browning and was soft / doughy. The toppings were plentiful, obviously. I opted for sausage (the most Chicago topping, aside from Vienna Beef) and some pepperoni. Overall, Werkhaus is a friendly spot and a solid option if you’re in an indulgent mood.