Pizza Guyz
Founded by Ciarán Kelly and his family with shops on Andersontown Road (West Belfast) and Antrim Road (North Belfast), Pizza Guyz is not only a pizza place, it’s a community member and benefactor. Pizza Guyz has become an institution in its own right, particularly with the charitable causes they support and initiatives they have started. To name a few, they give 50% discount to NHS staff (for life), do regular local litter pick-ups, and provide pizza making workshops to children with special needs.
As a bastion of such benevolence you almost forget that they are a pizza place, first and foremost, who make extremely delicious and fresh pizza for their massive fanbase. Pizza Guyz was a British Takeaway Awards finalist and have 7981 reviews averaging almost 6 out of 6 stars (as of 10/05/22 as it will surely increase from there) on Just Eat. Do I need to even walk through the pizza and wings I often enjoy from them at this point? I think enough has already been said, but I will walk you through my experience all the same.
Pizza Guyz is my go-to pizza place now. I have ordered a number of their pizzas including their Sloppy Joe (sliced tomato, salami, pepperoni, taco mince, jalapenos, and taco sauce drizzle), Tikka Tikka Chicken (chicken Tikka, fresh chillies, onions, and peppers), and Fine & Hot (chicken, pepperoni and chilli sauce). I also have ordered their wings as wings are a necessity wherever they can be found. Below are my thoughts on each.
Wings from Pizza Guyz tossed in Franks.
Let’s start with the wings as one should. Pizza Guyz’s wings are baked I believe and arrive hot every time. On initial inspection there seems to be a light seasoning or breading giving them a wonderful dark caramel colour and a flavour on their own without sauce. There might not be seasoning since its so subtle and instead they have just mastered their cooking technique to give them such an enticing visual with a flavour to match.
Dips are picked when ordering your wings and they are sizable, with 2 provided for every 7 wing portion. In the photo above I have ordered the Franks and subsequently tossed them myself. I like this method since it means your wings being delivered do not become overly soggy on their journey. I have Franks at home so often opt instead for a blue cheese dip and garlic mayo for my pizza. Both are superb. Combining the Franks tossed wing with the in-house Blue cheese sauce is perfection. Their blue cheese sauce is right amounts blue cheese and sweet which counters the Franks enjoyably. I would argue Pizza Guyz’s wings are the best from a pizza place in Belfast, my only qualm being the amount of sauces on offer. More in-house sauces, even if provided on the side, would be welcomed since they would be expanding an existing strength. In saying that, that will always be a qualm of mine. Never enough wing variety.
Fine & Hot with added peppers
Now on to the pizza. On a high level, Pizza Guyz is the kind of pizza that you have cravings for specifically. It is solidifying its own unique taste making it stand out in what is a crowded market. Think Dominos or Pizza Hut deep-dish - to name a few bigger, but not as good, chains- , the types of pizza that stand out.
The Fine & Hot with added peppers has become my go to (pictured above). I like a relatively simple pizza bringing out the most in the ingredients included, especially since Pizza Guyz’s bases are equal amounts chew and flex which give it a well-rounded bite. They also use 100% buffalo mozzarella which is evident visually and in flavour. Buffalo mozzarella has a creaminess unparalleled in other cheeses, a subtle flavour not overpowering other toppings, and a fattyness that just makes it all mouth watering. The toppings otherwise including the pepperoni and chicken are well sourced, moist and packed full of flavour. And the chilli sauce in this case provides a delightful sweet heat and of which cuts through the saltiness of the pepperoni. The Fine & Hot is always balanced and a solid choice.
Some of the other toppings found on the others mentioned are equally delicious, for example, the taco mince pops with herb and spice, whilst the chicken Tikka is marinated to taste like the real deal. However, I would argue that the Sloppy Joe felt a little excessive the times I had it with the amount of taco sauce drizzle was on it, though it tasted good and the chicken Tikka could have a bit more punch, the marinade flavours elevated, setting it more apart from the regular chicken, particularly since it is the star of the show on its pizza.
As I have already said Pizza Guyz is my go to and will continue to be for the foreseeable, but it would be great to see their skills put in action with some specials or greater variety, a bit of innovation in what they are doing. That is not to say they should stop what they are doing at the same time because they sound like a wonderful bunch for the community and most definitely are for pizza-obsessed customers.
