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    Big River Pizza

    4.5 (176 reviews)

    Big River Pizza Photos

    BIG RIVER PIZZA ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Big River Pizza

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    Daniel E.

    A Saint Paul resident brought our Board to Big River Pizza for a Saturday lunch, and I am so glad that his local knowledge was so good! Great atmosphere, plenty of interior space, and an overall good vibe from the staff. I love being able to buy pizza by the slice, and their interior counter display makes it clear that you have many options. There were six different slice choices, and all were tempting, I ended up choosing two, one slice a white pizza option with tasty toppings of mozzarella, garlic, and spinach, and the other a simple sausage choice. Both were tasty, served at the right temperature, and averaged just under $5 per slice. The customer service rocked, and I particularly enjoyed how they surrendered an entire wall to a local elementary school and their artwork. It told me volumes about who they are. Downtown location, street parking all around, light rail nearby, and CHS Field a block away, this place is so darn good and it has me wondering when I'm coming back to St Paul to enjoy it again. Hmmmm, maybe later today on my way out of town???

    Hope approved cheese pizza.
    karen k.

    Hope approved! Deemed Best cheese pizza EVER for a 7 yr old, And grandma likes the sausage pizza too. Get the lunch special, a good deal. The Cashier and pizza guy could not be more helpful and friendly. Thank you!!! Hopes pizza was cut up onto 1" squares perfect for her to eat.

    Frank N' Mary Pizza
    Michael K.

    Would have been 5 stars but one of the three items I ordered was literally soggy as hell, it was wet and it almost soaked through the bottom of the pizza box. That was a bummer (Frank and Mary Pizza). Do not recommend for travel! The other pizza was the meat lovers and it was sooo good! Good quality meats and the sauce and cheese ratio was perfect. It was close to a New York style pizza but not quite. The garlic cheese bread was really good too. I'm willing to give it another try, lots of interesting looking pies!!

    The garden piza
    Victor M.

    This place is an all time favorite. Not only is the staff amazing but the piza is divine. I have not yet ordered one that I hated. The spinach artichoke dip is da bomb and they have a large selection of alcohol beverages to wash it down. I have had nothing but exceptional service here and they do live music and events.

    Pizza and a beer.
    Melaney S.

    So I feel bad that I haven't reviewed Big River. It is the best place in Lowertown to grab a slice. The whole pies aren't to shabby either. The atmosphere is great. Plenty of live music, great art, and friendly staff. You can't ask for much more. From the slices I like the cheese, and the sausage. As for whole pies the 10 thousand leaks is not to be missed.

    Big River Pizza
    Lynn L.

    We came to St Paul, Mn to partake in the Twin Cities Jazz Festival. Big River Pizza had a performer that I had seen before and was excited to see again. We weren't planning on eating or drinking, just wanted to see the show. One step in and the smell of their pizza's hit you! So good that even if you weren't planning on having on you do anyway. You can get a whole pizza or some varieties by the slice and a slice was about 1/3 off a whole pizza! We had the 12" Margherita and two craft beers. Both were great. The service was fast and friendly considering how busy they were. They have a few booths and small tables toward the back of the restaurant and two very long "Family style" tables going down the middle. Great for getting to know other people enjoying great pizza. They also have seating along the windows facing 5th Ave and Wall Street. They are directly across from the farmers market in lower town. Plenty of on street parking as well as lots near by. Can't wait to go back!

    Got bumped around a bit after I picked it up, but it was otherwise a perfect Pepperoni Pizza
    Steve G.

    One of the best places in the Twin Cities for NY style pizza! Definitely in my top 5 along with Cossetta, ElMar, Joey Nova, and Andrea. We got 4 different pizzas and all were perfect, and ready exactly when requested through online ordering. Staff is very friendly.

    Leroy Brown Pizza
    Donald P.

    Bonsoir tout le monde ! This place was pretty decent. The pizza and staff were great, however it was quite smoky and the pizza was a little burnt underneath it (which throws off the great flavors)! All in all it was nothing to write home about, but will definitely do the job and taste decent. The staff are pretty decent as well, they aren't jerks but aren't holding your hand throughout the process either! I do recommend, for when you don't know what to eat! Price point was okay, $18 for a 12" pizza. À la prochaine !

    Counter menu!
    Kelly U.

    Great place for a quick slice! Stop on on your way to the ballgame or local favorite brewery!

    12" build your own ($12) w/vegan cheese (+$3.50). Great crust. Nice cheddar cheese flavor. Cheese was liquid, though, dripping everywhere.
    Kedar D.

    Big River Pizza is a nice independent pizza shop with some outdoor seating. Located near CHS Field (home of the AAA St. Paul Saints), it's fun to stop by for a pie before a game. Big River has vegan cheese, which is nice. I'm not sure of the brand, but think it might have been Follow Your Heart. We got a 12" build-your-own ($12 + $3.50 for vegan cheese + $2 and more for other toppings). The crust and sauce on the pie are both good, while the cheese seemed to be cheddar instead of mozzarella. That was fine by me, as it had a deep tang and addictive quality; but, it was also ridiculously liquid, dripping all over the place. If Big River added vegan meat toppings (how about pepperoni or sausage from Herbivorous Butcher in Minneapolis, or the bacon from J. Selby in St. Paul?), I'd stop by more often. Black Dog cafe, a block away, also has a vegan pizza with homemade cashew cheese, FYI.

    One of the best pizzas I've ever had. Literally so delicious and amazing. The people were kind, and it was well-kept inside.

    More bacon jam and pepperoni pizza!
    Phyllis M.

    The Twin Cities has some insanely good pizza - and I love pizza. Big River is my ride or die. It's a spot in Lowertown St Paul, right by the Farmers Market. I was introduced to it by a former colleague who told me that BRP had a pizza with bacon jam on it. I sadly wrote it off at the time and deeply, deeply regret it. If you go to BRP, you cannot go wrong with any of their specialty pizzas or with one you built yourself. But for me, my go-to, when I'm feeling blue, when I'm feeling happy, whenever I want cheesy goodness pizza is a pepperoni and bacon jam pizza. Its the perfect sweet and savory mix, which might sound weird, but is literally the best. Not to be confused with their bacon jam slam (which is also good but not the same). All of their pizzas are wood-fired and hand-crafted and topped with as much locally sourced toppings as possible. This results is amazingly crispy yet chewy crusts that hold their own under the weight of delicious toppings and cheeses. I'm already drooling and wishing I had a slice of bacon jam and pepperoni in my hand. I mean the cheese pull on these pizzas is the stuff of dreams. And speaking of slices, they do have a number of slices available if you're not mentally prepared to take on a whole pizza :) The staff is awesome, and the owner Steve is the nicest guy! He always comes out to say hi (because yes, he knows me by my pizza order) and shoot the breeze if it's not too busy! Bonus, if you can try some of their soft serve, you won't regret it! This place is legit, and you definitely need to make a trip to Lowertown, St Paul, to try it.

    Wow crazy good pizza. Hey Bar Stool Dave where you at to rate it. One bite everybody knows the rules. 9.6.
    David P.

    I have been working all day, it started at 330am. With little time to eat was lucky enough to stop in at Big River Pizza. I have never been here before, and was shocked how good it was. Crispy crust that burst n my mouth, and toppings that were on point. The slice I had wasn't greasy, you could really taste the love. Seriously one of the best slices I have had. I was in a rush and was worried about overly hot burn your mouth pizza, but thank god it was the perfect temperature. See you guys next time......Wow.

    Far left - Caesar Salad, Middle - Pepperoni Pizza, Right - House Salad (with spinach base)

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    1 year ago

    We got takeout from big River. Pizza was delicious. Salad was excellent also. Very fast service.

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    2 years ago

    The best (and only) pizza joint in downtown St. Paul. Great selection, fast service and friendly staff. Our go to pizza place!

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    1 year ago

    Food is delicious! One of the best pizzas we have had in the area. Service was friendly and good pacing between the salad and the pizza.

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    3 years ago

    Every pizza has been stellar. I can't wait to try their seasonal picks closer to summer.

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    Page 1 of 5

    Ask the Community - Big River Pizza

    Do they sell by the slice?

    Yes. When you go to the restaurant, you can go up to the counter and order slices - they have what's available that day on display.

    View All 2 Questions

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    Wrestaurant At The Palace

    Wrestaurant At The Palace

    4.3
    (34 reviews)
    0.6 mi
    $$

    Great location for people visiting Park Square Theatre…read more They don't do half and half of their specialty pizzas so you just have to build your own from scratch. Another way to charge more. We split a pizza and that was fine. It was good pizza with generous toppings. Service was good too. For dessert we went around the corner to Candyland.

    Cool place! Tales of their pizza from their previous ventures have lingered for years, but I've…read morenever tried their food until they opened this full bar & restaurant on West Seventh Place. The location is convenient for people attending downtown events, although when events like that are going on and you just want to park somewhere and try their food, that parking can be challenging. Detroit-style pizza is unique. It comes in thick rectangular slabs, and the crust is unusually airy. They have interesting concoctions to try, incorporating different types of peppers as well as whipped honey and pineapple relish. For my first visit, I got a cacio e pepe pizza, which had actual noodles on it that were surprisingly cool. The second time I came, I had a single slice with pepperoni & sausage, and I can confirm that I really like their pizza. When it comes to pizza, my preference is normally for either Neopolitan or New York style, but these squares are tasty and satisfying to eat. I also got "Pizza Rowls", which I loved. With that entree, you get three long things that look like big egg rolls but are stuffed with tons of creamy cheese, sauce, and meat. It also comes with an arugula salad. It all tasted great. They have very friendly service, although I was forced to sit at the bar this last time because of the crowds. I don't like bar seating and in hindsight it seemed like I would have had a table if I'd just waited a few minutes instead of the half-hour I was told to expect. They're new at the moment so they might still be figuring out their flow; they have plenty of tables so you'll probably generally not have an issue there. They have a special Sunday brunch menu that is intriguing as well. You should totally try them out!

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Hibiscus speciality cocktail.
    Hibiscus speciality cocktail.
    Curly fries app.

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    Curly fries app.
    Mario's

    Mario's

    4.4
    (94 reviews)
    5.0 mi
    $$

    We love this neighborhood pizza place. It's the perfect date spot neighborhood. The garlic cheese…read moredonuts are to die, for they are so good. The cheese pull on their pizzas is amazing. We love the thick crust and the high quality ingredients. The inside is family friendly and relaxed. Staff are helpful and knowledgeable about the menu. The vibe of this place is very welcoming. They have a nice selection of beer.

    Probably closer to 3.5 for our first experience here, but giving a benefit of the doubt that if we…read moreordered differently it would have been better! We came in before the dinner rush with nearly nobody in store and ordered at the counter. I was shocked to see the pizza price, but then learned that they are Sicilian pan pizza: they serve 2-4 people and are quite dense and large. Know that going in! We started with the Garlic Cheese Bread Donuts because Yelpers recommended them - those were the star! Super unique and gooey. We would have much preferred marinara dipping sauce with them instead of the white sauce. We got wings to share: dry rub that were good and classic. We ate these two starters as we waited for the pizza: it took a bit longer than we'd expected since the shop was nearly empty. Here's where we went wrong: my husband ordered the 4 cheese pizza, add pepperoni. The amount of ricotta on the top of each slice was...inedible. It was more ricotta than enjoyable, and we ended up scraping off 90% of it. The other elements of the pizza were great, but wouldn't recommend the 4 cheese or any ricotta-heavy pizzas. I'm sure if we got a different one we'd have loved it! Ambiance is very chill, especially being so close to campus. It's got a vintage, retro feel with a vintage game machine and some fun decor.

    Photos
    Inside Mario's, Sept 17, 2025
    Inside Mario's, Sept 17, 2025
    Mario's
    2 small rooms for seating inside

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    2 small rooms for seating inside

    Big River Pizza - pizza - Updated July 2026

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