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    Cowabunga

    4.6 (28 reviews)

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    2024 world champ - pizza
    Warren Z.

    Run, sprint, teleport--hell, even crawl if you have to--just get there for a slice of pizza that will absolutely wreck every other pizza experience you've ever had. I've eaten pizza across the globe, from the backstreets of Naples to the hyped-up joints of NYC, and let me tell you--Cowabungas is on another level. I literally DROVE AN HOUR just to have a slice, and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. This is what NYC pizza claims to be but never actually delivers. That thin, crisp crust with the perfect char? Yeah, it's here. No floppy, soggy nonsense--just pure structure and bite. The sauce? Balanced like a damn symphony--not too acidic, not sickly sweet, just perfect. And that crust? A masterpiece--crispy on the outside, with just enough chew to keep you coming back for more. And let's talk toppings--because this place does not play. Unlike those corporate pizza chains that charge extra for Cup and Char pepperoni like it's some kind of luxury, Cowabungas gives it to you standard--as it should be everywhere. The fermented jalapeños? Unreal. My server told me the fermentation process mellows out the heat while keeping the flavor, and she was spot on. And then, just when you think it couldn't get better--a drizzle of hot honey comes in with that sweet-heat magic and ties everything together like a damn flavor explosion. I'm telling you--this is STELLAR pizza. If you're anywhere remotely close, make this an absolute must-stop. And don't forget--only the downtown location sells slices! Now, go. GO! And thank me later.

    Margherita pizza
    Reh L.

    so these guys won the world championship of pizza in a competition in vegas. well, their cheese winning slice was decent (it was like a floppier version of superpoint with better crust) BUT their marg was excellent, loved the big pieces of basil and pesto cream as well as the cheese finish. overall an elite slice but maybe a hair below badiali still. but it's close! these guys also use sourdough which makes the crust more unique.

    Cheese pizza
    Ritwika B.

    Traveled from Toronto to try their pizza and the hype is so worth it! They are the best cheese slice in the world award winner for a reason - the cheese slice was out of this world! Oh and their 1up slice? AMAZING. The honey with the truffle cheese hits all the right spot and makes you crave for more. I wish I could be there every weekend! The service is amazing too even though they're so busy.

    1up fries
    Nana T.

    Had the best pizza, They won best cheese slice in the world 2024 so I had to pay them a visit! We visited their sit in restaurant @cowabungaplus not to be confused with their takeout restaurant. The service was absolutely phenomenal and servers were super nice friendly and knowledgeable. We first tried their 1UP waffle fries ($12) and let me tell you they were one of the best i've ever had they were insanely crispy, the truffle parm dip was super tasty and the parm and vinegar salt on top added a nice salty kick. I asked for ketchup to add some zing to the starchy app and to my surprise the ketchup they provided was a sweet made in-house ketchup which was sooo tasty paired with the fries. Moving onto to the pizza, we got their Pepperoni + pizza medium size ($25) which came either lovely cup and char pepperonis, hot honey and pickled jalapeños. Let me tell you this was one of the best pizzas I've had! Made super fresh as I walked in I could see the pizza chefs prepping the dough, the pizza slice itself wasn't too thin but not too thick as well, it was crispy on the exterior and soft on the interior. The sauce was perfect and we got their garlic dip for an additional $1.99 which was a nice addition! I've tried good pizza in Toronto but this has to top them all with the better pizzas i've tried. A must visit if you are in Hamilton!!

    Large pepperoni pizza
    Jaime D.

    Stopped in Hamilton on our way back from Niagara and decided to try this place after hearing good things about it. Was no disappointed, and my wife said it was the best pizza she ever had. The sauce tasted amazing and the crust was perfectly crusty. Will visit again the next chance we get, although we'll make sure to visit the sit down location.

    Mild Pepperoni Pizza

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    2 months ago

    Best pizza in the Canada! Voted best plain cheese slice in all of North America (I think), and I could not agree more.

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    1 year ago

    The pizzas deserve to be rated as the best North American pizzeria. They are so delicious.

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    2 years ago

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    9 months ago

    Best pizza slice in town. Highly recommend. Ambience was great and food was perfect for evening

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

    The most amazing pizza! We always ask for it well done. Love the cuppa pepperoni & the garlic dip! Yum!

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    3 years ago

    Easy to drive past. This location doesn't have seating unfortunately, just take your order to go. The crust is fabulous and holds up well.

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    6 years ago

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    4 years ago

    Pizza way over priced for what you get. Have had better sauces and crust. Parking also an issue. Overall experience not very good.

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    Review Highlights - Cowabunga

    Moving onto to the pizza, we got their Pepperoni + pizza medium size ($25) which came either lovely cup and char pepperonis, hot honey and pickled jalapeños.

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    Flora Hamilton - Pepperoni pizza and garlic chili oil

    Flora Hamilton

    4.8(9 reviews)
    1.3 km

    Being gluten free I dont normally indulge in pizza, but if I do..this is what I am going to poison…read moremyself with. Incredible roman style pizza, reminds me of my late Sicilian mother in laws...best pizza in the city.

    Hamilton is filled with fantastic local pizza joints, so when I heard that Flora was the *best*…read morepizza in town, I had to check them out. Nestled on a side-street off busy James St N as you travel up the mountain, you'll find Flora on the ground floor of a older residential-looking building. The first thing you'll notice walking inside is actually how small this place is - the pizza ovens and prep area take up most of the space. But there's something incredibly charming about that because you have high hopes that if they dedicate that much space to food prep, it's gotta be good. Happy to report that their pizza lives up to the hype! Pizza is baked in a sheet-pan with a semi-thick crust that's soft yet crispy at the edges. Crust is on the thicker side relative to some Italian restaurants and pizza chains, but the composition of the dough makes it work because it has a bite but not too tough/thick where it gives your mouth a workout. I also loved their fresh tomato sauce. It balanced so well with the cheese and toppings, giving the pizza a nice freshness so that it didn't feel as heavy. My only critique was that I wanted more basil on my pizza (I love me some basil!)

    Photos
    Flora Hamilton - Pepperoni pizza and garlic chili oil

    Pepperoni pizza and garlic chili oil

    Flora Hamilton
    Flora Hamilton - Margherita & pepperoni pizza slices

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    Margherita & pepperoni pizza slices

    Cowabunga - Garlicky Greens for the win!

    Cowabunga

    4.3(34 reviews)
    2.3 km

    Ooh la la, all I can say is MIAM MIAM (le français pour yummy)…read more On a return trip back to the homeland of Hamilton, my friends who have recently relocated back to the downtown had been raving about Cowabunga. I was honestly reluctant to dine here, since pizza normally is my least-desired cuisine, and, with former awful experiences at the restaurant that occupied this space before - I was so meh. Thank goodness I let them convince me otherwise! We were so lucky to snag the last few slices of what we wanted, since there were several big events nearby bringing thousands of people into the area. Literally, five guests after us were dinied slices! I was surprised how perfect the dough was cooked, and I really loved the spicy honey that coated the slices I purchased. Since Cowabunga was known for their "best slice in the world of 2024" I also had to purchase one of those T-shirts to honour the experience. There is a decent amount of indoor seating, but, in summer one should definitely sit outside. Tables move through rotation quickly since slices are most of the appeal, so you should be able to sit somewhere at any time.

    We had to make a pit stop in Burlington so we came here to try this place…read more It is voted the world's best cheese pizza and we were curious to how good it was. The place itself has a take out and dine in area. It was quite busy during lunch hour. So best to avoid the rush if you can. The pizza itself was made from a sourdough, it didn't taste starchy to me. It was really thin and crispy, almost too well done, as it got really dry and cardboard like. We had the margarita pizza and the cowabunga pizza. They were both okay. The cowabunga pizza was too heavy on the gochujang, it was too over powering. The margarita pizza was good, it had spicy pesto on it. Quite cheesy. We couldn't leave without trying out the pizza slice. The crust was better than whole pizzas we got. But it was not overwhelming. The service was good. Our server was pretty attentive when he could. He even gave us a complimented slice.

    Photos
    Cowabunga
    Cowabunga - Pepperoni +

    Pepperoni +

    Cowabunga

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    Plaza Pizza & Wings - Chicken Shawarma Pizza

    Plaza Pizza & Wings

    4.0(16 reviews)
    2.0 km
    $

    This place is the best and open late (until 2am on some days). Get their shawarma pizza or the…read morechicken shawarma wrap. I go here all the time and the folks working there are super sweet.

    Came here after an afternoon at Albion and Tews Falls. I have to admit I was skeptical at first…read morebecause there weren't many photos up, but the reviews were so positive that's we decided to give it a try. This place is more for carry out or delivery, but there are 2 tables, enough for 4 people to sit and eat and plenty of chairs for when you're waiting for your fresh pizza. For the 4 of us, we got the 2x three topping pizzas with the 20 wings and garlic bread special (includes one dipping sauce), which came to $30. I don't remember if they were 2 mediums or larges. The pizza was so fresh, and there's something different (good different) about the sauce base compared to other pizza joints, and it went so well with the garlic dip. We got BBQ wings which were amazing. Honestly all 4 of us agreed that it was probably the best wings we've ever had. The sauce they toss the wings in tastes so good and the chicken is done nicely, not over cooked, dry or super tiny like other pizza places. One of our friends was so impressed that non spicy wings could be soo good! The staff were also really nice and they had coin operated toy vending machines which kept us busy while we waited for our food. We're from Toronto, but we'd definitely take the trip just to come back. Would also like to note that there are no washroom facilities here.

    Photos
    Plaza Pizza & Wings - Medium thin crust 3 topping well done with dip ---  cheese pepperoni bacon

    Medium thin crust 3 topping well done with dip --- cheese pepperoni bacon

    Plaza Pizza & Wings - All that's left

    All that's left

    Plaza Pizza & Wings

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    Cowabunga - pizza - Updated August 2026

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