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    Cowabunga

    4.3 (29 reviews)
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    1up pizza & garlic sauce
    Lyndsay J.

    This is seriously some of the best pizza (if not, my favorite) I've ever tried. The slices are MASSIVE & full of flavor. The 1up is their most popular pizza that sells out as soon as a fresh pie comes out. It's an elevated white pizza featuring flavors of truffle, fior de latte, and honey, and it all works SO well without overpowering each other. The crust is genuinely next level, it's so flaky on the outside and perfectly airy on the inside-- not bland or dense & has a bit of a fermented taste (kind of like sourdough/poolish) Reminded me exactly of how I remember Brooklyn NY pizza tasting when I visited. I also tried their pepperoni which was generously topped and not too greasy. The atmosphere of this restaurant is really artsy and unpretentious, they have some old school arcade games at the back and plenty of market-style seating available for small and large groups. Honestly words can't describe how delicious these pizzas are, it's an experience you definitely need to try yourself. I've never written a review so fast during the 3 years I've been on Yelp and I hope that says a lot. 10/10 spot highly recommend.

    Nadia A.

    This location is the one you want if you're looking for pizza by the slice and a dine-in experience. Don't make the same mistake I did and go to their other Hamilton location, which is takeout only . The location on upper Wellington Street is takeout only! I paid $16.95 for three slices (all slices are the same price). I tried the Margherita, the Pepperoni+, and the 1Up. The staff were friendly, though the carryout side did feel a little slow in moving the line along. They accept both cash and card. Margherita Slice - Absolutely delicious! It came topped with a green sauce (possibly pesto) and a sprinkle of extra cheese. Everything blended so well together, and the tomato sauce tasted so fresh. 1,000/100 for me. Pepperoni+ Slice - Another winner. It's tomato-based with jalapeños, and once it's reheated, they drizzle honey on top. That little sweetness balanced the saltiness of the pepperoni and the heat from the jalapeños perfectly. Solid 9.5/10. 1Up Slice - This one is white-based and was my least favorite. It leaned heavy on the cheese, and while you could smell the oregano, the flavor didn't come through as strong when eating it. Still good, just not on the same level as the others. I'd give it a 7/10. Overall, I'd definitely come back here for slices

    1UP pizza slice; garlic dip; hot honey dip; caesar salad; 1UP fries; Pepsi
    Morgan M.

    after years of hearing great things and never quite making it in, i came in for a solo birthday lunch and was so happy with the food and service! lots of natural light. really love the open kitchen. i sampled lots on the menu: 1UP fries, caesar salad, 1UP slice, hot honey, and garlic dip (and a pepsi obviously). everything was exceptionally tasty - perfect combos of flavours with the truffle oil. the only thing i would change would be the croutons on the caesar salad, but that is an understandable cost to cut given this is a pizza joint. will be back!

    Shaan A.

    Really great pizza! Dropped in to get a takeout slice and was impressed - they heat it up really well. The service was friendly and warm. Overall the vibe of the place was super cool and retro. I will definitely go back!

    Na T.

    great staff team here, friendly & courteous. pizzas are amazing! great chewy crust, sauce is fantastic & the cheese pull cannot be denied!

    Der-lish
    Natasza O.

    With a name like Cowabunga, how can you go wrong? A ninja Turtle nostalgic moment, yes please! The only thing is their location.... I am currently residing in Toronto and they are all the way in Hamilton... Quite a ways to go for pizza. But not entirely impossible. When I was last in hammer town I did score a large veggie one... You know that one with the broccoli, kale and mystery spicy green sauce..oh wait it's called GG (Garlicky Greens). Yeah and I froze some... So guud!! A ate two slices on the bus back to Toronto, shared some, and froze the remainder... Mind you cold by the time I got back. None the less, tasty. My first encounter with this pizza place was through my fun hiking group. We were going on a hike in Hamilton and afterwards decided on a planned pizza visit. This was sometime in August. Maybe July? I shared this pizza with a friend and liked it so much I couldn't get it outta my mind. So I went back months later to satisfy my craving. It's nice they cater to the vegetarian substantially. I know it's become a more popular choice of eating yet ppl do it differently. It is loaded with veggies, totally not skimpy at all! My second time getting this pizza I asked the staff about animal rennet in their cheese and most didn't know the answer to my query, yet there was one that did and totally went above and beyond in sharing the information with me. She went on the cheese suppliers' website and found the info, right there in front of me. I am usually great with names however I am not able to remember hers... She made me feel comfortable for asking by sharing it was a question they receive a lot of. And had I not asked, I would've gotten animal rennet parmesan cheese on my pizza that I had well travelled for. So I am grateful for the service she put in... 10 outta 5 there. Obviously the pizza is also amazing, otherwise I would've have made it part of my visit to Hamilton, 10 outta 5 again. In terms of atmosphere. They are located downtown, a walking distance from the Go station, which is awesome. You can expect a bustling Friday, Saturday or Sunday night... I went in on a Thursday late afternoon and there were not many people. Their washrooms are alright... Teeny, tiny sinks. Hahaha. Except their accessible washroom. Overall an ambiance one would expect at a pizza place. Will be back again. Although I can't say when.

    Caesar salad
    Mary M.

    The pizzas at this place are seriously delicious!!!! Wow, I'm so glad we were able to get a table at this location because it was very busy! The other location did not have much seating and they were backed up for at least 2 hours, so we lucked out at this location! I had a very hard time deciding which pizza was my favorite, they all were so good. And the plethora of dipping sauces is a fabulous idea for a pizza place to have, as I am a huge crust dipper! Highly recommend if you are in the area looking for some good pie.

    Pepperoni +, Cheese pizza, 1Up pizza slices with truffle parm aioli and jalapeño ranch.

    We went on a Thursday afternoon and there was plenty of seating which we were pleasantly surprised about. The staff were extremely friendly and made great suggestions. The crust was light and crispy, and the toppings were simple yet flavourful. We still dream about the 1-UP pizza slice!

    Cheese slice

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    2 years ago

    Arrived before lunch rush so inside was quiet. Served promptly and all options available. Ordered 4 slice varieties and all were delicious.

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    2 years ago

    Are you kidding me I loved the pizza. My go to. Service awesome. Cool ambiance. Pizza is just right. Every bite is yummy

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    1 year ago

    We ordered the plain cheese and the pepperoni. Absolutely amazing. Their sauce is the best. Perfect pizza.

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    Flora Hamilton

    Flora Hamilton

    4.8
    (8 reviews)
    1.0 km

    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!)

    We tried Flora Pizzeria tonight via Uber Eats. The pepperoni pizza was good, and the garlic chili…read moreoil set it over the top. The pizza had thinner crust, was well cooked and had fresh ingredients. We shared the arancini and the chopped salad both were very flavorful. The salad is a large portion size enough for 2 adults easily and likely some leftover. The chocolate pudding was a nice way to finish the meal. We will definitely order again.

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    Pepperoni pizza and garlic chili oil
    Pepperoni pizza and garlic chili oil
    Flora Hamilton
    Margherita & pepperoni pizza slices

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    Margherita & pepperoni pizza slices
    Shorty's Pizza

    Shorty's Pizza

    3.8
    (29 reviews)
    4.0 km

    Each of the two pizzas we tried, Hawaiian and veggie delight were spectacular. Unique sauces just…read morethe right balance of toppings and the crust was delicious. We will definitely be coming back. The people here are extremely friendly. The atmosphere is great A true traditional diner complete with music checkered floors and bar stools. Ambience is charming.

    The one pizza place I will go out of my way for!!! Took my friends here and ordered for pickup…read more Over the phone, they really greeted us with warmth and kindness, even personalized it by repeating my friend's name back to her a few times. We ordered the 18" spicy sausage pizza which is their larger size, and it was enough for 4 of us to have 2 slices each. We all collectively agreed that it fed us contently but because of how good it tasted- we could go for another slice or two each! Theyve also got a handful of dipping sauces available, and we got two garlic dill dips, not too much dill, and paired perfectly with the spicy sausage! Walking up to the pizza shop itself, you could smell the wafts of pizza from around the corner. The restaurant inside has a decent amount of tables if you want to dine-in, though most do takeout. Because we were taking it back to campus to eat it, it wasn't as fresh as we'd hoped for but you could still taste how GOOD IT WAS! Will still be one of my top reco's for hammy food! If you are a fan of the NY style pizza, definitely need to stop by.

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    Pepperoni
    Pepperoni
    NY cheese
    NY cheese
    Mural at Shorty's Pizza

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    Mural at Shorty's Pizza

    Cowabunga - pizza - Updated July 2026

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