Once you try pizza from The Back Door, you won't get it anywhere else. It's also a unique experience. You literally go to one of the back doors of the Velvet Mill in Stonington and order at the counter (you can order online too). Take it home or bring it into the area inside the mill where there are numerous tables and a water supply. After you eat you can stroll around the mill and check out the stores. Overall great way to eat and fill some time. read more

The Back Door Kitchen & Pizzeria is a wood-fired pizzeria and restaurant that opened in Stonington, Connecticut in March 2024. It was founded by culinary couple Johan Jensen and Abbey Hemmann. Johan is a native of Denmark while Abbey is a Connecticut native. The two met in Cape Cod and eventually got married on White Crest Beach in Wellfleet. In July 2019, the couple opened their first restaurant, Whitecrest Eatery, at the Velvet Mill in Stonington. The historic building was originally home to the American Velvet Company, which operated from 1892 to 1996. Today it is a multipurpose building that is home to a thriving community of small businesses and artist studios. The American bistro with a weekly-changing menu soon won numerous awards and accolades. By 2024, the couple opened a new restaurant in the Velvet Mill. This time they would focus on artisanal wood-fired sourdough pizza as well as sandwiches, salads, and other delicious treats. Named for the "back door" of the Velvet Mill, the pizzeria soon won its own accolades. My sons and I recently had lunch at Back Door. I've visited the Velvet Mill numerous times, but this was my first visit since Back Door opened. After looking of the menu, we all decided to order and share the "Margherita" (fresh mozzarella, basil, tomato sauce, EVOO) and the "CBR" (house ranch, bacon, chicken, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, everything spice, lemon, dill). After ordering, we picked a table right by the pick-up window so we could watch the kitchen crew at work. Both pizzas had great crust that was crispy on the outside and yet chewy on the inside. The fresh ingredients gave the pies some rich flavors with a nice smoky finish. I really liked the "Margherita", but it was the topping combo on the "CBR" that left me really impressed. I washed everything down with a bottle of locally-produced Hosmer Mountain Birch Beer. We were all very happy with our lunch. Before leaving, my younger son had a delicious "Sea Salt Chocolate Chip Cookie". He was nice enough to offer me and my older son a bite. We were impressed with Back Door and hope to return in the future! read more

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The service was great. The pizza came out way faster than I anticipated... and it was amazing! I was able to do half and half of two different kinds. My friends got the happy hour $10 deal of either pepperoni or cheese. The place is spacious and was great walking around read more

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The last few years of my life have been surprisingly vacant of pizza aside from the occasional trip to New Haven for Frank Pepe's, because the options in this region outside of Mystic Pizza are actually quite limited (especially if you don't want to contend with the seasonal tourists). Luckily we stumbled upon this gem hidden inside the Velvet Mill after a night out trick or treating and I couldn't be happier! The pizzas are top notch and so are the cookies... and the whole area is set up perfectly for families. The seating area is in a refurbished part of the old factory and allows kids to interact with other kids while parents relax in some comfortable seating. The staffs turn around your order fairly quickly and overall it's a great place to spend a Friday night out with or without children. Definitely will be back! read more

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Back Door is in The Velvet Mill- converted factory with some funky shops and other eateries. The vibe is decidedly casual. We ordered the Microdoser- mushrooms and onions with a white sauce All their pizzas are on sourdough. It was very tasty. We ordered a Greek salad with and it was plenty to feed two hearty souls after a long hike at Long Pond in Hopkinton. Good service and super friendly young woman took care of us. I'd recommend their pizza. Salud! read more

We had driven all day, checked into our Airbnb for the night and wanted something quick, casual and close by - this totally lived up to the good reviews! It's tucked in a converted factory, rustic and cool. The service was so friendly and caring, and the pizza was awesome - way bigger than we pictured a 12 inch - with a perfectly crisped sour dough crust, fresh sauce and the perfect mozzarella. With plenty leftover, we took some back to the room which had a fridge. They have wine and craft beer and a cute seating area if you aren't taking it out. We hope to be back someday! read more

The pizza was good, however, it did not meet the hype for best pizza in CT magazine. I went with cheese to make sure I got the true taste; the crust was good, and the pizza tasted fairly standard. It was very convenient to order the pizza and bring it over to eat at Beer'd. The wait wasn't too long for the order. I would definitely try again, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. read more

The Back Door Kitchen & Pizzeria - Cheese pizza - Pizza Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

Now we know why they have 4.4 stars as a composite. We went there for the first time today and liked the food a lot. First, we ordered the Greek salad to share before our pizza. It was delicious and we liked the generosity of size and the dressing to boot. It even has orzo pasta mixed in sparingly. Yum! Second, our pizza cane quickly and was very tasty as the Wiki ham/pineapple specialty pizza. It was easily shareable too as a small. Please go and see what you think of their food. Next time we may test their sandwiches. We especially like that their pizza is both brick oven and wood-fired same time. It really hit the spot. The red sauce was tasty, too. read more

2nd visit because I rally like their artisanal crust and bread (and was hungry) so ordered the pulled pork carnitas sandwich and it was excellent. Maybe more so. Excellent ciabatta style bread with nicely done long cooked pork, lime crema and "mozzarella" which illl make believe didn't see. Really excellent. I'm going to go again as see if they'll do a white pizza with just ricotta (need to find a Connecticut to Italian translation ) and I'll bring my own fresh mutz. If not I'll order just tur cooled crist and bring it home to load it. OR I will try the Pork carnitas pizza and forget it's pizza and think of it as excellent artisanal flatbread. Likely upgrade the stars to 4 then. So keep in mind this is Connecticut. And eastern Connecticut at that which is, well - it's what it is - for pizza and anything Italian. That said, I have a summer house nearby and frequent the Main restaurant here Whitecrest Eatery which is one of the best restaurants in the area. Same owner and connected space. Knowing the fine culinary pedigree here I was eager to try it. But sadly, this is just another of those eastern Connecticut places (this is where they call soppresata "soupy" btw). The pizza is wood fired in a beautiful oven and the crust one of the most beautiful I've tasted back in NYC, home and even southern Italy. It is made in the Neopolitan style - puffy and soft which is my fav by far. It's naturally risen and simply fantastic. I ordered the Margarita pizza which is a good test as it's supposed to be just tomatoes, EVOO and fresh mutz. But here, sadly , it's some overseasoned , gringo tomatoe sauce and grocery store quality mozzarella - rubbery and salty. What could have been a great pizza considering the care and skill they put into the crust (and they make great bread too) turned out to be just another sports bar pie - good for a night of overindulging in adult beverages - but that's it. Unless you live in Connecticut. And don't tell me about the New Haven pizza - fuggetaboutit .. read more

Amazing pizza! We had the spud (my fave! Lots of rosemary and pesto and potatoes) and the microdose (amazing flavors but maybe a bit too dry) and the kids had cheese and pepperoni (also so delicious). The crust is sourdough - so good and I loved the char on the edges. You order at the counter and pay and then they call your name when it's ready. Some small booths and communal tables. Lovely space for hanging out. Would totally come back again and again if we lived in the area. read more

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The Back Door Kitchen & Pizzeria opened at the Velvet Mill in Stonington, operated by the Whitecrest Eatery at the same complex. Back Door serves up wood fired pizzas, salads, sandwiches, tiramisu cups, plus beer, wine, and Hosmer sodas, Pellegrino and Schooner's Half & Half. The place is low key, where you place your order at the counter near the "back door" entrance to the mill and pickup your order around the corner in the self serve table seating area. You can also order online through their website on the Square platform. I stopped by The Back Door and ordered online, the Ocean Primavera Pizza ($18 plus tax). My pizza would be ready in 20 minutes, so I took a walk around the Velvet Mill as I waited. I returned to the counter at my pickup time and the pizza was boxed and ready to go. The round 12" Ocean Primavera pizza was topped with a light alfredo sauce, shrimp, tomatoes, garlic confit, parmesan and mozzarella on top of light thin sourdough crust, with puffed edges, charred in a few spots. I added more parmesan cheese and some red pepper flakes for a good pizza dinner. I would definitely come back to try their other specialty pizza offerings. read more

We were in the mill today shopping and walking with the kids. We knew there was a newer pizza place so we gave it a try. Wow. It was amazing. The kids loved it. They got a half cheese half pepperoni. The crust and sauce were amazing. We will be back to try more. The service was great and we love that we can take the food and sit in the mill. I highly recommend read more

Pizza is all about the creativity as much as it is about the quality of the crust.... Back door knocks it out of the park with avant garde options. It's rad. Definitely check it out if you go to the Velvet Mill in Stonington. The service was on point... and on certain days there's live music which bumps up the ambiance read more

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Decent crust pizza. Good toppings but they don't have anchovies! The meat balls are very good as well. Probably one of the top two thin crust pizzas in the area. I'll be back! read more

Great pizza but restaurant not good for large group/bus group. Even after calling ahead to arrange for a large order, the order wasn't even started when we arrived. Despite indicating order part 1 of 2 (and 2 of 2) on the online order (as I was instructed to do), the restaurant completely missed the second half of my large order. It ruined the lunch vibe and people didn't get to enjoy the pizzas that came 45 minutes after the first part of the order. Poor quality service unfortunately:( Do not recommend for large groups/bus trips read more

I love this pizza SO MUCH!!! The soft crust is amazing, and the toppings are just so incredible and flavorful. This is officially my new favorite pizza. Yay!!! read more

Are you kidding me?!?! These might sneakily be the best pies I've had in CT, New Haven included! Yeah that's right, I said it. I'm no stranger to pizza, and I don't know my limits with condiments/dips. I WOULDN'T DREAM of adding a thing to these pies. Had the Microdoser and the *special* BBQ Chicken Flavors were out of this world!! Smoked gouda on the BBQ Chicken...SLAMMIN. The sourdough crust knocks it out of the park. I'm about to get on horseback and tell the town about this place like I'm Paul Revere!!! INCREDIBLE read more

I just visited Back Door Kitchen and Pizza for the second time, and this is the second time we had amazing pizza. It's a sourdough crust and - for folks who have a gluten sensitivity - II enjoyed every bite, without any consequences (IYKYK). The sourdough is just fermented enough that it is both delicious and digestible which is something to note. The char is good, the crust is light and a little fluffy but has a good chew. I am including a photo of the carnitas which was $18 today - I think all the pizzas hover around $15-20. Both of the ones I ordered were under $20. Also: they have epic sourdough bread for sale by the loaf. Take one home for sure, it's fantastic. read more

The Back Door Kitchen & Pizzeria - This is the Carnitas. - Pizza Near Me - Stonington, Connecticut

The sourdough crust was delicious! Light and crispy and perfectly cooked pies. We tried 4 pizzas (Carnitas, Tiki Bum, Margarita, and the special with breaded eggplant, zucchini, ricotta and red sauce.) All excellent and would get all again. It's tough to choose a favorite but I think the Carnitas was the winner with great flavors and just a little heat, but being a heat whimp, just enough for me. Tiki Bum is definitely not your ordinary pineapple pizza, the roasted pineapple and chili oil gave it a sweet heat that elevates it from the standard pineapple pie, and might even change the mind of a pineapple pizza hater! A great addition to the Velvet Mill. read more