14 Places for Virginia Crafts: Beer and Pizza

What goes better with a cold craft beer than pizza? Nothing. We’re not talking big chain pizza, but those smothered in garden-fresh produce and local cheese, baked in a brick oven or wood-fired. That’s the good stuff, and here’s where you can get that perfect Virginia match-up.
 

EFFINGHAM’S RESTAURANT | FARMVILLE

Inside the newly renovated Hotel Weyanoke, a boutique hotel in downtown Farmville, Effingham’s uses a coal-fired stove to cook up incredible pizzas with crisp crusts and fresh toppings. The casual dining spot has partnered with Ballad Brewing in Danville to serve a rotation of their current craft beers on draft. They also have a few taps dedicated to several other Virginia breweries, switching them out frequently to ensure even the most regular customer has something new to try.
 

BELLA LUNA WOOD-FIRED PIZZA | HARRISONBURG

A 900° wood-fired oven gives these specialty pies a Neapolitan feel while the four-ingredient handmade dough and delicious artisinal ingredients deliver a taste of Virginia. Shenandoah Valley-raised produce, meats, and cheeses are delivered daily to craft 10″ delights like the house fennel sausage pizza, the Virginia prosciutto and arugula pizza, and the Ring of Fire II, featuring amFOG mushrooms and spicy house-made hot sauce. Try the brand new Foxy Roxy with your pizza. It’s a hometown craft beer collaboration between Pale Fire and Brothers Craft Brewing.
 

PIZZERIA ORSO | FALLS CHURCH

Traditional Neapolitan pizza is bubbled to perfection in a mere 90 seconds thanks to an 800° volcanic brick oven. It’s so good that Pizzeria Orso has been included repeatedly on numerous “Best of” lists. While some ingredients are imported and true to Neapolitan style pizza, plenty more are locally and regionally sourced. Available Virginia craft beers include Lost Rhino, Blue Mountain, Devils Backbone, and Port City.
 

CROZET PIZZA | CROZET

The daily-made Crozet pizza dough is the main staple and has been for more than 40 years. Handcrafted with love, each pie includes fresh delights from the area as well as the family’s special tomato sauce. Not a tomato sauce fan? Try the Harvest Moon, a white pizza with squash, roasted  fresh garlic, and Virginia peanuts. Delish! Visit to see what’s on tap that will pair perfectly with your pie. Safe bet: there’s at least a few from breweries in Charlottesville, Nelson County, and the surrounding area.

 

HARVEST TABLE | MEADOWVIEW

The mission at Harvest Table is to truly, honestly use the ingredients that are seasonally available in order to benefit the health of the community and the land. You’d be impressed to see their commitment. But about those pizzas … they’re baked in a stone oven and feature regionally available pepperoni from Hickory Nut Gap (NC), Kenny’s Farmhouse cheese (KY), Edwards Surryano ham (VA), and of course, fresh veggies from the Harvest Table garden. There’s “local” to drink, too. Wolf Hills, Blue Mountain, Parkway, and St. George are the craft beer selections, and several Virginia wines are available, too.

 

MONZA | MANASSAS

What goes with beer and pizza? Football. Monza has several big screen TVs to lure you in for an indulgence without missing the big game. More than 100 craft beers are available (mostly Virginia, but Monza shares well with others). Choose your favorite and pair it up with something meaty like the Meathead. It’s loaded with meatballs, prosciutto, pepperoni, sausage, and spicy marinara.
 

LAMPO NEAPOLITAN PIZZA | CHARLOTTESVILLE

Lampo’s wood-fired pizza is so good (a contender in the Best of C-Ville awards) that the evening rush often depletes the dough supply for later diners. Make a beeline for a Funghi pie featuring Sharondale Farms’ pioppini and oyster mushrooms along with garlic, panna, ager provolone, and Grana Padano. Need a little meat instead? The Abruzzo is topped with Timbercreek Organics’ pork and beef meatballs, fiore di latte, san marzano, pecorino, and basil. Either would go great with a Champion craft beer or Potter’s Craft cider.
 

VENTURE KITCHEN & BAR | HAMPTON

A Coastal Virginia Magazine Readers’ Choice winner, Venture serves an interesting line up of pizzas baked in their brick-lined oven, from the Beet-za (roasted beet, fresh basil, roasted garlic, tomato sauce, mozzarella, goat cheese, and fresh arugula) to the Hampton Hawaiian (tomato sauce, fresh pineapple, Edwards Virginia country ham, lump crab, and mozzarella. Virginia craft beers include St. George, Wild Wolf, Bold Rock Cider, Legend, and Hardywood Park.
 

PBR (PIZZA & BEER OF RICHMOND | RICHMOND

A play on the Capital City’s affinity for Pabst Blue Ribbon, Pizza & Beer of Richmond pairs up craft pizzas with craft beer, and while they always have a cold PBR ready to serve, the focus is on pouring Virginia-made beers, especially ones brewed in the Richmond region. Ardent, Hardywood Park, Center of the Universe, Triple Crossing, and Isley beers are almost always on tap, as well as numerous other Virginia craft brewery offerings. Make your own pizza from over 40 sauces, cheeses, and toppings, or choose a specialty pie like the Fight Club, a zesty tomato sauce pizza with Soppressata, spicy coppa, Fresno peppers, mozzarella, prosciutto, and oregano.
 

RUSTICO | ARLINGTON

Honest and rustic are the ways of Rustico, turning out wood-fired pizzs topped with as many local, organic ingredients as possible. Give the Ratatouille pizza a look. It features herb and garlic roasted squash, arugula and eggplant salad, and parmesan on a san marzano sauce and topped with red wine vinaigrette. Looking for a gluten-free option? Ask for the chickpea crust! Pair it up with the latest flavor from AleWerks, Hardywood, or Adroit Theory.
 

THE BRICK PIZZERIA AT BLACK BEAR BISTRO | WARRENTON

Head to the lower level of Black Bear to find a haven of rustic awesomeness. A brick oven is the crown, and your delicious pie is the jewel. Try the Capra Rosso. It starts with the Brick Sauce and is topped with pepperoni, peppadews, bacon, garden-fresh spinach, and goat cheese. Virginia craft beer choices include Devils Backbone, Legend, Lost Rhino, Starr Hill, Brothers Craft, and Wild Wolf.
 

DOGTOWN ROADHOUSE | FLOYD

Hip and happenin’ Floyd is known for its thriving music scene, but Dogtown Roadhouse is putting them on the map for food as well. A 2017 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence winner, Dogtown delivers on the standards: service and quality, but then they take it over the top with incredible live music and insanely good wood-fired pizza. Try the Paisan. It’s crafted with local sausage, carmelized onions, and a house cheese blend. A healthy variety of Virginia craft beer is available alongside the usual domestics and imports.
 

DR. HO’S HUMBLE PIE | NORTH GARDEN

Everything at Dr. Ho’s Humble Pie is made from scratch, including their homemade pizza dough, which is piled high with fresh ingredients carefully selected from local farms. Try the Bellisima, a Margherita Pizza topped with shaved country ham, arugula, lemon vinaigrette, and aged Parmesan, or the Big Schloss (named for the well-known Virginia hiking trail) with white sauce, spinach, portobello mushrooms, homemade Italian sausage, roasted tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, fresh basil, and aged Parmesan. And don’t forget to order a local Virginia brew or cider to go with the tasty pizza! The restaurant partners with many of the nearby cideries and breweries, carrying many flagship brews as well as seasonal favorites.
 

RIVERMONT PIZZA | LYNCHBURG

Check out the seasonal pizza selection at Rivermont and the ever-present housemade mozzarella. The pies are wood-fired and the craft beer selection is on point. Expect to see Port City, Alewerks, Devils Backbone, Apocalypse, and Hardywood, among others. Rivermont is also an exciting place for live music.