The Mississippi Pizza Pub

caasinower

Joined 5 years ago

I'm bummed to be writing this. We've lived in N Portland for 9 years and have been going to this place for years. Our initial love affair with the place began with the owner, a vocal supporter of the autism community. Our son (who has autism) was small at the time, and he always felt welcome in the space. The staff was consistently friendly, funny, and professional. Our son's spinning and echoing never phased them. Never an unkind word, never a disapproving glance. We were always greeted with a smile. The pizza was decent. The beer was cold. The space was funky.

We miss those days.

My husband and I are both service industry professionals, so we understand more than most people that customers can be difficult, that some days will feel like weeks, and that there will be times when everything that can possibly go wrong will. We get it. So when we go out - especially with our two children - we're really really NICE. We clean up our messes and never ever let our spawn run amok. We apologize for stuff regular folks would never think to apologize for. We joke with you. We tip like mad. We overcompensate, and sometimes we're willing to put up with a lot in the name of restaurant karma.

This last year with MP was a rough one for us. The staff just isn't the same. They're rude more often than not, tables are left dirty, dish tubs and garbage bins are overflowing...

We kept going back, though, because our son LOVES the place and we so so needed to believe that this was a temporary state. It used to be so good.

But our final four visits were awful. All four times we were with other people and all four times they commented on how rude the counter staff was. I'm pretty sure the same young woman was working the counter during three of those visits. Twice, the pizza was too burnt for either of our kids to eat (cheese brown and hardened, totally black bottom), and twice I paid for replacement slices. No apologies.

Last night my son begged for Mississippi, so I sucked it up and ordered three slices to go. It was late Saturday afternoon and they were really busy. I totally spaced the happy hour prices and pulled out the ONLY bill I had in my wallet, a $50. Que agitation, nasty face-making, grumpy noises, and rude remark.

I can't imagine the owners encouraging any of this behavior.

Service really is everything. Your counter people are the face of your business. If they can't muster a quiet smile or a gentle hello, that's tough. If they're nasty...ouch.

Our son will be really disappointed, but we won't be going back.

A whole year of meh and four trips in a row of bad can't be an anomaly.

So long, Old Friend.

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peacechica

Joined 3 years ago

Best Pizza in PDX. Hands down the best pizza in Portland since Golden Crust closed its doors. The lunch specials are also stellar....slice of pizza and a huge salad for right around six bucks. This is a place that my kids repeatedly ask to go to and we live an easy 30 minutes away.

My only negative would be that the music is too loud on occasion, but I'm generally too distracted by the food to say anything. :-)

Go...eat...enjoy.

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PDXMike1234

Joined 3 years ago

Great stop on Mississippi. This place is great. I've been coming here, eating here, and playing music here for a couple of years. The pizza generally isn't going to have exotic toppings or be the latest rage amongst the Portland foodie elite, but what they ARE going to give you is a damn good slice of pizza. The toppings are generous, the prices are cheap, and the sauce is flavorful. What more can you ask of pizza slices? On a related note, get a bag of their crust to go, head home, and make some calzones in the oven. You'll be glad you did.

As to music, I've played here several times and seen a lot of friends play here. The music room is big and open, and generally very laid back. It's a good place to grab a pizza and beer and just hang out. If you want to try a good drink, pop back to the Atlantis Lounge and grab the whiskey/ginger drink. I get that every time I go there and really enjoy it.

Generally I've found the staff to be friendly, even when they're incredibly busy. Best of all, I've had the opportunity to interact with the owners and found them to be incredibly kind and generous. This place is worth supporting for that reason alone.

Mississippi is a great little street, and this place is a good stop. Enjoy!

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littleowl

Joined 4 years ago

Delicious and the right price!. We went to Mississippi Pizza pub late on a Friday night, hungry. The outside of the place looked really interesting, lively, and inviting, and I noticed it's right next to (or part of?) the Atlantis Lounge. I was a little put off at first when we walked up to the counter and were ignored for a second while two employees finished a conversation, but this was quickly resolved by the friendly and outgoing attitude once we were acknowledged.

The pizza was delicious and surprisingly inexpensive. My guy enjoyed a simple pepperoni slice along with a veggie piece, and said they were "sooooo good." My vegan slice was incredible, with lots of flavorful veggies and even the option of soy cheese. Nom! The crust was really crispy and flavorful as well.

We were too tired to check out the scene next door at Atlantis lounge, but the music coming from the open door was upbeat, fun, and just really nice to listen to as we ate. Great scene.

Doesn't Recommend

pdxpatrol

Joined 5 years ago

not too anything. not to bad, not too good. the music is usually not very good but a few times a week they'll get a decent act. going down hill recently and unfortunately the place is the finest of portland snobbery. good location, average pizza. lousy owner

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crisrepp

Joined 5 years ago

I have a crush on Mississippi Pizza Pub. So, I'm convinced these people were sent here from heaven! Do you have any idea what it's like to try to eat out with celiac disease? Having to ask 5 million questions, avoiding nearly every item on the menu just to make sure. It's enough to make you feel like a freak, let alone remove every possible bit of enjoyment out of dining out. But, Mississippi Pizza Pub was amazing, informative and above all kind. Really thoughtful people work there, which is nice to find in a world that generally suffers from a serious shortage of kindness. Did I mention they have Gluten Free beer? It was like being transported to some parallel universe. I love this place!

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ibellap

Joined 5 years ago

Amazing Pizza, Eclectic Portland Vibe, Great staff. Mississippi pizza is nothing short of amazing. The atmosphere is great for all ages. It entertains the children so adults can converse. During a recent visit to Portland we saw the spot while visiting a boutique in the area. Being a beautiful sunny day the restaurant was inviting and fun. They feature live music every night as well as entertainment for children on certain nights. As well Mississippi Pizza caters to large corporations. The server gave my friend a Gift Certificate for her company and offered to deliver Pizza to their meetings and events. Aside from the many features of the pub, the Pizza as amazing. It is made to order and the children got to watch as it was put in the oven. I highly recommend this place for all ages and all types!!!!!

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corinakillsbugs

Joined 5 years ago

if you want to be ignored by some douchey hippies that stack hot slices of pizza so it all turns to poo, eat here!. pizza's good, its hip, theres always music, but the staff is poo. they do this thing when you get more than one slice of pizza where they stack your hot slices one on top of the other so, they melt together. so if you want to be ignored by some douchey hippies that stack hot slices of pizza so it all turns to poo, eat here!

Doesn't Recommend

multimediagurl

Joined 6 years ago

Flys are welcome to.. My friend invited me to this pizza place on Mississippi, and I though it would be a great idea because I like to try out different pizza eateries. However, the decor was boring and I agree with Kiter that the staff did not have any personality. One thing I seen was flies on the fan above the pizza trays on the counter and I instantly got turned off. The next thing I witness was a gentleman who works there was making the pizza by hand and when one of the ladies was leaving for the evening he reached out and hug her with the other hand while the pizza dough was hanging down near the floor in the other hand. I felt like he did not respect food and when we made eye contact he did not have the look of embarrassment. Lastly, the sauce was bland, I could do better and I suggest AMERICAN DREAM PIZZA if you want some pizza out of this world. .

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superjohnny

Joined 9 years ago

Great pizza, good staff and nice atmosphere. We've been to Mississippi Pizza many, may times. We went weekly for months and have always found pizza and staff to be great. I love how the windows open up in the summer. I definitely think they're among the best pizza spots in Portland.