Coming a bit later than their expected “mid to late March” opening, Big Mario’s newest location on Northlake Way had its grand opening on August 30. With a nod t
o the previous occupant, who’d been serving loaded pies for 65 years, the pizza joint’s signage officially reads “Big Mario’s Northlake Tavern.” Nice.
On a recent Thursday evening, which coincided with the opening game of the NFL season, my dining companion and I walked into a surrounding that felt very familiar. The general layout and much of the decor is the same (or very similar) to that of the Northlake Tavern, though everything seems to have undergone a thorough cleaning. As expected, the David Horsey murals are gone, but various wall hangings and framed photos give a nod to the location’s history.
One major, and very welcome, change is a walkup slice window in the restaurant’s foyer. On this particular evening there were five pies to choose from, but we opted to grab a booth, soak up the atmosphere, and enjoy a full pizza.
The place was about half full, with a surprising number of Detroit Lions supporters cheering on their team. I grabbed a beer (seven taps to choose from, in addition to a full bar) and a Seattle Diet Cola (sorry Diet Coke fans) from the bar, and contemplated a pizza.
My companion is lactose intolerant and unfortunately this Big Mario’s location does not currently have vegan cheese. So we ordered a 14” veggie, half with no cheese. It was typical Big Mario’s goodness—New York style with a thin crispy crust, which I much prefer to the piled-high pies of the Northlake Tavern (Sacrilege? Maybe.). Unfortunately the sauce proved to be a little too mild for half the pizza to hold up sans fromage, but we’ve been told vegan cheese may be on its way.
The staff working that evening told me that this Big Mario’s has already become a go-to location on Husky home gamedays. They open two hours before kickoff (which on Labor Day Saturday meant 10:30am) and were completely packed for hours after the first game concluded. Their non-gameday hours are “11:00-ish” in the morning until midnight on weekdays, and until 2:00am on weekends, so it’s a perfect spot for late night eats and a Rainier tall boy in a neighborhood that doesn’t have many options for such fare.
Another interesting addition to the building is an exterior walk-up window, the menu for which is currently blank. I was told that this window is, at the moment, “purely decorative,” and a couple of staff members didn’t know its ultimate purpose (preparing for the next pandemic, perhaps?). For now its mere presence gives this classic location a welcoming facade. And I, for one, will be back. Again and again.