In October of 2013, we were at the ZBA for some reason and noticed that 2841 W. Girard Ave. was on the agenda. Our minds were soon blown when the property went before the Board and we learned that the guys from Pizza Brain were looking to open a new location in Brewerytown. As they were still very early in the process, they asked us not to mention anything about the new business, so we didn’t actually write anything about it until over a year later.

As time passed and nothing happened, we figured the project fell through, until last spring when cardboard cutouts of pizza slices appeared in the window of this corner space. Then it was radio silence again until this weekend, when we noticed an MM Partners Instagram post indicating that the place had quietly opened its doors. We really like pizza and therefore made our way over there posthaste.

This new pizza place is called Pizza Dads and features monochromatic floors, walls, and ceilings, contrasted against a rainbow paneled bar. The setup is very similar to Pizza Brain, with large slices served on metal trays (for some reason without offering garlic powder or oregano), and some of the pizza varieties have been imported from Fishtown. Compared to Pizza Brain, the kitsch is dialed way down, and we’re sorry to disappoint, but there’s no pizza museum. Nevertheless, we can attest that the pizza is delicious.

This business is the newest addition to the burgeoning Girard Avenue commercial corridor. This block, as we’ve covered before, has seen numerous new businesses open over the last number of years, including Rybrew, the Monkey & the Elephant Cafe, and Spot Burger. And don’t forget, a new spin place is coming soon on the eastern side of the block. In summary, without leaving this block, you can get a gourmet sandwich, a six pack, coffee, a scone, and a delicious burger, and soon enough you’ll be able to spin off those calories to boot. It seems the high end pizza place is just the next link in the chain for this corridor. We are still processing the idea of a pizza place on Girard that offers jackfruit, brisket, and/or sweet pickled cucumber as toppings, but based on the very limited sample size of our visit, we have a feeling the neighborhood will embrace this place. And if not, we might just have to do our best to personally keep it in the black from a distance.