March 14th, 2013 by Jeremiah Ramey – Comments (9)
By “brewing”, I mean beer. Wonderful craft beer! A new place has opened recently in Tulsa and it’s a brewpub…being an establishment that serves food AND brews their own beer! Definitely something we need around here! It opened just a few weeks ago in London Square. If you drove past it though, then you would never know it’s there. There isn’t a sign out to see yet, but it is there. Located right under the big London Square sign. We just happen to be driving past and then it dawned on me, “we still haven’t been to that one place. What is it?” Ahh, yes. Pi Pizzeria and Craft Beer.
Tucked in this little place is a kinda dark atmosphere. Thick, dark, wood tables both tall and regular, and dark wood chairs with red cushions. A dark bar, and semi-dark lighting, etc. Oh, It’s not grim or anything. It’s just a neat setting. Allow your eyes to adjust. Rather mellow and nice actually. It has a hipsterish vibe to it. Remade and repurposed materials. And while the bartender is busting out the craft beers, he’s also putting the vinyl records to use….not as coasters or plates, but actually playing them. Kinda cool. Good music too.
To some beer geeks, and others not in the know-how, some might wonder how this establishment is actually brewing beer in-house under current Oklahoma liquor laws. Well, they’re brewed all around the 3.2%abw mark (about 4.1% actual abv). Good, quality, craft, sessionable beers that are full of flavor. A stout/porter, a sahti, a dunkel, and 3 variations of pale ales. We started off with the flight of beers. All 6 beers in 2oz pours for $6. That’s a great deal! And normal drafts sizes of their beer are $4. Sometimes I’m skeptical to certain beers generally known to be brewed with a higher alcohol by volume (ABV) that are brewed with a lower ABV to meet our quirky and archaic laws here in Oklahoma. Much surprised though with what Pi Pizzeria and Craft Beer has done. The pale ales were all different, nicely hopped, and all known for going great with pizza. And that, they did. The sahti was very nice; a Finnish-style beer brewed with juniper and had a nice earthiness to it. The dunkel and stout/porter were the best, in my opinion. I tend to lean to darker brews like stouts and porters anyway. A low ABV stout or porter, with a medium body, and quality mouthfeel and taste is hard to come by in these parts and they definitely made it happen here. Full size, please.
The pizza menu is short and sweet. No need to fancy it up. Now, it’s not the best in the world, but it was really good. Nice crust, good sauce and cheese, and generous portions of meat on the Carne Asullta pizza (canadian bacon, sausage, pepperoni). $12 for a 12inch or $16 for a 16inch. You can also build your own pizza. That is a fair deal. Washing it down with a nice craft beer brewed in-house that’s not too heavy on the ‘ol gut…well, that’s a fair deal as well.
Good pizza and quality, craft beer. Go out and try more Oklahoma beers. Go out and eat more local foods. That’s really the message. Enjoy yourselves. Sessionable is the key at this place. Sessionable is what you want. To hang with friends, to have a pizza to share, to drink and relax in conversation, to meet with family….oh yeah, I forgot to mention. The place is kid friendly as well.
Pi Pizzeria and Craft Beer
5800 S Lewis Ave
Tulsa, OK
11a-11p
(918) 582-6974
Jeremiah Ramey: Author – www.thealeskitchen.blogspot.com
Lover of craft beer and great food. Eat local and drink local, my friends.
9 responses so far ↓
Johnny McClanahan Mar 14, 2013 at 9:09 am
Can’t wait to try the craft beer and pizza. Maybe tonight.
Thanks for the review.
Homer Simpson said “Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and solution to, all of life’s problems.”
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Brian Schwartz Mar 14, 2013 at 1:26 pm
Wonderful. Great to see you writing again Jeremiah.
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Carl Mar 15, 2013 at 12:28 pm
Low point beers are becoming a big thing in the craft beer scene. Very challenging to make them flavorful. I would like to see him do an IPA.
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Jeremiah Reply:
March 22nd, 2013 at 9:54 am
Carl, I believe they had an IPA on tap a couple weeks ago, but I didn’t get to try that. They currently have a spring ale on tap now, which might be a pilsner. But not quite sure. Last week they also had a rauchbier with perfect amount of smokiness too it. Their taps will be rotating constantly. I’m hoping to try out the IPA as well.
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John Mar 22, 2013 at 12:52 pm
Too bad, the 3.2 requirement is a deal-killer.
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Jeremiah Reply:
March 25th, 2013 at 2:59 pm
Why would you say something like that?
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Ximun May 15, 2013 at 4:59 pm
Oops.
ABLE agents seize restaurant’s beer equipment
BY AMANDA BLAND World Staff Writer
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Alcohol enforcement agents shut down a craft beer brewing operation Tuesday at a Tulsa pizzeria.
The Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission seized all equipment and material used to manufacture beer at Pi Pizzeria & Craft Beer, 5800 S. Lewis Ave.
Samples of beers sold at the establishment tested higher than 3.2 percent alcohol by weight, Capt. Kent James said in a Wednesday media release.
Libations stronger than the 3.2 percent threshold are classified as alcoholic beverages and require a state-issued license that Pi had not obtained, agents said.
“Not only does the ABLE Commission take seriously the importance of enforcing the laws of the state of Oklahoma, it is the mission of this agency to protect the health and public safety of our citizens by making them aware of what they are consuming,” James said.
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Jeremiah Reply:
May 16th, 2013 at 6:33 am
Yes. I saw the news. No good. No good for them, for customers, and for breweries and people in the industry that are trying to make a difference and change the laws to match modern times. This is, and I hope I’m wrong, a setback.
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Jeremiah Reply:
May 16th, 2013 at 4:03 pm
Pi is getting equipment back. No problems found.:)
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