Amazonia Pizza Review (Cleveland, OH)

Walking into Amazonia in Cleveland, I was instantly drawn to the glowing wood-fired oven tucked in the back. For pizza lovers, that’s always a good sign. Pair that visual with their excellent cocktail menu, and I was excited to see how their pizza stacked up.

On paper, it looked like a strong contender. Amazonia leans into true Neapolitan-style pizza, using a poolish dough for added depth of flavor, DOP-certified tomato sauce for lower acidity, and firing each pie until it developed the signature leopard spots on the crust. All the right boxes were checked.

Where It Missed

The reality, though, didn’t quite live up to the promise. The rim of the dough was massive, easily 1.5 to 2 inches thick, dominating valuable pizza space and making the overall experience feel overly dough-forward. Meanwhile, the base of the pizza was paper-thin, which might have worked if the topping balance had been right.

I went with the spicy salami, which was a great ingredient choice, but the execution faltered. The salami was piled that each slice immediately flopped over, forcing you to use a fork and knife. While that’s not inherently a problem, in this case it felt messy and distracted from what should have been a showcase of high-quality dough and toppings.

At $20 a pie, the pricing also felt steep, especially compared with other top Cleveland pizza spots that offer better balance and consistency.

What Could Help

Some small tweaks could elevate the experience:

• Less is more with toppings. Cutting back on the volume would let the quality ingredients stand out.

• Crisping the base. Resting the pizza on a wire rack right out of the oven (instead of dropping it directly on a pan) would prevent moisture from softening the base crust.

• Refining the crust rise. A slightly smaller rim would give more room for the center to shine.

Final Thoughts

Amazonia clearly has the tools to succeed. The oven, the dough technique, the ingredients, and a cocktail program that’s already excellent. But the execution of the pizza itself falls short, leaving me feeling like the word-of-mouth buzz just isn’t there for a reason.

I’d be open to trying it again in the future, especially if they refine their approach. For now, though, I’d say Cleveland has better pizza options if you’re looking for balance, flavor, and consistency in a wood-fired pie.

This review is part of my ongoing search for the Best Pizza in Cleveland. Check out the full list and Cleveland Pizza Map.