Sammy's

It's hard to talk about Green Bay pizza without talking about Sammy's. For generations, it's been part of the pizza conversation, and after spending time there over the years, it's easy to understand why. For me, Sammy's is more than pizza. My Grandpa Taylor loved Sammy's. He used to bring us here often, which means every time I walk through the door I'm reminded that pizza isn't always just about the food. Sometimes it's about who you shared it with. Some of my memories around a Sammy's pizza are tied directly to sitting across the table from one of the foundational people in my life. That's something no score can measure. Fortunately, the pizza stands on its own. The crust leans thinner than my personal preference, but it has a great bite and enough character to support everything built on top of it. The sauce is savory and perfectly balanced. It stays balanced with the cheese and toppings in a way that keeps every bite satisfying but...it does have some grease sitting on top of it. The sausage is old school. It's flavorful but old school flavorful. Simple, tasty but...it needs a little spice. The topping quantity lands just above balanced. It's not overloaded, but you're never searching for the next bite of sausage or pepperoni either. Sammy's cuts the pizza in small slices and each slice has a sausage and a pepperoni on it. The atmosphere also deserves some credit. The Oneida Street location has always felt just a touch more polished than your typical hometown pizza shop. It's still comfortable and approachable, but it has enough character that it feels like a place where you can settle in, have a conversation, and enjoy your meal. Add in consistently friendly staff, the familiar parmesan and crushed red pepper waiting on the table, and some genuinely excellent appetizers, and the experience comes together in a way that keeps people coming back. Sammy's isn't great because it's nostalgic. It's nostalgic because it's been great for a very long time. If you're talking about the best classic pizzas in Northeast Wisconsin, Sammy's absolutely belongs in the conversation. It's one of those restaurants that has earned its reputation through decades of consistently doing the fundamentals well. And when a place can tie great pizza to great memories, that's a combination that's hard to beat.