Inky’s Italian Foods – Toledo, OH

Inkys Italian, located on North Detroit Avenue have been in business for more than 50 years. This is a place that I had heard about on numerous occasions, but have never made the trip over to it.

So, when some coworkers wanted to go for lunch, I jumped on it. I was told the pizza was unbelievable. The secret: an optional meat sauce.

The place was small, had a very local vibe and feel. Most booths and tables were full, a sure sign that you’re in the right place. The wait staff was sluggish, but eventually I ordered a large pepp and mushroom.

I had very mixed feelings about the pizza. First off, let’s talk about the meat sauce. It was delicious. I’m a little concerned that more people aren’t taking the opportunity to place more meat in their pizzas.

The bad: the crust. The crust has a Chicago deep-dish style texture to it. By that I mean it almost has a flaky pastry feel to it. While that type holds up well to 3 inches of sauce and deep toppings, for a normal style pizza such as this, I was kind of disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, the pizza was good. The toppings were good, the cheese was great. The meat sauce was outstanding, but the foundation of the pie, the crust, left me wanting a more traditional type.

Either way, this place is definitely worth the drive, even if it to is a somewhat rough part of town. From what I hear, the lunches are fantastic, as is the standard Italian fare. Come early or plan late though. Our lunch took almost an entire hour and we didn’t have to wait for a table, which you might.