A Love Letter to East Nashville’s Pizza Scene (And Why We’re Proud to Be Part of It)
“A lovely cheese pizza, just for me!” Kevin McCallister once had his dreams made by a cheese pizza, and we are loving being able to do the same at Smith & Lentz in East Nashville.
The opportunity to open our craft brewery-turned-pizza-joint-with-craft beer (and good wine and ice cream) here on Main Street has been life-changing. We’d had our eyes set on this incredible neighborhood for months before discovering the ideal location that was also once a brewery, and we’ve felt at home ever since.
We first opened our doors as Smith & Lentz Brewing in 2015, but reopened in 2021 after the 2020 tornado toppled half of our building. The new Smith & Lentz Brewing and Pizza is the artisanal pizza restaurant we’d always envisioned—a place that prioritizes good times, great pizza, many pilsners, and locally sourced ingredients from as many farmers and producers as possible.
Now, five years in, these locally grown greens and vegetables, locally produced milk and cheeses, and locally grown and stoneground flours form the basis for our one-of-a-kind pizzas and our now traditional customer favorites. We still brew our own pilsners, hop-driven IPAs, and other sudsy surprises, but our pizza has really brought the room together.
East Nashville Pizza: Serving It Up Hot
As a small, fiercely independent craft brewery and pizza place, it’s the people who visit us from around the corner and around the country that fill us with gratitude and pride. We’re inspired by the natural, organic bounty our partners harvest each season. We’re equally inspired by this uniquely eclectic neighborhood of artists, musicians, and kind-hearted humans. And we’re thoroughly inspired by our fellow pizza peers who, despite East Nashville not being known for its pizza the way it is for its chicken, are putting this area on the map for its pizza. This is where you’ll find the best Pizza in Nashville, hands down.
Why We’re Proud to Be Part of the East Nashville Pizza Scene
There’s pizza, and then there’s artisan pizza that lights your soul on fire. We love seeing what others in our niche are doing, and how we can all share a “slice of the same pie” in East Nashville.
Here are some of the most notable pizza places in the area, spinning, tossing, and freestyling their doughy discs in preparation for a crispy, saucy stage adorned with meat, veggie, and cheesy pairings that only true aficionados can finesse.
Notable Nashville favorites among whom we’re proud to be listed are:
Five Points Pizza in East Nashville, serving NY-style triangles and whole pizzas adorned with prosciutto, spinach, mushrooms, and vodka sauce.
Pinky Ring Pizza in Madison, creators of the Madison Hot Pickle Pizza.
Sho Pizza Bar in East Nashville, where you’ll find a Japanese/Neopolitan hybrid crust topped with “fermented sorcery” and umami goodness.
Folk in East Nashville, serving their legendary little neck clam pizza with bonito and lemon.
City House in Germantown, home of the belly ham pie topped with mozzarella, parm, and oregano.
NY Pie in West Nashville, serving spicy sriracha chicken pies with bold, slow-simmer flavor.
Vito Focacceria in Nashville, offering sfincione (a traditional Sicilian pan pizza with potato cream sauce and fresh-squeezed lemon).
Midnight Oil in The Nations, known for its Buffalo chicken pizza and a vast tequila selection.
100 Pizza in Brentwood, a new from-scratch pizza shop solely focused on fresh pizza.
Pizza Lolo, an East Nashville pop-up and soon-to-be shop a couple of miles up the road on Gallatin.
Pop by Smith & Lentz Brewing and Pizza for the High-End Pizza Pie You Never Knew Existed
We are NY-style pizza personified, serving enormous pies with a sourdough crust made from scratch and covered in red, round pepperoni deliciousness, plus the perfect sauce-to-cheese ratio. The undercarriage? Divine. The toppings? Showstopping.
With the turning of the seasons, you just missed our Farm and Fiddle Squash Pizza with roasted squash from Farm and Fiddle (just an hour down the road), garlic, mozzarella, sage, caramelized onions, and tangy mimolette. But be on the lookout for heartier, but still light, pies for the winter.
For epicureans, pizza connoisseurs, and gastronomes alike, we have your highly elevated taste in food in mind with every pizza we create, while keeping it real in the East.
For local pizza made from scratch in East Nashville, as well as other high-quality food and drinks, and favorites like our Farm Kale Caesar, garlic sourdough breads, homemade ice cream, craft beer, and a vast selection of local and international wines, come on in—stay for a while.
Get in touch with any questions, and follow us on our socials for updates you won’t want to miss!
See you soon at Smith & Lentz!
