What Makes Pennsylvania's Altoona Pizza Unique?

Even if you're a superfan of pizza, the world's most iconic dish (according to us, anyway), there are likely things you may not know about this treat. What you probably know for sure is your favorite style of pizza. While classics like Neapolitan and New York-style are iconic for a reason, we think there is always room to try a new take on the dish. Enter Pennsylvania's Altoona pizza, which evokes significant local pride and has left the online community abuzz when pictures of it first surfaced. Originating in the 1950s, it's hardly a new style of pizza. However, it is definitely novel to many diners. It was pioneered by the historic Altoona Hotel in its namesake city of Altoona, Pennsylvania, where it was a signature menu item until the 110-year-old building tragically burned down in 2013. Since then, a few local eateries have resurrected and continue to serve the Altoona pizza. The dish even got so popular that the local minor league baseball team briefly changed its name to the Altoona Pizzas in 2023.

Made on a thick Sicilian-style crust and topped with tomato sauce, green bell peppers, and salami, Altoona pizza's most iconic feature is the final topping — American cheese. The bright yellow top makes it look unlike any other slice you may have had, and whether its fame comes from it being genuinely scrumptious or merely from a sense of nostalgia and local pride is something you'll have to find out for yourself by sampling a slice.

Originally garnished with Velveeta (which isn't technically cheese), the Altoona pizza is now more often made with yellow American cheese. This in itself is a major departure from the stretchy cheese-pull variety that most people are used to. However, the pizza's use of simple toppings means that, as long as it is made with what you consider good-quality ingredients, you can't really go wrong with an Altoona slice. Or, more accurately, that's an Altoona "cut." Much like the square slices that made Detroit style pizza unique when it was introduced, this Pennsylvania pie is also served as squares which are called cuts instead of slices.

While one of the best known local places to get Altoona pizza is 29th Street Pizza Subs & More, keep an eye out for signs saying Altoona Pizza or Altoona Sicilian to identify other eateries serving up this yellow-topped treat. In fact, 8 Mile Pizza, a Detroit-style pizza outlet in State College, Pennsylvania, even briefly added Altoona Pizza to its menu. Reactions were mixed, with some locals saying they might sample it while others were averse to the idea (via WPSU).

Whether you like the sound of it or not, many argue that Altoona pizza deserves a try. It's close enough to the spirit of traditional pizza, while still presenting something truly unique. And if the bready crust is a bit much for you, track down Chicago's popular tavern-style pizza for a thin-crust square-cut pizza to snack on.