Earth Oven Pizza

Hillsboro (E Main St and E 3rd Ave)

Yes I know Hillsboro is not Portland however I was stuck in Hillsboro and there is a lack of good food in this entire city.  I'm sure there is great food here, I just never happen to find it on the west side.  So one afternoon when I was compelled to be in Hillsboro, I stumbled into Earth Oven Pizza.

I can start by saying it is in a strip mall near the courthouse.  Strip malls are not necessarily a sign of bad food and the sign out front could have easily been placed out in front of a trendy SE Portland Pizza restaurant.

When I walked inside I was greeted with funky art on the wall, a large brick oven, and a young woman behind the counter with multiple piercings on her face.  For a minute I thought I was in Portland but then I looked around and saw the bamboo flooring, fake ivy hanging in pots in the ceilings, and a fake palm tree in the dining area.

The entire place looked like a start up pizza restaurant which didn't quite have the money to change the decor of the out-of-business Chinese or Sushi place which probably inhabited the building first.

The bar in the back was nice, boasting what I would imagine to be cheap wine and equally cheap and non local brews.  I noted the menu offered gluten free pizza (although you had to order a whole one), and several other options of meat and veggie pies.

Their menu is appealing, they offer whole pies and slices, they have a wood fired oven and non traditional "west siders."  What was lacking was the execution of the recipe.

I found they did not take advantage of the brick oven as they could have accomplished the same sloppy crust with a traditional pizza oven and substandard dough.

The pizza was limp and had no distinguishing tastes which would set it apart from any pizza on the east side.

To give credit, I remember I am in the middle of downtown Hillsboro and they are very different from other restaurants in the area.  While I can get past the interior decorating reminding me of a horrible General Tso's Chicken I once had, I can't get past pizza which does nothing for me.  I am willing to give this place a second chance though.

Being so close to the court house you either get a lunch crowd of professionals eating quickly before court starts again, or you get a place which hosts folks ready for one last meal before they have to pee in a cup for their parole officer and face 30 to 90 at the "hotel" down the street.  This place obviously caters to the former and are perhaps marketing to lawyers from Multnomah County.

Maybe they are new, don't have the recipes down, or were having a bad day.  They had a perfect combination of elements with an earth inspired theme to their menu, they just didn't quite put it together in a package which I would consider noteworthy.

Another time perhaps.....