Bridge City Pizza

By Matthew Singer

5412 SE Woodstock Blvd., 777-4992, bridgecitypizza.com. Dinner daily, lunch Friday-Sunday.

Never judge a food joint by what's on the marquee. Sure, it might say "Bridge City" out front, but the inspiration here is the Windy City, from the thin crusts to the paintings of Al Capone and the Blues Brothers behind the counter. (The crispy-soft fried mashed potato balls, $5, are named after Coach K, who is indeed a Chicago native, but still seems an odd choice.) And while "pizza" is on the business license, if you're traveling all the way to Woodstock, it should be for the sandwiches—gloriously gloppy monstrosities that bleed juice straight through the wrapping. Mom's Italian Beef ($8) is the winner, a stack of slow-cooked shaved beef slathered with either spicy giardiniera relish or sweet peppers and served with a side of au jus. Good luck getting the thing to fit in the dipping cup. Best to just pry the bread open and dump the au jus, then inhale the whole thing with little regard for your own dignity. It's what Mike Ditka would do.

Check out Willamette Week's 2016 Cheap Eats guide here.

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