A Veteran Portland Restaurateur Is Opening a Pizzeria That Will Specialize in Mexican-Inspired Pies

Think albondigas, chile relleno, even a chilaquiles pizza covered in salsa verde and melted cheese.

Nick Zukin (Thomas Teal)

Just when you thought Portland was maxed out on new pizzerias, we're about to squeeze another one in.

This one, though, will be a bit different from almost any other in town.

It's called Zapapizza, and it comes from Nick Zukin, owner of popular Old Town taco spot Mi Mero Mole. (Full disclosure: Zukin is an occasional WW contributor.) It will specialize in thick-crust pies with a Mexican twist—think albondigas, chile relleno, even a chilaquiles pizza covered in salsa verde and melted cheese.

Zukin says he was inspired by a trip to an eatery in Mexico City called El Perro Negro.

"It had a punk rock vibe with loud music, trippy murals, and servers with lots of tattoos and piercings—the kind of thing you'd expect in Portland," Zukin writes in an email. "And the food was as fun and irreverent as the restaurant."

While Zapapizza will serve pizzas with traditional toppings and tomato sauce, part of the menu will be dedicated to more adventurous offerings, such as pollo asado and al pastor, with sauces running from tomato-chipotle to mole. Add-ons will include everything from cactus and pickled jalapenos to chapulines—those are fried grasshoppers. He will also offer salads, wings and both Italian- and Mexican-style spaghetti.

Zukin says the name is a play on Zapatista, the left-wing revolutionary group named after 19th century reformer Emiliano Zapata. Zukin says 10 percent of profits will go toward charities that serve the Mexican community in Portland and abroad.

"Even though many customers won't get the connection," Zukin says, "I wanted to honor [Zapata's] memory and also use this restaurant as a way to give back to the Mexican community that I love."

Zapapizza will be located at 503 West Burnside St., just a few blocks from Mi Mero Mole. Zukin says they're aiming to open in September.

Related: A Portland Restauranteur Reveals He Once Paid to Help an Employee Smuggle Her Child into the United States.

Matthew Singer

A native Southern Californian, former Arts & Culture Editor Matthew Singer ruined Portland by coming here in 2008. He is an advocate for the canonization of the Fishbone and Oingo Boingo discographies, believes pro-wrestling is a serious art form and roots for the Lakers. Fortunately, he left Portland for Tucson, Arizona, in 2021.

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