It was deep in the pandemic when Bingo Beer Co co-owner Jay Bayer started making pizzas at home—in a time of uncertainty, the nostalgic classic provided comfort and focus. As life returned to normal, he’s continued the hobby, experimenting with crust recipes and creative toppings.
It was this same idea of pizza as comfort that he and colleague Adam Stull returned to when thinking about retooling Bingo’s food selection with a residency called Yours Truly. “It’s our love letter and thank you card to pizza,” Bayer says. “For all the times pizza has been there for us.”
When Bayer thinks of pizza, he recalls everything from Pizza Hut’s Book It program where reading led to free pies, to moving into a first apartment and buying pizza and cheap wine for friends as a thank you. It seemed like the right fit for Bingo’s nostalgic, fun atmosphere.
At the same time, the goal was to break Bingo’s food away from the beer and give it its own emphasis. “We thought, let’s break the culinary side out and give it is own air to breathe, and let’s get silly with it,” he says. “There’s so much going on at Bingo that sometimes the food gets lost in the action.”
The new menu launched Tuesday, March 11 with its own Instagram as well, @yourstrulypizzarva. The menu is anchored by two types of pizza. First, there’s a thin and crispy bar pie—Bayer says cornmeal is the key to a lovely crunch on this pie that’s designed to pair with ales and other bar snacks. The second is Detroit-style, which has made previous appearances on the Bingo menu, but Bayer has refined the recipe.
To hydrate the dough for the “big crunchy pillows of comfort,” as Bayer describes them, Bingo is using their own Bingo Lager. “We’re really happy with it; it gives it a little more lift,” he says.
You’ll find traditional flavors like Meat Lover’s Lane topped with pepperoni, sausage, capicola, bacon and vodka sauce, along with some more creative concoctions like Buffalo Chicken topped with garlic cream sauce, Buffalo sauce, crunchy fried chicken bits, house blue cheese blend and even celery. We particularly liked the Tenderoni, which features red sauce, pepperoni, fresh basil, house cheese blend and hot honey.
The menu also includes shareables like garlic knots served with traditional marinara and vodka sauce, a Big Burrata Board, wings, calzones, fried mushrooms, burgers and parm subs.
There’s also Bingo’s take on a Philly cheesesteak (thanks to Hull’s Philly heritage) featuring the famous Luscio’s bread, a half pound of shaved ribeye, caramelized onions and Cooper Sharp White and wiz. “We’re not trying to be an exact replica,” Bayer says. “We’re trying to make something delicious that harkens to memories.”
For dessert, the oversized, warm-from-the-oven All The Best Cinnamon Bun cinnamon with glaze and “very fun” sprinkles is a must.
Yours Truly is currently dedicated to pizzeria vibes, but when the team’s mood changes, so might the menu. “We’re going to make pizza until someone says, why don’t you make tacos?” Bayer says. For now, the pizza is available at Bingo and via DoorDash.
P.S. We are also eagerly anticipating Morty’s Market & Deli from Bayer and Stull, a sandwich shop at 305 W Brookland Park Blvd., that will hopefully open next month.
