Massey’s Pizza branches out, but signature item still a classic

The Massey (originally Masucci) family’s restaurant legacy began in 1949, when a Grandview Heights eatery became one of the first central Ohio businesses to offer something rare in most of America at the time: pizza.

Having weathered the fickle tastes of area diners through seven decades, Massey’s Pizza has secured its place as a Columbus culinary institution.

Although the company’s pizza crust — crisp and cut in rectangles, archetypally Columbus-style — might not have changed much through the years, Columbus is a much different city than it was in those post-World War II days.

So I take it as a sign of the times that Massey’s — which still maintains a 10-shop pizzeria chain — has ventured into the sports-pub racket.

The Massey’s Pizza Sports Bar & Wings recently opened in the Graceland Shopping Center joins same-named siblings in Heath, Grove City and Canal Winchester.

Patrons walking into the cavernous Graceland establishment find a nondescript, spare space with red walls and utilitarian appointments. In essence, televisions serve as the restaurant’s major design element.

A decent selection of Ohio-produced beverages is included among the 20-plus brews on tap. Skinflint tip: Imbibers can upgrade from a pint to a 22-ounce pour for an extra dollar.

Not surprisingly, the pizzas are the menu’s highlight. Chiefly, this is because the herb-sprinkled pies begin with Massey’s extra-thin, cornmeal-dusted, darkand-flat-edged crust, which delightfully snaps when you bite into it. Toppings are generally placed atop a moderately applied layer of good-quality melted cheeses; underneath is Massey’s sweet-yet-zippy “old world” tomato sauce. A pepperoni pizza and a sausage and banana pepper pizza at Massey’s Pizza Sports Bar & Wings in the Graceland Shopping Center

Ambience: large, open and roomy sports bar with numerous TVs and minimal decoration; can become loud, especially during Wednesday trivia contests Children’s menu: yes Reservations: yes Accessible: yes Liquor license: full bar Quick click: Classic Columbusstyle pizzas are the star at a famed local pizza chain’s newest sports-bar venture