Scratch Brick Oven Pizzeria, Serving It Up Fresh In Johnson City, TN

by Danielle Bussone

Scratch Front Exterior

For arguably the best pizza in the Tri-Cities area you need look no farther than Scratch Brick Oven. Located in Johnson City’s historic North Roan Street district, in a restored 1900’s home on the corner of Unaka and Roan, it is only two easy blocks from Interstate 26 in Johnson City, TN.

Rear Exterior

Staff: Kevin (pronounced Kee-van) Tolley, Beka Addison and Fran (Francisco) Borquez

Rich and I were first introduced to this gem nearly seven years ago before we embraced a plant-based lifestyle. At the time Scratch was a relatively new establishment that operated as a bakery, smokehouse, charcuterie and wood-fired pizzeria. Since then the business has scaled down to meet the growing demands of it’s clientele as a pizzeria, and for good reason. Everything is made from scratch, even the oven, which was hand-built by the owners.

When we became vegan we put Scratch out of our minds, since it never occurred to us that an establishment that focused on the preparation of meats would have a vegan option, not in this “country-fried-ham” area of the country. An unexpected dental emergency found us in the area recently and while I was having my tooth rescued, Rich sauntered over to Scratch to check out the situation.

Freshly prepared pizza just before going into the oven

What he discovered was one of the best vegan pizzas we’ve had to date! The French bread or whole-grain vegan cheese-less pizzas at Scratch are one price, 16-inch for $16. For those who need their pizza gluten-free, there is a ten-inch offering for $10. This is one of the few restaurants we’ve reviewed that recognize that vegetables are cheaper than meat and cheese and reduce their prices accordingly.

There are, of course, many options for your carnivorous companions and a deep dish Chicago-style pizza is also on the menu. But once your pals see how appetizing your pizza from plants looks, perhaps they’ll want to skip the meat altogether and discover just how delicious a vegan pizza can be! We can always dream…

Finished Pizza

You can choose from an array of veggies and fruit toppings, like granny smith apples and mandarine oranges, or you can order a “Trust” pizza, one in which you simply trust the chef to make something special for you, a topping mélange that will be sure to have you coming back time and time again. You can choose either a French bread, whole grain, or gluten-free crust. The sauce is slightly sweet, something that came as a bit of a surprise and one we found paired well with the veggies as was quite delightful.

Interior

Orders can be called in for pick-up or you can dine in. There are also picnic tables outside to enjoy when the weather is fine. You may also bring your own wine to have with your meal if you are so inclined.

If you are in the Tri-cities area and hankering for a great oven-fired pizza in a casual, laid-back atmosphere, check out Scratch Brick Oven. It’s a dining experience you won’t want to miss!

Co-founder and editor of Veggin’ Out and About, Danielle writes restaurant reviews, profiles and interviews of people making a difference in the plant-based community. She author of, “Time For Change: Whole Foods For Whole Health,” released January 1, 2015.

Danielle’s region is SW Virginia, Tennessee and North Carolina and anywhere she happens to stop for sustenance along the road. Contact Danielle  directly to share your restaurant finds, to make comments or just to say hello.