Scratch Brick Oven Pizza stands out among the crowded pizzeria scene in Johnson City.
Some would describe Scratch as the best hole-in-the-wall restaurant near ETSU’s campus. The pizzeria is housed in an old, re-purposed home on Unaka Avenue downtown, complete with (you guessed it) an enormous brick oven.
The inside of Scratch is small but has some really cool, old-school decorations. They even give customers the option to pick records to play while eating their meals. The atmosphere in Scratch is quintessentially chill, laid back and a great place for students to hang out.
When you enter Scratch, you’re greeted by the staff and then given somewhat confusing instructions on how to order. However, if you get confused the staff will be very helpful and friendly to help you figure it out.
The ordering process can be a little complicated, but here’s how it works: You’re given the option to pick your own toppings, full trust or limited trust.
When picking your own toppings, you can choose from any available fruits, vegetables and meats to put on your pizza. You can also choose between giving the staff “full trust” or “limited trust” with your pizza.
Full trust is an option that gives the cooks permission to put anything of their choosing on your pizza. Limited trust is when you can cross off the toppings that you don’t like and let the cooks choose from the ones you left to make your pizza.
My friends and I chose to try the limited trust, and our pizza had spinach, bell peppers, banana peppers and sausage. The pizza was delicious and had a lot of unique flavors.
It did take about 20-25 minutes, but we arrived right around dinner time so we expected the food to take a bit longer than usual. Plus, as the name would suggest, they make every pizza from “scratch.”
The employees and the community are what make the atmosphere of Scratch so relaxing and unique. Overall, I was very satisfied with the food and the service at Scratch Brick Oven Pizza.
