Alpine Pizza
Flagstaff, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s the familiar neon pizza sign outside Alpine Pizza in downtown Flagstaff. A glowing slice hangs above Leroux Street, letting Route 66 travelers know where to find one of the town’s longtime pizza stops. And yes, the crust here is pretty darn good. 09-21

Alpine Pizza was opened by the Rich brothers in 1973 and became a favorite with locals, NAU students, rock climbers, and travelers passing through town. The restaurant claimed to be the highest pizza joint in Arizona, sitting about 7,000 feet above sea level. Whether it really held the record or not, it certainly had the altitude.

The pizza shop occupied part of the 1887 McMillan Building, believed to be the oldest surviving commercial building in downtown Flagstaff. The ground floor once housed a Wells Fargo depot and bank. Inside Alpine, generations of customers carved their names into the wooden booths and walls, leaving behind a different sort of local history.

UPDATE: Alpine Pizza closed for several years but returned in December 2025. The revived restaurant now fills both its old space and the neighboring former McMillan Bar and Kitchen. The carved woodwork was preserved, the vintage neon pizza sign was restored and relit, and the expanded restaurant added a full bar and retro arcade. 08-26

Leonard Paul's Pizza
Globe, AZ
Photo by RoadsidePeek.com

Here’s the old Leonard Paul's Pizza storefront in Globe, complete with a faded Pepsi sign hanging above the entrance. No fancy name was needed here. The sign simply told passing travelers exactly what was waiting inside. 06-23

The business is better known locally as Leonard Paul’s Pizza. Paul Burkland started the pizzeria in the mid-1970s and used his middle name, Leonard, to come up with the name. During the early days, he reportedly stood on the sidewalk handing slices to passing locals, figuring one taste would bring them back. Apparently, the plan worked.

Leonard Paul’s became a longtime Globe favorite with a small, no-frills pizza shop and a simple approach to the menu. Walk in looking for a quick slice and pepperoni may be the only choice. Sometimes that is all a pizza place really needs.

UPDATE: Leonard Paul’s Pizza remains open and continues serving Globe after more than 40 years. 08-26