According to Ledo Pizza lore, round pizza pans were expensive and rare in 1955, when Bob Beall opened his Adelphi, Maryland restaurant, but rectangular pans were a dime a dozen. Hence, Ledo Pizza baked its pizza in rectangular pans and coined the slogan, “Ledo Pizza is Square Because Ledo Pizza Never Cuts Corners.”1
Love it or hate it, Ledo is Maryland pizza royalty. The term “Maryland-style pizza” is synonymous with Ledo Pizza’s thin-crust, pan-baked pies. Jamie Beall, Bob’s grandson, is the third-generation Beall to head the company. With 131 franchised stores from New York to Florida, and a concentration in Maryland, Ledo Pizza is a juggernaut worthy of DishingPizza’s respect.
The Ledo unboxing experience3 is outstanding. Ledo has bespoke boxes that snugly fit their 14″ and 18″ pizzas. The boxes are slim with just enough headroom for Ledo’s thin-crust pies. The pizza looks adorable in the box, cut into 20 small squares for the 14″ and 30 small squares for the 18″. The snug-as-a-bug-in-a-rug pizza tickles DishingPizza’s sensibilities, not wasting a millimeter of space, unlike round pizzas in square boxes.
While there is no law against cutting pizza into small pieces, Ledo Pizza may be the only restaurant that does so — this small differentiator makes it a cost-effective staple for children’s parties. Furthermore, adults can easily fool themselves into believing they’re eating less because the pieces are tiny and cute.
Ledo Pizza’s flaky, biscuity, pastry-like thin-crust is the star of the show. The only downside is the crust’s oiliness, which likely makes it easier for the cooks to transfer from shallow-sided pans to boxes.
Ledo sauce has become a thing, jarred and sold separately for consumers who can’t get enough. Unfortunately, the sauce lacks a fresh tomato flavor, tasting mass-produced, with overtones of oregano, onion, garlic, and sugar. The Ledo sauce is barely good enough for pizza, let alone a kitchen staple.
Ledo pizza is made with smoked provolone cheese instead of mozzarella. Although the Ledo provolone gives the pizza a slightly different taste, the cheese is unremarkable. The pizza looks better than it tastes, but it’s a unique contender in a sea of wood-fired uniformity, and that counts for a lot.
Since the freestanding stores are franchises, each is different. The one DishingPizza visited was vaguely depressing, with haphazardly strung holiday lights and clutter. However, the staff was cheerful and friendly. Ledo has also pioneered Corner Shoppes, located in the Deli Section of selected Giant Food supermarkets, offering fresh pizzas for takeout. Although DishingPizza is no fan of franchises, Ledo Pizza’s longevity in a world driven by fads and fancies is nothing short of remarkable.
1 Not to quibble, although DishingPizza is nothing if not a quibbler, but Ledo’s slogan makes no sense.2 Ledo produces rectangular pizzas cut into many small squares and, therefore, does nothing but cut corners. Someone should have caught this 70 years ago. You know who doesn’t cut corners – anyone making round pizzas.
2 Okay, DishingPizza is being intentionally obtuse. Metaphorically, the slogan, “Ledo Pizza is Square Because Ledo Pizza Never Cuts Corners,” is clever.
3 Apple fanboys and fangirls, aka nincompoops, routinely post YouTube videos of themselves squealing with pleasure as they unbox iPhones and MacBooks.
Ledo Pizza
93 franchise locations in Maryland
23 franchise locations in Virginia
15 other franchise locations from New York to Florida
Style: Maryland
Pizza quality: 🍕🍕
Overall experience: ⭐⭐
Pie (18″ rectangular): $22
Pie price per square inch: $0.09