Pyeongtaek pizzeria: Special pizza with pineapple at Italian Pizza

I heard there's a pizza place in Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek, that has been loved for ages right in front of the US base, so I went to check it out. It's near Camp Humphreys, so I assumed it would be all pubs (and yes, there really are a lot of pubs..!), but there's also a cozy, homey pizza restaurant where the whole family can eat comfortably.

Where is Italian Pizza, when is it open, and what about parking?

Italian Pizza (이태리피자) is at 28-1 Anjeongsyoping-ro, Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi (Anjeong-ri 111-51). It is open Monday to Saturday 11:00–22:40 (last order 22:30) and closed every Sunday. Takeout, delivery and reservations are available, and it has separate men's and women's restrooms, high chairs and mobile payment. For parking, use the public parking lot.

Italian Pizza sits right in front of Camp Humphreys, on Anjeongsyoping-ro in Paengseong-eup, Pyeongtaek, the Anjeong rodeo street. It's said to be a Pyeongtaek local favorite that has been open since 1986, and I was impressed that a pizza place has held the same spot for nearly 40 years. I went by car and parked briefly on the side street nearby.

What's the atmosphere like, and is it OK with kids?

Italian Pizza has high chairs and wide spacing between tables, so it's an easy place for a family meal. The interior isn't flashy; it has the homey feel of an old neighborhood pizza place.

When I walked in, quite a few customers were already eating. High chairs are available too, so families with kids should be able to come comfortably.

The interior felt less flashy and more like the cozy vibe of a neighborhood pizza place that has been loved for a long time.

The place was kept neat, and the tables were spaced widely, so it was easy to chat while eating.

Ordering was convenient thanks to the tablets at every seat,

and there's also a separate menu board out front, so you can see the whole menu at a glance.

Italian Pizza menu, prices and how to order on the tablet

Pizzas at Italian Pizza run from the high ₩10,000s to the mid ₩30,000s, small to large. You order on the tablet at your table, where you can add or remove toppings and choose half-and-half pizzas.

The tablet supports not only Korean but also English, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and more. Maybe because it's near the US base and gets lots of foreign customers, but it's nice that this is so well covered.

Ordering on the tablet was easy, and I could choose to add or remove toppings myself, which was handy. Half-and-half pizzas are possible too, so it seems great for trying several flavors together. The prices, from the high ₩10,000s to the mid ₩30,000s from small to large, were reasonable enough to enjoy without worry.

I ordered the Special Pizza (M), which comes with cheese, ham, pepperoni, beef, onion, bell pepper, mushroom and pineapple, and I added extra pineapple topping.

• Special Pizza M ₩27,500
• Extra pineapple ₩3,000

How did the Special Pizza at Italian Pizza taste?

The Special Pizza at Italian Pizza was a light, classic pizza, neither salty nor greasy, with the richness of the cheese and the flavor of the ingredients coming through. If you like the basic, old-school pizza-place style, you'll probably be satisfied.

The first thing I felt when the pizza came out was "this is a really classic pizza." It wasn't the aggressively salty or greasy kind; it was light, with the nutty richness of the cheese and the natural flavor of the ingredients really alive. If you like that back-to-basics, old-school pizza-place taste, I think you'll be happy. Since it's near the US base there were lots of foreign customers too, and it was a fun, different experience eating a classic pizza with Korean sensibility in that exotic atmosphere.

Thin, chewy handmade dough

The dough was impressive too. It was thin but chewy, so it really had the feel of a classic, authentic pizza, and maybe because the dough is handmade, it tasted nuttier the more I chewed.

Eating the pizza fresh from the oven right in the restaurant made it much better, with the cheese stretching and the dough still warm. Overall it was light rather than salty, so I never got tired of it right to the end.

Red pepper, Parmesan and Tabasco on the table

Every table has red pepper flakes, grated Parmesan and Tabasco sauce, so you can make it a bit spicier or richer to your taste. I like spicy food so I sprinkled on a little red pepper, but the base flavor was so good that it would have been plenty tasty without adding anything.

I usually leave the crust ends of a pizza, but the dough at Italian Pizza was so nutty that I ate it all, right to the end. It's light rather than greasy, so the nutty flavor kept coming through the more I chewed.

I actually liked it more for being light, but if you like plenty of sauce, I'd suggest choosing the extra sauce option when you order.

How many people does each size of Italian Pizza feed?

The writer and one other person finished a medium at Italian Pizza, and suggests M for 2–3 people, S for 1–2 and L for 3–4. Leftovers can apparently be packed in a pizza box.

If you have pizza left over, it seems you can take it home in a pizza box, and a variety of boxes is set out near the front. Two of us finished a medium and left. I'd say M feeds 2–3 people, S 1–2 people, and L 3–4 people.

Italian Pizza in front of Camp Humphreys: overall verdict

If you're looking for a pizza place near Camp Humphreys in Paengseong, Pyeongtaek, Italian Pizza is worth a stop. I expected a heavy American-style pizza, and the light, classic, back-to-basics pizza was all the more impressive.

Being in front of the US base, I expected a heavy American-style pizza, but the light, classic, back-to-basics style was all the more impressive. Having run in the same spot since 1986, it's a Pyeongtaek local favorite with many regulars, Korean and foreign alike, and I think it suits people who like a solid pizza over a flashy one. Rather than going in with huge expectations, visit with the mindset of casually enjoying an authentic-style pizza at an old neighborhood favorite, and you'll probably be happier with it.