Back-alley entrance to Noble Pie

It can be kinda hard to get into Noble Pie. First, you have to find the popular Beltline pizza joint—down an alley or, like me, by walking through the adjacent Cookbook Company store.

I still get there at the crack of the 4 pm Saturday opening, only to discover a line of 10 people ahead of me. Sorry, no reservations, no cash, just a waitlist or an online takeout order, perhaps from the night before.

No matter. If you make pizza this good, people will find you. Even a senior like me, sharing the darkened space and rap soundtrack with a crowd 40 years younger and a bustling crew of pizza chefs and servers.

No bright lights here

Noble offers a couple of nibbles, a worthy Caesar salad and some wine and canned beer; I didn’t see any beer taps. But it’s really all about the pizzas—from the constantly evolving, blistered crust to high-end toppings— that keep flying out of the oven.

Of the 11 pizzas on offer, I choose a 13-inch Sweet Cheesus pie ($24). It’s a marvelous melding of tomato sauce, aged and fresh mozzarella, caciocavallo, grana Padano, pecorino, Sicilian oregano and drizzled hot honey. Six generous slices of chewy bliss.

Sweet Cheesus Pizza

Noble started as a pop-up pizzeria in Eighty-Eight Brewing in southeast Calgary. Four years ago, owners Mike Lange and Leslie Lamont moved to this back-alley location.

Noble Pie
Back alley 720 11 Avenue SW, Calgary
Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday 4pm-9pm, Friday-Saturday 4 pm- 10 pm. Closed Monday and Tuesday
Text 403-536-4075