Award-winning Hamilton pizzeria has 2nd location open downtown
Published March 21, 2023 at 5:23 pm
The mouthwatering wares from Cowabunga Pizzeria surely rank right up there among all the slices of life to be seen and savoured in downtown Hamilton now that spring hath sprung.
Last summer, Cowabunga co-owner Justin Tanada announced that the popular pizza spot, whose original location is on Hamilton Mountain, would be adding a second spot at 30 Vine St., just off of James North. A soft opening began on March 16, and the provisional hours are from 12 noon till 9 p.m. from Thursday to Sunday. A social media post says the new location is open for dine-in or walk-in orders.
It is early days — a pizza slice decal on the windows is the only exterior signage at the downtown Cowabunga as of today (March 31). But all 10 unique slice and single-pizza options are on the menu, including the unique 1Up white pizza where chilli, honey, truffle cream and truffle oil team up for the flavouring.
A slice at Cowabunga runs in the $5 to $6 range. Most pizzas are priced at $22 or $23. Straightforward cheese is $16. A pepperoni pizza is $20, and Halal pepporoni is an option.
Cowabunga opened in 2020 with a takeout-only spot at 536 Upper Wellington St. on the central Mountain. A focus on culinary creativity and ingredients has enabled it to earn a following during what has been a challenging time for the food service industry due to grocery price inflation.
In 2021, Tanada was recognized at the Canadian Pizza Summit with the Best Photo award for his shot of a Spicy Pep slice.
The space at 30 Vine had been vacant for more than 10 months. The restaurant Nique was there before closing at the end of last April.