Tucked underneath towering railroad trestles in downtown Richmond is Bottom’s Up Pizza. This place can be described as unique, hip and unpretentious.

First — the beer selection. They have craft beers on tap – score. I had the Lagunita’s IPA and Landon (my husband) had the local favorite, the Legend Lager. We were hoping they would have more Legend beers, but we realized we didn’t ask about bottles, so they may have. The beers were cold and very good. We sat outside though and it was a very hot day. Our waiter graciously brought us large ice waters without our needing to ask. It was a very nice touch and thoughtful.

Their specialty is their gourmet pizza, and the website boasts a crust that takes over 12 hours to prepare. We ordered from the specialty section and chose the ‘Goat in the Garden’, regular size at $18.25. The toppings are fresh spinach, Roma tomatoes, goat cheese and roasted garlic with red sauce. This pizza can also be ordered with a thin crust, for $14.50.

That should have tipped me off. This crust was amazing. It had to be over and inch thick, and while I don’t usually like crust that thick, this was light and airy and crispy. The dough was not too thick and they don’t skimp on the oil.

I also loved their sauce. It’s homemade and it was delicious. Tangy and little sweet, but not too sweet. The cheese was stringy which is always a good sign. The ingredients were fresh and the goat cheese was very creamy. I personally would have liked more goat cheese and less mozzarella but I am a goat cheese fiend and can never have too much. You can change out 2 toppings though so now I know to add a little more next time.

Bottom’s Up was a great dining experience for us. The atmosphere, the customer service, the beer and the pizza all exceeded our expectations. We can’t wait to go back next time we are in Richmond.

–written by Melanie Kramer