The best part about craft breweries is the beer. The worst part, often, is when there’s nothing good to eat. Grand Central favorite Cage Brewing has fixed that problem (while still pumping out great beer).

Kraken Joe’s Pizza made its debut at Cage at the end of 2023, turning their backroom into a full-on pub experience. The lengthy menu has something for everyone, though the star of the show is the pizza, baked in a wood-fired brick oven specially made for Cage and Kraken Joe’s. The doughy pies come in a variety of styles, such as margherita, meat lovers, veggie, and a tantalizing bacon chicken ranch. You can also build your own with their variety of sauces, cheeses and toppings.

On our first visit, however, the unexpected and welcome surprise was just how much more there is on the menu beyond pizza. In addition to four different salads, and even house-made desserts, the appetizers menu runs 16 items deep, many of which could easily be a full meal on their own.

There are plenty of pizza parlor staples, such as meatballs, jumbo fried chicken wings, and massive mozzarella sticks. There are also Italian-inspired dishes like the arancini, bruschetta, pizza sticks, toasted ravioli, and Italian fries.

For things on the fried and crunchy end of the snacky spectrum, you can find onion rings, fried pickle spears, honey-topped sweet potato fries, fried goat cheese balls, crispy chicken fingers, and fried cauliflower. Of course, if you can’t decide, just go for the sampler platter and try four different apps.

Follow Kraken Joe’s Pizza and Cage Brewing on Instagram for more. Cage Brewing and Kraken Joe’s Pizza are located at 2001 1st Avenue South. The restaurant opens on weekdays at 5 pm and weekends at noon.