CCX Viewers’ Choice Winners for Best Pizza: Bear Paw & Johnny Boy’s
Bear Paw Pizza in Maple Grove Receives Most Votes
In a small trailer parked outside of Maple Grove’s OMNI Brewery & Taproom, Drew Nelson makes a pizza that packs a big punch.
Nelson makes handcrafted, artisanal pizzas, such as the “Hot Honey,” a blend of pickled jalapenos, pepperoni and goat cheese topped with honey.
He is one of the founders of Bear Paw Pizza, which became the permanent food truck at OMNI Brewing last May.
“Certainly I’ve had a love affair with dough, sauce, the entire combination of things coming together,” Nelson said. “Just the right balance, the right amount of everything, that’s so paramount here to what we do.”
CCX viewers have taken notice. In our online poll, Bear Paw was voted as the winner of the “Best Pizza Award.”
It’s an honor that the folks at OMNI Brewing don’t take lightly.
“It is definitely an honor and I think it’s a testament to how hard our team has worked,” said Zack Ward, founder of OMNI Brewing. “Both in creating a quality product as well as interacting with the customers and taking feedback from them and trying to perfect their craft.”
Drew Nelson of Bear Paw Pizza at OMNI Brewing in Maple Grove.
Brooklyn Park’s Johnny Boy’s Pizza Also Garners Acclaim
Meanwhile, roughly three miles away in Brooklyn Park, Johnny Mouhanna puts his own spin on the favorite food.
“We’re just a local, you know, family shop,” said Mouhanna. “We do everything fresh in house, as much as we can.”
Mouhanna opened Johnny Boy’s Pizza in 2019 with a menu consisting of a number of specialty pies made with hand-tossed dough and fresh ingredients. He even recently added Sebastian Joe’s ice cream under the same roof because, who doesn’t love a pizza and ice cream combo?
This family-owned pizza place came in second in the CCX online poll. Mouhanna credits his loyal customers for his success.
“I live in the area, I work in the area, I own a business in the area,” he said.
In other words, he’s built strong relationships with people in and around Brooklyn Park. Combine that with delicious pizza, and you have a recipe for success.
“That’s all thanks to our customers,” Mouhanna said of coming in second in the online poll. “Without them, like, we obviously wouldn’t be here. I know it’s so cliche, but it’s the truth.”
Other top vote-getters in the CCX online poll include ElMar’s NY Pizza in Plymouth and Scoreboard Pizza in Brooklyn Center.
Johnny Mouhanna of Johnny Boy’s Pizza in Brooklyn Park.
Related: Bear Paw Pizza Food Truck Grows Popular in Maple Grove, Brooklyn Park Man Fulfills Dream with Johnny Boy’s Pizza
