Literally the best pizza you will ever eat. So good it makes Toppers look like Chuck-E-Cheese.

By far the best pizza in the area nothing even comes close! Hand crafted and curated ingredients with that classic slice shop vibe. Simple and straight to the point which is a breath of fresh air in this town. The food speaks for itself nothing else is needed plus there's always great music playing. read more

Back Bench Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ventura, California

4.6/5 An impressive take on a NY style pie with a crust that wins in so many ways!! Shop 4.6/5 - cool little setup by Kao Ramen downtown. Great location! Love the simplicity - slices upfront, some brewskis for sale. No nonsense, all business. Considerably clean and aesthetically pleasing. This place looks like it's gonna sling some top quality pies - I'm excited to try! Bustling with people, one man show - just feels right! Sauce 3.9/5 - milled tomatoes, maybe San Marzanos, maybe not. It's simple, I can sense it's that way for a reason - to allow the dough to stand out. Just a preference thing for me, I like a bit more depth in sauce...but reminds me of Joe's NY. Not bad by any stretch. Cheese 4.5/5 - good covering, I like the shaved Parmesan after cooking, adds a rich, sharp depth that I found interesting and tasty. A little fresh basil on top added flair. Dough/structure 5++/5 - my God. I don't know how or what my man in the kitchen is doing but it's LEGIT! The most airy, delicate, well structured crust I can recall. I loved how something one could find so simplistic carries such complexity....this isn't just a crust to hold cheese and sauce, this is a masterful take on pizza dough. I don't get the sourdough notes I catch from many...and that's totally fine by me. It's the texture that's pillow soft with the ability to serve as a robust chassis for the toppings. Just fantastic, really. Hat is off to the chef. All in all, a fantastic NY style with a refined classiness all packed into a no nonsense shop that handles its business. I will be back, you should hit this spot too!! read more

one of the best pizzas i've had in my life and their ranch is hands down the best ranch you will ever taste. High quality ingredients and overall amazing atmosphere read more

Definitely worth coming here if you're in the mood for pizza by the slice or a whole pie. I'd say one of the top places for pizza in Ventura. Thin crust and perfectly cooked. Located next to the Century theater downtown, pretty low key so don't miss it, it's also neighbors with Kao Ramen. My slices were to go but everything looked clean. read more

Our favorite pizza in Ventura county (actually maybe ever? I can't think of one we like more lol).

The owner cooked up one of the best pizzas I've ever had. The owner was kind and patient while we took our time to order. The tables were clean and good music was playing. He made the pizza from scratch, and it was super fresh and tasty. The crust and dough tasted amazing. I asked for the pizza to be cooked well done. I barely leave reviews, but my experience here warranted one. I felt redownload Yelp just to give Back Bench Pizza a 5 star rating! Overall, 10/10 would recommend! read more

Back Bench Pizza - Full plain pizza with basil on top, cooked well done - Pizza Near Me - Ventura, California

YOU MUST TRY THIS PLACE!!!! Had a slice of the vegan sausage and kale pizza. I'm not even vegetarian/ vegan and let me tell you, THIS WAS ONE OF THE BEST SAUSAGE SLICES IVE EVER HAD, PERIOD. You could have fooled me and told me this was pork, it was that incredible. read more

Back Bench Pizza - Vegan sausage and kale slice - Pizza Near Me - Ventura, California

My new go to spot for pizza. The vegan options are so good (especially the kale sausage), but even my non-vegan friends love the pizza. GO SUPPORT THIS LOCAL BUSINESS! read more

I could eat this pizza everyday for the rest of my life . Delicious. High quality ingredients. Affordable. Simple. This place is all I have ever wanted read more

The owner/dude in the back making the pie comes across introverted and cold. The place is basic with little to offer for drinks and a very simple menu. The music selection is on point and his pizza dough is amazing. My new favorite Friday night pizza joint... Barstool Pizza Reviews, Dave Portnoy needs to swing by next time he's in SoCal and give a review of his plain pie which I bet could be competitive with great NY pizza. read more

Best pizza in Ventura County. Needs to be on LA Times best pizza in the region list. The crust is amazing and the pizza's change monthly, innovative, fresh, delicious. read more

Hands-down the best pizza in Ventura County, great vegan choices as well. Support this independent small business. Go!

Best pizza spot in town. Always consistent and delicious. I will be coming back for sure.

I would stay away. Ordered pizzas online for a party early, payed for them, got a confirmation pickup for 5:30 PM. Excited to eat some "good" pizza with some friends. Lo and behold after finding parking and walking over the place is dark and locked up with a sold out sign on the door... Now I'm in panic mode as I have to produce some pizza for my party. Nobody's answering their phone, and their hours say they are open from 5-9 that evening so I highly doubt they sold out, cleaned up the place, locked up and left the first 30 minutes they should be open. Super unreliable and poorly managed business. Did I get scammed by a ghost shell pizza company? read more

Super excited for a new pizza place with vegan options too, honestly the best vegan i have ever had, perfectly crispy crust, perfect amount of cheese and sauce. $5 a slice is a great deal, can't recommend it enough. Last time i went in he didnt have a vegan pizza to cut me a slice of, so he made me a couple slices to order. read more

Stellar pizza! Casual little pizza spot run by one guy basically who makes the best pizza around this area. The restaurant is fairly basic and simple. I am ok with that because the Pizza is fantastic! Service is good and to the point. read more

On my drive back from Solvang I stopped for pizza in Ventura and came across this place ....i use yelp to help me find a good pizza place and this pizza did not disappoint....one of the BEST pies I've had in California. Absolutely loved the taste, the crust, the cheese and sauce were right on point. Now the place is easy to miss as they don't have a sign, next to a busy restaurant. The dude behind the glass was laser focused on his music and making some good pizza..he definitely was not on the back bench during pizza 101 ...going back to Ventura next week just for pizza. read more

Having Fluid State and Back Bench a couple blocks from each other feels like it should be illegal. Tried Back Bench for the first time last week, more restrained with the toppings (a good thing) and crisper than FS. Dough has plenty of flavor. quality toppings (I had sausage and kale because that's what was available when I walked in). Go support this place. Great addition to Main St. read more

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Missed opportunity because they don't have any sign, looks abandoned, empty, and uninviting. Sorry

Delicious with an easy vibe makes Back Bench Pizza a YES! Pizza was thin, soft with a crisp, my type of pizza. Spoke with the owner, he has a background in bakery & pastries, so he knows his dough! Thank you Travis for pizza I want to eat in Ventura! read more

The crust was well crisp but the pizza lacked in so many ways. The slice was $4.50 and it was such a small slice. I'm used to Jimmys Slice which was at the top of the pedestal for me, but this place falls short it's rather draining. They just opened yet it seems like there's no energy in the joint and it shows in the slices on how the skim on the cheese and the slice itself was rather small. The staff doesn't seem to be happy or enthused to be there. Like it's a new joint, this is your new baby; show some gratitude to have people coming in through your doors. I promise a smile goes a long way. The spot itself is nice and simple, but how are you going to have burnt pizza as the simple available for the mass yo purchase, I just can't. You guys try it and make your decision. For now all I have is the Institution or Joe's Pizza. Ohhh and there's no sign up, apparently it will be placed up in the summer simply to avoid traffic at their shop. Eh you're call. read more

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Awesome pizza, great food, great customer service. Love the cookies and Great place read more

This is a brand new GEM to Ventura's pizza spots! It is a little hard to find, it's in the old LC Imports spot, right next door to Kao Ramen by Mama. Inside is very minimalistic, bright white with a few tables. Just a big menu letter board with less than a handful of choices. Do not let this dissuade you, as each item is guaranteed to be the best. I only want to get whiney about the fact they won't split pizza toppings, such as half cheese/half pepperoni. No big deal, but I would have gladly paid the price for a whole pepperoni to have half of it be cheese. I asked for the pie to go and took it home. It was enormous and fantastic. My husband said it's the best pizza he has had in a long time. The dough is perfect, even after taking it home, even in the middle of the pizza. I'm pretty sure they have some vegan options which I am excited to check out. Overall, this is exactly the type of pizza Ventura should be known for. FYI, the hours can vary by the end of the night because they serve until they run out of dough! Super special stuff here. read more

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Best pizza I've had in Ventura! Even over toppers I tried all 3 slices they had a available and it was all good!

Our family really liked this pizza. It was thin crust with a 1:1 balance of sauce to cheese. Very generous on the pepperoni, which we appreciate. Ambiance was nice too-- there is a window where you can watch them make/bake the pizzas. My 6 year old daughter loved the decor and paint color in the bathroom-- said it reminded her of the night sky. I loved that it was clean and well stocked. We will definitely be back. read more

Best pizza in Ventura, definitely wish they were open later or and did delivery Lady taking our order was super helpful with the menu

The pizza is so good and crispy, one of the best I've had in awhile .The store is clean and the workers r very friendly. The inside is simplistic but eye appealing. Highly recommend read more

Back Bench Pizza - Pizza - Pizza Near Me - Ventura, California

If you're looking for an amazing vegan pizza, this is the place. I have a dairy allergy and they were super accommodating. This is also the place for regular cheese pizza. My husband got the grandma pie and loved it. This is also the place for amazing salads (my first GOOD vegan ceasar), warm olives, and homemade desserts. Zero complaints. Highly recommend. read more

amazing pizza, been many times and it never gets old. the consistency of quality is beyond. i look forward to the new specials and desserts every month :) read more

So so delicious pizza. The quality of ingredients speak for themselves and I really appreciate a more simplified menu as, again, I feel like it speaks to the quality of ingredients selected to serve. Just so awesome. read more

Hands down best pizza in Ventura, we had the pepperoni, and the kale sausage. The kale sausage was very impressive. Pizza melted in my mouth. You can taste the freshness in the crust, which was my favorite part finishing every slice. If I crave pizza, I now go downtown to Backbench Pizza. Go treat yourself , it will not disappoint! read more

Go to the grocery store, get a frozen pizza and heat it on the hood of your car, it will taste better. Most pizzas come with cheese backbench pizzas come with very little cheese but a massive amount of super salty olives. Also, they can't do a half cheese, half pepperoni, apparently the technology is too close to nuclear fusion. No half orders, really pizza joint? But the ambience is stark white if you like eating pizza in hospitals. read more

Been meaning to try this and I was not let down. I'm not a big pizza fan but these are worthy of your time. Great crust and ingredients. Nice quiet spot to eat after a movie if you want a quick bite and perfect music. The Caesar was exceptional too. read more

The pizza here is amazing! I've recommended this place to everyone looking for a slice when in downtown!

Very limited supply. I have yet to try the pizza. Everytime I go there is only plain left. :(

Really good pizza, probably One of the best pizzas Ventura county. They are vegan friendly and both versions or their pizza are amazing. It's light, crispy, amazing ingredients and you can also Buy by the slice. Will definitely go back. It is a little hard to find since they do Not have a sign but it's right next to kao ramen by mama. read more

BEST PIZZA IN VENTURA COUNTY! This small business should be on everyone's must try list. The service was fast and price was more than affordable. The pizza was still fresh when I went around 8 pm! Wish this place had more people because they truly deserve the business. read more

In the top 10 pizzas in the state of California, maybe even USA . Perfect pizza. I've tried over 500 pizza joints. As good or better then Louis bodega downtown L A. They are straight forward approach when ordering. Not much into alterations, but worth it. read more

Literally goated pizza and the specials are always amazing. Travis is a master of his craft