Miguels Pizza
Miguel’s Pizza – Slade, Kentucky
2
FEBRUARY, 2020
If you’ve never been to Miguel’s Pizza, it is hard to understand how important a destination it is. It is a must-stop for any backpacking trip to the Red River Gorge. But Miguel’s actual claim to fame is as ground zero for the world-class rock climbing that the Gorge has to offer. Seven thousand five hundred climbers visit the Gorge and Miguel’s annually. They come from around the globe, and most base their visits at Miguel’s Pizza. “How can they do that?” you might ask. As I said, Miguel’s is now far more than a pizza joint. There is now a large dormitory building to house climbers, house rentals, and a large field for tents, which was initially the sole ‘housing’ option. They also serve some of the best pizza I’ve ever eaten!
“Buy my pizza or I’m going to have to eat my goats” – Miguel Ventura
Short history of Miguel’s Pizza
Miguel’s Pizza first began in 1984 in a renovated 1940-era store. It was opened by Miguel Ventura. But the ‘pizza’ part of Miguel’s would come later, in 1986. At first Miguel’s was an ice cream shop. At the time, the Red River Gorge was starting to climb in popularity as a rock climbing destination. There weren’t many lodging options in the area, so to take care of the climbers in the 1990’s Miguel started charging a few dollars for climbers to camp in a large field behind the store. It was a symbiotic relationship – the climbers got a cheap place to stay, and Miguel’s got a steady stream of pizza and breakfast burrito orders.
From those humble beginnings, Miguel’s Pizza has grown to dormitory housing, tent camping, and house rentals. In addition to some darn good pizza. Suppose you’re interested in much more detail on the history of Miguel and the role Miguel played in the Red River Gorge’s growth as a climbing destination. In that case, I encourage you to read an informative article written by Whitney Boland for climbing.com. You can read the article here.
First impressions of Miguel’s Pizza – Woodstock Revisited
I first learned of Miguel’s when I was doing research for my first Red River Gorge backpacking trip in 2012. Several trip reports included statements like “and, of course, you must stop at Miguel’s.” I had no idea what Miguel’s was, so I did a little digging and learned it was a killer pizza joint. Luckily, I did stumble upon Miguel’s on that trip. While driving around exploring the area, I rounded a corner and saw a colorful yellow building and a field with more tents than I’ve ever seen pitched together in my life. I had discovered Miguel’s! There were ‘hippies’ wandering around everywhere (rock climbers, actually). At that time, there was no dormitory building. All the climbers tented in the field and used Miguel’s as a base camp. My first thought was, “this looks like Woodstock”!
Ordering my first pizza – strange requirement for toppings
Jaden and I were camping at the Koomer Ridge Campground. Thinking Miguel’s pizza would be great around the campfire, I returned to Miguel’s later that night. There was a long line (a good sign), but I soon reached the counter and placed my order. I learned that Miguel’s has a rather unusual ‘no odd number’ ordering process. I ordered my usual ‘meat lovers’ pizza – ham, bacon, and pepperoni. They asked what I wanted for my fourth topping. I said, “no, fourth – just those three.” They said it was the same price for 1-2 ingredients, 3-4 ingredients, etc. Strange, but ok…! I asked their recommendation for a fourth, and they said, “we have a killer homemade chorizo.” So, chorizo it was – and it was GREAT! Miguel’s ‘no odd’ rule turned me on to chorizo on pizza.
Conclusion – Miguel’s Pizza
Since that first pizza, I’ve been to Miguel’s for every Red River Gorge backpacking trip. Bob and I went out of our way to stop at Miguel’s during our 2017 Grayson Highlands AT hike. The pizza has been consistently outstanding each time. In addition to pizza, I stopped at Miguel’s one morning to get one of their famous breakfast burritos. It was just as good as their pizza. And the people watching is typically just as good as their food! Miguel’s has grown considerably and changed much since my first visit in 2012, but one thing has remained the same. Their food is outstanding, and the ‘vibe’ is exceptional. If you ever find yourself in the Red River Gorge area, a stop at Miguel’s is a must.
