Yes, we're open — and we're back on Downer Avenue.

Pizza Man opened in 1970 and quickly became an East Side institution: thin-crust pizza, a full Italian menu, a serious wine list and a room where neighbors, UWM students and families all felt at home.

The Oakland Avenue years

For decades, Pizza Man's home was on Oakland Avenue. In 2010, a fire destroyed that building. Milwaukee didn't let go — and neither did we. Pizza Man reopened on Downer Avenue at Belleview Place, and later moved to Humboldt Avenue before closing in April 2024.

Back where we belong

In September 2024, Pizza Man came home to 2597 N Downer Avenue under new co-owner Krys Zielinski, a longtime Milwaukee restaurant operator. The goal was simple: bring back the Pizza Man people remember.

The original recipes didn't survive the years, so Chef Miguel Mayoral rebuilt the menu from the ground up — 12-inch thin-crust pizzas, pastas, seafood and entrées — tasting against the memories of longtime regulars. We also expanded the wine cellar, because a Pizza Man dinner was never just about pizza.

What hasn't changed

• Thin, crisp crust and generous toppings

• A wine list worth exploring

• A neighborhood room on Downer Avenue that feels like yours