Skiles Tavern

The best pizza in Holland: Fact or Fiction?

I hadn’t been to Skiles Tavern for years, but it didn’t take long for me to feel like a regular.

In fact, I felt that way within minutes.

It was an unseasonably warm Monday night when my friend Erica and I strolled into the upscale dive bar on the edge of downtown Holland and Hope College.

We had heard Skiles had the best pizza in Holland. The last time I visited was for drinks alone. Now it was time to determine whether those stories were fact or fiction.

The pleasant bartender welcomed us with a smile. We looked at the menu on the wall and realized it was basically pizza and beer. Simple, sure, but can you really go wrong with that?

Erica was excited to notice a few nonalcoholic options, settling on a can of Athletic Run Wild IPA. Meanwhile, the Oberon Light caught my attention and soon we were sipping cold beers while watching Monday Night Football kick off.

As we debated toppings, the fun couple next to us weighed in.

“You know the toppings you select can tell a lot about a relationship,” the man leaned over and said with a smile.

“Honey, they might be brother and sister!” the woman protested with a laugh.

Were we on a date? Maybe.

After the laughter died down, we ordered a 15” pizza with pepperoni, bacon, and green peppers, the latter a request from Erica after I turned down the mushrooms.

Now the pizza did take a long time, but it gave me time to relax and be approached by a woman who was adamant I was her flight attendant from earlier in the day. I was not.

Finally, the main attraction arrived. It was huge. Crispy. Flaky. Buttery. Delightful.

Erica said the sauce-to-cheese ratio was perfect and soon turned to our new BFFs.

“It’s good,” she said to the woman. “I get it.”

A few bites in, our work here was done. This was clearly the best pizza in Holland.