Can the Best Pizza Be Found in Sevierville?

DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta, an honest review

As someone who remembers when Downtown Sevierville was a utilitarian part of town – there are still paint shops and hardware items sold there – I have enjoyed its transition to the foodie capital of this side of the mountains. Excellent restaurants that approach the culinary arts from a variety of angles – all with intentionality of purpose – abound. 

You’ve got excellent seafood at Pinchy’s in a light and fun atmosphere. And The Appalachian and Seasons 101 are bringing an elegant, cultivated approach to locally sourced, seasonal dining. You’ve got Graze Burgers treating the common hamburger as if it were high art. Buffalo Breakfast Co. adds a nice touch by being open for breakfast and lunch when the others are closed. It may not be quite as elevated, but it’s a surprisingly nice fit.

The final member of the enclave of epicurean delights is DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta, which pretty much spells out its raison d’être right there in the name. It’s scratch-made pizza and pasta, and it’s also very good. 

I worry sometimes about this precious grouping of greatness. Is it too far out of the way? Is there enough demand for this sort of dining? Will this surprising and amazing little neighborhood of artisanal dining survive? We already lost the barbecue place – the website is still operating as a reminder of what we once had – but there’s a lot of good barbecue in the mountains, maybe the market was too competitive. 

What is DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta?

It’s a Neapolitan Pizza place right in the heart of Downtown Sevierville, right in the shadow of the courthouse. It’s also a good football throw away from Dolly Parton’s statue.

Editor’s note: Please do not throw footballs at Dolly Parton’s statue. You will end up in the Sevier County Jail – which is also a good football throw away from Dolly Parton’s Statue, but not a place where they have epicurean delights, or really any other delights at all.

So, what is Neapolitan pizza, you might ask? It’s pizza done in the traditional style of Naples, Italy. Wood-fired oven, soft, chewy crust, fairly simple but high-quality ingredients. They don’t necessarily smother the whole thing in Mozzarella. To me, it’s fancy pizza. 

The menu isn’t massive. There are four appetizers, including the House Focaccia Bread. I’m partial to the Stuffed Portabello Mushrooms – Spicy Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella, provolone grana Padano, roasted peppers, basil, and tomato in DŌ’s delicious and flavorful pomodoro. DŌ offers four sandwiches, a handful of soups and salads, and its pizzas and pasta, which are made from scratch daily. 

There are both classic and unique pizzas on the menu

The pizzas include classic pies like four-cheese, margarita, and vegetable, but they aren’t afraid to risk the pizza-loving public’s scorn, either. The Tropical – with pomodoro, caramelized pineapple, salami, mozzarella, and provolone- sounds excellent. That said, I haven’t had a chance to try because the rest of the family are pineapple pizza skeptics.

The restaurant is also not afraid to give you some spice. Both the Diavolo and the Speciale have Calabrian chilies – known for their smoky flavor and moderate heat. It’s not an overwhelming heat, but it is present. 

The pasta and vibes at DŌ

The pasta dishes include the expected pomodoro – which we didn’t get a picture of on our most recent visit because our boy child ate his in about 2.75 seconds. He later assured us it was excellent. Other options include Gulf Coast Grouper, the Duroc Marinated Pork Chop, and the Braised Veal Shank. 

The place itself has a nice vibe. It’s not terribly big, but there are solid brick walls, large windows, and an attractive bar. The wood-fired pizza oven is in plain view but not so close that you feel the heat. 

What does the internet say about DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta? The internet likes it. It’s a 4.2 out of 5 on Yelp! with only 26 reviews and 4.6 out of 5 with 139 Google Reviews.

Is DŌ Scratch Made Pizza and Pasta worth it?

Yeah. It certainly is. Be forewarned, however, the pizzas aren’t massive. They’re 12 inches around, giving six slices each. Our party of six was on the fence between two or three pizzas for the table. Turns out three was absolutely the right call. This may be a little sacrilege, but as good as the pizzas are, I think the pastas might be better. We’ve got some more exploration to do. But the pastas we’ve had have been excellent, and the sandwiches look fantastic as well.

Honestly, the most difficult thing about this little grouping is choosing which one to visit when you don’t have an unlimited dining out budget.

Have you tried DŌ Scratch Made Pizza yet? Let us know in the comments and on the socials!