Florida Locals Love This Pizza Joint Housed In The Basement Of An Abandoned Hospital

Driving down an avenue in Downtown Pensacola, you can pass a towering edifice that evokes the haunted castles of Gothic legends. What many people come here for, though, isn't ghost-hunting, but rather cheesy pizza slices at the on-site O'Zone Pizza Pub. While Pensacola is famed for its oceanfront, with an affordable Florida beach that's perfect for swimming and sunshine, one of its most highly regarded dining spots is the O'Zone Pizza Pub, located in the dark basement of a former hospital. The hospital setting lends an eerie ambiance to the pizza joint, but locals assure that the pizza is to die for.

O'Zone Pizza Pub's home, the former Sacred Heart Hospital, is a bit of a historic landmark worth visiting in itself. It was built in 1915 in a Gothic Revival style as one of Pensacola's biggest hospital facilities and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Today, it's known as Tower East and houses both office spaces and businesses, including the pizza parlor.

The great thing about O'Zone Pizza Pub is that its setting, while unique, isn't just a sensational cover for mediocre pizza. The food itself has a strong reputation. In 2024, the shop made it to the top four of favorite Pensacola pizzerias voted for by locals in the Pensacola News Journal. Meanwhile, the Local Experts Team from Florida Panhandle gave the shop 4.5 out of 5 stars, highlighting its Roman-style crust and variety of topping options.

Tower East, where O'Zone Pizza Pub is, is pretty easy to spot — a fortress-like monolith on North 12th Avenue, just around a 10-minute drive from the Pensacola International Airport. (It's also about a 30-minute drive from the Tarkiln Bayou Preserve, one of Florida's best-kept secrets.) The entrance to O'Zone is on the left side of the building (its sign might be obscured by vines), and then you descend into the basement where the pizza is served. There's seating inside with table service, though you can also order takeout.

The O'Zone Pizza Pub menu has a make-your-own-pie option, or you can try one of its unique fixed combinations. One is the Ponderosa Stomp, topped with a smoky-sweet mix of chicken, bacon, peppers, honey, and barbecue sauce. "I'm willing to bet if God was going to choose a pizza to serve in heaven, he'd pick the Ponderosa Stomp," a pizza contest judge once said in the Pensacola News Journal. Another favorite is one called A Nutty Idea, which is topped with cream cheese, cashews, and ham. Vegans can also enjoy O'Zone's pizzas: All pies come with the option to substitute vegan cheese.

After you've scarfed down some slices, you can wander around the old hospital halls. There are some displays with antique hospital equipment. Other parts of the former hospital have more businesses — Lamonte Gelato is one located in the building that could be your stop for dessert, with a solid 5-star average on Google Reviews. RV travelers will be happy to know there's one of the best RV resorts in Florida nearby, a 15-minute drive away at Pensacola Beach.