Salute Pizzeria Delivers: South Toledo Spot Offers Traditional, Gluten-Free, Vegan, and Keto Options

Salute’s Aloha pizza is topped with cheddar and mozzarella cheeses, ham, sweet pineapple and crunchy bacon. Photo by Laurie Bertke

Pizza is the quintessential quick and easy family takeout food — a crowd pleaser for all ages that doesn’t break the budget.

Salute Pizzeria (pronounced “salu-TAY”) opened in the Southwyck area at Glendale and Reynolds last summer and the first time we tried it my daughter declared it her favorite pizza in town. Salute has since become a regular addition to my family’s pizza joint rotation and our order is often personally handed to us by the owner, Frank Williams, a 35-year veteran of the pizza industry. 

“Salute is Italian for “good health,” and we use all natural ingredients whenever possible,” explains Williams. “We strive to make the best product and to provide the best service in the area.”

Inclusive menu

The Cobb Salad is among the array of hearty salads on the menu at Salute. Photo by Laurie Bertke

The restaurant’s clean, simple interior has a couple of small tables and a few chairs, but Salute is primarily a carryout spot with a menu that features an assortment of Italian-style pizzas, as well as salads, subs, chicken chunks and wings. Plan on picking up food to enjoy in the comfort of your home, or better yet, have it delivered. 

Salute’s menu includes traditional, keto, vegan and gluten-free options. Any pizza may be ordered with original, pan or hand-tossed thin crust, and the smallest size is available with a gluten-free or low-carb cauliflower crust ($2 extra). The inclusive menu also features a vegan speciality pizza, vegan cheese bread and vegan pizza sub. 

Fast service, fresh ingredients

Salute’s Triple Threat Pep came loaded with pepperoni curled into perfect little cups that were nicely crisped at the edges. Photo by Laurie Bertke

Salute offers online ordering (for a 99-cent “convenience fee”) or you can call in your order the old-fashioned way. I planned to order early online to pick up our meal at a set time after our evening activities, but I ended up calling before we headed home and the order was ready when we arrived 15 minutes later. 

The restaurant offers an impressive array of hearty salads, or you can build your own by choosing a base and up to five toppings. I opted for a small cobb salad, and there was enough to share with two kids. The bed of iceberg lettuce was fresh, crunchy and heaped with crisp bacon bits, grilled chicken, diced tomatoes, egg and a bit of avocado.  I was happy with the salad and the Italian dressing and could definitely just eat this for lunch. I think my daughter’s intake of salad nearly matched her intake of pizza, which is saying something. 

For our main course, we ordered a large Triple Threat Pep with the default original crust and a medium, thin-crust Aloha — Salute’s take on Hawaiian pizza. We rounded the meal out with an order of cheese bread, which was chewy and filling but not a particular standout. 

The Triple Threat Pep promised 3 times the pepperoni, and it did indeed come loaded with pepperoni curled into perfect little cups that were nicely crisped at the edges. Everyone in our party who sampled this one enjoyed it, with the only complaint being that the spicy pepperoni eventually became a bit intense. 

The ham on the Aloha was sliced thin and tucked beneath a layer of mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, topped with sweet pineapple and a generous amount of crunchy bacon. Despite the slightly burnt edges of the thin crust, Salute’s take on Hawaiian pizza was one of the best I have tasted. 

Bottom line

Salute stands out for its fresh ingredients, speedy service, inclusive menu and nice array of specialty pizzas. As one of the new kids on the block, Salute holds up well amid a crowded field in the Toledo pizza scene and I know my family will be back soon. 

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