July 23, 2025
North Royalton is the fortunate city with multiple pizza opportunities. Since my family moved here in 1999, we’ve cycled through all of the options, and there are definitely some favorites. When it’s time for a take-out pizza, Tony Maloney’s gets the nod more often than not because it’s so close to my house, and they make a darn good pie. Is it the best? Not for me to judge, I leave that to residents more experienced than I am. But there is nothing like a large 15-inch round with mushrooms, sausage and black olives on a Friday night to kick off the weekend.
And the establishment has a story behind it, as does any great family-owned, independent business in Ward 1. From the website:
“Great, great grandfather of the proprietors, Fire Chief Tony Maloney was a local legend in his time. Originally a Golden Glove Boxer in the Navy, Tony settled down stateside and became a fireman. He quickly worked his way through the ranks of the local firehouse by having a keen intellect, lightning fast reflexes, and a notoriously sharp tongue. Boisterously fearless and heroic, over the years he was credited with saving the lives of 23 cats, 8 dogs, multiple farms, barns and animals, 4 orphans, several nuns, countless townsfolk, and at least 5 of his equally brave men. When he wasn’t battling raging flames, Chief Tony Maloney would cook meals for his men in a tiny firehouse kitchen. Several local farmers would frequently provide them with fresh meat and produce as a way of saying thanks for saving their land in the great fire of ’22. Using culinary skills that he picked up while serving in the navy, Firehouse #8 had comfort food that Tony Maloney elevated to a level previously unheard of at the time.”
I expect he was a great neighbor, too.
I encourage you to explore the menu, and if you’re a patio person like I am, the location at Sprague and York in the Timber Ridge Plaza is great on a warm summer evening. And just off the patio is a nice space for a social event, such as a party or fundraiser. More to come on that subject!
Tony Maloney’s has it right with good food and the motto, “Kiss me I’m Irish, Feed Me I’m Italian!”
References:
Tony Maloney’s
https://tonymaloneys.com/
Photo credit: Debb Haley