Dining: Hubby's Pizza

Hubby's Pizza as it appeared in Kennewick, Washington on 22-November-2005

KENNEWICK, WASHINGTON - It's Saturday and I'm in Kennewick, Washington. That can mean only one thing--time to have Hubby's Pizza.

Ever since Ed Gilbert opened Hubby's Pizza on Columbia Drive in 1976, my grandparents have been regulars. Often visiting on Saturday nights, they established a tradition that has spread throughout the extended family and probably was a major factor in creating my love of pizza previously mentioned on this blog. Part of the attraction of visiting the Tri-Cities was knowing that at 5 pm on Saturday, it would be time to meet at Hubby's.


A Hubby's Pizza box was observed on 2-January-2010

Well-promoted over the years, Hubby's has held its own as Kennewick has grown from about 30,000 residents at its founding to nearly 65,000 today. A large children's play area was added in the 1980's, at about the same time as a salad bar. Through it all, though, much has stayed the same. The furniture remains the original, heavy pine wood tables and benches that Gilbert special-ordered from LaPine, Oregon. The giant pizza knife, all 73 inches and 55 pounds of it, remains on the wall.


A medium "Hubby's Special" (now called the "Hubby's Household Combination") was observed on 2-January-2010

Of course, what has most prominently stayed the same is the pizza. Hubby's introduced what I would call thin-crust New Haven-style pizza to the Tri-Cities. Regulars of world-class Connecticut pizza restaurants like Pepe's and Sally's would be satisfied with Hubby's crust, their slightly tangy sauce, their own sausage blend, and use of pure mozzarella. Indeed, Hubby's is listed as amongst the world's best pizza on the well-known pizza site, Pizza Therapy, one of the things that convinced me that the site was trustworthy. My grandparents have always preferred the "Hubby's Special" (currently on the menu as the "Hubby's Household Combination") with salami, pepperoni, black olives, mushrooms, beef, and onions.


My grandmother Pat Gleich enjoyed a slice of Hubby's pizza on 2-January-2010

Ed Gilbert's son Monty officially bought Hubby's Pizza in 1995, and the founder tragically passed away in 2008 (as previously reported on this blog). I noted a tribute on the wall of the kitchen, visible from the order counter, during my visit today. Had I not known, though, I would not have guessed that anything had changed since 1976--and hopefully, Hubby's will continue to provide quality pizza for decades to come.