Is DC Jumbo Slice Pizza Actually A Foot Long?
We normally associate cities like New York, Chicago, and Detroit with pizza in the U.S. — but if you've ever been to Washington, D.C., you know they have a pizza slice that is all their own. Take a walk down a street in Adams Morgan, a district known for bars and late-night food, and you'll quickly discover what a D.C. pizza is all about.
When the drunchies lead us to buy a slice of pizza in the wee hours of the morning, there is actually a scientific reason why. Drinking alcohol lowers our blood sugar levels and stimulates our brain to feel hungry, so we turn to salty foods like pizza to satisfy both needs. And D.C. pizza shops found the perfect way to capitalize on this: by making an enormous pizza slice that is regarded both as a novelty item and an appealing way to soak up the alcohol.
The jumbo slice was born in 1999 when Pizza Mart owner Mike Chisti experimented with using leftover dough to make a huge pizza on a busy night. It was an instant success, as customers that night marveled at the gargantuan pie — and today, locals and visitors alike go out of their way to get their hands on the slices, which are rumored to be a foot long. We know they're huge, but are jumbo slices actually a foot long?
Jumbo slices are often longer than a foot
It turns out that the typical D.C. jumbo slice is at least a foot long. We know this because people have actually taken it upon themselves to measure the slices and report their findings. When PMQ Pizza Magazine measured a slice, it came out to about 14 inches long, although the outlet claims they can go up to 18 inches. And taste tests from Eater found slices that were 13.5, 15.25, and 15.5 inches long. It's worth noting that these are not skinny slices — the ones Eater measured were all at least a foot wide as well.
Most of the time, a jumbo slice is served on two plates, which is necessary to ensure the end doesn't droop off. In order to stuff them in your mouth, many on-the-go eaters attempt to fold them in half, although some swallow their pride and take a seat with a knife and fork. If you're wondering if it's even possible to finish one of these massive slices in one sitting, that depends on your appetite and possibly how much alcohol you've consumed — some people can't get a whole one down, while Pizza Mart owner Mike Christi told PMQ he's seen someone polish off three slices in 20 minutes. Whichever camp you fall in, it's worth getting your hands greasy to try one of these novelty pizzas in our capital city.