Ned's Corner Pub

One mile and four decades down the Industrial Heritage Trail from downtown Kokomo sits the incomparable Ned’s Corner Pub. Nestled in an aging but still (half-) thriving business district on South Main, Ned’s humble exterior doesn’t exactly give the impression that the bar serves up some of the best pizza in the City. But, you know, books and covers and all that.  

Before we talk about the pizza, a few words are in order concerning the unique dining experience you’ll find at Ned’s. The interior of the bar is about as unpretentious and laid back as a Midwestern basement, and it's full of amazing artifacts from the last 40 years. There’s a shuffleboard and a jukebox and retro-beer can wallpaper. You can smoke in Ned’s, too, and most people do (a lot), yet somehow the wafting smoke is more authentic than annoying. Beers in this dive aren’t exactly cheap, but the vibe is relaxed and undeniably working-class.

Ned’s is the kind of place where Chrysler Men take their old ladies for a tenderloin on Thursday night. People leave you alone here, but the strong communal atmosphere present in many of Kokomo's best beer joints is perhaps felt most strongly at the Corner Pub. 

Ned’s would be our favorite bar in town even if they didn’t serve unbelievably tasty pizza. Lucky for us, they do. 

We've dined in at Ned's countless times, but the threat of snow and sub-zero temperatures convinced us to order carry-out this time. While we missed the camaraderie and second-hand smoke of the Pub, of course, the pizza was just as good in our own dining room. 

It's difficult to know how to begin describing Ned's pizza. This pizza is complex. In a town where ordering a veggie pizza can sometimes feel like a consolation prize, the veggie at Ned's is like a dizzying stroll through the garden (but that could just be the MGD). 

The stars of this pizza are most definitely the toppings. Onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, green peppers, black olives and green olives. Not just any green olives, either. These green olives are stuffed with what seem to be candied pimentos. It's almost a little weird . . . until you taste it. 

The award for Best Supporting Actor goes to the crust, hands down. Ned's crust is somehow crispy in the middle and chewy around the edges. Its earthy, floury character tastes like a loaf from a Parisian oven or Amish bakery, in any case not a bar on Markland Ave. 

As for the cheese and sauce, they do their jobs with little fanfare. The sauce is sweet and there's enough cheese to be chewy. The whole thing is cut into squares like any respectable Midwestern bar pizza.

The pizza from Ned's, much like the Pub itself, is special. This place is more than a bar in Kokomo. It is Kokomo. Blue-collar humility at first glance, and something kind of exceptional upon closer inspection.

Ned's Corner Pub has the pizza to beat in Kokomo (for now).