Any restaurant featured on “Diners Drive-Ins and Dives” three times must be doing something right. Host Guy Fieri visited Pinky G’s Pizzeria’s founding restaurant in Jackson Hole twice for the Food Network show before filming a virtual episode during the pandemic era.

The pizza parlor, which is based exclusively in mountain towns, opened a fourth location on Feb. 25 in the former Sargent’s Cafe building in Bend.

The diner’s light brown walls and tattered vinyl booths have been swapped with a sleek color scheme. Posters of past Hayden Homes Amphitheater shows adorn the walls and a sandwich board at the entryway invites guests to select a table at their leisure and order at the counter when ready.

In a city with competing pizza joints, the dough sets this pizzeria apart. It’s allowed to proof for three days, sometimes longer, said Adam D. Hoff, owner and general manager of the Bend eatery. The dough is also substantial enough to hold the heavy layer of shredded mozzarella, while chewy enough to offer a satisfying, slightly yeasty bite.

Fieri’s favorites

Specials featured in “Diners Drive-Ins and Dives” are marked with an emblem on the menu. Included in that category is Hoff’s “hands down favorite pizza,” the Abe Froman ($24 medium, $34 extra large). An ode to the Sausage King of Chicago of “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” the pie, is made with a tasteful smattering of spicy Italian sausage, fresh mozzarella and flecked with freshly chopped basil.

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Add balsamic glaze ($1.50 upcharge) to make this pizza sing. The tangy-sweet balsamic glaze on the Abe Froman I tried was artistically drizzled over the ingredients and the toppings were of visibly high quality, a seed or two of fennel could be spotted in the crumbly sausage that dotted the pie.

Guy’s Pie ($24 medium, $35 extra large) has become one of the best sellers in the month since the pizza joint opened. Hoff said founder Tom Fay designed the pizza and Fieri made final tweaks before it landed on the menu in its final form.

This buffalo chicken pizza is not for the faint of heart. Creamy shredded mozzarella, ricotta and blue cheese crumbles are mixed with Frank’s Red Hot sauce, roasted chicken and pepperoni.

Turning up the heat

A Nashville-inspired “slice o’ day” ($5.50) has also been popular among diners thus far. It’s made with the restaurant’s garlic and oil base, roasted chicken, pickled red onion and housemade hot honey.

Hot honey is a side sauce that can — and should — be added to any pie.

“It’s been fun seeing some of the spicier options really hit the mark here because for my eight years living here, it’s never been much of a spice-filled town,” Hoff said. “It’s just really fun seeing everybody developing that ‘spice’ tooth.”

Rotating slices of the day have included a Reuben sandwich-style pizza for St. Patrick’s Day in addition to the daily flavors of cheese ($4.75), pepperoni and veggie ($5.25 each). Hoff said he’s been dreaming up flavors that have not yet been released, including a chicken and waffles pizza.

Aside from keeping the menu fresh and interesting for customers, the slice of the day program allows cooks to channel their creativity, breaking up the monotony of the daily routine.

Dishing out good times

Leaving pretentiousness at the door and having fun are core values at Pinky G’s.

“Fun is about 90% of what we try to preach to the team. You can’t have a bad time making pizza and you can’t have a bad time eating pizza. So when our team is having a good time and vibin’ well together, then it translates to the plate and to the table,” Hoff said.

With hours spanning until 9 p.m., Pinky G’s caters to Bend’s late-night crowd more than most. And it doesn’t intend to stop there.

“If Bend wants to turn out for it, we’d love to keep it open ‘till midnight,” Hoff said.

The restaurant is open six days a week but aims to expand to daily operations this month. It also plans to implement an in-house delivery program that caters to local neighborhoods, an approach Hoff said is intended to save customers the effort and cost of using third-party delivery systems.

Details

What: Pinky G’s Pizzeria

Location: 719 SE Third St., Bend

Contact: pinkygs.com, 541-797-0667, @pinkygsbend on Instagram and facebook.com/PinkyGsPizzeriaBend

Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Wednesday-Sunday

Price Range: $22-$24 for 12-inch pizzas and $31-$35 for 18-inch pizzas