Carlee WrightFollow the scent of fresh-baked dough on Court Street, and you’ll find Precious Pizza, where a retro look meets a flavor-forward, Salem-grown take on pan pizza.
Precious Pizza is Alejandro Preciado, Katelyn Stewart, and José Preciado. It began in December 2020 as P3, a pandemic pop-up in a ghost kitchen, serving a style of pizza most Salem diners had never tasted. Orders came in online, José handled deliveries, and the concept caught the attention of local media almost immediately.
“A lot of Precious Pizza’s roots come from my training in traditional Italian cooking,” Alejandro said. He spent years at Burrasca, a Tuscan restaurant in southeast Portland, where he learned the value of fresh dough, fresh pasta, and rustic cooking that lets the ingredients speak for themselves. “We used to do ‘Pizza Friday Night’ for the staff — a simple, fun way to come together over food — and that energy carried into P3.”
“That building is iconic for Salem, so from day one we knew that if we were going to move in, we had to respect its history while still making it our own,” Alejandro said. They put in new flooring, repainted every surface, and rebuilt the kitchen — but kept the old-school bar and stools that locals know well. “We leaned into that history: retro touches, a 70s feel, an old light-up menu board like you’d find in a classic New York or New Jersey slice shop.”
The new location opened more than just square footage. It opened possibilities, including a real bar program, expanded menu, more seating, and extended hours that made room for happy hour and late-night slices. “It also let us finally create the experience we always wanted: a place where you can grab a quick slice, sit down with a drink, meet friends, or settle in for a night,” said Alejandro.
Precious Pizza keeps things classic and consistent, and their Grandma-style pies bring something new to Salem’s pizza landscape, although the style wasn’t planned. ‘
“I didn’t have a pizza stone,” said Alejandro, “I only had a baker’s oven and some sheet pans, so I started making what I later realized was essentially a Grandma-style pie. It turned into its own thing.”
Their signature pie, The Papi, short for Spicy Pineapple Papi, carries its own story. Whole-milk mozzarella, house poma (red sauce), pepperoni, pineapple, jalapeños, and a drizzle of house-made hot honey.
“I actually created this pizza for my dad. Growing up in a Mexican household, pizza was rare, a special-occasion thing, but I remember he always liked pineapple and jalapeños on his. So this pie is an ode to him,” said Alejandro.
The Papi has been on the menu since the second week of their pop-up days, and yes, they do have a vegetarian variation, sans the pepperoni. “It’s the one people crave — sweet, savory, and a little spicy — really well-balanced.”
Weekly specials give the team room to play. They keep things seasonal when they can, like the recent Green Bean Pizzerole, but sometimes they go straight for nostalgia. Case in point: the Cool Ranch Pizza, topped with actual Cool Ranch Doritos, which Alejandro describes as “ridiculous in the best way.’”
Still, the menu is only part of the story. What started as a pandemic experiment has found its footing at a moment when downtown is ready for new energy. Precious Pizza is one of the places helping to bring that momentum back, and the team sees themselves as part of that shift.
“Our dream is simple: to become a Salem staple — a destination people think of when they think of this city. Portland can’t have all the fun. Salem deserves great food, culture, and places to connect, and we’re proud to be part of that,” said Alejandro.
It’s a fitting ambition for a business that has already become part of Court Street’s daily rhythm.
Precious Pizza
347 Court St NE
971-720-6584, precious-pizza.square.site/
Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mon, Wed, Thurs; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fri & Sat, and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sun.
This story originally ran in Press Play Salem issue 26 (Winter 2025/26)
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Author: Carlee Wright
Carlee Wright is a community instigator with a grand love for Salem and notably fashionable shoes (Hello, John Fluevog!) who turns waste into wearable art in her "spare" time.
