A pizza dinner without sides is a missed opportunity. North Georgia pizza restaurants, particularly the independents, often have strong supporting menus that deserve attention. Here are the sides worth ordering.
Garlic knots / cheesy bread: The benchmark side item. Good garlic knots are soft, buttery, and garlicky without being greasy. If a restaurant gets these right, they understand their ovens and their dough.
Wings: Several North Georgia pizza restaurants serve surprisingly good wings. The key is whether they are baked or fried. Fried wings from a pizza kitchen tend to be better because the fryer is maintained for volume. Ask for them well-done for extra crispness.
Salads: A simple salad with a bright vinaigrette cuts through the richness of pizza. Most pizza restaurants offer a house salad or a Caesar. The quality varies more than it should — a good sign is a restaurant that makes their own dressing rather than using bottled.
Dessert pizza / cinnamon sticks: Several local pizzerias offer dessert options. Cinnamon sticks with icing are the most common and are usually made from the same pizza dough, which means they are fresh and hot. Dessert pizza (apple, s'mores, or similar) is less common but worth ordering when available.