Food and Drink

Charlotte’s Zämbies Pizza brings giant slices, late-night energy to NoDa

By Tristan Graziano and Jamie Graziano

When you walk into Zämbies Pizza — pronounced as “Zombies” — you can immediately feel the heartbeat of NoDa. Music blasts through the speakers of the tiny 10-seat slice shop while customers dig into oversized slices.

The vibe is young, loud and unapologetically fun, but despite the late-night energy, it’s surprisingly family-friendly. During our Saturday morning visit, we watched parents maneuver strollers through the packed shop while customers folded giant slices nearly the size of their heads.

We met Chad Heinicke, who owns and operates the shop alongside his brother-in-law, Jack Morrissey. The pair opened Zämbies in December 2023 with one goal: Make a fun, oversized slice worth talking about. Mission accomplished.

An eye-level shot inside a pizzeria featuring a teenager standing behind a stainless steel counter, holding up a massive, square pink pizza box. The large box displays a chef-hatted skull logo along with the words “THE SHOP ZÄMBIES” and “REST IN PIZZÄ.” In the foreground on the counter sits an equally massive, freshly baked New York-style cheese pizza on a round metal tray. The restaurant interior behind him features arched wall niches with tropical, monochrome landscape murals.
Tristan Graziano holds a 24” pizza box at Zämbies, Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

Living out in the suburbs, it sometimes feels like Charlotte shuts down around 9 p.m., but that is definitely not the case at Zämbies. Heinicke told us the dinner rush is busy, but if you want the full Zämbies experience, you need to stop by between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m., when the after-hours NoDa crowd rolls in.

We didn’t quite make it for the late-night scene, although this feels like perfect material for an “Evan After Dark” episode someday.

One of the highlights of our visit came when Heinicke invited Tristan behind the counter to make a pizza. Stretching and twirling a 28-inch dough takes a little more skill than expected, so pizza wizard Forest Rodgers stepped in to help.

A high-angle, medium shot of a smiling teenager standing behind a wooden work counter in a commercial pizzeria kitchen, wearing a light blue UNC Chapel Hill hooded sweatshirt and is using a hand to sprinkle shredded mozzarella cheese over a massive, unbaked pizza crust spread with red sauce. To the right sits a large plastic bucket filled with pizza sauce. In the background, a kitchen worker wearing a black cap and apron prepares other large pizzas along a stainless steel counter.
Tristan Graziano makes The Pioneer pizza at Zämbies. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

And honestly, it’s difficult to explain just how massive a 28-inch pizza really is until you see one in person. Two slices completely fill a standard 14-inch pizza box.

Naturally, we had to ask the question everyone is probably wondering: Has anyone actually eaten an entire pizza by themselves?

Apparently, yes. A few people have pulled it off.

An eye-level, medium shot of a smiling teenager sitting behind a large pink pizza box that functions as a tabletop. He is wearing a light blue UNC Chapel Hill hooded sweatshirt. Resting on a box in front are two white paper plates, each holding an oversized slice of New York-style pizza—one loaded with various vegetable toppings and the other drizzled with a crisscross pattern of dark barbecue sauce. The pink surface features a black skull logo and reads “THE SHOP ZÄMBIES.”
Tristan Graziano holds a Zämbies pizza. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

After seeing one up close, though, I absolutely would not recommend trying it. We eat a lot of pizza, and Zämbies somehow nails the sweet spot where one slice leaves you perfectly full without feeling miserable afterward. Add one of their garlic knots — roughly the size of a baseball — and you are set.

The Padroni pepperoni slice is probably the shop’s most popular order, but Heinicke said the Buffalove Buffalo chicken slice has developed a cult following strong enough that customers revolted when Zämbies briefly considered removing it from the menu.

An eye-level, close-up shot of a massive, freshly baked New York-style pepperoni pizza resting on a large circular metal tray. The pizza is densely covered from edge to edge with small, crispy cup-and-char pepperoni slices over bubbly melted mozzarella cheese and red sauce. The thick crust is golden-brown with slight charring and large air bubbles. In the blurred background, a stainless-steel commercial pizza oven is visible.
The Padroni pizza at Zämbies. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

During our visit, we tried the Pioneer cheese slice, the Sleeping Beauty with white sauce, roasted red peppers, red onions and balsamic drizzle, and the D.T.V. veggie slice.

The pizza is thin, crisp and wonderfully messy in the best possible way. Each slice arrives on two paper plates because one simply isn’t enough support. Sauce dripped down our hands. Grease covered our fingers. By the end, we absolutely needed extra napkins.

An eye-level, medium close-up shot of a happy teenager holding up a massive slice of New York-style pizza while wearing a light blue UNC Chapel Hill hooded sweatshirt and smiling widely. The oversized slice is loaded with cheese, red sauce, mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, and yellow banana peppers. The interior background of the pizzeria is softly blurred.
Tristan Graziano holding a 14” D.V.T. slice from Zämbies Pizza. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

The veggies on the D.T.V. stayed fresh and flavorful, but the Sleeping Beauty ended up being our favorite bite of the day. The sweetness from the balsamic drizzle balanced perfectly with the sharpness of the onions and creamy white sauce.

A top-down, close-up shot of two large New York-style pizza slices sitting side-by-side on white paper plates. The slice on the left is a veggie pizza loaded with melted mozzarella, tomato sauce, mushrooms, green peppers, red onions, and yellow banana peppers. The slice on the right features a golden-brown cheese base with red onions, drizzled with a crisscross pattern of dark barbecue sauce. The plates rest on a pink tabletop featuring a black graphic logo for “THE SHOP ZÄMBIES.”
The D.V.T. and the Sleeping Beauty slices at Zämbies Pizza. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

And don’t skip the dipping sauces.

The house ranch and marinara were both solid, but the Pookie Sauce and SAM Sauce were the real standouts, adding another layer of flavor — and honestly another layer of fun — to the whole experience.

If you somehow still have room for dessert, the dessert knots are the move to finish your meal.

An eye-level, medium close-up shot of a smiling teenager sitting at a wooden counter, wearing a light blue UNC Chapel Hill hooded sweatshirt and holding a small pastry roll topped with white icing in his right hand. On a white paper plate lined with wax paper in front sits another pastry roll covered in thick white icing and a sweet, brown glaze. The blurred background shows a restaurant hallway with gold barstools and a person standing in the distance.
Tristan Graziano tries Zämbies’ dessert knots. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

Whether you’re looking for a casual dinner with friends or late-night food after a night in NoDa, Zämbies feels like the kind of place that quickly becomes part of your regular rotation.

Just be warned: If you order an entire pizza to-go, they may have to slide it out the window because it is literally too large for the front door. Then comes the next challenge — figuring out how to fit it into your car for the ride home.

A wide, eye-level shot inside a pizzeria showing a smiling teenager and another person proudly holding a massive, oversized pink pizza box together. The teenager on the left wears a light blue hoodie, black athletic shorts, and white sneakers, while the person on the right wears a plain light gray t-shirt, dark gray shorts and black athletic shoes. The large pink box features a skull logo with a chef’s hat and reads “THE SHOP ZÄMBIES” and “REST IN PIZZA.”
Tristan and Jamie Graziano show off the size of pizza from Zämbies. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive

Zämbies Pizza

Location: 3204 N Davidson St, Charlotte, NC 28205

Menu

Cuisine: Pizza

Instagram: @theshop.zambies

Tristan Graziano, a Weddington High School student, enjoys golfing in his free time and hanging with his friends. Tristan can be reached on Instagram @tristan_graz03 and @tristanscoops. Jamie Graziano, aka The GrazFather, is a dad who dreams of starting his food review and travel website TheGrazFather.com. Jamie can be reached at jamie@thegrazfather.com or on Instagram @thegrazfather.

A straight-on exterior shot of the entrance to a pizzeria named “The Shop Zämbies.” The storefront features a white wooden facade with large glass display windows flanking a set of dark double doors. Pink signs with the restaurant’s skull-and-chef-hat logo are visible inside the windows, alongside a hand-drawn cardboard sign clarifying the name’s pronunciation. A pride flag hangs on the left side of the entrance, an American flag hangs on the right, and a decorative mosaic tile design is embedded in the ground right before the doorway.
Outside The Shop Zämbies. Jamie Graziano CharlotteFive
Related Stories from Charlotte Observer
Get unlimited digital access
#ReadLocal

Try 1 month for $1

CLAIM OFFER