Our Story
From a home oven in Pelham to pizza all over Birmingham
Uncle G's Pizza started the way a lot of weirdly beautiful things started in 2020: at home, with too much time, a little uncertainty, and one person getting way too interested in making pizza.
George Gilliam, better known around here as Uncle G, did not come from a big restaurant group or a fancy culinary background. He started making pizza during the pandemic, learning from online pizza communities, YouTube, trial and error, and a whole lot of dough that did not always cooperate. Before Uncle G's, George worked in live music and entertainment. When COVID put that world on hold, pizza became the thing he kept coming back to.
At first, it was just a home project in Pelham. Then friends and family started asking for more. Then the little pizza obsession got serious enough that George started selling pizzas from home. After that came a crowdfunding push, a food trailer, and the first real version of Uncle G's Pizza rolling around the Birmingham area.
Why "Uncle G"?
The name came from real life.
George's nieces and nephews knew him as Uncle G long before anybody knew him as a pizza guy. They were also some of the earliest and most honest taste testers. Kids do not really care about branding, market positioning, or whether your cheese pull looks good on Instagram. They just tell you if the pizza is good.
That spirit still matters here. Uncle G's is meant to feel personal, local, a little goofy, and genuinely welcoming. Serious pizza, not serious-person energy.
Detroit style, New York inspiration, Birmingham roots
Uncle G's became known first for Detroit-style pizza: thick, crispy-edged, pan-baked squares with a chewy inside, a crunchy bottom, and caramelized cheese around the edges. George loved how Detroit pizza felt both humble and deeply technical. It is everyday food, but getting it right takes work.
Over time, Uncle G's grew into "Squares & Rounds," serving Detroit and New York inspired pizza for Hoover, Birmingham, and the surrounding area. The goal has never been to make pizza feel precious or out of reach. It is high-quality pan-style pizza, made with care, served without acting fancy about it.
Clean ingredients. Big flavor. No weird pizzeria ego.
From food truck to Riverchase
The first Uncle G's food trailer hit the streets in 2021. By 2022, there were two food trucks. In March 2024, Uncle G's opened its Riverchase storefront in Hoover at 1851 Montgomery Highway, Suite 107.
The shop gave Uncle G's a home base, but the business has never stopped being flexible. Today, the Riverchase shop operates as a takeout-focused pizza spot, while Uncle G's continues to serve through food trucks, delivery, catering, pizza classes, and events around Birmingham.
That mix fits the way Uncle G's has always grown: try the next right thing, listen to the community, keep making the pizza better, and keep moving.
Locally owned, community grown
Uncle G's is locally owned by George Gilliam and built with the support of people who kept showing up. Customers followed the trailer, shared posts, brought friends, ordered for offices, booked catering, and helped turn a pandemic home pizza project into a real Birmingham pizza business.
The community part is not just a nice phrase. It is how Uncle G's got here.
The Riverchase space also supports other local food businesses through commissary use, helping food trucks and small operators legally prepare food and serve communities across Hoover and the Birmingham metro. That matters to us because we know what it feels like to start small and figure things out one step at a time.
What Uncle G's is about now
Today, Uncle G's Pizza serves Detroit and New York inspired pies through the Riverchase Store, Birmingham food trucks, Hop City, mobile events, delivery, and catering.
We make pizza for weeknight takeout, office lunches, birthday parties, weddings, school events, brewery nights, and those "I don't feel like cooking but I do want something good" situations.
Uncle G's is for people who want pizza that feels familiar but still a little special. Crispy edges. Good sauce. Good cheese. Good dough. A local crew that cares. A pizza shop with a little personality and a lot of gratitude.
We're proud to be part of the Birmingham and Hoover food scene, and we're still doing what started all of this in the first place:
Making the best pizza we can, feeding people well, and trying not to take ourselves too seriously.
Come see us
Order from the Riverchase Store, find one of our food trucks around Birmingham, or book Uncle G's for your next catering order or event.
Squares, rounds, trucks, takeout, catering, chaos. That's Uncle G's.
Gallery
Pizza worth staring at
A few favorites from the shop, trailers, and catering line — follow @uncle_gs_pizza for daily drops.
In the box Detroit pan 
Detroit pans Catering spread At the shop 
Mobile trailer Riverchase shop 
Hop City trailer 
Storefront 
Garlic knots 
In the kitchen
Daily drops on @uncle_gs_pizza.
FAQ
Story FAQ
When did Uncle G's open in Riverchase?
The Riverchase storefront opened in March 2024 at 1851 Montgomery Highway, Suite 107 in Hoover.
Why is it called Uncle G's?
George Gilliam's nieces and nephews called him Uncle G long before pizza took over — the name stayed because the shop is meant to feel personal and local.
Is Uncle G's locally owned?
Yes. Uncle G's is owned by George Gilliam and grew with Birmingham-area customers, catering clients, and food-truck regulars.