Roma Italian Restaurant in Harrison, AR

The Facts:

Pizza: Roma Italian Restaurant
Business Category: Single Store
Website: https://www.facebook.com/RomaRestaurantHarrison/
Location: 1320 Highway 62/65 N in Harrison, AR (beside Super 8)
Date of Review Visit: May 16, 2021
What I Ordered: small (12") pizza with Italian sausage and Canadian bacon; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $15.66 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

 

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at Roma Italian Restaurant has a classic crispy on the outside but nice and fluffy on the inside texture.  This is not Chicago-style thick crust, but it is slightly thicker than average.  Overall, I really like this crust.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: This pizza does not have a lot of sauce, and the sauce that does appear has a strong garlic taste.  The garlic taste is way too strong for my palette.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The cheese is a tasty blend of mozzarella and Romano, and it appears in high quantity while producing little grease.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The sausage is a little bland, but the Canadian bacon tastes like nice fresh ham.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 9/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: This pizza has a nice well-balanced appearance.  Roma's has a large dining room with cloth napkins and other touches of class.  The service was quick and friendly.  Score: 10/10.

Value: This pizza is not cheap, but the price is reasonable given the high quality.  Therefore, the value is pretty good.  Score: 7/10.

Taste: The heavy garlic flavor in the sauce really weighs down the overall taste on what is otherwise an excellent pizza.  Score: 16/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

Roma's is a great pizza option if you like garlic.  I don't like garlic, so I think it is good but not great.  Still, I wish I lived closer to Harrison, AR so I could come here more often.  Score: 68/80.

Brick Oven Pizza Company in Arkansas/Texas

The Facts:

Pizza: Brick Oven Pizza Company
Business Category: Regional chain (15 locations, mostly in Texas and Arkansas)
Website: https://www.brickovenpizzacompany.com/
Location: 814 US 62 in Harrison, AR (beside Sofa City)
Date of Review Visit: May 14, 2021
What I Ordered: 10" pizza with Italian sausage and pepperoni; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $17.45 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

 

The Micro:

Crust: Most brick oven pizzas feature a thin and crispy crust, and I was expecting such here.  However, it turns out I got only the crispy part.  This crust has plenty of body, and I found it to be an unexpectedly good crust.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce does not have a lot of taste, tomato or otherwise.  It appears in high quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The cheese is supposed to be a five cheese blend, but it tasted like plain mozzarella to me.  The cheese appears in high quantity and does not produce much grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The Italian sausage is nice: it comes in big chunks and is just a little spicy but not too spicy.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  Both toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 7/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: Brick Oven Pizza Company serves its pizza in a nice pan, maybe a thicker pan than necessary.  The location in Harrison offers a nice dining area with a typical casual dining atmosphere.  The service was quick and friendly.  Score: 9/10.

Value: This pizza is not cheap, but it is not too expensive for brick oven pizza even if this is not a typical brick oven pizza.  Thus, the value is OK but not great.  Score: 5/10.

Taste: The Italian sausage saves what would otherwise be a very bland overall taste.  Score: 14/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

This pizza was not what I expected from a brick oven pizza place, but it is not bad.  That being said, in Harrison, AR I prefer nearby Roma's Italian Restaurant over Brick Oven Pizza Company.  Score: 60/80.