Sahara Pizza in The Dalles, OR

The Facts:

Pizza: Sahara Pizza
Business Category: Single Store
Website: https://www.saharapizzathedalles.com/
Location: 918 W. 6th St. on the west side of The Dalles
Date of Review Visit: July 13, 2021
What I Ordered: personal (8") Lion's Feast Pizza (all-meats pizza)
Price: $7.99 (pizza only; no drink or tip)

 

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at Sahara Pizza is not a Chicago-style thick crust, but it is thicker than I was expecting for a west coast pizza.  The crust is crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  My pizza was slightly overbaked, hence a small deduction on an otherwise excellent crust.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: This pizza is slightly undersauced.  What sauce does appear has a nice tomatoey taste and medium-thick texture.  Score: 8/10.

Cheese: The 100% mozzarella cheese appears in high quantity.  It does not have a lot of flavor, and it produces a decent bit of grease.  Score: 6/10.

Toppings: As with any all-meats pizza, the toppings make this pizza.  All toppings appear in high quantity.  The sweetness of the ham and the slight spiciness of the sausage make a nice combination.  The other meats do not really stand out.  Score: 9/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The pizza looks like the robust pizza it is.  It comes in a tiny box that feels super heavy for its size.  I ordered take-out, but the small dining area seemed purely functional.  The service was a little slow: I had to wait about 10 minutes past the promised ready time, and they were not busy on my visit.  Score: 7/10.

Value: The price is downright cheap for pizza this good.  Score: 10/10.

Taste: The sweet/spicy combination of ham and sausage steals the show, the other items add mellow accompaniments.  Maybe this pizza could use a little more sauce or more flavorful other meats.  Score: 19/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

Sahara Pizza is an attractive pizza option, especially if you like thicker crust pizzas.  Though not quite elite, I would come here regularly if I lived in The Dalles.  Score: 68/80.

MrJims.Pizza

The Facts:

Pizza: MrJims.Pizza
Business Category: Regional Chain (locations in 6 states, most numerably Texas)
Website: https://mrjims.pizza/
Location: 2523 Grand Ave. Unit A in Laramie, WY (east end of UW Plaza)
Date of Review Visit: July 10, 2021
What I Ordered: small (10") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; 20-ounce Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $12.89 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

 

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at MrJims.Pizza has medium thickness.  It has a nice crispy-on-the-outside but chewy-on-the-inside texture, although mine was a little too crispy.  This crust is solid, but considering MrJims.Pizza's motto is "It's the crust," I was expecting more from this crust.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: This pizza is somewhat undersauced, but the sauce that does appear has a nice tomatoey taste.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The cheese seems to be 100% mozzarella.  It appears in decent quantity, but it produces lots of grease and offers little real flavor.  Score: 5/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni is unremarkable.  The sausage comes in crispy small chunks with just a little spiciness.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 7/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The pizza's appearance is dominated by the crust and toppings, but it is served on a pan that is way too large for the pizza.  The dining area consists of just a few tables; it is purely functional.  The service was friendly and quick. Score: 6/10.

Value: While not cheap pizza, the price is reasonable for decent quality pizza. Score: 8/10.

Taste: The overall taste could have been very bland, but the slight spicy flavor of the sausage saves the day.  The crust helps too in its own way.  Score: 15/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

Laramie is a college town, and MrJims.Pizza is slightly better than your average college town pizza.  Maybe one day it will earn a terminal degree and become DrJims.Pizza.  Score: 57/80.