Next Door Pizza in Chino Hills, CA

The Facts:

Pizza: Next Door Pizza
Business Category: Single Store
Website: https://www.thenextdoorpizza.com/
Location: 15941 Pomona Rincon Road, Suite 110, in Chino Hills, CA (at California 71, exit 7)
Date of Review Visit: February 2024
What I Ordered: small (10") pizza with pepperoni and Italian sausage, fountain drink
Price: $17.78 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at Next Door Pizza is fairly thin but super hard, more hard than crispy.  My pizza seemed slightly overbaked.  The crust had too hard of a texture for my liking, so I can't rate this crust too high.  Score: 6/10.

Sauce: Next Door has several sauces to choose from, but I chose the traditional red sauce.  The pizza does not have a lot of sauce, but the sauce has a fresh tomatoey flavor.  Score: 8/10.

Cheese: This pizza has a nice blend of cheese that includes mozzarella, provolone, and a couple of others.  A mandatory deduction for too much grease applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The toppings are large slices of pepperoni and smaller pieces of crumbled up sausage.  Both toppings have nice pork flavor with just a little spiciness.  The toppings appear in above average quantity.  Score: 10/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: This pizza has a nice well-balanced appearance.  The dining room has a bar, a few TVs, but no chairs!  All seating is bench seating with no backs, which is very hard on people with back problems such as myself.  The service was quick and friendly.  Score: 7/10.

Value: Next Door is on the expensive side, but the quality is high.  Therefore, the value is not that bad.  Score: 6/10.

Taste: The overall taste is rather flavorful, but the grease and the crust keep this score lower than it really should be.  Score: 16/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

Next Door makes a pizza that is a better crust, some grease, and some better chairs away from being elite.  Whether it is next door to your house or not, it is worth coming here at least on occasion for some pretty good pizza.  Score: 61/80.

Round Table Pizza in Southern California

The Facts:

Pizza: Round Table Pizza
Business Category: Local Chain (8 locations, all in southern California)
Website: https://www.roundtablepizza.com/
Location: 2506 E. Chapman Ave. in Fullerton, CA (in College Plaza beside Subway)
Date of Review Visit: February 2024
What I Ordered: small (10") pizza with pepperoni and Italian sausage
Price: $16.25 (includes tax but not drink or tip)

The Micro:

Crust: The crust at Round Table Pizza is on thin side.  It has a nice crispy texture.  The pizza looks overbaked, but it's actually baked perfectly for this kind of pizza.  This is a great crust.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a fresh tomatoey taste and comes in plenty of quantity.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese, which is a tasty blend of several kinds of cheese.  The cheese produces quite a bit of grease, which leads to a mandatory deduction.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni appears in thin slices with just a little spice.  The Italian sausage appears in medium-sized chunks with just the right amount of spice.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 10/10.

 

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: Round Table Pizza has a well-balanced appearance dominated by the toppings.  They have a nice casual dining atmosphere with retro games such as skiball and Golden Tee Golf.  The service was quick and friendly on my visit; I was the only customer at the time.  Score: 10/10.

Value: Round Table Pizza is not cheap, but it has high quality.  Hence, the value is not as bad as you might expect.  Score: 4/10.

Taste: Everything comes together well to produce a fresh taste with a crispy crust, but the sauce is what really makes the taste.  Score: 18/20.

 

The Final Judgment:

Round Table Pizza calls themselves pizza royalty, and they are not far off.  For royally good pizza and a royally good time, Round Table Pizza deserves a spot in your pizza rotation, and it makes a great party destination.  Score: 70/80.