Rocky Rococo Pizza

Basic Information:

Pizza: Rocky Rococo Pizza

Number of Locations: 31, mostly in Wisconsin
Location Reviewed: Fox River Mall Food Court in Appleton, WI
Website: https://rockyrococo.com/
Date of Review Visit: October 2025
What I Ordered: small pizza with Italian sausage and pepperoni
Price: $20.01 (pizza only)
Photos:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Rocky Rococo Pizza has a thick crust, but it is not quite your typical Chicago-style pan crust.  The crust is very bready; it has a soft texture with a crusty outer edge.  This crust is very good.  Score: 10/10

Sauce: The sauce is on the bitter side, and this pizza is slightly undersauced.  I like sweet sauces, so to my taste palette the sauce is the worst feature of this pizza.  Score: 7/10

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of yummy cheese, and it does not produce a lot of grease.  Excellent!  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The sausage is a sweet Italian sausage that comes in nice large chunks.  The pepperoni has a mild seasoned pork taste.  Both toppings appear in above average quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The bitter flavor from the sauce really hurts because everything else combines to make a tasty pizza.  Score: 8.5/10

Pizza Appearance: Rocky Rococo makes rectangular pizzas, so they are bigger than you might think for the size you order.  It looks like the robust pizza it is.

Dining Atmosphere: The location I visited is located in a standard mall food court, and therefore the dining atmosphere feels like a mall food court with lots of people, noise, and other dining options around.

Customer Service: This location has counter service.  The service was quick, but they were not busy when I came here at 5pm on a Monday.

Monetary Value: The price is a mall price, i.e. it is high relative to what you put in your mouth.  Note that the price I give above is only for the pizza; drinks would have been extra.

The Final Judgment:

Rocky Rococo is a remarkable regional reward among Wisconsin pizzas.  I'd rave over this restaurant, but I reserve my regards due to the wretched-to-me sauce and the rocket-high price.  Score: 84/100

LaRosa's Family Pizzeria in Cincinnati, OH: Stuffed Pizza

Basic Information:

Pizza: LaRosa’s Family Pizzeria

Number of Locations: about 50, mostly near Cincinnati, OH

Location Reviewed: 96 Blackburn Lane in Dry Ridge, KY (just east of I-75, exit 159)

Website: https://www.larosas.com/

Date of Review Visit: October 2025

What I Ordered: Small stuffed pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and ham; cherry Coke to drink

Price: $23.72 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Like all stuffed pizzas, LaRosa’s stuffed pizza has 2 crusts: one on top and one on bottom.  While the 2 crusts are not identical, both crusts have taken direct oven heat, and both crusts are on the hard and crispy side.  There is also the hard and crispy super thick crust around the edge of the pizza.  Finally, they sprinkle a lot of spices atop the pizza, way too many for my taste.  The spices don't directly have to do with the crust, but I needed to mention them somewhere.  Score: 6/10.

Sauce: There is no sauce in the pizza; they give it to you in small cups for spreading or dipping.  They offer several sauce options, but I chose the standard pizza sauce.  The sauce uses high quality ingredients and has just the right amount of seasoning with spices.  I really like this sauce, but I kind of wish it was in the pizza.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: This pizza has a 4-cheese blend that makes the cheese more flavorful than their usual provolone.  There is a very small amount of grease.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: The sausage is just a little spicy and comes in nice-sized chunks.  The pepperoni is fairly average, but the ham has nice pork flavor and produces little grease.  There are plenty of "toppings" stuffed between the crusts.  Score: 10/10.

Overall Taste: The spices sprinkled atop the pizza combine with the spiciness of the sauce and the spiciness of the sausage to produce too much spiciness for me.  I like my food to taste like what it is, not like a bunch of spices.  Also, the outer crust is too hard and thick.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The appearance is quite pleasing save for the super thick crust around the edge.  

Dining Atmosphere: Most LaRosa’s locations have an excellent casual dining atmosphere, and Dry Ridge is no exception.

Customer Service: I have always enjoyed the service at LaRosa's.

Monetary Value: The price is somewhat low given the quality of pizza and dining experience you get. LaRosa’s stacks up far better than its casual dining competitors in this category.

The Final Judgment:

LaRosa’s is a Cincinnati favorite, but I prefer their regular pizzas over this stuffed pizza.  The stuffed pizza has too much spiciness, plus the crust is too hard and thick.  Score: 88/100.

Cacciatori Pizza & Pasta in Newark, DE

Basic Information:

Pizza: Cacciatori Pizza & Pasta

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 108 Louviers Drive (back right corner of Louviers Shopping Plaza on Paper Mill Road north of Newark, DE)
Website: https://cacciatoris.com/
Date of Review Visit: September 2025
What I Ordered: Personal (10") pizza with pepperoni and sausage; 20 oz Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $14.45 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review:  5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Cacciatori Pizza & Pasta makes a New York style pizza with a characteristically thin crust.  The crust has a nice crispy texture but not a lot of flavor, bready or otherwise.  I like this crust, but I've had better.  Score: 8/10

Sauce: This pizza has plenty of sauce, and it has a great tomatoey taste.  This is some of the best sauce I have ever had.  Because 10 is as high as this score can go...  Score: 10/10

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of yummy cheese, but it is slightly greasy.  Thus, a slight deduction applies.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: Both the sausage and pepperoni have a nice pork flavor with just a little bit of spiciness.  Both toppings appear in plenty of quantity.  Magnifico!  Score: 10/10

Overall Taste: The sauce steals the show, but everything works together well to create a very yummy pizza.  Score: 9.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like the tasty New York style pizza that it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Cacciatori has a small but nice casual dining area with several TVs for entertainment.

Customer Service: The service was a little disjoint on my visit: I wasn't immediately sure if they have table service or counter service.  Once I figured out how and where to order, the pizza was made and delivered to my table quickly.

Monetary Value: reasonable price plus high quality pizza equals above average value.

The Final Judgment:

Cacciatori Pizza & Pasta is one of my favorite pizzas anywhere.  If you find yourself near northwest Delaware, do your taste buds a favor and eat here.  Score: 92/100

Frank's Pizza and Italian Restaurant in Somerset, NJ

Basic Information:

Pizza: Frank's Pizza and Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 441 Elizabeth Ave. in Somerset, NJ (across the street from ShopRite)
Website: https://frankspizzasomerset.com/
Date of Review Visit: September 2025
What I Ordered: large (16") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; 20 oz. Crush to drink
Price: $27.45 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Frank's Pizza is not as thin as you would expect for a New York-style pizza.  It has a very crispy texture, and it's definitely not foldable.  While I don't particularly like this crust, it gets the job of supporting the rest of the pizza done.  Score: 7/10

Sauce: The sauce has a slight tomato flavor, so it's not great but not offensive.  It appears in average quantity.  Score: 8/10

Cheese: Likewise the cheese appears in average quantity, and it is inoffensive but not impressive either.  Score: 8/10

Toppings: The sausage has a slight pork flavor that I find mildly appealing; the pepperoni is unremarkable.  Neither topping has a lot of flavor.  Both toppings appear in average quantity.  Score: 7/10

Overall Taste: Nothing on this pizza contributes a lot of flavor, and therefore the overall taste is on the bland side.  Score: 7/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks big.  Other than that, it looks like a very average medium-crust pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Frank's has a nice but dated casual dining area.  The bricks in the right wall that spell out "pizza" is a nice touch.

Customer Service: The service is counter service, but they took my order and got my pizza made promptly.

Monetary Value: The price is high, but this is a decent quality 16" pizza with a drink.  Moreover, the counter service saves on the tip.  Therefore, the value is not that bad.

The Final Judgment:

Frank's Pizza and Italian Restaurant serves a very average pizza in a fairly average dining atmosphere.  While certainly not a bad pizza option, there are many I like better.  Score: 75/100

Sidewall Pizza in Greenville, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Sidewall Pizza

Number of Locations: 4, all near Greenville, SC
Location Reviewed: 99 Cleveland Street in Greenville, SC (just south of downtown, 1 block east of US 29)
Website: https://www.sidewallpizza.com/
Date of Review Visit: September 2025
What I Ordered: 14" pizza with big pepperoni and Italian sausage; black cherry soda to drink
Price: $26.39 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Named for part of a car tire, Sidewall Pizza has a thin crust, but the crust is thicker than you might expect near the edges.  The crust has a nice crispy texture.  Burnt spots on the crust look a little unappetizing, but they taste fine.  Score: 9/10

Sauce: I ordered the crushed tomato sauce, which is their standard sauce.  It is a thick, robust sauce with a nice tomatoey flavor.  I really like it.  Score: 10/10

Cheese: The standard cheese is 100% mozzarella, although they do have other cheese options.  My pizza was slightly undercheesed.  The cheese does not have much flavor, but it also does not produce much grease.  Score: 8/10

Toppings: The Italian sausage appears in ground up bits; it is tasty with a little spice and decent pork flavor.  Sidewall offers 2 types of pepperoni: big and little.  The server told me the only difference between the 2 pepperonis was the diameter of the slice, which seemed strange to me.  The big pepperoni is not spicy and has decent pork flavor.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: Everything works together very well.  I would like to have tasted a little more flavor from the cheese and pepperoni.  Score: 9.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The crust and its blackened areas are more noticeable than you would expect for a thin crust pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Sidewall has a quiet, casual dining area with tables and chairs.  The restaurant is named after part of a tire, and the restaurant is decorated like an old commercial garage complete with glass overhead doors.

Customer Service: The service was prompt, friendly, and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: Sidewall Pizza is high quality, but it's not cheap.  They offer many specialty pizzas but only make one size.  Bring a friend or be ready for leftovers.

The Final Judgment:

The restaurant's name and dining area has automotive vibes, but there's no rubber or motor oil in this pizza.  Sidewall makes a very good but pricey pizza, and especially for car enthusiasts it's a nice place to go for those special pizza occasions.  Score: 87/100

Electric City Pizza in Anderson, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Electric City Pizza

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 305 S. Main Street in downtown Anderson, SC
Website: https://electriccitypizzacompany.com/
Date of Review Visit: July 2025
What I Ordered: personal (8") pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Price: $14.49 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Electric City Pizza has fairly high thickness, but the texture is on the hard side.  It does have somewhat of a bready taste.  This crust isn't bad, but I've had better.  Score: 7/10

Sauce: The sauce has a thick texture and a strong tomatoey taste.  This is a robust sauce, and I like it. Score: 10/10

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese, and the parmesan cheese adds some flavor.  It does not produce too much grease.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The pepperoni is unremarkable.  The sausage comes in medium-sized chunks that have some spiciness but not much pork flavor.  Both toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 8/10

Overall Taste: The spiciness of the sausage blends nicely with the tomato taste of the sauce to produce a pleasant and robust flavor.  It would be better with some additional flavors contributed to the overall taste.  Score: 8.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The sausage dominates the appearance, so maybe it has too much sausage and not enough pepperoni.  Then again, the sausage is better than the pepperoni.

Dining Atmosphere: Electric City Pizza has a nice casual dining area with 80's rock music blaring through speakers and TVs with sports programming.

Customer Service: The service was friendly and attentive, but my pizza took a long time to make even though they weren't that busy when I came here.

Monetary Value: The price is fairly low, but the quality is fairly high.  Therefore, the value is fairly high.

The Final Judgment:

Electric City Pizza occupies the building that used to house Mellow Mushroom.  While I like Mellow Mushroom a little more, this pizza is a worthy substitute and a nice addition to the Anderson pizza scene.  Score: 88/100

Big Kahuna's Pizza n' Stuffs in Honolulu, HI

Basic Information:

Pizza: Big Kahuna's Pizza n' Stuffs

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 550 Paiea Street in Honolulu, HI (in the Airport Trade Center)
Website: https://bigkahunaspizzahawaii.com/
Date of Review Visit: April 2025
What I Ordered: small (7") Meat Lovers Pizza
Price: $12.58 (includes drink and tax)
Photo:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Big Kahuna's pizza features a thick pan crust that is similar to Pizza Hut's pan crust in texture but has a little more flavor.  This crust does a good job of supporting all of the toppings.  I like pan pizza, and I like this crust. Score: 10/10

Sauce: This pizza does not have a lot of sauce, but the sauce it does have offers a pleasant sweet taste. Score: 8/10

Cheese: The cheese appears in sufficient quantity and has a nice stringy texture.  It doesn't have a lot of flavor, but it also doesn't have a lot of grease.  Score: 8/10

Toppings: The sausage comes in large flavorful chunks.  The Portuguese sausage comes in thick slices and has a nice smoked flavor.  Why don't more pizza places offer a smoked sausage topping like this one?  The kalua pork has a sweet barbecue flavor that compliments the other meats nicely.  The bacon, pepperoni, ham, and beef brisket are fine but less noteworthy.  This pizza has plenty of toppings, and this is a great collection of toppings.  Score: 10/10

Overall Taste: The sauce and toppings combine to give an overall taste that is on the sweet side.  I like sweet tasting pizzas, so I like this taste. Score: 9/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's small size is obvious, but it looks like the thick crust pizza loaded with toppings that it is.

Dining Atmosphere: The small dining room is functional but nothing more.

Customer Service: The service was quick, accurate, and friendly.

Monetary Value: Granted this is only a 7" pizza, but for a meat-lovers pizza in Hawaii, the price is downright cheap.  Moreover, the counter service saves on the tip.

The Final Judgment:

This pizza is the best meal I had during my 4 night stay in Hawaii, and in retrospect I should have eaten here twice instead of trying the nearby Hawaiian barbecue place.  Big Kahuna's is conveniently located only 2 blocks from the airport.  If you like pizza (and if you're reading this blog, you probably do), you would do well to eat here after arriving or before leaving the island.  Score: 91/100

California Pizza Kitchen

Basic Information:

Pizza: California Pizza Kitchen

Number of Locations: nearly 200 worldwide
Location Reviewed: Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC), Concourse A
Website: https://www.cpk.com/
Date of Review Visit: April 2025
What I Ordered: Mushroom Pepperoni Sausage pizza, hold the mushrooms; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $25.98 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at California Pizza Kitchen is thin but not too thin.  It has a dry almost pita-like taste.  The texture is on the hard side, and the large number of blackened areas are apparent in the photo above.  This is not my favorite kind of crust, but it is passable for what it is. Score: 5/10

Sauce: This pizza doesn't have a lot of sauce, but what sauce it does have has a pleasant tomatoey taste. Score: 7/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella.  This pizza doesn't have a lot of cheese, but the cheese it does have has an inoffensive flavor and doesn't produce much grease.  Score: 6/10

Toppings: The menu calls the sausage spicy, but I found it to be not particularly spicy and with unremarkable flavor.  The pepperoni comes in large thin slices and has nice flavor with just enough spiciness.  Maybe I should have ordered only the pepperoni.  Score: 6/10

Overall Taste: Despite the scores above, this pizza offers an interesting mix of pleasant flavors, but it just needs more of multiple things.  Score: 7/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza's appearance is on the bare side with many ugly blackened areas in the crust.

Dining Atmosphere: This location has a nice dining area in a quiet corner of the airport.  SLC is a palace of an airport, one of my favorite airports anywhere.

Customer Service: My pizza took longer than expected to arrive, but the server was friendly and attentive.  Fortunately I had a long layover between flights.

Monetary Value: The price is an airport price, i.e. crazy high, but the quality is passable.  Thus, the value is decent but no better.

The Final Judgment:

Possibly best known for their frozen pizzas, which are available in grocery stores everywhere, California Pizza Kitchen makes a flavorful pizza that lacks in appearance and substance.  I didn't regret coming here on my layover en route to Hawaii, but you can find better pizza options outside of airports almost anywhere.  Score: 68/100

Pizza Hoss in Knoxville, TN

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Hoss

Number of Locations: 3, all on the north side of Knoxville, TN
Location Reviewed: 7215 Clinton Highway in Powell, TN
Website: https://pizzahoss.com/
Date of Review Visit: March 2025
What I Ordered: small (10") The Big Hoss Specialty Pizza (4 meats pizza); Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $13.15 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Pizza Hoss is thicker then you would expect for a southern pizza.  The texture is nice and crispy on the outside but chewy on the inside.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  Excellent! Score: 10/10

Sauce: The sauce has a fresh tomatoey taste.  This pizza is slightly undersauced but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Cheese: The cheese appears in sufficient quantity and has a pleasant if unremarkable flavor.  It produces some but only some grease, and hence only some of the mandatory 2-point grease deduction applies.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The Italian sausage has a nice fresh pork flavor with just a little spiciness.  The bacon has nice flavor and is not even a little salty.  The Canadian bacon and pepperoni are OK but less remarkable.  All toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The sauce, sausage, and bacon really shine and combine to produce a flavorful pizza.  Score: 9.5/10

Pizza Appearance: As usual for an all-meats pizza, the toppings dominate the pizza's appearance.  The thick and wide crust makes the pizza look less appetizing than it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Pizza Hoss offers a casual dining room with mostly high chairs.  I would prefer some lower more standard seating.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive on my visit.

Monetary Value: For such a good pizza, the price is surprisingly low, and hence the value is pretty high.

The Final Judgment:

Pizza Hoss is a "big hoss" on the Knoxville pizza scene.  They make a fantastic pizza that is now my favorite pizza in Knoxville.  Score: 93/100

Giovanni's Italian Restaurant in Palestine, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Giovanni's Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 2027 West Oak Street in Palestine, TX (near US 79 and Loop 340 on the west side) (31.74693, -95.65360)
Website: https://www.giovannisitalianrestaurantpalestine.com/?utm_source=gbp
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: small (12") pizza with sausage and pepperoni; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $20.46 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust on the pizza at Giovanni's Italian Restaurant is crispy but not hard.  In fact, it has a light airy texture with a slight bready taste.  My pizza was baked the perfect amount.  I like this crust.  Score: 10/10

Sauce: This pizza is slightly undersauced, but the sauce it does have has a nice fresh tomatoey taste. Score: 8/10

Cheese: This pizza has plenty of cheese, and it does not produce much grease.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The sausage comes in tiny ground up bits and has a pleasant fresh pork flavor.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  Both toppings appear in sufficient quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The sausage and tomato sauce carry the day; I just wish there was a little more of each. Score: 9/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza has a white appearance and looks more bland than it is.

Dining Atmosphere: Giovanni's has a pleasant casual dining atmosphere.  Live Italian music added a touch of class on my visit even if I didn't care for the music.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive even though they were busy when I came here early on a Sunday afternoon.

Monetary Value: The price is high, but the quality is also pretty high.  Thus, this pizza offers decent value.

The Final Judgment:

For a small town pizza restaurant, Giovanni's makes a flavorful pizza and offers a nice dining experience.  If I lived near Palestine, I would come here regularly.  Score: 89/100

Bella Sera Italian Restaurant in Marble Falls, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Bella Sera Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 701 N. Highway 281 in Marble Falls, TX
Website: https://www.bellaseratx.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: large (16") pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Price: $18.49 (pizza only; includes tax but not drink or tip)
Photos:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Bella Sera Italian Restaurant has a New York style crust.  It has a soft bready texture, but it is very thin underneath.  My pizza was baked just the right amount.  This crust is not exemplary, but it's not offensive either.  Score: 7/10

Sauce: I could taste something Texas in the sauce, but I'm not sure if it was spice or peppers.  It has a different flavor; not bad but different.  The sauce appears in acceptable quantity.  Score: 8/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella.  It appears in decent quantity but also produces a decent amount of grease.  Score: 7/10

Toppings: The sausage is of the horrible pellet variety, but at least it has a little flavor and spiciness.  The pepperoni comes in nice thick slices with a pleasant seasoned pork flavor.  Both toppings appear in acceptable quantity.  Score: 8/10

Overall Taste: There is just enough flavor from the sauce and the toppings to avoid being bland without being overspiced.  Score: 9/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's appearance is fine if you can get over the pellet sausage.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry out, but Bella Sera has a large dining room with a pleasant dining atmosphere.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: The price is a little high for this quality of pizza but only a little.

The Final Judgment:

For a small town pizza place, Bella Sera makes a very nice pizza.  If you find yourself in Marble Falls, I recommend taking a bella sera, which is Italian for beautiful evening, and dining here.  Score: 81/100

Slow Rise Slice House Pizza in Waco, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Slow Rise Slice House

Number of Locations: 2, both near Waco, TX
Location Reviewed: 1620 North M.L.K. Jr. Blvd.
Website: https://www.slowrisewaco.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: 2 slices of The Butcher (5 meats pizza); fountain drink
Price: $12.92 (includes drink and tax)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Slow Rise Slice House sells whole New York style pizzas and pizza by the slice.  Having nowhere to store leftovers, I ordered pizza by the slice.  The crust has the usual hard, over-crispy texture of reheated pizza, but I've had worse crusts in that regard.  At least the crust is strong enough to hold all of the toppings.  Score: 6/10

Sauce: This pizza does not have much sauce, but what sauce it does have has a fresh tomatoey taste.  Score: 7/10

Cheese: This pizza has a decent amount of cheese.  The cheese doesn't have much flavor, but it also does not produce much grease.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The sausage appears in small wads and has a nice fresh taste.  The bacon has a pleasant pork flavor without being too salty.  The ham, pepperoni, and hamburger don't add much flavor.  The toppings appear in adequate quantity.  Score: 8/10

Overall Taste: There isn't a lot of sausage or bacon, so the overall taste is a little on the bland side, plus the crust is too hard.  Score: 7.5/10

Pizza Appearance: As usual for an all-meats pizza, the toppings dominate the appearance.  The pizza comes in nice large slices that fill the tray.

Dining Atmosphere: Here's where Slow Rise shines: they have a great, large outdoor patio overlooking the Brazos River.  I have reviewed over 180 pizza places, and this may be the most scenic place I have ever eaten pizza.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: Slow Rise offers solid pizza at a reasonable price, and the counter service saves on the tip.

The Final Judgment:

Slow Rise is a popular dining spot, and for good reason.  If you order carry out, you will miss what makes this place special.  I really enjoyed dining here even though the pizza is slightly above-average at best.  Score: 83/100

Roma Italian Restaurant in Texarkana, AR

Basic Information:

Pizza: Roma Italian Restaurant

Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 511 E. 51st Street in Texarkana, AR (north side of I-30 just east of the state line)
Website: https://www.romaitaliantexarkana.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: large (16") pizza with Italian sausage, pepperoni, and Canadian bacon; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $24.91 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5  stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Roma Italian Restaurant has a New York style crust with a nice crispy texture and medium thickness.  The crust is very blackened underneath, which suggests my pizza was slightly overbaked, but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Sauce: This pizza has plenty of sauce, which is odd for New York style pizzas.  The sauce is slightly overspiced, but only slightly.  Score: 9/10

Cheese: This pizza comes with a nice layer of yummy, stringy cheese.  The cheese appears in adequate quantity and doesn't produce a lot of grease.  Perfecto!  Score: 10/10

Toppings: The Italian sausage is lightly spiced and appears in large yummy chunks.  The pepperoni is unremarkable.  The Canadian bacon tastes like fresh city ham, as it should.  All toppings appear in adequate quantity.  Score: 9/10

Overall Taste: The spices in the sauce slightly overpower the other flavors on this pizza, but overall everything works together pretty well.  Score: 8.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The pizza's appearance is a little bare around the edges, especially for a 3 topping pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Roma has a nice casual dining atmosphere with pleasant music, lighting, and a touch of class.  I enjoyed eating here.

Customer Service: I really enjoyed the service; it was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: above average quantity plus above average price equals average value.

The Final Judgment:

I had some tasty pizza and an enjoyable dining experience at Roma.  This pizza is some slightly better toppings and a slightly better sauce away from being elite.  Score: 88/100

Pizza Artista in Southern Louisiana

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Artista

Number of Locations: 5, all in southern Louisiana
Location Reviewed: 219 St. Nazaire Road in Broussard, LA (near the Home Depot at US 90 and Albertson's Parkway)
Website: https://www.pizzaartista.com/
Date of Review Visit: February 2025
What I Ordered: personal (10") pizza with sausage, pepperoni, and bacon
Price: $14.99 (pizza only; includes tax but not drink or tip)
Photos:

Summary Review: 2.5 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: Pizza Artista offers several crust options; of course, I chose the thick option.  The thick crust option has only average thickness.  It has a tough texture, but it is not particularly crispy.  The crust doesn't have a lot of flavor, bready or otherwise.  Maybe I should have ordered the thin crust option this time.  Score: 3/10

Sauce: The sauce has a pleasant tomatoey taste, and it appears in adequate quantity.  This is the strength of this pizza.  Score: 10/10

Cheese: The cheese is 100% mozzarella, and therefore it tastes rather bland.  The cheese appears in only average quantity, but it does not produce much grease.  Score: 6/10

Toppings: The sausage is the horrible pellet sausage.  The pepperoni has average flavor and a smidge of spiciness.  I almost didn't order the bacon, but I'm glad I did: it has a chewy texture and is not even a little salty.  The toppings appear in above average quantity.  Score: 7/10

Overall Taste: The overall taste is pretty average, as nothing adds any real flavor except maybe the sauce and the bacon.  Score: 6.5/10

Pizza Appearance: This pizza's appearance is marred by the wide ring of bare crust around the outside.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered take out, but the Broussard location has a medium sized casual dining area with a small gaming area.

Customer Service: The customer service was quick and attentive; my order was prepared very fast.

Monetary Value: The price is on the high side, especially considering the quality is not the best.

The Final Judgment:

Pizza Artista makes a passable pizza, but it could be much better with some better toppings and crust.  Maybe they should use a little less artista and a little more culinary skill.  Score: 69/100

Trio Brick Oven Cafe in Downtown Greenville, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Trio Brick Oven Cafe
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 22 N. Main Street (downtown Greenville at the corner of Main St. and Coffee St.)
Website: https://triocafe.com/
Date of Review Visit: December 2024
What I Ordered: personal (10") sausage and pepperoni pizza; Dr. Pepper to drink
Price: $22.48 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust:  As you would expect for a brick oven pizza, Trio's crust is thin and crispy, but I have had thinner.  It has a slight fresh bready taste.  It also has the usual burnt black spots that comes from the hot brick oven.  While brick oven is not my favorite style of crust, this crust is pretty good for its category.  Score: 8/10

Sauce: This pizza has very little sauce.  This sauce has a heavy garlic taste but not as heavy as the bread they serve for an appetizer.  I don't like tasting garlic, and this is not my favorite style of sauce.  Score: 4/10

Cheese: This pizza features a blend of several types of cheeses, but it would have more flavor if parmesan was one of the cheeses.  This pizza is slightly undercheesed, but only slightly.  The cheese does not produce a lot of grease.  Score: 9/10

Toppings: The sausage is a sweet Italian sausage, and it has very little spice or flavor.  The pepperoni has a small amount of spiciness.  Both toppings appear in decent quantity.  Overall, the toppings are OK, but they produce no flavors that really stand out.  Score: 7/10

Overall Taste: The garlic in the sauce dominates the taste.  I don't like garlic, and therefore I don't like this pizza's overall taste.  Score: 6.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The cheese blend gives the pizza's appearance some nice color.  Otherwise, this pizza looks like a typical thin crust brick oven pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: the dining room is surprisingly large for a downtown location.  They have a nice variety of seating and plenty of TVs for entertainment.

Customer Service: The service was fast even though I came here on a Saturday afternoon before Christmas when they were very busy.  My pizza arrived before I finished the appetizer bread.

Monetary Value: You're paying for the downtown location: the pizza's price is very high relative to what you put in your mouth.

The Final Judgment:

Trio is a nice place to dine when visiting downtown Greenville, but it is not one of my favorite pizzas.  In this region's brick oven pizza category, I like Brixx better.  Score: 73/100

Marco's Pizza: Triple Pepperoni Magnifico

Basic Information:

Pizza: Marco’s Pizza

Number of Locations: many nationwide

Location Reviewed: 1815 E. Greenville St. in Anderson, SC

Website: http://marcos.com/

Date of Review Visit: November 2024

What I Ordered: Large (14”) Triple Pepperoni Magnifico pizza (3 types of pepperoni plus extra cheese)

Price: $11.99 (on promotional special; includes pizza only)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The standard crust on Marco's Pizza is the thickest standard crust of any national chain, but the thick crust is needed to support the large volume of cheese and toppings, as described below.  Besides, the crust has a pleasant bready taste, and I like thick crusts.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: There is plenty of sauce on this pizza, and it has a thick texture with a robust tomatoey taste.  The sauce tastes slightly overspiced to me, but that may be due to my preference for sweet sauces.  Overall, this is a good sauce.  Score: 8/10.

Cheese: The cheese is a little on the greasy side, but there is plenty of it.  You can even see the cheese baked into the edge of the crust.  I like the cheese but don't like the grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: True to its name, this pizza does indeed have 3 types of pepperoni.  The old world pepperoni comes in thin slices that cup as the pizza bakes.  The traditional pepperoni stays flat on the pizza.  The "spicy" pepperoni is not that spicy, and it comes in thin shreds.  The combination produces an interesting mix of pork and spice, and it also produces a lot of grease.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: The robustness of the cheese and toppings are what really stand out with this pizza.  This is hearty fare for the serious pizza-eater, not a light snack for the delicate among us.  The grease is a real turn-off.  I like this pizza's taste, but you have to decide if it is what you want.  Score: 8.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The golden brown pizza looks great.  Even the box is one of the best looking pizza boxes I have ever seen.  Magnifico!

Dining Atmosphere: The Marco's in Anderson has a small dining area with a few tables and chairs; it is functional but no more.

Customer Service: Rarely have I had issues with the service at Marco's.

Monetary Value: The quality is quite high, and even at the regular menu price, the price is reasonable.  Thus, the value is quite high.

The Final Judgment:

Marco's is my favorite national chain pizza.  Even though I like their sausage pizzas more than this one, I would still recommend this pizza to pepperoni lovers.  Score: 88/100

Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille in Shelby, NC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille
Number of Locations: 1
Location Reviewed: 233 Lafayette Street in downtown Shelby, NC (corner of Lafayette and Graham Streets)
Website: https://pleasantcitywoodfiredgrille.com/
Date of Review Visit: November 2024
What I Ordered: create your own pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Price: $15.96 (includes drink and tax but not tip)
Photo:

Summary Review:  2 stars (out of 5)

 

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza crust at Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille is a thin crust, but it is not as crispy as you would expect for a wood fired pizza.  In fact, the texture is more spongy than crispy.  Also, a large area of the crust is bare.  This crust is OK, but it is not my favorite crust by far.  Score: 5/10

Sauce: This pizza does not have much sauce, as you would expect for a thin crust pizza.  What sauce does exist has a slightly spicy flavor, and you can't really taste the tomatoes.  This is not my favorite kind of sauce.  Score: 3/10

Cheese: All of the cheese is in the center of the pizza, so the quantity is not as high as you might think.  The cheese has a nice stringy texture, but it produces a decent amount of grease.  Score: 6/10

Toppings: The pepperoni has nice flavor with just the right amount of spiciness.  The sausage has little distinct flavor.  The toppings appear in above average quantity.  Score: 7/10

Overall Taste: Nothing adds any real flavor, so the overall taste is on the bland side.  Score: 6.5/10

Pizza Appearance: The wide ring of bare crust around the edge mars the appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille has a large casual dining room in an older building that has nice character.  I would have enjoyed dining here except that...

Customer Service: ...the service here is questionable.  They sat me at a table that was clearly dirty.  The server brought me the wrong check and tried to hand me a knife pointy-end first.

Monetary Value: average quality at average price equals average value.

The Final Judgment:

Normally I enjoy wood-fired pizza, but this wood-fired pizza needs some improvement.  Pleasant City Wood Fired Grille is one of the few sit-down pizza options in Shelby, NC, but you might be better off (or at least save some money) if you order take-out and eat at home.  Score: 64/100