Ledo Pizza

The Facts:

Pizza: Ledo Pizza

Business Category: Regional Chain (100+ locations; based in Maryland)

Website: http://ledopizza.com/

Location: 489 South Herlong Ave. in Rock Hill, SC

Date of Review Visit: September 21, 2013

What I Ordered: Small (10” square) pizza with sausage and pepperoni, breadsticks as appetizer, Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $12.83 (includes appetizer, drink, and tax but not tip)

The Micro:

Crust: I like this crust: it is thin and crispy yet has some substance.  I also like the fact that Ledo only makes square pizzas, meaning you get more pizza per inch.  I remember the days in Lynchburg, VA when I would carry-out a large Ledo pizza: it would provide all of my meals for two days.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: Ledo’s sauce is a thick, robust sauce, just as I like it.  The sauce has a good fresh taste, and it is not overspiced.  Mm-mm-mm!  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: If this pizza has a weakness, the cheese is it.  The cheese is used in good quantity, but it has little taste except for the parmesan that I sprinkled on.  Also, this cheese produces quite a lot of grease, far more than produced by good quality cheese.  There is some room for improvement here.  Score: 6/10.

Toppings: Ledo’s toppings are fantastic.  The fresh Italian sausage is sliced into small cubes, and it has just the right amount of spiciness.  The thick-cut pepperoni is among the best I have ever had. Score: 10/10.

The Macro:

Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The square crust gives this pizza a unique look that I really like.  The dining room in Rock Hill has flat screen TV’s and college football decorations covering the walls.  The service was somewhat disappointing: I had to flag the waitress down to be served even though the dining room was almost completely empty.  Score: 8/10.

Value: The price looks steep for a 10” pizza, but you have to remember that this is a square pizza.  Also, my order included $2+tax for breadsticks, which has nothing to do with the value of the pizza.  Considering all of these factors and the excellent quality, the value actually grades out pretty well.  Score: 9/10.

Taste: I really like the taste of this pizza.  Only the grease from the cheese keeps this score from being even higher.  Score: 18/20.

The Final Judgment:

I grew attached to Ledo when I lived in Lynchburg, and I remain a fan of this pizza today.  I even drive the 94 miles to Rock Hill on occasion to eat this pizza again.  Score: 71/80.