The Facts:
Pizza: Back Road
Pizza
Business Category: Locally-owned
Website: http://backroadpizza.com/
Location: 1807 Second Street
#1 in Santa Fe , NM
Date of Review Visit: July 12, 2014
What I Ordered: Large (16”) pizza with pepperoni and sausage
Price: $21.91
The Micro:
Crust: The crust at Back Road Pizza is the thin
southern-style crust, but it is not ultra-thin like some other southern-style pizzas. A thick layer of cornmeal baked into the bottom
of the crust adds flavor and texture. I
also found some unusual charred/black mystery chunks (cornmeal?) on the bottom
of my pizza. Despite these unusual
items, the crust fits this pizza well, and I like it more than I dislike it. Score: 8/10.
Sauce: The sauce is a salsa-like sauce with chunks of tomatoes,
but it is not spicy. The sauce is
applied with good quantity. This is not
my style of sauce, but it is pretty good for what it is. Score: 8/10.
Cheese: The cheese may be the strength of this pizza; it has
high quantity and quality. Adding some
parmesan would have added a little more flavor, but this cheese is good enough
the way it is. Score: 9/10.
Toppings: The sausage and pepperoni both have good taste
without being overspiced. The quantity is
a little low, especially for the sausage, and that is the main reason for the
deduction here. Score: 8/10.
The Macro:
Appearance/Atmosphere/Service: The pizza’s appearance is OK
except for the low quantity of toppings.
I carried my pizza out, but the dining atmosphere made me rethink that
plan: the dining room seemed casual with some nice, unique decorations. The service was friendly and helpful. Score: 8/10.
Value: Back Road
was featured on the Food Network’s Diners, Drive-ins and Dives a few
years ago. They must still charge the
Guy Fieri premium, because this pizza is very overpriced relative to what you
put in your mouth, even after you consider that this is a 16” pizza. I like this pizza, but I don’t like it $22 much. Score: 3/10.
Taste: I am not a fan of the sauce, but that notwithstanding
everything comes together pretty well for a tasty, flavorful pizza. Score: 18/20.
The Final Judgment:
Back Road makes a good pizza, but I would not come here
regularly due to the price. For a
one-off, perhaps while you are on vacation as I was, this pizza is a nice
choice. Score: 62/80.
