Rudino's Pizza and Grinders

Basic Information:

Pizza: Rudino’s Pizza and Grinders

Number of Locations: 6, mostly near Raleigh-Durham, NC

Location Reviewed: 4022 Village Park Drive in Knightdale, NC (between Just Tires and Auto Bell Car Wash)

Website: https://rudinos.com/

Date of Review Visit: March 2016

What I Ordered: medium (12”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni

Price: $13.79 (pizza only; includes tax)

Photos:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Rudino’s has slightly above average thickness.  The crust’s crispy well-baked outer shell makes for one of the best crust textures I have ever eaten.  The crust also has a nice fresh bready taste.  Magnifico!  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a very sweet taste, and I like sweet tasting sauces.  Thus, I like this sauce.  The quantity of sauce is about average.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: The cheese tastes like good-quality mozzarella or provolone.  It appears in about average quantity.  Score: 9/10.

Toppings: The sausage also has a sweet taste with just a little spice; it tastes like a sweet Italian sausage.  The pepperoni comes in thin and crispy (slightly burnt) slices with very little taste.  In hindsight, to match the sweetness of the sauce I should have ordered the honey ham topping instead of the pepperoni.  Both toppings appear in excellent quantity.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: The sweet taste from the sauce dominates the taste buds, but it also tastes very salty, saltier than any pizza I have eaten recently except Pizza Hut.  The extreme salty taste drags this score down a bit.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: Rudino’s cuts their pizza into an odd criss-cross pattern instead of the usual wedges.  The cut gives an odd but OK appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry out, but the dining room seemed to have a nice casual dining grill/bar atmosphere.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: The price is high, but 1) this is good quality pizza and 2) this is a 12” pizza.  Rudino’s offers no smaller sizes, which limits your options in terms of limiting the price.  Overall, the value grades out about average.

The Final Judgment:

Rudino’s Pizza is not quite elite, but it is a very good if slightly overpriced pizza option.  If I lived in Raleigh-Durham, I would come here rather frequently.  Score: 87/100.