Frankie’s Italian Grill in Beaumont, TX

Basic Information:

Pizza: Frankie’s Italian Grill

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 105 I-10 South in Beaumont, TX (on the west side of the highway)

Website: https://frankiesgrill.net/

Date of Review Visit: December 2017

What I Ordered: Mini-pizza (10”) with pepperoni and sausage

Price: $10.81 (pizza only; includes tax)

Photos:

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Frankie’s Italian Grill features a hand-tossed crust of the not-too-thick-not-too-thin variety.  The crust has a nice chewy texture.  This is not my favorite type of crust, but this crust is nice for what it is.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a nice tomatoey taste, and it appears in good quantity.  I like it.  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: This pizza is slightly undercheesed, and it still produces a decent amount of grease.  At least the cheese has some nice flavor, especially after you sprinkle on some parmesan.  Score: 6/10.

Toppings: The two toppings fall at the two extremes in terms of quality.  The pepperoni has nice thickness and just enough spiciness; it is excellent.  The sausage is of the horrid pellet-variety.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The overall taste comes together pretty well, but it would be a lot better without the sausage.  Score: 7.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The big sausage pellets dominate the appearance, which is not a good thing.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered take-out, but Frankie’s has a nice dining room atmosphere with big band music playing through the speakers.

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: Slightly above average quality plus slightly above average price equals average value.

The Final Judgment:

Frankie’s is a nice little pizza place that has other menu offerings as well.  If I lived in Beaumont, I would make it a part of my regular pizza rotation.  Score: 79/100.

Carrabba’s Italian Grill

Basic Information:

Pizza: Carrabba’s Italian Grill

Number of Locations: about 200 across 29 states

Location Reviewed: 1550 I-10 South in Beaumont, TX (on the west side of the highway)

Website: https://www.carrabbas.com/

Date of Review Visit: December 2017

What I Ordered: Wood-fired (10”) pepperoni pizza; Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $17.62 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: As you would expect for a wood-fired pizza, the crust at Carrabba’s is of the thin and crispy variety, but it is not too thin.  The crust has an excellent texture, and my pizza was baked just the right amount.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: Carrabba’s puts very little sauce on its pizza, and what sauce does exist has an odd slightly spicy taste.  Score: 4/10.

Cheese: The 100% mozzarella cheese appears in decent quantity.  You can request some grated parmesan or romano to sprinkle on, which I did liberally, but you have to ask for it.  The cheese produces quite a bit of grease, which leads to a mandatory deduction.  Score: 7/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni appears in thin slices, but there are not that many of them.  The pepperoni has just the right amount of spiciness, but there is also a “topping” of spices sprinkled over the pizza that can overspice the taste relative to my preference.  Score: 5/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness really dominates the taste palette, so this pizza’s taste does not rank too high in my book.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza has a tidy appearance with every piece of pepperoni in its place.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining room atmosphere is fantastic with cloth napkins and some pleasant instrumental music playing through the speakers.

Customer Service: The service was prompt and attentive, which is excellent considering they were very busy when I came here on a Monday evening.

Monetary Value: You must be paying for the atmosphere and service.  Even considering the good quality, this pizza is very overpriced relative to what you put in your mouth.

The Final Judgment:

I could sanction coming here if you are trying to show someone or a group a good time, but Carrabba’s offers too little value for casual or solo dining.  In the wood-fired pizza space, I prefer Brixx over Carrabba’s.  Score: 70/100.

Frodo's Pizza in Greenville, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Frodo’s Pizza

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 511 S. Pleasantburg Drive in Greenville, SC (across the street from Greenville Technical College)

Website: https://frodospizza.menufy.com/

Date of Review Visit: November 2017

What I Ordered: Small (11”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni; fountain drink

Price: $11.75 (includes drink and tax)

Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Frodo’s standard crust is the nice thick crust I like, but they also have two thinner options.  The crust has a fresh bready taste, and it offers an appealing crispy on the outside chewy on the inside texture.  Excellent!  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce appears in decent quantity, but the pizza is somewhat undersauced considering the thick crust pizza style.  The bigger problem is that the sauce has too many herbs and spices for my taste.  Score: 4/10.

Cheese: Frodo’s uses 100% whole milk mozzarella applied in a nice thick layer.  Although it tastes yummy, the cheese produces quite a bit of grease, which leads to a mandatory deduction.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The toppings are pretty disappointing.  The sausage comes in small tasteless balls, while the pepperoni comes in thin flavorless slices.  There is a lot to work on here.  Score: 3/10.

Overall Taste: The crust and cheese are the most flavorful things on this pizza, which means the taste is rather uninspiring.  Score: 7/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like a nice thick-crust pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: Frodo’s has a casual dining room with a small video game area featuring retro-games, where I learned that my Ms. Pac Man skills are very rusty.

Customer Service: The service is counter service, which saves on the tip.

Monetary Value: This pizza is of average quality, but the price is lower than average considering this is an 11” pizza, not the usual 8” or 10” most places consider a small.

The Final Judgment:

Frodo’s is a decent option for thick crust pizza but not much more.  Score: 73/100.

Summa Joe's Searing Pans in Anderson, SC

Basic Information:

Pizza: Summa Joe’s Searing Pans

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 127 N. Main Street in Anderson, SC (beside TD Bank in downtown Anderson)

Website: https://www.facebook.com/SummaJoes/

Date of Review Visit: October 2017

What I Ordered: Build Your Own Pizza with pepperoni, spicy sausage, and ham; Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $13.06 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: True to its local-themed advertising, the crust at Summa Joe’s is the thin crust commonly seen on southern-style pizzas.  The crust has a nice crispy texture.  Thin crust is not my favorite style of pizza, but this crust is good for what it is.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: As usual given the thin crust, there is very little sauce on this pizza.  What little sauce that does exist blends well with the rest of pizza.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The pizza is well-cheesed, and the cheese produces very little grease.  Sprinkling on some provided parmesan adds to the flavor.  Score: 10/10.

Toppings: Summa Joe’s spicy sausage is not that spicy; it comes in big gobs and has a nice fresh taste.  The pepperoni comes in small freshly cut chunks.  The ham is unremarkable.  All toppings appear in high quantity.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: The toppings give a nice blend of flavors that few pizzas can match, and they are the main thing you taste on this pizza.  It would be nice to taste the cheese and sauce more.  Score: 9/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings take center stage on this pizza’s appearance: the pizza looks loaded with toppings.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining area was an overcrowded zoo when I came here on a Wednesday evening, partly because Wednesday is kids eat free cheese pizza night.  I sat outside, which also featured plenty of people and kids running around.

Customer Service: The service was excellent, friendly, and efficient.

Monetary Value: The quality is excellent, and the price is reasonable given the quality.  Summa Joe’s does not make cheap pizza, but the value is better than you would expect for this price.

The Final Judgment:

Summa Joe’s is an Anderson institution, and if you come here you will learn why.  Their menu offers a wide selection of food choices, and their pizza is a thin crust version of nearby Mellow Mushroom, both of which I like very much.  Score: 86/100.

Papa Romano's Pizza in Detroit, MI

Basic Information:

Pizza: Papa Romano’s Pizza

Number of Locations: about 25, mostly near Detroit, MI

Location Reviewed: 22310 Middlebelt Rd. in Farmington Hills, MI (corner of 9 Mile Road and Middlebelt)

Website: https://paparomanos.com/

Date of Review Visit: August 2017

What I Ordered: 4 Corners Pizza with pepperoni and sausage; 5 piece Bambino Bread

Price: $10.45

Photos:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Papa Romano’s Pizza comes with the thick pan crust typically associated with northern climates.  The crust is not as crispy as you might expect in terms of consistency.  It’s not the best crust I have ever eaten, but it does the job and does it well.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: This pizza comes with lots of sauce, as you would expect for a thick crust pizza.  The garlic flavor is too strong for my taste, and hence the score is not that great.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in good quantity and does not produce too much grease.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Both toppings appear in good quantity, but they are lifeless in terms of flavor.  Score: 5/10.

Overall Taste: The 4 Corners pizza impresses with pure heartiness rather than finesse.  I can’t say the taste is anything impressive, but this pizza fills you up.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like the hearty robust pizza it is, while the Bambino Bread is akin to Little Caesar’s Crazy Bread.  

Dining Atmosphere: (not applicable; the location I visited is carry-out only.)

Customer Service: The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: This pizza is more expensive than it should be.  Papa Romano’s offerings are a cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars but more expensive than either one.

The Final Judgment:

Papa Romano’s is an odd cross between Jet’s and Little Caesars.  I would probably rather have Jet’s pure heartiness or Little Caesars’ pure value than the combination offered up here, which I find to be a rather average entry in the thick crust pizza category.  I would sanction coming here but not over other options.  Score: 71/100.

Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders

Basic Information:

Pizza: Bellacino’s Pizza and Grinders

Number of Locations: about 45 across 12 states; based in Michigan

Location: 29101 Northwestern Highway in Southfield, MI (behind Valero at the corner of 12 Mile Road and SR 10)

Website: https://bellacinos.com/

Date of Review Visit: August 2017

What I Ordered: small (8”) pizza with pepperoni and sausage, fountain drink, and a white chocolate chunk cookie

Price: $9.47

Photo:

Summary Review: 4.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Bellacino’s comes in medium thickness with just enough body to make it a northern-style crust.  The crust has a nice crispy texture, but it is hard to cut with the dull case knife they provide you.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a strong sweet taste that some may say is too sweet.  The sauce appears in high quantity.  I like sweet-tasting sauce, so this sauce ranks high in my book.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in excellent quantity and has some flavor, but it produces quite a bit of grease.  Therefore, there is the usual mandatory deduction.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Like the sauce, the sausage has a very sweet taste.  I could hardly taste the pepperoni.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Overall Taste: The sweetness of the sausage and sauce really overpowers everything else.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The cut on my pizza was slightly asymmetrical, which affects the pizza’s appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: Bellacino’s has a nice casual dining atmosphere with 2 TV’s for your viewing pleasure.

Customer Service: My pizza took longer to cook than I would have thought. Otherwise, the service was fine.

Monetary Value: The pizza is small, but the quality is high.  Also, you get a pizza, drink, and dessert for less than $10.  Only pizza buffets offer more eats for your money than this, and their pizza quality is not as good.

The Final Judgment:

Just shy of the best pizza around, Bellacino’s is a very good budget-minded pizza option.  If I lived near one of their locations, I would come here regularly.  Score: 86/100.

Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant in Minnesota

Basic Information:

Pizza: Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant

Number of Locations: about 15 across MN, WI, and ND

Location Reviewed: 305 Sunnyside Drive in Cloquet, MN

Website: https://mysammys.com/

Date of Review Visit: July 2017

What I Ordered: small (10”) pizza with pepperoni and sausage

Price: $10.41 (pizza only; includes tax)

Photos:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant puts their signature twists in the crust of their pizza.  The twists have a nice crispy texture.  The crust is thinner than you would expect for a regional chain this far north.  My pizza was perfectly baked, which is essential due to the twists.  This crust is unique, and I like it.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a slightly sweet taste.  It appears in good quantity, and it blends well with rest of pizza.  What more could you want? Score: 10/10.

Cheese: The cheese comes in good quantity and has decent flavor, but it produces quite a bit of grease.  Therefore, a mandatory deduction applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The sausage really steals the show: it comes in big chunks and tastes like fresh, tasty pork.  Eating this sausage is almost like eating pork meatballs.  The pepperoni is less remarkable: it comes in thin slices without a lot of favor.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: The sausage takes center stage, but everything works together rather well.  Score: 9/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings are neatly placed with exactly one slice of pepperoni and one chunk of sausage on every piece of pizza.  This symmetry is not easy to achieve with Sammy’s criss-cross cutting pattern.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered to-go, but they have a nice casual dining area.

Customer Service:  The service was quick and attentive.

Monetary Value: The quality is excellent, but this pizza is expensive.  The price I list above does not even include a drink, and it is only a 10” pizza.  Therefore, value is not the strength of this pizza.

The Final Judgment:

Sammy’s Pizza and Restaurant started as a family-owned business with a single location.  They have since expanded, and the region’s pizza eaters are better for it.  Sammy’s is a good pizza option if you find yourself in the upper Midwest.  Score: 90/100.

R&B Pizza Place in Pittsburgh, PA

Basic Information:

Pizza: R&B’s Pizza Place

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 107 Smithfield Street in downtown Pittsburgh (Update: this location is now closed.  Their only remaining location is in Bellevue, PA.)

Website: https://www.rbspizza.com/

Date of Review Visit: July 2017

What I Ordered: slice of sausage pizza; French fries; Pepsi fountain drink

(lunch combo #1)

Price: $6.06

Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: R&B’s Pizza Place makes pizza with the thick northern-style crust.  The crust has a nice crispy texture, but nothing else really offends or stands out about this crust.  Score: 6/10.

Sauce: This pizza is quite undersauced, and what sauce there is has little flavor.  Score: 3/10.

Cheese: R&B Pizza has a nice base cheese, but they also add an extra layer of mozzarella on top of the base.  Thus, the cheese is the strength of this pizza. Score: 9/10.

Toppings: The sausage appears in decent quantity, but the ground up sausage has very little flavor.  Score: 5/10.

Overall Taste: French fries and pizza is an odd combination, and the crispy French fries may have tasted as good as the pizza.  I never thought I would write that in a pizza blog.  Score: 6/10.

Pizza Appearance: The extra mozzarella gives this pizza a white appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: The cramped dining area is typical for a downtown pizza place.

Customer Service: The service is counter service and was fine on my visit.

Monetary Value: This pizza’s quality leaves somewhat to be desired.  However, the price is cheap, as R&B Pizza offers some of the least expensive pizza in downtown Pittsburgh.  Therefore, this is the place to come for value.

The Final Judgment:

The two pizza places I visited in downtown Pittsburgh arrived at nearly the same final score but by very different avenues.  Pizza Parma has slightly better quality, but R&B’s Pizza Place offers slightly better value.  Score: 73/100.

Pizza Parma in Pittsburgh, PA

Basic Information:

Pizza: Pizza Parma

Number of Locations: 2, both near Pittsburgh, PA

Location Reviewed: 823 Penn Avenue in downtown Pittsburgh (Update: this location is now closed.  Their other downtown location is at 963 Liberty Avenue.)

Website: https://www.pizzaparma.us/

Date of Review Visit: July 2017

What I Ordered: Personal (8”) pepperoni pizza; 20 oz. Dr. Pepper to drink

Price: $9.62 (on the lunch menu)

Photos:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The pizza at Pizza Parma features a thick northern-style crust.  The crust has an extremely tough consistency: I could not cut it with the plastic knife and fork Pizza Parma provides.  The crust’s consistency is probably due to the fact that my pizza was slightly overbaked.  The crust has a nice fresh taste, but the tough consistency keeps this score down.  Score: 5/10.

Sauce: The sauce has a somewhat unremarkable tomatoey taste.  It appears in good quantity.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The yummy stringy cheese appears in excellent quantity, but it produces quite a bit of grease.  Thus, a mandatory deduction applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni appears in good quantity, but it also comes in thin slices with little spiciness or flavor.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: This pizza’s taste is more than passable, but nothing really makes it stand out.  Score: 7/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza has a nice symmetrical, somewhat orange appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining atmosphere is the cramped no-amenities dining room you would expect from a downtown location.

Customer Service: I actually ordered a personal sausage pizza, not the personal pepperoni pizza they made for me, so the service gaffe leads to a deduction.

Monetary Value: Pizza Parma is about average in quality, but it is not too expensive compared to other downtown lunch spots: you can and I did pay $14 for a hamburger in downtown Pittsburgh.  On the down side, the lunch special only saves you $0.50.

The Final Judgment:

Of the many small pizza places in downtown Pittsburgh, Pizza Parma is one of them.  I found nothing horrific here but nothing particularly commendable either.  Pizza Parma is a passable quick lunch destination but nothing more.  Score: 74/100.

Papa's Pizza-to-Go

Basic Information:

Pizza: Papa’s Pizza-to-Go

Number of Locations: about 20 locations across 4 states

Location Reviewed: 3064 US Highway 76 in Hiawassee, GA

Website: https://papaspizzatogo.com/

Date of Review Visit: June 2017

What I Ordered: Small Piggystix (cheese bread with bacon topping); medium fountain drink

Price: $9.33

Photo:

Summary Review: 2 stars (out of 5)

The Macro:

Crust: Not to be confused with the big national chain Papa John’s, the crust at Papa’s Pizza-to-Go comes in medium thickness.  This chain used to have a location near my home in Athens, GA, and I used to order the Piggystix regularly because I thought it was their best product. (Aside: I also liked their Hundred Pounder pizza: 100 slices of pepperoni and a pound of cheese on an 18” crust.  Unfortunately, I had nowhere to store the leftovers from such a pizza on this visit.)  My Piggystix were baked the perfect amount.  The crust is fresh, but it has no other real distinctive.  This crust is not offensive but not commendable either.  Score: 5/10.

Sauce: For the Piggystix, the tomato sauce comes on the side for dipping.  The sauce is not overspiced, and overall it has a nice tomatoey taste and a nice thick consistency.  Score: 7/10.

Cheese: The Piggystix are somewhat undercheesed, and what cheese there is has little flavor.  Score: 4/10.

Toppings: The bacon used to come in nice juicy chunks, but now it comes in thin too-crispy pieces that have little flavor.  The bacon appears in decent but not stellar quantity.  Score: 4/10.

Overall Taste: I used to eat the Piggystix all the time and enjoy them, but the thin crispy bacon makes the taste very pedestrian now.  Score: 5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The Piggystix have a somewhat bare appearance.

Dining Atmosphere: Most Papa’s Pizza-to-Go locations have no frills sit-down dining areas, though the drive-up window is a nice convenient touch.  The lake view from the hillside Hiawassee location adds some scenery to the dining area.

Customer Service: The service is counter service, and it was fine on my visit.

Monetary Value: Below-average quality plus below-average price equals average value.

The Final Judgment:

Papa’s Pizza-to-Go’s Athens location closed almost a decade ago, and the quality this pizza exhibits today makes it easy to see why.  Most people can find better pizza elsewhere.  Score: 62/100.

Paisano’s Italian Ristorante in Lexington, KY

Basic Information:

Pizza: Paisano’s Italian Ristorante

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 2417 Nicholasville Road in Lexington, KY (in Stone Square Plaza)

Website: https://www.paisanositalianky.com/

Date of Review Visit: May 2017

What I Ordered: Personal pizza (10” pizza) with sausage and pepperoni

Price: $12.66

Photos:

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Paisano’s is thinner than average, but it has excellent texture: it is crunchy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  Thus, this crust is kind of a thin version of a pan crust.  The crust is not unique enough to be award-winning, but it works well in my book.  Score: 9/10.

Sauce: The tomato sauce is very over spiced; I could not taste the tomatoes at all.  The sauce does appear in good quantity.  Score: 5/10.

Cheese: This pizza features a tasty cheese blend, and the cheese appears in above average quantity.  The fact that the cheese produces a decent amount of grease is the only turn-off.  Score: 9/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni is unremarkable, but the sausage is better: it comes in thick round tasty slices.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: The overspiced sauce is a detraction to what otherwise comes together quite well.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The appearance of my pizza was quite sloppy: the slices were cut very unevenly, and the pizza came in a box that was too big for the pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: The restaurant offers casual dining with a touch of class: metal silverware and cloth napkins.

Customer Service:  The service consisted of one friendly but lonely server: I was her only customer at 5:30pm on a Monday.

Monetary Value: This pizza is quite overpriced relative to what you put in your mouth.  Paisano’s makes good pizza but not good value.

The Final Judgment:

Paisano’s is a nice choice when you want a more refined pizza dining experience.  On the south side of Lexington, I slightly prefer Smashing Tomato over Paisano’s for regular pizza consumption.  Score: 77/100.

Smashing Tomato Pizza in Lexington, KY

Basic Information:

Pizza: Smashing Tomato Pizza

Number of Locations: 2, both in Lexington, KY

Location: 3801 Mall Road, #195 (beside Old Navy and Lifeway Christian Stores)

Website: https://smashingtomato.com/

Date of Review Visit: May 2017

What I Ordered: 12” Americano pizza with sausage and pepperoni

Price: $11.02

Photos:

Summary Review: 5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Smashing Tomato makes wood-fired oven pizza, so the pizza comes with the expected blackened areas on the crust.  This pizza does not have too many blackened areas, so they do not overpower the overall taste.  The crust is thicker than you would expect for wood-fired pizza, and a cornmeal-like coating adds nice texture.  Overall, this is the best crust I have ever eaten on a wood-fired oven pizza.  Score: 10/10.

Sauce: I think tomato sauce ought to taste like tomatoes, so I like this sauce’s fresh tomatoey taste.  The sauce also has a nice thick consistency.  This pizza is slightly undersauced, but what sauce is here is excellent.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: This pizza is somewhat undercheesed, and the cheese “blend” is just bland mozzarella.  The cheese kind of lets this pizza down.  Score: 5/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni is nice (not too spicy with a little flavor), but the sausage really makes this pizza.  The sausage comes in nice large chunks with a fresh unspiced taste.  Both toppings appear in excellent quantity.  Score: 10/10.

Overall Taste: The sausage and tomato sauce really steal the show, and they work great together.  The overall taste may be a little on the sweet side, but I like sweet tasting pizza.  Score: 9.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza appears like the high-quality wood-fired oven pizza it is with plenty of toppings.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry-out, but the restaurant features a nice casual dining area with TV’s showing scenes from Italy.

Customer Service: The service was helpful and friendly.  If I gave bonus points, I would give a bonus point for the restaurant’s name.

Monetary Value: The price is a little expensive for just a 12” pizza with no drink, but it is pretty reasonable when you consider the pizza’s high quality.

The Final Judgment:

Smashing Tomato is a smashing success in my book.  If I lived in Lexington, I would smash the accelerator to come here often for a smashing good time.  Score: 90/100.

Nacoochee Village Tavern and Pizzeria in Helen, GA

Basic Information:

Pizza: Nacoochee Village Tavern and Pizzeria

Number of Locations: 1

Location Reviewed: 7275 South Main Street in Helen, GA

Website: http://villagetavernpizza.com/wp/

Date of Review Visit: May 2017

What I Ordered: 12” The Carnivore pizza; Coke to drink

Price: $17.21 (includes drink and tax but not tip)

Photo:

Summary Review: 3 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: Nacoochee Village’s crust is thinner than average, but it still has some body.  The crust has a nice crispy-but-chewy texture. Overall, this crust is not the best ever, but I like it.  Score: 8/10.

Sauce: The sauce has fresh tomatoey taste.  The sauce’s consistency is a little thin, but it is applied in just the right amount.  The sauce is probably the strength of this pizza.  Score: 9/10.

Cheese: This pizza is somewhat undercheesed, and what cheese does exist seems to be bland 100% mozzarella.  The cheese also produces a decent amount of grease.  Score: 4/10.

Toppings: All-meat pizzas usually shine on the toppings criterion, but Nacoochee Village really falls flat.  The sausage, meatball, and ham toppings add a little spice but nothing more.  Only the pepperoni stands out: it is tasty with just a smidge of spiciness, but it comes in small thin slices.  In hindsight, I would keep the pepperoni and lose the other toppings, thereby ordering a one-topping pepperoni pizza.  On the bright side, all toppings do appear in good quantity.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The spiciness from all of the toppings really overpowers everything else.  Some odd shreds of basil scattered atop the pizza only add to the herby/spicy taste, and they add to it quite a bit.  Score: 6.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings dominate the pizza’s appearance, as you would expect for an all-meats pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: The dining room has some unique stump-like tables, and true to the tavern in its name alcoholic beverages take center stage on the menu.

Customer Service: The service was OK but somewhat slow and unhelpful in ordering.

Monetary Value: You can tell that Helen is a tourist town, because even for a 12” all-meats pizza this pizza is very overpriced.  If you are on any kind of a budget, go anywhere but here.

The Final Judgment:

Nacoochee Village’s pizza is unique and different, so I can see why some people would like it even though it does not suit my palette.  Score: 70/100.

Larry's Pizza in Central Arkansas

Basic Information:

Pizza: Larry’s Pizza

Number of Locations: 11, all in central Arkansas

Location Reviewed: 12911 Cantrell Road (Update: this location is closed, but several locations remain open in central Arkansas.)

Website: https://larryspizzaofarkansas.com/

Date of Review Visit: March 2017

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

Price: $12.20

Photos:

Summary Review: 1.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Larry’s Pizza is of the ultra thin and crispy southern style.  My pizza was baked just the right amount, which is not easy to do when the crust is this thin.  Overall, this crust has good texture and consistency, but it has absolutely no flavor.  Score: 7/10.

Sauce: There is almost no sauce on this pizza, and what little sauce there is has no flavor.  While thin crust pizzas are usually lightly sauced, Larry’s takes that principal to the extreme.  Score: 1/10.

Cheese: This pizza tastes fairly salty, probably due to the cheese.  The cheese appears in sufficient quantity, but it has no flavor.  (Do you see a trend developing?) Score: 4/10.

Toppings: The sausage is of the pellet variety with some spices but, I repeat again, no flavor.  The pepperoni is a little better: it is crispy, and you can actually taste the meat.  Both appear in good quantity.  Score: 6/10.

Overall Taste: The best tasting thing about this pizza might be the crust, which means that the overall taste is pretty bland.  Score: 5.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings dominate the pizza’s appearance, as you would expect for a thin crust pizza.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry-out, but this location has a nice large dining area with a Cici’s style party room.

Customer Service: The service was questionable: the lady taking my order did not know how large a medium pizza was.

Monetary Value: Even for a 12” pizza, this pizza is very overpriced relative to what you put in your mouth.  Larry’s offers a lunch and dinner pizza buffet that would help on the price, but the buffet was not open when I stopped by in the mid-afternoon.

The Final Judgment:

I could see coming here as an alternative to Cici’s, but save for the occasional self-gourding via pizza there are far better pizza options around.  Score: 59/100.

Tony's Pizza and Subs in upstate South Carolina

Basic Information:

Pizza: Tony’s Pizza and Subs

Number of Locations: 5, all in upstate South Carolina

Location Reviewed: 3750 N Highway 81 in Anderson, SC (beside Food Lion)

Website: https://www.tonyspizzaandsubs.com/

Date of Review Visit: March 2017

What I Ordered: Large pizza (14”) with sausage and pepperoni

Price: $12.83

Photos:

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Tony’s Pizza and Subs is interesting and hard to classify.  The crust has medium thickness, and while it is crispy around the edge, it is a little crispy and a little soggy underneath. Overall, I like this crust, but I don’t like the borderline sogginess.  Score: 7/10.

Sauce: This sauce has the nice tomatoey taste I like, and it appears in good quantity.  This item is the strength of the pizza.  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the cheese.  This pizza is slightly undercheesed, and the pizza tastes very salty, probably due to the cheese.  Moreover, there is no real flavor to the cheese blend on this pizza.  Needless to say, the cheese needs improvement.  Score: 3/10.

Toppings: The sausage has the ominous pellet look but not the horrible pellet taste: it has some flavor and spiciness.  The pepperoni is crispy and just spicy enough.  Both toppings appear in good quantity.  Score: 8/10.

Overall Taste: As odd as it seems given some of my comments above, the pizza as a whole tastes pretty good except for the saltiness.  The lack of cheese also hurts a little, but the main detractor is the saltiness.  Score: 7.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: You can’t see the sausage because it has the same color as the cheese.  Also, my pizza’s slices were not cut evenly.

Dining Atmosphere: I ordered carry out, but the dining atmosphere offers the unremarkable casual storefront setting that you can find in almost every city.

Customer Service: The service was fast and friendly.

Monetary Value: The price is cheap, but there are some quality issues.  Thus, the value score is not as high as you might expect.

The Final Judgment:

Tony’s Pizza and Subs is a solid pizza option to add to your pizza rotation.  While not my favorite pizza in the Upstate, I recommend coming here at least occasionally if only for a change of pace.  Score: 75/100.

MOD Pizza

Basic Information:

Pizza: MOD Pizza

Number of Locations: hundreds across 28 states

Location Reviewed: 2135 Ashley Phosphate Road in North Charleston, SC (I-26 exit 209)

Website: https://modpizza.com/

Date of Review Visit: February 2017

What I Ordered: MOD pizza (11”) with mild sausage, Canadian bacon, and pepperoni; Coke to drink

Price: $10.78 (includes drink and tax)

Photo:

Summary Review: 4 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: MOD Pizza uses the build-your-own pizza model with vats of potential toppings placed before you, hence the name MOD.  MOD Pizza features an ultra thin, somewhat flavorless, crispy crust that would not hold the weight of toppings I tried to make it bear.  My crust was slightly blackened on the bottom, which is expected for a crust this thin.  This crust does the job, but that’s about it.  Score: 7/10.

Sauce: The sauce tastes almost spicy.  The pizza would be undersauced were it not for the thin crust.  Overall, this sauce is not the best, but it is OK for what it is.  Score: 6/10.

Cheese: MOD Pizza offers plenty of cheese options.  I chose mozzarella and parmesan, but I could barely taste the parmesan.  The cheese appears in good quantity, but it also produces quite a bit of grease.  Hence, a small additional deduction is required on this criterion.  Score: 7/10.

Toppings: The pepperoni is excellent: crispy and slightly spicy.  The topping they call “mild sausage” tastes more like sweet Italian sausage than mild American sausage, but that is a subtle difference.  The Canadian bacon is unremarkable.  All toppings appear in good quantity.  MOD does not charge by topping, so you are encouraged to load up in this department.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: Believe it or not, the overall taste is a little underwhelming.  Be sure to choose some tasty toppings because they are the main flavor contributors.  The grease is also a deduction.  Score: 8/10.

Pizza Appearance: The pizza looks like the thin crust pizza loaded with toppings that it is.  

Dining Atmosphere: MOD Pizza has a nice casual dining atmosphere.

Customer Service: Service is counter rather than table, which is effective and saves on the tip.

Monetary Value: The price is not cheap, but you can get as many toppings as you want.  Also, this pizza is pretty good quality, and therefore it is pretty good value.

The Final Judgment:

MOD Pizza ranks near the top of the build-your-own pizza category in my book.  It is similar to Your Pie but slightly better and slightly cheaper.  Score: 84/100.