Salvatore's Pizza & Pasta in Birmingham, AL

Basic Information:

Pizza: Salvatore’s Pizza & Pasta

Number of Locations: 2, both near Birmingham, AL

Location Reviewed: 1594 Montgomery Highway in Hoover, AL (on the west side of US 31 between I-65 and I-459)

Website: https://www.salvatorespizzeria.com/

Date of Review Visit: March 2018

What I Ordered: personal (10”) pizza with sausage and pepperoni; fountain drink

Price: $13.71 (includes drink and tax)

Photo:

Summary Review: 3.5 stars (out of 5)

Detailed Review:

Crust: The crust at Salvatore’s is crispy and thin but not too thin.  My pizza was slightly overbaked, thus making the texture of the crust a little too hard and crispy.  This crust is not the best, but it is at least as good as average and maybe better.  Score: 7/10.

Sauce: The sauce is applied with sufficient but not too much quantity.  It has some spiciness but not too much to overpower the tomato taste.  Excellent!  Score: 10/10.

Cheese: The cheese appears in sufficient quantity and has some flavor, but it produces a decent amount of grease.  Therefore, the usual mandatory deduction applies.  Score: 8/10.

Toppings: Both the pepperoni and the sausage were just the right amount of spiciness, and they appeared in excellent quantity.  Some extra spices sprinkled on top may have been a bit too much.  Score: 9/10.

Overall Taste: This pizza seems to have just the right amount of everything, so the overall taste is pretty appealing.  I do wish the crust was not as crispy.  Score: 8.5/10.

Pizza Appearance: The toppings really dominate the appearance, which is pretty attractive except for the uneven cut.  This pizza is served on a metal tray with a paper covering, which is a problem if you try to cut the pizza with a knife because you will also cut through the paper.

Dining Atmosphere: The small dining area is merely functional with some nice TVs, but I did notice some water-stained ceiling tiles and what appeared to be a pile of dirty dishes near the restrooms.

Customer Service: The service was counter service, and the man behind the counter did not even greet me when I walked up to the counter to order.

Monetary Value: The price is pretty high for a personal pizza and a drink.  Mitigating factors are 1) the quality of the pizza, 2) this is a 10” pizza rather than the usual 8”, and 3) the counter service saves on the tip.

The Final Judgment:

Salvatore’s presents an interesting mix of good pizza but poor dining atmosphere.  While it is a notch or two below the elite pizza levels, I would sanction coming here regularly.  Score: 79/100.